Delaying Repentance

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In a recent conversation someone related to me a conversation she (a Christian) had with someone about Christianity. The person she was talking to told her that he was not a Christian but it was something that he would consider later in life. After relating the details of the conversation to me my friend shrugged and asked, “What do you say to that?”

This attitude—that a person can decide when they’re going to flick the switch of belief—is not new. Thomas Boston, a pastor in rural Scotland in the 18^th century, encountered it too (and many more before him). Boston preached a sermon on  “The Danger of Delaying Repentance”, based on Proverbs 6:10, 11. In the sermon Boston lists nine common reasons why people delay repentance:

1. Satan actively works to delay repentance in men and women.
2. People are distracted by the business and busyness of everyday life.
3. People love what is easy. Repentance ain’t easy, but often times it is the difficult things in life that are most valuable precisely because it was not easily gained (i.e. the kid who values the stereo he saved up to buy with his own money versus the kid who is given all sorts of new toys but has no sense of their worth). 
4. People love sin. They don’t want to repent because it would mean they have to turn away from the sin they take pleasure in. Boston says that to these people “…the parting with sin is like the cutting off of a member of the body.” Yet Jesus says that it is far better to leave sin than to enjoy it for a few fleeting years and then go to hell (Matthew 5:27–30).
5. Apart from God graciously giving us a new heart, repentance is not attractive to us. In our sin, we are not righteous, we do not know God, nor do we seek after God (Romans 3:9f).
6. People hope that repentance will be easier to do when they’re older. “When I’m older I won’t want to do x anyway, so then I’ll say I’m sorry…” But there are no guarantees that it will be easier and it is far better to give the Lord your best days—the days of your youth (Ecclesiastes 12:1)—than your tired, worn out days (though he does want those too!).
7. People assume they have a lot of life yet to live. The wonderfully advanced medicine and technology we have in the 21^st century only further this assumption; however, Jesus teaches in the parable of the rich fool that we do not know the time God has allotted to us or when we shall be required to give an account for what we’ve done (Luke 12:13–21).
8. People think too lightly of belief and repentance. Believing and repenting are thought to be easy things to be done on a whim, but Scripture says that the way of salvation is hard and not easily found (Matthew 7:14).
9. People think too highly of their own abilities. People assume they are smart enough and able enough to believe whenever they want to. Yet Scripture says that we are unable to come to God by our own strength and abilities, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him” (John 6:44).

The Canaanite Objection: Clay Jones on the Destruction of the Canaanites

One of the Bible stories that I learned as a child was about the Battle of Jericho. The Battle of Jericho, as told to us then, was tidied up considerably from the way it actually appears in the Bible. The book of Joshua, which reports the events of Jericho, describes things more violently than the cheery tune we sung about Joshua fighting the battle of Jericho. The Joshua account reads (emphasis mine): 

^"On the seventh day they rose early, at the dawn of day, and marched around the city in the same manner seven times. It was only on that day that they marched around the city seven times. ¹⁶ And at the seventh time, when the priests had blown the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout, for the Lord has given you the city. ¹⁷ And the city and all that is within it shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction. Only Rahab the prostitute and all who are with her in her house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. ¹⁸ But you, keep yourselves from the things devoted to destruction, lest when you have devoted them you take any of the devoted things and make the camp of Israel a thing for destruction and bring trouble upon it. ¹⁹ But all silver and gold, and every vessel of bronze and iron, are holy to the Lord; they shall go into the treasury of the Lord.” ²⁰ So the people shouted, and the trumpets were blown. As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city. ²¹ Then they devoted all in the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, with the edge of the sword" (Joshua 6:15–21).

This was the beginning of the conquest of Canaan. The book of Joshua continues to report the Israelites’ military conquest of the land of Canaan, a conquest commanded by earlier by God during Israel’s desert wanderings

“When the Lord your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it, and clears away many nations before you, the Hittites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations more numerous and mightier than you, ² and when the Lord your God gives them over to you, and you defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. You shall make no covenant with them and show no mercy to them. ³ You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons, ⁴ for they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods. Then the anger of the Lord would be kindled against you, and he would destroy you quickly. ⁵ But thus shall you deal with them: you shall break down their altars and dash in pieces their pillars and chop down their Asherim and burn their carved images with fire” (Deuteronomy 7:1–5).

