Author: Kurt Koppetsch, Publisher, Shepherd News Trust
PURPOSE:
The purpose of the Shepherd Blog is to help people secure quality of life--freedom, truth, justice, peace, health, shelter, economic independence--by resolving the 2 major social concerns that overwhelm people and nations: (1) The economy and (2) human stress as the acute spiritual problem.
BACKGROUND:
The book I.D. Crisis by Kurt Koppetsch deals with the spiritual, intellectual, and social conflict of people in modern times. Confusion about the past and uncertainties in the present prevent us from knowing our true nature. As a direct consequence of such confusion, visions of the future are clouded. Some of the diversions that prevent us from realizing our true identity as children of God are philosophies, politics, economics, and falsehood such as religious cults. The solution is remembering that human beings are dependent creatures of God.
HOPE FOR THE FUTURE:
Each series of the book I.D. Crisis will conclude with the poem "Rays of Hope and Freedom" to assure readers that God cares about our lives and we are his children of hope. Hope is the From/to process at work in the modern Era of Faith repairing life and circumstance. Hope is making the impossible come true.
This week's topic:
KNOWLEDGE, TRUTH, THEORIES AND OPINIONS
No models exist in the world to demonstrate inspiration. Even Christ's parables give only glimpses as to what heaven is like. Through them Christ just barely touches eternal truth to make things understandable. Whereas other people must speculate about what is important in life, in spiritual vision God invites believers to share divine inspirations.
Spiritual matters cannot be comprehended in terms of conventional knowledge. Only the Holy Spirit of God can guide believers properly through moments of visionary truth whenever God's creation waits prepared to unfold it panoramic splendor.
When Christ told the disciples, "I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now" (John 16:12), he was telling those who believe that there is no way for them to grasp and retain all at once what there is to know about the truth of the Word of God, but that the truth about God is given through continuous revelation by the Holy Spirit.
We must recall that as instruments of the Holy Spirit, we are the means of God's grace to fill specific needs. Thus, we must be faithful and obedient in our service of making known the living God to all people in the world.
God has not created humans to be intellectual geniuses or speculative philosophers. The mission of Christian discipleship is defined as faithful and obedient service. Believers are like light for the world and bring glory to God.
But the curiosity in human nature always wants to venture out in search of answers. We are quickly intrigued by far-out subjects. There is no limit to fantasy.
Despite a genuine desire to gain knowledge, we have less interest in a deeper appreciation of God's obligation for mankind. Faithfulness and obedience to God, therefore, are looked at from a distance.
There is a general problem with organized religion. Throughout history, doctrines and dogmas were used as tools to force the membership to conform to church policy. And ecclesiastical theology has intimidated many gifted minds in the search for truth.
It was quite common in history for the church to dictate truth. Sometimes those in control even compromised their spiritual dependence on God for the sake of satisfying personal ambition.
History reveals the repudiation by the church of Copernicus' heliocentric theory. The events of that time specifically highlight the agony felt by gifted people, like Copernicus (1473-1543), who in addition to being an astronomer and mathematician also was a devout churchman.
About a century later, Copernicus' propositions precipitated the clash between science and the church. Religious groups extracted Biblical "evidence" to back their claims that God had worked the creation of the universe according to a geocentric blueprint. The Roman Catholic Church rejected Copernicus' proposals. His writing "Revolutions" was declared as "false and altogether opposed to Holy Scriptures" and it was blacklisted in the church's "Index Librorum Prohibitorum."
Copernicus' courage opened the way for in-depth study of truth which has carried over to this day as evidenced by scholarship in academia and objectivity in our dealings with everyday issues. But as with all acts of greatness, the fight against ignorance is also costly. Copernicus and works after him had to risk life, fortune, and exposure to ridicule.
