This week we are going to look at how LOVE is the ultimate EFFECT of Right and Just. (I will add to this post every weekday.)
This discussion will involve the Reward Model and the Salvation Model.
REWARD MODEL
The Reward Model is based on justice. Justice will equal everything out eventually. The Reward Model guides ALL our interactions with other people. Last week we ended the discussion with several scriptures showing LOVE is quantitative...that it followed the Reward Model.
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).
Notice, the person gives EVERYTHING he has AND there is NO WAY for him to get it back. This would be the ultimate value that could be obtained according to the Reward Model...according to Justice.
EVERY OTHER instance follows:
"Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21).
We saw this means give to evil AND don't fight it. This is the SAME as "love your enemies". The ONLY way to overcome evil is with LOVE.
LOVE is the RIGHT way to handle EVERY situtation.
Handling a situation with ANYTHING LESS than LOVE will cost you.
TRUTH IN LOVE
When we are confronted with unjust behavior, the Reward Model says the best way to receive a Long Term value is to forgive and forget. The quicker you forgive and move on, the greater the spiritual value you will retain. Does this mean we OUGHT never confront unjust behavior? Actually, we OUGHT to, but only if we can do it in love.
There are two ways we can confront unjust behavior. The most common way is to retaliate. Even if what we are saying is a fact, if we do it in order to feel better about ourselves, then we are gaining the value back. ANY action that results in us receiving an immediate short-term value is REALLY some form of retaliation.
The less common way to address unjust behavior is in LOVE. This means we confrom the unjust behavior with the attitude we are trying to help the people who are behaving unjustly. In essence, we are giving them a value. If they don't want to hear it or don't want to agree with us, then we respond according to the Reward Model: we quickly forgive and move on with our lives without resentment towards the unjust people.
If our attitude was TRULY "in love", we would not care whether we go a value back from the person we were helping.
If we can't approach this person with this heart attitude, or more likely, if we can't walk away from this person after they've refused to hear us, then it is best in the Long Term for us to avoid the confrontation and follow the Reward Model.
Furthermore, we OUGHT to speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). Recall, in the TRUTH post, we saw that speaking truth is more demanding than speaking facts. Now we see the Bible makes a further demand. How do we speak the truth "in love"?
One example: a congregation member could tell their pastor that people think another preacher is a better speaker. This may be a fact. It is ONLY truth if it can be used to create something of value in the Long Term. Even if this were a truth, how would it be spoken "in love"?
If the member told the pastor with an attitude he was giving the pastor a value, then this is "in love". If it was spoken in order to make the member feel better or to make the pastor feel bad, it was not spoken "in love".
GOD IS LOVE
Everything Jesus said concerned either the Salvation Model or the Reward Model. He either spoke of following grace to get the same ultimate value (salvation) as everyone else or doing works to use justice to accumulate more or less reward than everyone else. Most books focus on one model and ignore the scriptures describing the other.
Some people try to say Salvation covers BOTH models.
"Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 6:1)
If someone wants to equate "reward" with salvation, then Jesus said we LOSE our salvation if we give before others in order to been seen of them!
Clearly, this is NOT talking about salvation. This is talking about a completely separate concept: rewards. Making "rewards" scriptures a condition of salvation is known as "works"...as in, we can be saved by works. There are two completely different models at work: Reward and Salvation.
Jesus summed it up when he said, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Matthew 22:37-40).
The first commandment covers the Salvation Model. The second covers the Reward Model. Notice, both are made perfect in love.
Giving a value and not expecting a return from that person goes against our nature. The ONLY way we can act in love is to act apart from our nature. This ONLY comes from God and occurs through GRACE. Grace and love are the "how" and the "what" to achieve perfection.
HOW: We love by letting God work through us.
WHAT: When we give a value and don't expect ANYTHING back, we CANNOT sin AND we will eventually receive the maximum profitability from that situation (perfection).
This completes the Model for God!
ALL of God's attributes have been shown to be derived from Right and Just, with LOVE being the ULTIMATE EFFECT! That is why the Bible says, "God is love" (I John 4:8,16). We will trace these steps more clearly on Thursday. However, this conclusion leads to an interesting question:
God loves EVERYONE.
(John Piper and other sovereignty people say God ONLY loves those He pre-chose to be saved.)
LOVE is unconditional.
(Again, the sovereignty people quote this to prove God CAN'T take back His love and, consequently, your salvation. In fact, they say love is causeless...God loves BECAUSE He loves! We are seeing that LOVE is ACTUALLY the ultimate EFFECT and on Thursday we will see that there are many CAUSES that come before LOVE. Again, we will see on Thursday that it is OUR FAULT when we aren't saved...not God's.)
Question:
If God IS love, how can God HATE?
(Isn't this a contradiction?)
HATE
The discussion about HATE is a perfect opportunity to practice removing contradictions.
Remember, contradictions don't exist; conflicts exist.
Contradictions appear due to one or more faulty assumptions.
What is the assumption?
Assumption: HATE is the opposite of LOVE.
IF HATE is the opposite of LOVE, then it is impossible for God to HATE, because GOD IS LOVE.
So, HATE must NOT be the opposite of LOVE when it is used in the Bible. What is the non-contradictory definition of HATE?
HATE in Greek is "miseo" 3404 from a primary root "misos"
MISEO means "to love less".
WOW! Now we see the importance of a non-contradictory definition of LOVE as well as realizing LOVE is quantitative.
John Piper and the sovereignty crowd loves to quote how God LOVED Jacob, but Esau He HATED. This means God loved Esau less than Jacob, NOT that God did not LOVE Esau...God is LOVE.
In fact, here is a Bible passage talking about this concept AND IT INVOLVES JACOB!
"And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years. And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb: but Rachel was barren." (Genesis 29:30-31)
Jacob loved Leah less than Rachel AND God called this HATE.
Jesus said:
"If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:26)
WOW! This is a condition of being Jesus' disciple! This verse includes wife and children! Clearly, this means to love less...and more specifically, to love less than God (whom we are to love with ALL our heart, mind, and soul).
Jesus also said:
"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." (Matthew 6:24)
Now you can see that Jesus ISN'T saying that you will be repulsed by money if you LOVE God. He's saying that in EVERY situation, there is one option you will love more and one option you will love less (hate).
This verse goes further and equates HATE with despising. What is the non-contradictory definition of "despise"?
Despise is kataphroneo which means "to think against"
Again, this has NOTHING to do with emotions! This means you will be for one option (LOVE) and love the other less (HATE) to the point you will think against it because you have to think for the other option. This is making LOVE a choice...to actively choose to think for!
The MOST important conclusion from this discussion of HATE is that HATE is NOT the worst thing!
God hates me compared to His love for Jesus.
Preachers and teachers who focus on the verses indicating what God HATES are teaching a contradictory doctrine. God is LOVE, so He does NOT "hate" the way our culture and traditions mean. He just LOVES those things LESS.
What is the WORST thing?
"I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." (Revelation 3:15-16)
LUKEWARM is the WORST thing!!!!
God would rather you be cold or hot. God would rather you blatantly state what you believe and go all out...EVEN if you are wrong.
Being LUKEWARM results in God removing you from His presence!
Being LUKEWARM results in God removing you from the site of creation: God's mouth.
People who won't: state their beliefs, follow through on their beliefs, live their beliefs, come to conclusions on explaining their beliefs, explain why they don't agree with your beliefs, etc. are in the MOST trouble with God!
HATE is NOT the worst thing...LUKEWARM is the worst thing!
Thursday we will bring this together by looking at the connection between LOVE and Salvation...
LOVE AND SALVATION
"For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." (I Timothy 2:3-4)
God's Will is for ALL to be saved AND for ALL to come unto the knowledge of the truth...God wants ALL to UNDERSTAND. God is NOT preventing people from understanding. It is NOT God's fault when people don't understand. He has given us access to everything we need. God LOVES EVERYONE.
"No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day." (John 6:44)
Last week a friend gave me a CD by a preacher in NYC who used this verse to say that people who aren't saved weren't drawn by God. This means that once God draws someone, there is NOTHING that person can do about it...they HAVE to accept God. Then later in the sermon, he tells the listener that if they feel a drawing the listener HAS to take the step to receive it. WHY? If God is drawing me, I don't have to do ANYTHING...in fact, I CAN'T resist it!
The non-contradictory interpretation of this verse is that God is drawing EVERYONE. Jesus is stating that the people who accept God did so BECAUSE (causality alert!) God FIRST drew them. Jesus is right. However, Jesus could also say everyone who doesn't come to Him did so by choosing to ignore God's drawing them.
The bottomline is: Whose fault is it that ALL men aren't saved?
It is either our fault or God's fault.
To say, "God determines it, BUT it's not His fault and we just don't understand it" is contradictory. It is contradictory to God's Will being ALL are saved. It's contradictory to God's Will being ALL understand. This is just one reason why God CAN'T be wrong and unjust...He provides everything AND it is OUR fault when we fall short.
To say God has two OPPOSING wills AND God can DO ANYTHING is non-sensical. God cannot make two contradictory wills occur. This is LUKEWARM to say God can do ANYTHING EXCEPT His number one Will because He chooses to do ANOTHER Will more than His first Will. This is saying there is something God can't do. (I agree God cannot be wrong and unjust, but this group wants to say God can overcome your will AND is unable to bring about His Will. It is one or the other.)
We can oppose God's Will.
God DOESN'T know FOR SURE what will happen UNTIL IT HAPPENS.
This group is trying to make it God's responsibility WITHOUT making it His fault. If it is God's decision who gets saved THEN it is ALSO God's fault who didn't get saved. The ONLY way around this is to suspend the four principles: non-contradiction, contrastive thinking, causality, and growth. Yet these same people use these four principles to PROVE their other points.
Regardless of the rationalization, this philosophy makes it God's fault and not ours. It justifies us instead of God. Worse, it is LUKEWARM because it doesn't have the guts to state: It is God's fault. Instead it says it looks like God's fault but it really isn't AND it definitely isn't our fault because THAT would be thinking too highly of ourselves. Talk about LUKEWARM!
"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39)
The ONLY thing missing from this list is OURSELVES. We can choose to separate ourselves from the love of God and end up in the lake of fire...we can choose not to have salvation.
The preacher in NYC tries to state that God ONLY loves those who He pre-determined were saved. So, this would mean Christ ONLY died for those God pre-determined were saved.
Love and salvation are intimately connected. The "God is love" passage actually gives this quote twice because John is explaining the connection. Here is the passage with commentary in parentheses:
"He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."
(Powerful statement stated contrastively. John is saying he knows for sure a person doesn't know God if they don't love. It kind of makes it important to know the non-contradictory definition of LOVE.)
"In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."
(God providing a way of salvation is PROOF of God's love. God gave a value to ALL and doesn't require us to pay back. Notice, we didn't initiate this giving...we didn't love God...God loved us FIRST. Notice also, "live through him" is mentioned.)
"Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another."
(Commandment #2 is a result of God first loving us.)
"No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us."
(This passage alludes to faith because it is a belief in something we can't see. John is saying we can increase others' faith in God by demonstrating a tangible effect: loving one another. This is a choice we make! We choose to let God's love be perfected.)
"Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world."
(Again, faith is being alluded to this time it is our faith. Also, there is a choice in these verses...to testify.)
"Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God."
(John again brings up an effect that is a choice. You choose to make this confession. We know this is a confession unto salvation. John started by showing how love and knowing God are connected. Now he has worked his way to showing how salvation and knowing God are connected.)
"And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." (I John 4:8-16)
John finishes with a powerful conclusion.
We cannot love without God!
LOVE goes against our flesh. Our flesh wants to even out justice NOW. Our flesh doesn't want to give. If our flesh gives, it wants to receive as soon as possible, if not before we give.
What would make our society perfect? LOVE
If EVERYONE focused on giving and didn't expect ANYTHING in return, this would be paradise.
Why is the world such a mess? Lack of LOVE
What is the ONLY way we can love? Choose to let God love through you.
Are there people who REALLY think God DOESN'T love EVERYONE...AND is also justified in condemning the world when He is the one who intentionally holds back His love?
Be very careful what you teach to people about God's love. This is the most crucial doctrine and I don't believe God is slack in dealing with people who misrepresent His Nature.
On Friday we will look at the two causes of LOVE.
THE TWO CAUSES OF LOVE
"And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; And to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; And to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall; For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." (II Peter 1:5-11)
First of all there is a progression with charity (agape) being the perfection of the person...the ultimate effect. Notice the steps it goes through. Faith is first. To this faith that God gives us, WE OUGHT to add virtue...also referred to as excellence and valor. This is commitment to finish the progression.
Next we add knowledge...information. Information can throw people off if it doesn't immediately make sense...that is why we need valor.
Temperance means self control. We need to be in control of our self...this process is involving US to high degree. It doesn't just happen. It is based on the will of the individual.
Patience is having a good attitude while you are waiting. Patience ISN'T the waiting...you are going to wait whether you have a good attitude or not. Patience is HOW you wait. Self control is absolutely necessary if we are responsible for demonstrating patience.
Godliness is also called piety. It is being Right and Just. You would think this would be the ultimate effect of this progression, but notice what comes out of being like God...
Brotherly kindness is "philadelphia"...also known as brotherly love. This is love for the believers. Being like God results in the second commandment towards the people who OUGHT to be easiest to LOVE...the believers.
Finally, the ultimate EFFECT is charity (agape) to everyone! This is the second commandment!
There are two causes to love: right and just.
LOVE is the right way to deal with everyone. It ALWAYS results in profitability, because if you give and don't expect a return then JUSTICE gives you a reward.
LOVE is also the proper response to LOVE! When God LOVES us, the moral thing to do is give without expecting a return. Why? JUSTICE! We are giving back, otherwise, we are behaving like God's enemy...the person who is loved and doesn't give back. What is the result of LOVE that begins in justice? Righteousness!
LOVE that is an effect of RIGHT results in REWARD because of JUST.
LOVE that is an effect of JUST results in SALVATION because of RIGHT.
The first LOVE is the second commandment.
The second LOVE is the first commandment.
When God LOVES us, our response is:
"Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me." (John 8:42)
"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." (John 13:34)
"If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15)
"Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." (John 14:23)
"If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love." (John 15:10)
"This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you." (John 15:12)
The way we prove we love God is to keep his commands...
"For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:" (Hebrews 8:10)
Jesus' commands being in our minds and hearts is GRACE!
And salvation is obtained by grace through faith.
There is one more way the FIRST and SECOND commandments are related:
The reason Jesus gave TWO commandments in answer to a question asking for the greatest (ONE) commandment is because it is ONE commandment. The FIRST commandment is the CAUSE and the SECOND commandment is the EFFECT. You can't have CAUSES without EFFECTS. Loving God will result in you loving your neighbor. Loving God will result in you doing His commands to love others!
Next week, we will look at what it means to say, "I love you".
Monday, January 28, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
Love
The MOST important word to define is "LOVE". Every weekday, I will be adding to this post focused on defining LOVE.
"And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment, And the second is like, namely this, Thous shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:28-31)
"But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you," (Luke 6:27)
"And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." (I John 4:16)
"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." (John 3:16)
"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (John 13:35)
"This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you." (John 15:12)
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)
"But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:" (Ephesians 4:15)
"Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." (Romans 13:10)
In the King James Bible, sometimes the Greek word "agape" is translated as "love" and sometimes it is translated as "charity". Some of the most famous "love" passages use the word "charity" in the King James Version.
"And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not, charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up," (I Corinthians 13:3-4)
"And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; And to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; And to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity." (I Peter 1:5-7)
"And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins." (I Peter 4:8)
"Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:" (I Timothy 1:5)
Love is the concept that is the ultimate EFFECT of EVERYTHING the law and Jesus was teaching us. PROOF that we are followers of God is our LOVE.
LOVE is intertwined with EVERY concept in the worldview.
Too many people ACTUALLY use the definition of love to define other words like "grace" or "mercy". This causes them NOT to have a definition for LOVE.
Tomorrow we will address the claim that LOVE can't actually be defined and we will realize what these people are ACTUALLY preaching when they make that claim.
For today, take a moment to reread the passages above and determine a definition that would fit EVERY passage.
More importantly, decide if it would be RIGHT and JUST of God to make LOVE the ultimate EFFECT of following God AND not have it be able to be defined...that is, not have us be able to do it intentionally.
THE GREEK
The problem with defining LOVE doesn't occur until you ask someone to give you a specific definition. Until that point, EVERYONE thinks they know the definition of LOVE. However, once a person tries to put it into WORDS, they realize they have a problem...they find out they are contradictory.
There are two general excuses people give for not defining LOVE. The first excuse is that there are several different kinds of LOVE in the Bible, so no ONE definition would work. The other excuse is that LOVE is unable to be defined because no one has done it.
We've already seen in the "Importance of WORDS" post, the second excuse is the ultimate example of egotism. Basically, the person is saying, "Since I can't define it, it must not be able to be defined because if I can't do it, no one can."
Today, let's look at the first excuse more closely...