And God commanded later, when due to Israel’s disobedience in conquering the land they were submerged in Canaanite idolatry and sin, in 1 Samuel 15 (emphasis mine):

² Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. ³ Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey'" (1 Samuel 15:2–3) 

Clearly this aspect of the account wasn’t stressed in children’s Sunday school. Both non-Christians and Christians struggle to make sense of these passages. Why did God command the destruction of the Canaanite nations? Fervent atheists like Richard Dawkins have seized on these passages and said that the God of the Bible that Christians worship is a fictive, genocidal lunatic. How are Christians to make sense of, and explain, God’s directive to destroy the Canaanites?

Clay Jones, professor of apologetics at Biola University in California, addresses this question in his article “We Don’t Hate Sin So We Don’t Understand What Happened to the Canaanites.” Jones’ argues that (a) we do not hate sin in the same way that God does and so we struggle to understand his directive to destroy the Canaanites (p. 53) and (b) that the destruction of the Canaanites was not an instance of racially-motivated ethnic cleansing but was an act of corporate capital punishment in response to deeply-rooted evil (p. 68).

Jones makes his case by demonstrating from Ancient Near Eastern sources and secondary scholarship that Canaan was polytheistic (or, idolatrous) and that this polytheism was “theologically conducive to (if not motivational for) the formation of Canaanite practices, including the practices of incest, adultery, incest, child sacrifice, homosexuality, and bestiality, such that these practices are not incoherent with Canaanite idolatry” (p. 57). Polytheism in Canaan allowed for all sorts of evil practices that God detested.

After suggesting this connection Jones illustrates the nature of the aforementioned practices in Canaanite life. This is the largest portion of the article as Jones sketches out in vivid detail the morally reprehensible practices of Canaan prior to the Israelite conquest.

Jones also argues that the underlying motivation behind the destruction of the Canaanites was not ethnic cleansing.  God treated Israel, his chosen people, with great severity as well when they turned to Canaanite gods and committed similarly evil acts.

Finally, Jones provides numerous illustrations from contemporary Western culture that illustrate the evil in our own culture is eerily similar to Canaan’s sins. Websites and television promote adultery. Groups lobby for the legitimacy of pedophilia. Children are sacrificed for comfort, cost, and convenience. Pornographic websites featuring bestiality get thousands of hits per day. Our culture, blinded by sin, does not want to recognize the justness of God’s judgment against Canaan because to do so would also be an act of self-condemnation.

Jones sums up his article by writing:

“We do not appreciate the depths of our own depravity, the horror of sin, and the righteousness of God. Consequently, it is no surprise that when we see God’s judgment upon those who committed the sins we commit, that complaint and protest arises within our hearts: “This is divine barbarism!” or “This is divine genocide!” But studying these things over the years has led me to wonder if the Canaanites might not stand up at the Judgment and condemn this generation” (pp. 71-72)

Jones’ article is worth reading, not only because it answers a common obstacle to biblical faith, but also because it calls to our attention a similarity that existed between the people of God in the Old Testament and today. Similar threats to capitulate to the surrounding culture have faced the Church throughout the ages. The Church must resist these, stand firm in the faith, glory in holiness, and be sanctified through the Word so that through its witness many might be transferred out of spiritual darkness and into the light of Christ. Let us pray that the God will protect the Church, strengthen the Church, and use the Church to call the world to repentance through Christ while making the pleasures of serving him known.  

For those who desire a condensed version of Jones’ argument you should consult Greg Koukl’s article on it here (follow the link and download the pdf).

Stand to Reason: An Apologetics Ministry

Stand to Reason is an apologetics ministry that is worthy of your attention. Stand to Reason offers this description of their ministry: 

"Stand to Reason trains Christians to think more clearly about their faith and to make an even-handed, incisive, yet gracious defense for classical Christianity and classical Christian values in the public square."