Such impact was felt by Galileo (1564-1642) who suffered the brunt of the church's wrath when he dared to stand up for truth. This practical man and a genius of mechanics was the perfect complement to the theoretical Johann Kepler (1571-1630) who, among other laws, also had formulated the harmonic law of planetary motion. Galileo's precision in experiment and observation confirmed him a champion of truth. But this dedication cost him dearly. In a statement prepared for him, he was forced to denounce his accomplishments before a tribunal of the Inquisition.
These events in the development of planetary theories deserve our attention today because they exemplify the need for perseverance in the search and defense of truth. This is how freedom through knowledge is gained.
Whenever the combination of knowledge and truth is manipulated, there is a tight control over the lives of people. Suffering and death because of poverty and starvation is the fruit of ignorance that is caused by ruthless individuals in control of so-called truth and right opinions. Economic pressure is used as a common tool to enforce conformity.
But this is not the only problem in the world. Another form of chaos is generated by some people who are best described as preoccupied "scholars". These thinkers will influence social behavior with new speculations about the purpose and meaning of human life.
Yet the life-long obsession of freethinkers has seldom produced a lasting contribution to society. If anything, their substitute for God's demand for faithfulness and obedience has impeded harmony among people.
The freethinker is a modern product of sophistication and false teaching. Whenever human imagination stresses the truth about God, and subsequently insists on these ideas as doctrine, people will respond as skeptics, agnostics, and nonbelievers to question that particular ideology.
Freethinkers live as if God did not exist--sometimes this also is true of people who claim to be Christians. Therefore, in terms of social behavior, the dividing line is not clear. Some freethinkers will consent to the existence of an "ultimate power" and unwittingly work the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12) with greater ambition than the lipservice of some "Christians". But the fact is that freethinkers live only for the satisfaction of earthly goals and then die.
When those around us fail to see God in Christ, this is an indictment of Christian witness. Truth is further clouded by some "Christians"--mostly sectarian in character--who insist that their teaching is the only correct way of believing. Even the assertion about the infallibility of the papacy and worldly religious councils is diluting truth. As a modern concept, therefore, atheism will exist as long as there is an audience (2 Timothy 4:3)--and idolatrous Christianity keeps building the stage by neglecting sound doctrine (Titus 2:1-3:7).
The Psalmist writes, "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God' " (Psalms 14:1), thereby pointing to the rejection of God as the highest folly. We must help people overcome this foolishness, for God is always near to take sinners back. Fear commonly prompts moments of truth. Soldiers tell us in stories about battlefield conditions that there is never an atheist in a foxhole.
The failure of human ideas as a substitute for belief and trust in God is exposed in Marxist theories and their brand of socialism: Totalitarian governments must use force to subdue people in order to make communism work.
Each generation has its share of imaginative people. There is never a shortage of dreams. But when unproven methods start to influence people, confusion is further compounded.
We are reluctant to really seek the truth about God. We are too slow to increase in spiritual stature.
Christ has clearly stated: "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." (John 8:31-32) But somehow it appears that the laws governing the ecclesiastical affairs of a Christian church have more power over people than the truth about God.
As Christians we already know whose we are and what we once were. It behooves us, nevertheless, to refresh our memories concerning the truth of the Word of God. The writer of Proverbs offered advice to young men that is appropriate for all children of God: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Proverbs 1:7)
He then continues to make truth applicable to real-life situations: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6)
As we experience the love of God that is grace, the wisdom literature from Proverbs projects eternal truth as the reality of life: "My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights." (Proverbs 3:11-12)
But such simple truth is not always satisfying to people. Human nature is more intrigued about the complex. Whatever sounds more complicated is more appealing. Far-out concepts invite speculations.
Therefore, people will readily venture into classical philosophy in search of answers for their lives. This is done despite the fact that classical philosophy must be viewed within the framework of its ancient culture. But this is not at all upsetting to those who feel satisfied to borrow tidbits of information here and there and make certain catchwords their new theme.
Against all these spiritual alternatives stands the Word of God. Its only demand is that we lose ourselves in Christ if we want to avoid an identity crisis in our lives.
