Atheist Day – April 1 – Psalm 14:1

I had the following exchange (paraphrased) on Facebook the other day:

Me: Atheist Day is April 1. Psalm 14:1 – The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”

Atheist: Atheists aren’t fools. You’re a moron.

Me: Can there be anything more foolish that telling God that He doesn’t exist?

Atheist: I don’t tell gods they don’t exist. I don’t talk to fictional characters.

I had to paraphrase the atheist’s remarks, because she blocked me from seeing her comments a few minutes after she posted them.

I was both amused and saddened by this person’s answer. She apparently had no idea that by stating, “I don’t talk to fictional characters,” she was doing precisely what she argued she doesn’t do – she was telling God He doesn’t exist.

According to urban legend, a judge in Florida once declared that April 1 is “Atheist Day,” citing Psalm 14:1. This legend has been debunked; it apparently originated as a joke on a humor mailing list in 2002.

Is Atheism Foolish?

The fool has said in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt,
They have done abominable works,
There is none who does good.

~ Psalm 14:1

Atheism is a very foolish worldview to hold. For one thing, atheism is completely illogical. An atheist contends that he or she knows there is no God. Logically, one cannot know that something does not exist.

Let’s use Bigfoot, also known as sasquatch, as an example. In order to know Bigfoot does not exist, one would have to look in every place Bigfoot could possibly exist. They would have to look in all of these places at the same time, to ensure Bigfoot wasn’t moving from place to place. They would also have to know what Bigfoot is. Otherwise, they might actually see Bigfoot, but not recognize it. Logically, no one can know Bigfoot does not exist. The best one can logically know is that they have never seen Bigfoot, or any evidence for the existence of Bigfoot. One can conclude that Bigfoot probably does not exist, but one cannot logically conclude absolutely that Bigfoot does not exist.  Personally, I don’t believe in Bigfoot.  However, it would be illogical to say I know Bigfoot does not exist.  I would be a sasquatch agnostic rather than an a-sasquatch-ist.

The same logic applies to God. In order to know God does not exist, one would need to be looking everywhere in the universe simultaneously, and would need to know what God looks like in order to recognize whether He was present, or not. Such a person would need to be omnipresent to look everywhere at once, and omniscient to know what God looks like. Unless a person is indeed omnipresent and omniscient, it is illogical to claim one knows God does not exist.


The most a person can logically claim is that they don’t know if God exists. This would be agnosticism, not atheism. At least with agnosticism, there is enough intellectual integrity to acknowledge not knowing for certain.


Another reason atheism is foolish is what is known as Pascal’s Wager. Blaise Pascal (1633 – 1662) was a French mathematician, physicist, and philosopher. He argued that if a Christian is wrong about Christianity, they basically live a happy life, and when they die – they’re gone. They really haven’t lost anything by being wrong in their beliefs. However, if a non-Christian is wrong, although they may live a happy life here on earth, when they die, they end up in Hell. In other words, if one “wagers” on Christianity and loses, they lose nothing; if one “wagers” against Christianity and loses, they lose everything.


Although many atheists have devised convoluted scenarios they believe work around Pascal’s Wager, the same basic question remains: What if one is wrong about Christianity? If I, as a Christian, am wrong about Christianity, I’ll never know. When I die, I’ll just rot in the grave, and cease to exist. But, if an atheist is wrong about Christianity, they end up in Hell for eternity. That’s one bet I would not want to lose!


The most foolish thing about being an atheist is that atheist actually do know God exists. However, they intentionally suppress that knowledge.

¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, ¹⁹ because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, ²¹ because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²² Professing to be wise, they became fools, ²³ and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

~ Romans 1:18-23

God’s existence is obvious to anyone who is willing to see it. Everything in the universe points to His existence. The problem is that all people are born in rebellion against God.

² The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
³ They have all turned aside,
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one.

~ Psalm 14:2-3

Every person is born separated from God. Yet God, in His grace, reveals Himself to each of us, and gives us the opportunity to turn to Him.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

~ John 3:16

Those who choose to respond to the Gospel and receive Christ as Lord and Savior gain an eternal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Those who foolishly suppress the truth of the Gospel remain eternally separated from God, and spend eternity in Hell. This is why atheism is foolish. For God to offer forgiveness, reconciliation with Himself, and eternal life, yet to choose to tell Him, “No thank you. You do not exist,” is the most foolish thing a person could ever do.

Acts 2:38 – Is Water Baptism Necessary For Salvation?

³⁷ Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
³⁸ Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
⁴⁰ And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” ⁴¹ Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.

