There Are None So... Pt. 3

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There Are None So... Pt. 3

Part 3, Confused

March 15, 2024 • Central Baptist Church

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March 15, 2024

There Are None So…

Pt. 3, Confused

Continuing in the theme of, “There are none so blind as those who will not see”, and “There are none so deaf as those who will not hear”, let’s move on to our third thought for this month: “There are none so confused, as those who will not think, or, a better word would be, REASON.”

There is a subset of citizens on our planet who pride themselves on their supposed objectivity[1]; they call themselves “Free Thinkers”. These “free thinkers” would also probably ally themselves with philosophical titles such as Atheist, Agnostic, Humanist, or Intellectual. Whatever else these folks infer from the title “Free Thinker”, this one tenant would probably be first and foremost: they believe that THEY are objective, or at least attempting objectivity… and that the thinking and reasoning of a vast majority of the remainder of this planet’s citizenry, is, to some degree, perverted, clouded, or biased by subjectivity[2]. And they would most likely contend that the citizenry’s subjectivity (to whatever degree) is a function of cultural and/or religious “bias”.

But the problem with this argument is that everyone—even the so-called “Free Thinker”—is biased! No human being can be 100% objective. Everyone looks at the world, at life, at ethics, and at morality, and they form ideas, opinions, and conclusions based upon a baseline set of preconceived ideas and/or human reasoning. We call this a filter, a worldview, or a paradigm. Cartoonist Dan Leitha[3] pictured this “bias” as Worldview Goggles (see the cartoon on page 2). As we mature intellectually, we build this set of “Worldview Goggles”, and we wear them freely, using them as an interpretive filter to make sense of our world.

The “Free Thinking” atheist, agnostic, or Humanist starts every quest, whether it be scientific or ideologic, with a baseline set of conditions: 1) there is no Creator; 2) everything came from nothing, and 3) life started by accident and Darwinian evolution can be the only allowable answer for the myriad of lifeforms on our planet. We will call this the “No God” or “Natural” set of “goggles” (a Natural worldview).

The born-again Christian looks at the same set of data (cosmology, geology, biology, ethics, and morality), but through a set of “goggles” that we will label “God’s Word”, i.e., a Biblical worldview.

Yes, every human being forms his/her own set of worldview goggles; pure objectivity is an impossibility. There is no such thing as the “blank slate” concept. A child growing up in a home and culture shaped by a Deistic faith-set will usually be influenced by that Deistic faith-set. A child growing up in an atheistic faith-set will usually be influenced by that atheistic faith-set. No human can grow up totally isolated from an ideology.

If we truly are driven by a goal of objectivity, then we will be honest and admit that Atheism, Agnosticism, and Humanism are just other forms of religion, when “religion” is defined as a faith-set or dogma. Yes, atheists operate by faith! None of their baseline assumptions can be proven scientifically or even logically supported! Consider these premises,

1. “No God?”. How can you prove or disprove that?

2. “Everything came from nothing?” This is a logical impossibility unless you invoke a Supreme Being that SPOKE the Universe into existence.

3. “Darwinian evolution?” This hypothesis has never been scientifically demonstrated, the fossil stratas do not support it, and even our coarse understanding of biology and life itself precludes “evolution” as a ludicrous joke!

All of the Naturalist’s baseline tenants must be accepted by faith and in this instance, blind faith, i.e., faith with no foundation, and sadly, hopeless faith.

If human beings want to find and know The Truth, it is available and obvious to all. It is available to all who would stop and consider, think, and REASON! Our Creator isn’t afraid of our questions, in fact, He begs us to ask, to seek, to search, and then to find! God, through the prophet Isaiah, cried out to his people, Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD… (Isaiah 1:18). And through the prophet Moses our Creator invited his people to consider! Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else (Deuteronomy 4:39). God built his Human creation with not only an innate knowledge of ethics and morality but with an innate knowledge of God’s very Triune existence! The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans… Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse… (Romans 1:19, 20).