In the New Testament, there are 10 Greek words that were translated into the King James Bible as LOVE. I will go over these with their Strong's Concordance reference number.
2309 thelo or ethelo means "to determine or choose"
The ONLY occurrence of this word is in Mark 12:38 when Jesus speaks about beware of the scribes which LOVE to go in long clothing...
Seven of the Greek words are very closely related:
5360 philadelphia means "brotherly love"
This word occurs four times and comes from 5361
5361 philadelphos means "fond of brethren"
This word occurs once, but we can see it has essentially the same meaning as 5360
5362 philandros means "fond of man"
This word occurs once.
5363 philanthropia means "fondness of mankind"
This word occurs once.
5365 philarguria means "love of money"
This word occurs once in an often quoted verse (I Timothy 6:10)
5368 phileo means "to be a friend to"
This word occurs eight times.
5388 philoteknos means "fond of one's children"
This word occurs once.
Notice, all of these words apply to a fondness for a specific thing or person. These last seven words look roughly the same in Greek. None of the passages quoted at the beginning of this post used these Greek words. ALL of the passages that we are focusing on come from two words:
26 agape means "love" and comes from...
25 agapao means "to love (in a social or moral sense)"
These words are essentially the same. "Agapao" has a specific definition and "Agape" is the more abstract version of the same word...like it is one rung higher on the Ladder of Abstraction.
When it comes to the word "charity", the Greek word is "agape" EVERY TIME. The word "charity" occurs 26 times in the King James Bible...all of them in the New Testament...all of them from "agape".
So, sometimes, "agape" is translated LOVE and sometimes it is translated CHARITY. However, "agapao" is ALWAYS translated as LOVE.
While there are several Greek words that can be translated into our language as LOVE, there are ONLY two words that apply to the words LOVE and CHARITY in the critical verses we are focusing on (as well as other key verses that will be referenced later) and they have the same meaning.
Before we determine the meaning, let's look at what people are REALLY saying when they say we can't define LOVE...
In the I Corinthians 13 passage, it says without love we cannot be profitable...we cannot create...we cannot repair...we cannot live. In John 3:16 it says BECAUSE of God's love, we can have eternal life.
It is of the UTMOST importance that we understand LOVE so that we can intentionally have life and help others have life. People who discourage us from understanding this ultimate source of profitability are PREVENTING repair and life. They are ACTUALLY preaching DEATH...
Be careful when you tell people that words CAN'T be defined!
God used words to create, instruct us,...
Tomorrow we will look into I Corinthians 13...
THE EFFECTS OF LOVE
The first answer people give to define LOVE is I Corinthians 13. Here are the first eight verses with the word CHARITY capitalized:
"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not CHARITY, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal."
"And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not CHARITY I am nothing."
"And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not CHARITY, it profiteth me nothing."
"CHARITY suffereth long, and is kind; CHARITY envieth not, CHARITY vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,"
"Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;"
"Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;"
"Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things."
"CHARITY never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away."
This is ACTUALLY a list of the EFFECTS of LOVE. There are 16...and 9 of them are NOT effects of LOVE!
1. NOT evieth
2. NOT vaunteth
3. NOT puffed up
4. NOT behave itself unseemly
5. NOT seeketh her own
6. NOT easily provoked
7. NOT thinketh evil
8. NOT rejoiceth in iniquity
9. NOT faileth
There are 7 EFFECTS of LOVE:
10. Suffereth long
11. Kind
12. Rejoiceth in truth
13. Beareth all things
14. Believeth all things
15. Hopeth all things
16. Endureth all things
Look at this list again and imagine getting this type of answer to "What is a corvette?"
"It doesn't have wings, it doesn't have a fireplace, it does have four tires, it doesn't have training wheels, etc."
Again, causality says the cause and effect are one. So Paul's list of effects are important, however, to say Paul gives the CAUSE of LOVE would be inaccurate. Whatever the definition (CAUSE) of LOVE is, it HAS to result in this list. One of my first tests of someone's definition of LOVE is to see if it RESULTS in ALL of Paul's list.
Actually, Jesus gives the definition of LOVE...
DEFINITION OF LOVE
Jesus said:
"But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again."
"But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again: and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil." (Luke 6:27-35)
The definition of LOVE is blatantly stated in the last section: give AND don't look to that person to give back!
This definition is from the mouth of JESUS!
Go back over the beginning of the passage and see that not only is this the definition consistently cited throughout the passage, but there is a REASON for LOVE! (John Piper and other sovereignty people ACTUALLY preach that the REASON God loves is BECAUSE God loves. I've heard these preachers immediately admit this is circular reasoning...and then say it is because LOVE is circular. Just so we all know, circular reasoning is PROOF the concept is unsound...don't be fooled.)
In fact, there are two more key conclusions to be drawn immediately:
1. LOVE is NOT an emotion! (John Piper calls LOVE an emotion, but the quickest way to refute this is with "LOVE your enemy". No one is requiring you to FEEL GOOD about your enemies. In fact, you will hear preachers/teachers tell you why it is okay for THEM NOT to feel good about someone.) THIS is probably the hardest concept to get used to when it comes to defining LOVE. Most people want to believe LOVE is an emotion and they tend to have a hard time relating to Jesus' definition because there isn't an emotional component to it.
2. LOVE is UNCONDITIONAL by definition. There is NO SUCH thing as "conditional love". What would that look like? The second half of LOVE requires NO EXPECTATIONS! Whenever someone speaks of unconditional love, I immediately want to ask the question: As opposed to conditional love? People who speak of unconditional love as separate from "other" love clearly have a contradictory definition of LOVE.
LOVE has TWO PARTS:
1. ACTION - It is the giving of a value.
2. ATTITUDE - It is the lack of expectation.
How does LOVE work? It depends on justice. Justice says that everything will equal out EXACTLY. Justice says you CAN'T give AND NOT get the value back.
It is possible to give a value AND try to get it back. You could lend to someone and then keep reminding them they have to pay you back until they eventually pay you back. Justice DOESN'T get involved in this situation, because you are equalling out YOUR OWN justice. This is NOT LOVE. Jesus says the same thing in the first section of the Luke 6 passage. Jesus says to give BECAUSE you are expecting to get back is NOT LOVE.
Notice, you can give and expect a return from the person. This is NOT a sin! BUT this is NOT LOVE.
However, if you give and don't expect to get back the value from the person to whom you gave, you are doing the same thing as forgiveness...you are stating your will you are NOT going to seek your own justice. THEN God can make sure you get your value back through justice.
We will see over the next three weeks how this definition explains EVERY LOVE passage in the Bible. For instance, giving AND not expecting a return would be the CAUSE to all 16 effects that Paul listed in I Corinthians 13. Notice also that passage begins with Paul listing examples of GIVING but saying it is NOT profitable if he DOESN'T do it with LOVE...if he doesn't do the second HALF of LOVE which is not expecting a return.
Again, LOVE is ONE concept that has TWO HALVES. John Piper and other teachers don't seem to understand the concept of two HALVES making up ONE concept...they see it as two separate concepts.
Question: What is another concept that COULD describe the giving of a value and not expecting the person to whom you give to give back? CHARITY!
It appears that where "CHARITY" could replace LOVE, it was done in the King James Bible. When it could NOT replace LOVE it was because of GRAMMAR.
For instance, "CHARITY your neighbor" isn't grammatically correct, yet it fits EXACTLY what Jesus said to do in the passage from Luke!
Finally, notice that LOVE is quantitative. The AMOUNT of LOVE can be calculated by determining: 1)HOW MUCH value was given AND 2)HOW MUCH of that value the giver EXPECTS to get back.
LOVE IS QUANTITATIVE
One of the characteristics of LOVE that is hard for some people to realize is that LOVE is quantitative. It can be measured...there can be more...there can be less...you can intentionally have more...you can intentionally have less. Here are a list of LOVE and CHARITY verses with the quantitative words in capitals...
"And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand ALL mysteries, and ALL knowledge; and though I have ALL faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am NOTHING. And though I bestow ALL my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it PROFITETH me NOTHING." (I Corinthians 13:2-3)
"GREATER love hath no man THAN this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)
"So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me MORE THAN these?" (John 21:15)
"Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity EDIFIETH." (I Corinthians 8:1)
"From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the MEASURE of every part, maketh INCREASE of the body unto the EDIFYING of itself in love." (Ephesians 4:16)
"And this I pray, that your love may ABOUND yet MORE and MORE in knowledge and in ALL judgment;" (Philippians 1:9)
"And the Lord make you to INCREASE and ABOUND in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:" (I Thessalonians 3:12)
"And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the MORE ABUNDANTLY I love you, the LESS I be loved." (II Corinthians 12:15)
The equation is expressed perfectly by Paul...the more I give to you, the less I get. There are A LOT of mind blowing implications from Jesus' definition of LOVE that go COMPLETELY OPPOSITE what people ACTUALLY think, do, and desire.
REMEMBER, the Greek definition spoke of love in a "social and moral sense".
Next week, we will look at all of these implications which include: understanding the quantity verses quoted above, "truth in love", LOVE being ULTIMATE right/good, the non-contradictory definition of HATE, and the introduction for the discussion on the meaning of "I love you".
Next Post
"And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment, And the second is like, namely this, Thous shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:28-31)
"But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you," (Luke 6:27)
"And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." (I John 4:16)
"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." (John 3:16)
"By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (John 13:35)
"This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you." (John 15:12)
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)
"But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:" (Ephesians 4:15)
"Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." (Romans 13:10)
In the King James Bible, sometimes the Greek word "agape" is translated as "love" and sometimes it is translated as "charity". Some of the most famous "love" passages use the word "charity" in the King James Version.
"And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not, charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up," (I Corinthians 13:3-4)
"And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; And to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness; And to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity." (I Peter 1:5-7)
"And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins." (I Peter 4:8)
"Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:" (I Timothy 1:5)
Love is the concept that is the ultimate EFFECT of EVERYTHING the law and Jesus was teaching us. PROOF that we are followers of God is our LOVE.
LOVE is intertwined with EVERY concept in the worldview.
Too many people ACTUALLY use the definition of love to define other words like "grace" or "mercy". This causes them NOT to have a definition for LOVE.
Tomorrow we will address the claim that LOVE can't actually be defined and we will realize what these people are ACTUALLY preaching when they make that claim.
For today, take a moment to reread the passages above and determine a definition that would fit EVERY passage.
More importantly, decide if it would be RIGHT and JUST of God to make LOVE the ultimate EFFECT of following God AND not have it be able to be defined...that is, not have us be able to do it intentionally.
THE GREEK
The problem with defining LOVE doesn't occur until you ask someone to give you a specific definition. Until that point, EVERYONE thinks they know the definition of LOVE. However, once a person tries to put it into WORDS, they realize they have a problem...they find out they are contradictory.
There are two general excuses people give for not defining LOVE. The first excuse is that there are several different kinds of LOVE in the Bible, so no ONE definition would work. The other excuse is that LOVE is unable to be defined because no one has done it.
We've already seen in the "Importance of WORDS" post, the second excuse is the ultimate example of egotism. Basically, the person is saying, "Since I can't define it, it must not be able to be defined because if I can't do it, no one can."
Today, let's look at the first excuse more closely...
In the New Testament, there are 10 Greek words that were translated into the King James Bible as LOVE. I will go over these with their Strong's Concordance reference number.
2309 thelo or ethelo means "to determine or choose"
The ONLY occurrence of this word is in Mark 12:38 when Jesus speaks about beware of the scribes which LOVE to go in long clothing...
Seven of the Greek words are very closely related:
5360 philadelphia means "brotherly love"
This word occurs four times and comes from 5361
5361 philadelphos means "fond of brethren"
This word occurs once, but we can see it has essentially the same meaning as 5360
5362 philandros means "fond of man"
This word occurs once.
5363 philanthropia means "fondness of mankind"
This word occurs once.
5365 philarguria means "love of money"
This word occurs once in an often quoted verse (I Timothy 6:10)
5368 phileo means "to be a friend to"
This word occurs eight times.
5388 philoteknos means "fond of one's children"
This word occurs once.
Notice, all of these words apply to a fondness for a specific thing or person. These last seven words look roughly the same in Greek. None of the passages quoted at the beginning of this post used these Greek words. ALL of the passages that we are focusing on come from two words:
26 agape means "love" and comes from...
25 agapao means "to love (in a social or moral sense)"
These words are essentially the same. "Agapao" has a specific definition and "Agape" is the more abstract version of the same word...like it is one rung higher on the Ladder of Abstraction.
When it comes to the word "charity", the Greek word is "agape" EVERY TIME. The word "charity" occurs 26 times in the King James Bible...all of them in the New Testament...all of them from "agape".
So, sometimes, "agape" is translated LOVE and sometimes it is translated CHARITY. However, "agapao" is ALWAYS translated as LOVE.
While there are several Greek words that can be translated into our language as LOVE, there are ONLY two words that apply to the words LOVE and CHARITY in the critical verses we are focusing on (as well as other key verses that will be referenced later) and they have the same meaning.
Before we determine the meaning, let's look at what people are REALLY saying when they say we can't define LOVE...
In the I Corinthians 13 passage, it says without love we cannot be profitable...we cannot create...we cannot repair...we cannot live. In John 3:16 it says BECAUSE of God's love, we can have eternal life.
It is of the UTMOST importance that we understand LOVE so that we can intentionally have life and help others have life. People who discourage us from understanding this ultimate source of profitability are PREVENTING repair and life. They are ACTUALLY preaching DEATH...
Be careful when you tell people that words CAN'T be defined!
God used words to create, instruct us,...
Tomorrow we will look into I Corinthians 13...
THE EFFECTS OF LOVE
The first answer people give to define LOVE is I Corinthians 13. Here are the first eight verses with the word CHARITY capitalized:
"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not CHARITY, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal."
"And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not CHARITY I am nothing."
"And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not CHARITY, it profiteth me nothing."
"CHARITY suffereth long, and is kind; CHARITY envieth not, CHARITY vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,"
"Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;"
"Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;"
"Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things."
"CHARITY never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away."
This is ACTUALLY a list of the EFFECTS of LOVE. There are 16...and 9 of them are NOT effects of LOVE!
1. NOT evieth
2. NOT vaunteth
3. NOT puffed up
4. NOT behave itself unseemly
5. NOT seeketh her own
6. NOT easily provoked
7. NOT thinketh evil
8. NOT rejoiceth in iniquity
9. NOT faileth
There are 7 EFFECTS of LOVE:
10. Suffereth long
11. Kind
12. Rejoiceth in truth
13. Beareth all things
14. Believeth all things
15. Hopeth all things
16. Endureth all things
Look at this list again and imagine getting this type of answer to "What is a corvette?"
"It doesn't have wings, it doesn't have a fireplace, it does have four tires, it doesn't have training wheels, etc."
Again, causality says the cause and effect are one. So Paul's list of effects are important, however, to say Paul gives the CAUSE of LOVE would be inaccurate. Whatever the definition (CAUSE) of LOVE is, it HAS to result in this list. One of my first tests of someone's definition of LOVE is to see if it RESULTS in ALL of Paul's list.
Actually, Jesus gives the definition of LOVE...
DEFINITION OF LOVE
Jesus said:
"But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again."
"But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again: and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil." (Luke 6:27-35)
The definition of LOVE is blatantly stated in the last section: give AND don't look to that person to give back!
This definition is from the mouth of JESUS!
Go back over the beginning of the passage and see that not only is this the definition consistently cited throughout the passage, but there is a REASON for LOVE! (John Piper and other sovereignty people ACTUALLY preach that the REASON God loves is BECAUSE God loves. I've heard these preachers immediately admit this is circular reasoning...and then say it is because LOVE is circular. Just so we all know, circular reasoning is PROOF the concept is unsound...don't be fooled.)
In fact, there are two more key conclusions to be drawn immediately:
1. LOVE is NOT an emotion! (John Piper calls LOVE an emotion, but the quickest way to refute this is with "LOVE your enemy". No one is requiring you to FEEL GOOD about your enemies. In fact, you will hear preachers/teachers tell you why it is okay for THEM NOT to feel good about someone.) THIS is probably the hardest concept to get used to when it comes to defining LOVE. Most people want to believe LOVE is an emotion and they tend to have a hard time relating to Jesus' definition because there isn't an emotional component to it.
2. LOVE is UNCONDITIONAL by definition. There is NO SUCH thing as "conditional love". What would that look like? The second half of LOVE requires NO EXPECTATIONS! Whenever someone speaks of unconditional love, I immediately want to ask the question: As opposed to conditional love? People who speak of unconditional love as separate from "other" love clearly have a contradictory definition of LOVE.
LOVE has TWO PARTS:
1. ACTION - It is the giving of a value.
2. ATTITUDE - It is the lack of expectation.
How does LOVE work? It depends on justice. Justice says that everything will equal out EXACTLY. Justice says you CAN'T give AND NOT get the value back.
