by Thomas Abshier | Apr 26, 2025 | Apologetics/Theology/Christianity, Politics/Economics/Culture
THE WORLD AT RISK
Throughout history, some part of the world has always been in turmoil. But before the era of worldwide instant communications, we were unaware of the conflicts and could enjoy what we thought were periods of peace. With 24-7 worldwide news coverage, we have no refuge and can no longer maintain the illusion of living in an era of peace.
And while we may have lost that false sense of security we once enjoyed, our news-saturated lives allow us to stay informed about many of the moves made in the world’s chess game of economics, culture, values, religion, politics, and war. Having an awareness of the global forces operating allows us to prepare and act in response to the real world that coming toward us. In this examination, I wish to focus on the warning signs we should heed regarding the threat of Islam to our government, religion, and way of life.
TYPES OF GOVERNANCE
Islam is a religion and social system intrinsically intertwined with government. To properly appreciate the threat of Islam to liberty, we shall examine it in relation to the spectrum of governmental systems.
There are many forms of government. The could be categorized according to economic system, religion, taxes, bureaucracy, chain of authority, voting system, or relationship of to industry, military, the individual, or education. But, “force” is common thread unifying all governmental systems. Government is by its very nature an institution of imposition of force to produce compliance. The Libertarian argues that all government is immoral because it imposes direction on men without their consent and contract. The Liberal argues that the masses need to be directed because they make foolish choices without guidance.
Thus, we shall examine government according to the amount of force used by each system of government. To illustrate the gradient of force, we shall organize the various types of government along a spectrum between total control and complete freedom. I have defined the center of the spectrum as the balance between control and freedom.
1) On the Left end of the spectrum, we shall place Strong Centralized Government, and call it “Statism” or “Authoritarianism”. At its extreme, Statism directs the entirety of every individual’s life.
2) On the Right end of the spectrum, we shall place Limited Government, and call this end “Liberty” or “Freedom”. At its extreme, there is no governmental control, only action by choice and interpersonal contract.
3) At the Center is the point of balance between freedom/Liberty and Authoritarian control. This mini-max solution is achieved by men exerting Godly self-control over their appetites, and learning the ways of knowledge and wisdom, and participating in the process of selecting wise and Godly men to execute those affairs peculiar to the domain of the state. When the state is governed wisely in these large affairs so that the borders are secure, and the populace free from the disturbance of war, crime, and corruption, the Righteous populace is maximally free to partake of work, invention, recreation, and relationship. This state of representative democracy in a nation populated by men committed to following the way of God we shall call, “The Righteous Republic.” Its ingredients include a blend of Right personal self-control, democracy, representative democracy, and bodies of law, action, and justice.
The Righteous Republic:
The optimum balance between tyranny and anarchy is the point of maximum personal freedom. The place for appropriate governmental control is in the enforcement of justice and as the focal point for defense. Properly implemented, the Righteous Republic would be government on Earth as it is in Heaven. The Christian Constitutional Republic places proper limits on the authority of government and the actions of men while leaving the individual free to act in the domain of personal taste, relationship, contract, industry, and economy. The standard underlying all of man’s law is Divine Law.
Freedom is given to men who are committed to following the path of Godliness in respecting other’s boundaries.
Government should be a tool used by men to coordinate their actions and optimize behavior around the patterns of Godly morality. Government should be the equivalent of a central nervous system that facilitates group directed action to accomplish goals too large for the individual. Government should be established on many levels: individual, family, local, mid-level, groups of groups, systems, and overall coordination.
The Founders intended that the Federal government unify and protect the States, and gave it a few Constitutionally authorized functions. They gave the authority to regulate the vast majority of individual and group activities in areas of commerce and morality to the State, County, and City governments. But, the point of government was not to regulate every individual and group activity. In fact, just the opposite. The optimum legal code is sparse and gives only general descriptions of desirable behaviors in the various aspects of community and individual life.
Such a system needs few laws when the individuals in the society are wise and sensitive to the judgment and leading of the Holy Spirit. In a wise, moral, and Godly society, the parents, friends, and community engage in counsel, reprimand, and applause to reinforce good thought, speech, and action, and extinguish the bad. Instruction in the Word of God is central to living a righteous self-directed life. How is one to know the Right way without being taught? How is one to become sensitive to the way of the Holy Spirit without being steeped in His Way? Parents are the primary teachers of a moral pattern by the examples of their own lives, as they give lessons in the practical application of scripture in their daily activities, chores, speech, work, leisure, exchange, and relationships. As a child grows more mature, he is given greater autonomy in self-direction. As an adolescent, he is given greater freedom in the world away from home in proportion to his proven trustworthiness in Godly self-discipline and wisdom.
Judges should judge based on the spirit of that law rather than parsing the letter of the law. Instead, they should judge based on the spirit and purpose of the law. Man’s legislation, man’s law should reflect God’s Law, and codify society’s best attempt at defining divine character in public and individual life. Legislators should strive to enact laws to make explicit the general principles of an effectively coordinated and righteous public life. And, the executive branch applies the appropriate force and organizational action to produce the outcome desired by the group.
The Spectrum of Government:
All societal-governmental systems fall somewhere along the continuum of complete freedom to absolute control. But unless a system is dedicated to implementing God’s Law in governing the individual and social order, all governments will tend to alternate between the poles of anarchy and totalitarianism. Communism, Socialism, Liberalism, and Progressivism are Statist-type governments, all of which have Dictatorships or Oligarchies. Fascism, the government of national unity, ideals, and purpose, is commonly called “Far Right”, but in fact, it is just another type of Statist government that easily morphs into totalitarian rule by an individual or group.
Anarchy, Democracy, and Republics are types of Liberty governments.
Democracy is essentially rule by the majority. This works out well if the majority is dedicated to Godliness, industry, invention, and self-restraint of passions. But, societies tend to move away from Godliness after a generation or two, since people usually only turn to God when they are suffering. Thus, democracy has a strong tendency to evolve into a ruling class of oligarchs and bureaucrats who rule over an enforced egalitarian society. Alexis De Tocqueville warned that democracy will fail when the masses discover they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. We have seen the slow encroachment of Statist policy since the New Deal and the de facto (or intentional) creation of a dependent class. The welfare recipient, government worker, and victim classes become a loyal constituency for the maintenance of the Statist ruling class since their survival depends on electing a governmental class favorable to perpetuating the transfer payments and
Anarchy is a system with no governmental body, agencies, judges, or legislators. This system has an appeal to those who believe that government is immoral because it is an inherently forceful institution. But, without a coordinating center, there is a loss of productivity. If there is little commitment to Godliness in the culture, the social order could decay into tribal factions, which could result in the people crying out for a central power to remediate the disorder of chaos and warring factions. The anarchic state may not have sufficient coordination to defend its borders and thus secure the social/economic environment. There is little actual freedom associated with living life with a heightened state of defense.
The pure Libertarian advocates anarcho-capitalism, which is the theory that government is unneeded because individual contract is sufficient, and more moral than government by force. But, this system is only theoretical, having never been implemented in reality.
Returning to the Republic, this form of government provides us with liberty and has shown itself stable over centuries. The Republic is based on a Constitution, from which flow all laws and justice. It executes coordinated action, led by men, elected to serve and represent the majority based on competence and character. The Representative Democracy is effective and valuable to the extent that the masses have a sufficient pool of Righteous men, and sufficient character to recognize those of elder status worthy and capable of making the judgments of public policy that are ultimately enforced. This form of government has proven to endure indefinitely, as long as the society maintains a commitment to living, teaching, and perpetuating Righteousness. The moral majority, the Tea Party, are activated because of the perception that the coalition of victimized minorities has elected a government committed to imposing socialism, using the facade of care and equality, to motivate and maintain their base.
Islam is a Theocracy. It is a totalitarian government given almost complete authority by the religious authorities. Islam is comprised of two major sects, Sunni and Shiite, which compete with each other for ideological dominance. But, to the outside observer, their division is over minor points of doctrine and history. Given that all the sects of Islam have a largely similar system of belief and culture. Islam is a Statist government, with a totalitarian theology that governs the state and culture. Most totalitarian governments are humanistic. The fact that Islam demands absolute compliance based on its religious tenets enables a very high degree of self-motivated compliance by the people in support of governmental policy. One could say that Muslims are free, but their freedom is very limited to choosing to strictly adhere to the tenets of Sharia Law.
The United States was founded as a Republic. But, through a century of Progressive political effort, it is behaving much like a Democracy. The coalition of Unions, Progressives, illegals, and those on various forms of a government-supported life/lifestyle have allied to create a voting block to institute a Statist government that can satisfy their needs, wants, and ideals. If this voting block is insufficient to create a majority, this coalition has shown its willingness to employ election fraud to enable a faux majority to use the color of democracy. Corruption/greed/power-lust and dependency are the twin demons that ally to create the majority which can never be deposed. The principles of democracy are hijacked to authorize the eternal dominance of the majority (real and vote-fabricated) and their persistent maintenance of the new socialist ruling class.
THE BATTLEFRONT
The battle by power-hungry sociopaths to control rages against the cry of the human spirit for the Liberty we are promised in Christ. Every country is populated by those who wish to be ruled, and those who wish to be free. The Statist struggle to overtake Liberty puts our lives at the threat of socialistic/egalitarian servitude. The Libertarian anarcho-capitalist desire for complete freedom from governmental presence/control eliminates the positive benefits that come from the unification and mobilization that comes from willingly choosing to unify around a Righteous set of goals and tasks. The bottom line for the Libertarian is that you can’t always get what you want, but if you push for what you need, then over time the focus and character of government may change.
In this essay, we shall focus on Islam as a combination of religion, government and culture. We cannot restrict this discussion to religion since Islam is a complete culture and governance system. I believe Radical Islam is a threat to our way of life and Republic.
HISTORY OF ISLAM
There are about 2.0 billion Christians, .5 billion Muslims, and 350 million Arabs in the world. There are many books and papers on Islam, Muhammad, the Koran, Hadith, and Sharia Law. See below for a brief review of some key concepts of Islam:
Islam
Islam is a monotheistic culture naming God as Allah, which is much unchanged from its inception around 600 AD. Some of Its belief system is rooted in Judaism and Christianity. It integrates church and state in its governmental code, which is called Sharia Law. Sharia Law has elements of Old Testament law, with a strict eye for an eye justice; it is militaristic, unforgiving and merciless.
http://www.answering-islam.org/Quran/Versions/003.054.html
Walid Shoebat, a former PLO terrorist who became a Christian, in a 2008 Prophesy Conference, presents a convincing expose of Islam and declares that the Satan of the Christian Bible is the Allah of the Koran. Understanding Islam from this perspective gives new meaning to the various phrases used by the Islamic terrorists, such as, “You love life. We love death.” The meaning of the word Islam is “Submission.” The death of innocent civilians is praised and rewarded with “heaven”, as long as the death was dedicated to the advancement of Islam. Allah in Sura 3:54 names himself “most deceptive,” although many translations blunt the meaning of the words used. Sura 4:157 describes Allah as creating the myth that Yeshua had died and was resurrected to deceive the people. As Satan, Allah would enshrine as “holy” scripture in the Koran the revealed “fact” that Christ had not died and resurrected to deceive Muslims and immunize them against receiving the salvation and eternal life Jesus offers. The teaching of Islam is by rote repetition, see, learn, and do, as we would expect of the teaching of Satan. This contrasts with the Judeo Christian ethic of reason and understanding by building precept upon precept. The teaching of good works and character by Islam is part of the deception; as long as the fundamental teaching is in error, Satan can disguise the appearance of his religion with goodness, and still capture the majority of its followers.
Islam is composed of several sects; Sunni is the largest, Shia the next, and the mystical Sufi smaller yet. Its growth has historically been by conquest, but immigration, combined with high fertility rate, was its major source of growth in the late 20th century. The low fertility rates of the cultures which Islam has invaded all but guarantee the eventual extinction of the host countries’ population and culture. Proponents of Islam have become experts at using local systems to gain an advantage. In America, they have used Freedom of Religion as the cover for the subversive activity propagated at their mosques and madrassas. Most recently, the uprisings in the Mid East may signal a new wave of conquest. Islam demands that the rule of Sharia Law, and that by force if the infidels do not voluntarily convert.
Muslims
Muslims are products of, and participants in, Islamic culture and believers of its doctrine to varying degrees; the same is true of all religions. Is there a distinction between the religion of Islam and the Muslims who are its followers? No doubt there are Muslims who are true seekers of Truth. There are many stories of Muslims who have had miraculous visitations, dreams, and visions that revealed that Jesus is Lord. And, while Islam is a religion of conquest, either by war or expanding settlements, not all Muslims are driven by this desire. There are those who truly have not given their heart to the deception and conquest demanded by Islam. Others do not subscribe to Sharia Law and many simply want to live in peace. Nonetheless, there are many who follow the literal words of the Koran and are dogmatic in their commitment to impose the submission of Islam on the world. We need to admit the facts about the Koran, Hadith, Islam, and Mohammad, and speak the truth, rather than maintain fearful silence in the face of their threats and plans of expansion.
Radical Muslims (Terrorists)
When a dogmatic follower beheads or blows up an infidel (nonbeliever), in his mind, he has done a spiritually good deed that is pleasing to Allah. Such a sacrifice would, of course, be a sacrament of worship and spiritual credit to Satan. When a dogmatic follower blows himself up and takes others with him he also thinks he is doing a spiritually good deed even if those others are Muslims. In the mythology of the Koran, he becomes a martyr and reaps its attendant rewards. Those who applaud or approve of radical behavior are themselves radical. Such actions, in service of Satan, are worthy only of the rewards of Hell, and sadly those who serve the great deceiver will be rewarded by their master. We should speak the truth, and pray for an awakening of those who are possessed of this strong delusion.
Jihad
Jihad stands for struggle. It is used and described in several different ways, as a personal struggle, as evangelization, as aggressive evangelization, and as retaliation. The self-discipline and peaceful forms are referenced in the earlier portions of the Koran, whereas the aggressive forms appear later. Later references in the Koran are thought to supersede earlier ones, which makes hostility the most likely intention today.
Koran
Also referred to as the Qur`an, the Koran is the book of spiritual, moral and physical guidance as “revealed” to Muhammad. He taught that the Jewish Torah and Christian Bible had been “corrupted,” therefore the Koran was the one true book. Muhammad did not write the Koran. He committed it to memory and after his death, others recorded what they remembered him saying. Changes to its interpretation were declared complete around the year 1000 AD, and none have been allowed since.
Hadith
The Hadith is a record of utterances, decisions, and traditions of Muhammad and his followers during the course of his dictatorial reign. Islamic scholars, the Mullahs and Imams, study the Koran, Hadith, and declare the proper application of Sharia Law to current events and living. Muslim belief and behavior are governed by Sharia Law and the Hadith.
Sharia
Sharia Law is the implementation of spiritual, material and living rules “defined” by the Koran and the Hadith, as seen by Islamic scholars; they are restricted to medieval interpretation of the Koran. Sharia justice is cruel and vindictive, showing no mercy. It is “Old Testament justice,” an eye for an eye…
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Mullah
A mullah is a man well educated in Islam.
Imam
An imam is an Islamic prelate or scholar, a holy man recognized as a leader, possibly of an Islamic nation.
Caliphate
A caliphate is an Islamic empire. It is ruled by a holy man of Islam, an imam who becomes a caliph when he rules an empire.
Caliph
A caliph is an imam who rules an Islamic empire.
Dhimmitude
Dhimmitude is the “protected” status of a non-Muslim living under Sharia law with few rights and high taxes.
Madrassa
A madrassa is a Muslim school, typically a primary school in which Islamic history, superiority, radicalism, Sharia, and hatred of the West are also taught. They are active throughout the world, including in the United States.
Muhammad
Muhammad was born in 570 and lived until 632. He was an ethnic Arab, of the tribe of Koraish who were essentially bandits. They controlled Meccan trade. Mohammed had 11 wives but produced no surviving male offspring and only four surviving daughters. Daughter Fatima married Mohammed’s cousin Ali, bearing grandsons Hasan and Husayn. Later descendants at some point become blurred.
The Beginning
Islam started with Muhammad. He was an inhabitant of Mecca where tribal wars and plundering were commonplace at the time. Might was the determinant of right. Religious beliefs were varied between Judaism, Christianity, polytheism and Greek pantheism. Early on he was a bit of a misfit for the way of life in Mecca. He became a recluse. He claimed to have received the “true bible,” called the Koran, the word of the one true monotheistic God, whom he called Allah, from the Angel Gabriel while praying in a cave. He further claimed the Torah was corrupted by the Jews worshiping the golden calf, and he claimed the Christian Bible was corrupted by early persecutions. Muhammad claimed Christ was a great prophet, but that he, Muhammad, was the last prophet, the revelation was complete, and none would come after him. His beliefs were affected by Judaism and Christianity. He believed in individual accountability, Heaven and Hell. His claim of a monotheistic god put him at odds with the population.