God says that with a mind that is open to The Truth and is honest in its reasoning, we can look at the Triune Universe—we can look at the trinity of space, time, and matter—and understand the Trinity of the Godhead![4] This is amazing!

Those who are truly wise will look, consider, think, and reason. And when they consider God’s proclamation in Isaiah 45:22—Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else—they will bow the knee! They will admit that the “rational man”, the “thinking man”, the “reasoning man” is a man of Biblical faith and that he is the climax creation of a loving God Who came as a man so that He might redeem us from the curse of our rebellion.

God bless and consider!

[1] In regard to a person’s judgment — not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts. Synonyms include impartial, unbiased, unprejudiced, nonpartisan, disinterested, neutral, even-handed, equitable, fair-minded, open-minded, and etc.

[2] In regard to a person’s judgment — influenced by personal feelings, tastes, and opinions, which in turn come from one’s social environment, i.e., culture, religion, and etc.

[3] Leitha, Dan. Worldview Goggles. October 1, 2008. Published in Answers Magazine, Answers in Genesis. https://answersingenesis.org/media/cartoons/let-there-be-truth/worldview-goggles/

[4] Morris, Henry M. III. The Triune Universe. Institute for Creation Research. http://www.icr.org/article/triune-universe/

Good and Evil, Pt. 4

April 26, 2024 • Central Baptist Church

April 26, 2024 Good and Evil Part 4, The Deadline This month we’ve been musing about the “mysteries” of good and evil, a topic that has caused countless generations to puzzle and question. We started with Part 1, The Dilemma. One of the hardest things for the natural (i.e., non-spiritual) man to rationalize is the very real presence of evil in this World system! In Part 2, The Desire, we discovered that mankind’s desire was his downfall. Eve exercised her free will, she rebelled against her Creator, Adam followed, and we’ve been living in a mess ever since! But God also had a desire, a desire to rescue humanity from their foolish choice and the consequence of rebellion. Eve’s desire brought disaster, but God’s desire brought deliverance through the sacrifice of His own Perfect Son, Jesus the God-Man. In Part 3, The Doubt, we talked about the common question, “Why do bad things happen to good people?” But we discovered that this question is flawed on both ends! Until we see the end of the matter (1 Corinthians 4:5) we can’t judge what is bad and what is good. And second, there are no “good” people. Jesus said, …there is none good but one, that is, God (Mark 10:18). Paul seconded that motion when under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit he wrote, …there is none that doeth good, no, not one (Romans 3:12). And now we will close this month’s study of Good and Evil with Pt. 4, The Deadline. As much as humanity wants to question God, argue about good and evil, and in so doing absolve themselves of their own guiltiness, there comes an eventual reality check, a reckoning, a deadline. I’ll call it the Personal Deadline: the death of our physical body. The Hebrews author warned, And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment… (Hebrews 9:27). When our soul and spirit leave our body at death, our eternal destiny is fixed. And the Bible is plain; there are no second chances, regardless of what “religion” tells us! Solomon taught this austere reality in poetic form in Ecclesiastes 11:3, …if the tree fall toward the south, or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be. In the Luke 18 account of the unnamed rich man and the beggar Lazarus, we discover that at the instant of death, each person was transported directly to their eternal destiny. There were no purgatories or limbos; there was no chance for a pardon, or for penance, or for indulgences. No matter what some religious authority tells us, God says that the unrepentant rich man was instantly in torment in that place the Bible calls Hades or Hell (a holding cell for the final prison called the Lake of Fire). And the repentant beggar Lazarus was instantly enjoying comfort and joy, in a place that Jesus called Paradise. Forgiven Lazarus will come back with Christ to this Earth, He will enjoy ruling and reigning with Christ in the literal 1000-year Kingdom, he will witness the re-creation of this sin-cursed Universe, and then enjoy living on a New Earth forevermore. The big question of life then, is not the mystery of Good and Evil, where they came from, or why our consciences innately know about them… but how God judges as either good or evil! Yes, at that moment, at the last beat of our hearts, we will either inherit God’s goodness (grace) or God’s judgment. Receiving His grace has absolutely nothing to do with what we can DO in life, how “good” we have been, or how many “good leaves” we have turned over. We can’t do enough good to pay for our sins! We can’t earn God’s forgiveness. We are spiritually dead because of our sins and dead people can’t do anything! Penance isn’t possible. We can’t purchase indulgences from religious organizations. If we could somehow earn or buy Heaven, then Christ didn’t need to die in our place! Friends, we can only access God’s grace by accepting God’s FREE GIFT of forgiveness. Again, it has to be free because it’s not possible to earn it. But it’s not cheap! It cost God dearly! The Son of God incarnated Himself in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, the Perfect God-Man. Jesus lived a perfect life and sacrificed Himself as a perfect sacrifice. He died in our place, the Just for the unjust. And so, the real question is somewhat like that asked by Pilate some 2000 years ago: What shall I do with Jesus (Mat 27:22)? We appropriate God’s forgiveness as did the praying publican and the thief on the cross by crying out to God in contrition and repentance asking for his forgiveness and grace (For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved – Romans 10:13). THEN God will apply the precious blood of Christ to our sin-debt, washing us as white as snow. God pleads with humanity through His prophet Isaiah,Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool (Isaiah 1:18). If we have cried out to God in repentance and faith for His forgiveness, then He will apply Jesus’ righteousness to our account and our sin debt will read, “Paid in Full!” The Lord is, …not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). Friends, a deadline awaits us all and it always comes unannounced and often suddenly. At that last heartbeat, we’ll be accounted righteous THROUGH Christ or we will remain as guilty sinners separated eternally from God because of our unwillingness to repent and believe, and consequently, we will pay for our sins eternally. Don’t put it off. Take advantage of God’s goodness and grace TODAY! God bless and consider!