It is possible to give a value AND try to get it back. You could lend to someone and then keep reminding them they have to pay you back until they eventually pay you back. Justice DOESN'T get involved in this situation, because you are equalling out YOUR OWN justice. This is NOT LOVE. Jesus says the same thing in the first section of the Luke 6 passage. Jesus says to give BECAUSE you are expecting to get back is NOT LOVE.
Notice, you can give and expect a return from the person. This is NOT a sin! BUT this is NOT LOVE.
However, if you give and don't expect to get back the value from the person to whom you gave, you are doing the same thing as forgiveness...you are stating your will you are NOT going to seek your own justice. THEN God can make sure you get your value back through justice.
We will see over the next three weeks how this definition explains EVERY LOVE passage in the Bible. For instance, giving AND not expecting a return would be the CAUSE to all 16 effects that Paul listed in I Corinthians 13. Notice also that passage begins with Paul listing examples of GIVING but saying it is NOT profitable if he DOESN'T do it with LOVE...if he doesn't do the second HALF of LOVE which is not expecting a return.
Again, LOVE is ONE concept that has TWO HALVES. John Piper and other teachers don't seem to understand the concept of two HALVES making up ONE concept...they see it as two separate concepts.
Question: What is another concept that COULD describe the giving of a value and not expecting the person to whom you give to give back? CHARITY!
It appears that where "CHARITY" could replace LOVE, it was done in the King James Bible. When it could NOT replace LOVE it was because of GRAMMAR.
For instance, "CHARITY your neighbor" isn't grammatically correct, yet it fits EXACTLY what Jesus said to do in the passage from Luke!
Finally, notice that LOVE is quantitative. The AMOUNT of LOVE can be calculated by determining: 1)HOW MUCH value was given AND 2)HOW MUCH of that value the giver EXPECTS to get back.
LOVE IS QUANTITATIVE
One of the characteristics of LOVE that is hard for some people to realize is that LOVE is quantitative. It can be measured...there can be more...there can be less...you can intentionally have more...you can intentionally have less. Here are a list of LOVE and CHARITY verses with the quantitative words in capitals...
"And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand ALL mysteries, and ALL knowledge; and though I have ALL faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am NOTHING. And though I bestow ALL my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it PROFITETH me NOTHING." (I Corinthians 13:2-3)
"GREATER love hath no man THAN this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13)
"So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me MORE THAN these?" (John 21:15)
"Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity EDIFIETH." (I Corinthians 8:1)
"From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the MEASURE of every part, maketh INCREASE of the body unto the EDIFYING of itself in love." (Ephesians 4:16)
"And this I pray, that your love may ABOUND yet MORE and MORE in knowledge and in ALL judgment;" (Philippians 1:9)
"And the Lord make you to INCREASE and ABOUND in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:" (I Thessalonians 3:12)
"And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the MORE ABUNDANTLY I love you, the LESS I be loved." (II Corinthians 12:15)
The equation is expressed perfectly by Paul...the more I give to you, the less I get. There are A LOT of mind blowing implications from Jesus' definition of LOVE that go COMPLETELY OPPOSITE what people ACTUALLY think, do, and desire.
REMEMBER, the Greek definition spoke of love in a "social and moral sense".
Next week, we will look at all of these implications which include: understanding the quantity verses quoted above, "truth in love", LOVE being ULTIMATE right/good, the non-contradictory definition of HATE, and the introduction for the discussion on the meaning of "I love you".
Next Post
Monday, January 14, 2008
Biblical Arguing and Disagreement
Last week we covered TRUTH.
Saturday we covered the Importance of words.
This week we will look at the proper way to argue and disagree according to the Bible.
Notice, the keys to doing this well are to focus on TRUTH and the WORDS that are used.
Every day from Tuesday through Friday (like in previous weeks), I will be adding to this entry. So although this entry will say MONDAY at the top, stop by each weekday to see the continuation of this topic. Also, I want to continue to encourage people to post comments DURING the week...they help me know which points need to be better explained.
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (II Timothy 3:16-17)
Scripture is FACT.
When it is used to create, it is truth.
Creating is shown in this verse with the following WORDS: profitable, reproof, correction, instruction, righteousness, perfect, furnished, and good works.
The key EFFECT of scripture is DOCTRINE.
Doctrine is a belief statement.
A person's worldview is made up of DOCTRINE and DEFINITIONS...
...and BOTH of these are made up of WORDS.
The continuation of the above scripture:
"I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." (II Timothy 4:1-5)
Paul begins this passage with a sobering charge!
It is before God and Jesus...
The charge?
We OUGHT to preach the word with longsuffering and doctrine...because a time will come when people will not endure sound doctrine. Sound doctrine is NON-CONTRADICTORY doctrine. People will avoid non-contradictory doctrine to the extent they will turn their ears from the truth and follow fables. We OUGHT to make full proof of our ministry...we OUGHT to be able to give an explanation.
When does all this happen?
Paul begins Chapter 3 with:
"This know also, that in the last days perilous times will come." (II Timothy 3:1)
Paul lists the effects of these times, ending in verse 7 with:
"Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." (II Timothy 3:7)
How could ANYONE explain these passages WITHOUT a definition for TRUTH?
With the non-contradictory definition of TRUTH, do you see how these verses work?
People who are learning but unable to create with this knowledge...who are unable to explain this knowledge...who are unable to turn knowledge into understanding...will end up ignoring sound doctrine and creating their own. Paul called these beliefs "fables".
The chapter before this warning contains the verse:
"But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing they do gender strifes." (II Timothy 2:23)
So, we OUGHT to avoid questions that are unprofitable.
We OUGHT to pursue scripture and doctrine that is non-contradictory (sound) so that we can help others be profitable.
This will become MOST important and obvious in the last days.
Are we in the last days?
Are we seeing people AVOID discussing sound doctrine?
Are we seeing people prove their point by heaping teachers...by pursuing QUANTITY over QUALITY?
Are we seeing people tell us we can't know or aren't supposed to know definitions to key words that make up our doctrine?
If we take up Paul's charge to preach the word with sound doctrine to reprove, rebuke, and exhort others, this is going to involve disagreements. In fact, these scriptures imply that we will be in the minority and better expect afflictions because we will be outnumbered by the heap of teachers professing fables.
What is the Biblical way to approach these disagreements?
WEED KILLER
When I build mathematical models, I pay close attention to whether the model is getting tighter or looser as more data is added. Is the model able to handle all situations and predict outcomes or do I need to add a lot of special cases to handle the contradictions?
This is the same for a worldview! As people add more information to their doctrines and definitions, does their worldview get tighter? Do MORE things make sense and fit together? Or does their worldview get looser? Do they have to classify contradictions as "exceptions"? It seems like most of the time, people rationalize IGNORING information so that they can MAINTAIN their flimsy worldview. They should WANT to find the contradictions BECAUSE these are the areas where they can actually tighten their worldview if they change these beliefs and/or definitions! They OUGHT to be contrastive. This is their opportunity for growth!
In fact, this is the easy way to blow up a bad model: feed it and make it try to hold up under the weight of all the data. When there isn't enough truth to hold up all the contradictions, the model fails.
I remember this by thinking of weed killer. Modern day weed killers don't work by "killing" growth. In fact, it is just the opposite! Today, the most successful weed killers accelerate the growth of one aspect of the plant faster than the other aspects can keep up. Weed killer is actually a fertilizer! Long Term growth (creation) depends on several aspects working in harmony. The weed essentially dies because one aspect grew too fast.
In the same way, evil is full of contradictions and will eventually choke itself. Evil is unsound and will disintegrate. It can't hold up in the Long Term because it doesn't create. Evil needs someone to create for it in order to have something to destroy. (As we saw, Calvinists don't know this, so they doubt the ability of "good" to defeat "evil" if everything isn't predestined and God can't go ahead in time.)
The QUICKEST way to expose and destroy evil is to SPEED it up! When you resist evil, you are ACTUALLY making it STRONGER because you are giving it your energy by being EVIL! Don't fight it. That is, don't take actions that don't create. When you fight evil, it requires YOU to be evil, because you are not creating.
Remember from the GOOD and EVIL post: "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21). This means we should help evil become profitable! Since we know evil's goal is destruction, ANYTHING we do to HELP it will ONLY end in its destruction.
Let's be contrastive for a moment. What if it REALLY ISN'T evil? If we are mistaken about evil, the good part will end up profitable. Notice justice is determining our actions. Regardless of whether we are right or wrong about identifying evil, we won't receive a penalty because we were helpful. IN FACT, if we are "wrong" (it isn't evil like we thought, but actually good), then we still get a reward because profitability will result.
There is another implication for how we are to interact with evil. Evil wants to distract us from our goal. Evil doesn't want us to be profitable. Since evil doesn't create, it needs someone else to do that. Evil depends on our consent in order to function. Don't give it your consent. This is different than "helping" evil...
Ultimately, you are responsible for the evil that affects the part of you that continues the journey after you die, because you are the only one who can let it affect the eternal you. Nothing else can. Paul said in his contrastive fashion (emphasis added):
"For I am persuaded, that NEITHER death, NOR life, NOR angels, NOR principalities, NOR powers, NOR things present, NOR things to come, NOR height, NOR depth, NOR any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39).
So if we get separated and put into the lake of fire, what's left to be the cause other than ourselves?
When we encounter evil, we OUGHT NOT give it our consent to exist by following it in our actions. We OUGHT NOT energize it by fighting it, that is, take evil actions against it. We OUGHT to deal with it intellectually; agree with it in order that we can be good to it by facilitating its growth intellectually (understanding). If it is good, it will flourish. It if is evil, it will fail from the acceleration of growth just like a weed.
How are people able to Biblically handle evil WITHOUT understanding (thinking)?
Remember, our goal is to get to heaven by proving to God our will is to take direction from Him (GRACE). Make no mistake about this - evil will affect our physical selves. If we let evil affect our spiritual selves by making us unprofitable, we are telling God our will is not to take direction from Him and continue the journey as a spiritual being after we physically die.
Basically, we are all trying to identify a model that explains our beliefs. We have called this a worldview. Whether you are conscious of it or not, you have created a model made up of beliefs and definitions...it is made up of WORDS. This means that EVERYDAY you are adding information to this model and EITHER: 1)coming up with special cases to handle the contradictions OR 2)changing your model to make it tighter and more right.
The ONLY way to become more right is to intentionally look for where you are wrong and change it.
In order to become more right, you are looking for more facts that create. You are looking for truth. Some of that truth will come from you personally resolving contradictions. Some it is going to come from other people stressing your model.
If your goal is to be right and not have to change your model, then you will try to dismiss others who have something to say about your model. You will look comparatively rather than contrastively. You may even actively argue AGAINST the existence of your model...but you do have one. Most people think that feeling right about their model is the same as the model actually being right. RIGHT is RIGHT regardless of how you feel and what you think is RIGHT.
If your goal is to identify a tighter model, there is the distinct possibility that truth will come from someone outside of yourself, unless you are perfect.
Let me be straight right now; I'm far from perfect.
However, some of the people who come to you won't be contributing truth. How do you tell the difference between those pursuing truth and those pursuing their point? How can you have profitable interactions with people whose beliefs differ from yours?
DISAGREEMENT
One of the biggest hindrances in improving our worldview is other people. Think about it - there are other people who are using their worldview. They are making decisions on whether the information they are receiving is truth or not. When they see you doing or saying something different than their worldview, someone is going to feel like he is wrong. Someone is going to try to convince the other person that he is right. How should we deal with information from people who disagree with us?
It is the same perspective as model building. First, focus on pursuing truth. Creation is achieved with truth. People who pursue growth focus on pursuing truth. People who pursue comfort focus on proving their point.
Next, we need to find out whom we're dealing with. People who are pursuing truth will help us grow or we will help them grow. Let's look at the people proving their point...
In order for the comfort-driven to convince themselves and others of their point, they must present truth in an equal or greater quantity as their flawed point. For example, we see this when politicians state a truth and then try to prove their untrue point. If their untrue point outweighs the amount of truth in their presentation, we don't believe their position. When this deception does work, it is because people make the mistake of believing EVERYTHING someone says when he or she recognizes ANY truth in the presentation.
Contrastive thinking tells us to try to disprove everything. Whatever is proven wrong should be discarded. Whatever survives the scrutiny should be retained. Paul realized the importance of handling deception and wrote about this twice:
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (II Timothy 2:15)
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good" (I Thessalonians 5:21)
In the first passage, Paul is saying the measure of our ability depends on how well we are able to separate out truth from among EVERYTHING ELSE we receive. It is NOT ALL truth if we find SOME truth!
In the second passage, Paul is saying to be contrastive in order to prove all things we receive and ONLY hold to what is GOOD, that is, what creates! Paul clearly understood the way to intentionally become profitable when dealing with information!
Paul's advice is particularly useful when we deal with statements and philosophy. We can parse the concept into sections of truth and untruth. We can choose what to believe and what to discard. This contrastive process is VERY uncomfortable. We can keep this confrontational mentality within ourselves when it comes to statements and philosophy. This is how to deal with the INFORMATION we get from people who disagree with us. We keep the contrastive process internal.
However, when it comes to debating with people, this contrastive process will only antagonize others. What should we do when it comes to disagreeing with people? What does Jesus say to do?
ARGUING
Jesus said:
"Agree with thine adversary quickly" (Matthew 5:25)
"But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil" (Matthew 5:39)
First of all, agreeing your adversary DOES NOT mean getting them to agree with you quickly. It means YOU need to AGREE with THEM quickly! This is the contrastive process we have been talking about! This is Jesus saying to use the contrastive process on YOURSELF!!!!
The second verse makes the point that you don't fight evil by being evil. You facilitate its progress!
BOTH of these verses are from the mouth of JESUS!
This means you OUGHT to take on the beliefs of your adversary. This is the good way to debate because it creates. It is also the quickest way to prove someone is wrong. Why? If your goal is to make progress, resisting them is going to cause you BOTH to go nowhere and be unprofitable. You will be at a standstill. Think about it, you BOTH will be exerting tremendous amount of energy and GETTING NOWHERE!
Imagine both of you are trying to take each other down opposite roads. You would spend YEARS pushing against each other and be in the same spot as if you hadn't pushed at all. It would be more profitable to go down their road and try to find a situation where their belief is true. Did Jesus do this?
In John 8, people brought a woman to Jesus they claimed should be stoned according to the law because she was an adulterer (John 8:3-9). In fact, they claim she was caught in the very act! They asked Jesus what to do.
Jesus could have RESISTED them and told them NOT to do it. THAT would have resulted in an argument about the law. NO PROGRESS!
Jesus could have run around physically trying to prevent the crowd from stoning her by knocking the stones out of their hands. That would have gotten them riled up to stone her. NO PROGRESS!
INSTEAD, Jesus took on their beliefs and came up with a way to stone her!!!!!
Jesus said the one without sin should cast the first stone.
This dispersed the crowd MORE effectively than ANY other method!
Jesus didn't resist evil; he agreed with it and helped it reach its end more quickly.
Unfortunately, some people today believe just CONSIDERING another belief is a sin in itself. This pursuit of comfort is a sure sign of insecurity. We CANNOT live Jesus' example without being contrastive. We need to focus on the LONG TERM goal of growth by intentionally choosing to be uncomfortable and potentially wrong in the short-term.
EVERYBODY WINS
Try this the next time you're having a debate - take the other person's side and try to apply his or her point to other areas (Big Picture) or into the future (Long Term). Remember, you are trying to make THEIR side work as if it was YOUR side.
Taking the other person's side immediately lowers his or her defenses. You are also keeping the contrastive process internal by trying to prove your own beliefs wrong by considering the other beliefs.
If their point is TRUE, it will hold up and may even explain situations in other areas, in effect creating knowledge. This would result in that model becoming tighter. If you are interested in growth, you will have achieved it because you will have learned something. You win if they are right!
People who won't consider another belief are pursuing comfort over growth. They will resist understanding and stick to quoting facts without explanation.
If their point doesn't hold up, what you've done is made the amount of flawed perspective greater than the truth it was presented with. The presenter now has three options:
1) Add more truth
2) Cut back the model
3) Admit they were wrong
Adding more truth usually results in a looser model filled with special cases. Usually people cut back the model by saying, "I never meant for it to apply to that situation." Again, you win! Ultimately, there is no reason to argue with anyone. Personally, I don't have long arguments anymore.
I believe God is very real and wants to help us grow; however, God is prohibited from helping certain people because they are under mercy. These people haven't taken a stand, so God can't move against them to correct them...or with them to speed up their growth. I also believe people realize this subconsciously and try to stay under mercy. The only way they can do this is to not express their will...to stay LUKEWARM. I have seen this happen with "Christian" leaders and authors...they seem to be experts at avoiding expressing a definite opinion.
I see my job as getting them to state their will...nothing more. The following technique becomes particularly useful when you try to correct people. Let's look at an example.
If someone promised to do something for me and didn't do it, the typical way to handle this is to tell the person what they did was wrong. This doesn't create. This is trying to overcome evil with evil.
Taking everything we've learned over the past two months, the more effective way would be to ask them three questions. I'm increasing their understanding.