Early Days
Muhammad got his start by promoting his brand of monotheism gleaned from his claimed divine inspirations. This led to conflict with the established culture and resulted in his fighting wars which included piracy, robbing camel trains and killing its occupants to support himself and his followers. He instituted Sharia Law, literally “an eye and more for an eye.” Public dismemberments, beheadings, and the “honor” killings follow from the Koran and Hadith, as does women being the possessions of men.
His first following, where he lived in Mecca, was small and unpopular. Many of them fled to Medina, where Muhammad eventually fled and organized a strong militant base. His following grew and he conquered other tribes upon whom he imposed Sharia Law. His strength and effectiveness grew to where he was able to overwhelm the tribes of Mecca without war and reestablish his base of operations there. He became the “Ruler, General, and Pope,” but without a surviving central religious authority as in the Catholic Church. He was a great military leader and cleverly used religion and revelation as tools of control.
Conquered peoples were given no choice of governance; they were made subjects of Sharia Law. They were given some choice of religion. If they were Jewish or Christian they could embrace Islam or remain in their faith, but if they did not embrace Islam, their rights were severely restricted and they were heavily taxed. This status is known as dhimmitude. If they were neither Jewish nor Christian, they also had two choices: Islam or execution. This is a very different religion than Christianity which teaches us to, “Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, mind, and strength, and love thy neighbor as thyself.”
Rapid Growth
Islam expanded rapidly in the late 7th and in the 8th centuries. Muslims conquered the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey, and part of Asia, including Indonesia and Southern Europe. Their northward European plunge was stopped in France. They established a central ruler called the caliph who was believed to be a direct descendant of Muhammad. The line of descendants is blurred. Nonetheless one sect, the Shiites believe caliphs should be chosen using that criterion and another sect, the Sunnis believe caliphs should be “elected.” These two sects also disagree on inclusions of sacred writings in their faith. Centuries later, they still clash. Islam is not peaceful within itself as witnessed by the bloody Sunni-Shiite fighting in Iraq.
Periodic Resurgence
Islam has been actively and forcibly spread with renewed gusto about every 500 years since its inception. Aggressiveness grew with some success in the 1200s and in the 1700s when the Ottoman Empire was established. The Ottoman Empire was abolished at the end of WWI as it had sided with Germany. New countries were established in North Africa and the Mid East, and these borders remain much the same today.
Terrorism
Saudi Arabia is the present day reflection of its evolution from the houses (tribes) of Saud and Wahhab in an attempt to restore Arab hegemony in the Islamic world – an effort that was resurrected in 1913. Arabia became Saudi Arabia in 1932. The Saudis took the lead in governance and the Wahhabis took the lead in religion. The Wahhabis consider all Islamic change since the 7th century to be an error. They forbid drinking, smoking, gambling, music, graveyards, and shrines. Wahhabism declared jihad on all other Muslims as “unbelievers” (especially Shiites and Sufis, but also Sunnis). The Wahhabis declare that all Muslims who accept post-7th-century changes be treated as infidels and killed. Receiving billions of dollars of Saudi oil money, their influence has been enormous. They are an irritant to world Islam and a sponsor for terror (e.g., Hamas). Al Qaeda spawns from this root. Once again, Islam is not peaceful within itself.
Is the terror threat real?
The first World Trade Center bombing was a beginning. 911 was a continuation. More has been planned by terrorists. Remember Germany, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, US embassies, the USS COLE, Bali, the Mumbai Hotel attacks and more. Our homeland defense has been effective to this point, but much work remains to secure our borders and our way of life. Our southern border is a gateway to Islamic invasion. To date we have either benefited from Divine Providence, or we have just been lucky.
Today’s Uprisings
Perhaps we are witnessing the latest attempt at Islamic world dominance fueled by petro-dollars. Joining forces with Islam are various socialistic and communistic groups; they all have a common agenda, to take down existing governments so they can be replaced, each with their own different vision the new government. But for now, phase one, their agenda is common, eliminate what is currently in place.
WHAT IS THE 12TH IMAM? (From Wikipedia)
According to Islamic belief, an imam is an anointed leader or ruler. Especially among Shia, they believe an Imam is (though not required to be) a prayer leader or cleric when the word is capitalized. Sunnis believe an imam may be a prophet; Shiites believe not all prophets can be imams but an imam can also be a prophet. An imam is said to be anointed by Allah and a perfect example of leading mankind in every way. The 12th Imam is to be the ruler of the Islamic Caliphate that includes the entire globe.
The Shiite interpretation is that only Allah can appoint an imam and no man has the power to do so. The 12th Imam is said to be a descendant of the Prophet Muhammad, having divine status as have each of the 11 successions of sons to date. He is also called the Hidden Imam and the Mahdi or al Mahdi (guided one).
Remarkably, the 12th Imam theory plays heavily into the world’s current concerns with Iran. The Shiite Muslim President of Iran, Ahmadinejad, is deeply committed to the Islamic Messiah, al Mahdi. There have been many through the years claiming to be the Hidden Imam, but Ahmadinejad believes he is yet to come. He claims that he is to personally prepare the world for the coming Mahdi. In order to save the world, it must be in a state of chaos and subjugation. Ahmadinejad claims he was “directed by Allah to pave the way for the glorious appearance of the Mahdi”. This apocalyptic directive includes some very scary proclamations. This does not appear to be a Sunni obsession, just Shia and primarily in Iran.
The 12th Imam: Why Is This Especially Important Now?
Christians look for Jesus’ 2nd coming, the Jews await the Messiah and Muslims await the 12th Imam. However, of the three, Allah’s designated Mahdi is the only one who demands a violent path to conquer the world. Mr. Ahmadinejad and his cabinet say they have a signed contract with al Mahdi in which they pledge themselves to his work. What does this work involve? In light of concerns over Iran’s nuclear capabilities, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has reportedly stated Israel should be wiped off the map.
He spoke to the United Nations in September ’05. During that speech, he claims to have been in an aura of light and felt a change in the atmosphere during which time no one present could blink their eyes.
Iran’s PM is also said to have spoken in apocalyptic terms and seems to relish conflict with the West, whom he calls the Great Satan. This is while he proclaims he must prepare the world for the coming Mahdi by way of a world totally under Muslim control. He is working hard to BRING ABOUT THE WORLD-WIDE HORRORS that must be in place for their al Mahdi to bring peace.
IS ISLAM A PEACEFUL RELIGION?
There are peaceful Muslims, but since its beginning, the Islamic movement has sought expansion through the use of force. Islam was, and remains, a government of church intermingled with the state (with some countries excepted). Church and State are inseparable and the local ruling dictator these days is a religious prelate called a mullah, or perhaps an imam, depending on locale.
In a recent poll in Britain, 25% of Muslims preferred to live under Sharia Law. Similar polls have shown about the same percentage support jihad. Why has there been no outcry from the peaceful Muslim community condemning terrorism? Is it possible that the scriptures, history, and beliefs of Islam so strongly embrace the concepts of forceful domination of the entire world that no Muslim could remain in orthodox standing with the Muslim community if he were to take a public and strong stand against terrorism?
Attempting to convert a Muslim to Christianity is a crime punishable by death in Sharia Law. Do you remember the young Christian missionaries in Afghanistan? Does this sound like a peaceful religion? The segment of Islam that supports this kind of “law” and this kind of violence we call Radical Islam, but Radical Islam is not confined to those who do radical things; it also includes those who say nothing and may approve of the radical talk and actions.
SHOULD WE BE CONCERNED ABOUT RADICAL ISLAM?
Contrary to today’s “journalism,” Islam is not a peaceful “religion.” While many Muslims live peacefully with others, they do so when they are a small segment of the host populations. Once demographically significant, Islam has a track record of demanding concessions denied to other groups. Chief among these is the use of Sharia Law with respect to banking and marital rights. England has caved in to their demands/intimidation, and at least one judge in the U.S. has seen the crescent “light.” Once demographically dominant, Islam can be intolerant of all other forms of religion and governance.
Sharia Law is without mercy in its judgment against those who have violated its tenets. What would be the moral outcry against Catholicism if the penalty for a Catholic turning Protestant was death? Islam is a Satanic religion, but not all of its followers embrace the full evil of its teachings.
International terrorism to further the expansion of Islam is a natural application of the command to subjugate the world under Islamic law. We must speak plainly and unapologetically that Islam is evil. But, not all Muslims are evil, and we should encourage those who have a heart for Truth to criticize the subjugation and forcible expansion of Islam mandated of the Koran and Hadith. Sadly, the number who will take such a public stand are extremely small because of the cultural/governmental force brought to bear against those who oppose the teachings of the Prophet.
Hatred of Christianity and the USA is taught in Muslim madrassas throughout the world. Islam is traditionally a religion of compulsion, as evidenced by Muhammad’s establishment of his empire through conquest. Petro-dollars may be enabling another successful campaign. This time the battlefield may be less bloody, with demographic expansion as the weapon of conquest. Muslims are taking advantage of the freedom of immigration allowed in non- Islamic countries, and then out populating the natives with their much higher birthrate.
Some question whether the expansion of Islam is truly the driving force behind the numerous Islamic conflicts, since there is a long history of political leaders using religion as a tool to control the masses, when their real goals were wealth and power. But, I believe Islam is animated by a satanic power, and it uses the human passions of politicians for power for its purpose.
Likewise, the natural resources of the Mid East have been the vehicle by which oil revenues can be leveraged for the penetration of Islam into every country, and give power to new world dictators. The leader of Iran is only the most current example. Saddam publicly stated his intention to rule Arabia and control oil just prior to the first Iraq war.
http://emanzipationhumanum.de/downloads/peace.pdf
http://archive.frontpagemag.com/readArticle.aspx?ARTID=4574
Many blame American for bringing 9/11 and other terrorist activities upon ourselves by our foreign policy, wars of aggression, and dishonoring of Islam. Such reasoning and argument ignore the long history of Islam as a religion which used terrorism as a policy. Thus, rather than appease Islam and attempt to coexistence, we must recognize that its philosophy and teachings are the mortal enemies of the Judeo-Christian Western civilization. We cannot fight and win against Radical Islam with bullets or security screens, although it does appear these are necessary tactics in the full battle against it.
Rather, we must fight Islam on the battlefield of ideology and truth. But, before we are ready to take on this vigorous enemy, we must first strengthen ourselves in faith and reason. We must put on our armor of righteousness and holiness as a society. Our heart and minds must know with certainty that our cause is righteous, and theirs is not. We must reject the leftist, multicultural, politically correct indoctrination of the media, and begin to speak the truth of intolerance. We cannot live in a world with people who are committed to our death, destruction, annihilation, and/or complete subjugation to their ideology. We must expose their deception. And yes, this is a war against Islam. The Muslims who carry this ideology of domination must be held at an appropriate distance while we attempt to save each one from this religion which steals their soul, humanity, and heart. We cannot be in close and trusting relationships with those who are committed to our eventual demise. We must take the fight to their soil. We must speak the truth of the gospel, the good news of liberty in Christ using all the tools of media at our disposal. If our cause is just, true, and right we will prevail because the True God of Heaven is on our side. It truly is a Holy War.
FERTILITY RATES
We are well into a demographic winter in Europe. The United States has just gotten a good start in its downward population spiral. Cultures with a birth rate below 2.1 declines. Those with birthrates below 1.3 cannot recover, as recovery could take 100 years; there is no economic model that can sustain such a culture for that length of time. No country with a birthrate below 1.9 has ever recovered. France is at 1.8, England 1.6, Germany 1.3, Greece 1.3, Italy 1.2, Spain 1.1 and the total for the European Union is at 1.4. The Western European gene pool is headed for extinction, and its culture will follow quite naturally. The worldwide target Muslim birthrate is 5. In France, the achieved Muslim birthrate is 8.1. In the U.S. it is 3.1. France will be an Islamic nation in 40 years if the current rates continue.
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN EUROPE?
The great European multicultural experiment is a failure and they are admitting it. In order for a society to function well, its members must adhere to a consistent set of values. You cannot effectively govern a people of one value system with a different value system. The strongest binding force holding a nation together is neither race nor language. But, a common language is an important vehicle to communicate subtle cultural nuances, create interpersonal affinity, and forming and maintaining a uniform cultural value system. The values of a culture are the key to its identity and unity. Divergent values lead to divergent cultures, which in turn lead to discrimination and class separation. Many Muslims in Europe have not assimilated by their own choice. As a consequence, they have fewer jobs, poorer jobs, and worse living conditions. They have not accepted their host society, which in turn has not accepted them. Thus we see extreme dissatisfaction, rioting and clamoring for Sharia Law, which of course will not solve the problem. It will only separate the cultures further. Europeans must stand by their culture; otherwise, they will lose it even before their birthrate obliterates it.
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN?
The constitutions of both newly formed “democratic” governments prohibit any law, not in harmony with Islamic Law. The U.S. caved into these pressures, and both countries will probably come under the full subjugation of Islamic Law.
WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH ISRAEL?
The world is uniting against Israel. Even the US president has declared that Israel should withdraw to its pre-1967 borders. Our withdrawal of support for Israel leaves it vulnerable to attack and retaliation. The consequences of a Mid East war could ensnare the entire world.
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE MIDEAST?
The recent and concurrent uprising in some of these countries is not a coincidence. They appear coordinated and planned, as we see the rebel movements getting support from the administration, unions and Progressives.
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE US?
Our birthrate has dropped slightly below 2.1%, the replacement rate, but this includes Muslims and Latinos, each of which has a higher birthrate. Again, the worldwide target birthrate for Muslims is 5.0, and in this country, they are achieving 3.1%.
Our moral standards as a culture have declined for many years away from the strong ethic of individual responsibility and Judeo-Christian values. A radical change in worldview entered the group mind with the generation coming of age in the sixties. They had few economic burdens, the pill became available, mind-expanding drugs were popularized, the music reflected rebellion and sensuality, the war in Vietnam provided a countercultural uniting point, and the revolution of values overtook our culture.
This trend meshed well with the Progressive’s political campaign that has been nudging our education, governance, media and entertainment industry toward socialism since the early 1900s. We have not taught our children to follow in the ways of America’s Judeo-Christian heritage, nor the values which inspire and enable human achievement. We have been pressured into silence by media, education, and the humanistic doctrines of political correctness. We have given our children over to the education establishment and their Statist-favorable indoctrination in revisionist history, rage against the oppressors, America as victimizers of the poor and minorities, capitalist and corporate greed, and the American Imperialist agenda. The values that hold a society together with civil behavior, economic prosperity, and national security have been questioned and replaced by white guilt, nanny state dependency, capitulation to foreign law, Federal government intervention in all behaviors under the guise of commerce, and worship of the environment.
Strong central governments require that individual rights be granted by the government, not by God. The state cannot take away God-given rights. It is, therefore, necessary to rid the culture of any allegiance to God and true Bible believing religion. Churches have become the enemy. Christianity, and Catholicism in particular has strict and unchanging rules of behavior. The moral codes embraced by the Christian doctrine condemn homosexuality, adultery, fornication, drunkenness and other culturally popular forms of “victimless crimes.” The conscience of those who practice these abominations is pricked, and they retaliate, using a perversion of the “Rights” given them in the Constitution. But, such “Rights” are in direct opposition to those intended and given by God. Until the body of Christ stands together against the culture of sin, we will remain impotent, flaccid, and ineffective in the face of those who use the letter of the Law against those who are afraid to stand up and say “No” to this invasion of Satan.
The battle will rage until one side achieves domination. The Islamists have no qualms about using actual physical force to impose their religion upon us. We should have no compunction against using the words of Truth against false religions, and sinful thoughts, speech, and action. We must honor the family, and boldly affirm the sanctity of the marital bond. Federal law has no place in establishing moral limits, but every State, County, and City has the obligation to legislate its best understanding of the boundaries of Godly morality. We are not a theocracy, but if we are to be blessed by God, we must govern ourselves by the general principles of Christianity. If we wish to reach our peak, we must openly declare our allegiance to the God of the Bible.
We have been seduced by the Libertarian rhetoric of “Freedom”, but unrestrained Liberty is not the ultimate virtue. There are limits to our Freedom, and if we do not impose them upon ourselves, God will turn us over to the destroyer and we will reap the rewards of our own rebellion. We are, sadly, close to drinking from that full cup of wrath.
