I-5 Questions Part 4

OTHER RANDOM TOPICS:

What is your view on The Shack?

I have not read The Shack. I have merely read some reviews. The quotes I read from excerpts of the book do not reflect accurate doctrine or biblical positions regarding the Trinity and the nature of salvation.

Is Jesus God or the Son of God?

Jesus is God and the Son of God as a member of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Here are the reasons:

1. Jesus clearly said He was God. (John 8:58; John 5:17-23; John 10:30)
2. Jesus’ name meant “God with us” (Matthew 1:23)
3. Jesus was killed for claiming to be God (John 5:18; Matthew 26:53-66)
4. The first Christians understand Jesus to be God (Colossians 1:15-20)

What about the Bible and divorce? Is anger a reason for divorce?

Jesus and Paul both offer very limited reasons for a divorce and having an angry spouse is not one of them. Jesus and Paul had a very high of marriage and ending a marriage through divorce is not encouraged, although sometimes it is allowed. The reasons for divorce are marital unfaithfulness (adultery) and abandonment of a believing spouse by a non-believing spouse.

God’s ultimate desire is for marriages to be reconciled through repentance and forgiveness, not matter the sin. We should all labor for this.

Thoughts on Evolution

There are certainly problems with evolution as a worldview and evolutionary theory (its science is not as proven as some would have us to believe. As Christ-followers, the key is to understand God as our Maker and Creator and what that means for us.

We also must understand that Genesis 1-2 are not primarily scientific texts; they are primarily theological texts and should be treated as such. This is not to say these passages do not have implications for science and our understanding of the created world.

In the ancient Hebrew language, there is no word for “nature,” only “creation.” This is significant because this tells us that we are here not by accident, but by God’s decision and design. We also know that people are God’s image bearers, which gives humanity special significance and dignity, as well as authority over creation.

I can make a case for a literal 6-day creation event. I can also understand the case for a young earth and for an old earth. I can also see that Genesis 1:1 may refer to God creating the earth over an indefinite period of time and Genesis 1:2-27 might refer to God preparing the land for man and woman in the area around Eden and not referring to the entire earth. I can appreciate a wide variety of perspectives on this issue as long as those viewpoints do not reject the authority and trustworthiness of the Bible.

Ultimately, there are few non-negotiables: 1) God did it. He designed and authored creation. 2) God did it good. There was no evil, no sin, nothing bad; and 3) God created human beings in His image and intends for a special relationship with humanity.

How do I stay Christian in college?

College years are rich in experience, forming values, and becoming a responsible adult.

They are also full of new temptations and interactions with a wide variety of people. I would suggest a few things:

1. Be in community with other Christians. Commit to a local church and get connected and involved. Don’t go at it alone.
2. Have guardrails. Protect yourself against your common temptations. Have accountability (For example, you could commit to never being alone with a member of the opposite sex).
3. Memorize Scripture. This alone is a massive weapon in the battle to stay true to God and walk with Him.
4. Develop a Christian worldview. Read books, ask questions, know what you believe and why.

The moment you die are you with Jesus?

YES -- if you are a Christ-follower who has placed faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord and obediently following Him as His disciple. See 2 Corinthians 5:8

What is the whole purpose of even putting "gods people" on an earth to test them? I am a non believer and nobody can seem to answer this question with an answer that makes any sense.

I-5 Questions Part 3

Did God create the devil?

Scripture indicates that the devil was an angel who originally led other angels in worship of God. Eventually, this angel was overcome with pride and the desire to replace God and be the one who received worship. This resulted in a war in heaven with many angels being cast down from heaven. These events came before the events in Genesis 3, when we see the devil now attacking and tempting God’s ultimate creation--humankind.

[See Revelation 12:7-13; Isaiah 14:12-17]

If people were created in the image of God (imago Dei) why do we sin & do evil?

Being created in the image of God does not mean we are God who is incapable of sin. Being made in the image of God means that we have the capacity to think and reason, make meaningful choices, reflect the goodness of God into creation, be creative, and share a relationship with our Creator.

Ultimately, we used the decision-making capability to rebel against God and commit sins.

The End of Times

Are we living in the end of times? Is the rapture imminent?

Jesus clearly states 2 things: no one but the Father knows when the end will come (Matthew 24:36) and the gospel must be preached to all nations (Matthew 24:14; Mark 13:10).

So while we are closer to the end of times events than we were yesterday, no one knows for sure. Also, I do not yet think the Gospel has preached “to all nations” (=ethnic groups) so there is still work for us to do as Jesus’ church and as His ambassadors.

How do we interpret Revelation? Are events in Revelation occurring now?

Revelation must be interpreted first and foremost from its original setting and context, which was to a suffering and persecuted group of Christians in the 1st Century. The imagery and symbolism present in Revelation meant something to these 1st Century Christians; therefore, we must be extremely careful about drawing modern day parallels. To do so is to risk reading something into the inspired biblical text that is not there.

Why did you speak ill of those who are doing as the Bible says and that is to be prepared for The Day of The Lord? Only God knows the hour. You missed a great opportunity to help people be ready for that hour. How many did you harm?