Stand to Reason publishes many helpful blog posts and articles on issues related to Christianity, contemporary issues, ethics, and apologetics. My wife and I have also profited greatly from Stand to Reason's weekly broadcast hosted by Greg Koukl. Koukl, an adjunct professor in Christian apologetics at Biola University, offers articulate and winsome commentary on issues of faith and philosophy. He also fields a wide range of questions from callers. The following list shows the questions Koukl answers on the August 6, 2013 edition of the Stand to Reason podcast. 

1. Is postmodernism dead?
2. What if God didn't choose me?
3. Can we determine the Biblical authors' intent?
4. "Having It All" Means No Baby?
5. How would you respond to a family member who is homosexual and getting married?
6. Black Hebrew Israelites theology is deceptive.
7. Unitarians Have No Heresy
8. Redefining marriage
9. Can we say "God is good" objectively or only subjectively?
10. Will God save sincere believers if they aren't predestined?
11. Is there a justification to end a pregnancy?

It's an impressive day's work to intelligently address such a wide range of important issues. I trust you will also benefit from this fantastic ministry as I have. 

Greg Koukl, host of the Stand to Reason's weekly broadcast

The Intolerance of Tolerance

Intolerance is one of those words so widely used, but thought about so little by so many. What makes a person intolerant? What makes a person tolerant? When does disagreement become intolerance? That is why Don Carson’s book The Intolerance of Tolerance is a welcome addition to the bookshelf of any thoughtful observer of culture.

Carson’s book argues that in contemporary Western Culture there are two definitions of tolerance in operation. Previously, tolerance was the acceptance that different views exist (from here on referred to as the “old tolerance”); however, a shift took place so that tolerance came to mean the acceptance of other beliefs. This shift, though subtle, is of great importance. Carson writes:

“To accept that a different or opposing position exists and deserves the right to exist is one thing; to accept the position itself means that one is no longer opposing it. The new tolerance suggests that actually accepting another’s position means believing that position to be true, or at least as true as your own. We move from allowing the free expression of contrary opinions to the acceptance of all opinions; we leap from permitting the articulation of beliefs and claims with which we do not agree to asserting that all beliefs and claims are equally valid. Thus we slide from the old tolerance to the new” (3-4).

The central thesis of Carson’s book is that the new tolerance has become part of the plausibility structure (that is the idea systems that are widely accepted by the culture) of Western culture. The new definition of tolerance has come to dominate social discourse and Carson illustrates many times over how the new tolerance has affected decisions in the realms of politics, education, media, religion, and morality (see chapter two, What is Going On?).   

Chapter three, The History of Tolerance, is Carson’s survey of tolerance in Western intellectual thought. Carson provides historical snapshots that are meant to support his thesis. A change has taken place. It was once the case that the old tolerance was located within the cultural matrix (and dependent upon it); however, the new tolerance became understood independent of culture so that it was raised above culture to be the supreme virtue (75-77). Yet ultimately, when tolerance is detached from the cultural matrix, it becomes a tool for accumulating and exercising control over the populace.

Chapter five examines how the old/new tolerance distinction shapes Christianity. Chapters six and seven explore in greater depth how the new tolerance affects moral and political discourse.

There is a short epilogue (Way Ahead: Ten Words) where Carson attempts to offer counsel for a future where the new tolerance is in full operation. The brevity of this section (one wishes that Carson would have spent more time here) becomes an invitation to readers to think beyond the pages of the book and consider how to navigate the waters ahead.   

Many have applauded Carson’s contribution already. For those interested, you can find more on the book here:

Albert Mohler interviews Carson on his Thinking in Public program. The interview is available in both audio and transcript form.

Tim Challies adds his thoughts here.

Kevin DeYoung listed The Intolerance of Tolerance as one of his top ten books of 2012. 

For those interested you can download Dr. Carson's lectures on the topic online. Go to the linked page and search for 'intolerance of tolerance'.

Evangelism Bibliography

Tomorrow morning at Shawnee Park Christian Reformed Church we will begin a three week adult education series on evangelism. Each week's session will be in a panel format. There will be four panelists--I will be one of them--and we will begin to answer questions that have been submitted previously by members of the congregation. The focus point of these three weeks will be on relational evangelism. 