We have embraced relativism, as though the boundaries, beliefs, and feelings of our fellow man are superior to the absolute Law of God. We have attended churches where a watered down gospel is preached. The average parishioner receives words from the pulpit far removed from the wisdom and encouragement he needs to overcome the cultural tsunami of relativism, cultural Marxism, political correctness, values bending, and the Islamic invasion. There is a time for holiness and standing in the presence of our God in worship, and there is a time to equip the saints for battle. The appropriate venue may be a Sunday School, an email newsletter, cultural action blog, webinar for education and support, small group discussion, American Heritage seminar, organization for political action, community organizing, or judicial activism. Regardless of the venue or method, it’s time for the Church to come out of the closet and be the Christians who are salt and light in this world.
We have seen numerous cultural attacks on the church and family. The family unit competes with Statism, and the proponents of Big Government know that the family unit must be weakened for men to depend fully on government. The Statists know that a Christian Nation will not participate in the violent revolution required by the Marxist program. Thus, they have chosen the alternate route of breaking down the moral fabric and righteous discrimination of the people. When men have no proper concept of Truth they can be manipulated to believe the drumbeat of the State Run media propaganda. By seducing the Church to accept homosexuality in the name of “tolerance” “loving thy neighbor” and “Thou shalt not judge, lest ye be judged”, these enemies of our soul attempt to pervert, misstate, and then use our own values against us. Teaching our children the doctrines of relative morality, honoring diversity, homosexual marriage, abortion, and safe sex, the education-government complex has moved the minds of the next generation far down the road toward rejecting the message of Christ and embracing the propaganda of the government-media complex.
Those wanting unrestricted moral freedom, and the Muslims who want Sharia Law imposed, have one thing in common: change America by weakening its foundation so it can be replaced. Once weakened, they will then both take different approaches to implement their goals, but for now their strategies mesh. The societal pressures are increasing their accommodation of Islam while increasing their intolerance of Christianity. We see a course taken consistent with the goals and outcomes of a satanic strategy for domination of minds and hearts for the Kingdom of Darkness.
Our security as a nation and culture depends on our economic soundness. Economic freedom is the foundation of survival, without which there is no freedom. We must restore our economy, lest we will lose our lifestyle, freedom, national security, and hope for the future. We have emasculated our productive capacity with legislation that gives incentive for jobs and industries to migrate overseas to avoid taxes, environmental regulation, labor laws, and union demands. We must reverse the policies of Big Government which discourage American production.
U.S. RELATIONSHIPS WITH ISLAMIC COUNTRIES
We have gone to war to protect Muslims in Bosnia, Kosovo, Kuwait, and Iraq, but we have not used the capital of our sacrifice, care, and humanitarian service to win the hearts and minds of the Islamic world to Christ. All our good works will be for naught if we do not free the captives from the clutches of their satanic stronghold.
Not all Islamic nations have integrated church and state or practice strict Sharia Law, these include: Jordan, Oman, Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt. Some have had women heads of state; examples are Pakistan, Turkey, Indonesia and Bangladesh. The weakness of their grasp is evidenced by their instability and periodic radical uprisings.
But, the disunity and turmoil of the Islamic countries, internally, and between each other, gives us only minor consolation. We would expect that a satanic coalition to have internal strife. These nations cannot be trusted allies until they overtly declare their opposition to the forceful expansion of Islam, and embrace the gospel of Christ. Until the people of a nation rebel and remove the oppression of Sharia Law from their heads, every such Islamic nation is still under the strong force and sway of Satan.
When a nation makes unambiguous national statements to the Islamic world that they condemn all forceful expansion, and subjugation of non-believers under Sharia, they can begin to be trusted. Until a nation makes such a forceful declaration, any appearance of an alliance is only a tactic of delay for advantage.
Iran is the most visible antagonist, but Saudi Arabia is also a threat. The Wahhabis are well funded and have deeply infiltrated American life. They have a strong influence in the Arab Study Institutes of American Universities, as well as in government, commerce, prisons, financial institutions, madrassas, mosques, and in phony charities. They preach their radicalism and hatred everywhere without check or opposition. Our media and culture should boldly condemn with words and action the Saudi and Islamic message of conversion, world domination, and violent jihad. Islamic theology and law is antithetical to Western thought, government, and culture, and we cannot give our mortal enemies unopposed access to our instructions of indoctrination and enculturation. These nations are not our friends, and Islam is not a religion of peace. We should courageously and vocally oppose their agenda and invasion in all its forms. We have clothed jihad-speak and Islamic proselytizing with the flag and First Amendment protections. Is it any wonder we have al-Qaeda cells here on our own soil? We must regain the will to perpetuate our national morality as a Judeo-Christian nation. No nation’s identity and culture can long endure that hates its own heritage, and grants preferred access to influence the minds and hearts of its youth, cultural institutions, and troubled populations. The time is now to put up barriers to prevent the invasion of those who are committed to our destruction. We have been made ineffective by our own foolishness in judging good and evil, which follows directly from our national turn from applying the Word of God as our highest guide to life.
WHAT IS OUR RISK?
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Militant Islam is a threat to us primarily because we have become weak in spirit. We have lost our fiery conviction that our nation is special because we are literally doing God’s work in spreading the gospel and implementing it on Earth as it is in Heaven. Although we have not lost the culture yet, we are at grave risk. There is still a remnant who remembers our heritage and the worship of the God of our forefathers. There is still time for the U.S. to recover its national will and restore its once great identity as “One nation under God,” but perhaps not much.
Our population has diminished in relation to those who would invade and usurp our culture. At a rate of 3000/day since Roe v Wade in 1973, we have aborted over 40 million new citizens. We have killed as many as Stalin. The family unit, the foundation of society, is becoming rare. Forty percent of those not aborted are born out of wedlock. And, those of us who oppose abortion have had little effect in changing the culture that makes abortion acceptable as an institution of freedom.
We want cars more than children. Lifestyle has become more important than life. We are focused on our own material indulgence to the detriment of our children and grandchildren – few though they may be.
Church affiliation and attendance have dropped. “We” has been replaced by “Me” all too often. Truth and morality have become relative, and we have become more self-centered. The entertainment industry keeps pushing the “decency” envelope to the point where someday, nothing will be considered indecent. “Getting away with it” is replacing dignity and honor. Education, governance, law, media, and entertainment have abandoned their sacred obligation to perpetuate and enforce the Judeo-Christian cultural and moral principles upon which our country was founded.
At least 50 million Americans and many illegals are on government assistance and many are voting. Many “immigrants” are illegal, and not all want to become Americans or share traditional American values. More than half of all “wage earners” pay no Federal Income Tax. One-third of them get a tax-credit check instead. Personal responsibility is waning. Our “educators” teach our children that Capitalism and free markets are bad and that Socialism is good. They demonize big business, glorify big government and call that “progressive.” What is the attraction to socialism? Where has it worked to produce the utopian dream of egalitarian prosperity?
Unless we drastically cut our rate of spending, or massively increase our production, the current rate we are accumulating the national debt, and the magnitude of the unfunded obligations associated with our entitlement system will collapse the economy, and with it our culture. We are committing national and cultural suicide. WE HAVE A CULTURE PROBLEM!
WHAT CAN WE DO?
Our national strategy has been to eliminate the consequences of poor choices, rather than making better ones. The entitlement mentality bred by our new national policy of cradle to grave rescue from consequences damages our survival instinct and blunts the drive to innovate. Our cultural hegemony is waning, but those who promote a world government praise our decline and speak a national loathing for our influence on the world and culture. To restore our greatness, we must return to individual responsibility and personal accountability, and personally act according to the ways of Biblical Godliness.
We are no longer a nation united by culture or under God, and without the glue of a common morality and value system; we will be usurped by those with the will to impose their will upon us. We must each use our sphere of influence to promote the Judeo Christian values as they apply in our personal world. There is only hope if we awaken to the Truth of Godliness, and exert the energy necessary to overcome habit, ignorance, error, and human nature.
The United States has been the most successful, generous and outreaching nation in recorded history. We have the historical and constitutional ability to change peacefully. It can all change if we as individuals are committed to restoring the values and actions that made this nation great. We are a majority still, but without individuals actively participating in restoring the culture, we cannot defeat the ideological threats of Radical Islam and Statism.
There is no solution for the problems we face in the material world – this is a spiritual battle. We can only fight the forces seeking to destroy us if we have a deep knowledge and understanding of our Judeo Christian values and speak, think, and apply them. Only by faith and works are the strongholds of Satan destroyed.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Prayer is a vital tool in bringing His Kingdom on Earth. Pray daily with fervent supplication to the God of Heaven for revival and a move of the Holy Spirit on our nation. Educate your sphere in daily conversation. Discuss the issues that face our nation and warn of the threat presented by our decaying moral standard. Encourage those in your influence to live holy lives. Vote for candidates with Judeo-Christian values who support limited Constitutional government. Encourage your priest or pastor to apply the gospel message to living holy lives as individuals and as a group (society and culture). Stand boldly against political correctness. Openly criticize our current ideological idolatry: multiculturalism, entitlement mentality, relativism, tolerance of sin, political correctness, Statism, false religions, immorality in media, perversion of Constitutional intent, and Separation of God from the Public Square.
These issues are important. Pray and let the Holy Spirit give you ideas. Revitalize your heart with hope, knowing this is God’s world, and He will restore our nation if the People who are called by His name repent and seek His face. Work to restore our national identity. Reform starts with knowledge, so study, read, discuss, and surround yourself with like-minded allies in this battle. Start a group in your home, view movies, read books, study the Bible, discuss the implications of the cultural message, and make plans how to respond to the people and circumstances of life. Be accountable to each other, encourage those of like mind, and share your trials and victories.
ALL IT TAKES FOR EVIL TO TRIUMPH IS FOR GOOD MEN TO DO NOTHING
by Thomas Abshier | Apr 26, 2025 | Apologetics/Theology/Christianity
The Significance of the Resurrection
By, Thomas Lee Abshier, ND
8/18/2024
John, you have quoted Jordan Peterson’s comment that he behaves as if God is real. I agree we cannot prove God’s existence. Such a comment is realistic, in that we cannot know and believe that God exists in the same way that we are certain that we exist, (by introspection), that an object exists (by sensory experience), that a theory of nature is true (by logic), or that a sensation or thought exists (by subjective experience). The uncertainly of God’s existence is obvious, given that the proof of existence can only be inferred by Descartes’ famous declaration “je pense, donc je suis,”1637 and “Cogito ergo sum,” 1641 (I think, therefore I am). This proof of existence of self is probably the only proof of the existence that is possible, and such a proof of God’s existence, or anything else, is not possible. Thus, our certainty of the existence of the external world is more indirect, as our sensory experience infers it. The existence of God requires even more inductive inferences from the cause-effect evidence of life events to prove His existence.
In short, it is impossible to rigorously prove or disprove the existence of God. That is, we cannot establish a logical connection (by induction or deduction) using the evidence (obtained by the senses and instruments) of a cause-effect relationship that requires God’s existence. But there is consistency between the postulate of God’s existence and the moral, scientific, and statistical evidence. Thus, if we cannot prove God’s existence (which we cannot), behaving as if God exists may be the best any of us can do.
Some people testify of a direct sensory/soul/spirit experience of God, and this experience gives them a knowing confidence in God’s existence, but such encounters are rare. Others have a deep sense of knowing that God exists after a set of life events, such as hearing a testimony, reading about/studying the evidence of science, others have a profound or convincing feeling/thought or event-experience.
The bottom line is that belief in God does not produce the outcome of a Godly life. James 2:19 states, “Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.”: This verse implies that believing in God’s existence is not sufficient. Rather, a meaningful belief must be accompanied by good/right/Godly actions.
Thus, we come to the crucial question, what is the consequence if he/she has doubts about God’s existence, or the truth of Jesus claim of being the only way to God? Will God reject a person who sincerely tries to live a good life but who cannot mentally/logically connect the evidence of science and logic with the Bible and its teachings? What if he/she has no subjective experiences of coincidence, testimony, or personal experience that convinces him/her that God exists?
I believe God is merciful, but He is also just. Regardless of one’s mental concepts about reality, everyone will still choose how to treat other people and direct their lives/actions/choices. Everyone adopts a code of life that directs their actions, and I believe God judges and rewards a man according to His standards. I do not believe anyone can be good/righteous/perfect enough to come into God’s presence. Thus, the question is, what is God’s criteria for fellowship with Him?
If we are unable to enter into God’s presence due to the dirt/unholiness of our imperfect character or past choices/acts, the question arises: how can we recover/atone for our errors and be made perfect/acceptable to enter into His presence and fellowship? The Bible states that the wages of sin are death. But paying that debt with our own lives does not lead us to perfection, it merely fulfills the contract and cements our slave relationship with our creditor. The contract of sin is a trade of the benefit/pleasure of sin for our death and soul.
The death and resurrection of Jesus established a spiritual possibility. It opened a lawful method of paying the debt of sin and retaining our life and freedom. With His passion play, Jesus’s unrighteous death established an eternally open line of credit in the bank of Heaven, available to pay the debt of sin for all who meet the requirements for debt cancellation. Those requirements include Satan and his demons inflicted Jesus’ death and took His soul to Hell without legal justification. That archetypal ritual of death and incarceration can be appropriated as payment for the debt of imperfect character and remnants of past acts. We can only fulfill a debt to which we have obligated ourselves. God established a method through which we could pay the debt and retain our life and freedom, but the terms of the debt cancellation is actual committed loyalty to His way of being.
The level of certainty about God’s existence, the truth of the Bible, and the method of salvation are helpful, but they aren’t the decisive factor in being able to appropriate His gift of clemency. The main goal is to have a familial relationship with God. If we believe God exists, that’s good. Certainty in the consequences of sin, and the beneficence of makes it easier to want to be in a relationship with Him. If we aren’t certain He exists, then act as though He does. Act as though the promises of the Bible are true. Act as though God really sees/knows/feels/suffers with our every sin. Recognize that sin separates us from His presence. He is holy and tolerates no unholiness in His presence. Our submission to His Lordship and guidance cleanses us. Christ gives us the gift of holiness/cleansing/transformed hearts when we desire to imitate the purity of His life. The story of the Bible gives the background for the plausibility of the need for a savior. The resurrection gives physical evidence that the Biblical story connected symbolism and prophesy with reality and that the commandments of Godly action did in fact reflect the heart and way of God.
The fact will always remain that no experience or argument proves God’s existence. The incomplete evidence of experience and argument convinces some. Some people grow up with the assumption of God’s existence because of their rearing, culture, and disposition to believe parental authority. But many were raised in cultures who believed in other gods. Others reached maturity after spending a lifetime in an environment that worshipped the mind, logic, and experimental evidence. What will God’s judgment be of those who simply did not receive the gift of parental shaping and early introduction to the story of the Bible?
I think we can say for certain that if every man, woman, and child in the entire world were raised on the Word of God, lived its principles, loved their neighbor as themselves, and desired to please God, the world would be as close as possible to being heaven on earth. But some would argue otherwise, believing that the non-diverse, living the Word of God and its principles, would produce a lifeless world of sexually repressed, puritanical, colorless, bland, and meaningless ritual. We shall await the results of the experiment before making a final judgement, but I’m betting on Godliness producing more happiness, sexual satisfaction, purpose, meaning, prosperity, comfort, joy, health, and happiness.
I don’t think we should depend on having a complete sense of belief in God to live His way. The attitude of behaving as if God existed is beneficial because it is the standard of conduct which is most honoring of self, other, and God’s Law. It produces the best possible results for the most people, both subjectively and objectively. Honoring God’s law/living the principles of the Bible/following Jesus as Lord is especially beneficial when the entire society properly attributes the creation to a divine source and follows the behaviors.
It will always be true, until God manifests in the physical, that many people will not be able to rationalize God’s existence. For such souls, it is beneficial to behave simply as if God exists, and that His law is true. As mentioned, every person will have a better experience of life when the entire culture, nation, and world adopt these premises and enthusiastically pursue their manifestation. If a person acts in ways that please God, there will be a blessing. But even though beneficial, a life of pretending God is real and His law is valid has a level of shallowness and artificialness to it. Such a state is not the optimum, even though it may be all the is possible for a person at a particular time in his/her life. There is a level of genuine contact with reality and relationship which is missing when there is only a tentative acknowledgement of God’s existence. I think being able to attribute personality/personhood to God, and relate to Him as a beloved, honorable, and the source and standard of all, is a divine gift, but that gift can be appropriated by seeking Him.
The Bible teaches that “he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6) [1]. This suggests that God will reveal himself to those who earnestly and sincerely seek him.