Acts 2:37-41 (NKJV)

Acts 2:38 is one of the major proof-texts that those who believe water baptism is necessary for salvation use to support their belief. I disagree with this assessment for three reasons:

1. There are far too many other passages in the Bible that contradict the notion of water baptism as a requirement for salvation. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” According to this verse, eternal life is based on belief in Jesus Christ – and nothing else. Romans 10:9-10 says “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Again, there is no mention of baptism in these verses, nor anywhere else in the chapter. In several other passages in the book of Acts, baptism is mentioned in conjunction with salvation; however, in every one of these passages, baptism always happens immediately after the person has been saved.
2. There are also many other passages that contradict the notion that water baptism is the means for having sin removed. 1 John 2:1-2 says, “My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.  And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” Hebrews 9:22 states, “And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.” It is the blood of Jesus Christ that removes sin, not water baptism.
3. A careful examination of the text of Acts 2:38 has convinced me that Peter is not talking about physical water baptism, but rather the immersion of the believer in Christ. The Greek word βαπτισθήτω means “dip, submerge, baptize.” When examining the context of Biblical passages concerning baptism, it is important to understand A) who or what is being immersed, and, B) what they are being immersed in? In the case of Acts 2:38, the answer to “who or what is being immersed?” would be the Jews who heard Peter’s sermon, and believed. The answer to the second question, “what they are being immersed in?” would be, “in the name of Jesus Christ.” Peter is telling his audience that in order to be saved, they must be immersed in Jesus Christ; His blood then covers their sin; and then they will receive the Holy Spirit. Peter does not say, “be baptized in water for the remission of sins;” he says, “be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.” When a person receives Jesus Christ as their Savior, they are put into Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. Water baptism is done afterward, as an outward sign of the spiritual transformation that has already taken place (Acts 2:41). In Acts 2:38, the instruction is to be immersed into Jesus’ name, not into a pool of water.

Salvation is based on confessing sin before God, repentance, and placing one’s faith and trust in the atoning blood of Jesus Christ alone for the remission of sin. No ritual or work – including water baptism – can add to or take away from one’s salvation.

Seven Obstacles to Sharing Your Faith, Part 5

I ran across an article last month on christianitytoday.com by Chris Lutes entitled Seven Reasons Not to Share Christ (and why we should go ahead and do it anyway). I thought it would make a good a good blog series.

Lutes writes for his fifth reason:

5) “I’m not a very good Christian”

You’re a believer, but you mess up. You don’t pray or read your Bible as much as you should. And you sin. Every day. So why should you tell other people about Christ if you can’t even get it right? Fortunately, being a believer isn’t about getting it right. It’s about God’s love and God’s forgiveness. It’s about his saving grace. (See Ephesians 2:8-9, John 3:16 and Colossians 2:13.) So, does this mean you can act however you want? No. God wants us to become more like him each and every day. But he can also use us even when we mess up or aren’t as good as we should be. You don’t have to be “perfect” to share Christ. Not at all. Instead, make it clear to your friends: “You know, I’m sure not perfect. That’s why I need God’s love and forgiveness.” Chances are, your friends will appreciate your honesty. They might also be kind of amazed to discover you believe in a loving and forgiving God. And isn’t that what the Good News is all about?

Being a Christian isn’t about being good. It’s about being forgiven. If being a Christian depended on us being good, then there would be no Christians. The apostle Paul quotes several Old Testament passages in Romans 3:10-12, where he writes,

¹⁰ As it is written:
“There is none righteous, no, not one;
¹¹ There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
¹² They have all turned aside;
They have together become unprofitable;
There is none who does good, no, not one.”

Since there is no person who does good, then not being a “good” Christian puts you in exactly the same position as every other Christian. None of us is “good,” despite the fact that most of us want to be. Paul also struggled with the dilemma of Christian “goodness.” In Romans 7:14-25, he writes,

¹⁴ For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. ¹⁵ For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. ¹⁶ If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. ¹⁷ But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. ¹⁸ For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. ¹⁹ For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. ²⁰ Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

²¹ I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. ²² For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. ²³ But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. ²⁴ O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? ²⁵ I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

Paul struggled with sin. He struggled to do what was right, and he struggled not to do what was wrong. All of us who are followers of Jesus Christ struggle with doing what we know is right. If a person does not have this internal dissonance between what they know God wants them to do and what they actually do, I would contend that they aren’t true Christians. All people fall short of God’s perfect standard; true Christians have the Holy Spirit residing in them, convicting them of sin and guiding them toward repentance. If a person does not experience the Holy Spirit’s conviction for sin, then they have not yet been saved. The fact that a Christian knows they fall short is evidence that they are truly saved and allowing God to guide and direct them.

Here’s the bottom line: Being a Christian isn’t about being good; it’s about being forgiven, and being transformed. Being forgiven happens the moment a person receives Jesus Christ; being transformed is a life-long process. The fact that I’m not a “good” Christian is the very point of the Gospel. Religion says I must be good to approach God; Christianity says that I cannot be good, but that God wants to be reconciled to me through the blood of Jesus Christ, despite my lack of goodness. And, it’s the Holy Spirit that allows the transformational process in my life, not anything I can do on my own.

Seven Obstacles to Sharing Your Faith, Part 4

While web-surfing one day last month, I ran across an article on christianitytoday.com by Chris Lutes entitled Seven Reasons Not to Share Christ (and why we should go ahead and do it anyway). I thought it would make a good a good blog series.