In preparation for this series I prepared a bibliography of materials on evangelism. I thought it would be helpful if I made that available to you. I have copied it below but will be happy to share a pdf file with any who desire it.

Evangelism Bibliography

Primary Recommendations on Evangelism,
Missional Living, and Church Planting

Chester, Tim and Steve Timmis. Total Church: A Radical Reshaping around Gospel and Community. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008.

Chester and Timmis are church leaders in the United Kingdom. In the first five chapters, the argument is made that evangelism most effectively takes place when Christians develop authentic community with other believers that is centered around honest gospel conversations and where the individuals invite others to share in the life of the community. In other words, evangelism is not something that is done individually, but corporately. This book will challenge many of your assumptions about church and the nature of evangelism. Popular   

Koukl, Gregory. Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009.

Koukl’s book simplifies the goal of evangelism, “Instead of trying to get to the cross in every encounter, just aim to put a stone in someone’s shoe. Try to give the person something to think about. Be content to plant a seed that might later flourish under God’s sovereign care.” In Tactics, Koukl discusses how you to have conversations with your friends that puts a stone in their shoe. This book is both easy and practical. Popular

Metzger, Will. Tell the Truth: The Whole Gospel Wholly By Grace Communicated Truthfully and Lovingly. 4^th edition. Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1981.

Will Metzger, a campus minister at the University of Delaware since 1965, has written a book that successfully blends a sound, God-centered theology of evangelism with a practical concern for how Christians of all stripes can be witnesses in the settings in which God has placed them. The most recent editions of this book come with appendices that include evangelism training material (e.g. how to prepare your testimony, how to ask good questions, evaluating gospel presentations) and a study guide for working through the book. This book comes highly recommended. Popular

Stetzer, Ed. Planting Missional Churches: Planting a Church that’s Biblically Sound and Reaching People in Culture. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2006.

Ed Stetzer looks at the how and why of congregational evangelism. While Stetzer’s focus is on church planting, there is still much that existing churches can glean as they seek to engage their neighborhoods with the gospel. Stetzer is the president of LifeWay research, the pastor of a church plant, and a contributor to Outreach magazine. Popular

Secondary Recommendations (Those
Recommended By Reliable Sources)

Blackburn, W. Ross. The God Who Makes Himself Known: The Missionary Heart of the Book of Exodus. New Studies in Biblical Theology. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2012.

From the publisher, “The Lord's commitment to make himself known throughout the nations is the overarching missionary theme of the Bible and the central theological concern of Exodus… From a careful examination of Exodus, Blackburn demonstrates that (1) the Lord humbled Pharaoh so the world would know that only God can save; (2) the Lord gave Israel the law so that its people might display his goodness to the nations, living in a state of order and blessing and (3) the Lord dealt with Israel's idolatry severely, yet mercifully, for his goodness cannot be known if his glory is compromised.” Academic

Dever, Mark. The Gospel and Personal Evangelism. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2007.

Mark Dever has spent a great deal of time thinking and writing about the Church. His short book on evangelism (128 pages) answers seven of the most basic questions about evangelism: why don’t we evangelize? What is the gospel? Who should evangelize? How should we evangelize? What isn’t evangelism? What should we do after evangelism? Why should we evangelize? Popular

Hybels, Bill. Just Walk Across the Room: Simple Steps Pointing People to Faith. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006.

Just Walk Across the Room gives simple instructions and encouragement for building relationships in which relational evangelism can occur naturally. Bill Hybels also gives many great examples from his own life of times that his relational evangelism efforts have gone well and times when things didn’t turn out as he had hoped. This is an easy read that is encouraging for Christians who are just starting to think about this “relational evangelism” idea. Popular

Kostenberger, Andreas J. and Peter T. O’Brien. Salvation to the Ends of the Earth: A Biblical Theology of Mission. New Studies in Biblical Theology. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2001.

From the publisher, “According to Andreas Köstenberger and Peter O'Brien, this significant theme [of mission] has rarely been given its due attention in biblical theology. Motivated by their passion to see God's mission carried out in today's world, they offer a comprehensive study of the theme of mission. In Salvation to the Ends of the Earth they explore the entire sweep of biblical history, including the Old Testament, the second-temple period, each New Testament Gospel, Paul and his writings, and the General Epistles and Revelation.” Academic

Packer, J. I. Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God. Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1961.