While God may not reveal himself in dramatic ways, He makes Himself known to those who genuinely seek Him, as we see in Jeremiah 29:13. “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” The key seems to be having a sincere, humble, and persistent desire to know God, rather than simply asking for a sign or proof of his existence.
Acknowledging God’s existence as the ground of being, the source of life and existence, the ultimate lawgiver and moral authority, and the omnipresent and omniscient center of all existence is important. But I think experiencing/living in a personal relationship with God is even more important.
Some people can accept that God exists, but conceive of Him as impersonal. As an omnipresent and omniscient being, some do not see how He could also be personal, loving, and intimate with every person. The ability of God to relate to everyone individually is plausible if, as I postulate in my physics theory, that His consciousness, divided innumerable times, is the source and substance underlying the physical universe.
Thus, there are two major issues of debate and belief regarding God, 1) His existence, and 2) His nature. The arguments about His nature are irrelevant if He doesn’t exist, but the two are tightly connected because both proponents and doubters use arguments about His nature as premises in arguments to prove or disprove His existence.
There is no definitive proof of God’s existence. There are only facts and logic which are consistent with, or contrary to, a postulate of His existence. Thus, based upon one’s initial training, and subsequent experience with the various arguments for or against His existence, people fall into two camps, each holding their personal opinions/subjective-logical-affective justifications and conclusions as correct.
A person’s opinion about God’s existence is important, because one’s concept of His existence/non-existence is the context within which each person chooses his/her actions. That is, the context of life and the specifics of life must both be considered to act appropriately in a situation.
But as important as is His existence, and as fervently as one believes/disbelieves in God’s existence, that conceptualization/belief remains private. It is impossible to directly transmit one’s subjective experience and belief about God’s existence to another person other than as a testimony, as a validation or negation of His existence by the force of our personal authority or example.
In short, there is no conclusive objective proof of God’s existence, only inference and induction based on various pieces of evidence. To summarize, the logical-evidentiary arguments for God’s existence include:
1) The Cosmological Argument (First Cause Argument): This argues that since everything that exists must have a cause, there must be a first, uncaused cause that brought the universe into existence – and that first cause is God.
2) The Teleological Argument (Design Argument): The universe exhibits evidence of intricate design and order, which points to an intelligent designer.
3) The Argument from Life: The existence of life, which cannot arise randomly from non-living matter, requires a divine creator.
4) The Ontological Argument: God, by definition, is a perfect being. For a perfect being to exist, it must exist, otherwise it would not be perfect. Therefore, God must exist.
5) The Moral Argument: The existence of objective moral values and duties in humans implies a moral lawgiver – God.
6) The Argument from Religious Experience: Many people claim to have had personal, spiritual experiences of encountering God, which serves as evidence for his existence.
Such arguments modestly satisfy the mind/intellect by pointing toward the reality of God’s existence using physical evidence of various sorts. But even if the existence of God is validated on the level of objective reality and reason, I don’t think that would be satisfying. I think that having a personal relationship with God as a thinking and feeling being is a necessary experience to satisfy our sense of fully experiencing reality.
In my conception, God is both infinite in extent and present within all, and yet capable of individual intimate care. My physics/theological/philosophical postulate is that God created the physical universe from His mind, from a near-infinite number of points of perspective. Every point composing the physical universe is a point from which God is looking back at Himself from every possible position. Thus, there is nothing which is not God, in that the substrate of literally everything is composed of Consciousness perceiving other points of consciousness. Thus, the physical universe is pure spirit/consciousness at its base. Such as construction of the universe is consistent with the Bible, logic, evidence, and purpose. But God does not want to be alone, playing a game of solitaire, creating a world of make-believe and pretending that He has a dance partner, another game player, a competitor/opponent that gives the game consequences. In this conception God had to create our spirits/the Conscious Points that are the essence of our being/identity/existence/self as independent creatures. I believe He desires that we choose Him, and push to shape/move the universe to follow His way. I believe God cares for our well-being and desires a heart-satisfying individual relationship with every person. The Bible gives us insight into both His impersonal and lawful nature and His personal, loving and merciful nature.
Which brings up Jordan Peterson’s grappling with the reality of a literal resurrection of Jesus. JP is willing to accept the resurrection as a powerful/perhaps the most significant symbolic/mytho-poetic event in all of human history, but He has not been able to accept the resurrection as a physical reality.
The question is whether accepting Jesus’ resurrection as only a metaphorical/mytho-poetic event is an adequate acknowledgment of its reality to get the benefits of salvation promised in 1 Corinthians 15? In this chapter, Paul emphasizes the importance of the resurrection in terms of its spiritual and physical significance, which I interpret as meaning, that the physical reality of the resurrection is proof of the hope of eternal life for the man who has not sinned. By accepting the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ, a man frees himself from the power of death and pays his debt of sin.
The question is, then, whether a belief in the literal death and resurrection of Christ is required to obtain the gift of eternal life?
I believe that the significance of the text of 1 Corinthians 15 centers on the requirement to a) make Jesus Christ the Lord of one’s life and b) accept the resurrection as true physical reality. I believe these two criteria for salvation are restatements of each other from two very different perspectives.
• The acceptance of the physical reality of the resurrection is a de facto acceptance of the larger story of the Bible. Acceptance of the reality of the literal resurrection implies the acceptance of the literal reality of the Bible’s prophesy, promises, moral commands, as God-authorized revelation.
• The acceptance of the resurrection (and the moral precepts of the Bible) as reality implies that one has made Jesus Christ the Lord (moral guide) of one’s life.
• The premises and historicity of the Biblical story culminates in the resurrection. Prophetic scriptures declare Christ will apply His blood as payment for the debt due to redeem us from our debt, which was our contracted payment for the pleasure of sin.
• Our complete surrender to God’s Law/way places us in the heart space where we can accept the blood of Jesus Christ as the sacrifice of life that pays our debt. This atonement, this cleansing of our souls/spirits, is a spiritual transaction that allows us to enter into the presence of the most holy one.
A man deserves death when he violates God’s law because God hates impurity in His creation. God wants all evil to be eliminated from His creation. He is pure, holy, and sinless and wants to cleanse His creation of evil, and thus the death sentence is passed on every man who sins, even once.
Jesus lived without sin. The agents of Satan conspired to thwart God’s plan, and they killed Him. But there was no warrant, no Godly law justifying His death because He was sinless, having never violated God’s Law. As a result, God raised Him from the dead, because death could not lawfully hold Him. The power of sin is God’s law because God both the legislator and enforcer of His law. Since there had been no violation of God’s law, death could not hold Him. When Jesus died, He descended into the lower parts of the earth, God raised Him from the dead, He then ascended above Heaven and led captivity captive.
1 Peter 3:19 “by which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison”
Luke 23:43 “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Ephesians 4:8-10 “Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)”
Psalm 68:18 “Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.”
Colossians 2:15 “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”
Acts 2:24 “But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.”
1 Corinthians 15:56: “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.”
Hebrews 4:15 “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
1 Peter 2:22 “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.”
2 Corinthians 5:21 “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
1 John 3:5 “You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.”
Matthew 16:21-23 “From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” “And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, ‘Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” “But he turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
Luke 22:3-6 “Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them. And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money. And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude.”
Without the resurrection, the Bible is just a myth, a symbolic play of the gods, a story that may or may not reflect reality. Symbolism is good for instruction in life lessons/wisdom and pattern recognition, but symbols can depict fantasy/imagination/dreams that will never manifest.
Facts and objective reality are evidence of the actual structure of the universe. The resurrection is the culmination of the entire Biblical drama. If the resurrection is reality, it confirms the Biblical story, which is the dramatization of the reality of God’s law and the nature of His creation. The message of the resurrection is that God preserves life if we do not sin, and destroys life that is imperfect/commits sin.
The context of the resurrection, the surrounding story, the elaboration of the implication of the resurrection is told by the metaphors, illustration, and symbolism of:
• God’s revelation of His hand in the formation of the universe, earth, plant and animal life, and the man’s similarity to God,
• God’s revelation of His Law to Moses,
• The journey of the Children of Israel from bondage to independent self-governed freedom, their literal and symbolic struggle to survive; their failures and victories in overcoming the temptations of the flesh; the cost they faced in remaining true to God’s word and way;
• The Mosaic Law was God’s divinely revealed standard of perfect purity.
• The prophets warned of destruction for disobedience to God’s law, worshipping other gods and adopting the doctrines of demons.
• The story of the Bible illustrates: The lessons of government in the dramas of the evil kings and judges; the seduction of worshipping false gods/demons; the ease/commonness of forgetting history; the pain, oppression, and poverty associated with rebelling against God’s law; the prosperity, health, and freedom following Godliness; the seduction and cost of sexual liberty/infidelity, drunkenness, sloth, theft, murder, lies, covetousness/envy; the centrality of love, and the virtue of faith and hope, diligence, selfless service, Godliness; the intervention of the Holy Spirit in , the rebellion of the children of Israel and the long slow revelation of God’s Law, His plans for redemption of sinners, the validity and effectiveness of blood sacrifice in paying the debt of sin by substitutionary sacrifice, the , and if we accept Jesus as our advocate, then , Atoms, electrons, and quarks are unseen, but there is a reality that they represent. That reality governs/defines and limits the possibilities of structure.
• And superimposed upon/interwoven throughout the whole Bible is the story of the need for a Messiah/savior/sacrificial offering to restore our relationship with God. The prophets foretold of His coming, the demons knew He was the One and tried to stop Him by killing Him. God revealed His plan, but hid it inside of symbolism that could be known/seen/interpreted to give faith/evidence of His existence and Lordship, but would not reveal His plan explicitly and allowed the demons to thwart the plan. Not revealing His plan would have prevented the demons from knowing and thwarting it, but if there was no revelation, there would have been no expectation, and no reason for the people to believe. after having seen the intricate plans of God.
• Proverbs 25:2, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter.” This verse captures the essence of the drama of the journey of life. God created a universe that is plausibly made by existence spontaneously arising out of nothing, and life spontaneously arising out of chaotic disorder. Those who love truth will seek it with passion. Those who hunger for understanding will cry out for knowledge. God will reveal Himself to those who sincerely desire to know His Heart, world, and Law. God longs to fill His heart with companions, lovers, friends, family, and fellow workers. God is love and He wants to fill His heart with companions who truly love Him. He has sown the field with humanity, as evidenced by their love of His world, way, and Word. To those He reveals Himself,
o Acts 17:26-27 states that God “made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him.” This indicates that God created humanity with the intention that they would seek after and find Him.
o Ezekiel 18:23 says “Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?” This shows that God desires for people to turn to Him and live, rather than to perish.
o 2 Peter 3:9 states that “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” This verse directly states that God does not want anyone to perish, but rather desires that all people would come to repentance and salvation.
o 1 Timothy 2:4 says that God “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” This clearly expresses God’s hope that all people would come to know and follow Him.
• These passages imply that God created humanity with the desire and hope that they would turn to Him, seek after Him, and find salvation and eternal life in relationship with Him. The Scriptures portray God as a loving Creator who longs for His creation to come to know and follow Him.
• These scriptures indicate that God has given man free will. God has a perfect plan, and in it every person comes to a saving knowledge of Him, and all are healthy, happy, and holy.
• We live in a universe which appears to have no God, but in which God is arguably the substance and being of every subatomic particle. In such a world, where God is the only being, and where He has given man the same power of free will as Himself (created in His image), the appearance of other, and non-existence, are used as methods of discrimination to allow spirits the choice to rebel or embrace.
o “But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own desire. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” James 1:14-15
o This passage explains that temptation comes from our own desires/hungers of the flesh. If we do not love God, and honoring His commands more than sin, then the hungers of the flesh lure us/entice us to indulge our flesh/pleasure desire-hunger. When we give in to these desires, it leads to sin, which leads to death, both physical death and the death of our connection with God. He cannot tolerate sin.
• God is perfect and His nature is incompatible with evil. To enter into the presence of a Holy God we must be cleansed. The work of Jesus Christ on the cross, dying unjustly, leaving the credit of His blood and death open to all who would accept it as sufficient to pay our debt of blood and death to make us acceptable to be in the presence of the Most Holy God. By accepting that sacrifice, and accept Jesus the Christ as Lord of one’s life is the requirement. That is, we must accept His moral criteria as good, right, desired, and submit to and act on those principles of morality. Likewise/in like manner/as another expression of the same commitment to Godly morality, we must believe in the resurrection was real/true. By accepting the literal reality of the Biblical revelation as true/real/physically effective, a man demonstrates his willing submission to the principle/standards/code/requirement of holiness in his concepts/belief and actions. The believing in God’s way of living is active, to the point of actually directing a man’s moral choices. This transformation, from a moral child driven by the flesh to an adult who has moderated the passions and hungers of the flesh, is the fundamental drama of life. In it we are growing in our stature in the Kingdom, laying treasures in heaven, working out our salvation with fear and trembling. The journey of life for every man is a process of learning, growing, and maturing in the ways of God, in preparation for the true, eternal work in building His kingdom. As humans, we are given Godlike powers of moral discernment. We were created in His image, and we know good and evil, having eaten of the forbidden fruit. Thus, the play of maturation began in the Garden, and it will continue through eternity. Every soul will stand before Him alone, and account for every idle word.
o Habakkuk 1:13 states: “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrongdoing.” This verse indicates that God’s holy nature is incompatible with sin, and He cannot look upon it favorably.
o Psalm 5:4-5 says: “For you are not a God who is pleased with wickedness; with you, evil people are not welcome. The arrogant cannot stand in your presence; you hate all who do wrong.” This reinforces that God’s presence cannot coexist with evil or those who embrace it.
o Isaiah 59:2 explains: “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” Sin creates a separation between God and the person who sins, as God cannot dwell with evil.
o The overall biblical principle is that God’s holiness and righteousness are incompatible with sin. When a person embraces evil and sin, it creates a barrier between them and God. God cannot tolerate the presence of wickedness. This separation occurs because God’s nature is fundamentally perfect and His being is incompatible with evil. Those who are separated from God have made the choice to separate themselves, but God continues to draw all people to Himself.
• The criteria for salvation, for reconciliation, for entering into an adopted child relationship with God, to enter into His presence, the following criteria must be met:
o Believe that God exists and that Jesus is the Son of God [Hebrews 11:6, John 3:16, 1 John 4:14-15, 1 John 5:5, 1 John 5:10].
o Believe that Jesus died for your sins and that God raised him from the dead [1 Corinthians 15:2-3, Romans 10:9].
o Repent of your sins and be prepared to turn away from them [Luke 13:3-5, Acts 17:30].
o Confess Jesus as Lord and be willing to publicly acknowledge your faith in him [Matthew 10:32-33, Romans 10:9-10].
o Be prepared to do God’s will and obey his commands, as true faith is demonstrated through actions [Matthew 7:21, 1 John 2:17, James 2:17-26].
• Some of the criteria and verses which indicate how we are to enter into his presence are:
o Enter God’s presence with thanksgiving: “Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!” (Psalm 100:4)
o Approach God with thanksgiving when making requests and petitions: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (Philippians 4:6)
o Begin intercession and prayer for others with thanksgiving: “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.” (Romans 1:8) “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you.” (Colossians 1:3)
o Seek to know God’s ways and find favor in His sight: “Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight.” (Exodus 33:13)
o Desire God’s presence to go with you: “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here.” (Exodus 33:15)
In 1 Corinthians 15, the truth/reality of the physical resurrection is declared as real. It emphasizes that the hope and faith of the promise of Christ as Messiah, as savior, is without power if the resurrection was not literal/real/true. If there is no resurrection, there is no salvation, and all the denials of the hungers of the flesh are of no value. If the resurrection is only a symbol, not real, and there is no power of salvation that justifies our relationship with God, then we are the most miserable of people. We have denied ourselves the pleasures of the flesh for nothing.
The reality of the resurrection is the validation of the entire story/drama/play/lesson of the Bible. The whole of the Biblical story is a self-validating drama, a story of God using that the real/actual/physical resurrection as an act/event/process to give evidence of a fundamental truth/fact/law about the structure of reality. In the Biblical story, the resurrection is the finale, the culmination of the story of God reaching out to reconcile Himself with man. The resurrection is an indirect indicator of the purpose of life, which is to reconcile God with man. God has established the rules of right/wrong and their consequence. He desires obedience. He desires that we live within the parameters of Godliness because we can be in relationship with Him, as opposed to being separated from Him, not in relationship with Him if we follow the ways of the flesh. The emotions felt within the experience of reality are indicators of the pull of evil. The lust of the flesh is the seduction, the infatuation, the lust to love and worship another god other than the Lord God, the creator of Heaven and Earth.