Lutes writes for his fourth reason:

4) “None of my Christian friends do it”
Ever talk to your friends about why they don’t witness? There could be a ton of reasons—like those in this article. Maybe they’re just not sure how to witness. Why not use this article to get the conversation going? You could also do a book study together. Suggestion: Witnessing 101 by Tim Baker. Of course, you may need to take the lead and be the first in your group to witness. Your friends just might follow.

Many Christians, if not most, rarely share the Gospel with non-Christians. There are many reasons why, as this series suggests. Yet, Jesus has commissioned us to spread the Gospel.

Matthew 28:18-20
And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Each of us is responsible for our own obedience or disobedience to God. We can’t base our actions on what our friends do. God will hold each of us accountable for our own actions, not for the actions of our peers. It takes courage to be obedient to God when those around us don’t. Each of us is called to share our faith, regardless of what others do.

Lutes is correct in saying that if one Christian in a group of peers begins to share his or her faith, the others in the group are more likely to follow. Sometimes, all it takes is one Christian who is willing to be obedient to what God has called them to do in order to start a movement. Granted, God doesn’t call everyone to start a movement, but God can use anyone who is obedient to Him.

Don’t give in to peer pressure. Rather, give in to Holy Spirit pressure. Learn to trust in the Holy Spirit’s leading and instruction. Just step out in faith, and tell people about Jesus.

Did Jesus Die For the Whole World?

Some Christians would argue that Jesus Christ only died for the “elect” – that God chose, or elected, certain people that would be saved (the Elect), and chose to send the rest (the Reprobate) to Hell.  Human beings have no choice in the matter; if God picks you, you will believe and be saved, but if He doesn’t pick you, you have no chance to be saved.  This belief is fundamental to Calvinism.

There are several verses in the Bible that contradict this belief.  One of these is 1 John 2:2:

 And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

First, what does “propitiation” mean?  Propitiation can be defined as the act of appeasing one offended and gaining his favor.  When John says that Jesus Christ is the propitiation for our sins, he means that only the blood of Jesus Christ can appease God’s wrath against human sin, and can put sinners into God’s favor.  Only through Jesus Christ can our sins be paid for; only through Jesus can we be reconciled to God.

The problem for Calvinists is the second part of the verse:  “…and not for ours only but also for the whole world.”  Taken in a straight-forward manner, this verse says that the propitiation for sin is available not only to John’s audience, but to everyone.  Who was John’s audience?  Most scholars believe John was primarily writing to Jewish Christians – first century people who were born and brought up as Jews, but who became Christian believers after the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

John Samson, a reformed pastor, writes on reformationtheology.com:

… we approach the First Epistle of John, and remember that it is a letter written to a primarily Jewish audience. So in 1 John 2:2, as in the rest of the letter, we have the Apostle John, a Jew, writing primarily to fellow Jewish believers in the Messiah. He writes of Jesus Christ being “the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for the whole world.” It is possible that the word “world” here refers to every person on planet earth, but in my estimation, not very likely, because of the fact that we have a Jew, writing to fellow Jews. I think it is far more likely that John is here declaring that Christ died not only for our sins (the sins of Jewish people), but for also for those of the whole world (the sins of Gentiles throughout the world).

Samson is arguing that the phrase, “the whole world,” doesn’t mean the whole world, but the elect gentiles.  This is an example of coming to the text with a preconceived idea, and forcing one’s understanding into the text.  Samson presupposes Calvinism, but when the text contradicts his presupposition, he simply forces his presupposition into the text to make it say what he wants it to say.  He even acknowledges that a plain reading of the text doesn’t support his view –  ”It is possible that the word “world” here refers to every person on planet earth” – but he then explains why he thinks the text means exactly the opposite of what it says.

What did John Calvin have to say about this verse?  Quoted on calvinandcalvinism.com, he writes:

Here a question may be raised, how have the sins of the whole world been expiated? I pass by the dotages of the fanatics, who under this pretense extend salvation to all the reprobate, and therefore to Satan himself. Such a monstrous thing deserves no refutation. They who seek to avoid this absurdity, have said that Christ suffered sufficiently for the whole world, but efficiently only for the elect. This solution has commonly prevailed in the schools. Though then I allow that what has been said is true, yet I deny that it is suitable to this passage; for the design of John was no other than to make this benefit common to the whole Church. Then under the word all or whole, he does not include the reprobate, but designates those who should believe as well as those who were then scattered through various parts of the world. For then is really made evident, as it is meet, the grace of Christ, when it is declared to be the only true salvation of the world.

Calvin is arguing that “the whole world” actually means “the whole church,” which would exclude the reprobate, and only include the elect.  Again, the problem is that John didn’t write, “the whole church.”  He wrote “the whole world.”  Again, this is an example of trying to fit one’s personal beliefs into the Scriptures, despite the fact that they don’t fit.  In effect, Calvinists must claim that John didn’t write what he meant to write; he didn’t phrase his statement clearly.  And, since God Himself inspired John to write 1 John, God must have gotten it wrong, too.  It is ironic that Calvinists, who focus so much on God’s sovereignty, must in effect deny His sovereignty, and argue that God goofed, because  1 John 2:2 doesn’t mean what it says.

