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Friday FAQ’s of Faith: 2 Questions on Hell

September 30, 2011 in FAQ's of Faith with 0 Comments

*Every Friday, I answer questions that people ask in the comments section. Feel free to add your own answer or ask a new question for a future post.

Today I will be answering two people’s questions. Although they are different, their answers are closely related.

1) J_fo asks: Are Adam and Eve in Heaven?

Short answer: Yes.

Longer answer: Although Adam and Eve were the first sinners, there is no reason that Christ’s work could not redeem them as well. If God required them to be perfect on their own accord to get into Heaven, He would require the same thing of us. Which means we would all be in trouble.

Instead, Jesus paid the price of all sins, including Adam and Eve’s, so that we might have life. In order to receive His grace, we only need faith (here is a good definition of faith). That’s it.

Furthermore, I can think of few people in history who understood their need for God more than Adam and Eve. They knew Him intimately before sin, and so when sin entered the world they were fully aware of what they were missing.

Lastly, in Genesis it seems rather clear that Adam and Eve continued to live in relationship with God. This relationship would not be possible if they did not accept Him and His grace.

2) Vickie asks: Do you believe that people who are Christians and then commit suicide ever go to heaven?

Again, the answer is yes (if they are true Christians).

Is suicide a sin? Absolutely. It is a terrible sin.

But like I said with Adam and Eve, Christ’s death covers all the sins of all who believe.

Suicide is tragic, selfish, hurtful, and can destroy the lives of those still living. But as horrible as it is, Christ’s sacrifice and the Father’s grace are more powerful. That can be hard to believe sometimes, but it is God’s Word. Does this grace mean we should just sin because we’ll be forgiven? By no means! (Romans 6:1-2)

I think people say that suicide will stop you from getting to heaven because they are afraid Christians will just commit suicide for a one way ticket to Paradise. This one way ticket, of course, is completely wrong. God put each of us on Earth for a purpose, and we are called to live in that purpose.

There is another issue here as well, because many believe that you must ask for forgiveness for every particular sin, after you have sinned, in order to be forgiven. That’s not the way justification works. When we put our faith in Christ, we are justified from all sins, both past and future (Romans 3:21-26).

Does this mean we do not need to ask for forgiveness in the future? Well, not if we are talking about our eternity. Confessing sin is important however, for our lives today. When we hide sin from God it creates barriers in our relationship that prevent us from truly enjoying Him and living life to the full.

I love what John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

Satan wants death, but Christ came to give us life. Suicide is definitely a sin, but it is not unforgivable. This is not an excuse for people, however, because God calls us to something far greater than a quick death.

He calls us to abundant life.

How would you answer these questions?

9 of My Favorite Quotes

September 28, 2011 in Cultural Connection, Practical Theology with 9 Comments

I’m a guy who loves a good quote; I even have an entire journal dedicated to quotes. In fact, half the reason I am posting these is because I want to hear about some of your favorite quotes, so comment away!

Here are some of my favorites, both old and new:

‎”Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original: whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever having noticed it.”
- C. S. Lewis

“If the stars should appear one night in a thousand years, how would men believe and adore; and preserve for many generations the remembrance of the city of God which had been shown.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Do good by stealth, and blush to find it fame”
- Alexander Pope

“It’s a dangerous business going out your front door. You step into the Road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to.”
- J.R.R. Tolkien (via Bilbo Baggins)

“If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michaelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.”
- Martin Luther King Jr.

“Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.”
- Abraham Lincoln

“The devil is a better theologian than any of us and is a devil still.”
- A.W. Tozer

“No drop will be found either of wisdom or light, or of righteousness or power or rectitude, or of genuine truth, which does not flow from [God], and of which He is not the cause.”
- John Calvin

This last one is for really deep people:

“One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don’t know.”
- Animal Crackers

What are some of your favorite quotes? I want to hear them!

How My Faith Survived a Philosophy Degree

September 26, 2011 in Practical Theology with 4 Comments

Many people have asked me how my faith survived a philosophy degree at a secular University. It’s a good question, because there are plenty of “christians” who go to college, take a course that questions their faith, and their faith collapses like a house of cards.