First, I ask them if they remember promising they would do the specific act. (Stepping In)
Second, I ask them if they did the act. (Stepping Up)
Third, I ask if they think it is okay with God that they didn't do the act. (Stepping Through)
When you do this, your first goal is to get a "yes" or "no" for each question. In fact, you can tell the person the Bible says to let your "yes" be "yes" and your "no" be "no" (Matthew 5:37; James 5:12). You may quickly find out they don't want to give a "yes" or a "no".
If they want to give an excuse, tell them you will take an explanation AFTER they say "yes" or "no".
If they say you are going to respond a certain way if they give one of those answers, assure them you won't respond and will walk away immediately after getting all three answers.
We OUGHT NOT strike back because it limits God's ability to get involved. It is to YOUR benefit to walk away, because it is the same as forgiving a person; they will have stated their will, and you are walking away, in effect, putting them in God's hands.
You aren't due a penalty because you haven't done anything unjust; you've just taken them out from under mercy. Justice says God will act on them if they are in the wrong because they have expressed their will that they believe something this is ACTUALLY wrong. God is then required to help them grow. It they are in the right, there is no penalty either way.
CAUSALITY
This "Weed Killer" model is NOT the CAUSE of things going good or bad...it is a catalyst.
In chemistry, ingredients react with each other to form other ingredients. When ALL of the initial ingredients have been COMPLETELY reacted, we say the reaction has gone to completion.
In order to take a reaction to completion, it takes a specific amount of energy that is unique to each reaction.
However, we can lessen the energy needed and speed up the rate of the reaction by adding another chemical called a catalyst. The catalyst does not react...it makes it easier for the reaction to occur.
Likewise, the "Weed Killer" process speeds up what is inevitably supposed to happen.
There are A LOT of unprofitable friendships, marriages, business arrangements, etc. that CURRENTLY exist. We tend to get comparative. We look at the short-term temporary profitable moments and try to ignore the greater unprofitable trend. When "Weed Killer" is applied, it will speed up an unprofitable relationship and bring it to an end. It will grow a profitable relationship to the heights we hope for in our hearts.
The posts that began this blog's goal of going deeper dealt with God's Will. Every pastor and teacher has to determine their answer to the toughest question they are ever going to get asked: Why did God kill my child?
There are two fables most pastors and teachers subscribe to...
1) Sovereignty - God unilaterally does what He thinks is right against our will and there is nothing you can go about it...you can't even understand it so don't try.
2) Predestination - Your child was destined to die and we are just walking through what has already been predetermined.
Neither of these fables are supported by the Bible. These are LUKEWARM answers created by men. These are traditions which make the Word and Will of God of NONE EFFECT.
The "Weed Killer" process takes a LUKEWARM situation and makes it HOT or COLD...just like God WANTS it to be. (Revelation 3:15)
God's Will is calculated with truth. God takes truth and applies it to EVERYONE's situation and determines the best possible case according to Right and Just. As we make choices, this will is constantly recalculated with truth. If you want to know God's Will for you...apply truth to your situation. This may involve you breaking connections with certain people or organizations in order to create in the Long Term. However, comfort-minded people WON'T consider that God's Will is for something to be destroyed in the short-term in order to create something of greater value for you in the Long Term.
The REALITY is that MOST relationships are CURRENTLY unprofitable because we don't know how to intentionally do what the Bible considers to be the key ingredient: LOVE.
So, before you apply "Weed Killer" to the relationships you value most, we are going to spend the next few weeks identifying the non-contradictory definition of love, looking at Biblical applications of love, looking at real world applications of love, identifying the non-contradictory definition of "I love you", and finding out the main reason the majority of today's relationships are unprofitable.
Of ALL the words that you OUGHT to possess a non-contradictory definition...LOVE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT.
Next Post
Saturday we covered the Importance of words.
This week we will look at the proper way to argue and disagree according to the Bible.
Notice, the keys to doing this well are to focus on TRUTH and the WORDS that are used.
Every day from Tuesday through Friday (like in previous weeks), I will be adding to this entry. So although this entry will say MONDAY at the top, stop by each weekday to see the continuation of this topic. Also, I want to continue to encourage people to post comments DURING the week...they help me know which points need to be better explained.
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (II Timothy 3:16-17)
Scripture is FACT.
When it is used to create, it is truth.
Creating is shown in this verse with the following WORDS: profitable, reproof, correction, instruction, righteousness, perfect, furnished, and good works.
The key EFFECT of scripture is DOCTRINE.
Doctrine is a belief statement.
A person's worldview is made up of DOCTRINE and DEFINITIONS...
...and BOTH of these are made up of WORDS.
The continuation of the above scripture:
"I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry." (II Timothy 4:1-5)
Paul begins this passage with a sobering charge!
It is before God and Jesus...
The charge?
We OUGHT to preach the word with longsuffering and doctrine...because a time will come when people will not endure sound doctrine. Sound doctrine is NON-CONTRADICTORY doctrine. People will avoid non-contradictory doctrine to the extent they will turn their ears from the truth and follow fables. We OUGHT to make full proof of our ministry...we OUGHT to be able to give an explanation.
When does all this happen?
Paul begins Chapter 3 with:
"This know also, that in the last days perilous times will come." (II Timothy 3:1)
Paul lists the effects of these times, ending in verse 7 with:
"Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." (II Timothy 3:7)
How could ANYONE explain these passages WITHOUT a definition for TRUTH?
With the non-contradictory definition of TRUTH, do you see how these verses work?
People who are learning but unable to create with this knowledge...who are unable to explain this knowledge...who are unable to turn knowledge into understanding...will end up ignoring sound doctrine and creating their own. Paul called these beliefs "fables".
The chapter before this warning contains the verse:
"But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing they do gender strifes." (II Timothy 2:23)
So, we OUGHT to avoid questions that are unprofitable.
We OUGHT to pursue scripture and doctrine that is non-contradictory (sound) so that we can help others be profitable.
This will become MOST important and obvious in the last days.
Are we in the last days?
Are we seeing people AVOID discussing sound doctrine?
Are we seeing people prove their point by heaping teachers...by pursuing QUANTITY over QUALITY?
Are we seeing people tell us we can't know or aren't supposed to know definitions to key words that make up our doctrine?
If we take up Paul's charge to preach the word with sound doctrine to reprove, rebuke, and exhort others, this is going to involve disagreements. In fact, these scriptures imply that we will be in the minority and better expect afflictions because we will be outnumbered by the heap of teachers professing fables.
What is the Biblical way to approach these disagreements?
WEED KILLER
When I build mathematical models, I pay close attention to whether the model is getting tighter or looser as more data is added. Is the model able to handle all situations and predict outcomes or do I need to add a lot of special cases to handle the contradictions?
This is the same for a worldview! As people add more information to their doctrines and definitions, does their worldview get tighter? Do MORE things make sense and fit together? Or does their worldview get looser? Do they have to classify contradictions as "exceptions"? It seems like most of the time, people rationalize IGNORING information so that they can MAINTAIN their flimsy worldview. They should WANT to find the contradictions BECAUSE these are the areas where they can actually tighten their worldview if they change these beliefs and/or definitions! They OUGHT to be contrastive. This is their opportunity for growth!
In fact, this is the easy way to blow up a bad model: feed it and make it try to hold up under the weight of all the data. When there isn't enough truth to hold up all the contradictions, the model fails.
I remember this by thinking of weed killer. Modern day weed killers don't work by "killing" growth. In fact, it is just the opposite! Today, the most successful weed killers accelerate the growth of one aspect of the plant faster than the other aspects can keep up. Weed killer is actually a fertilizer! Long Term growth (creation) depends on several aspects working in harmony. The weed essentially dies because one aspect grew too fast.
In the same way, evil is full of contradictions and will eventually choke itself. Evil is unsound and will disintegrate. It can't hold up in the Long Term because it doesn't create. Evil needs someone to create for it in order to have something to destroy. (As we saw, Calvinists don't know this, so they doubt the ability of "good" to defeat "evil" if everything isn't predestined and God can't go ahead in time.)
The QUICKEST way to expose and destroy evil is to SPEED it up! When you resist evil, you are ACTUALLY making it STRONGER because you are giving it your energy by being EVIL! Don't fight it. That is, don't take actions that don't create. When you fight evil, it requires YOU to be evil, because you are not creating.
Remember from the GOOD and EVIL post: "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:21). This means we should help evil become profitable! Since we know evil's goal is destruction, ANYTHING we do to HELP it will ONLY end in its destruction.
Let's be contrastive for a moment. What if it REALLY ISN'T evil? If we are mistaken about evil, the good part will end up profitable. Notice justice is determining our actions. Regardless of whether we are right or wrong about identifying evil, we won't receive a penalty because we were helpful. IN FACT, if we are "wrong" (it isn't evil like we thought, but actually good), then we still get a reward because profitability will result.
There is another implication for how we are to interact with evil. Evil wants to distract us from our goal. Evil doesn't want us to be profitable. Since evil doesn't create, it needs someone else to do that. Evil depends on our consent in order to function. Don't give it your consent. This is different than "helping" evil...
Ultimately, you are responsible for the evil that affects the part of you that continues the journey after you die, because you are the only one who can let it affect the eternal you. Nothing else can. Paul said in his contrastive fashion (emphasis added):
"For I am persuaded, that NEITHER death, NOR life, NOR angels, NOR principalities, NOR powers, NOR things present, NOR things to come, NOR height, NOR depth, NOR any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39).
So if we get separated and put into the lake of fire, what's left to be the cause other than ourselves?
When we encounter evil, we OUGHT NOT give it our consent to exist by following it in our actions. We OUGHT NOT energize it by fighting it, that is, take evil actions against it. We OUGHT to deal with it intellectually; agree with it in order that we can be good to it by facilitating its growth intellectually (understanding). If it is good, it will flourish. It if is evil, it will fail from the acceleration of growth just like a weed.
How are people able to Biblically handle evil WITHOUT understanding (thinking)?
Remember, our goal is to get to heaven by proving to God our will is to take direction from Him (GRACE). Make no mistake about this - evil will affect our physical selves. If we let evil affect our spiritual selves by making us unprofitable, we are telling God our will is not to take direction from Him and continue the journey as a spiritual being after we physically die.
Basically, we are all trying to identify a model that explains our beliefs. We have called this a worldview. Whether you are conscious of it or not, you have created a model made up of beliefs and definitions...it is made up of WORDS. This means that EVERYDAY you are adding information to this model and EITHER: 1)coming up with special cases to handle the contradictions OR 2)changing your model to make it tighter and more right.
The ONLY way to become more right is to intentionally look for where you are wrong and change it.
In order to become more right, you are looking for more facts that create. You are looking for truth. Some of that truth will come from you personally resolving contradictions. Some it is going to come from other people stressing your model.
If your goal is to be right and not have to change your model, then you will try to dismiss others who have something to say about your model. You will look comparatively rather than contrastively. You may even actively argue AGAINST the existence of your model...but you do have one. Most people think that feeling right about their model is the same as the model actually being right. RIGHT is RIGHT regardless of how you feel and what you think is RIGHT.
If your goal is to identify a tighter model, there is the distinct possibility that truth will come from someone outside of yourself, unless you are perfect.
Let me be straight right now; I'm far from perfect.
However, some of the people who come to you won't be contributing truth. How do you tell the difference between those pursuing truth and those pursuing their point? How can you have profitable interactions with people whose beliefs differ from yours?
DISAGREEMENT
One of the biggest hindrances in improving our worldview is other people. Think about it - there are other people who are using their worldview. They are making decisions on whether the information they are receiving is truth or not. When they see you doing or saying something different than their worldview, someone is going to feel like he is wrong. Someone is going to try to convince the other person that he is right. How should we deal with information from people who disagree with us?
It is the same perspective as model building. First, focus on pursuing truth. Creation is achieved with truth. People who pursue growth focus on pursuing truth. People who pursue comfort focus on proving their point.
Next, we need to find out whom we're dealing with. People who are pursuing truth will help us grow or we will help them grow. Let's look at the people proving their point...
In order for the comfort-driven to convince themselves and others of their point, they must present truth in an equal or greater quantity as their flawed point. For example, we see this when politicians state a truth and then try to prove their untrue point. If their untrue point outweighs the amount of truth in their presentation, we don't believe their position. When this deception does work, it is because people make the mistake of believing EVERYTHING someone says when he or she recognizes ANY truth in the presentation.
Contrastive thinking tells us to try to disprove everything. Whatever is proven wrong should be discarded. Whatever survives the scrutiny should be retained. Paul realized the importance of handling deception and wrote about this twice:
"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (II Timothy 2:15)
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good" (I Thessalonians 5:21)
In the first passage, Paul is saying the measure of our ability depends on how well we are able to separate out truth from among EVERYTHING ELSE we receive. It is NOT ALL truth if we find SOME truth!
In the second passage, Paul is saying to be contrastive in order to prove all things we receive and ONLY hold to what is GOOD, that is, what creates! Paul clearly understood the way to intentionally become profitable when dealing with information!
Paul's advice is particularly useful when we deal with statements and philosophy. We can parse the concept into sections of truth and untruth. We can choose what to believe and what to discard. This contrastive process is VERY uncomfortable. We can keep this confrontational mentality within ourselves when it comes to statements and philosophy. This is how to deal with the INFORMATION we get from people who disagree with us. We keep the contrastive process internal.
However, when it comes to debating with people, this contrastive process will only antagonize others. What should we do when it comes to disagreeing with people? What does Jesus say to do?
ARGUING
Jesus said:
"Agree with thine adversary quickly" (Matthew 5:25)
"But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil" (Matthew 5:39)
First of all, agreeing your adversary DOES NOT mean getting them to agree with you quickly. It means YOU need to AGREE with THEM quickly! This is the contrastive process we have been talking about! This is Jesus saying to use the contrastive process on YOURSELF!!!!
The second verse makes the point that you don't fight evil by being evil. You facilitate its progress!
BOTH of these verses are from the mouth of JESUS!
This means you OUGHT to take on the beliefs of your adversary. This is the good way to debate because it creates. It is also the quickest way to prove someone is wrong. Why? If your goal is to make progress, resisting them is going to cause you BOTH to go nowhere and be unprofitable. You will be at a standstill. Think about it, you BOTH will be exerting tremendous amount of energy and GETTING NOWHERE!
Imagine both of you are trying to take each other down opposite roads. You would spend YEARS pushing against each other and be in the same spot as if you hadn't pushed at all. It would be more profitable to go down their road and try to find a situation where their belief is true. Did Jesus do this?
In John 8, people brought a woman to Jesus they claimed should be stoned according to the law because she was an adulterer (John 8:3-9). In fact, they claim she was caught in the very act! They asked Jesus what to do.
Jesus could have RESISTED them and told them NOT to do it. THAT would have resulted in an argument about the law. NO PROGRESS!
Jesus could have run around physically trying to prevent the crowd from stoning her by knocking the stones out of their hands. That would have gotten them riled up to stone her. NO PROGRESS!
INSTEAD, Jesus took on their beliefs and came up with a way to stone her!!!!!
Jesus said the one without sin should cast the first stone.
This dispersed the crowd MORE effectively than ANY other method!
Jesus didn't resist evil; he agreed with it and helped it reach its end more quickly.
Unfortunately, some people today believe just CONSIDERING another belief is a sin in itself. This pursuit of comfort is a sure sign of insecurity. We CANNOT live Jesus' example without being contrastive. We need to focus on the LONG TERM goal of growth by intentionally choosing to be uncomfortable and potentially wrong in the short-term.
EVERYBODY WINS
Try this the next time you're having a debate - take the other person's side and try to apply his or her point to other areas (Big Picture) or into the future (Long Term). Remember, you are trying to make THEIR side work as if it was YOUR side.
Taking the other person's side immediately lowers his or her defenses. You are also keeping the contrastive process internal by trying to prove your own beliefs wrong by considering the other beliefs.
If their point is TRUE, it will hold up and may even explain situations in other areas, in effect creating knowledge. This would result in that model becoming tighter. If you are interested in growth, you will have achieved it because you will have learned something. You win if they are right!
People who won't consider another belief are pursuing comfort over growth. They will resist understanding and stick to quoting facts without explanation.
If their point doesn't hold up, what you've done is made the amount of flawed perspective greater than the truth it was presented with. The presenter now has three options:
1) Add more truth
2) Cut back the model
3) Admit they were wrong
Adding more truth usually results in a looser model filled with special cases. Usually people cut back the model by saying, "I never meant for it to apply to that situation." Again, you win! Ultimately, there is no reason to argue with anyone. Personally, I don't have long arguments anymore.
I believe God is very real and wants to help us grow; however, God is prohibited from helping certain people because they are under mercy. These people haven't taken a stand, so God can't move against them to correct them...or with them to speed up their growth. I also believe people realize this subconsciously and try to stay under mercy. The only way they can do this is to not express their will...to stay LUKEWARM. I have seen this happen with "Christian" leaders and authors...they seem to be experts at avoiding expressing a definite opinion.