What does 1 John 2:2 mean?  Does it mean, as others would argue, that everyone is saved?  1 John 2:2 states that Jesus is the propitiation for the whole world.  This means that in Christ is found everything that is necessary to appease God’s wrath, and gain His favor.   What is doesn’t state is whether the propitiation is actually applied to the whole world.  Other verses, such as John 3:16 and Romans 10:9-10, make this clearer:

John 3:16 – For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Romans 10:9-10 – if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.   For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

These verses, as well as many others, indicate that a person must believe in order to be saved.  Neither the one extreme of Calvinism, nor the other extreme of Universalism, is correct.  What is correct?  I think Calvin himself stated it well, although he didn’t believe it to be true: Christ suffered sufficiently for the whole world, but efficiently only for the elect.  The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ were sufficient to cover the sins of every person in the whole world, but are only applied to those who God elected, based on His foreknowledge of who would choose to receive the gift of salvation.  1 John 2:2 makes it very clear that Jesus died for the sins of the whole world; John3:16 makes it clear that one must choose to believe in order to receive the benefits of Jesus’ propitiation for sin.

Did God the Father Forsake His Son On the Cross?

Al Hsu

In an April 4, 2012 article posted on christianitytoday.com, Al Hsu argues that on the cross, Jesus Christ was not separated from God.  God did not “turn His back” on Jesus because of sin.

This is very dangerous theology.

Hsu argues:

One of the major objections that today’s new atheists have about Christianity is that the Christian God is not worth believing in. They argue that Christianity is a primitive backwards religion of punitive bloodlust, of a father who kills his own son. The Cross is divine child abuse, they say. Fathers should love their children, not abandon them, not torture them, not kill them. If the Christian God forsakes his own child, how could he be worthy of worship? We don’t respect human child abusers—why would we believe in a God who forsakes his own perfect son?

Atheists argue against Christianity based on the fallacious argument that God is a child abuser.  Hsu buys into their illogical line of reasoning, and defends the atheists in his argument.

The crux of Hsu’s reasoning is that he believes that when Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me,” He was not saying that God had forsaken Him; rather, He was simply pointing to the fact that the crucifixion was the fulfillment of Psalm 22.

Here’s the key biblical insight that changed everything for me in how I read this passage. It’s a simple historical fact about how Israelites cited their Scriptures. They didn’t identify passages by chapter numbers or verse numbers. Verse numbers weren’t invented yet. Their Scriptures did not have little numbers in the text. So how they referenced a passage was to quote it, especially the first line. So the book of Genesis, in Hebrew, is not called Genesis. It’s called, “In the beginning.” Exodus is “Names.” We similarly evoke a larger body of work with just a line of allusion: “A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.” or “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

That’s why Jesus often says, “It is written” or “You have heard it said.” He doesn’t say, “Deuteronomy 8:3 says this.” No, he says, “It is written, ‘Man does not live by bread alone.’ ” That’s just the way they did it.

So when Jesus says, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” he’s saying, “Psalm 22.” He expected his hearers to catch the literary allusion. And his hearers should have thought of the whole thing, not just the first verse…

So, Hsu believes that Jesus wasn’t saying that God had forsaken Him; rather, Jesus was simply reciting the beginning of Psalm 22, so that His listeners would think of the entire Psalm.

So, what does Psalm 22 actually say?

¹ My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?
Why are You so far from helping Me,
And from the words of My groaning?
² O My God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear;
And in the night season, and am not silent.

In the actual Psalm itself, the speaker 1) asks why God has forsaken him; 2) asks why God is far from helping him; and 3) states that God does not hear his cries.  So, even if Jesus is simply pointing to Psalm 22, it means the same thing:  God has forsaken Him.

Toward the end of the Psalm, the tone changes.

²¹ Save Me from the lion’s mouth
And from the horns of the wild oxen!

You have answered Me.

In the end, God does hear the cries of the writer in the Psalm.  Hsu uses this as evidence that God never did turn from His Son on the cross.  However, this misses the entire point of both the psalm and the crucifixion.  In the beginning of the psalm, God does not hear, and forsakes the person speaking.  This person endures great pain and suffering.  The description matches the crucifixion of Jesus.  Only after this occurs, does God answer.  Likewise, when Jesus died on the cross, God did reject Him – until after he had died and paid for the sin of the world.  Then God once again was able to answer His Son’s cries, which He did by raising Him from the dead, and restoring Him to perfect fellowship with Himself.