For me, however, studying philosophy actually strengthened my faith. This usually surprises people because they think christians have the same odds of surviving philosophy as a bag of skittles in the hands of hungry 3rd graders. But God is not intimidated by secular universities, and we should not be either. Here are four really good reasons that my faith remained secure in the Lord and even grew while majoring in Philosophy at the great University of Georgia.

I was clearly a very ambitious student

1) I had experienced fruit: I grew up in a church that believed students could make a difference. I had several opportunities to share my faith and see God move in ways that could not be explained if He did not exist. Because I had personal experiences with God and knew the joy that came with a relationship with Him, no philosophical or theoretical concept could sway my opinion.

2) I had thought through my beliefs: Too many students show up to college without ever considering what they really believe. Their parents, friends, or youth pastors tell them to believe something, and so they believe it without any true foundation. I was much too analytical for this, and so I had spent considerable time considering my beliefs before going to college. When I arrived at school, I did not have to wrestle with my beliefs in a hostile environment because I had already wrestled with them.

3) Christian Friends: Having a community that encouraged me in my beliefs was extremely beneficial. I still had many non-believing friends, but at the end of the day there were always a few trusted christian guys I could go to for encouragement whenever I needed it.

4) The Missing Puzzle Piece: I still remember sitting in my Ethics class when I realized, “if these philosophers would recognize God’s existence, they could answer a lot more questions!” Most people, including myself, can get frustrated with philosophy because it leaves too many ideas in the open that “cannot be proven.” The great philosophers had some great things to say, but their ideas were always incomplete. I recognized that God would complete the picture, and therefore he had to be real.

What are some personal experiences that have helped solidify your belief in God?

Friday FAQ’s of Faith: Why do we need theology?

September 23, 2011 in FAQ's of Faith, Practical Theology with 6 Comments

*Every Friday, I answer questions that people ask in the comments section. Feel free to add your own answer or ask a new question for a future post.

**Congrats to Alecia S. for winning $10 in iTunes and Tony M. for winning $10 to Starbucks. E-mail me (Evan@gfc.tv) to claim your prize.

Today’s question comes from Daniel: “Why do we need theology when we have a clear message in the bible? theology was created by us, humans, and yet we treat it like it is the gospel. Answer me Evan.”

Answer you I shall Daniel! The first thing we must do is define “theology.” I’m not interested in re-writing the book, so we’ll go with my friend Webster, who defined theology as “the study of God and of God’s relation to the world.”

According to this definition, you make a mistake by separating theology from the Bible. In fact, the Bible is 100% theology! Every page works together to tell God’s story and how He relates to the world.

Granted, there is human created theology, and some of it is absurd. People choose to worship everything from a golden calf to a spaghetti monster to the money in their bank account. But man has also created gods that do not sound so crazy, they actually sound quite appealing. After all, who wouldn’t want a god who’s chief purpose was to make you happy?

"All Scripture is breathed out by God"

The problem is, if we really want to know the truth about someone, we cannot trust our own reasoning. We must go to the source! For instance, if you wanted to know something about me, it would be better to ask me than your inner self.

With God the same logic applies. If you want to know Him, you must listen to His telling of the story. And as you said, He gives His message clearly in the Bible.

Without God’s Word, we would have no idea who He is. There are philosophical arguments, some done reasonably well, that prove God’s existence, but no one can describe Him solely based on their own knowledge. If we want to know God, we must go to Him.

True theology, then, is not man made. It comes from God and the Bible. Considering that it is a rather large book, we cannot expect to know it without studying it. Theology helps us understand the Bible as a whole, and not just individual parts.

Reading or listening to “theologians” is an extremely helpful way to understand the Bible. They often have great insight and wisdom. There are two important rules for this, however:

First, know that a theologian cannot replace the Bible. Read theology books, but don’t stop reading the Word or take a theologian’s version of truth over God’s version.

Second, spend the majority of your time reading theologians who believe the Bible is God’s Word. If they do not, then their own flawed logic will dominate their theology instead of God’s revealed truth.

One last warning about theology. I made the mistake of wanting to know about God so much that I forgot to know God. What I mean is this, if we treat God like a science experiment that we need to figure out, we will totally miss out on having a relationship with him. If you truly want to know Him, focus on the relationship and you’ll figure things out as you go.