I see my job as getting them to state their will...nothing more. The following technique becomes particularly useful when you try to correct people. Let's look at an example.
If someone promised to do something for me and didn't do it, the typical way to handle this is to tell the person what they did was wrong. This doesn't create. This is trying to overcome evil with evil.
Taking everything we've learned over the past two months, the more effective way would be to ask them three questions. I'm increasing their understanding.
First, I ask them if they remember promising they would do the specific act. (Stepping In)
Second, I ask them if they did the act. (Stepping Up)
Third, I ask if they think it is okay with God that they didn't do the act. (Stepping Through)
When you do this, your first goal is to get a "yes" or "no" for each question. In fact, you can tell the person the Bible says to let your "yes" be "yes" and your "no" be "no" (Matthew 5:37; James 5:12). You may quickly find out they don't want to give a "yes" or a "no".
If they want to give an excuse, tell them you will take an explanation AFTER they say "yes" or "no".
If they say you are going to respond a certain way if they give one of those answers, assure them you won't respond and will walk away immediately after getting all three answers.
We OUGHT NOT strike back because it limits God's ability to get involved. It is to YOUR benefit to walk away, because it is the same as forgiving a person; they will have stated their will, and you are walking away, in effect, putting them in God's hands.
You aren't due a penalty because you haven't done anything unjust; you've just taken them out from under mercy. Justice says God will act on them if they are in the wrong because they have expressed their will that they believe something this is ACTUALLY wrong. God is then required to help them grow. It they are in the right, there is no penalty either way.
CAUSALITY
This "Weed Killer" model is NOT the CAUSE of things going good or bad...it is a catalyst.
In chemistry, ingredients react with each other to form other ingredients. When ALL of the initial ingredients have been COMPLETELY reacted, we say the reaction has gone to completion.
In order to take a reaction to completion, it takes a specific amount of energy that is unique to each reaction.
However, we can lessen the energy needed and speed up the rate of the reaction by adding another chemical called a catalyst. The catalyst does not react...it makes it easier for the reaction to occur.
Likewise, the "Weed Killer" process speeds up what is inevitably supposed to happen.
There are A LOT of unprofitable friendships, marriages, business arrangements, etc. that CURRENTLY exist. We tend to get comparative. We look at the short-term temporary profitable moments and try to ignore the greater unprofitable trend. When "Weed Killer" is applied, it will speed up an unprofitable relationship and bring it to an end. It will grow a profitable relationship to the heights we hope for in our hearts.
The posts that began this blog's goal of going deeper dealt with God's Will. Every pastor and teacher has to determine their answer to the toughest question they are ever going to get asked: Why did God kill my child?
There are two fables most pastors and teachers subscribe to...
1) Sovereignty - God unilaterally does what He thinks is right against our will and there is nothing you can go about it...you can't even understand it so don't try.
2) Predestination - Your child was destined to die and we are just walking through what has already been predetermined.
Neither of these fables are supported by the Bible. These are LUKEWARM answers created by men. These are traditions which make the Word and Will of God of NONE EFFECT.
The "Weed Killer" process takes a LUKEWARM situation and makes it HOT or COLD...just like God WANTS it to be. (Revelation 3:15)
God's Will is calculated with truth. God takes truth and applies it to EVERYONE's situation and determines the best possible case according to Right and Just. As we make choices, this will is constantly recalculated with truth. If you want to know God's Will for you...apply truth to your situation. This may involve you breaking connections with certain people or organizations in order to create in the Long Term. However, comfort-minded people WON'T consider that God's Will is for something to be destroyed in the short-term in order to create something of greater value for you in the Long Term.
The REALITY is that MOST relationships are CURRENTLY unprofitable because we don't know how to intentionally do what the Bible considers to be the key ingredient: LOVE.
So, before you apply "Weed Killer" to the relationships you value most, we are going to spend the next few weeks identifying the non-contradictory definition of love, looking at Biblical applications of love, looking at real world applications of love, identifying the non-contradictory definition of "I love you", and finding out the main reason the majority of today's relationships are unprofitable.
Of ALL the words that you OUGHT to possess a non-contradictory definition...LOVE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT.
Next Post
Saturday, January 12, 2008
The Importance of WORDS
"Words don't have a definite meaning."
This is the most immoral statement...the height of hypocrisy, because it is completely self-contained.
I can't tell you the number of people who have made this STATEMENT to me...who have asserted it to be TRUTH. Most recently, Greg Boyd went down this road when he wrote me to say words have more than one meaning.
That is actually a LESS hypocritical statement because it admits that words have at least one definite meaning. Words CAN have more than one meaning. However, when a word is used, it has a definite meaning in context. The people who are in real danger are those who say we CAN'T define words...even in usage!
If this is a fact, then why do they use words to convey their message. In order for them to be right, their method needs to be wrong. They shouldn't be using words to explain their point...they should use EVERYTHING OTHER than words, even if it is interpretative dancing or pantomime. The REAL danger is these people are very quick to hold OTHERS to their words!
If you truly believe that words can't be defined, then you should stop using words to prove your point AND stop holding others to their words...otherwise you are condemning YOURSELF as a hypocrite.
How does THAT work? "You CAN'T define the words that I speak, BUT I can hold YOU to a definite definition for the words YOU speak!"?!?!?!?
More troubling is when these people quote a series of Bible verses at you...without taking the time to define each and every word. After all, if a word can mean A LOT of different things, why are they quoting verses as if each word has a definite self-evident meaning?
If you use words and DON'T define them, then you CAN'T get upset at how you are interpreted...unless you want to be a hypocrite. When a person speaks, they have a meaning for their words in their head...the frustration is that their definition ONLY makes sense in their head. It completely falls apart when it has to be explained.
Our ability to think is based on words. The book "1984" tried to make the point that you can limit peoples' ability to think by limiting the words they use. I'm trying to help people do the opposite. I tell them to use any word they want as long as THEY define it. When people can't define their words they are proving they ARE NOT thinking! They are appearing to think, but they REALLY aren't thinking.
The PROOF of this problem is when you ask people to WRITE their explanation. Yesterday I turned 45...so I'm kinda old. I was a letter writer during my college years. Whenever I would tell people THAT, a great majority would say that letter writing is VERY limiting..."some things need to be spoken". Today, people say this about e-mail.
ACTUALLY, what I found is "some things make absolutely NO SENSE when they are written AND I can convince you of NONSENSICAL stuff if I speak it to you." This is because writing it out REQUIRES a non-contradictory explanation.
George Orwell tried to warn us that the words we use and their meaning can limit our ability to think. Being unable to write out an explanation is proof the idea doesn't make sense.
As much as I'd like to claim inventorship over the concept of non-contradiction, this concept is one of the first effects of the causeless principle of RIGHT.
IF SOMETHING IS NON-CONTRADICTORY THEN IT CAN BE RIGHT.
IF SOMETHING IS CONTRADICTORY THEN IT IS DEFINITELY WRONG.
Non-contradiction is a God-given principle to help us personally determine the difference between right and wrong. This means that non-contradiction is the principle that determines the definition of a word. If the definition is contradictory, it is wrong. We KNOW THIS!!!! THAT is why we get so frustrated when we have to explain ourselves and/or write our beliefs...because if they are contradictory it means they are NONSENSE!!!!! The PROOF is that ALL of us INSTANTLY declare others WRONG when we find a contradiction in their explanation!
It took me twelve years to write MODELING GOD. Why did it take so long? Because I was WRITING out the non-contradictory worldview...it had to be right or people would instantly find the flaws. I actively asked people to tear it apart because my goal was to explain the non-contradictory worldview...NOT convince people I already knew the non-contradictory worldview. It turns out I didn't know it and all the help others gave me over 12 years CAUSED US to arrive at the non-contradictory explanation.
RIGHT is RIGHT regardless of what I believe.
JUST is JUST regardless of what I believe.
The WORST thing is to believe you are RIGHT and JUST AND NOT actually be RIGHT and JUST...God will get on you to show you are off in an effort to limit the DAMAGE you are doing.
Try to write out your personal beliefs...
In fact, this is called a "worldview". Colson, Dobson, Pearsey, etc. speak and write about worldviews...what do they think a worldview is? More to the point, have ANY of them DOCUMENTED their worldview? The thing that is AMAZING to me is our "Christian" leaders speak of worldviews, yet they never formally present one. What does a worldview look like?
A worldview would consist of statements of belief AND definitions. A worldview would consist of WORDS!!!!!
THE BUILDING BLOCKS FOR A WORLDVIEW ARE WORDS!!!!!!!
If the definitions and/or statements of belief are contradictory, then the worldview is WRONG. Is the claim that WORDS aren't able to be defined actually an EXCUSE? Think about it...these people are saying our building blocks are flawed. Why? Because they can't come up with non-contradictory definitions and statements of belief.
WOW!!! THAT is REALLY EGOTISTICAL! Because THEY can't resolve the contradictions, NO ONE can resolve these contradictions? THAT is the HEIGHT of arrogance!
How can we do ANYTHING God commands if we don't know what He means? I've had people tell me that "love" can't be defined. I even had a pastor from Tennessee state this to me on a discussion forum when he realized HE couldn't define "love". Jesus gave us ONLY two commandments...both of them BEGIN with the word LOVE! Did Jesus intentionally give us two commands that we couldn't possibly understand?
You would think people would WANT the non-contradictory worldview...but 90+% DON'T. I wrote Greg Boyd and others. I offered to explain it to them. Do you think their response was to go over this? NO ONE has wanted to go over this. Not national "Christian" leaders...not local "Christian" leaders. The goal is NOT GROWTH, it is maintaining their personal belief...even when they know it is wrong.
National leaders have built a brand based on APPEARING to not be wrong. Local leaders have built a business based on APPEARING not to be wrong.
I TRULY appreciate feedback...especially when people attempt to prove me wrong. This week, we will see the Godly way to handle disagreements and arguments. For now, my goal is to become MORE right...and that REQUIRES that I find out where I am wrong and change it. I've tried to find out where I'm wrong...and I realize there are people out there who are excellent enough to show me where I am wrong. However, the number of people who actively avoid reading MODELING GOD while claiming I am wrong without explanation is frightening. (Actually, THAT behavior is very cultish.)
These people don't realize they are bringing judgment on themselves with their own WORDS. We already did a week-long post on evil. The best way to avoid being evil is to be contrastive, to try to prove yourself wrong.
Remember, evil can look like good. People can tell others ONLY those facts that make them look good and "prove" their point. When others agree with them, they can FEEL like they are RIGHT. However, RIGHT is RIGHT regardless of whether a person is able to convince themselves and others with abstract words. This next week, we will see how DAMAGING this mentality is and how to deal with it.
In the meantime, here are a list of scriptures that reinforce the IMPORTANCE of WORDS. As you look over these scriptures, ask yourself:
-Did God intend words to be poor building blocks?
-If we have contradictory definitions is it OUR fault or GOD'S fault?
God created by speaking WORDS:
"And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." (Genesis 1:3)
Words are necessary to overcome ULTIMATE evil:
"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto death." (Revelation 12:11)
Jesus is the WORD! The WORD is GOD!
"In the beginning was the Word, and Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1)
Jesus said GOD'S WORD is TRUTH
"Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." (John 17:17)
Jesus said the HOLY SPIRIT would get involved when we needed WORDS. The Holy Spirit would TEACH us...give us the explanation.
"And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say." (Luke 12:11-12)
WORDS are LIFE
"It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63)
UNPROFITABLE WORDS will be JUDGED! EVERY idle word!!!
"But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." (Matthew 12:36-37)
WOW!!! WORDS determine our justification AND our condemnation!!!! Why would God base OUR ETERNITY on flawed building blocks??????? Don't people understand our ability to deal with the enemy is DEPENDENT on our ability to handle words?
"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;)Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled." (II Corinthians 10:3-6)
Imaginations, knowledge, and thoughts are all made up of WORDS! It amazes me when people talk about doing "spiritual warfare", YET they are contradictory with their words OR try to convince me that words can't be defined. If you are unprofitable in your dealings with your thoughts, the FIRST thing you OUGHT to consider is your defintions! Jesus spoke VERY specific words in a very specific way when He did spiritual warfare. WORDS are the key...
"But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:8-10)
The WORDS that are spoken are the EFFECTS of what is in the heart!
"Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee." (Proverbs 4:23-24)
Be VERY careful with your WORDS! They defile the whole body and point you towards hell!
"Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell." (James 3:5-6)
God's mouth is the place of creation. We want to be there...
"I know thy works, that thou are neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." (Revelation 3:15-16)
If God is displeased with ANYTHING, the first THING is lukewarmness.
Be COLD...don't say anything.
OR be HOT...write it out or explain what you are saying...OWN IT.
Using WORDS to say WORDS can't be defined is LUKEWARM!
Actually, EVERYTHING ELSE is lukewarm and God will make sure you are as far from the site of creation as possible...
Next Post
This is the most immoral statement...the height of hypocrisy, because it is completely self-contained.
I can't tell you the number of people who have made this STATEMENT to me...who have asserted it to be TRUTH. Most recently, Greg Boyd went down this road when he wrote me to say words have more than one meaning.
That is actually a LESS hypocritical statement because it admits that words have at least one definite meaning. Words CAN have more than one meaning. However, when a word is used, it has a definite meaning in context. The people who are in real danger are those who say we CAN'T define words...even in usage!
If this is a fact, then why do they use words to convey their message. In order for them to be right, their method needs to be wrong. They shouldn't be using words to explain their point...they should use EVERYTHING OTHER than words, even if it is interpretative dancing or pantomime. The REAL danger is these people are very quick to hold OTHERS to their words!
If you truly believe that words can't be defined, then you should stop using words to prove your point AND stop holding others to their words...otherwise you are condemning YOURSELF as a hypocrite.
How does THAT work? "You CAN'T define the words that I speak, BUT I can hold YOU to a definite definition for the words YOU speak!"?!?!?!?
More troubling is when these people quote a series of Bible verses at you...without taking the time to define each and every word. After all, if a word can mean A LOT of different things, why are they quoting verses as if each word has a definite self-evident meaning?
If you use words and DON'T define them, then you CAN'T get upset at how you are interpreted...unless you want to be a hypocrite. When a person speaks, they have a meaning for their words in their head...the frustration is that their definition ONLY makes sense in their head. It completely falls apart when it has to be explained.
Our ability to think is based on words. The book "1984" tried to make the point that you can limit peoples' ability to think by limiting the words they use. I'm trying to help people do the opposite. I tell them to use any word they want as long as THEY define it. When people can't define their words they are proving they ARE NOT thinking! They are appearing to think, but they REALLY aren't thinking.
The PROOF of this problem is when you ask people to WRITE their explanation. Yesterday I turned 45...so I'm kinda old. I was a letter writer during my college years. Whenever I would tell people THAT, a great majority would say that letter writing is VERY limiting..."some things need to be spoken". Today, people say this about e-mail.
ACTUALLY, what I found is "some things make absolutely NO SENSE when they are written AND I can convince you of NONSENSICAL stuff if I speak it to you." This is because writing it out REQUIRES a non-contradictory explanation.
George Orwell tried to warn us that the words we use and their meaning can limit our ability to think. Being unable to write out an explanation is proof the idea doesn't make sense.
As much as I'd like to claim inventorship over the concept of non-contradiction, this concept is one of the first effects of the causeless principle of RIGHT.
IF SOMETHING IS NON-CONTRADICTORY THEN IT CAN BE RIGHT.
IF SOMETHING IS CONTRADICTORY THEN IT IS DEFINITELY WRONG.
Non-contradiction is a God-given principle to help us personally determine the difference between right and wrong. This means that non-contradiction is the principle that determines the definition of a word. If the definition is contradictory, it is wrong. We KNOW THIS!!!! THAT is why we get so frustrated when we have to explain ourselves and/or write our beliefs...because if they are contradictory it means they are NONSENSE!!!!! The PROOF is that ALL of us INSTANTLY declare others WRONG when we find a contradiction in their explanation!
It took me twelve years to write MODELING GOD. Why did it take so long? Because I was WRITING out the non-contradictory worldview...it had to be right or people would instantly find the flaws. I actively asked people to tear it apart because my goal was to explain the non-contradictory worldview...NOT convince people I already knew the non-contradictory worldview. It turns out I didn't know it and all the help others gave me over 12 years CAUSED US to arrive at the non-contradictory explanation.
RIGHT is RIGHT regardless of what I believe.
JUST is JUST regardless of what I believe.
The WORST thing is to believe you are RIGHT and JUST AND NOT actually be RIGHT and JUST...God will get on you to show you are off in an effort to limit the DAMAGE you are doing.
Try to write out your personal beliefs...
In fact, this is called a "worldview". Colson, Dobson, Pearsey, etc. speak and write about worldviews...what do they think a worldview is? More to the point, have ANY of them DOCUMENTED their worldview? The thing that is AMAZING to me is our "Christian" leaders speak of worldviews, yet they never formally present one. What does a worldview look like?
A worldview would consist of statements of belief AND definitions. A worldview would consist of WORDS!!!!!