Good and Evil, Pt. 3

April 19, 2024

April 19, 2024 Good and Evil Part 3, The Doubt Why do bad things happen to good people? We talked about this just a bit in this month’s introductory lesson. This is a question that often generates doubt: doubt of God’s concern for his children, doubt of God’s ability to protect and bless his children, and sometimes even doubt of God’s existence altogether. We’ve all heard the emotional challenge, “If God is loving and all-powerful, then why_____?”, and you can fill in that blank. Unbelievers always struggle with this question, often using it as a justification why they choose NOT to believe. And even some believers struggle with it, causing them to abandon worship and service to the Savior. But… God gives us the answer to this question in His Bible! First, everything that natural men (as opposed to spiritual men) label as “bad”, whether it be in the form of disability, disease, injustice, conflict, geologic and meteorological chaos, and finally, death, is a consequence of mankind’s free will choice to sin, to rebel against God. God gave His perfect human creation free will. Our original parents exercised that free will and chose to rebel against their Creator. And with that choice came horrible consequences: an entropic world, entropic bodies, corrupted consciences, people who give themselves over to wickedness (e.g., Cain), and finally death. WE are the cause of “bad”; it is what WE inherited. WE chose it! Second, let’s define the two objects in that question: “bad things” and “good people”. Again, only our Creator, who is working all things for the good of his redeemed children, has the authority to label an event or a condition as “bad” or “good”. What appears, to the natural man, as “bad”, e.g., the congenital blindness of the man described in John 9, might actually have been the best thing that could have ever happened to this man. This man’s congenital blindness brought him into a redeemed relationship with the Messiah. Could it be that God knew, that apart from this man’s blindness, he would never have been born again? I believe this man, who is now in Heaven with Jesus Christ, is still praising God for the GRACE that allowed him to be born blind so that he might come to repentance, belief, and eternal life. Next, let’s ask, who are the “good” people? Again, the natural (i.e., the non-spiritual) man categorizes every person as “good”, if they haven’t robbed banks, abused children, or committed murder. But again, only God is qualified to define “good”, and He says, “There is none good, no not one” (Psalm 14:3; Psalm 53:3; Romans 3:12). So actually, the question itself is fallacious on both accounts. We can’t judge what is bad or good in the scope of the spiritual and eternal, and there are NO good people. We are all sinners; we all live with the debilitating consequences of sin! Third, God is Sovereign, and this means His hands are not tied by man’s choice to rebel and the hard consequences we have earned. God taught Jeremiah that we are like the potter’s clay; He can mold us and remold us as He wishes, and it will always be for our ultimate spiritual good and His glory. God can and will use those things that we consider “bad”—our consequences—for our ultimate good. And for born-again believers, He will use the tests of life to mature us and make us into the image of His Dear Son (Romans 8:29). So… “Thank you Father for loving us and even using the mess we have made to bring us to repentance and to mature us in the faith!” God bless and consider!