I am sorry that you sensed me speaking of ill of people on this particular subject and that was not my intention--for that I apologize.

I would say that being prepared for the Day of the Lord is being a disciple of Jesus and that every week we teach people about being His disciple and how to become a follower of His. The outline of Scripture we gave this weekend (Creation, Fall, Redemption, Restoration) was a summary of the gospel, which is the ultimate way to know how to be prepared for God’s return. I pray there was no harm in that.

My intent was to discourage reading into every current event signs of the coming of Christ. Our main task as Christians is bring the reality of Christ and His Kingdom into a world in desparate of need of Him.

How far should Christians go to influence politics/policy toward a Christian worldview?

We must be careful against thinking that we can legislate morality because we cannot. Instead, we can advocate for laws and legislation that promote the well-being of society.

The government incentivizes marriage because it believes marriage is good for society. However, we must remember that government did not create nor should it attempt to define marriage. To do so is guilty of usurpation of God’s authority.

Similarly, the government does not get to define when life begins but it can and should protect human life--all human life.

I-5 Questions Part 2

What about helping people versus the victim mentality so prevalent today?

Ultimately helping people must involve a relationship with someone who can showcase the grace and goodness of King Jesus. In Jesus we begin to understand that we are not victims, but victors. This must be our ultimate goal in helping people because then and only then are people truly free and able to experience the joy made available in Christ.

Practically, this means the following:

1. Some acts of service are necessary to alleviate the immediate problem. Hungry kids need to be fed; homeless people need shelter.
2. At some point, service ought to become relational and an investment in the long-term well-being of the one being served. This helps break the chain and cycle of poverty and the victim mentality by giving people real hope.
3. Some people will reject the offer of long-term, liberating service; we must still serve and not be discouraged.
4. Ultimately, we serve because Jesus served us; not to get a certain response from the one served or to have our expectations met.

What about the nation of Israel and the recent Gaza war? What should our position be?

First, we recognize any nation has the right to defend itself against attack and to protect its citizens. That is the starting point for viewing the recent Gaza war. But we must also mourn the loss of life and hopefully war can be waged in such a way that the loss of life is minimized. We recognize that war is a reality of life after the Fall and anticipate a day when war will no longer occur.

There is great diversity of viewpoints regarding Israel and the Jewish people today. In the Scriptures, we see that the Gospel has opened up the possibility for non-Jews to become God’s “chosen people” (Romans 1:16; Colossians 1:27; Ephesians 1:3-4). The offer of salvation in Christ is for all people and as Christians we pray and labor for the salvation of Jews. We must not understand the “Jews as God’s chosen people” in a way that causes us to neglect evangelizing them. We must understand that salvation comes to all (Jew and non-Jew) the same way. The Jews in Paul’s day were saved by faith in Jesus Christ; the same is true in ours as well.

However, we do see that God intends a future salvation harvest among the Jews (Romans 11:25-26; Zechariah 12:10). The Scripture indicates this will apply to Israel as a nation and not necessarily to every individual Jew.

The terrorist threat of ISIL.

Our response as Christians is first and foremost to plead for the souls of those who do not know Jesus as Lord and Savior. In Him, we see how the evil in the human heart can be cured and humanity restored to goodness by the God’s power and the Spirit’s presence. This leads us to send missionaries and pray for those who live in this troubled region of the world.

We also must pray for our president and our nation’s leadership. The decision to engage in war is not to be taken lightly but is within the government’s biblical responsibility to protect our nation’s citizens and vital interests. Therefore, the members of the armed forces who engage in combat are not guilty of murder and we pray for them and thank God for their service and sacrifices.

Why doesn’t God do something to stop ISIL and other acts of evil in the world?

First, we must understand that only the Christian worldview offers an explanation for why evil exists in the world (because evil exists in the human heart which has rejected God).

Not only does Christianity offer an explanation for evil, but also a solution for evil in Christ and His gospel which changes human hearts.

We must understand that God has chosen from the beginning of time to work through human beings to accomplish His will. This pattern remain unchanged after the Fall in Genesis 3 as God began to work through Abram and then Israel. Even Jesus as the Son of God, referred to Himself as the “Son of Man.”

Scripture also indicates that God may be currently holding back and restraining evil until a final battle occurs (2 Thessalonians 2:7).

Lastly, we also see that throughout history God’s people are frequently not spared from acts of evil or suffering or persecution. In His providence and sovereignty God uses what was meant for evil for good (Genesis 50:20). This is our ultimate hope and what our faith in God teaches us.

I-5 Questions Part 1

Here is part 1 of answers to questions submitted during this past weekend's services. We will be posting parts 2 - 4 throughout the weekend.

Shouldn’t Paul’s teachings against homosexual acts be interpreted in light of cultural issues in the 1st century the same way we interpret his teachings against women in leadership?