Another problem with Hsu’s argument is that he assumes a position that is dangerously close to the  “Oneness” view of the Trinity.  This is a heretical view of God.  According to Wikipedia, “the Oneness doctrine… states that there is one God, a singular spirit who manifests himself in many different ways, including as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This stands in sharp contrast to the doctrine of three distinct and eternal ‘persons’ posited by Trinitarian theology.“

Hsu states:

This corrects the dangerous tendency to divide the Trinity. Sometimes we tell the crucifixion story as if God is against Jesus. But Jesus said that he and the Father are one. They can’t be divided. The Trinity was not broken. God doesn’t execute his son.

Hsu argues that the Trinity cannot be divided.  However, the Trinity involves the single Godhead existing as three distinct persons.  God is One, yet Three.

Why does it matter whether the Son was separated from the Father on the cross?

The whole point of the cross is that Jesus Christ took the place of sinful human beings.  The substitutionary death of Jesus is the entire foundation of the Gospel.  Humankind is separated from God because of sin; Jesus took sin upon Himself, and took the penalty for our sin – separation from God – on our behalf.

If Jesus Christ did not suffer separation from God, then there are two possibilities.  The first option is that He did not take the penalty of our sin – separation from God – upon Himself; therefore, we are still liable for that penalty.  In other words, if God did not turn His back on Jesus, then He is still turning His back on the Christian.  The crucifixion and resurrection accomplished nothing.  The second option is that separation from God was never the penalty for sin.  However, if this were true, then why would we need Jesus’ crucifixion at all?

Both of these views are completely anti-Biblical and heretical.  If Jesus Christ the Son was not separated from God the Father on the cross as our substitute, then the Gospel makes no sense whatsoever.  But Hsu writes, “Jesus is not saying that God has forsaken him. He’s declaring the opposite. He’s saying that God is with him, even in this time of seeming abandonment, and that God will vindicate him by raising him from the dead.”  This is dangerous heresy.  While it’s true that God ultimately vindicated Jesus Christ by raising Him from the dead, it’s also critical that God had to utterly reject His Son while He was on the cross, because He bore my sin and yours.  God cannot look upon sin; Jesus Christ became sin in our place, so in order for the Gospel to mean anything at all, God had to turn His back on Jesus Christ the Son, although only while He hung on the cross.

Christian:  Beware of false doctrines such as those proposed by Al Hsu. 

When people reject the straight-forward, plain meaning of Scripture, and instead insert their own ideas into the text, the result is almost always heresy.

¹ But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. ² And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.

2 Peter 2:1-2

Theological Positions I Don’t Understand, Part 3

Losing Your Salvation, or Conditional Preservation of the Saints

According to some, once a person is saved – they have repented of their sin, placed their faith and trust in Jesus Christ, and received eternal life – it is possible for them to lose that salvation.  This is the Arminian belief that believers are preserved by God in their saving relationship with Him upon the condition of a persevering faith in Christ. If a Christian stops believing, they are no longer saved.

This makes no sense to me.

In order to analyze this position, one must first understand exactly what happens to a person when they receive Jesus Christ as Savior.

Why does a person need to be saved in the first place?  In Genesis, God created humankind (Adam and Eve) to live sinless lives in a perfect relationship with Him.  However, they sinned, and that sin has been passed to all of humanity (Romans 5:12).  Sin separates us from God.  We are all born condemned because of sin (Romans 5:18).

How does a person get saved?  Romans 10:9-10 states, “⁹ that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”  John 1:12 says, “¹² But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name,”  and John 3:16 says, “¹⁶ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  So, salvation is based on believing in Jesus Christ and His resurrection, and receiving His forgiveness.

What happens to a person when they are saved?  First, the penalty for the person’s sins is removed, and placed on Jesus Christ, Who paid the penalty for sin on the cross.  Second, they are “born again” (John 3:3-8). When a person is born, their spirit – the part of us that connects us to God – is dead.  When we are saved, our spirit is brought to life.  This is eternal life (John 3:16; Romans 6:23). Third, at the moment of salvation, the Holy Spirit takes up residence in the new believer; he or she is then sealed by the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13).  The person becomes a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 6:15).

What does all of this mean?  It means that there is a fundamental change in the person’s nature.  The new Christian undergoes an instantaneous transformation from death to eternal life.  He or she is instantaneously changed from guilty to innocent before God, and immediately saved against the wrath of God.  They are immediately placed into God’s family, and are instantly given the Holy Spirit within them who will guide and direct them.  But, the new Christian does not become instantaneously perfect and sinless. They are still trapped in a fallen, sinful body, with fallen, sinful minds.    But, the process of becoming like Christ – called sanctification – begins immediately.  Christians don’t receive new, perfect bodies and perfect, sinless minds until we arrive in Eternity.