A classic book on the theology of evangelism from a Reformed perspective. Academic

Reid, Alvin. Evangelism Handbook: Biblical, Spiritual, Intentional, Missional. Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2009.

From the cover, “Evangelism Handbook is a thorough guide to the daily ministry of sharing Christ. Writer and professor Alvin Reid is particularly concerned about how the Western Church is currently practicing evangelism—its failure to reach the hardcore unchurched and its trend of losing young people faster than it can win them. With a contagious passion for the lost, Reid organizes and presents his research and experience of effective modern evangelism in four clear actionable categories.” These four categories are biblical, spiritual, intentional, and missional. Academic

Stiles, J. Mack. Speaking of Jesus: How to Tell Your Friends the Best News They Will Ever Hear. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1995.

From the cover, “Evangelism isn’t about exhibiting superhuman courage or perfecting specialized techniques or exercising extraordinary eloquence. Rater, this book will open your eyes to how ordinary people in commonplace situations can use everyday language to reveal the simple news about Jesus.” Popular

Articles, Websites, and Blogs on Evangelism

“Evangelism.” TheResurgence.com. http://theresurgence.com/categories/evangelism Popular

Gaydos, Tim. “7 Tips for Talking to Your Neighbors about Jesus.” TheResurgence.com. http://theresurgence.com/2012/01/16/7-tips-for-talking-with-your-neighbors-about-jesus

Jensen, Matt. “7 Ways to be a Missionary in College.” TheResurgence.com. http://theresurgence.com/2010/05/11/7-ways-to-be-a-missionary-in-college

“Outreach Magazine.” http://www.outreachmagazine.com/ Popular

Outreach is a bimonthly magazine about church evangelism. This magazine is particularly helpful as an exchange of ideas between churches, leaders, pastors, and laypeople about how the church, groups, and individuals can reach their communities with the gospel message. Much of the content that is available through the magazine can also be retrieved the magazine’s website.

“Evangelism Archives.” Gospel Centered Discipleship: Resources to Make, Mature, and Multiply Disciples of Jesus. http://www.gospelcentereddiscipleship.com/category/evangelism/ Popular

McBee, Seth. “The Introverted Evangelist.” Gospel Centered Discipleship.

http://www.gospelcentereddiscipleship.com/the-introverted-evangelist/

McBee, Seth. “The Neighborhood Mission Start Up.” Gospel Centered Discipleship.

http://www.gospelcentereddiscipleship.com/the-neighborhood-mission-start-up/

Writebol, Jeremy. “Redeeming Fantasy Football.” Gospel Centered Discipleship. http://www.gospelcentereddiscipleship.com/redeeming-fantasy-football/

“100 Ways to Engage Your Neighborhood.” Josh Reeves. http://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/7105292/Posted%20Resources/100%20Ways%20To%20Engage%20Your%20Neigbhorhood.pdf

Audio on Evangelism

Dever, Mark. “A Biblical Understanding of Evangelism.” Capitol Hill Baptist Church. http://www.capitolhillbaptist.org/audio/1999/03/a-biblical-understanding-of-evangelism/

If you don’t have time to read any of the books above, then at least take the time to listen to Dr. Mark Dever provide a clear summary of biblical evangelism, reasons why we do not evangelize, and reasons why we should evangelize. Dever says that evangelism is not something we do to unbelievers, nor is it simply sharing your testimony, but it is the loving and winsome presentation of what God has accomplished through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the salvation of sinful human beings. Popular

Dever, Mark. “Mark Dever on Evangelism.” AlbertMohler.com. http://www.albertmohler.com/2008/01/18/mark-dever-on-evangelism/

This is a thirty-minute interview of Mark Dever about his book The Gospel and Personal Evangelism. The interview begins at the 11:24 mark. Popular

Dever, Mark. “Contact Evangelism: A Leadership Interview with Mack Stiles and Friends.” 9Marks. http://www.9marks.org/media/contact-evangelism

A roundtable discussion on contact evangelism. Popular

Platt, David. “Divine Sovereignty: The Fuel of Death Defying Missions (Session VI).” Together for the Gospel. http://t4g.org/media/2012/05/divine-sovereignty-the-fuel-of-death-defying-missions-2/

David Platt’s sermon is the most intense sermonic call to evangelism and global missions that I have ever listened to. Popular

World Religions and Apologetics

Geisler, Norman. Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics. Baker Reference Library. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1998.

