Fear and Trembling

In keeping with a Christmas tradition of mine, I wanted to share one of my favorite hymns, sung at a recent church service I attended.  I will also take the time to explain some of the lyrics.   The song I have chosen this year is “Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence,” a solid performance of which can be found here .  This song takes much of its imagery from Isaiah Chapter 6 and Revelation Chapter 5 and Chapter 19 .  The hymn was probably written in 275 A. D. The first verse says: Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and with fear and trembling stand; Ponder nothing earthly minded, For with blessing in His hand, Christ our God to earth descendeth, Our full homage to demand. These verses from John Chapter One come to mind:  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. ...

One of the most underrated benefits Christ brought to us during His earthly life is communication of God’s character and intentions. Some quotes from Jesus: “… I do nothing on my own authority, but speak just as the Father taught me.” John 8:28 “I speak of what I have seen with my Father…” John 8:38 “For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak.” John 12:49 “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. “ John 14:10 Christ came to tell us some important things.  Now for a story. I sat downstairs in the University of Tennessee’s Student Center in a little café called “The Rafters.” I often went there to study. I find it easier to study with a lot of commotion around me. I don’t know why, I just do. I could not help but overhear a lively conversati...

I have been helping the members of my church write a series of articles for our local paper on J. I. Packer's Knowing God .  I thought I would post the articles I have written here on "Fear and Trembling." Knowing God , Chapter Five: God Incarnate by John K. Jones What is light? What is matter? Science has long been puzzled by questions like these because, when we perform experiments, both light and the constituencies of matter behave like a particle some of the time and a wave some of the time. Particles are things that move in a straight line like small billiard balls. Waves are spread-out things that expand like ripples in a pond. In theory, something cannot be both. Science has its mysteries. As J. I. Packer points out in Chapter 5 of Knowing God, Christianity has mysteries too. The supreme mystery of Christianity is the idea that God became a man to walk, talk, eat, sleep, hunger, thirst, hurt, and be all that it means to be human on this earth (Hebrews 2:17-...

One problem in theology especially confuses me. This is not a big surprise. I am not a professional theologian and have no formal seminary training. Yet, theology is a passion for me because I know a little of what God is like, and I know how little of God’s character I reflect. In this post, I will set up the problem and suggest one possible solution. God is holy. This means He is separate and different from me, primarily in the fact that He is completely without sin or sinful desires. My understanding of God’s holiness comes mainly from reading and studying the life of Jesus. I can see out into the expanse of Christ’s life by looking through the window provided in the New Testament of the Bible. I have read this collection of 27 books many times. I have rarely questioned whether these records were true, at first because of the fact that the people I respected held the New Testament to be God’s Word and without error. Later I had the opportunity to explore the evidence for the ...

Much has been written about the philosophical problems the existence of evil poses for the Christian faith. The philosophical question is simple: how can God be both all-powerful and all-good while allowing evil and suffering? I have attempted an answer to this intellectual question here , but I wanted to explore the personal side of it in this post. In my own life, many things have not worked out the way I had hoped. I have been quite disappointed. I’ve had childhood illness, watched my grandmother die of colon cancer when I was about 13, been through a painful broken engagement, been through a divorce, remarried only to struggle with infertility for several years, endured a devastating car wreck that has injured me permanently, watched my mother die a long and painful death at the hands of congestive heart failure, and wrestled with personal illness in adulthood. Above all, I have faced my own sins and failures with the pain that comes from regret and remorse. But my suffering ...

Ligonier Ministry’s blog has a series of posts from John Gerstner on the divinity and humanity of Jesus Christ. You can find the first three here , here , and here . The last post above contains great examples of Christ’s influence on the world. Here’s an excerpt from the summary: We are fully aware that to attribute Godhood to any man is a colossal affirmation. It borders on the incredible--the impossible. But when we consider the impression of Christ's humanity, the great claims He made for Himself in the most humble way, the unrestrained adoration and worship of those who knew Him, the miracles associated with Him whose life was a "blaze of miracles," and the constant recurring miracles of grace which have attended the heralding of His name throughout the world, we propose that (if it is difficult to believe that a man was also God) it is impossible to deny Christ's deity. It is difficult to believe; it is impossible to doubt.

