Is God A What Or A Who?

One evening I was watching the original 1931 Dracula staring Bela Lugosi. There was a scene where Dracula (Lugosi) was standing in the lobby of his castle talking to the protagonist, Jonathan Harker (David Manners) when I got the sudden urge to cite: "One...ah, ah, ah." This quote is from The Count, a famous character from the children's television show Sesame Street. For another example, when someone is deciding whether or not to get dressed up as Dracula for Halloween they may cite William Shakespear's 'Hamlet's" "To be or not to be"; that is 'to be, Dracula, or not to be Dracula.' Needless to say there are many sayings and quotes that have made their way into common dialogue.

However there are some quotes that are more than mere commentaries like my citation from Sesame Street's, The Count, but rather are facts of truth. When a child comes complaining that they are tired of being picked on at school their parent/s may teach them how to simply deal with it. Why should the child deal with being bullied? To put it simply: every school yard that has ever existed has had bullies; today's school yards have bullies and tomorrow's school yards will have its fair share of bullies. In sum "there is nothing new under the sun" (Ecclesiastics 1:9). This is simply true!

This brings me to yet another famous quote: “What is truth?” (John 18:38). The first century Roman governor Pontius Pilate asked Jesus this question when Jesus claimed to have come into this world for the purpose of testifying to the truth (John 18:37). However unlike how the phrase: "live long and prosper" originates with Star Trek's fictional character' Spock, the question 'what is truth" has been asked for millennia and probably by everyone that has ever lived (at one time or another). 

Let's analyze Pilate's question: What is truth? Merriam-Webster defines truth as: "the real facts about something"[i]. Therefore an underlining fact of truth is that it is something concrete. I may believe that the catchphrase "eat my shorts" originates with Star Trek's, Captain Kirk but my belief would be wrong; as the catchphrase "eat my shorts" originates with the character, Bart Simpson from the television show, The Simpsons. So, belief doesn't determine truth. Returning to Jesus, Jesus' claim was to testify to 'the' truth, not His truth or a truth. This shows that truth is specific. 

Everything has two facets of truth: concrete and opinion. The sentence: "ice cream is cold" is concrete - a fact - whereas "ice cream is better than chips" is my opinion, it is not a fact. I may believe ice cream is hot, but my opinion would be factually false. I may believe that ice cream is cold and although that is my view, I'd be correct. If I hold that everyone who says chips are better than ice cream are simply wrong I'd be incorrect. What makes me right about the temperature of the ice cream irregardless of opposing or affirming opinions? What makes my opinion neither right nor wrong about the tastefulness of ice cream over that of chips, thus allowing apposing opinions to be equally true - subjectively? The temperature of the ice cream is the nature of the object - the ice cream - the nature of ice cream is cold. My affirmation or rejection of that fact doesn't negate its nature. My preference for ice cream over chips is a part of my nature, not the ice cream's nature. Therefore it is objectively true that for me, ice cream is a better desert than chips, but it is equally objectively true that chips are a better desert for someone else. 

Jesus also claimed to be the essence of truth (John 14:6) and God (John 8:58). These two claims proclaims things about the nature of reality: 1) There is a standard by which every objective truth claim should be measured by and 2) there is only one God. If God does not exist then Jesus' claim of being God is simply no different than anyone else who claims deity status, even if it is only over their own lives. However if God does exist then there is a logical possibility that Jesus is that God. If He is the essence of truth and that He came to testify to the truth, then He claims to have come to testify about Himself as God. 

Is Jesus' divine nature His and His follower's opinion or is Jesus' nature objectively divine, just as the nature of ice cream is cold? First off, does God exist so to even allow Jesus be God? Reality consists of both a physical and metaphysical aspects. The origin of this universe is a centuries old debate and even though it is often fought in the scientific arena it is equally a historical debate as it is dealing with an event that happened in the past. In sum it is an: "in the beginning God" vs. "in the beginning another explanation" debate. Therefore one has to look at the facts that the field of science informs us about and conclude the most logical conclusion. Given the fact that nothing natural can come to be without an external factor bringing it into existence the answer to the origins question is unarguably God; but of course whose God? The Christian's God? Islam's God? Why not a pantheon of gods? 

