J.P. Moreland - Has Science Made Belief in God Unreasonable?

Sit back with some popcorn or a cup of tea and allow Philosopher J.P. Moreland to pique your interest in the question of Science and Belief in God, is it obsolete? 

Decide for yourself!

Use Your Own Initiative

Reflecting this morning on a pending major-life decision I came across a few illustrations in the Gospels that reflected the sort of attitude we should take towards making a directional change in life.

On multiple occasions during his life of ministry Jesus healed a diverse following of people. He healed blind, paralytics, lame and so on. I want to draw on these examples to elucidate my point.

Whenever Christ healed someone he granted them this opportunity but he left the option open to the person receiving the healing. For example in Luke 5 Jesus heals a paralytic man who was lowered through the roof by his faithful friends (vv. 19-20). The Pharisees in an uproar ridiculed Christ for saying he can forgive the man's sins (v. 21) yet Jesus carried on his work and beckoned the man to stand up (v. 24).

This last verse is the key to my point, Christ did not lift the man up, he commanded the man to stand. It is at this very crossing point in the decision making process that will determine the result of the working of our Lord. If the man did not heed Christ's call what would the result have been? Though Scripture does not answer this hypothetical question I think we can draw on similar hypothetical questions in Scripture to demonstrate my point.

When Jonah received his instructions for the people of Ninevah, God was allowing a counterfactual to occur. If the people of Ninevah did not repent they would be destroyed. Seems a pretty direct statement. But if they did repent the city would be spared. Thus we have a clear example of a counterfactual in Scripture, so lets use this to play out the scenario of the paralytic.

If the paralytic responds to Jesus' call to stand and take his bed with him (v. 24) then the man will be healed (v. 25). However, if the man does not stand he will remain paralyzed. What we see is indeed a counterfactual situation unfolding. If the man doubts Christ can do this then he will lack the faith necessary to receive the healing offered to him (I know this last statement can be used to attempt to show that God can heal you if you have enough faith but that is not the intended use here). If he does respond his faith will be put into action and the miracle will be witnessed by all.

This is the initiative we must take to test our faith and to see if God is with us. If you are facing a tough decision in life, if you are in need of a cure and you feel God summoning you to a particular decision or cure then take the initiative and give it a try. If God is in it He will make it abundantly clear whether through circumstances, a word of a friend or a complete shutting of the opportunity before you could pursue it. The key point here is again that God requires us to take the step in faith. We cannot expect God to direct a parked car, yet when we put the car in drive and ease away from the curb onto the street then we can expect God's direction if we have sought it.

Remember, take the initiative because He is faithful!

In Weakness we are Made Strong

"For to be sure, He was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God's power. Likewise, we are weak in Him, yet by God's power we will live with Him to serve you."

-2 Corinthians 13:4-

This message from Paul is a powerful reminder that our God is mighty. However this show of God's force is not when we are impregnable rather when we are feeble. God's perfect power, his love cannot be given the gravity it deserves under the guise of human pride and arrogance. God's power does not work in such cluttered environments as man's egotism.

This is a repeated theme throughout Paul's second letter to the Corinthians. When we are made low, humbled and fraile then God's mighty strength can be seen in its true glory. Working through the broken-hearted, the downtrodden and those with no hope, God's ultimate love can be shown for his concern and care for us when we are in our greatest need. Surely a heart that is boastful has no room to invite the sustainer of the cosmos in, and why should that person, after all, they believe they have the world in their hands, they can do no wrong. Such hubris is not the proper breeding ground for life changing work to be done.

Are you looking for God to transform your life? What areas of pride and dignity must you lay low in order to allow God to work his perfect power in you? Examine yourselves and see what is in need of a Godly adjustment and surrender that to him so he may transform you!

"'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

-2 Corinthians 12:9-10- 

Be Equipped so you can Equip Others

How can one successfully open themselves up to spreading the Word of God or helping to nurture another along in the faith if they themselves are not properly prepared?

Better still how can husband or wife be effective in their work for the Kingdom if they have not ensured their spouse is equipped to pursue a deep and enriching spiritual life with God?

A husband and wife, as Paul properly notes, become concerned with their families and put themselves first over serving the needs of the Gospel beyond their house (1 Cor. 7:32-35). Yet this is certainly to be expected and the married reading this would all likely agree that they are concerned with pleasing and caring for their marriage partner. However, as aptly stated, the rest of the work of God is divided in your heart for you love your God and your spouse and deciding between the two brings conflict to the flesh.