There is constant danger that we all may become exposed to spiritual degeneration at some point in our lives. Therefore, we must train ourselves to recognize pitfalls that could make us sin. The fact is that sin--missing the mark in our relationship with God--destroys spiritual discernment in the lives of people.
Sin brought about the downfall of the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Sinful behavior also permeated the apostolic church. This happened despite the fact that the charge was clearly defined: "Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified ... And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Act 2:36, 4:12)
Christianity, therefore, is not immune to attacks, even though Christianity is a covenant relationship with the living God. This new covenant was consummated by God at Golgatha and its essence is preserved for all posterity in Cross and Gospel.
As Christians, we are individually responsible to carry on Christ's witness to make known the living God to all people in the world. In evidence of commitment and dedication to God, we must live a life of truth. Failure to do so carries dire consequences.
Even though we recognize the essence of Christianity as the one eternal truth and the one universal salvation, ecclesiastical religion, partly due to factionalism, has many times failed to live up to God's expectations. this is visible in the world whenever Cross and Gospel are separated in witnessing and teaching.
In God's plan for human salvation, the Cross of Christ is the redeeming element of grace. Its reality is also the means by which God reminds believers that the curse of the law (Deuteronomy 21:23) is transformed into a blessing of faith. To this truth Saint Paul gives testimony: "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us--for it is written, 'Cursed be every one who hangs on a tree'--that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." (Galatians 3:13-14)
The Gospel is the vehicle for proclaiming this truth and extends an invitation to all people to assemble beneath the Cross so that believers may by its light and shadow give proper witness in service to God and people. Saint Paul speaks of the power of the Cross: "Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:17-18)
Christ suffered and died for the forgiveness of sins. And Christ died for the sins of people once and for all. This is the truth of the Cross. And the truth of the Gospel is the glorious Easter message in which God has declared that all who believe in Christ share through his death on the Cross his resurrection in the hope of eternal life.
Any confusion created by overzealous ecclesiastical religion is due to the emphasis placed primarily on the Gospel. Apparently that is the easier sales pitch. People want everything that has to do with their well-being, without having to be reminded that the Cross made the Gospel possible in the first place.
In other words, idolatrous Christianity wants to bask in the Gospel on Sunday without having to carry the Cross from Monday through Saturday.
Under this set of circumstances, Christianity is courting idol worship. Christianity is drawn into this problem because of people who say they are Christians since they happen to go to church each Sunday. Yet during weekdays these people serve themselves instead of glorifying God in Christ.
Christian conduct means that we are prepared to help people in need. If this is not so, we expose Christ to ridicule and scorn. Sometimes this is the case especially in the competitive atmosphere of the workplace. The sheep of Sundays are raving wolves on weekdays. In every instance where faith is not practiced, Christianity is victimized by hypocrites. As human needs are then satisfied by nonbelievers, worldly humanism gains and the Kingdom of God loses. Therefore, let all confessing Christians beware! Christ projects condemnation for our failure to take care of needy people (Matthew 25:31-46)
This problem has existed throughout the ages. And it will not easily go away, however hard Christians may try in witnessing to the truth of the Word of God.
God's charge to the prophet Ezekiel firms up the charge regarding our involvement in witnessing: "If I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you will have saved your life. Again, if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you have not warned him, he shall die for his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning; and you will have saved your life." (Ezekiel 3:18-21)
Thus, Christians are individually responsible for the truth in witnessing and teaching. Christ said: "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the man by whom the temptation comes!" (Matthew 18:6-7)
Whenever the truth of Cross and Gospel is split and our witnessing only emphasizes the truth of the Gospel, then the power of the Word of God is reduced to a weak appeal. An indecisive witness to the grace of God in salvation will mislead people by giving them the false impression that once the Gospel is received, people now have a license to do what they want because they believe that the grace of God is working for them. Nothing is further from the truth!