Christianity has certain features that make it unique among the world’s major religions. I believe that these features make an excellent case for exploring the case for Christianity before exploring the other faith traditions. I am not trying to make a positive case for Christianity in this post. I have done that here . I am just trying to help those seeking truth to start with Christianity. Christianity is dependent on the truth of certain historical facts concerning Jesus. These include His life, death, and resurrection. It is possible to test the truth of these claims. For example, did Christ’s resurrection actually take place? If it did not, then Christianity can be dismissed, and other options explored. If so, then you must take all of Christ’s teaching on matters of religion as authoritative. It is difficult to start a religion on this basis. The easiest way is to develop a religion based almost entirely on feelings and experiences. It leaves other interesting question...

I had the chance last night to attend a Christmas Eve Service at my brother-in-law’s church in Knoxville: Redeemer Presbyterian. Thankfully, they do not share the annoying Baptist tendency to sing only a few verses of the song. (We say, “The first and the last verse;” or “The first, third and forth verses.”) I was reminded of some wonderful truths buried in the verses we don’t usually sing. “Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing.” - O Come All Ye Faithful , verse 3. An allusion to the first chapter of John. The wonderful truth that God has freely chosen to reveal Himself to us in the Person of Christ, very God and very man. “Nails, spear, shall pierce him through; the cross be borne for me, fo you.” – What Child is This , verse 2. That Christ came to die for us is often ignored by our culture. He came to die for us. He emptied Himself , voluntarily not exercising all of His power and attributes, to pay the ultimate penalty for all who have faith in Him. “To free all those who trus...

Thanks to Vitamin Z for my Christmas quote for this year: "God with us." It is hell's terror. Satan trembles at the sound of it; the black-winged dragon of the pit quails before it. Let him come to you suddenly, and do you but whisper that word, "God with us," back he falls, confounded and confused. "God with us" is the laborer's strength; how could he preach the gospel, how could he bend his knees in prayer, how could the missionary go into foreign lands, how could the martyr stand at the stake, how could the confessor own his Master, how could men labor, if that one word were taken away? "God with us" is the sufferer's comfort, the balm of his woe, the alleviation of his misery, the sleep which God gives to his beloved, their rest after exertion and toil. "God with us" is eternity's sonnet, heaven's hallelujah, the shout of the glorified, the song of the redeemed, the chorus of angels, the everlasting oratorio of ...

I have been re-reading the Gospel of John lately. I like it because of the author’s obvious delight in the Person of Christ. I find an article by Craig Blomberg over at the NAMB Apologetics site to be interesting. Here’s a sample: “… a considerable number of scholars during the last half-century have pioneered what came to be known as the "new look on John," recognizing a far greater level of historical reliability and a Jewish milieu for the deeds and teachings attributed to Jesus than the first half of the twentieth century had acknowledged. Arguably, if the next half-century gave the same kind of sustained study to the remaining questionable details, the amount of general confidence in the fourth Gospel would again grow in corresponding fashion.” – Craig Blomberg John, the author of the gospel attributed to him, was the apostle who was a personal friend of Jesus. He gives many accurate details of first century Palestine, including arrangement of buildings and geography...

I found a great sermon by C. H. Spurgeon on the web today. If we would influence thoughtful persons it must be by solid arguments. Shallow minds may be wrought upon by mere warmth of emotion and force of excitement, but the more valuable part of the community must be dealt with in quite another manner… This is a lesson for the ministry at large. Certain earnest preachers are incessantly xciting the people, and but seldom if ever instructing them; they carry much fire and very little light. God forbid that we should say a word against appealing to the eelings; this is most needful in its place, but then there is a due proportion to be bserved in it… The preacher may touch the feelings by rousing appeals, as the harper touches the harpstrings; he will be very foolish if he should neglect so ready and admirable an instrument; but still as he is dealing with reasonable creatures, he must not forget to enlighten the intellect and instruct the understanding. And how can he appeal to the unde...

“I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had absolutely no other place to go.” - Abraham Lincoln I am once again driven to my knees over the situation I find myself in. I am overwhelmed by the weight of the burden I have for those around me. I am confused by the suffering of my close relatives who don’t seem to deserve it. I am powerless to overcome my own sin. I am comforted by the fact that I am never more powerful that I am when I pray . I am connected to the supreme power in the universe . I am assured of the power of God in response to my prayers. I know I make a difference in the world as I depend upon Him. “Pray, and let God worry.” - Martin Luther “Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons; but they are helpless against our prayers.” -J. Sidlow Baxter

There is no other religious leader like Jesus Christ. I do not have a respect for authority in and of itself. In general, I don’t care what a person’s position is, I will respect them only if they are worthy of respect. Just because his title is “boss” doesn’t mean that I will blindly follow his directives or do what he says. I do not care how many titles a person has, I will only listen to their teaching if I am convinced they are intelligent and trustworthy. That’s why Christ’s credentials as a teacher are so important to me. What makes a good teacher? I submit the following: His teachings are true, and he can prove it. He follows his own teaching. He cares for those he teaches. His teachings make a difference in the world. (Please note that I do not think a person must be male to be a good teacher. I use the masculine pronoun out of convention.) We have an accurate set of historical documents that describe the events of Christ’s life . Christ showed up on earth claiming to be God , ...