A comprehensive resource that will serve as a high-level resource for addressing objections to, and arguments for, the Christian faith. Academic

Keller, Tim. The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism. New York: Dutton, 2008.

Newsweek has called Keller, a pastor in Manhattan, the C. S. Lewis of the 21st century. Reason for God is a beautifully written response to some of the most common objections your friends, family, and neighbors might have to Christianity. Keller’s book addresses intellectual challenges to faith in a way that is accessible, winsome, and direct. This book would be helpful to anyone who is unsure of the answers they might give to the doubts and challenges raised by their non-Christian friends. Popular

Nichols, Larry, George Mather, and Alvin J. Schmidt, eds. Encyclopedic Dictionary of Cults, Sects, and World Religions: Revised and Updated Edition. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006.

A compendium of the historical and theological backgrounds to many of the world’s most noteworthy religions, cults, and sects. This book is particularly helpful resource in that at a number of points it lists the disagreements between Christianity and the particular religious movement that you are researching. Academic

Strobel, Lee. The Case for Christ: A Journalist’s Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998.

This is one of the more familiar popular-level apologetic books. Strobel, a former atheist who worked for The Chicago Tribune, interviews experts in a variety of fields to find answers to questions about the credibility of the biblical story. His other books—The Case for Faith and The Case for a Creator—are also worth reading. Popular

Really Cool Biblical Infographics

For those of you who are visual learners or teachers who like to make good use of visuals, there have been a number of resources produced for teaching the Bible. Tim Challies has done an amazing job producing his visual theology series (remember how the tabernacle points to Christ?). I was directed to this website by one of my former professors. Visual Unit is a goldmine of visual resources.

Here are some cool samples of the resources you can find from Mark at visualunit.me:

• A bible reading plan chart  
• The high priests garments
• A series of graphics on Christian history
• The reliability of the New Testament documents (a graphic I find particularly impressive) 

Note: Please draw your attention to this request from the graphics' creator. If you feel led to support Mark's work, you can do so here.

Resource for the Study of World Religions, Cults, and Sects

I thought I would introduce a helpful resource for Christians studying other religions. The Encyclopedic Dictionary of Cults, Sects, and World Religions: Revised and Updated Edition provides a helpful resources of both prominent and obscure world religions and cults. The book has two major sections that many will find useful: an encyclopedic article on the religion, cult, or sect, and a dictionary section that defines important terms found throughout the book. 

The encyclopedic section provides details on a religious group's history, organization, teachings and beliefs (that includes a Christian evaluation of the beliefs held by the group), concluding remarks, contact information, the sacred text, and statistics about the group. 

The dictionary section provides an alphabetized list of terms that have their associated religion in brackets [e.g. "Sura/Surah (ISLAM). The name for chapter divisions in the Koran. There are 114 suras in the Koran; each ne appears in a descending order of length, the longest first and the shortest last" (Encyclopedic Dictionary, 452).] 

There are several advantages that readers will find in using this book: 

1. It is unashamedly Christian and the authors write from a biblical perspective. If, for instance, you have recently been in a discussion with a Mormon on your doorstep or a Wiccan at work, the authors attempt to highlight certain areas where non-Christian religions are different from Christianity. Larry Nichol, one of the authors, writes in the introduction, "The authors of this volume are committed to the belief that there is, in fact, objective truth that can be discovered and encountered. We know that Christianity's claim that the Bible is God's inspired Word, providentially preserved in the sacred texts of both the Old and New Testaments, is the truth... The answer we moderns of the early twenty-first century give is that Jesus Christ is 'the way, the truth and the life' (John 14:6). Our volume attempts to present this central truth to those who believe a host of other competing claims, whether it be the vague spirituality of the New Age Movement, the various 'enlightenments' of Hindu and Buddhist gurus, the utopia of Mormonism, or the dark world of magic, neopaganism, satanism, and witchcraft" (Encyclopedic Dictionary, 11). In this way it is a helpful apologetic tool. 
2. The breadth of religions, cults and sects that the book covers is also helpful. The authors, while including major religions, also provide material on smaller religious groups like the Unification Church, UFO cults, Satanism, and Transcendental Meditation.
3. The book is laid out clearly and serves as an excellent quick reference. 
4. The book is (relatively) recent. The revised edition was published in 2006. 