Or why can't God be a non-inteligent, eternal and omniscient force? If God is a non-inteligent, eternal and omniscient force then what are we to do with the metaphysical aspects of reality such as morality? It is often argued that morality is subjective, but how can then one explain the words we use when we describe something as wrong or right, such as "murder is wrong" and "helping the sick is right"? When anyone makes an appeal like that they are making an appeal to a standard. No individual can be the standard because they would be then spouting their opinions with no way to determine if they are correct or incorrect. So the standard must be something outside of themselves and the thing that they are determining right or wrong? What is this immaterial plain? An non-intelligent, eternal and omniscient force cannot be that plain because it's nature is non-intelligent because it has no determining ability. Therefore we are left with an being with the ability to determine between right and wrong. 

Who is this intelligent being? Pulling the two facets of reality together lets look at what Scripture and history has to say about Jesus. Jesus claims to be the creator (John 1:3). Jesus is shown to be from heaven as per Nicodemus (John 3:2). Jesus fulfilled every Old Testament prophecy uttered about the messiah and Scripture claims he died on a Roman cross and rose again. Many non-Biblical historians such as Josephus[ii], Lucian of Samosata[iii] and even the famous Jesus Seminar scholar Dominic Crossan writes that Jesus being crucified is "as as sure as anything historical can ever be."[iv] And among many other facts including some unlikely conversions to Christianity such as the apostle Paul (Galatians 1:13) "[there] is a virtual consensus among scholars who study Jesus' resurrection that, subsequent to Jesus' death by crucifixion, his disciples really believed that he appeared to them risen from the dead."[v] In sum, Jesus fits the bill for God. Jesus' deity is not just His nor anyone else's opinion. This means unlike my view of ice cream being better than chips being a mere opinion my view of Jesus' deity, whether I hold it or not as true, is in fact, true. It is as concrete as history will allow and it is specific: Jesus is God. This is the truth that He came to testify about. 

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[i] - http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/truth - accessed August 27, 2015
[ii] - Gary Habermas and Michael Licona, The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus. (Grand Rapids: MI,  Kregel Publicaion ,2004), 49.

[iii] - Ibid., 49.

[iv] - Ibid., 49.

[v] - Ibid., 49.

What Is The True Nature Of Repentance?

In Christian doctrine, repentance is the changing of one's mind from sin to holiness. God has called us to a life of holiness (1 Peter 1:16) from a life of sinfulness. Christians are called to change their minds on sin and decide to follow God. However I have heard it argued that true repentance has a zero failure clause. In sum any failure to resist a specific sinful behaviour, after having repented from it is evidence that the repentance from that sin was never genuine. Does Scripture support this strict application of repentance? No. The entire Jewish nation is guilty of idolatry and adultery, (Isaiah 47. 7-11, Jeremiah 2:13, Ezekiel 9) time and time again; and they did have times of repentance, (Haggai 1:12-15, 2). God dealt with these repeated offences with repeated calls to repentance.

However since we can't repent from a sin with a 100% success rate does this view not justify sin? No. Should any of us really practice repentance? Yes. Complete repentance is mandatory. When someone comes to faith in Christ, they will repent from their sinful nature. No Christian has the luxury of choosing which sins to repent from as all sins must be addressed and repented from. We are to repent from all sin and rely on God to help us to stay the course regarding all sin. What if someone is simply not ready to repent from a sin? Nobody can condemn someone a non-Christian for a conscious and willingly unrepentant sin, as that call is only for God to make. A reservation for repentance however should cause themselves and others to call their commitment to Christ into question.