There are numerous Bible passages that allude to salvation being permanent and unable to be lost.  Here is a partial list (links provided for context verification or translation change):

• John 6:35-37  ³⁵ And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. ³⁶ But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. ³⁷ All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.
• John 10:27-29  ²⁷ My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. ²⁸ And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand.
• Romans 11:29  ²⁹ For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
• Ephesians 1:13-14  ¹³ In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴ whois the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
• Hebrews 9:11-15 But Christ came as High Priest … with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption… that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.
• 1 John 5:11-13  ¹¹ And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. ¹² He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. ¹³ These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life,and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

There are several passages that seem to indicate a Christian can lose their salvation.  Under closer scrutiny, each passage can easily be understood to either refer to persons who were never saved in the first place, or refer to something other than salvation.  Here are two of the most problematic:

Hebrews 6:4-6  ⁴ For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, ⁵ and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, ⁶ if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.

The first question is, what is the context?  The book of Hebrews was written to Jewish Christians of the first century.  The author has just completed a discussion of spiritual immaturity.  He then continues by discussing the consequences of not progressing from immaturity to maturity.

What does Hebrews 6:4-6 mean?  Some would argue that it means Christians can lose their salvation – “fall away” – and can never be again saved.  I disagree; in fact, I believe the author is arguing exactly the opposite.  It appears to me that he is arguing that since it would be impossible for someone to be saved again if they lost their salvation, it is therefore impossible to lose one’s salvation.  In context, the author is arguing that spiritual immaturity cannot result in a loss of salvation!  The author continues in verse 9:  “But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation.”  He is saying that what he just talked about – losing one’s salvation – does not apply to them.  In verse 11, he mentions “the full assurance of hope until the end” – eternal security!  In verse 19, he states that “this hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast.” Again, our hope – salvation – is an “anchor” that is “sure and steadfast” – eternal.

Another key verse that some claim says that Christians can lose their salvation is Hebrews 10:26:  “²⁶ For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins.”  The question is, to whom is this referring?  The saved, or the unsaved?  I contend that receiving “knowledge of the truth” is not the same as being saved.  Many people understand the Gospel message, but reject it.  These are the people Hebrews 10:26 talks about.  The author is saying that when a person fully understands the Gospel, yet consciously rejects Jesus Christ anyway, it makes no difference that they understand.  Belief is more than mere intellectual assent; it involves receiving and applying the truth to one’s life.

There are several other passages that proponents of conditional preservation point to in order to support their position, but a closer examination of each shows that the texts either do not refer to salvation, or else refer to the unsaved, not the saved.

With all of this background information in mind, let us now consider the possibility of losing one’s salvation from a logical viewpoint.  How can a person who has been “born again” become “unborn” again?  How can eternal life become temporary?  If the penalty for sin has been removed by Jesus Christ on the cross, does Jesus give it back to the person if they stop believing?  How can a person who has been eternally sealed by the Holy Spirit become unsealed?

When a person is saved, there is a fundamental change in the person’s nature.  The human spirit, which is born dead, is brought to life.  For a person to lose their salvation would mean that they would have to spiritually die again.  The fundamental change known as being “born again” and becoming a “new creation” would have to be reversed.  The Holy Spirit would have to leave them.  And, according to Hebrews 6:4-6, they could never again be saved.

The Christian is promised eternal life upon trusting in Jesus Christ as Savior.  If this can be lost, then it isn’t eternal.  If a Christian could lose their salvation, then John 3:16 should read, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in and remains obedient to Him should not perish but have everlasting life, as long as they continue to believe and remain obedient.”  However, that’s not what it says.

What then of those who have professed to be Christians, but later deny Jesus Christ?  I see two possibilities.  By far, the most common view is that they were never truly saved in the first place.  Many people have an intellectual understanding of the Gospel, but never actually put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ.  I believe these are the people Hebrews 6:4-6 talks about.  Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23:

²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

How horrible it will be for those who understood the Gospel, but never received Jesus Christ as Savior!

The second possibility is considerably more controversial.  I believe there are some true born-again Christians who later change their minds, but are still destined for heaven nonetheless.  I believe some people can come to true faith and trust in Jesus Christ and receive eternal life, but at some later time are deceived by Satan, and intellectually conclude that Christianity is false.  Perhaps they backslide to the point where they no longer care; or perhaps they suffer a hurt so deeply that they blame God, and want nothing more to do with Him.  Whatever the circumstances, they are deceived into the intellectual conclusion that Christianity is false.  However, since they are eternally saved, and have eternally received the Holy Spirit, they will still go to Heaven when they die.  And, since they still are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, Who continues to convict them of their sin and unbelief, they are probably the most miserable people on the face of the earth.  Some of the so-called “angry atheists” may fall into this category.  The only way they can maintain their intellectual atheism is by actively ranting and persecuting anything related to God, the Bible, and Christianity.  I do not think there are many who fall into this category, because it would be extremely difficult for a person to deny the Holy Spirit when He lives inside of them, but I think there are some that do.  How extremely miserable they must be!

In conclusion, I do not understand the belief that a Christian can lose their salvation.  I understand where the belief comes from; but, I don’t understand how it makes any sense whatsoever.  As Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 1:12, “for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.”  If eternal life can be lost, then it wasn’t eternal life to begin with.