THE BUILDING BLOCKS FOR A WORLDVIEW ARE WORDS!!!!!!!
If the definitions and/or statements of belief are contradictory, then the worldview is WRONG. Is the claim that WORDS aren't able to be defined actually an EXCUSE? Think about it...these people are saying our building blocks are flawed. Why? Because they can't come up with non-contradictory definitions and statements of belief.
WOW!!! THAT is REALLY EGOTISTICAL! Because THEY can't resolve the contradictions, NO ONE can resolve these contradictions? THAT is the HEIGHT of arrogance!
How can we do ANYTHING God commands if we don't know what He means? I've had people tell me that "love" can't be defined. I even had a pastor from Tennessee state this to me on a discussion forum when he realized HE couldn't define "love". Jesus gave us ONLY two commandments...both of them BEGIN with the word LOVE! Did Jesus intentionally give us two commands that we couldn't possibly understand?
You would think people would WANT the non-contradictory worldview...but 90+% DON'T. I wrote Greg Boyd and others. I offered to explain it to them. Do you think their response was to go over this? NO ONE has wanted to go over this. Not national "Christian" leaders...not local "Christian" leaders. The goal is NOT GROWTH, it is maintaining their personal belief...even when they know it is wrong.
National leaders have built a brand based on APPEARING to not be wrong. Local leaders have built a business based on APPEARING not to be wrong.
I TRULY appreciate feedback...especially when people attempt to prove me wrong. This week, we will see the Godly way to handle disagreements and arguments. For now, my goal is to become MORE right...and that REQUIRES that I find out where I am wrong and change it. I've tried to find out where I'm wrong...and I realize there are people out there who are excellent enough to show me where I am wrong. However, the number of people who actively avoid reading MODELING GOD while claiming I am wrong without explanation is frightening. (Actually, THAT behavior is very cultish.)
These people don't realize they are bringing judgment on themselves with their own WORDS. We already did a week-long post on evil. The best way to avoid being evil is to be contrastive, to try to prove yourself wrong.
Remember, evil can look like good. People can tell others ONLY those facts that make them look good and "prove" their point. When others agree with them, they can FEEL like they are RIGHT. However, RIGHT is RIGHT regardless of whether a person is able to convince themselves and others with abstract words. This next week, we will see how DAMAGING this mentality is and how to deal with it.
In the meantime, here are a list of scriptures that reinforce the IMPORTANCE of WORDS. As you look over these scriptures, ask yourself:
-Did God intend words to be poor building blocks?
-If we have contradictory definitions is it OUR fault or GOD'S fault?
God created by speaking WORDS:
"And God said, Let there be light: and there was light." (Genesis 1:3)
Words are necessary to overcome ULTIMATE evil:
"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto death." (Revelation 12:11)
Jesus is the WORD! The WORD is GOD!
"In the beginning was the Word, and Word was with God, and the Word was God." (John 1:1)
Jesus said GOD'S WORD is TRUTH
"Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." (John 17:17)
Jesus said the HOLY SPIRIT would get involved when we needed WORDS. The Holy Spirit would TEACH us...give us the explanation.
"And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates, and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say: For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say." (Luke 12:11-12)
WORDS are LIFE
"It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63)
UNPROFITABLE WORDS will be JUDGED! EVERY idle word!!!
"But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." (Matthew 12:36-37)
WOW!!! WORDS determine our justification AND our condemnation!!!! Why would God base OUR ETERNITY on flawed building blocks??????? Don't people understand our ability to deal with the enemy is DEPENDENT on our ability to handle words?
"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;)Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled." (II Corinthians 10:3-6)
Imaginations, knowledge, and thoughts are all made up of WORDS! It amazes me when people talk about doing "spiritual warfare", YET they are contradictory with their words OR try to convince me that words can't be defined. If you are unprofitable in your dealings with your thoughts, the FIRST thing you OUGHT to consider is your defintions! Jesus spoke VERY specific words in a very specific way when He did spiritual warfare. WORDS are the key...
"But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:8-10)
The WORDS that are spoken are the EFFECTS of what is in the heart!
"Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee." (Proverbs 4:23-24)
Be VERY careful with your WORDS! They defile the whole body and point you towards hell!
"Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell." (James 3:5-6)
God's mouth is the place of creation. We want to be there...
"I know thy works, that thou are neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." (Revelation 3:15-16)
If God is displeased with ANYTHING, the first THING is lukewarmness.
Be COLD...don't say anything.
OR be HOT...write it out or explain what you are saying...OWN IT.
Using WORDS to say WORDS can't be defined is LUKEWARM!
Actually, EVERYTHING ELSE is lukewarm and God will make sure you are as far from the site of creation as possible...
Next Post
Monday, January 07, 2008
Truth
"Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thous sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all." (John 18:37-38)
If there is one word that is most in need of definition AND results in creating the most hypocrites it is the word "truth".
To use this word and not be able to define it OUGHT to immediately disqualify a person from representing Jesus...yet, I haven't found ANY "Christian" authors or leaders who can define this word.
In his "What is truth?" podcast, Chuck Colson says "truth is the foundational issue from which everything else proceeds"....yet he couldn't define truth, even when I wrote him twice. Neither could Dr. Dobson, Greg Boyd, Nancy Pearsey, etc.
Worse is there are some people who say there are such things as "half-truths" and "TRUE truths"!
Why is it so hard to define "truth"!
Why do "Christian" authors and leaders continue to tell us what they believe is TRUE, yet they can't explain WHY what they believe is true UNLESS they know the definition of TRUTH?
In fact, Colson and Dobson condemn people for NOT believing truth is objective, BUT are unable to objectively define TRUTH!
Also, there is NO WAY to understand the enemy WITHOUT defining TRUTH!
This week we will resolve the apparent contradictions in the Bible and get a non-contradictory definition of truth...this will put you ahead of 99.99% of the "Christian" leaders, authors, theologians, teachers, and believers. You will realize that almost ALL of the doctrine on the enemy that you've been taught is contradictory and WRONG.
"And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone." (John 4:6)
The devil knows the Bible.
The Bible is in him.
"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." (John 8:44)
Jesus says the devil CAN'T speak truth because there is no truth IN him.
Before you come up with a contradictory explanation about how the devil can speak things not in his heart:
"O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." (Matthew 12:34)
The devil spoke the Bible out of the abundance of his heart!
Jesus goes on to say after the verse stating there is no truth in the devil:
"And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God." (John 8:45-47)
Jesus prayed to God:
"Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." (John 17:17)
"Thy word is truth" AND the scriptures are in the heart of the devil AND the devil spoke God's word AND in the devil there is no truth at all!
Now you see why we need a non-contradictory definition of truth.
Now you see why "Christian" authors and leaders FLEE from this discussion.
(I will show you their responses.)
Now you see why when these apparent contradictions are removed YOU will be FAR ahead of "Christian" authors, leaders, teachers, theologians, and believers.
"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come." (John 16:13)
How do you know if it is the Spirit speaking to you or your flesh?
How do you know if it is truth or not IF you don't have a non-contradictory definition of TRUTH?
Finally, remember:
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)
We defined "life" in a previous post...something tells me that it is connected to "truth".
Summary: It is not enough to say to people to believe in the truth OR follow the Spirit if you don't know how to objectively determine the truth...and this can't be done without a non-contradictory definition.
OBJECTIVE TRUTH
Last summer, Dr. James Dobson and Chuck Colson both did a show about how today's sub-25 year old Christians don't believe the Bible and Christianity are true. Both shows occurred in the same week.
Dr. Dobson's show talked about how he met with the 100 Christian "leaders of tomorrow"...these were supposed to be the "cream of the crop". When he asked the group how they could prove the Bible is true, Dr. Dobson lamented that only one person raised their hand...and his answer was "because I believe it is". Dr. Dobson was disappointed that this group didn't know how to use the Bible to prove the Bible was true. Dr. Dobson concluded that these leaders WANT truth to be relative.
I wrote Dr. Dobson the following:
On a recent show, the topic of proving the Bible is truth was presented.
There are two key points:
1. Unless the Bible can be proven to be truth apart from using the Bible, then we are no better than the other religions.
If the Bible can’t objectively proven to be truth, then it is legitimate (I’d even say “honest”) to state that “truth is relative”.
2. I think we do a great disservice when we interpret this answer to mean “these young leaders WANT truth to be relative”.
If we believe the Bible is truth because we WANT it to be, then we are no different than other religions.
The response?
"With regard to the actual substance of your concern, I can assure you that your friends here at Focus on the Family share your interest in developing more effective ways of demonstrating the logical and empirical consistency of the Christian worldview, particularly with references to history, science, and other non-biblical evidence. You are to be commended on your efforts to tackle this problem from a specifically scientific point of view. We would simply like to point out that you are neither the first nor the only Christian author to do this. Indeed, your approach has been central to the work of the best and most persuasive Christian apologists in church history."
The response went on to list other people who have been TRYING to develop MORE effective ways...
What is Dr. Dobson's definition of “truth”?
Mr. Colson's show dealt with an exercise where Christian sub-25 year olds were shown a slide show. When a word representing a concept was shown, the group individually indicated whether the concept was "opinion" or "truth". Mr. Colson was disappointed at the low percentage of believers who felt the Bible and Christianity were "opinion".
Again, if Mr. Colson CAN'T objectively show why the concept is TRUTH, then the HONEST answer is OPINION, otherwise he is asking them to believe something is OBJECTIVE truth WITHOUT OBJECTIVE proof.
Last summer I wrote Mr. Colson asking for his definition of TRUTH. They told me to listen to a podcast called "What is Truth?". I did and wrote the following:
"I checked out the podcast "What is Truth?" talk. Thank you so much!
Mr. Colson says "truth is the foundational issue from which everything else proceeds".
He also talks about "moral truth" and how "Christians don't get it" because they say they are Christians yet don't believe in objective truth. However, I would say these people are actually honest because they won't believe in something that can't be explained...otherwise they could just as easily believe another religion.
Yet, Mr. Colson doesn't define truth...and without this definition, he can't fault anyone for not believing in objective truth...because HE can't define it in an objective fashion. He focuses on defending it...and never defines it.
His explanation of the Christian Worldview is the exact worldview I share in the preface of my book when I show a worldview that has too many holes...then I spend the rest of the book showing the non-contradictory worldview, how comprehensive it is, and how it is Biblical and Christian.
I even define truth in an objective manner...and teenagers get it and out think PhD theologians, pastors, and religious speakers.
I highly suggest that someone get in contact with me before my message gets to a bigger audience and I end up using this podcast as an example of WHY Christians have been ineffective in presenting a Christian worldview to the secular world...
...afterall, truth is the foundational issue and Mr. Colson can't define it...
...what did we think the result would be?,
JG Lenhart"
The response?
"Thank you for contacting BreakPoint and Mr. Colson once again. We appreciate your comments and desire for Mr. Colson's feedback to your questions and we hope you can appreciate his iniability to respond personally. Now that he is 75 years of age, our Board of Directors has placed strict guidelines on his availability and, more importantly, his personal desire to focus this season of life on writing about and teaching Christian worldview to the next generation. He is currently writing his next book and hopes you understand his need to stay focused on this important ministry and to limit his correspondence."
TRUTH is something people want to say they have...yet they can't define it objectively...so how can they objectively say they have it?
Tomorrow we will see the definition of TRUTH and find out how it removes apparent contradictions from the Bible AND PROVES our "Christian" leaders and authors don't know what they believe.
Weeks ago, I asked Greg Boyd his definitions for "facts" and "truth". He ducked the question both times.
What is your definition of "facts"?
What is your definition of "truth"?
Notice, the word "fact" (and its derivatives: facts, factual, etc) is NOT in the Bible...
The Bible tells us to speak "truth"...is this different than "facts"?
"Do they not err that devise evil? but mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good." (Proverbs 14:22)
DEFINITION OF TRUTH
Some people say, "Truth is reality". Actually, reality applies to things that exist. AW Tozer had this to say about reality:
"I mean that which has existence apart from any idea any mind may have of it, and which would exist if there were no mind anywhere to entertain a thought of it. That which is real has being in itself. It does not depend upon the observer for its validity."
Notice, there are things that are real, that exist, AND that aren't truth: devil, lies, errors, unrighteousness, etc. Things CAN be real and NOT be true. Likewise, things can be true and not real: dreams, parables, etc. So truth must be something more than reality.
Another definition people use is "truth is facts". The Bible never mentions "facts". It mentions "truth". So either we AREN'T supposed to be factual OR truth is something greater that includes facts.
Truth is certainly factual. However, the devil spoke facts to Jesus when he quoted the Bible, but we saw that Jesus says there is no truth in him AT ALL (John 8:44). So truth must be something more than simply "facts".
Truth has to be different in a way that goes beyond the actual words or concepts stated because we know the Bible is truth, yet it wasn't truth when the devil quoted it. The only thing left is the purpose of the words. Truth must depend on the intent of the user of the facts.
What was the devil's intent? It was to take Jesus off His goal. It was to make Jesus unprofitable; that's ALWAYS the goal of the devil! The devil quoted facts to Jesus. Facts are "good". However, the devil wanted to use facts in order to destroy. He wanted to use a "good" object for an "evil" purpose. Once again, we get this picture of the problem with dualism. Evil takes "good" attributes and uses them for the wrong purpose - to destroy.
The devil uses facts to steal, kill, and destroy.
Jesus is THE truth because He uses facts to create.
God's Word is truth because when God speaks it, it results in creation. (The word in the Greek for "word" in John 17:17 applies to spoken words.)
The PROOF that you are following the Spirit of Truth is whether something of value is created in the Long Term.
How can we define truth in a non-contradictory manner? Truth is "facts that create in the Long Term".
In order to create something of value in the Long Term, you must use facts. You can't create anything of value in the Long Term by using things that aren't factual. For instance, you couldn't solve a math word problem by using calculations or arithmetic operations that are incorrect.
When someone quotes a fact, it is only truth if the fact creates something of value in the Long Term. For example, the Bible is fact. However, the Bible is ONLY truth when it is used to create. This is why it is important to understand what the Bible MEANS, not just what it says. People who quote the Bible with an incorrect meaning (intent) AND assert it as truth just because it is from the Bible are behaving in the SAME MANNER as the devil!
We all understand what the Bible says yet we still disagree. We disagree over what the Bible MEANS. Simple facts can oppose other facts. Simple facts can even contradict each other. Recall that we remove contradictions by taking a Big Picture view beyond the realm of the simple facts.
However, truth cannot oppose itself. Truth is non-contradictory. Truth is PROVEN with the four principles: contrastive thinking, non-contradiction, causality and growth.
This is why it is crucial to understand these principles and how to apply them intentionally. We already apply these principles perfectly to everyone EXCEPT ourselves. THIS guarantees we will get the OPPOSITE effects. This PROVES we are in the flesh. Knowing these principles and using them correctly puts you ahead of 99.99% of the "Christian" authors, leaders, teachers, believers, etc.
Long Term creation can ONLY occur with truth. We can say creation is an effect of truth. Since creation and profitability are interconnected, profitability is an effect of truth.
Here is another way to look at Truth:
Truth is a Right WHAT with a Right HOW/WHY.
A Fact is a Right WHAT.
The Right HOW/WHY is the cause of Profitability...the cause of something being created in the Long Term.
So another way of saying, "Truth is a Right WHAT with a Right HOW/WHY" is...
Truth is "facts (Right WHAT) that create in the Long Term (Right HOW/WHY)".
When someone quotes a Right WHAT, it is only Truth if it includes a Right HOW/WHY. Said another way...
When someone quotes a fact, it is only Truth if the fact (Right WHAT) creates something of value in the Long Term (because of the Right HOW/WHY). For example, the Bible is fact (Right WHAT). However, the Bible is only Truth when it is used to create (has the Right HOW/WHY) in the Long Term. This is WHY it is important to understand what the Bible MEANS, not just what it SAYS.
People who quote the Bible (WHAT) with an incorrect (Wrong HOW/WHY) meaning (intent) and assert it as Truth just because it is from the Bible are behaving in the same manner as the devil did when he tempted Jesus! WHAT they are stating may be correct, however, WHY and HOW they are stating it is Wrong. The proof is that it doesn’t create in the Long Term.
In fact, there is a common term that describes a Right WHAT with a Wrong (or no) HOW/WHY...DECEPTION!
Think about it, someone stating a Wrong WHAT is NOT going to DECEIVE you. Deception occurs when someone accepts a Right WHAT with a Wrong (or no) HOW/WHY! The enemy states a Right WHAT...with a Wrong (or no) HOW/WHY. Be careful...
We will look at more applications of this definition of truth tomorrow...
HONESTY
The quickest way to show a contradiction in someone else's definition of truth is to focus on honesty. For instance, you could tell your spouse how a specific movie star has a physical attribute that is more handsome or beautiful than your spouse. When your spouse becomes upset, all you would have to say is, "I'm just telling the truth."
Actually, you would be factual. It is ONLY truthful if it creates a value in the Long Term. The Bible doesn't require us to speak facts; it demands more of us. It tells us to speak truth.