Thanks for the question Daniel! I am curious to hear what other people think, so please chime in.

Also, who are some of your favorite “theologians” to read or listen to? I’ll answer first in the comments…

Why Sheep Need the Herd (and you do too)

September 21, 2011 in Cultural Connection, Practical Theology with 1 Comment

*You can still post a question and win free iTunes or Starbucks! All you have to do is ask anything you want. It takes 10 seconds: Here.

The other week I introduced a mini-series on my time as a shepherd in New Zealand. Check out part 1 here if you missed it.

Sheep move in herds for a reason: they do not do well alone. When I worked with sheep, we collected a couple hundred of them at a time from the different pastures they lived in and brought them into a smaller fenced in area. As we moved them through the 2,000 acre farm they always stuck together in a tight group. Anytime one of the sheep got separated from the pack, it was immediately more lost then Bugs Bunny when he forgot to take that left turn in Alburquerque.

Once we got them inside the fence, we had to move a group of 20-30 of them into a small fenced aisle where we could give them the shots and minerals they needed. One time, after I finished giving them their shots, I could not get the sheep out of the aisle and back with the other sheep. The full-time shepherd just turned their heads around so they could see where the other sheep were, and then they moved! He explained, “they just need to see where their mates are. Then they will always move towards them.”

Short video moving the sheep into a fenced in area (one gets briefly lost):

Sheep need each other. Alone, they are helpless and defenseless. In fact, when predators hunt sheep, they rarely go after the herd. They wait until one of the sheep gets separated from the group and then they attack. Sheep may not be smart, but they know their need for community and so they stick together.

We Need our own Herd

Just like sheep, believers today need each other. Far too many people think faith is an individual thing, but in the Bible we see that our faith is lived out in community. Sure, there are individual aspects to Christianity, but we cannot deny the importance of fellowship.

As we see in Ephesians 4:11-16, the church family fulfills several roles:

First, it allows people to use their gifts and strengthen the group.

Second, it helps protect us from the lies of the enemy.

Third, it enables us to work together so that we can grow in faith and love and in Christ.

If we try to do all of this on our own, we, like sheep, won’t survive.

Practical Tip: Identify other believers in your life who are pursuing God and join them on their pursuit. You will be amazed at how much you grow!

Where do you find community?

Ask Me ANYTHING and WIN!

September 19, 2011 in FAQ's of Faith with 13 Comments

Today, I would love for you to ask any question you have ever had about religion, or any question about me personally. Examples of potential questions: “Why do bad things happen to good people?” or “How did you meet your wife?” or “Why do you despise the Phillies?” or “What’s the deal with Predestination?” or “Were you predestined to despise the Phillies?”

Asking questions helps me get to know you, plus I want to answer your questions about religion in future posts under the category “FAQs of Faith”

I'm telling you there's a chance

If you ask a question, I have a couple of giveaways up for grabs! If you comment, you will be entered in a drawing with two winners. One person will win $10 to Starbucks and the other will win $10 for itunes!

But wait, there’s more! If you like the facebook page, or subscribe through e-mail below* you will get a second entry into the drawing and your odds of winning double! What an outstanding deal.

I look forward to your questions and connecting with you! The winners of the drawing will be announced Friday.

*If you have subscribed to the e-mails before today, just say so in the comments and I will add your name to the drawing.

Guest Post on Simple Thoughts!

September 16, 2011 in Practical Theology with 2 Comments

Today I have the honor of guest posting on “Simple Thoughts,” a blog by Paige Knudsen.

Paige is an incredible Mom who loves her family, taking and sharing photos, running, and reading. If you doubt any of those facts, just spend about five minutes on her excellent blog where she shares the things she is learning in life. She is friendly, encouraging, and very insightful. She is also one of our awesome volunteers at church and was in one of the very first videos I ever filmed while working at Grace.

Her story blew me away, her faith and resilience are incredible, and I have no doubts it can encourage anyone who is struggling in their faith. You can check out the video below, and then head on over to Simple Thoughts for my guest post.