There are many pastors and teachers I could look up to as heros. I have benefited greatly from their ministries. To list a few: John Piper R. C. Sproul Al Mohler Norman Geisler Michael S. Horton and Rod Rosenbladt . This is good. I have learned a lot from these men, especially Dr. Sproul. (I’ve heard and read so much of his teaching that there is a certain sense that even when I am disagreeing with him it is him I am disagreeing with.) This is also bad. I could easily get to the point where I put them on a pedestal. I could begin to take what they say as authoritative in am inappropriate sense. (No man, no matter how smart or gifted, should get an implicit faith.) I could fail to check what they say against the Scriptures. I could fail to see their imperfections and shortcomings. Al of this could be dangerous to my Christian life. If carried to far, hero worship can even ship-wreck a person’s faith. The moral failure of a pastor I had idealized as a youth was almost the undo...

“…What is unique about Christianity among all the world religions is its central doctrine of a once-for-all atonement that is offered to people to grant them salvation… most religions have no provision for an atonement … Why would a world religion not consider an atonement necessary for redemption unless, in their view, God is less than holy? If God is perfectly just and people are not perfectly just, yet those people are trying to be in a vital relationship with God, you have a basic, overwhelming problem. How would a God who is holy and just accept in his presence unjust creatures? … Human beings who are unjust must be justified somehow to enter the presence of a holy God. That’s why the whole focus of Judeo-Christianity is at the point of atonement, which brings about reconciliation. But if you don’t believe that God is all that holy, there’s no need for any concept of reconciliation. We can live however we want because this kind of god is a cosmic bellhop who will overlook all of o...

I have been reading Christopher Hitchens’ new book: God is not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything (New York: Twelve, 2007). Hitchens skillfully builds a wall of rhetoric around his firmly entrenched atheism. He walls himself off from Christianity with subtile and effective insult. Unlike Richard Dawkin’s recent book, it is more difficult to pin down an actual argument against the Christian faith in God is not Great , but I would like to answer a few points. ... there would be no ... churches in the first place if humanity had not been afraid of the weather, that dark, the plague, the eclipse, and all manner of other things now easily explicable. And also if humanity had not been compelled, on pain of extremely agonizing consequences, to pay the exorbitant tithes and taxes that raised the imposing edifices of religion. (p. 65) In this short passage, he refers to two ad hominem arguments. Men like Sigmund Freud and Ludwig Feuerbach developed the first in the past. It has been calle...

I heard some testimonies the other day that really stressed me out. Several people shared that Christianity implies the need for a “leap of faith,” or that “God’s existence cannot be proved because then faith would not be faith.” These ideas will not strengthen faith when Christians are confronted by worldly philosophy. God's existence is as plain as the nose on our faces ( Romans 1:18-19 ). Many, from The Apostle Paul to St. Augustine to St. Thomas Aquinas to John Gerstner to Greg Bahnsen , have proven the faith beyond doubt. The problem is not the lack of evidence, but the suppression of it. The unbeliever does not want to submit to God, so he or she refuses to acknowledge the truth that is plain ( Romans 1:21-23 ). There is no need to fall back on a position that says God's existence is to be taken on faith, as if faith is something that goes beyond reason. The Christian faith is the wisdom of God that makes foolish the wisdom of this world ( 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 ). The C...

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. - Jesus (John 6:47, NKJV) Recent conversations with a Muslim have reminded me that many in the world do not have a firm knowledge that they will go to heaven when they die. Some have a vague trust in their idea of a God who may honor their faith and may not. Some have only the hope that, when God judges the world, He will find their good works outweigh their bad. Some have not yet reached the point in their thinking that they can acknowledge a God who judges or a heaven (A future post will lay out some of the reasons for believing in both.). We can know that we are on the way to heaven if we have faith in Christ. This faith is a confident assurance that what Jesus says about how to live life is true. This assurance brings us to a knowledge that we have not, even for one moment, lived free from sin; that is, we have done things that Christ tells us not to do or failed to do things that Christ tells us to do. This ...