However nobody can repent from 100% of their sins as none of us know 100% of our sins. We are to repent from our sins when they come to light. Some sins are akin to taking out the kitchen garbage, in that its a matter of tying the garbage bag and throwing it into the dumpster. While other sins are akin to spring-cleaning a basement that accumulated 20 years of junk; it takes a long time and persistent effort to overcome these kinds of sins. However everyone's life is like a multi-roomed house where there are many different areas that need cleaning and in each room there are both kinds of sins. The answer is to be ready to deal with each sin as they come to pass. Every time it rises up, and with the Lord's help you take it down. This means repentance from is a day to day, and even a minute to minute duty.

However everyone of us has compromised on chores like taking out the garbage and cleaning the basement. Does that mean then that ones failure to take out the garbage means that they truly want a smelly kitchen? Or if they forget a day to work on cleaning the basement does that mean that they truly don't want to clean up the basement? No on both accounts as we all may want to have the end result such as a clean smelling kitchen and a clean basement; but sometimes our commitment is week (Matthew 26:41). For someone to fall for temptation for a sin they are trying to daily kick does not mean that they really do want to do the sin; it just means that they had a time of failure. What are they to do? Since none of us can gain the past, the only thing that any of us can do is decide to figure out what caused the comprise and pick up where we left off. In the same way if a Christian truly wants to overcome their struggle with a sin, such as pornography, but they fail once or over the course of time they have bouts of failure, each time they ought to repent and keep on going. One's failures does not undermine one's successes but it doesn't justify the sin as they are guilty of breaking God's moral laws.

Why do people repent from a sin? In many cases many people repent from a sin, even when they don't want to because they know how it has hurt them in the past. Many people will still love to eat fatty foods and drink alcohol and watch too much television, but due to experiencing a recent heart-attack they give them up. Other people sometimes quit drugs because of almost overdosing to death. Other people see how their behaviour has hurt others and they feel dreadfully bad about it; they are very apologetic and as a result they decide to not do the act again, or do the thing they should have done. In sum one big encourager of repentance is having suffered a great pain. However why should the Christian repent from their sin? 1) God tells us to. 2) We are to represent God (1 Peter 2:) and 3) God cannot tolerate less than perfectness (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). A Christian does not need any other reason than the first one to justify giving up a sin. Its all about priorities: which is your priority, God or your sin?

To conclude what is the nature of the true repentant Christian? The apostle John highlights that if we say we are without sin we are liars (1 John 1:8). This means that sin is a reality in every Christian. If someone denies they are a sinner they are thusly a non-Christian because Jesus came to bring sinners to repentance (Luke 5:32). Jesus can't bring a non-sinner to repentance. John argues that the person who says such a claim is deceiving themselves, that is they are believing a false view as truth and if they believe a lie then they can't live out the truth.

Furthermore, John states that if we have not sinned we are making Christ into a liar (1 John 1:10). A Christian is an ambassador for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). This means we are to represent Him in His views and practices. Jesus asserts that we are sinners and proposing that we are not is making a liar out of Him. Moreover, we make Christ out to be a liar on virtue of denying specific sins that are in fact sins. John is clear in his words: "[if] we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar..." (John 1:10 [my emphasis]). If we do something that Scripture is clear on is a sin, such as any of the wide variety of sexual sins and say "I have not sinned" we are making Christ into a liar by saying: "He is wrong, what I did is not a sin."

John explains why he is writing this to his reader namely so that they will know the truth and thus know how to appropriately respond (John 2:1a). However John highlights the implication of his teaching, namely if we are sinners, we will then sin. A such he offers some good news: 1) If we confess our sins God will forgive us and make us right in His eyes (1 John 1:9) and 2) Christ will represent us in front of the Father, who is the one who we sinned against. He will argue for our salvation from condemnation (1 John 2:1b).

In sum a true repentant Christian is someone who knows that they are sinner, one who agrees with Christ regarding sin and who represents his views on the subject and one who daily turns away from their sin. The nature of the true Christian is one who is represented by Christ.