If you were wondering what my guest post was about, it is one of the best and most influential love stories I have ever heard. Here is a preview:

A few weeks before proposing to my wife, Morgan, I skipped class to meet with her Dad over lunch at the Chili’s in Discover Mills. I wanted his blessing in marrying his daughter, and somehow convinced him I deserved it. During our conversation, however, he told me a story and gave me a challenge that will stick with me forever.

Morgan’s grandparents, Paul and Marge, were married in their late teens. Just a few years into marriage, Marge contracted polio. We don’t worry much about polio anymore, but back then it was a terrifying disease. She was put into isolation and spent significant time in an iron lung. As a result of polio, Marge would never walk again…

——————————————————————————-

That was an intentional cliff hanger right there! To read the rest of their inspriring story, visit Simple Thoughts right now: CLICK HERE!

Lessons I Learned while Being a Shepherd

September 14, 2011 in Humor, Practical Theology with 2 Comments

*Special note: Yesterday I had a guest post on a sweet new website called Dear18me.com. The concept is genius: different people submit letters they would write to their 18 year old selves and it is very interesting. So go check it out!

During the summer of 2008 I had the good fortune of visiting New Zealand for four weeks and it was incredible. My favorite part of the trip was the week I spent working on a sheep farm. New Zealand seems to have more sheep than Scrooge McDuck has gold coins. In fact, when I was in the country, the human population was four million and the sheep population was thirty million.

That is a lot of sheep! If they ever get smart, they could easily lead a revolution to take over the island country.

Meet George and Mildred, potential revolutionaries

After one week with these wooly creatures, however, I can safely say that they will never ever get smart. Even if they got a hold of that intelligence formula that made the Apes rise up, their brains would be near useless. I grew up learning about sheep in the Bible and heard they were not smart animals. Nothing, however, could demonstrate their denseness as much as a first hand experience.

Let me just say that every stereotype you have ever heard about sheep is true. They are the stupidest, most foolish, and most obnoxious animals I have ever spent time with.

Ironically, God compares us, His people, to sheep all throughout the Bible.

Yeah. Not very encouraging, right?

After about 5 minutes in the sheep pen, I looked up to the Heavens and told God that I was so sorry. Why? Because even though they were driving me crazy, I knew I had treated God the same way they were treating me.

Apparently, I need a shepherd just as much as a sheep does.

The sheep I worked with were pregnant and about to give birth (when a sheep gives birth it is called “lambing”). We needed to prepare them for lambing, so every day we ventured out into the thirteen hundred acre farm with the sheep dogs and corralled some sheep into a pen. Here we gave them vaccinations for various diseases and a tasty mineral supplement. These were helpful to both the sheep and the lambs they were carrying because it would enter the lambs’ bloodstream before they were even born.

The True Modern Day Shepherd

I had the task of wearing a sweet jump suit, hopping in the paddock crowded with sheep, and giving each one of them a shot. Needless to say, it was very up close and personal. Some handled receiving a shot well, but most of them freaked out before I could even get close to them. They tried to escape when there was nowhere to go! Instead of taking the shot, which caused a little bit of pain, they would ram (pun intended) their heads into fences, jump on top of other sheep, and even buck their head back in attempts to break the needle.

There are so many times in my life when I sense God approaching. Sometimes I know what I need may hurt, but I don’t want the pain! And so I do anything I can to avoid God: I run into fences and give myself far more pain than He wants me to experience. Although the “vaccines” may be painful, they are good for me and necessary for my survival. Knowing this, I still often choose to do whatever I can to escape.

Fortunately, I cannot escape God, just like the sheep could not escape me. They may have resisted for a few minutes, but in the end they felt the needle. God is infinitely more resolute and powerful than I am, and when He wants to do something in my life (or your life), He will get it done.

We have a choice: When God wants to teach us something we can submit or fight. Since He is going to accomplish His will either way, I think our best bet will always be to submit.

I learned several other valuable lessons from sheep, so over the next few weeks I will be posting them. If you want to hear more about them, make sure you subscribe!

4 Incredible Benefits of Journaling

September 12, 2011 in Practical Theology with 0 Comments

Yesterday I spoke with some of our students about the importance of journaling.

It’s not always easy to find the time, but it’s certainly beneficial! Granted, journaling is not the 11th commandment, but I think Scripture gives us an excellent example of what good journaling looks like: the book of Psalms.