Jesus Bore Our Sins

Matthew 27:45-54

New King James Version (NKJV)

⁴⁵ Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. ⁴⁶ And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

⁴⁷ Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, “This Man is calling for Elijah!” ⁴⁸ Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink.

⁴⁹ The rest said, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him.”

⁵⁰ And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.

⁵¹ Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, ⁵² and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; ⁵³ and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

⁵⁴ So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

1 Peter 2:21-24

²¹ For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:

²² “Who committed no sin,
Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;

²³ who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; ²⁴ who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

Don’t Be a Fool!

Last night the entire family stayed up late watching movies on TV.  Just after midnight, I went into my daughter’s room and told her and her brother that our rabbit, Hasenpfeffer, was winking at me, and that they needed to see this strange behavior.  Both teenagers came running out, and stared closely at the confused rabbit for quite a while, before I started laughing, and exclaimed, “April Fool!”

Today is April Fool’s Day.  It’s a day of practical jokes and trying to get gullible people to do silly things.  The Bible, however, talks extensively about another kind of fool.  As it says in Psalm 14:1, the fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”

In Romans chapter 1, Paul writes, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness… because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.  Professing to be wise, they became fools…”

It is utterly foolish to deny the existence of God.  Everything around us, from the vastness of space, to the complexity of the mind, to the language of DNA, to the absolute laws of nature, screams out testimony to the existence of the loving, infinite, holy God of Scripture.  Only a fool could miss it.  In order to be an atheist, one must ignore the fact that nothing should exist, yet everything does exist; there should be no absolutes, yet absolutes do exist; and there should be no order in the universe, yet the universe is extremely ordered.

The Bible also speaks of another kind of fool – the believer who ignores God’s truth.  After disobeying God, King David confessed before God, “I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing; but now, I pray, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly” (1 Chronicles 21:8).  David also wrote in Psalm 38:

³ There is no soundness in my flesh
Because of Your anger,
Nor any health in my bones
Because of my sin.
⁴ For my iniquities have gone over my head;
Like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.
⁵ My wounds are foul and festering
Because of my foolishness.

James warns, “But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?” (James 2:20).  Paul warns Titus to “avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless” (Titus 3:9).  He warns Timothy to “avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife” (2 Timothy 2:23).  He warns the Galatian church:

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified? This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?  Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? (Galatians 3:1-3).

When a Christian, who has an intimate relationship with the Creator of the universe, ignores the clear teaching of the Bible and the leading of the Holy Spirit, he or she is an utter fool.  Which basically means that everyone is a fool, at least some of the time, because all of us ignore God’s leading from time to time.  This includes me – just ask my family!

What truly boggles my mind is that foolish people think that God’s ways are foolishness.  They think that their own opinions make sense, and God’s Word is nonsense.  How’s that for irony?  Yet, the Bible makes it clear that it is human wisdom that is foolish, not God’s wisdom.  As Paul wrote in the first chapter of his first letter to the Corinthian church:

¹⁸ For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ¹⁹ For it is written:

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”

²⁰ Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? ²¹ For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. ²² For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; ²³ but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, ²⁴ but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵ Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

On this April Fool’s Day, do not be a fool in the eyes of God.  It’s OK to let someone get the best of you with a harmless practical joke; but, do not foolishly reject the truth of the Bible.  Rather, be a fool in the eyes of foolish men:  “Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.  For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God” (1 Corinthians 3:18-19).

Homosexuality, the Bible, and the Christian Response

Actor and Christian evangelist Kirk Cameron recently drew heavy criticism from the left after he called homosexuality “unnatural” and “ultimately destructive” during an interview with CNN’s Piers Morgan.

The song, “It Should Have Been Obvious,” by The Choir also drew criticism from the right for Christian songwriter and drummer Steve Hindalong for these lyrics:

Yeah, that was me
The self-appointed
Judge of your own orientation
I studied law at the blind man’s school
Of cruel indoctrination

So, what does the Bible actually say about homosexuality?  And, how should Christians respond to homosexuality?

What Dos the Bible Actually Say?

When one reads the Bible in a direct, plain manner, it clearly defines homosexuality as a sin:

Leviticus 18:22 (NKJV) You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.

Leviticus 20:13 (NKJV) If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.

Deuteronomy 23:17-18 (KJV) There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel.

1 Kings 14:24 (KJV) And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

Romans 1:26-27 (NKJV) For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NKJV) Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.

Some homosexual advocates will argue that some of the Greek and Hebrew terms actually mean something else.  This tactic is very similar to advocates of “old-earth” creationism arguing that a “day” in Genesis 1 can mean “long periods of time.”  Redefining a term to mean what you want it to mean, despite the fact that in context, the term clearly means something else, is illogical.  Let me give you an example, in a different context.

The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution reads, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”  This says nothing about owning weapons.  The word “arms” usually means the two upper limbs of the human body from the shoulder to the hand.  Therefore, the Second Amendment forbids dismemberment, and says nothing about gun ownership.

