Fear and Trembling

I find a particular set of questions show up when I share the gospel with atheists on the internet. I want to adapt some of those questions as given here and give my answer and / or explanation. The objections are boldface. My comments are regular script. “God has no right to impose punishment on me because he is the one who made his laws so I could not follow them. The God who makes the laws, decides if you broke the law or not and determines the punishment.” You assume that the law of God is arbitrary, that God could choose to make the law be whatever He wanted it to be. God could no more make the moral law in a different way than he could make the laws of mathematics a different way. All of these abstract laws are an expression of His nature and character. God’s character is the basis for good attitudes. God’s actions are the basis for good behavior. God’s character and morality cannot change because His being cannot change. God’s knowledge is the basis for the laws of...

I received some mass e-mail communication from The Colson Center today regarding a new book by Dr. Curt Thompson, a Psychiatrist who is certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Dr. Thompson has an interesting hypothesis that he says is born out by experimentation: prayer and other spiritual disciplines affect the mind itself. Here is an excerpt from Dr. Thompson's  article over at the Colson Center : …consider one of the features of the brain that neuroscientists call neuroplasticity. This refers to the capacity for the brain to do three things: (1) produce new neurons; (2) to increase the speed and efficiency of neurons by increasing their length and diameter and (3) increase or decrease the level of connections between neurons, depending on how often they are used—those neuron patterns that are fired more frequently make greater attachments, and those that are used less frequently are pruned away…. Current neuroscience supports the idea that spiritual...

The debate on justification between the New Perspective on Paul and the traditional reformation view at the recent Evangelical Theological Society meeting. My personal views are here and here . Ligonier Ministries’ opinion is linked to  here , with some more helpful links here . The Heidelblog weighs in here . Trevin Wax has some helpful links here . Collin Hansen weighs in with a particularly helpful post here .

A couple has placed their decision to birth or abort a baby up for vote on the internet . I found this out from an atheist web site. It’s been making the rounds. They are talking about a very large swing in the voting toward pro-abortion since the posts on the atheist web. I am hoping that this is some sort of stunt, and that they will not go through with it. I would also think that, since most pro-choice people claim to be anti-abortion, that the votes would come out in favor of birth by the end. Vote today.

Developing a mental model that enables an effective approach to work is one of the most important activities that a person can engage in. The approach taken is dependent on one’s overall thoughts about the world around him. My way of thinking about the world is distinctly Christian, and my faith informs my outlook on the work that I do. I am a Safety and Environmental Manager for a fireplace manufacturer. I see my work as a vocation, a distinct calling that God has extended to me. My work is not just a “job,” something I do to make money so I can support my true interests and enjoyments. Aside from the Bible itself, Martin Luther, a leader of church reform in the 16th Century, has done more to shape my approach than any other, and this paper will clearly reveal dependence on him. The Bible exhorts us to work diligently. God’s original command to people is “fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over [it]” (Genesis 1:28, ESV). How could this be done without engaging in work o...

Chuck Colson with some pointed words on today’s election: So, have you voted yet? If so, well done. If not, as soon as this broadcast is over—or as soon as you’re off work—I want you to go and fulfill your Christian duty to be a good citizen and go vote. And while you’re at it, call a few of your Christian friends. Find out if they have voted yet. If not, tell them you’re going, and you’ll be glad to stop by to pick them up… And let me say this. The next time you hear someone tell you that Christians ought to take a vacation from politics, tell them to go fly a kite! Listen, its our duty, as citizens of the Kingdom of God to be the best citizens in the society we live in. If your pastor no longer has the energy or courage to motivate his flock to speak out on public issues, maybe you can lovingly “buck him up.” Remind him or her that God’s people are to love their neighbors, to desire the best for them, to pursue the common good. And we can’t do that on the political sidelines...

We celebrated Reformation Day yesterday at our church. Some helpful links: Justin Taylor's take on the subject is here . Ligonier Ministries offers some great free resources here . Desiring God points to Luther’s First Thesis and very last words here . John Piper offers lessons from Martin Luther’s life and labor here . Scotty Smith offers up a great Reformation Day prayer for “the gospel plus nothing” here .