To be sure, salvation is by grace through faith alone "and there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) But we must understand that this truth of the Gospel is dependent on the Cross. We find the combined truth of Cross and Gospel summarized in the prophecy of Ezekiel to the Israelites: "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, says the LORD GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions which you have committed against me, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of any one, says the LORD GOD; so turn, and live." (Ezekiel 18:30-32)
And Jesus Christ confirmed the call of repentance by John the Baptist, saying: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel." (Mark 1:15) And Christ, indeed, has come to fulfill both Law and Prophets.
Now we need not speculate further and follow ancient ways of thinking as passed down by classical philosophy, for the Holy Spirit of God is living among us to reveal the truth about God. Nor do we need a philosophy of human conduct--including the much-honored precepts of classical ethics--for the personal relationship of the redeemed with the living God has the Law of God imprinted on the believer's hearts in the form of the Cross.
Therefore, with regard to human knowledge, let us use the mind to further the glory of God and be "like light for the whole world." We have the God-given obligation to be ambitious in the full development and utilization of God's power in creation through all the channels of science--physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, etc.--or industry in farming and manufacturing or life-supporting endeavors like medicine.
Yet, in all these efforts, we must remember that the spirit has superiority over the flesh, for "God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:24)
Thus we remember that our spiritual being started with Adam and was confirmed in Abraham. The Father of Many Nations, Abraham was the first to receive what God has promised, and he indeed is the father of faith for the three great monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. "And he believed the LORD; and he reckoned it to him as righteousness." (Genesis 15:6)
But the evil in human nature is prominent whenever the truth about God is manipulated by worldly intelligence. These unfortunate happenings are truly trying moments for those dedicated to God as individuals or the church as the fellowship of believers.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of the Shepherd Blog is to help people secure quality of life--freedom, truth, justice, peace, health, shelter, economic independence--by resolving the 2 major social concerns that overwhelm people and nations: (1) The economy and (2) human stress as the acute spiritual problem.
BACKGROUND:
The book I.D. Crisis by Kurt Koppetsch deals with the spiritual, intellectual, and social conflict of people in modern times. Confusion about the past and uncertainties in the present prevent us from knowing our true nature. As a direct consequence of such confusion, visions of the future are clouded. Some of the diversions that prevent us from realizing our true identity as children of God are philosophies, politics, economics, and falsehood such as religious cults. The solution is remembering that human beings are dependent creatures of God.
HOPE FOR THE FUTURE:
Each series of the book I.D. Crisis will conclude with the poem "Rays of Hope and Freedom" to assure readers that God cares about our lives and we are his children of hope. Hope is the From/to process at work in the modern Era of Faith repairing life and circumstance. Hope is making the impossible come true.
This week's topic:
KNOWLEDGE, TRUTH, THEORIES AND OPINIONS
No models exist in the world to demonstrate inspiration. Even Christ's parables give only glimpses as to what heaven is like. Through them Christ just barely touches eternal truth to make things understandable. Whereas other people must speculate about what is important in life, in spiritual vision God invites believers to share divine inspirations.
Spiritual matters cannot be comprehended in terms of conventional knowledge. Only the Holy Spirit of God can guide believers properly through moments of visionary truth whenever God's creation waits prepared to unfold it panoramic splendor.
When Christ told the disciples, "I have yet many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now" (John 16:12), he was telling those who believe that there is no way for them to grasp and retain all at once what there is to know about the truth of the Word of God, but that the truth about God is given through continuous revelation by the Holy Spirit.
We must recall that as instruments of the Holy Spirit, we are the means of God's grace to fill specific needs. Thus, we must be faithful and obedient in our service of making known the living God to all people in the world.
God has not created humans to be intellectual geniuses or speculative philosophers. The mission of Christian discipleship is defined as faithful and obedient service. Believers are like light for the world and bring glory to God.
But the curiosity in human nature always wants to venture out in search of answers. We are quickly intrigued by far-out subjects. There is no limit to fantasy.