Which brings up the question of what proof would sufficiently convince a man to truly believe and genuinely sense/believe/rationalize/accept/embrace the reality of Jesus’ life, unjust murder, and resurrection? The story of Jesus’ death and resurrection, the story of a prophesied savior, has no correlate in the literal reality of our personal experience. We can’t go back two millennia and view the events of the crucifixion and resurrection. And we have only the testimony of the first century witnesses as our evidence. Thus, if we want to increase our certainty, we must use inference and inductive tools to establish the validity of such unseen events/phenomena.
Romans 10:9 declares that we are saved by making Jesus our Lord, and believing that He was raised from the dead. This declaration connects His physical resurrection to the validity of the claim of salvation and justification. 1 Corinthians 15 If the resurrection was not real, only a literary device, a metaphor/myth about taking up our crosses in choosing moral acts, then the hope and message of Christianity is a lie.
AI elaboration on the importance of the resurrection to salvation:
The key verse referring to salvation requiring belief that Jesus was raised from the dead is Romans 10:9, “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
This verse clearly states that belief in Jesus’ resurrection is a necessary component of salvation. Paul emphasizes that in addition to confessing Jesus as Lord, believing that God raised Jesus from the dead is essential for one to be saved.
Belief in Jesus’ resurrection serves as confirming/additional evidence that a man has an effective/saving/transforming faith in Christ’s power, promise, and Lordship. Those who trust in Christ for salvation affirm that Christ was raised from the dead, as the resurrection is the climax of the entire Bible., which culminates in the gospel message (the good news).
Romans 10:9 is the key verse that links salvation to the requirement of believing that Jesus was raised from the dead.
My comments:
As I have argued, belief in the resurrection is evidence of having believed the principles of the faith. But I believe there an even a deeper significance to belief in the resurrection. I argue that the Romans 10:9 conditions for salvation, to believe in the resurrection, reflect a requirement that each person adopt a commitment to living God’s principles/way and a personal transformation in living that deeper than merely believing in the fact/physical reality that Jesus was raised from the dead.
The question is why would Romans 9:10 emphasize that believing in the resurrection was of such great importance? Given the construction of this sentence, the resurrection is either an additional requirement to making Jesus Christ the Lord (director/master/standard) of our lives, or a restatement of the requirement to make Him Lord from a different perspective. Either way, the question confronts us as to why belief in the resurrection is considered as a requirement of salvation in the same context as making Jesus Christ the Lord (director/master/standard) of one’s life.
I believe the resurrection implies the existence of another plane of existence. And if this is so, if life extends beyond existence in this world, then this perspective/knowledge/fact gives a new level of significance/context to our lives. Salvation is thus a gradual or sudden transformation of the soul/heart in the realization that life is eternal, that God is immanent, that the experience of relationship with God is the purpose of life. The draw toward a knowing intimacy with God is probably different for each person. That certainty, His presence, the truth of His word and promises may be a feeling, an inner knowing, a rationalized understanding of how the world works. Regardless of the method of arriving, each person must ultimately come to a settled recognition that Jesus is the standard of perfection, that His story was of divine origin, and this reality validates the value/necessity of the deprivation of the illicit satisfaction of the senses as an expression of love toward God. By choosing to live as Jesus lived, within the moral confines of the Biblical standard, we are sacrificing our flesh satisfaction as an offering of love to Him. And remarkably, the joy of life is greater for the sacrifice.
There are many reasons to cling to life (e.g. fear of the unknown consequence of death, the desire to continue to experience pleasures of the flesh in all its forms, a sense of incompleteness in fulfilling the purpose of one’s life). However, we cannot identify an absolute/universal/definitive reason for life or clinging to it. I suggest that life arose as a purposeful expression of God to experience the joy of living in relationship with Him. It is my postulate that the entire creation is an expression of God, and that there is no other substance or entity other than Him. Thus, if God is the source of all, and the entire creation emanates from Him, then in essence He exists alone. If He is the only being that ever existed, then His loneliness and aloneness are profound. I believe the Bible is the story of His effort to create a creation with meaning, with other beings capable of free will, who can choose to love Him. I believe that the Bible is the story of God instructing man about the principles of living a life that pleases Him as we live inside of His being. I believe the Bible is a story that includes the resurrection as an indicator that He desires that we live a sinless/perfect life, and that He has established a method, a technology, that we can access to reconcile our flawed/human/dust/flesh with His holiness. By using this technology, and more importantly, dedicating our good works as an expression of love of Him, we have established a Godly relationship with Him, that will satisfy Him and us.
If the resurrection was real/physical/actual, it implies the entire story of the Bible is true. The Bible is a documentary story that introduces characters, moral stakes, various scenes that develop the plot, which leads to a climax. The Bible starts with man and woman being created as perfect children with Godlike qualities, but the plot complicates with the initiating incident of man’s separation from God by disobeying His one “thou shalt not” command. The story developed with man’s effort to reconcile with God. The consequences of that separation were death and pain. The path required both His plan and our actions. We can restore that connection/relationship/intimacy by the process of accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord, and accepting that He has done a work in the spiritual realm which made it possible for our rebellion, our selfish and shortsighted indulgence in the pleasures of the flesh, to be cleansed. In the Biblical narrative, we see that God has engineered a plan for man’s escape from the hell of separation from Him. The fact of the crucifixion/death of a sinless Jesus Christ at the hands of evil, and the reality of the resurrection, gives testimony to the fact that it is sin which prevents life eternal, and that sinless life allows for life eternal.
The Story of the Bible
The Bible’s overarching narrative told through the lens of StoryGrid’s 5 commandments is as follows:
Inciting Incident: The story begins in the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve live in perfect harmony with God. However, tempted by the serpent, they rebel against God’s command and eat the forbidden fruit. This act of disobedience shatters the perfect relationship between humanity and God, introducing sin and death into the world.
Turning Point/Progressive Complication: As humanity spreads across the earth, their relationship with God continues to be marked by cycles of sin, judgment, and reconciliation. God chooses Abraham and his descendants to be His people, leading to the exodus from Egypt under Moses’ leadership. At Mount Sinai, God gives the Ten Commandments, establishing a covenant with Israel. For centuries, the Israelites struggle with obedience, cycling through periods of faithfulness and idolatry, experiencing the leadership of judges and kings, and receiving warnings from prophets. This period is marked by increasing tension as humanity’s sin problem remains unresolved despite God’s continued guidance and intervention.
Crisis: The narrative reaches its crisis point with the birth of Jesus Christ, the incarnation of God Himself. Jesus’ life and teachings reveal God’s nature and His plan for humanity’s redemption. Jesus’ miracles are evidence of His power/mastery over life and matter, and His authority to forgive sin. However, this leads to a dramatic dilemma: Jesus, the promised Messiah, is rejected by many and ultimately betrayed. His crucifixion presents a moment of profound crisis – the apparent defeat of God’s plan and the loss of hope for His followers.
Climax: The climax of the story occurs with Jesus’ resurrection. This miraculous event definitively demonstrates God’s power over sin and death, vindicates Jesus’ claims, and offers hope for all humanity. It’s the decisive action that resolves the crisis and changes the course of history.
Resolution: The resolution unfolds as the resurrected Christ commissions His disciples to spread the good news. The Apostle Paul, once a persecutor of the church, becomes a pivotal figure in articulating and spreading the message of salvation through faith in Jesus. His teachings emphasize that anyone – regardless of background – can be reconciled to God by accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior. This new covenant, based on grace rather than law, offers a way for all people to live in right relationship with God and each other.
The Church Age Story
The post-Biblical era up to the Millennial reign of Christ framed through the lens of StoryGrid’s 5 Commandments is as follows:
Inciting Incident: The era of the early Church, starting with Pentecost and the apostles’ ministry, serves as the inciting incident. The Holy Spirit’s outpouring empowers believers to spread the Gospel, challenging the established religious and political orders. This new movement, centered on faith in the resurrected Christ, begins to spread rapidly across the Roman Empire and beyond, setting the stage for a new chapter in human history.
Turning Point/Progressive Complication: As the Church grows, it faces increasing challenges and complications. These include:
1. Persecution from both Jewish and Roman authorities
2. The rise of heresies and false teachings within the Church
3. The fall of the Roman Empire and the onset of the Dark Ages
4. The Great Schism between Eastern and Western Christianity, the beginning of Christian disunity
5. The Protestant Reformation and subsequent denominational divisions, the further splintering of the church
6. The Enlightenment and the rise of secularism and rationalism as a Godless worldview competing with Christianity
7. The significant advancement of science and technology in solving problems, giving man the sense of wielding godlike powers over nature, and the irrelevance of God
8. Globalization, interconnection, universal surveillance, universal control, and the imposition of a Politically Correct/Woke, Godless worldview upon all of humanity
Each of these events progressively complicates the Church’s mission and humanity’s relationship with God, leading to a world where faith is increasingly challenged and marginalized in many societies.
Crisis: The crisis point in this narrative could be seen as the culmination of these progressive complications – a world where moral relativism, materialism, and secular humanism have become dominant ideologies in many parts of the globe. How does the Church influence/win/retake a culture for Christ and His Kingdom, which has rejected the fundamental Biblical principles such as loving God (e.g. obeying His commands regarding sexual purity), and neighbor as self? The church is divided and some have bowed to the pressure of appealing to the culture for acceptance, rather than standing firm on Biblical principles. Sexual purity and identity are the wedge issues which casts doubt on the Bible as the authentic will of God, and the masses of humanity reject holiness, purity, and Godliness. The removal of the Bible as the firm standard of righteousness in personal and societal law gives way to,
• Perversion of every type, and prosecution of those who protest/object/resist calling evil good,
• Acceptance/endorsement/imposition of false religions
• Elevation of the will of man above the consideration of the warnings and revelations of the Bible,
• Loss of a true standard, the revealed way of Godliness, which guides mankind to prosperity, health, peace, and the blessings of God
• Elevation of man, reason, and human values as the standard and prosecution of all who resist bowing to these standards.
• Man calls down a curse upon himself as he rejects God’s way and endorses the way of demons and those who are anti-Christ
• The rise of global government, universal surveillance and artificial intelligence monitoring for politically incorrect/wrong-think speech, and predictive thought crime prosecution
• Global oppression, confiscation of assets, regional or global war, biowarfare pandemics, inflation, digital currency, issues exacerbate this crisis such as economic inequality and the threat of nuclear war, which seem to push humanity to the brink of self-destruction.
Climax: The climax of this story, as described in biblical prophecy, is the return of Jesus Christ. The Second Coming, is the decisive intervention by God in human history, which includes:
1. A period of great tribulation
2. The final defeat of the Antichrist and his forces
3. The binding of Satan
This climactic event resolves the crisis by establishing Christ’s direct rule on Earth, bringing judgment and vindication.
Resolution: The resolution of this grand narrative is the establishment of Christ’s Millennial Kingdom. This thousand-year period is characterized by:
1. Christ’s direct rule from Jerusalem
2. A time of unprecedented peace and prosperity
3. The restoration of nature and the environment
4. The absence of Satan’s influence as he is bound
5. A global society aligned with God’s will and ways
This period serves as a demonstration of God’s original intent for creation and human society, bringing the narrative full circle from the fallen world of Genesis to a restored Earth under God’s direct governance. This structure presents the post-Biblical era as a continuation of the redemptive narrative, culminating in the fulfillment of biblical prophecies and the establishment of God’s kingdom on Earth.
This narrative encapsulates the Bible’s central story of God’s redemptive plan for humanity, from the fall in Eden to the offer of salvation through Christ. The gospel, the good news of Christ’s victory over Satan, was the turning point in the establishment’s story of God’s Kingdom on Earth. The unjust/unmerited death of Christ and His resurrection established the possibility of appropriating His death for our own. The availability of forgiveness and salvation, and the proof of its validity/power/reality by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, sets the stage for the story of the Church. The Church age is the story of the spread of the gospel, the enrollment of individuals, the rise of leaders, the resistance and counteracts by the servants of Satan, who appear to be winning. When the Lord wills, or when the situation cannot be reversed by man’s efforts, (e.g. if super-intelligent AI takes control of the world) then the Lord may return in power. The temptation is to wait and hope for the day of the Lord, but such a desire and hope is not how we should live. “Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is it for you? the day of the Lord is darkness, and not light.” Amos 5:18. Instead, we should work to win souls for the Kingdom, and populate the earth with children who express their of love Him with their Godly lives.
It is possible to bring the Kingdom of Heaven onto Earth by living holy lives, and enrolling our friends and family in the same. The church is the body of believers, those committed to living His way. Holiness is possible; it requires only living a holy moment, living God’s way one moment at a time. Thus, it is possible for us each to live holy lives and sanctify the church. If the world submitted to Jesus Christ as Lord, the world would live in peace. His way is simple, loving God (which we do by following His Law) and loving our neighbor as self. With a city/state/nation/world filled with people living His way, there would be no Tribulation, and Jesus Christ would return and receive His Church as His bride without spot or blemish.
The play/substance/content of life is the drama of souls being tempted and tested/tried/challenged in their commitment to choose Godliness and thus develop/establish our character in the flow and spectrum of life experiences. The purpose of life is the satisfaction of God’s experience of being/existing in relationship with Him.
We see the concept of living for God’s pleasure in Philippians 2:13 “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” This verse teaches that it is God who works in us, giving us the desire and the ability to do what pleases Him. Our purpose in life is to live in a way that brings joy and delight to our Creator. Revelation 4:11 also affirms this truth, stating that all things were created for God’s pleasure: “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” In Psalm 33:6, 9 we see how God’s word and works are the foundation of all creation, existing for His good pleasure: “By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth… For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.” The clear teaching of Scripture is that we, along with all of creation, exist for the pleasure and glory of God. Our highest aim should be to live in a way that delights our Heavenly Father.
I believe the character we develop on earth is the treasure we store in Heaven. I believe our duties, responsibilities, and authority in heaven are commensurate with our character on earth. We are tempted on earth to satisfy our senses/flesh/lusts/hungers and violate the standards and way of Godliness. In this way, our character is tested. The spiritual world appears to be involved, with the spoils of souls, companions, power being given to the side to whom we commit our soul. In essence, we are being tempted and encouraged to serve both sides by demons and angels. The heavenly play is Satan vs God, and each receives power/credit for allegiance and service of souls to their respective Kingdom. God had given us free will, and we can choose which side we serve and which actions we take. And in this all the purpose of life is His satisfaction. He desires that we serve Him and satisfy His desire, which we do by choosing Godliness. In this all, the fundamental experience is relationship with Him, and the satisfying relationship for Him is choosing Godliness (living holiness and loving neighbor as self).
We can consider our character developed by our habitual choices in the way we live our lives as the “treasures” we store up in heaven. The key Bible passage that expresses this principle is Matthew 6:19-21, where Jesus says: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” The “treasures in heaven” that Jesus refers to are not material possessions, but rather the spiritual and eternal rewards that come from living a life devoted to God and serving others. This includes: Faithfully enduring persecution for Christ’s sake; Loving your enemies Praying and serving in secret, without seeking human praise; Generously giving to those in need; Living and loving like Jesus; Ultimately, the greatest “treasure” is the reward of seeing God face-to-face in heaven. Our character and the way we live our lives on earth indicate where our “treasure” and our heart are focused – on temporary earthly things, or on the eternal spiritual realities of God’s kingdom. So in this sense, we can consider our character and the way we live as the “treasures” we store up in heaven. It’s not about accumulating material wealth, but about investing in the eternal, spiritual rewards that come from a life devoted to Christ (living His way) and others (serving their material and spiritual needs).
If the entire world, every man, woman, and child, repented of their indulgence in the flesh, had a metanoia, a change of heart and mind, and gave his/her life to Jesus Christ as Lord, there would be no Tribulation. I see the Tribulation of Revelation, and the wrathful return of God as the outcome of a world which has failed to enroll the world in Godliness.