The problem with interpreting Paul’s teachings against homosexual acts as restricted to Greco-Roman culture is that does not fit with the context of Paul’s teaching. For example, in Romans 1:26-27 Paul is clearly talking about the created order and God’s original intent for creation and humankind. He is not talking about Greco-Roman culture per se, nor about individual actions.  In this context, Paul clearly indicates that homosexual acts and relations are not part of God’s perfect will for humankind.

The following quote from a colleague of mine, Pastor J.D. Greear, is helpful regarding how the church has historically interpreted these passages and the issue of homosexuality:

It is scarcely possible to imagine the Bible being clearer on the sinfulness of homosexual practice. The only way to avoid this interpretation is to approach the Bible with a decided agenda—and, of course, when you have an agenda, you can make just about any interpretation work in your mind.

It is important to note that the Church has maintained this position unanimously for two millenniums. As Richard Hays has said, “... the moral teaching tradition of the Christian church has for more than nineteen hundred years declared homosexual behavior to be contrary to the will of God. Only within the past twenty years has any serious question been raised.”

Homosexual: Birth vs. Choice.

While there are differing opinions on this, I believe that ultimately it does not matter: our theology must outweigh our biology. Our identity must be in Christ, nothing less.

Fulfilling our every natural desire is not what makes us human beings.

We all have desires that must be subordinated, held in check, or changed.

For an excellent summary about the Christian response to the homosexual issue, read J.D.’s Blog.

Regarding the issue of women in leadership, Paul’s writings are more clearly tied to local situations and contexts. For example, in I Corinthians 14:34-35 Paul tells women to be silent in church. Yet in I Corinthians 11:5,10; 14:3-5 Paul affirms that women may prophesy and pray in the church. Is Paul being contradictory? No. The issue in I Corinthians 14 is most likely referring to women (who were mostly uneducated) asking their husbands questions during the worship service that were disruptive to the service. So Paul asked them to handle those questions at home. In other instances Paul affirms women in leadership roles (see Romans 16 for example and the frequently referred to couple of Prisca and Aquilla who led churches in their home).

The issue of immigration.

Scripture is extremely clear that we are to have compassion toward the immigrant (Leviticus 19:34). The story of Scripture is filled with the movement of God’s people and how God used these providential repositioning to accomplish His purposes (Abram, Joseph, Moses, Israel, David, the exilic period, the church, and Jesus Himself was an immigrant to earth).

One concern I have is that our frustrations with the immigration system uncovers latent racism and bias against Hispanics. If the current situation, reveals traces of racism then we must repent of those attitudes and prejudices. Racism has no place in the Kingdom of God or in the heart of a Christ-follower.

But what about the law? Yes, we must be a nation of laws and the government must establish laws to protect its citizens (see Romans 13). However, our current laws create difficult situations (the orphaning of children who are U.S. citizens) and the lack of security at the border creates immigration problems, not mention overall protection against terrorist-type threats. As Christians, we must not shy away from offering prophetic critique against laws that create injustices or no longer work.

Finally, the overall position of the Christian--based on the gospel and God’s position toward us--must be one of compassion for all people, including the immigrant. The story of the Good Samaritan, which itself brings up ethnic tensions in Jesus’ day, shows that the heart of God is one of compassion, care, service, and empathy.

New Season

Dear Rock Bridge Family,

For the last seven years my family and I have had the privilege of serving with you. When we came back to Dalton, it was a new season for us. We had just had our first son Oliver, and you all welcomed us in as family. Now we feel that it is time for us to once again enter a new season of our ministry. 

In October of 2011, I felt God start to put a passion in me to focus more and more on developing and training people in ministry. Over time I began to feel like it needed to be my main focus. Greta and I are ordained through a ministry called Family Discipleship Ministries (FDM). FDM’s main focuses are on discipleship and leadership training. Through FDM we are starting a ministry training school called Summit Training Center (STC).  The school will be located here in Dalton.  In order to devote the time and energy needed to get the training school off the ground, I am transitioning out of being a part of the Rock Bridge staff. 

We will run our first school in the fall of 2015. The school will offer training in the ministry areas of Worship, Youth, Children, Pastoral, and Missions. I would love to talk to any of you who are interested in this journey on which we are embarking. We covet your prayers and thoughts in this new season. Thank you again for being our family and friends. We look forward to the future ahead and where God is leading us.

God Bless,

Jeremy & Greta Owens

Elders and Membership

Mine=His Monthly Plan

Hello Rock Bridge!

We just wrapped up a great series called MINE=HIS where we were given a vision of life that simultaneously combats greed and invests in what will last forever--the Kingdom of God.

This vision is about living life as a steward of God's gifts and resources and joyfully becoming more like Jesus in the process. However, to live this vision requires a plan for how we handle finances, for how we live a life where mine truly = His. This financial plan has three parts: GIVE, SAVE, LIVE.

We are encouraging all Rock Bridgers to be percentage givers to the local church.

Don't forget to bring the tear off portion of the MINE=HIS Monthly Plan back to a weekend service (don't put your name on it) so we can celebrate together how we are embracing this vision for living as God's steward, where mine really equals His.

Luke 12:34 -- "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

www.rockbridge.cc/minehis

Celebration - Multiplication - Connection - Action