I have not read this book cover-to-cover, but I have used it on several occasions and found what material I did use was quite helpful. For those interested, Christianbooks.com is selling here for $26.99. 

Wayne Grudem: Chapter Nine: The Existence of God

In chapter nine of Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology, Grudem addresses the question of how we know that God exists. Scripture, particularly in Romans 1, teaches that "all persons everywhere have a deep, inner sense that God exists, that they are his creatures, and that he is their Creator" (Grudem, 141). Not every person acknowledges this sense because they "suppress the truth" (Romans 1:18) and deny his existence. Sin blinds humanity to their Creator. While the created world, human nature that reflects the image of God, and Scripture testify to God's existence, Satan and sin (2 Cor. 4:4) impair humanity's ability to see the truth about their Creator's existence. Apart from God's gift of redemption, humans are mentally and spiritually handicapped. 

The mental and spiritual impairment that results from sin can only be cured by the grace of God. No argument can succeed where the ability to reason and see are still corrupted by sin. God's effective call must precede the success of any argument that will lead to saving faith. Grace that gives sight is the movement of God to sinful and blind people that must take place if any argument will ever produce a knowledge of God. 

Yet, God's grace does work in and through the carefully considered arguments for his existence. Arguments for God's existence can strengthen the faith of believers by providing further evidence and support for belief in God. Philosophical arguments for God's existence can also remove intellectual objections that unbelievers have to the gospel. 

According to Grudem, there are four traditional categories of argumentation that seek to demonstrate the rationality of the Christian faith. These argument types are:

• Cosmological arguments: These are arguments that relate to cause. It poses the question: how did all that exists come into existence? As Greg Koukl puts it, a Big Bang seems to require a Big Banger. Cosmological arguments lay out why it is rational to think that God was the first cause of all things.
• Teleological arguments: These are arguments that relate to design. How did the complexities of the universe come to be? Teleological arguments argue from evidence of design to the existence of the designer. 
• Ontological arguments: These are arguments that relate to being. Ontological arguments argue that existence is built into the definition of God (a definition that, among other things, could be summarized as the greatest imaginable being).
• Moral arguments: These are arguments that relate to morality. What is morally right and morally wrong? Moral arguments argue that there is a universal moral law and that such a moral law requires a law giver. 

For those interested in further introductions to the philosophical arguments for the existence of God, I would refer you to: 

Geisler, Norman L. Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1998.  An 864 page volume that provides academic entries on each of these four major arguments.

Strobel, Lee. The Case for a Creator: A Journalist Investigates Scientific Evidence That Points Toward God. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005. In books aimed at a popular audience, Lee Strobel investigates the evidence for faith. In The Case for a Creator Strobel examines the evidence for the belief that the universe had a Creator.

Taylor, James E. Introducing Apologetics: Cultivating Christian Commitment. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2006. This is the textbook used in the Christian Apologetics courses at Tyndale University College and Calvin Theological Seminary. The book is a helpful introduction to some of the arguments for the existence of God and the truth of Christianity. 

Note: I would welcome other recommendations of books that provide introductions to arguments for God's existence. Please share these in the comment section below.

Categories for Evaluating Religion

What are the categories we ought to use when evaluating religions? In my World Religions course, three categories for evaluating religion were suggested:

• True religion vs. false religion: "True religion is a loving, obedient response to the true God revealed in Holy Scripture. False religion is reliance on anything else. Only biblical Christianity is true religion" [Dr. John Cooper, "Religions: True and False, 'Good' and 'Bad' (Handout received in Christian Engagement of World Religions with Dr. John Bolt and Dr. John Cooper, Grand Rapids, MI; February 10, 2012)]. Key question: does this religion promote obedience to the God who has revealed himself in Scripture?
  