Despite a genuine desire to gain knowledge, we have less interest in a deeper appreciation of God's obligation for mankind. Faithfulness and obedience to God, therefore, are looked at from a distance.
There is a general problem with organized religion. Throughout history, doctrines and dogmas were used as tools to force the membership to conform to church policy. And ecclesiastical theology has intimidated many gifted minds in the search for truth.
It was quite common in history for the church to dictate truth. Sometimes those in control even compromised their spiritual dependence on God for the sake of satisfying personal ambition.
History reveals the repudiation by the church of Copernicus' heliocentric theory. The events of that time specifically highlight the agony felt by gifted people, like Copernicus (1473-1543), who in addition to being an astronomer and mathematician also was a devout churchman.
About a century later, Copernicus' propositions precipitated the clash between science and the church. Religious groups extracted Biblical "evidence" to back their claims that God had worked the creation of the universe according to a geocentric blueprint. The Roman Catholic Church rejected Copernicus' proposals. His writing "Revolutions" was declared as "false and altogether opposed to Holy Scriptures" and it was blacklisted in the church's "Index Librorum Prohibitorum."
Copernicus' courage opened the way for in-depth study of truth which has carried over to this day as evidenced by scholarship in academia and objectivity in our dealings with everyday issues. But as with all acts of greatness, the fight against ignorance is also costly. Copernicus and works after him had to risk life, fortune, and exposure to ridicule.
Such impact was felt by Galileo (1564-1642) who suffered the brunt of the church's wrath when he dared to stand up for truth. This practical man and a genius of mechanics was the perfect complement to the theoretical Johann Kepler (1571-1630) who, among other laws, also had formulated the harmonic law of planetary motion. Galileo's precision in experiment and observation confirmed him a champion of truth. But this dedication cost him dearly. In a statement prepared for him, he was forced to denounce his accomplishments before a tribunal of the Inquisition.
These events in the development of planetary theories deserve our attention today because they exemplify the need for perseverance in the search and defense of truth. This is how freedom through knowledge is gained.
Whenever the combination of knowledge and truth is manipulated, there is a tight control over the lives of people. Suffering and death because of poverty and starvation is the fruit of ignorance that is caused by ruthless individuals in control of so-called truth and right opinions. Economic pressure is used as a common tool to enforce conformity.
But this is not the only problem in the world. Another form of chaos is generated by some people who are best described as preoccupied "scholars". These thinkers will influence social behavior with new speculations about the purpose and meaning of human life.
Yet the life-long obsession of freethinkers has seldom produced a lasting contribution to society. If anything, their substitute for God's demand for faithfulness and obedience has impeded harmony among people.
The freethinker is a modern product of sophistication and false teaching. Whenever human imagination stresses the truth about God, and subsequently insists on these ideas as doctrine, people will respond as skeptics, agnostics, and nonbelievers to question that particular ideology.
Freethinkers live as if God did not exist--sometimes this also is true of people who claim to be Christians. Therefore, in terms of social behavior, the dividing line is not clear. Some freethinkers will consent to the existence of an "ultimate power" and unwittingly work the Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12) with greater ambition than the lipservice of some "Christians". But the fact is that freethinkers live only for the satisfaction of earthly goals and then die.
When those around us fail to see God in Christ, this is an indictment of Christian witness. Truth is further clouded by some "Christians"--mostly sectarian in character--who insist that their teaching is the only correct way of believing. Even the assertion about the infallibility of the papacy and worldly religious councils is diluting truth. As a modern concept, therefore, atheism will exist as long as there is an audience (2 Timothy 4:3)--and idolatrous Christianity keeps building the stage by neglecting sound doctrine (Titus 2:1-3:7).
The Psalmist writes, "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God' " (Psalms 14:1), thereby pointing to the rejection of God as the highest folly. We must help people overcome this foolishness, for God is always near to take sinners back. Fear commonly prompts moments of truth. Soldiers tell us in stories about battlefield conditions that there is never an atheist in a foxhole.
