Doubt Busters

Many people would say that they are spiritual, but not religious. The way the world uses these terms, I would say that the “spiritual” person usually believes in a higher power, but doesn’t see the need to join a formal religious organization or church gathering. This “spiritual” person usually has a hodgepodge of beliefs cobbled together from various sources. This person does not need any proof for the validity of his beliefs. “You have your truth and I have mine,” is his mantra. For this “spiritual” person, truth is subjective, not objective.

On the other hand, religious people (again, I’m using the word “religious” the way the world uses it), usually subscribe to a set of beliefs and practices related to their God. With Christianity, that usually means that the Bible is God’s word, which tells its adherents how to live their lives. (Some factions of Christianity have seemingly done away with the use of the Bible.) Ceremonies and symbolic practices are usually part of their religion.

The Bible does not see spiritual and religious as contradictory – it defines the terms in a way the world does not. According to Vine’s dictionary, the Greek word used for “religion” refers to the external observances of one’s faith in God. This includes worship and helping others.

However, the New Testament makes a difference between spiritual and carnal. The carnal are living with the flesh as the foundation. They look to other men and women (1 Corinthians 3:1-4), and thus are “behaving like mere men.” Their values are usually no different than the world’s. Just about every Christian starts out this way. The carnal are also called “babes in Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:1) because they have not grown enough in their faith to look beyond their own needs and desires to the will of God.

On the other hand, the spiritual have Jesus as the foundation for their thinking, motivations, and works. They have moved away from self-centeredness to living their lives for their God. They are biblically religious in that they practice their faith in the real world. Their spirituality is not internal; they show by their lives that Jesus influences their choices in far-reaching ways.

Carnal and spiritual are not just interesting Bible terms. Leading carnal or spiritual lives has eternal consequences. The spiritual life is based on Jesus. The carnal life is based on self. According to 1 Corinthians 3:10-17, our works will be judged. If they turn out to be works of the flesh (outlined in Galatians 5:19-21), the works will be discarded and we will not receive a reward for all that labor. The spiritual works that spring from love for Christ and a desire to honor him according to his will shall receive everlasting rewards.

What Do You Think?

a. Are you spiritual, or carnal?

b. What are you doing that demonstrates your belief in the Christian God?

Vine, W.E., Vine’s Expository dictionary of New Testament Words, MacDonald Publishing Company.

The many sales of self-help and spiritual-help books tells me that people are hungry to get more out of life. On the other hand, many people do not question their place in life. They are satisfied with the status quo. Their attitude is, “Don’t rock the boat. I’m enjoying my slice of life just fine.” “I’m making do with what I’ve got.”

Usually, a person starts seeking for more when she realizes that she is still not satisfied with life. Her financial or physical health, relationships, or activities has turned her to look for alternatives. For many people, that alternative is spiritual, since the material world has proven to be a disappointment.

So she starts asking, “Isn’t there more to life than this? What is the meaning of life?” Continue reading →

If you, a stranger, were to come up to me and tell me that your father and my father were the same person because both are human beings, should I immediately assume they were the same father? To see if that were true, we would gather more detail about our fathers and compare them. You say your father was born in California. My father was born in Minnesota. Furthermore, you describe your father as 6′ 2″ tall. My father is 5′ 3″ tall. Lastly, your father is only 52 years old while my father is 82. So we have more than enough indications that our fathers are completely different human beings.

If all the religions simply call their god “God,” then it appears that they are all the same god. What happens when we investigate details about these gods? The Christian God describes himself as three persons in one essence. No other religion describes their god that way. Some religions have god as one person over all, such as the Muslims and Jews. Some religions have many gods, such as the Hindus. It’s when we get into the specifics about each god that we realize that different religions are not worshiping the same God. One religion’s god is human-like while another religion’s god is animal-like in appearance.

Because the details differ so drastically, the gods cannot be the same.

You might say, “Well, maybe the same god is appearing in many different forms.” We know it is not the same god because the gods differ in how they operate. The Christian God created all physical things out of nothing and said it was very good. Another religion says that physical things are evil, and god would never create them; or that god created beings out of other things. The Christian God desires to save all people from their sins through faith in Jesus Christ. Other religions depend on humans performing a variety of good deeds and keeping specific religious traditions in order to be saved. The Christian God promises eternal life and the kingdom of God for all those who believe in Jesus Christ. Other religions make no such promises because salvation depends on the followers’ own efforts.

If they were the same god appearing in different ways, surely there should be more consistency in his message to mankind.