If someone were to seriously argue this point, they would be rightfully called an ignorant fool.  In context, the term “arms” clearly refers to weapons and ammunition.  The vast majority of commentators on the Constitution, since the time the Bill of Rights was written, would agree, and I think most of my readers see how silly such an argument is.  So, why does it make sense to argue that the words translated as “homosexual” or “sodomite” in most English translations actually mean something else, despite the clear context, and the understanding of the vast majority of Hebrew and Greek scholars that say otherwise?  Twisting the words to make them seem to say something different does not change their actual intended meaning.

Whether anyone likes it, or not, the plain meaning of Scripture tells us that homosexuality is a sin.  In fact, any sexual relations outside of marriage is sin; and marriage is clearly defined in Scripture as being between one man and one woman for life.  The fact that the Bible records examples of polygamous marriages, divorce, and homosexuality does not mean the Bible condones these acts. Rather, it means that the Bible is brutally honest about the sin of mankind.

How Should Christians Respond to Homosexuality?

At least in popular thinking, Christians seem to be divided into two camps regarding homosexuality:  We either hold the condemning position of, “Homosexuality and homosexuals are evil,” or the compromised position of, “We should accept homosexuals and homosexuality as normal.”  Neither of these extreme positions is Biblical.

Most Christians and non-Christians alike can quote John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  But, how many can quote the next verse?  “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

Clearly, committing homosexual acts is sinful; but so are stealing, coveting, drunkenness, gluttony, gossip, and lying, to name but a few things.  The whole point of the Gospel is that, through the blood of Jesus, God wants to forgive our sin, and reconcile us to Him.  As Christians, we are not to condemn someone for sin; but neither are we to condone the sin.  It’s cliché, but we are to “love the sinner, but hate the sin.”  Homosexuality is ultimately no different than any other sin; it separates us from God, and messes up the relationships between people.  It’s not what God created us to be.  Sin of all kinds has messed up everything; Jesus Christ died to restore everything.

What about the idea that a “gay gene” exists that causes people to be homosexuals?  If such a gene actually exists (and the research I’ve read is extremely dubious, at best), would it mean that “since God makes people gay, then homosexuality can’t be a sin?”  Absolutely not!  In Genesis 3, humankind was cursed because of Adam and Eve’s sin.  The Bible makes it very clear that the Curse affected ALL of creation (Romans 8:20-23).  There has been 6,000 years’ worth of mutations that have built up in the human genome since the Curse – more if you’re an “old-earther” – and it’s entirely possible that a “gay gene” could have come about as a result of the effects of the Curse on genetics.  But, this does not mean that God created people to be gay.  Rather, it could mean that genetic homosexual tendencies entered the genome as the consequence of sin.  Genetics does not “force” people to act in a given way.  If a person did carry a “gay gene,” it would still be sinful to act on such tendencies.  Is this “fair?”  Probably not; the consequences of sin are never “fair,” at least from a human perspective.  It’s not “fair” that people have Downs Syndrome, or cancer, or get run over by a drunk driver.  God never intended life to be like this; it’s because of our sin that life is “unfair.”

How should the Christian respond to homosexuals?  The Biblical model is to love the person, but to not accept the sin.  In John chapter 8, a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery was brought before Jesus.  After her accusers had been shamed into leaving, Jesus was alone with the woman.  In verses 10-11, Jesus asked the woman, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”   She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”  Notice that Jesus accepted the woman for who she was – a sinner.  He demonstrated love, compassion, and grace toward her.  But, He also refused to accept the sin as “normal.”  He told her to “go and sin no more.”

Christians should have love, compassion, and grace toward homosexuals.  But, we should never compromise and call sin “normal.”  In the case of a non-Christian, we should remember that our goal is to see a person come to faith in Jesus Christ, not just stop sinning.  First, it’s not possible to stop sinning; and secondly, even if it were possible, it wouldn’t restore the person’s broken relationship with God.  It wouldn’t save them from Hell.  Only through receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior can a person be saved.  In the case of a recent convert, it often takes time for the person to respond to the conviction and leading of the Holy Spirit; it takes time to be healed of the consequences of sin.  Our goal would be to gently, lovingly help the person understand the Bible’s teaching, and to understand that the Holy Spirit can change them.  We need to be encouragers, not obstacles to God’s love and grace.  In the case of someone who has been a Christian for some time, but has refused to repent of the sin of homosexuality, the Bible provides guidelines for church discipline.  Treat the brother or sister who engages in homosexuality the same way as you would treat a Christian who refuses to repent of any other sin.  Ultimately, the goal is repentance and restoration, not condemnation.

Socially and politically, Christians need to stand up for righteousness and against sin; but, at the same time, it’s foolish to believe we can legislate morality in an immoral world.  Sin cannot be prevented through legislation; only the power of the blood of Jesus Christ can heal the homosexual person.  Yes, we need to fight for laws that promote Godliness and censure sin; but, this can never take the place of sharing the Gospel, with helping people come to a personal relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Who is the only true cure for sin, including homosexuality.