This brings up the question of practicality. How do we win the world to commit to living with Jesus Christ as their Lord? Few of us are in positions of great power and influence, but those who have power and influence, we have a greater responsibility. But for the rest of us, the world can be won for Him, and the Great Tribulation avoided, if we each commit to enroll three people into a commitment to living lives of holiness/regulated by the standards of Godliness. If that same commitment to win three souls was passed on to the next generation of believers, the whole world would be enrolled in 20 cycles. It’s doable. You can do something to prevent the Great Tribulation. If you enroll three people and encourage each of them to win three from their circle of friends, neighbors, family, coworkers, and acquaintances, the circle will expand, and we can win the world for Him. Live lives of holiness/Godly character, arm yourself with the weapons of spiritual warfare by read the Bible daily. Start with Proverbs, 1 chapter a day, read the chapter of the day of the month. Continue your education by reading the Gospels, walk in the footsteps of the master, imitate what Jesus Christ did. Read the Epistles, study all the books of the New Testament. Listen to the wisdom of Paul, learn to defend the faith, understand the basis of the purpose of the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and the work He accomplished in the Heavens and on earth by His sacrifice. Study the Old Testament, the story of God working through the stories and drama of man to establish the meaning of the sacrificial offering, content of the Law, the cost of rebellion, the sovereignty of God in working His will as revealed by the prophets. In reading the Word, the Bible, we implant His way of right/proper/Godly relationship. By hiding His commands, wisdom, and warnings in our hearts, we will know His way, and can choose to resist temptation and will not sin against Him.
Returning to the resurrection, how does it imply a God who deeply cares about His relationship with man? He created a world where imperfection/sin separated man from His fellowship and intimate relationship. Love can only satisfy him when freely given. If He openly reveals Himself as the all-powerful God, omnipresent and omniscient, who created the world from His own being, then there is no existence but Himself. In such a world, if the reality of the Unity/Oneness/All-ness/Only-ness of God is nakedly obvious, then man has no option but to follow His rules. Such a world of such obvious truth leaves no room for doubt, and hence there is no possibility of free will. But if only those who passionately seek for it can uncover the true nature of the universe, then the plausibility of self-as-God, Satan as the faithful rewarder of service, and life as solely material, sensations, and temporary becomes plausible, and free will is possible. For God to create a free will universe, it was necessary to hide the truth of His existence and His way. Free will is necessary for God to experience the possibility of satisfying His desire for love freely given. The universe is a platform for developing companions, like-minded-spirits in creating His world. But, to create a game, to create a compelling/interesting/engaging story/life worth living/a drama worthy of participating in fully, He must hide His power and existence, revealing Himself only to those who are passionately/sincerely/desirous of knowing Him and His way.
I believe God responds to our prayers, our curiosity, and our seeking desire to know Him and the mystery of His existence. He reveals Himself in ways which are plausibly ordinary, but meaningful to those who seek His presence. He experiences our love and blesses our willing/enthusiastic/obedience to His rules and living according to His commandments. He desires that we incorporate His spirit, His counsel, into our hearts and attitudes.
Love without choice is invisible. Relationship without separation is dancing with oneself. A mission without an adversary is a nature walk. It may be beautiful, but it has no passion or significance. Love without an option to choose another lover does not develop character. Life void of choice is unsatisfying. Thus, God must speak to man of His existence and rules for loving Him in symbolism, through metaphor and implication. The love in a man’s heart for Him must arise within him. Man must desire to know Him. A hunger to understand the creation is an opening, a prayer, a calling out to God for an explanation of the fundamental mystery of existence and the purpose of living within that mystery.
God gave us clues to solving the mystery. God spoke with man through the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and His incarnation as Jesus Christ. He revealed His law/His way of being perfect and pleasing to Him. He established symbolism as hints/clues/bread crumbs that lead to understanding His construction of the universe and why He constructed it is as it is. He allowed pain to exist to teach us the consequence of violating His Law.
The question is why was the resurrection important? And is it important that was real, and accepted/known/understood/believed as a real physical event? How is it possible that He could experience pain and death and have that experience be meaningful in our lives?
The resurrection implies that Jesus is who He said He is. He claimed to be the only one who can reconcile us with a holy God. The resurrection implies a universe built upon principles, rules, and limits by which even God must abide. The resurrection implies the truth of Jesus’ declaration that He is the way, which implies the need to follow His example and instruction in the ways of holiness/pleasing God. The resurrection requires a death first, and a death that was undeserved.
The sinless life of Jesus Christ is a testimony to the validity of His claim to divinity, perfection, and Lordship. An accepting/embracing, whole bodied acknowledgement of the resurrection implies the acceptance of the constellation of Godly plans, structures, revelations, laws, and ways as true, real, and of greater value than satisfying the flesh or worshipping other gods.
The questions I asked myself throughout my search for truth were, “What kind of universe is this?” What are the rules of such a universe? What were the reasons for developing such rules? What is the structure of a universe where a man, who was the Son of God incarnate, could die and satisfy the debt of my sin? Why did God construct the universe in such a way that belief in the resurrection has such a pivotal/consequential effect on the state of a person’s soul? Why was belief in the resurrection the divide between two realms of life?
In my March 1987 vision/understanding/revelation, I saw that belief in the resurrection’s reality implies a belief in the actual/real/literal fact of the entire drama of the Bible preceding the resurrection. The Bible’s epic drama is 1) a demonstration to man of God’s character, 2) a revelation and illustration of the nature and battle between good and evil, and 3) a revelation of the purpose of the creation as a refiner/developer of character for service and fellowship in God’s. I saw that life is an eternal drama of perfecting souls, and perfecting the manifestation of a world populated with free will beings. I saw that the prophesies speak of events impossible to know by human speculation, but which, by their fulfillment, give evidence of His existence, power, and purpose. I saw the events in the Biblical drama establish precedent and illustrate God’s law, nature, and plan. I saw the lineages and their interpersonal dramas as giving metaphorical and archetypal lessons about the interactions between humanity and God.
Believing in the resurrection is important because of the implications it carries. Believing in the resurrection deeply/holistically/comprehensively implies that a man accepts/realizes/embraces the holism of the story that gave this act meaning. A deep belief in the resurrection includes and implies:
• That he has an understanding and acceptance of the laws God gave to man, through Moses and Jesus, the Patriarchs, Prophets, and Apostles.
• God has a plan/desire to establish His Kingdom on earth. He is allowing this plan to evolve and manifest by the acts men who freely choose to hold Him as their Lord/guide/lawgiver/righteous judge. God is building His Kingdom from living stones, which are the bodies and souls of men who love Him, His Way, and have dedicated their lives to His service. God has given men free will and allowed them to choose to dedicate their lives and hearts to living in His way. This service expresses love, which satisfies His heart.
• God intervenes in the flow of history by His sovereign will and by acts authorized by prayer. He speaks to men through the inspiration of prophets. He gives men free will to choose His will/way and men develop their character based upon their habitual choices. Life gives men the opportunity to create an affinity for Him and His Way or choose rebellion against Him.
• God is perfect and the standard of goodness. God gave man the authority to act as a free will entity/agent and a nature like Himself, but with limited knowledge and perspective. Man’s limitations allow him to learn and grow, which allows for transformation and relationship. Man has animal drives that tempt/pull him to offend/displease/disobey and separate from fellowship with God. Man can follow God’s way, and by so doing participate in being part of/living in His Kingdom on Earth. Thus, by choice and commitment, and love of God, we can choose His way or improperly regulate our passions and act upon our desires/animal hungers and thus separate ourselves from God’s fellowship.
• The structure, players, emotions, law, powers, and purpose of the universe require blood and death as the structural/natural/unavoidable payment for violating His law, and choosing instead the momentary enjoyment of sin.
• The structure of the universe (the rules governing man and the spiritual beings), require that the debt of sin be paid in the currency of blood and death. The sinner commits his/her life to Satan, to be fed upon and used as the power and authorization for the demonic to own the sinner’s soul. But the repentant sinner, the man who confesses and commits to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, can appropriate the blood and death of Jesus Christ as payment for that required debt. The appropriation of that substitutionary payment is authorized upon the condition of sworn/accepted/embraced commitment to/service of Godliness.
• Appropriation of the blood of Christ as payment for my debt of sin requires belief/complete commitment to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, which means desiring to put on/learn/follow the righteousness of Christ. His example/pattern/life/obedience to guidance by/compliance with the leading of the Holy Spirit is the condition/state required for the effective appropriation of the gift of cleansing. Such an attitude/realization naturally accompanies a conviction of the truth that His teaching and the example of His life/spirit are worthy of the complete/total dedication of one’s life.
• By appropriating and applying His righteous/unwarranted blood and death to our debt, we can satisfy the guilt, penalty, and debt of blood and death required of us.
• Belief that He is the mediator/advocate before the throne of the Father. We see evidence of this in 1 John 2:1: “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”
• He has promised to cover and cleanse us. His sacrifice paid our debts, and by accepting Him as Lord, He clothes us with His perfect righteousness, making us holy to be in the presence of a Holy God. 1 John 1:7 states, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” 1 John 1:9 further affirms, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 declares, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” These verses clearly demonstrate that Jesus Christ promises to cover and cleanse us from our sins, and make us righteous before the Father through His sacrifice and our faith in Him.
The question/comment I have heard you make is something like, “How do I know the Bible (i.e. the story salvation, the story of creation, the purpose of Creation, the dedication to a life of holiness) is true? How do I know the Bible reveals the highest and most pure Truth?” “Maybe there is another truth that is truer.” “I don’t want to sell myself early or short, having spent a whole life verifying/validating and accepting only that which is demonstrably True.” “I don’t want to close myself off from considering alternatives which others share which may allow me to grow and know a deeper truth.”
These perspectives/objections are understandable and reasonable. The problem is that they are not answerable. They only allow eternal non-committal searching/speculating/considering. We cannot find a solution/conclusion/decision that will satisfy the conditions of such proof.
The result of holding such a criterion of proof before belief/commitment/endorsement/living it will be eternal non-participation in full-bodied commitment. No religion/faith/theory of God and origin meets the standard of certainty, because all theories in this domain allow only inductive proofs (i.e. being historical/onetime events or a set too large to examine all possibilities). Therefore, it is impossible to establish the truth or falsehood of the postulate of God’s existence, or the validity of Biblical revelation and history.
The best/most complete/most certainly true validation is judging a postulate as possibly true because of its consistency with reality. The price of fully committing to a paradigm/belief system/revelation of reality is that we get the results of our action, faith, effort, and intent. If the fruits are bad, if we prove by our experience that our choice of the object of faith was flawed/wrong, then we should change paths to a truer revelation/model/paradigm/system of belief. Spending a season as a sincere practitioner as a believer in a set of doctrines does not waste time, deserve shame, or prevent considering all other realities/paths/religions/perspectives or philosophies.
My time as a Christian has been a time of ardent/focused and open challenging of my faith with every perspective/religion/question/doubt/mystery/apparent inconsistency or mutual exclusivity. If the path/religion/faith proves inconsistent with reality and logic, the prudent man will exit onto a path with greater fidelity to truth. It’s a free will universe, and we are obliged by integrity to change paths/beliefs/doctrines/denominations/religions… when a teacher/guide/belief proves significantly inconsistent with reality. There is no loss or shame in fully committing and then changing if convinced of a significant error. The validation of truth, the listening to all perspectives, the consideration of all objections, the understanding of one’s chosen faith never ends.
There is no obligation to join the nameless, faceless masses of unthinking believers who do not challenge/question orthodoxy and sequester their minds from consideration of alternate explanations/answers and resolutions of conundrums. The result of total commitment, seeking proof by actions consistent with Godly principles, is the real-life/first person experience of the fruits of action that embody a robust faith. Walls or isolation from alternative/contradictory opinion need not be used to defend one’s faith/belief and moral system. Rather, faith grows stronger with the paradigm-validating results of each action, each life-experiment. Life becomes full, integrated, fully directed toward an end with eternal significance. The magnitude and justice/righteousness of the acts of such a man adds to the force of all men dedicated to bringing God’s kingdom on earth. The purpose, the goal, the end of such acts is fellowship, the joy of experience of life, the communion with man, God, and nature as satisfying in acknowledging their mere presence.
It’s impossible for an adult to believe anything without doubt, because we realize the world is complex and unseen/unconsidered forces and factors can produce unexpected results. In the realm of belief about a religion, the same is true. The unquestioning faith of a little child about truth/facts, prophecy, history, philosophy, morality, and teachers is not possible. As adults, we have experienced the disappointment of mistakes/incompetence/stupidity/ignorance, well-intentioned error, malicious deception, authoritative delusion, and satanic trickery. As adults, we have eaten the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and we are as wary and confused as Adam and Eve. We can be absolutely certain of nothing.
If we grew up with the Bible as a revelation of God’s truth, we are familiar with the stories, moral teachings, historical worldview, and culture. As children, we could hold on to the principles, percepts, and facts of the faith with wide-eyed acceptance and innocence. But with time, with the insults and traumas of life, the skepticism about facts and people replaced the open acceptance of first appearances. The same distrust and provisional/qualified acceptance of the intents and stories of people invaded our concept of the sacred. With time and the buffets of life, the Biblical narrative about the unseen realm loses its patina of literal, perfect, and complete revelation of Truth.
And yet, Jesus tells us we are to become as little children to enter into the Kingdom. Matthew 18:2 “And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
The question is, how is it possible to come into the Kingdom as an adult? In fact, we see in 1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” This verse requires a very adult perspective of our faith.
This contradiction is what I call the paradox of apparent mutual exclusivity. We cannot be both an adult and a child. Likewise, we cannot be both innocent and wise, acceptant and skeptical at the same time. But if we consider that there are aspects of the heart and soul which are innocent, and others which are wise, we see that the two verses are not contradictory, only speaking about different aspects of the heart-mind-soul-spirit. In our spirit, there is a place that we can know,
• God exists.
• Jesus is the man, whose spirit is the Son of God, the exact duplicate of the Father, who created everything, and whose spirit is literally the life inside every man/woman/child.
• The moral teachings of Jesus Christ, and the moral revelations/commands/teachings/parables, psalms and praises, prophesies of the Bible are the True and the highest expression of all virtues.
• Jesus Christ lived a perfect life, was crucified and died, and resurrected and now intercedes with the Father on our behalf, having accepted Him as our Lord and advocate.
As an adult, we recognize our fallibility and the fact that we can be wrong, partially right/wrong, and totally correct in our assessment of facts and Truth. Still, there is a place for childlike certainty. We cannot defend that place. We simply know it. That space is small, but it influences the entirety of the psyche of a man and gives him a place to stand to support the provisional adult defense of our rationally held worldview.
As you know, I came to faith through a vision, a revelation, a chemically-induced altered state, a mystical experience that gave me a new perspective on the Bible, science, religion, history, and morality. I went into the trip as a confused seeker, having studied 40 religions, with the intention of finding the answer to the question, “Who is the True God” and the answer was, “The God of the Bible.” It’s not a method that I would recommend, nor one that I believe could be replicated. I believe it was a miracle, a divine gift, a passionately desired insight, a revelation of truth that I desired from my core.
The defense of my faith rests upon the triangulation of many factors:
• The Bible is consistent with astronomical, human scale, and subatomic experiments; laws determined from quantum, field, particle, and relativistic phenomena; and explanations of the plausible origin of the physical universe.
• The Biblical narrative is consistent with a plausible construction of the spiritual universe and its laws, and the narrow view of possibly-spiritual phenomena.
• The Bible promotes an individual morality which is consistent with individual happiness, mutual respect in relationship, health, and prosperity.
• The Bible is consistent with a God-directed evolution of life as seen in the fossil record.
• The Bible is consistent with the creation being a conscious universe, a structure composed of spirit-mind with points of observation arising from a singularity/God/One as its fundamental unit of its substance, and the appearance of the physical as real/solid because of the ability of consciousness to perceive consciousness.
• The Bible is consistent with the psycho-emotional necessity of creating a world containing both good and evil, free will and foreknowledge, the fundamental Oneness of the universe and the separation of the holy and unholy/self and other/God and man.
• The Bible declares the centrality of faith in the saving power of Christ, Romans 3:27-31; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 3:16, which is consistent with His hidden existence and His plausible non-existence. He has created a world where rejection of His way is a logical/reasonable choice, which leaves room for individual souls to choose to grow in Godly character, or embrace the flesh and rebel against the idea of a mythical God. The universe is a garden of souls, each having the option to join Him in bringing His Kingdom to earth, or oppose Him and elevate His enemy/competitor for the hearts, love, and devotion of men.
• I can’t even prove that my insights about the origin of the universe, the connection between my physics theory based on Conscious Points generated with the mind-spirit of God is correct, but I do know that it is consistent with the laws and experiments of the physical universe, and it creates an adequate model to predict the consequences of physical, moral, mental, and emotional acts.
• I don’t know that the metaphorical worldview created by the Bible is 100% correct, but I can say that it creates a map with sufficient granularity and specificity to be able to navigate life toward a happy, healthy, holy life for myself, others, and a world living in peace.
• It is my belief, having examined and/or participated in a number of world religions, paths, cults, and gurus, that all other teachers, teachings, revelations are either confirmatory/duplicative/elaborating of the Bible, or they are incomplete, misleading, or untrue.