The failure of human ideas as a substitute for belief and trust in God is exposed in Marxist theories and their brand of socialism: Totalitarian governments must use force to subdue people in order to make communism work.
Each generation has its share of imaginative people. There is never a shortage of dreams. But when unproven methods start to influence people, confusion is further compounded.
We are reluctant to really seek the truth about God. We are too slow to increase in spiritual stature.
Christ has clearly stated: "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." (John 8:31-32) But somehow it appears that the laws governing the ecclesiastical affairs of a Christian church have more power over people than the truth about God.
As Christians we already know whose we are and what we once were. It behooves us, nevertheless, to refresh our memories concerning the truth of the Word of God. The writer of Proverbs offered advice to young men that is appropriate for all children of God: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Proverbs 1:7)
He then continues to make truth applicable to real-life situations: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6)
As we experience the love of God that is grace, the wisdom literature from Proverbs projects eternal truth as the reality of life: "My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights." (Proverbs 3:11-12)
But such simple truth is not always satisfying to people. Human nature is more intrigued about the complex. Whatever sounds more complicated is more appealing. Far-out concepts invite speculations.
Therefore, people will readily venture into classical philosophy in search of answers for their lives. This is done despite the fact that classical philosophy must be viewed within the framework of its ancient culture. But this is not at all upsetting to those who feel satisfied to borrow tidbits of information here and there and make certain catchwords their new theme.
Against all these spiritual alternatives stands the Word of God. Its only demand is that we lose ourselves in Christ if we want to avoid an identity crisis in our lives.
There is constant danger that we all may become exposed to spiritual degeneration at some point in our lives. Therefore, we must train ourselves to recognize pitfalls that could make us sin. The fact is that sin--missing the mark in our relationship with God--destroys spiritual discernment in the lives of people.
Sin brought about the downfall of the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Sinful behavior also permeated the apostolic church. This happened despite the fact that the charge was clearly defined: "Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified ... And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Act 2:36, 4:12)
Christianity, therefore, is not immune to attacks, even though Christianity is a covenant relationship with the living God. This new covenant was consummated by God at Golgatha and its essence is preserved for all posterity in Cross and Gospel.
As Christians, we are individually responsible to carry on Christ's witness to make known the living God to all people in the world. In evidence of commitment and dedication to God, we must live a life of truth. Failure to do so carries dire consequences.
Even though we recognize the essence of Christianity as the one eternal truth and the one universal salvation, ecclesiastical religion, partly due to factionalism, has many times failed to live up to God's expectations. this is visible in the world whenever Cross and Gospel are separated in witnessing and teaching.
In God's plan for human salvation, the Cross of Christ is the redeeming element of grace. Its reality is also the means by which God reminds believers that the curse of the law (Deuteronomy 21:23) is transformed into a blessing of faith. To this truth Saint Paul gives testimony: "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us--for it is written, 'Cursed be every one who hangs on a tree'--that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." (Galatians 3:13-14)
The Gospel is the vehicle for proclaiming this truth and extends an invitation to all people to assemble beneath the Cross so that believers may by its light and shadow give proper witness in service to God and people. Saint Paul speaks of the power of the Cross: "Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:17-18)
Christ suffered and died for the forgiveness of sins. And Christ died for the sins of people once and for all. This is the truth of the Cross. And the truth of the Gospel is the glorious Easter message in which God has declared that all who believe in Christ share through his death on the Cross his resurrection in the hope of eternal life.
Any confusion created by overzealous ecclesiastical religion is due to the emphasis placed primarily on the Gospel. Apparently that is the easier sales pitch. People want everything that has to do with their well-being, without having to be reminded that the Cross made the Gospel possible in the first place.
In other words, idolatrous Christianity wants to bask in the Gospel on Sunday without having to carry the Cross from Monday through Saturday.
Under this set of circumstances, Christianity is courting idol worship. Christianity is drawn into this problem because of people who say they are Christians since they happen to go to church each Sunday. Yet during weekdays these people serve themselves instead of glorifying God in Christ.