In 2 Corinthians Paul addresses this issue in a manner that may be helpful to the married and for the purpose of spreading the Word to distant lands. Paul points out in the context of the Corinthian church that he desires that they continue to grow in their faith (2 Cor. 10:15-16) so that, like a spouse or parent would see it, he can have confidence that his own were prepared to handle themselves so he could leave them alone and pursue other matters. This is where our equipping our spouse can result in greater opportunity to serve the needs of the Church beyond our home.

Should we be concerned with the spiritual state of our spouse? Certainly. Should we encourage their growth in a positive manner? Absolutely. However, once they are secure and pursuing the expansion of their faith in Christ then we can widen our work beyond our shores. Husbands and wives be encouraged to fortify one another so that your furnishing might result in the amplification of your mission field.

Serve God and His needs will become yours, at home and abroad.

Have a great Sunday friends!

Bodily Health & Spiritual Health

Reading this morning in the 2nd letter to the Corinthians I was inspired by what the apostle Paul wrote. Could this simple command I just read really be a key to unlocking the best health for your spirit and body?

Lets first examine the verse in question:

"Since we have these promises (2 Cor. 6:18), dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence to God.

-2 Corinthians 7:1 emphasis mine-

A surface reading of this seems to imply health and wellness by a process of removing those things which contaminate us. You may be thinking, "I have already done this, and I am still miserable." Let me encourage you to delve deeper.

What sorts of things contaminate the body?

Seems like a simple question to answer. You may be thinking that excess smog, eating too much sugar, consuming drugs and alcohol may warrant the tag of bad for your bodily health. While this is certainly true, are their other things that constitute a pollutant for the body?

I want to suggest there certainly are but only when we consider these in light of the second part of Paul's command, the spirit.

In the relationship between the mind and the body we can observe some simple things. When we take a medication for back pain we are also alerted to the potential side effects of the drug. Among these are a list of physical symptoms such as dry mouth, itchy throat, or perhaps stomach discomfort. Yet there are another category of symptoms quite their own. You may feel confused, have hallucinations or acquire a general feeling of malaise. Some of the symptoms of medication are so extreme as to cause suicidal ideology and actions. Though these symptoms can be brought about by a physical substance, namely a medication, the results can cause symptoms of the mind to occur altering the mind state. Notice I did not infer some brain-chemical change, however this may be involved. Rather I am referring to what happens to a person's inner man, his spirit, when he ingests something not prescribed for his consumption.

This last sentence was not intended to make you think any longer about ingesting medication as it was more aimed at your willful imbibing of physical stimuli. When we listen to music some are said to experience any range of emotions from euphoria, passionate frenzy, a sense of tranquility, anger, skepticism towards life and violent brooding. How can a physical stimuli like sound waves produce a mind state that causes these range of emotions?

It seems Paul was on to something more than just sour milk and a lack of exercise. Paul was referring to the unique relationship between mind (spirit) and body. No doubt we have all watched a movie and then become inspired by the tale heroism and self-sacrificial service that it motivated us to do something for someone else. But what caused this physical reaction? The very delicate relationship between mind and body can be the explanation. 

What can we do about it?

If what we ingest, either physically, visually or audibly causes a change in our mood, should we not be more aware of what kinds of things we are subjecting to our consumption? I say we should be.

I have recently been removing any television programming that contains messages that cause me to speak abruptly to my wife, treat women as objects of lust and show gratuitous sexual situations. Though this is only one part the result of this action will reverberate into the other areas of my life. By removing these sense stimuli my spirit is refreshed, uplifted and encouraged to carry on the fight against the tendency to relent to temptations of all sorts. 

This sort of effect can be the same for you. If you are down, listen to uplifting music or watch a funny movie, if you need encouragement open up your Scripture and read or talk with a good friend who will pray with you. Also remember that bodily exercise can help the spirit by increasing the flow of endorphins in your body which will uplift your mood. 

Lastly, choosing the right foods also can have a positive effect on your spirit. First it will allow your body to properly process the energy and remove the wastes. Have you ever felt anxious after you ate a big meal or how about the way you feel mentally when you have food poisoning? The opposite is also true, intake the right fuel and your mind will thank you. Second, your brain will be stimulated with the right fuel to ensure your stress levels stay low and your joy is more complete. Lastly, by exercising more frequently you can enchance your self esteem by viewing your body in a more positive light. Many of us have desired to feel better about our bodies and some have a low sense of bodily image. With proper nutrition and exercise you will feel better overall about who you are.

With this new sense of mind and body health you can more completely serve the kingdom of God. This perfecting of holiness then can be seen as a worshipful act towards our heavenly creator who has created our bodies to function at their best. Yes we will still suffer setbacks, emotional and physical trials but by watching our intake of all sorts of stimuli that has a negative impact on us we will be more equiped to handle the trials when they come.

I hope this was encouraging to you. May you find God's best health for you this day!