Ultimately, faith is based upon an individual process, which is the personal/internal evaluation of the plausibility of the truth of the Biblical propositions. And the ultimate laboratory/test bed is the practice of living the Biblical precepts. I believe anyone who practices the Biblical principles diligently will experience its positive outcomes. Living in that faith is natural and self-validating.
As I mentioned, childlike faith, as an adult, about everything in the Bible is not possible, nor desired, nor Biblical. But there is a place of childlike faith that every believer must attain. It is that place of inner knowing that we are dedicated to living the principles of a God who exists, loves us, and will give us the miraculous best that is possible in a world where He is working quietly, hidden from view, whispering to the hearts of those who will listen, to bring many people to Himself as possible, and mature those who answer the call into the perfection of His character.
The question is then, how can I/we/you develop faith when there are doubts? How can one know that the path of the Bible is the True path? The best we can do is ask questions, consider the answers, and live it if the logical examination passes provisionally. Living in the experience of the Biblical life is the only way to know if the promise of the living the Godly life is true.
The problem with living the Biblical life is that saying the sinner’s prayer, believing in the resurrection and committing to live with Jesus as your Lord (living the Biblical life) is often obscure/unclear/ambiguous, especially in interpersonal relationships with bullies, abusers, and takers. It is for this reason people study, do psychology, reason and debate, and go to counselors and pastors for advice.
The more obvious questions regard temptation, drugs (alcohol, tobacco, caffeine, cannabis…), theft (intellectual property, physical property, money…), lying (committing to a contract and not fulfilling it, misrepresenting reality to avoid punishment or to make a greater profit…) murder (taking a life, taking property or reputation is a type of murder), and covetousness (the expectation of equality or more than you contracted for). Just say no to the sins of the flesh, the desires/hungers that give personal advantage and loss to the other.
Sexuality is the big one for many. The answer to sex before marriage is no. Wait until you are married. If you have sex with him/her, you are now connected/bonded on a spiritual level, in effect you have partaken of the marriage act of completing the connection. You just haven’t had the party and registered with the state yet. Your souls combine at the moment of penetration. Sex isn’t just a good time, it’s a long time. Don’t tie the knot until you are ready to live life together till the last breath. It’s one and done. Premature sex bonds souls together, intended or not. Playing around is the same thing (adultery in the heart is still adultery). God lives our lives too. We are not alone. He is intimately present with, inside, and living us. The pain of breaking sexual/wedded bonds is painful to God. We will feel the pain too if we listen/feel/look inside. And yes, we can turn our hearts to stone. We shut out/down the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking and convicting our hearts. We can ignore the shame and we can replace it with pride, and the fall will be even harder.
Galatians 6:7-9 “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” We cannot hide from Him, we will always pay the full price for what we take – if it’s not authorized by God, the price is always too high.
The results of refusing the temptation of sin are painful if we value the flesh more than the spirit. And sometimes when we do the right thing, the world hates us.
Matthew 5:11-12 “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”
Sometimes we want to do the wrong thing, even when we want to do it right.
Romans 7:19 “For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.” But we cannot use the weakness of the flesh as an excuse. We can always resist. We can always do the right thing. 1 Corinthians 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
Still, sometimes we succumb to temptation, for whatever reason (the sin is too tasty, too familiar, too much pressure…). James 1:15 “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”
But we can be forgiven and restored to fellowship with God through the power of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Sin need not be the final failure, death, or the end. Succumbing to temptation is immaturity. Immediately confess, repent, and do it right the next time. James 5:16 “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”
To play the game well, we must know the rules. The Bible is the rulebook. Here are some Bible reading strategies.
• Read the Bible, every day, at least a chapter.
• Read several chapters a day.
• Read through the Bible once every year.
• Read a chapter in Proverbs every day, read the chapter of the day of the month (1-31).
• Read a chapter in Proverbs, a chapter in Psalms, a chapter in the New Testament, and a chapter in the Old Testament.
• Get a devotional book. Read the devotion, the verse associated with the devotion, and its chapter. (The Berean sends an email devotion each day, www.cgg.org)
• Use a “read the Bible in a year book,”
• Get an app on your phone (e.g. the www.YouVersion.com of the Bible). Read the daily devotional verse, then read the chapter.
• Read through the chapter. Read through each sentence slowly, understand every word and explain the concept behind every verse. Integrate the verse in with the larger story of the Bible.
• Commit to reading the Bible with a friend, your spouse, your children every day.
Here are some key Bible verses about reading, meditating on, and feeding daily on the Word of God:
• Psalm 119:11 “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.”
• Joshua 1:8 “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
• Psalm 1:1-2 “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”
• Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
• Psalm 119:11 “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”
• Matthew 4:4 “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
• Luke 11:28 “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
• 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
• 1 Peter 2:2 “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation.”
• These verses emphasize the importance of regularly reading, meditating on, and feeding on God’s Word, which guides us toward spiritual growth, wisdom, and obedience.
• Sin hurts, and we will feel the pain eventually, and so does God. He wants the world to be filled with people who live holy moments.
The game of life is real and the stakes of the game are high. The prize is our souls/hearts/minds, allegiance and love. Both God and Satan want our voluntary service and commitment to their kingdom. God wants us to create His Kingdom on earth, populated by Godly families, righteous leaders, wise counselors, loving pastors, knowledgeable teachers, and courageous warriors. Our job is spreading the good news of living a Godly life with Jesus Christ as Lord, and guided by the Words of Truth and the Holy Spirit speaking to the heart.
The masses of the willful, unrepentant, and proud sinners populate Satan’s kingdom. They mock holiness as they practice Satan’s rituals of rebellion, worshipping the flesh, and hating God. The armies of Satan seek to suppress the Word/message/promises of His way and Truth of His existence. The kingdom of Satan infiltrates the church with spies, saboteurs, and traitors, to discredit and pervert the gospel, co-opt its institutions, and prevent its propagation.
Both the demonic and Godly believe in and dedicate themselves to promoting their cause/side/kingdom. As in all human endeavors, some believe in the cause and commit themselves more than others. But there is only one right/true/perfect goal, even though both sides believe theirs is the best.
The uncommitted middle tolerates sin in various ways. Some live and let live, believing that tolerance is a virtue, or that transcendence/love/positive thinking will provide the lessons to win the hearts of evil. Some believe that evil will leave them alone if they give it space. But it will not. The Holy Spirit always knocks on the door of our hearts, and we can change allegiance at any time. Evil delights in failure, injury and death, sin and capitulating to temptation. Some claim a belief in God and the message of the Bible, but do not live its principles. God will judge each heart, but where there is no fruit, there is no evidence of a transformed heart and soul. It is contradictory to profess to be a Christian but not live by its teachings. This is the definition of making Jesus Christ our Lord.
A child is capable of unquestioning faith. But with age, we can become skeptical of all unwitnessed claims of truth. A man once fooled is twice smart. The adult, having learned from life, avoids the pitfalls of known error. The rational man will choose wisely, and when wrong, apologize, pay his debts for the wrong done, and reverse course. The adult knows he must fully commit to an action to maximize his effect in life.
The best we can do regarding choosing a life-directing moral paradigm is to choose a religion/group/path that seems consistent with our best model of the universe. Life/reality appears different at every stage in the development of our maturity. In my 1987 altered state vision, I saw that elements/seeds/portions of truth were present in the teachings of many religions. In my vision, I saw what appeared to symbolize the universe emanating from the Oneness of God. The Oneness of God and all was a teaching I had repeatedly seen in many religions, and I saw how the Oneness had transitioned into the many from the Words of the Bible.
I knew some teachings were true of the spiritual paths I had explored, and I knew some were false, because they were impossibly contradictory. But I didn’t know which teachings were true and which were false. This vision became a touchstone, a map for my journey of understanding.
I also saw how realization of the Oneness was too general a goal.
Knowing/realizing this truth is helpful, in that knowledge of every fact has a place of confirmation of the accuracy of one’s worldview. But some truths are more important because they are primal/central to understanding the causal sequence of the assembly of the universe. Such facts/truth are more important because their truth shapes the manifestation of so many other structures, laws, and possibilities of the manifest universe.
To meet the requirements of cause and effect, my model of the physical universe must be consistent with my model of the universe’s spiritual understructure. This is because, in my model/belief/understanding, the spiritual universe was constructed/created antecedent/prior/source to the physical universe. Likewise, the observed physical laws are dependent upon the rules of relationship established by the universe. This is because the substance of the physical universe is composed of spiritual entities. In essence, my postulate has unified the spiritual and physical universe and named/identified the sequence of construction and the entities composing each layer in the construction of the spiritual and physical universe.
The model of the physical universe if developed, with its spiritual substructure/constituent elements, is consistent with my best understanding of the structures and forces composing and ordering the physical universe. Modern physics has divided the laws of the universe into five domains, namely, Newtonian, field theory, quantum mechanics, and relativity. To the best of my assessment, my postulated understructure of the physical universe by spiritual entities and rule-based forces is consistent with the observed structure of the physical universe. Likewise, the construction of the physical universe with my postulated spiritual entities is consistent with the stories/patterns presented/implied by the Bible.
On another axis, my personal sense of reality, does this postulated model of the physical universe, as fundamentally composed of spiritual entities, satisfy my sense of life as a free will being? If everything is composed of God at its essence, then God knows everything I do? Does this construct of the universe, this paradigm of reality, allow me the degrees of freedom, the sense of purpose, the feeling of freely living/choosing/directing my life that is my birthright? Does living according to the precepts feel, sound and look right? Does a world which universally adopts this belief/faith/paradigm/philosophy/worldview/religion produce an earth which reflects the glory and hope of its creator? Does it produce a world of prosperity, health, justice, joy arise for everyone? Is it possible for everyone to have an experience of satisfaction at all times living in this world, and the world still have meaning/purpose?
Having seen a vision of how the physical and spiritual universe were unified in God and existed for His and our co-pleasure, I fully embraced living the Biblical path. I embraced its paradigm of creation, the Godhead as composed of the Father/Son/Spirit, His standard of moral goodness, and accepted His purpose as being good, and consistent with the possibilities of reality. I accepted that I had found the fountainhead of Truth in the Words of the Bible. My search for the source of truth was over, because I knew it would satisfy the requirements of consistency that I had established as the touchstone and feel of truth. I accepted that the Biblical frame/paradigm/rule-set/worldview/belief structure of life was in fact an adequate pattern of reality for me to conduct my life and frame my construction of the universe upon. In a moment, I received the gift of knowing that the universe was constructed in a way consistent with the Bible.
As an adult, I did not adopt my faith in the Biblical paradigm with the simple testimony required by a child. I needed the agreement of science, religion, and my personal experience. I didn’t expect to get 100% proof, but I did ask for logical consistency with every objective standard of truth with the testimony of the Bible. My standard, throughout my search for truth, has been consistency of postulate with experiment. Essentially, I turned my spiritual quest into a science experiment.
No one, including me, can use logic and evidence to provide conclusive/absolute/unequivocal proof that the claims of the Bible are true and that Jesus Christ deserves the Lordship of our lives. This unprovability is true of every postulate requiring inductive proof. Thus, it is impossible to prove with certainty the postulate of God’s existence and Jesus Christ’s Lordship. The best possible proof of such an inductive hypothesis is overwhelming consistency of the expectations of the postulate with the evidence from every axis of examination.
I believe God intentionally concealed His existence by designing the universe in such a way as to hide Himself from unequivocal detection. As such, faith is necessary to please Him. I believe He has purposefully hidden Himself to preserve the plausible belief in His non-existence. It must be plausible that God does not exist, or that Satan is the actual god of this world. And since our senses speak so loudly, and Satan speaks the same message, if we answer the call of our senses/Satan, we have expressed our love and devotion to the ways of Satan more than our commitment and love of the ways of God.
God created the universe as a proving ground, as a testing platform, as a school for souls. If we love God more than the flesh, then we will obey/live the precepts of Biblical holiness. By faith we deprive ourselves of the pleasure of sin and by so doing express our love for Him, and satisfy His desire for our love.
I developed a plausible postulate of the construction of the universe as a spiritual-physical entity arising from the Oneness of God. I rationalized why God established the moral standards of the Bible as consistent with His character. I judged that the Godly moral precepts of the Bible, if lived will produce health, happiness, and world peace. But even with this level of logical inference and evidence does not prove God’s existence, or the truth of the Bible.
My childhood was typical, in that I accepted the precepts of the Bible without critical examination. I had a good knowledge/understanding of the fundamentals of the Christian paradigm, teachings, and worldview. Even with such a good conventional childhood Christian indoctrination, I was unable to accept the truth of the Bible as literally true. I was the Doubting Thomas that Jesus conceded to give physical proof that was adequate to overcome his doubt. I needed that.
At the time of my vision, I received a divine revelation of how a physical/real/grounded experience of life integrated with Biblical teachings, stories, metaphors. I saw in the vision a metaphor that hinted of the universe’s underlying construction. From that metaphorical clue, I was able to logically extrapolate the scant information of my vision into a deeper understanding of the actual construction of the physical-spiritual universe and knowledge of its laws and purpose. With this insight, I could integrate the Bible’s revelation with the known scientific construction of the subatomic and astronomical physical universe. With these few data points, I received a gift of faith. I saw only a small piece of the big picture in the vision, but it was sufficient. It was only a seed of insight, but I saw it contained the necessary and sufficient kernel of truth I needed to validate the consistency of the Bible with physics, personal experience, and the dream of life well-lived by all of humanity.
My sense that the Bible is the revealed word of God has not waned or wavered since having that vision in March 1987. But this level of certainty is not uniform. Everyone has their own unique set of criteria that they use for establishing truth. Speaking from personal experience, those who approach the world through the lens of reason and evidence probably have the greatest barrier to faith in the existence of God and the acceptance of religion, with its avatars, prophets, revelations, and doctrines. Logic and evidence must underlie belief for all believers. Before an intellectual can embrace the faith, he/she must answer questions from many domains of knowledge (e.g. the philosophical, sociological, empirical/scientific, relational, or ontological). I have used several criteria to determine if my interpretation of scripture is correct. I use the following list: 1) Is it historically true, 2) Is it reasonable, 3) Does it feel right, 4) Does it align with the evidence, and 5) do the teachings result in goodness for all concerned?
Ideally, we would each adopt our faith in God, and the particular prophet/teacher/guru, and the doctrine about His nature, based on a comparison of all religions, and a deep understanding of science, philosophy, world religions, and ethics, etc. But that isn’t the way most people come to faith. Typically, people come to faith through the influence of family, friends, and culture. People often give precedence to emotions, testimony, and peer expectations, without delving deeply into the questions of truth.
Some people delve into the philosophical mysteries, but typically, most people will have adopted a spiritual loyalty/polarity before embarking on an analysis of the path of absolute truth. We can state categorically, everyone has a spiritual bias as an adult, because it is impossible to reach functional adulthood without considering the questions of origin, meaning/purpose, good/evil, tragedy/chance and God and existence. No one can examine religion from a place of unbiased fact-alone. Even the atheist has polarized himself, having taken a position of faith regarding the existence of God, and is incapable of an unbiased-by-personal-belief exploration and judgment of truth of a spiritual perspective. Atheists are just a theological sect, one which doesn’t believe in God.
The goal of such an analysis is to separate truth from error (and partial truth, which is any belief which has truth and error mixed). I believe reality demands that there is only one truth. Thus, when examining the doctrines/teachings of the various world religions, the goal is to identify what is true in each one. I believe there is truth embedded within all religions, but there are also partial truths and mutually exclusive perspectives. Separating truth from partial truth and error is non-trivial.
Even though I have exhaustively rationalized my model/paradigm/worldview of faith to the point of personal satisfaction, I remain open to deeper understanding and revelation. It is likely that my construction of the universe does not answer all questions about the physical-spiritual universe. Still, it was good enough for me to organize my life according to the principles of the Biblical revelation.
At the time of my vision, I saw the general implications of this new perspective, and I knew it was true. I did not have enough time to justify the specifics of every point of doctrine of Christianity during the vision, but I knew that it would prove true with continued examination. That enduring sense of the fundamental truth of the Biblical revelation has remained since 1987. I could not validate that the Son declared into existence points of consciousness and, from His mind, created everything. It turned out that this insight was a fertile seed that continues to give insights about the fundamental organization and nature of the universe. I had an idea, and I believe it was a divine revelation, but I continued to challenge it, and continue to this day in the light of many years of sober reflection and examination. Was my insight sufficient to declare that Jesus was Lord and confirm that the Bible was true? By ordinary standards, it was not. Nevertheless, that insight/revelation was what I needed to move me from the place of a doubting Thomas to faith. It appears that each person has a missing piece that speaks to his/her heart. I don’t believe it is possible to come to the end of the questions before one comes to faith. I think we each need a miracle. I was praying for one, with passion, for years, and I got what I asked for. I don’t have all the answers, I just have the answer that answered my question. I share it because there may be someone else with the same question, and it may help him/her too. There may be an endless number of mysteries to be illuminated and paradoxes to be resolved. I needed a miracle to settle my heart, and I got it. I believe miracles of faith are available if we ask.