What Do You Think?

a. Over-generalization can result in strange conclusions. Is it true that all religious people in America will vote for the same person for President? If not, then why would someone think we’d all worship the same God?

b. People within the same class will hold diverse views. Do all pet lovers love Scottish Terriers? Do all football fans agree on who is the best quarterback of all time?

c. If the Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and Jews are worshiping the same God, then why would the Muslims, Hindus, and Jews persecute Christians for their beliefs in their lands? Evidently they don’t believe Christians are worshiping their god.

You assume that the presence of religion the only reason we lack peace.

The media is full of reports of people getting into trouble or suffering, and religion is seldom the issue. Are there not troubles based on money, sex, pride, ambition, politics, natural disasters, and disease? I see all kinds of problems arise in my life, and few of them have anything to do with religion. I know the crime series on television are fictitious, but nevertheless, few of the crimes have a basis in religion. As long as you have people in proximity to other people, tensions will flare.

So the answer is no – tensions will continue even if there were no religions.

What Do You Think?

a. What percentage of crime shows have you seen in which religion turned out to be the culprit?

b. How many times were you irritated (lost your peace) this past week by non-religious causes, like someone cutting you off in traffic?

c. Religions are composed of peace-loving people, along with people bent on hurting others. Suppose we narrowed the question further to “If trouble-making religious people did not exist, would there be peace on this planet?” How would everyday life inform your answer?

I’ve read online blogs composed of former customers of a store who were disturbed by its salesmen. Based on one event, they would never shop at that store or buy their services again. How many people have had protracted trouble with a particular car mechanic and decided never to buy cars of that brand again? Is it fair to judge a company based on one bad salesperson? Bad experiences with a representative of a company frequently sour us on the company itself.

Religious followers can leave bad impressions as well. The problem is that people don’t know a religion’s teachings except by seeing the religion’s followers. How many people have read the Bible or the Koran? What are people to think when they hear that Islam is a religion of peace, but then read of Islamists blowing themselves up to kill innocent bystanders? Many people have not read the words of Jesus, but they have heard of the Crusades and Inquisition.

We can’t help it if people think negatively toward Christianity when they see a few acting contrary to its teachings. So I like going onto different Internet forums where I can explain exactly what the Bible teaches and clear up misconceptions. Perhaps a person or two will read what I wrote and get a better understanding of what Jesus came to do and teach.

What Do You Think?

a. Careful researchers, such as detectives and investigative journalists, try not to rely on just one source for all their facts. They try to corroborate their information with well-known authorities. They try to interview as many of the players as possible to get the most accurate picture they can. Is this a better means of getting to the truth of a matter?

b. How much work are you willing to engage in to determine the truth of a matter? Does truth matter to you?

c. Do you immediately forward email warnings to your friends without checking to see if they are true? Have you ever visited snopes.com to verify whether the story is accurate or not?

d. Did you believe the emailed story was true simply because a friend forwarded it to you (and you assumed that the friend had already checked the validity of the message)?

We can answer this by examining how Jesus responded to Peter’s question. Peter wondered what he was going to get after leaving all to follow Jesus:

“Then answered Peter and said unto him [Jesus], Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life” (Matthew 19:27-29).

Jesus did not rebuke Peter for asking what he’ll get for leaving all. Jesus’ positive answer encourages us to reach for the rewards he offers. If God wants to grant us rewards to motivate us to greater endeavor, then who are we to tell him it is wrong to do so?

Salvation comes to us as a gift through no merit of ours. But rewards are not given as gifts. They are for those who have earned them, just as the athlete whose efforts earned her the gold medal. Christ recognized Peter’s extra effort, and it will not go unrewarded.

Paul disciplined his body, and brought “it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” (1 Corinthians 9:27). He wanted a full payment for his labor. He recognized that his bodily cravings could invalidate him for a reward. We’ve all heard of men of God who fell because of shameful sin and lost their position. Paul understood that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6b), not of those who fervently seek carnal pursuits, placing their own wills over the will of God. When we know that rewards are given to those who do the will of God faithfully, it will make a difference in how we live.

God will grant crowns to those who meet the conditions. He will reward thrones to those who have served him faithfully. Just about any boy may join the Boy Scouts, but to rise through the ranks in honor, one must earn the badges through effort. Not all will want such honor; they will be happy to make friends and participate in the many enjoyable activities. Many Christians will be content to be saved from the Lake of Fire, and enjoy the many earthly blessings from the Father of lights, but they will miss out on the supreme honor awarded to those who gave their lives in service.

What Do You Think?

a. If a person loves God, but does not do anything that shows it, how would you describe that love?

b. What do you think God is really rewarding, love, or works based on that love? Is there a difference?

c. If we loved the Lord more, in what ways would our works of love change?