Christian conduct means that we are prepared to help people in need. If this is not so, we expose Christ to ridicule and scorn. Sometimes this is the case especially in the competitive atmosphere of the workplace. The sheep of Sundays are raving wolves on weekdays. In every instance where faith is not practiced, Christianity is victimized by hypocrites. As human needs are then satisfied by nonbelievers, worldly humanism gains and the Kingdom of God loses. Therefore, let all confessing Christians beware! Christ projects condemnation for our failure to take care of needy people (Matthew 25:31-46)
This problem has existed throughout the ages. And it will not easily go away, however hard Christians may try in witnessing to the truth of the Word of God.
God's charge to the prophet Ezekiel firms up the charge regarding our involvement in witnessing: "If I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you will have saved your life. Again, if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you have not warned him, he shall die for his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning; and you will have saved your life." (Ezekiel 3:18-21)
Thus, Christians are individually responsible for the truth in witnessing and teaching. Christ said: "But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the man by whom the temptation comes!" (Matthew 18:6-7)
Whenever the truth of Cross and Gospel is split and our witnessing only emphasizes the truth of the Gospel, then the power of the Word of God is reduced to a weak appeal. An indecisive witness to the grace of God in salvation will mislead people by giving them the false impression that once the Gospel is received, people now have a license to do what they want because they believe that the grace of God is working for them. Nothing is further from the truth!
To be sure, salvation is by grace through faith alone "and there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) But we must understand that this truth of the Gospel is dependent on the Cross. We find the combined truth of Cross and Gospel summarized in the prophecy of Ezekiel to the Israelites: "Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, says the LORD GOD. Repent and turn from all your transgressions which you have committed against me, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of any one, says the LORD GOD; so turn, and live." (Ezekiel 18:30-32)
And Jesus Christ confirmed the call of repentance by John the Baptist, saying: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel." (Mark 1:15) And Christ, indeed, has come to fulfill both Law and Prophets.
Now we need not speculate further and follow ancient ways of thinking as passed down by classical philosophy, for the Holy Spirit of God is living among us to reveal the truth about God. Nor do we need a philosophy of human conduct--including the much-honored precepts of classical ethics--for the personal relationship of the redeemed with the living God has the Law of God imprinted on the believer's hearts in the form of the Cross.
Therefore, with regard to human knowledge, let us use the mind to further the glory of God and be "like light for the whole world." We have the God-given obligation to be ambitious in the full development and utilization of God's power in creation through all the channels of science--physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, etc.--or industry in farming and manufacturing or life-supporting endeavors like medicine.
Yet, in all these efforts, we must remember that the spirit has superiority over the flesh, for "God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:24)
Thus we remember that our spiritual being started with Adam and was confirmed in Abraham. The Father of Many Nations, Abraham was the first to receive what God has promised, and he indeed is the father of faith for the three great monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. "And he believed the LORD; and he reckoned it to him as righteousness." (Genesis 15:6)
But the evil in human nature is prominent whenever the truth about God is manipulated by worldly intelligence. These unfortunate happenings are truly trying moments for those dedicated to God as individuals or the church as the fellowship of believers.
RAYS OF HOPE AND FREEDOM
My life was in chaos.
Darkness clouded my senses.
My heart trembled in fear.
I prayed to God:
"Father, help me!"
And God transformed my life.
The world is still the same.
But I am now secure:
Christ is my Savior!
His love fills my heart,
His faith is my faith.
Rays of hope now light up my soul.
Rays of hope and freedom
Show me the way to God,
And where Christ lives I too will live.
Copyright Shepherd News Trust (c) 2009. All rights reserved.
(Excerpt from the book I.D. Crisis by Kurt Koppetsch, published by Shepherd News Trust, Inc.--www.shepherdnewstrust.com)
NEXT, January 4, 2010:
The Economy