From my experience, I believe the search for truth should continue even after one’s initiation into the truth of the Biblical revelation. If another system of belief/worldview/philosophy/paradigm/religion speaks/echoes/teaches the same truth, and the truth spoken with a different metaphor deepens our understanding, strengthens our will, reminds our minds to practice the truth, then it is good.
The revelation of new understanding may never end in this life. I am open to hear every teaching and perspective, because even a totally wrong perspective provides a perspective on the polarities of life. I judge every word before I let it into my heart. I try to speak the truth with love when I disagree. Truth has a polarity, and it’s good to know what to reject and resist. I think we should continue to critically examine the foundational aspects of every facet of creation, society, and religion – their supporting arguments and evidence. I think we should remain open to testimony, stories, and relationships that challenge our worldview. I think we should evaluate the evidence and perspectives in comparison with our worldview to continue to purify our conception of Truth.
I have found the path/revelation of the Bible, and its integration with the whole of life, to be a satisfying paradigm/faith/religion/worldview/philosophy. For me, revelation continues daily as I meditate on the Word and compare its revelation with all the evidence and perspectives of life.
We only have the data points of evidence, and the logic of the significance/meaning/import of events as our indicators of/pointers towards consistency with a belief structure. We have only metaphorical evidence of our postulate that supernatural forces exist. Thus, faith is essential. There is no possibility of conclusive evidence that will prove God’ existence, or that making Jesus Christ the Lord of our life is the best/highest/most perfect allegiance and moral stand. I’ve made that conclusion. I see no moral system with a higher value, and all the pieces of the creation align to confirm the plausibility and probability that this choice is best.
I have postulated that the Bible is a revelation from God, and that the actual words that God spoke were True/right/reflective of reality. The logical proof of that postulate is the consistency of the Biblical worldview with a holistic understanding of life and the universe. If the story is real/true/factual, and it is comprehensible as a lesson/metaphor/prophesy/instruction/command, then it is adequate for me to embrace as true/right/believable.
In particular, returning to the original question, “Was the resurrection of Christ a true/real event in physical reality?” And in answer to that question, I believe the answer is yes, He did rise from death, because death/the demonic had no righteous warrant against Him. The resurrection is consistent with the worldview of the Biblical paradigm as a reflection of the mind of God, the plan of God, and the nature of God. The resurrection is inseparable from the truth of the entire revelation/message/purpose/story of the Bible. The reality of this event reveals/points to/reflects something fundamental about the structure of the universe – life is eternal if we live God’s way perfectly. But since we are unable to live God’s way perfectly, having the Son as our advocate before the Father can extend our life forever.
The fact of the reality of the resurrection is its own indicator, its own piece of data/evidence of structure about the underlying nature of the universe. The resurrection is the physical manifestation of the metaphysical process which is promised in the body of the Biblical story. It is this coherence between the underlying unseen spiritual structure and the story of Biblical narrative that gives evidence that the Bible’s promises and revelations. The resurrection testifies to the fact that God/the Son is superior to the physical forces and structures and the laws governing them. Without the evidence/fact of/execution of the resurrection, the entirety of the Bible is cast into the realm of all the scriptures and poetic works of the other world religions.
Recognizing the resurrection as reality gives coherence/order/meaning/purpose to the drama revealed in the Bible. The resurrection is the evidence needed to combine with the logic/argument/proof that the story of the Bible refers to actual reality. The resurrection supplies the evidence that the Bible speaks truly of the mystery of existence and God’s ordering of the substance of creation consistent with the Biblical revelation.
Even with the Biblical revelation, and all human understanding, the mystery of existence will remain a mystery. But, without the literal/real/actual physical resurrection of Christ, the Bible has no credibility other than as a poetic work. Without the resurrection, the Biblical story/revelation is justified only by faith disconnected from evidence. Without the resurrection, life remains a mysterious jumble of sequential/cause-effect forces and motion, ending in death without eternal significance.
With an understanding of the significance of the resurrection, the meaning and purpose of life and its dramas become coherent. For me, the fact of the resurrection, the implications of the reality of the necessity of this reality, allowed me to connect the threads of an otherwise incomprehensible and purposeless existence into a story which has the potential of giving reality a sense of real/meaningful and satisfying drama that fits into a story/reality of a creation with order and purpose.
God Bless,
Thomas
P.S. For more information, please consider reading Lee Stroble’s books, such as “The Case for Christ.”
by Thomas Abshier | Apr 26, 2025 | Apologetics/Theology/Christianity
John: In your previous email about MACBETH, when I said that Macbeth says that life has no meaning, you made a comment that Shakespeare is saying that life has no meaning! That’s not what Shakespeare was saying at all. Shakespeare was saying that, for Macbeth, who had violated all sense of morality by murdering, Macbeth had destroyed his own value system so that life no longer held any meaning. Shakespeare was not saying that life has no meaning. He was speaking from Macbeth’s broken perspective when he wrote that line. And that’s how I reached my conclusion that morality is part of hard reality, like physics. Morality has very little to do with religious faith, except to learn the warning from religion about the penalties for breaking morality.
Thomas: Again, yes, that was exactly my concept of what you were saying. My point was that Macbeth was just a sock puppet for Shakespeare. Shakespeare said everything in the entire play (not that he believed or advocated the perspective of every character, only that he put on that valence to dramatize humanity speaking from that personality-type.) Thus, it was from the worldview/character of Shakespeare that every character’s word was spoken, and in this sense, there was no one else speaking but Shakespeare.
But having said that and putting the wool back over our eyes (the pretense that there is a Macbeth, a man with his particular character/worldview/emotional habits/moral disposition), we see Macbeth speaking a particular perspective on life. Using Macbeth as a vehicle, Shakespeare gives us a dramatic presentation on how life could look as it did from Macbeth’s perspective (his upbringing, his traumas, his lessons and successes…). In that dramatization, the vignette of life seen through and colored by that lens, and we see a lesson, a crystallization of life from that point of view.
And yes, when having seen the devastation that Macbeth experienced by living life without the proper perspective of Right/Good/Godly/Reality-based/action-consequence-rule reality we see that morality is a categorization of the rules of life/the heuristics of actions he/we choose by so organizing life. We see clearly in this light that there is an absolute map of morality, which reflect/categorize the consequences of certain choices, in a certain context, which dramatize the effects produced in reality. In this play, we see what one should do to have an excellent life, by consideration of the consequences of what happens when a man chooses the opposite.
I think the realization you came to is that religion/morality is an unnecessary overlay of reality. (Am I correct?) Your realization was that reality is reality, and that religion is simply talking about what is and what works. Your realization was that religion is simply talking about reality, rather than being reality, it is the map, not the territory. And further, I think the implication (because of previous conversations/knowing you and your leanings/beliefs) that you were getting a sense/realization that religion is an unnecessary step/an overlay which is not fundamental. You are trying to live life and judge truth at a base level of reality. You want to go for the source, not the shadow, to learn directly from the purest lesson-giver, which is for you, reality. You have judged that what happens, the action and objects of life, are the fundamental reality, the bedrock of truth, the actual object. You see that religion is merely a story about the more fundamental “what is” and ”what’s so” about life. Am I correct?
Of course, I agree. Reality is the final arbiter of Truth. And assuming I have accurately judged your motivation/conclusion/perspective, let us explore whether there is another even deeper perspective than physical reality. I believe that there is a spiritual nature, a finer realm which infuses/underlies the world of reality, and that it is this world of which religion speaks. The perspective that Reality is the fundamental arbiter of truth is one perspective, and the most obvious one to the eye which cannot see the spiritual world (which is all of us). There may be a little objective proof/evidence that reality includes a spiritual dimension, but that evidence generally requires inference, induction, and extrapolation of the meaning of pattern recognition. We are like the people living in “Flatland” who cannot perceive a 3rd dimension, but the movement of shadows indicate the presence of another dimension. I believe we are like fish in water, who do not realize or think much about the most obvious fact of their reality, that the live and swim in a medium which pervades every aspect of their lives.
To say, as you did, that religion speaks only of the rules which are present in reality is correct. But, again, this does not imply that there is not a more fundamental reality underneath reality, from which the rules of reality have arisen. And as I have stated, numerous times, this is my perspective. And, if this is the case, then studying the rules of that reality is even more direct/fundamental than studying the rules deduced from observing the cause-effect consequences/rules/relationships of physical reality.
I see God as the source of all reality, as the ultimate cause of all effects. (Any deeper/simpler/precursor/more fundamental reality is unfathomable, and any more complex assemblage of parts is superficial.) I believe that physical reality is the consequence of the substance of God’s mind.
I have elaborated and justified this postulate as a factual reality in my writing. I postulate that the method by which God manifested physical reality, was by looking at Himself from many points of view. I believe He gave each of these portals of perception persistence and independence, and the ability to “see” perceive His other portals of perception. Thus, in this conception, the universe is a collection of innumerable viewers, portals from which God’s mind looks at other portals of His own mind.
Thus, the substance of physical reality is composed of these zillion viewers. The object of observation is the other points of view, the other viewers, each of which see God, and the other portals of perspective compose physical reality. If this is true, then the “what is” of reality must be observed and the rules of life/cause-effect must be extracted from examination of this level.
If this postulate is correct, then we are spirits/sentient beings supervising a body-soul composed of innumerable points of perspective. I postulate that we, as conscious beings, are but one of God’s points of view, that we are one point in God’s mind looking at the rest of the universe.
We are not God, but we are also not “not of God.” In my postulate, there is nothing which is not God in this fragmented/pointillistic sense of what actually composes reality. If this postulate is true, there is nothing which God does not see, hear, and feel, if in fact every point composing the universe has its origin from/by/within His mind. If He is the substance which underlies physical reality, our every act is felt by Him.
If we are, as stated in Scripture, created in His image, there is some way in which we are like Him. I take this verse to mean that we perceive what feels good and bad based upon His perception. But having said that, having a human/animal nature underlying our brain/reflexes/instinct, we are pulled to act out our animal drives, which may be in opposition to His plan/way of being for His own acts as God, and by extension, as humans.
Having noted that there is nothing which is not intimately connected to His mind and hence perception, there is nothing which He does not feel. To cope with the pain, I believe He dissociates/forgets/disconnects from/goes to sleep to/ignores… that which is painful. I justify that postulate based on the fac that this is a coping mechanism that humans use to tolerate the intolerable. I also see indications in Scripture that God turns His back on the unholy. He does not invite the unholy, the rebellious, the non-family into His intimate relationship. This is what He does to create a tolerable universe. Coping with feeling everything by shutting down/separating from that which is painful is understandable.
And given that God has free will, so do we. As a spirit, we are a single point of His consciousness, and just as He has free will, so do we. We have the prerogative/right/ability to do as we please with our bodies, minds, and hearts. It is such a strong drive that the Libertarian movement has based their platform fully on the right to do anything that they want, if it does not hurt anyone else. The problem is, that from man’s limited perspective, the harm done to others, to the harmony of life, to the joy of God is unseen. We are easily blinded by the personal pleasure we get, and thus the harm, pain caused to God, is disguised.
God has the same prerogative/right/ability to do as He pleases as we do. Exercising that right, He chose to create a universe from His own being, and He gave every point in the universe a nature, just as He has a nature. He has the potential of a zillion natures, but He has chosen the moral system that pleases Him, and it is that one that is rewarded and punished by reality. We don’t see Him executing judgment on anything, or on anyone. We only see reality administering the consequences of force and motion in physical reality. And of course, the physical laws of cause and effect appear impersonal, free of dogma or moral lesson. But, behind this appearance of objective physicality is God, and the rules which govern the motion of His points of view.
He is the source of everything. He has assigned a nature to every animal, whether by choice or by perfect adaptation to its environment, each animal spirit embodies a potential configuration of emotional-dispositional nature. While He was the organizing force for every animal, and the emotional nature of every animal, He has chosen to be/act out/exalt/revel in a subset of all possibilities of the totality of all acts. He has chosen a subset of that totality of all acts/natures to be/have/act and love.
God gave man, a spirit, the essence to choose any way of being. Jus as He is free to choose His subset of possibilities made available by nature, so is man. It is this separation, this choosing of the set of all acts to which He embraces, that defines or reflects His character. And having chosen a polarity, that which is of the same nature as Himself He takes into His intimate chamber, into His center, into His unprotected place, to fellowship with, to love. And given that He has embraced one aspect of the manifested world, and rejected the other, He hates that which opposes/destroys/overtakes/usurps His place of beauty and safety.
He is all, being the source of existence itself. But even though the universe arose from/by/in Him, He does not embrace/love/include/approve of those acts/configurations which are of His chosen way. He opposes all who rebel against/violate His standards and sully His beauty. Thus, He separates from that which rebels against Him, and He draws close to and blesses that which embraces His way.
Consider the implication of the following perspective in the light of the concept of God is simultaneously Himself, the man who has violated God’s way/nature/law, and the man who has been violated. In the above, I have postulated that God separates Himself from sin/unGodliness/acts which violate His standards of propriety.
Consider the case of being angry at another person because of an actual violation, a real true violation of nature (murder, rape/adultery, theft, perjury/false witness, violence…). Scripture presents a collage of God’s relationship to evil, “Vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord,” and “Owe no man anything but to love,” and “Against thee and thee alone have I sinned,” and “God hates evil.” The implication of this big-picture perspective is that it is God’s job to discipline wrongdoing because it is against Him that the offense was committed.
If God is Himself, the sinner, and the violated, this implies an ability to separate Himself into independent parts, each capable of independent moral choices. He has created a world where there is a meaningful/real relationship between independent beings because each party can make actual moral choices, each with different implications and consequences.
Scripture says, “God is love.” Since God feels everything, I believe God has the desire to feel love from every person toward every other person. I believe this is the fundamental motivating principle driving God’s morality/His character/His rules-laws governing the universe. I believe morality is a subset of that criteria, that He wants to expand His experience of love in His universe/in His body.
Why did Scripture say, “Vengeance is mine?” Possibly it is because if we hold ill will in our hearts, we are a source of pain to Him. If we take vengeance out of a spirit of revenge, rather than out of love that disciplines another in hopes of their rehabilitation/repentance, we are acting in a way that causes God more pain. In the scripture, we see that it is God’s job/role of disciplining and correcting those errant/rebellious/unpleasing aspects of Himself.
If we take vengeance, our correction if done in a spirit other than love, will be sin in its own right. If we act out of rage/impulsiveness, we will likely miss the mark and begin a new spiral of violation. When we act out of love and deep care for the other, the lesson can be seen as divine. When we act out of love, we leave room for Him to miraculously move circumstances. When we act out of love alone, the message is not confused with being an act of petty personal ego retaliation.
God can work through a word. His presence and acts can be silent, as seemingly random events, thoughts and choices arising as a message from widely dispersed people and times to create His outcome. It is for this reason that we should forgive and love, have pity on the sinner/the violator. In so doing we act as one of God’s cells, as His agent, one of His portals of perception and experience, one of His points of Consciousness which He has given independent thought, feeling, and will in executing His will.
He is the origin of all existence and the one who experiences all. It is in this way “we were created in His image.” We are all spirits from God, and God experiences all that we say, think, and do. We can influence the experience of others by our thoughts, words, and deeds. By choosing His morality, choosing His way of living within the reality of the laws of the universe He has created, we give Him an experience of joy. The result is that life works well when we obey His laws of physical-emotional-logical reality.
All that to say, I agree. The morality of formal religion is a crude approximation of the detail that is required to function in the universe perfectly. But, having said that, without a guide, however approximate, people tend to follow their passions, their habits, their animal instincts, and fall far afield of the perfection of God’s physical-emotional-logical reality.
It is for this reason that a study of the Bible (God’s revelation of His nature/what pleases Him), fellowshipping with other believers, supporting each other in the never-ending struggle to live perfectly/Godly is such a valuable, and necessary, effort. The rules of the Bible, and the rules of physical reality are the same to the perfectly rational omniscient being. But given that we are mere mortals, we do not naturally know/deduce/choose the perfectly rational choice that reality dictates.
Thomas