Although many other Psalms would work, today I want to look at Psalms 42:1-6. Here are just a few great things you can do in your journal to grow deeper in your relationship with God.

1) Remember the good times: “These things I remember, as I pour out my soul.” Let’s be honest, bad stuff happens in life. It happens to you, it happens to me, and it happens to everyone else. When bad things happen, our natural sinful reaction is to blame God, doubt God, ignore God, or do all of the above. When good stuff happens in your life, write them down in your journal! That way, when bad things happen you can look back at all of the ways God blessed you and be reminded that things are not always bad, that God loves you, He is real, and He is the last person you should ignore when times are tough.

Some past journals of mine

2) Wrestle through the bad times: “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me?” Our brain sends approximately a bazillion messages through our head at a time, especially when things are not going well. Journaling helps us focus our thoughts and really identify what is bothering us. This is important, because if you do not even know why you are upset, it is hard to stop being upset.

3) Be totally honest and transparent: “My tears have been my food day and night.” Journals are great because they never judge you. You can write whatever you want in a journal and it literally won’t think less of you (unless you write your journal entries on another human, but they’ll probably be most upset about the marker all over their arms- I do not recommend doing this). The Psalmist here expresses his feelings, he expresses his frustrations, and he is completely transparent. As humans, we need this outlet.

4) Remind ourselves of truth: “Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” As important as being completely transparent in your journal is, this last step is even more vital. If we finish everything with our frustrations and sorrows, it will be hard to move on from them! Jesus said, “the truth will set you free.” After you have finished venting your feelings about the world, ALWAYS finish your journal by reminding yourself of the truth, and then praise God because of the truth.

If you feel worthless, write about it! But finish by reminding yourself that you have value because Christ died for you!

If you can’t stand someone, write about it! But finish by reminding yourself that Christ loves you even though you do not deserve it, and therefore you are called to love those who do not deserve it.

How often do you remind yourself of the truth? As often as you need. The Psalmist of this passage (Psalms 42-43) told himself to “hope in God” three times!

But like Jesus said, the truth sets you free!

Your turn: Do you journal? If so, what do you journal about?

Important Tip for Great Conversation

September 9, 2011 in Practical Theology with 1 Comment

If you speak English, you probably think you speak the same language as everyone else who speaks English.

Unfortunately, you don’t.

Everyone has their own unique language, and words can mean different things to different people. We define things based on our passions, our culture, our education, and our experiences. If you want to have a good conversation with someone, especially a conversation of depth, it is essential that you clarify the meaning of your words.

This was one of the first lessons I learned in my college Philosophy classes. Too many heated arguments occur between people who actually agree, but they simply do not understand each other. They never get on the same page, and they speak right past each other and continually get more and more frustrated.

Examples of Potential Misunderstandings:

Words can sometimes be confusing

1) “Go Dawgs!” I am a UGA fan. When I say “go dawgs” to another UGA fan, it inspires hope. When I say it to a Georgia Tech fan, it inspires fear and bitterness. When I say it to someone from England, they think I love pets.

2)Bad: The classic use, of course, means bad. Somewhere along the way, most likely in the 80′s, “bad” began to mean cool or good. Now, it is back to just meaning bad.

3) Christian: The word Christian means something different to everyone. Some people think Christian means “good person,” others think ”Jesus follower,” still others think it means “pornographer” or “murderer.” Before asking someone to become a Christian, you better understand what the word means to them before you ask them. Otherwise, you could end up having a very awkward conversation.

How to avoid unnecessarily negative conversations:

1) Listen to people first: Learn about who they are, and what experiences have influenced their understanding of the world.

2) Ask for clarity: For some reason, when I do not understand something, I am afraid to ask for clarity. It’s probably due to some insecurity of mine, but this is dumb and not polite. If you need clarity on something someone says, ask them! It will show them that you are listening.

3) Explain what you mean: If you are talking about something, especially if it is controversial, make sure you explain exactly what you mean. Since you have already listened to their story, you could even speak in their terms. Otherwise, you might make someone mad and not even realize it.

4) Have important conversations in person: Too much meaning is lost over the phone, through e-mail, and especially while texting. If something is important, talk with the other in person.

Your Turn: Have you ever experienced miscommunications? Share them!

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