Good and Evil, Pt. 2

April 12, 2024 • Central Baptist Church

Good and Evil Part 2, The Desire “Why?” It seems that human beings start asking this one-word question almost before we can say “da da” (oh, I’m sorry… “ma ma”). “Why?”, is a good question because we learn when we ask it. But “Why?”, can also be a dangerous question when it is directed, in a questioning manner, to someone in authority, for example, GOD! After the creation, God made just one rule, just one law for his first man and woman. We can’t even imagine a world with just one law. Our planet is so inundated with laws, regulations, codes, and statutes that it’s often easier to say what we can’t do rather than what we can! But truly, the first couple had just one rule. God said, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die (Genesis 2:16, 17). Think of it! Every other element of the creation was Adam and Eve’s to enjoy. Just one tree—ONE TREE—was off-limits. Do you think they wondered, “Why?” I’m sure they did! And so, what happened? Eve’s desire got the better of her. With the fallen angel Lucifer cheerleading, and twisting, and deceiving, Eve’s desire to know “Why?”, overpowered her senses and her respect for God and God’s Law, and she violated that one rule! She ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God tells us exactly what Eve was thinking and feeling. Genesis 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. As Paul Harvey used to say, “Now we know the rest of the story!” Adam and Eve’s desire caused them to question, and then disobey God’s Law, and it got them and us into an awful fix. But God also has a desire. Jesus Christ, the God-Man, desired to fulfill The Trinity’s plan for the redemption, (i.e., the buy-back, the rescue) of mankind, so that He might bring many sons unto glory by his own suffering (Hebrews 2:10). In Hebrews 10 we read the prophetic declaration of the Son of God: Lo I come… to do thy will, O God (Hebrews 10:7, 9). On the evening[1] of the Passover, Jesus declared to His disciples, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God (Luke 22:15, 16). We call Christ’s sacrifice His “passion”, and the week leading up to the crucifixion “passion week”. Jesus’ loving passion—His desire—was to pay mankind’s sin debt and make it possible for all men and women to be purchased back, to be redeemed. As Jesus explained to Nicodemus, And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved (John 3:14-17). Adam and Eve’s desire brought disaster. But Jesus’ desire brought deliverance! Praise God, we have been made redeemable through the blood payment of the Substitutionary Sacrifice, the Perfect Lamb of God. So, what is your desire? Do you desire to be made free from the curse of sin? God is, …not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). You CAN apply the cleansing blood of Christ’s sacrifice. You CAN become a forgiven child of the King, by repenting (i.e., changing your mind about how to be accepted by God), and in faith (belief), crying out for His loving, forgiving grace! It’s NOT of works, lest any man should boast (Ephesians 2:8, 9). For whosover shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13). God bless and consider! [1] The Jew’s day started at sundown, with evening, and then morning. See the Creation account in Genesis 1 and also Psalm 55:17.