Feb 25, 2022 | Epistemology - Trust
As I’ve grown older and God has mercifully continued to work his amazing process of sanctification in me, I’ve realized the number one sin of my existence has nothing to do with morality. It’s easy for Christians, me included, to fall into the trap of thinking conformity to external moral standards is proof of sanctification. In reality, that is only tangentially true. What Jesus transformed in our redemption and accomplished on the cross is what Paul called “the inner man” (2 Cor. 4:16, Eph. 3:16. Rom. 7:22,23). This was a radical change from everything that came before because until Jesus, religion was about external conformity, not inner transformation. That is still the case, and a temptation for every Christian. I heard Tim Keller say once that every human being is by nature “religious,” meaning we naturally think favor with God is earned by moral performance. In fact, the gospel often terrifies us. Which is why the gospel is so counter intuitive to us, and the greatest news ever. (more…)
Feb 11, 2022 | Explanatory Power
If I had to play a one-note Samba in apologetics it would be the consideration of the Alternative. In my last post I mentioned a Christian who advertised his “deconversion” on Facebook, and suggested he might want to put his new alternative faith on trial as much as he did Christianity. The Bee’s headline reveals something most most people, including Christians, have probably never considered: atheists are people of faith too! They are “believers” every bit as much as Christians. Unfortunately, while Christians are referred to as “believers,” those who are not Christians are referred to as “unbelievers,” as if such at thing existed. In our modern secular culture this is a problem, as I will explain. Let’s see how the Bee explains our fictional atheist’s struggle:
Sources say that Marcus often says that he’s just a random collection of atoms and chemical reactions—that he’s just ‘dancing to his DNA’—but recently he just can’t seem to shake the idea that there’s more to his existence.
“What if it’s all a lie? What if atheism is just made up to make people feel smart and have a false sense of superiority?” Marcus cried out. “I mean obviously we’re just here by random chance, with no benevolent Being watching over us. But then again, why has a single good thing happened in anyone’s life—much less on a daily basis?”
(more…)
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