Better yet, keep track of all the mistakes your pastor makes during a sermon. Then go up to him after each sermon (or e-mail him) and let him know all the mistakes he made. When he asks why you are doing this, tell him you are just telling the truth.
Most churches have gone through the process of listing their statement of beliefs. Almost all of the churches who do this list "TRUTH" or "HONESTY" as a core belief...without defining it. Just tell the pastor that you want to make sure you are being honest at all times.
The correct way of dealing with this is to define truth in a non-contradictory manner...a fact that creates in the Long Term. However, if a person doesn't define it this way, then the response to the previous two scenarios usually involves a rationalization for LYING. "Well sometimes it is good to lie."
Lying is the other topic that most quickly exposes contradictions in a person's definition of truth. What is lying? What are the effects of lying?
Lying is a intentional misstatement about reality.
Lying is NOT a FACT.
Lying is NOT truth.
Lying does NOT create in the Long Term.
When you lie to someone, you become THEIR slave.
When you lie to someone, you have faked reality for that person and now the burden of keeping up the appearance of that reality is YOURS. You MUST maintain this alternate version of reality for the person you lied to. This alternate version of reality is a worldview. So, you have basically created a contradictory worldview and the job you have just given yourself is maintainer of that worldview. You MUST constantly be on your guard against facts that would contradict YOUR worldview...NO ONE else is responsible...AND you are doing it purely for another person. You are a SLAVE. This will eventually wear you out.
A "white lie" is the WORSE lie!
A white lie attempts to create in the short-term...however the destruction is done in the Long Term. A blatant HOT or COLD lie can be disregarded in the short-term and little to no Long Term damage is done. A white lie is a LUKEWARM lie that does ALL its damage in the Long Term.
In the comments, Rahab was brought up as an example. In Joshua 2, Rahab lies about the location of the spies. It was her responsibility to fake this worldview...until the Israelites killed these leaders. Then Rahab didn't have to fake it any more. She states that she knows the Israelites are going to conquer the city.
Rahab's life was spared BECAUSE she put a scarlet cord in the window of her house. She could have lied, not put the scarlet cord in the window and STILL ended up dying.
Someone could say that her lie created the lives of the spies. However, the spies had their lives before she lied. Her lie didn't give the spies something they didn't already have. If the spies were caught and her lie got them released, then that would have created something.
Look carefully...Rahab's lie didn't CREATE anything of Long Term value that didn't already exist. It was not the CAUSE of creation. For instance, she is NOT the cause of them taking over the city. ACTUALLY, she is A cause of a lot of destruction...
TRUTH CREATES.
LIFE is the ability to repair.
Repair occurs through CREATION.
When Jesus said He is the LIFE...He is the ultimate way to repair.
When Jesus said He is the TRUTH...He was telling us the REASON He is the ultimate way to repair: He is the ultimate source of creation.
Jesus said He is the WAY. What does WAY mean?
The definition for the word WAY in this passage is "progress, road, means, or journey". Jesus is the journey!
Our ability to make progress on our journey depends on a continual improvement in our interactions with Him. We need to continually let Him direct our actions. (GRACE) It is a process, not a one-time event. Jesus was able to be the ultimate LIFE and TRUTH because He continually let God direct His actions through GRACE. Through Jesus, all things were made...
Tomorrow we will see how this definition of truth explains the devil, eternal death, and how so many teachers misrepresent the devil.
THE DEVIL
Jesus says the devil is a murderer who seeks to destroy. The devil is evil.
We've seen that good creates.
We've seen that truth creates.
Since the devil doesn't have truth, he can't create.
The devil is actually more limited than what people represent, for instance: Does the devil have faith?
We saw that faith is a belief in something that can't be seen and/or something that hasn't happened yet.
Faith is proven in actions.
Faith is built on experience and understanding.
The devil definitely has experience.
He thousands of years of experience.
However, does the devil have understanding?
We saw that knowledge means a person knows facts.
Understanding is the ability to combine several facts in order to create new knowledge.
Wisdom is the actual choice.
Notice, the devil quoted facts (knowledge) to Jesus. In fact, the devil can only quote knowledge. The devil has no understanding. If he did, he would be able to create. The Bible says knowledge leads to pride. The Bible says in Ezekiel 28 that the devil fell because of pride.
Therefore, the devil doesn't have faith. He does not have profitable actions (wisdom). Why? He has no understanding. However, he has experience and knowledge.
We have the ability to understand. We have this ability to create because of God. If we believe it comes from ourselves, we are in pride. Notice, the devil ACTUALLY depends on God (through us) for understanding. The devil CAN'T predict the future...that is an act of creation. Everything the devil speaks of accurately is the present and the past. ONLY God (and us because of God) can predict the future.
The devil is not omnipresent. He cannot be more than one place at a time. People who say the devil himself is attacking them are pretty egotistical. What does the devil do?
The devil is EXTREMELY legalistic. He is CONSTANTLY in search of a defendant and a judge. The devil KNOWS the law. The law doesn't CREATE anything. Paul said the law is not sin...but it is used to prove sinfulness.
The devil KNOWS he cannot have the SAME person be defendant and judge. In the Bible, the devil DOESN'T make direct statements (accusations) to the person he's accusing. He makes accusatory statements ABOUT a defendant TO a judge.
If he speaks to the defendant, he asks questions or presents "IF/THEN" scenarios. When the devil tempted Jesus, it was with three IF/THEN statements. In Job, the devil is making statements ABOUT Job TO God. When people feel the devil is condemning them, they are wrong. What the devil does is ask a person a series of question to LEAD THEM to BECOME the JUDGE...that is, draw a conclusion.
The devil will ask you a series of questions to prove your guilt and stop just short of making the conclusion. WE MAKE THE CONCLUSION! THEN we tell everyone the devil is accusing us...to us! Wrong. When people realize THEY are the ones drawing the conclusion, they are better able to overcome condemnation...BECAUSE THEY are the ones judging and condemning themselves.
I'm AMAZED at how contradictory people are who get paid to teach us about God and the devil. People who say the devil has faith, is wise, or tells half-truths are proving their lack of understanding with their presentation of these contradictions.
ETERNAL DEATH
We've seen that life is the ability to repair.
We've seen that repair ONLY occurs with creation.
Therefore repair occurs ONLY with truth.
Notice, people who have eternal life have the ability to repair...which means they will have access to truth. What about people who don't have eternal life?
It appears they won't have the ability to repair themselves, even though they will exist for eternity. In order for them not to be able to repair, they will not have the ability to create. This implies they will not be able to use truth.
But these people will KNOW truth. The Bible says every knee shall bow and every tongue confess Jesus as Lord (Philippians 2:10,11), yet they won't be able to have eternal life. They will have knowledge of facts that COULD create. How will they be prevented from using truth?
What does it take to use truth? It takes thought. A person must choose to think. How will people be prevented from thinking about truth and creating? Remember, people have a free will. They can choose to think or not to think. God can't impose His Will on these people unilaterally. God always responds according to justice. God can't remove their brain or make them cease to exist (the soul is eternal). God can't wipe out their memory. This wouldn't be just. How can God justly prevent these people from thinking?
They will be tortured to the point they won't be able to think. Is this just? God uses justice to give these people what they have chosen. They didn't choose to value thinking during their time on earth, so they can be put in an environment that doesn't allow them to think.
When someone comes against us, our amygdala fires. This is an almond shaped neuro-structure in the front of the brain. It sends a signal to the adrenal glands to send out adrenaline. At this point, we cannot think. All we can do is fight or flight. All that is going to come out is what has been rehearsed in our hearts.
This is why it is important to take time and calm down before acting once we've been attacked. This is also why it is important to rehearse good behavior and watch movies, TV shows, and people who set a good example...because THAT is getting planted in our hearts as the way to respond to situations that we have never personally experienced.
At the end of the Bible, hell is cast into the lake of fire. The people who are in the lake of fire will be tortured to the point that their amygdala will constantly be firing and their brains will not work. A person in the lake of fire wouldn't even be able to think: "2+2=4".
God can't allow people into heaven who don't want to be there. This would violate the free will of the individual. People show their will through their actions. They express their desire to go to heaven when they choose to let God work through them. This is a process.
The basic skill needed is thinking. We are beings of volitional consciousness. We can choose to think or not to think. When people choose to understand, they are expressing their will they want to go pursue truth and grow rather than be comfortable.
How do people stay comfortable? They refuse to think. This is done in many ways. If a person's actions aren't driven by thought, then what is the cause of their actions? All that's left is their instinct and emotions. The Bible calls this the flesh. This refusal to think (understand) brings judgment on them and the only just way for them to spend eternity is not thinking.
Tomorrow I will do a short one day separate post that will set up next week's discussion about the role of truth in disagreements and arguments.
ADDENDUM
Michael asked a question about torture...here are excerpts from an article shortly after 9/11. Torture is defined as inflicting pain AND limiting a person's will. Inflicting pain causes the amygdala to fire a message to the adrenal glands. Adrenaline is secreted and the person wants to FIGHT or FLIGHT. When the person ISN'T allowed to FIGHT or FLIGHT, this is torture...and it physically damages the brain. The way to respond to torture is either HATE the torturer or EMPATHIZE with the torturer...that is to choose to FIGHT verbally OR choose to overcome the adrenaline and NOT FIGHT. Jesus did this on the cross!
Aletheion asked about biology now versus in eternity...I believe it is the same qualitatively. I believe how we are built now is emblematic of how we will be built after this world. Here are the excerpts:
The current theory is that torture not only harms the body, but it also corrupts the portion of the brain that screams at the body to fight back or flee — when the body is restrained and can do neither.
That function comes from the same section where sensory perception functions operate, so a new and destructive pattern of reactions to sounds, smells and images is branded into the programming.
At the same time, the front portion of the brain responsible for filing memories in their proper chronological places is disabled, says Bessel van der Kolk, a professor at the Boston University School of Medicine and a leading researcher in the neuroscience of trauma. Like a computer hard disk unable to store its data properly, that part of the brain leaves the horrifying memory out on the brain's desktop where it can be launched automatically by various situations, setting into motion an almost uncontrollable chain of physical reactions, he says.
"The brain becomes very sensitive to danger, and that reaction that the person was unable to have at the time of the abuse then is triggered by certain sounds, smells, physical sensations, images, light patterns," says van der Kolk, co-author of Traumatic Stress: The Effects of Overwhelming Experience on Mind, Body, and Society. "Physical inability at the moment of torture is probably a very important element of the permanent alteration in the brain that occurs."
Van der Kolk says the subjugation of the flight-or-fight response also explains why torture is a more scarring, insidious form of trauma than that endured by, say, survivors of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
"Very few people who ran out of the World Trade Center were permanently damaged in the same way because they ran and ran and were able to save themselves," van der Kolk says. "Over time, most people do recover from those experiences unless they had a prior history of trauma."
Next Post
If there is one word that is most in need of definition AND results in creating the most hypocrites it is the word "truth".
To use this word and not be able to define it OUGHT to immediately disqualify a person from representing Jesus...yet, I haven't found ANY "Christian" authors or leaders who can define this word.
In his "What is truth?" podcast, Chuck Colson says "truth is the foundational issue from which everything else proceeds"....yet he couldn't define truth, even when I wrote him twice. Neither could Dr. Dobson, Greg Boyd, Nancy Pearsey, etc.
Worse is there are some people who say there are such things as "half-truths" and "TRUE truths"!
Why is it so hard to define "truth"!
Why do "Christian" authors and leaders continue to tell us what they believe is TRUE, yet they can't explain WHY what they believe is true UNLESS they know the definition of TRUTH?
In fact, Colson and Dobson condemn people for NOT believing truth is objective, BUT are unable to objectively define TRUTH!
Also, there is NO WAY to understand the enemy WITHOUT defining TRUTH!
This week we will resolve the apparent contradictions in the Bible and get a non-contradictory definition of truth...this will put you ahead of 99.99% of the "Christian" leaders, authors, theologians, teachers, and believers. You will realize that almost ALL of the doctrine on the enemy that you've been taught is contradictory and WRONG.
"And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone." (John 4:6)
The devil knows the Bible.
The Bible is in him.
"Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." (John 8:44)
Jesus says the devil CAN'T speak truth because there is no truth IN him.
Before you come up with a contradictory explanation about how the devil can speak things not in his heart:
"O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." (Matthew 12:34)
The devil spoke the Bible out of the abundance of his heart!
Jesus goes on to say after the verse stating there is no truth in the devil:
"And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God." (John 8:45-47)
Jesus prayed to God:
"Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth." (John 17:17)
"Thy word is truth" AND the scriptures are in the heart of the devil AND the devil spoke God's word AND in the devil there is no truth at all!
Now you see why we need a non-contradictory definition of truth.
Now you see why "Christian" authors and leaders FLEE from this discussion.
(I will show you their responses.)
Now you see why when these apparent contradictions are removed YOU will be FAR ahead of "Christian" authors, leaders, teachers, theologians, and believers.
"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come." (John 16:13)
How do you know if it is the Spirit speaking to you or your flesh?
How do you know if it is truth or not IF you don't have a non-contradictory definition of TRUTH?
Finally, remember:
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)
We defined "life" in a previous post...something tells me that it is connected to "truth".
Summary: It is not enough to say to people to believe in the truth OR follow the Spirit if you don't know how to objectively determine the truth...and this can't be done without a non-contradictory definition.
OBJECTIVE TRUTH
Last summer, Dr. James Dobson and Chuck Colson both did a show about how today's sub-25 year old Christians don't believe the Bible and Christianity are true. Both shows occurred in the same week.
Dr. Dobson's show talked about how he met with the 100 Christian "leaders of tomorrow"...these were supposed to be the "cream of the crop". When he asked the group how they could prove the Bible is true, Dr. Dobson lamented that only one person raised their hand...and his answer was "because I believe it is". Dr. Dobson was disappointed that this group didn't know how to use the Bible to prove the Bible was true. Dr. Dobson concluded that these leaders WANT truth to be relative.
I wrote Dr. Dobson the following:
On a recent show, the topic of proving the Bible is truth was presented.
There are two key points:
1. Unless the Bible can be proven to be truth apart from using the Bible, then we are no better than the other religions.
If the Bible can’t objectively proven to be truth, then it is legitimate (I’d even say “honest”) to state that “truth is relative”.
2. I think we do a great disservice when we interpret this answer to mean “these young leaders WANT truth to be relative”.
If we believe the Bible is truth because we WANT it to be, then we are no different than other religions.
The response?
"With regard to the actual substance of your concern, I can assure you that your friends here at Focus on the Family share your interest in developing more effective ways of demonstrating the logical and empirical consistency of the Christian worldview, particularly with references to history, science, and other non-biblical evidence. You are to be commended on your efforts to tackle this problem from a specifically scientific point of view. We would simply like to point out that you are neither the first nor the only Christian author to do this. Indeed, your approach has been central to the work of the best and most persuasive Christian apologists in church history."
The response went on to list other people who have been TRYING to develop MORE effective ways...
What is Dr. Dobson's definition of “truth”?
Mr. Colson's show dealt with an exercise where Christian sub-25 year olds were shown a slide show. When a word representing a concept was shown, the group individually indicated whether the concept was "opinion" or "truth". Mr. Colson was disappointed at the low percentage of believers who felt the Bible and Christianity were "opinion".
Again, if Mr. Colson CAN'T objectively show why the concept is TRUTH, then the HONEST answer is OPINION, otherwise he is asking them to believe something is OBJECTIVE truth WITHOUT OBJECTIVE proof.
Last summer I wrote Mr. Colson asking for his definition of TRUTH. They told me to listen to a podcast called "What is Truth?". I did and wrote the following:
"I checked out the podcast "What is Truth?" talk. Thank you so much!
Mr. Colson says "truth is the foundational issue from which everything else proceeds".
He also talks about "moral truth" and how "Christians don't get it" because they say they are Christians yet don't believe in objective truth. However, I would say these people are actually honest because they won't believe in something that can't be explained...otherwise they could just as easily believe another religion.
Yet, Mr. Colson doesn't define truth...and without this definition, he can't fault anyone for not believing in objective truth...because HE can't define it in an objective fashion. He focuses on defending it...and never defines it.
His explanation of the Christian Worldview is the exact worldview I share in the preface of my book when I show a worldview that has too many holes...then I spend the rest of the book showing the non-contradictory worldview, how comprehensive it is, and how it is Biblical and Christian.
I even define truth in an objective manner...and teenagers get it and out think PhD theologians, pastors, and religious speakers.
I highly suggest that someone get in contact with me before my message gets to a bigger audience and I end up using this podcast as an example of WHY Christians have been ineffective in presenting a Christian worldview to the secular world...
...afterall, truth is the foundational issue and Mr. Colson can't define it...
...what did we think the result would be?,
JG Lenhart"
The response?