• Well-formed vs. malformed religion: A well-formed religion addresses the important questions that all people face. These are questions of life and death, meaning, morality, identity, etc. Well-formed religion provides the conceptual framework for interpreting the world around us and "integrates life by involving and orienting every basic aspect of existence" (Ibid). By contrast, malformed religion fails to answer these fundamental questions about the nature of our existence. Malformed religion would also be religion which is constructed in such a way as to not promote a moral, loving existence. Key question(s): does this religion provide a comprehensive system for understanding the world around us and does it promote moral and compassionate living?
  
• Well-practiced vs. poorly-practiced religion: Do you walk the walk? Do individuals or groups conscientiously hold to the positions of the religion? Do they intentionally live out their religion in a way that is authentic? This category is concerned with issues of orthodoxy and orthopraxis. Key question: is this religion seriously followed by the person or group in question? 

These categories provide a helpful distinction in discussing the religions around us. It is possible for a religion to answer the important existential questions humanity faces and to be strictly adhered to, but to be false. For instance, certain strands of Judaism might answer all the important questions humanity faces (it attempts to make sense of the world we live in) and is followed with great zeal and authenticity; as such, there are good elements to it (i.e. it promotes moral and compassionate living). However, this particular strand is still a false religion because it does recognize in obedience and love the God, revealed by Scripture, who was incarnate in the person of Jesus Christ.

Equally important, though, is the fact that Christianity can be true and yet poorly-practiced. A person might rightly recognize the God of Scripture, but at the same time be mean, lazy, morally dubious, and inconsistent in their practice of Christianity. Poorly-practiced Christianity is rightly found wanting.

Ask yourself: is your religion...

true?

well-formed?

well-practiced?

Growing Religious Apathy According to a Baylor University Religion Survey

An article in the December 25, 2011 edition of USA today reports on a recent Baylor University study that suggests growing numbers of people are switching their religious affiliation to apathetic. I will make note of two points of interest in Cathy Lynn Grossman’s article on the Baylor findings:
First, if the Baylor findings are an accurate reflection of current trends, and apathy or indifference towards religion is on the rise, Christians must be able to recognize the difference between apathy and principled atheism if they hope to share the gospel effectively. The first step in witnessing to a principled atheist is to identify the reasons for their rejection of the belief that God exists and to proceed from there. The first step in witnessing to someone who is indifferent towards metaphysical questions (for instance, is there an afterlife? If there is, what does it look like? Does God exist? Will I go to heaven or hell?) is not to answer the questions, but to demonstrate their importance.

Secondly, when religion comes to be understood ahistorically, it becomes flat, and worse, irrelevant. In the article, Rabbi Micah Greenstein demonstrates what ahistorical Judaism looks like:
 

"Judaism teaches that spirituality is practical. When you see something that is broken, fix it. When you find something that is lost, return it. When you see something that needs to be done, do it. In that way you will be taking care of the world and fulfilling your role as God's partner, know it or not," the rabbi says."Spirituality is about the relational — whether you are relating to God, to others, to the world or to yourself. I do believe most people see life more as a mystery than as a machine. I would call that God even if they don't," Greenstein says. 

Greenstein’s understanding of religion, or ‘spirituality’ as he refers to it, is about a way of relating. Religion is about how one relates to God, others, the world, or even oneself. It has little to do with the story of how God acts in history, either in delivering the Jewish people out of Egypt (a historical event) or delivering the people of God from Satan, sin, and death by means of the death of Jesus on a Roman cross (another historical event).  

If religion is not about having particular beliefs about these events and God’s acting and is about a way of thinking and acting instead, then religion is not necessary. At this point, apathy is completely understandable because religious practices (e.g. going to church once a week) are not needed to think charitably or give generously to causes. In short, one of the best defenses against apathy growing within our churches is to stress the historical nature of religion (that Christianity is about events that happened in human history and its truth or falsehood is determined by whether God did, in fact, act that way in history or not).