"Thank you for contacting BreakPoint and Mr. Colson once again. We appreciate your comments and desire for Mr. Colson's feedback to your questions and we hope you can appreciate his iniability to respond personally. Now that he is 75 years of age, our Board of Directors has placed strict guidelines on his availability and, more importantly, his personal desire to focus this season of life on writing about and teaching Christian worldview to the next generation. He is currently writing his next book and hopes you understand his need to stay focused on this important ministry and to limit his correspondence."
TRUTH is something people want to say they have...yet they can't define it objectively...so how can they objectively say they have it?
Tomorrow we will see the definition of TRUTH and find out how it removes apparent contradictions from the Bible AND PROVES our "Christian" leaders and authors don't know what they believe.
Weeks ago, I asked Greg Boyd his definitions for "facts" and "truth". He ducked the question both times.
What is your definition of "facts"?
What is your definition of "truth"?
Notice, the word "fact" (and its derivatives: facts, factual, etc) is NOT in the Bible...
The Bible tells us to speak "truth"...is this different than "facts"?
"Do they not err that devise evil? but mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good." (Proverbs 14:22)
DEFINITION OF TRUTH
Some people say, "Truth is reality". Actually, reality applies to things that exist. AW Tozer had this to say about reality:
"I mean that which has existence apart from any idea any mind may have of it, and which would exist if there were no mind anywhere to entertain a thought of it. That which is real has being in itself. It does not depend upon the observer for its validity."
Notice, there are things that are real, that exist, AND that aren't truth: devil, lies, errors, unrighteousness, etc. Things CAN be real and NOT be true. Likewise, things can be true and not real: dreams, parables, etc. So truth must be something more than reality.
Another definition people use is "truth is facts". The Bible never mentions "facts". It mentions "truth". So either we AREN'T supposed to be factual OR truth is something greater that includes facts.
Truth is certainly factual. However, the devil spoke facts to Jesus when he quoted the Bible, but we saw that Jesus says there is no truth in him AT ALL (John 8:44). So truth must be something more than simply "facts".
Truth has to be different in a way that goes beyond the actual words or concepts stated because we know the Bible is truth, yet it wasn't truth when the devil quoted it. The only thing left is the purpose of the words. Truth must depend on the intent of the user of the facts.
What was the devil's intent? It was to take Jesus off His goal. It was to make Jesus unprofitable; that's ALWAYS the goal of the devil! The devil quoted facts to Jesus. Facts are "good". However, the devil wanted to use facts in order to destroy. He wanted to use a "good" object for an "evil" purpose. Once again, we get this picture of the problem with dualism. Evil takes "good" attributes and uses them for the wrong purpose - to destroy.
The devil uses facts to steal, kill, and destroy.
Jesus is THE truth because He uses facts to create.
God's Word is truth because when God speaks it, it results in creation. (The word in the Greek for "word" in John 17:17 applies to spoken words.)
The PROOF that you are following the Spirit of Truth is whether something of value is created in the Long Term.
How can we define truth in a non-contradictory manner? Truth is "facts that create in the Long Term".
In order to create something of value in the Long Term, you must use facts. You can't create anything of value in the Long Term by using things that aren't factual. For instance, you couldn't solve a math word problem by using calculations or arithmetic operations that are incorrect.
When someone quotes a fact, it is only truth if the fact creates something of value in the Long Term. For example, the Bible is fact. However, the Bible is ONLY truth when it is used to create. This is why it is important to understand what the Bible MEANS, not just what it says. People who quote the Bible with an incorrect meaning (intent) AND assert it as truth just because it is from the Bible are behaving in the SAME MANNER as the devil!
We all understand what the Bible says yet we still disagree. We disagree over what the Bible MEANS. Simple facts can oppose other facts. Simple facts can even contradict each other. Recall that we remove contradictions by taking a Big Picture view beyond the realm of the simple facts.
However, truth cannot oppose itself. Truth is non-contradictory. Truth is PROVEN with the four principles: contrastive thinking, non-contradiction, causality and growth.
This is why it is crucial to understand these principles and how to apply them intentionally. We already apply these principles perfectly to everyone EXCEPT ourselves. THIS guarantees we will get the OPPOSITE effects. This PROVES we are in the flesh. Knowing these principles and using them correctly puts you ahead of 99.99% of the "Christian" authors, leaders, teachers, believers, etc.
Long Term creation can ONLY occur with truth. We can say creation is an effect of truth. Since creation and profitability are interconnected, profitability is an effect of truth.
Here is another way to look at Truth:
Truth is a Right WHAT with a Right HOW/WHY.
A Fact is a Right WHAT.
The Right HOW/WHY is the cause of Profitability...the cause of something being created in the Long Term.
So another way of saying, "Truth is a Right WHAT with a Right HOW/WHY" is...
Truth is "facts (Right WHAT) that create in the Long Term (Right HOW/WHY)".
When someone quotes a Right WHAT, it is only Truth if it includes a Right HOW/WHY. Said another way...
When someone quotes a fact, it is only Truth if the fact (Right WHAT) creates something of value in the Long Term (because of the Right HOW/WHY). For example, the Bible is fact (Right WHAT). However, the Bible is only Truth when it is used to create (has the Right HOW/WHY) in the Long Term. This is WHY it is important to understand what the Bible MEANS, not just what it SAYS.
People who quote the Bible (WHAT) with an incorrect (Wrong HOW/WHY) meaning (intent) and assert it as Truth just because it is from the Bible are behaving in the same manner as the devil did when he tempted Jesus! WHAT they are stating may be correct, however, WHY and HOW they are stating it is Wrong. The proof is that it doesn’t create in the Long Term.
In fact, there is a common term that describes a Right WHAT with a Wrong (or no) HOW/WHY...DECEPTION!
Think about it, someone stating a Wrong WHAT is NOT going to DECEIVE you. Deception occurs when someone accepts a Right WHAT with a Wrong (or no) HOW/WHY! The enemy states a Right WHAT...with a Wrong (or no) HOW/WHY. Be careful...
We will look at more applications of this definition of truth tomorrow...
HONESTY
The quickest way to show a contradiction in someone else's definition of truth is to focus on honesty. For instance, you could tell your spouse how a specific movie star has a physical attribute that is more handsome or beautiful than your spouse. When your spouse becomes upset, all you would have to say is, "I'm just telling the truth."
Actually, you would be factual. It is ONLY truthful if it creates a value in the Long Term. The Bible doesn't require us to speak facts; it demands more of us. It tells us to speak truth.
Better yet, keep track of all the mistakes your pastor makes during a sermon. Then go up to him after each sermon (or e-mail him) and let him know all the mistakes he made. When he asks why you are doing this, tell him you are just telling the truth.
Most churches have gone through the process of listing their statement of beliefs. Almost all of the churches who do this list "TRUTH" or "HONESTY" as a core belief...without defining it. Just tell the pastor that you want to make sure you are being honest at all times.
The correct way of dealing with this is to define truth in a non-contradictory manner...a fact that creates in the Long Term. However, if a person doesn't define it this way, then the response to the previous two scenarios usually involves a rationalization for LYING. "Well sometimes it is good to lie."
Lying is the other topic that most quickly exposes contradictions in a person's definition of truth. What is lying? What are the effects of lying?
Lying is a intentional misstatement about reality.
Lying is NOT a FACT.
Lying is NOT truth.
Lying does NOT create in the Long Term.
When you lie to someone, you become THEIR slave.
When you lie to someone, you have faked reality for that person and now the burden of keeping up the appearance of that reality is YOURS. You MUST maintain this alternate version of reality for the person you lied to. This alternate version of reality is a worldview. So, you have basically created a contradictory worldview and the job you have just given yourself is maintainer of that worldview. You MUST constantly be on your guard against facts that would contradict YOUR worldview...NO ONE else is responsible...AND you are doing it purely for another person. You are a SLAVE. This will eventually wear you out.
A "white lie" is the WORSE lie!
A white lie attempts to create in the short-term...however the destruction is done in the Long Term. A blatant HOT or COLD lie can be disregarded in the short-term and little to no Long Term damage is done. A white lie is a LUKEWARM lie that does ALL its damage in the Long Term.
In the comments, Rahab was brought up as an example. In Joshua 2, Rahab lies about the location of the spies. It was her responsibility to fake this worldview...until the Israelites killed these leaders. Then Rahab didn't have to fake it any more. She states that she knows the Israelites are going to conquer the city.
Rahab's life was spared BECAUSE she put a scarlet cord in the window of her house. She could have lied, not put the scarlet cord in the window and STILL ended up dying.
Someone could say that her lie created the lives of the spies. However, the spies had their lives before she lied. Her lie didn't give the spies something they didn't already have. If the spies were caught and her lie got them released, then that would have created something.
Look carefully...Rahab's lie didn't CREATE anything of Long Term value that didn't already exist. It was not the CAUSE of creation. For instance, she is NOT the cause of them taking over the city. ACTUALLY, she is A cause of a lot of destruction...
TRUTH CREATES.
LIFE is the ability to repair.
Repair occurs through CREATION.
When Jesus said He is the LIFE...He is the ultimate way to repair.
When Jesus said He is the TRUTH...He was telling us the REASON He is the ultimate way to repair: He is the ultimate source of creation.
Jesus said He is the WAY. What does WAY mean?
The definition for the word WAY in this passage is "progress, road, means, or journey". Jesus is the journey!
Our ability to make progress on our journey depends on a continual improvement in our interactions with Him. We need to continually let Him direct our actions. (GRACE) It is a process, not a one-time event. Jesus was able to be the ultimate LIFE and TRUTH because He continually let God direct His actions through GRACE. Through Jesus, all things were made...
Tomorrow we will see how this definition of truth explains the devil, eternal death, and how so many teachers misrepresent the devil.
THE DEVIL
Jesus says the devil is a murderer who seeks to destroy. The devil is evil.
We've seen that good creates.
We've seen that truth creates.
Since the devil doesn't have truth, he can't create.
The devil is actually more limited than what people represent, for instance: Does the devil have faith?
We saw that faith is a belief in something that can't be seen and/or something that hasn't happened yet.
Faith is proven in actions.
Faith is built on experience and understanding.
The devil definitely has experience.
He thousands of years of experience.
However, does the devil have understanding?
We saw that knowledge means a person knows facts.
Understanding is the ability to combine several facts in order to create new knowledge.
Wisdom is the actual choice.
Notice, the devil quoted facts (knowledge) to Jesus. In fact, the devil can only quote knowledge. The devil has no understanding. If he did, he would be able to create. The Bible says knowledge leads to pride. The Bible says in Ezekiel 28 that the devil fell because of pride.
Therefore, the devil doesn't have faith. He does not have profitable actions (wisdom). Why? He has no understanding. However, he has experience and knowledge.
We have the ability to understand. We have this ability to create because of God. If we believe it comes from ourselves, we are in pride. Notice, the devil ACTUALLY depends on God (through us) for understanding. The devil CAN'T predict the future...that is an act of creation. Everything the devil speaks of accurately is the present and the past. ONLY God (and us because of God) can predict the future.
The devil is not omnipresent. He cannot be more than one place at a time. People who say the devil himself is attacking them are pretty egotistical. What does the devil do?
The devil is EXTREMELY legalistic. He is CONSTANTLY in search of a defendant and a judge. The devil KNOWS the law. The law doesn't CREATE anything. Paul said the law is not sin...but it is used to prove sinfulness.
The devil KNOWS he cannot have the SAME person be defendant and judge. In the Bible, the devil DOESN'T make direct statements (accusations) to the person he's accusing. He makes accusatory statements ABOUT a defendant TO a judge.
If he speaks to the defendant, he asks questions or presents "IF/THEN" scenarios. When the devil tempted Jesus, it was with three IF/THEN statements. In Job, the devil is making statements ABOUT Job TO God. When people feel the devil is condemning them, they are wrong. What the devil does is ask a person a series of question to LEAD THEM to BECOME the JUDGE...that is, draw a conclusion.
The devil will ask you a series of questions to prove your guilt and stop just short of making the conclusion. WE MAKE THE CONCLUSION! THEN we tell everyone the devil is accusing us...to us! Wrong. When people realize THEY are the ones drawing the conclusion, they are better able to overcome condemnation...BECAUSE THEY are the ones judging and condemning themselves.
I'm AMAZED at how contradictory people are who get paid to teach us about God and the devil. People who say the devil has faith, is wise, or tells half-truths are proving their lack of understanding with their presentation of these contradictions.
ETERNAL DEATH
We've seen that life is the ability to repair.
We've seen that repair ONLY occurs with creation.
Therefore repair occurs ONLY with truth.
Notice, people who have eternal life have the ability to repair...which means they will have access to truth. What about people who don't have eternal life?
It appears they won't have the ability to repair themselves, even though they will exist for eternity. In order for them not to be able to repair, they will not have the ability to create. This implies they will not be able to use truth.
But these people will KNOW truth. The Bible says every knee shall bow and every tongue confess Jesus as Lord (Philippians 2:10,11), yet they won't be able to have eternal life. They will have knowledge of facts that COULD create. How will they be prevented from using truth?
What does it take to use truth? It takes thought. A person must choose to think. How will people be prevented from thinking about truth and creating? Remember, people have a free will. They can choose to think or not to think. God can't impose His Will on these people unilaterally. God always responds according to justice. God can't remove their brain or make them cease to exist (the soul is eternal). God can't wipe out their memory. This wouldn't be just. How can God justly prevent these people from thinking?
They will be tortured to the point they won't be able to think. Is this just? God uses justice to give these people what they have chosen. They didn't choose to value thinking during their time on earth, so they can be put in an environment that doesn't allow them to think.
When someone comes against us, our amygdala fires. This is an almond shaped neuro-structure in the front of the brain. It sends a signal to the adrenal glands to send out adrenaline. At this point, we cannot think. All we can do is fight or flight. All that is going to come out is what has been rehearsed in our hearts.
This is why it is important to take time and calm down before acting once we've been attacked. This is also why it is important to rehearse good behavior and watch movies, TV shows, and people who set a good example...because THAT is getting planted in our hearts as the way to respond to situations that we have never personally experienced.
At the end of the Bible, hell is cast into the lake of fire. The people who are in the lake of fire will be tortured to the point that their amygdala will constantly be firing and their brains will not work. A person in the lake of fire wouldn't even be able to think: "2+2=4".
God can't allow people into heaven who don't want to be there. This would violate the free will of the individual. People show their will through their actions. They express their desire to go to heaven when they choose to let God work through them. This is a process.
The basic skill needed is thinking. We are beings of volitional consciousness. We can choose to think or not to think. When people choose to understand, they are expressing their will they want to go pursue truth and grow rather than be comfortable.
How do people stay comfortable? They refuse to think. This is done in many ways. If a person's actions aren't driven by thought, then what is the cause of their actions? All that's left is their instinct and emotions. The Bible calls this the flesh. This refusal to think (understand) brings judgment on them and the only just way for them to spend eternity is not thinking.
Tomorrow I will do a short one day separate post that will set up next week's discussion about the role of truth in disagreements and arguments.
ADDENDUM
Michael asked a question about torture...here are excerpts from an article shortly after 9/11. Torture is defined as inflicting pain AND limiting a person's will. Inflicting pain causes the amygdala to fire a message to the adrenal glands. Adrenaline is secreted and the person wants to FIGHT or FLIGHT. When the person ISN'T allowed to FIGHT or FLIGHT, this is torture...and it physically damages the brain. The way to respond to torture is either HATE the torturer or EMPATHIZE with the torturer...that is to choose to FIGHT verbally OR choose to overcome the adrenaline and NOT FIGHT. Jesus did this on the cross!
Aletheion asked about biology now versus in eternity...I believe it is the same qualitatively. I believe how we are built now is emblematic of how we will be built after this world. Here are the excerpts:
The current theory is that torture not only harms the body, but it also corrupts the portion of the brain that screams at the body to fight back or flee — when the body is restrained and can do neither.
That function comes from the same section where sensory perception functions operate, so a new and destructive pattern of reactions to sounds, smells and images is branded into the programming.
At the same time, the front portion of the brain responsible for filing memories in their proper chronological places is disabled, says Bessel van der Kolk, a professor at the Boston University School of Medicine and a leading researcher in the neuroscience of trauma. Like a computer hard disk unable to store its data properly, that part of the brain leaves the horrifying memory out on the brain's desktop where it can be launched automatically by various situations, setting into motion an almost uncontrollable chain of physical reactions, he says.
"The brain becomes very sensitive to danger, and that reaction that the person was unable to have at the time of the abuse then is triggered by certain sounds, smells, physical sensations, images, light patterns," says van der Kolk, co-author of Traumatic Stress: The Effects of Overwhelming Experience on Mind, Body, and Society. "Physical inability at the moment of torture is probably a very important element of the permanent alteration in the brain that occurs."
Van der Kolk says the subjugation of the flight-or-fight response also explains why torture is a more scarring, insidious form of trauma than that endured by, say, survivors of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
"Very few people who ran out of the World Trade Center were permanently damaged in the same way because they ran and ran and were able to save themselves," van der Kolk says. "Over time, most people do recover from those experiences unless they had a prior history of trauma."
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