The Agora Ministry seeks to inspire & train laypeople in the marketplace to live out and proclaim the lordship of Christ over every domain of their life.
The Greek agora, or marketplace, was where citizens could meet to discuss issues of the day - ethics, life, faith and philosophy. A Ministry for the Malaysian church by CDPC. Subscribe To Agora Today!
As a Christian apologist, I am often asked if my job is to defend what Christians believe. Actually, not so. This is because there is no single set of beliefs that all 2 billion Christians share. My task is to affirm, as the starting point, the Bible that we have today, as primary authority for the life of the Church.
But before I can even do that, I have to acknowledge that the Christian traditions around the world use slightly different collections of books to mean the 'Bible.' They range from 66 to 84 canonical books.
Since the Protestant Bible is the smallest collection (66), it is the only complete collection that every Christian tradition agrees with. This is why ACT's Project Timothy focusses on the Protestant Biblical canon of 66 books.
I am tasked with explaining what these 66 books mean in its original contexts and what they may mean to us today. Then and only then can we begin to speak of defending the authority of the Bible. By this I mean that we consider the geohistorical, literary, philosophical and scientific influences of each writing with integrity to more responsibly understand what each writer meant when they wrote the books.
Today, with great advances in learning, especially in the fields of geology, history, philosophy, literature, and the natural sciences, every Christian bears the responsibility to proclaim God's Word with clarity and integrity.
We are not to hide behind dogma or feel threatened by fresh insights that expose any of our misinformed understanding. Instead, we should delight in the gifts of God for each new generation of thinkers who can help us understand more and preachers who can teach with conviction and passion.
This is apologetics at its best - the passionate commitment to a convictional confession of faith.
Last Sunday we started The Reason For God chat room at CDPC Puchong with 10 participants (with 7 more to come). The conversations were free-flowing and engaging. Especially enjoyed how different perspectives from different people (lawyer, artist, psychologist, etc) enrich each other.
We watched a DVD featuring unscripted, live discussions of Tim Keller with six seekers/skeptics. One of them said something like: Whatever you believe, you must be willing to abandon it and let it be scrutinized. Otherwise it won’t be a strong belief because you are afraid that it will be challenged.
Do you agree with him?
Logically, the mutual exclusiveness of religious claims is evident to some of the participants. How do we get right with God? (Through good works or by grace) Where do we go after death? When a person dies, he can’t reincarnate, go to heaven or hell, end up in purgatory and cease to exist all at the same time. They can’t all be true. At least, one view must be wrong.
But the pluralist may respond like this: The doctrinal dogmas may be different but the spiritual experience or moral teaching/practice is the same. Different religions are just fighting over words when they are experiencing essentially the same thing (Story of ten blind men encountering the elephant for the first time).
In reality, although it sounds humble, pluralism says, “All religions are mistaken or partially correct like the blind men. All of them did not get the whole picture. But now I got the truth of what the elephant is like!” The only way you can know everyone else is blind is if you are the one who can see the elephant. Despite their mistaken beliefs, they are all in some way responding to God. It is just that they are not doing so in the manner in which the believers themselves think they are. But it is hard to see why this way of rejecting other’s beliefs as ‘blind’ is any more tolerant than the non-pluralist.
Do all religions really teach us to do good? They do share much ethical insights but differ on moral issues also. Is it good to have many wives or just one? Is it good to eat meat or sacrifice animals?
What is the common subjective spiritual experience that all religions share? (John Hicks: a move from self centeredness to Reality-centeredness) But if the Real is absolutely beyond knowing, how can we know it exists? If no truth claim can describe it, how can one say anything of it?
Zen Buddhism claims mystical, direct, unmediated access to the ultimate nature of reality (satori – enlightenment). It is not just a human response to the Real. If true, then one religion has direct privileged access to truth contrary to pluralist claim. What does it mean to be ‘self centered’ or ‘Reality centered’? (Realize you are one with Brahman? Recognize that nirvana is ultimate? Center your life on Jesus?). It’s too vague and reductionistic in a way not acceptable to what other faiths claim about themselves...
Is belief in ‘one way to God’ narrow-minded as it shuts you off from new insights that come from other religions?
It is common to confuse ‘narrow-mindedness’ with holding a particular view with strong conviction. Gregory Boyd: “Narrow-mindedness does not attach to what you believe, but how you believe it. If I refused to consider any perspective, any religious book, and any philosophy which disagreed with my own, that would be narrow-minded. But just because I hold to a belief that disagrees with other perspectives, other religious books and other philosophies doesn’t itself make me narrow.”
Can we learn insights from other religions? Sure, but it doesn’t mean we cannot be critical as well. “Merely having an open mind is nothing; the object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid.” – G.K. Chesterton
Isn’t it unfair that God revealed Himself to only some people and not to others? What about those who have never heard of the good news? Where is the justice in that? It should be more open to all.
Different theories to reconcile God’s justice with the necessity of the gospel for salvation: God will not offer the gospel to those whom He knows would not have responded positively anyway. Or, after death, those whom God knows would respond positively may be offered the gospel. Keller: It’s a mystery that God has not revealed to us.
What does Romans chapter 1 say about ‘not enough evidence for God’? Actually, people are suppressing the universal knowledge of God they do have because of sin. People are without excuse for God’s moral character, power and wisdom have been evident to all since creation of the world. They are still accountable for how they live by the moral law within their hearts. So it’s still fair because they won’t be judged by what they don’t know. But the bad news is we have all violated our own moral standards and deserve just punishment. That is why we need a Savior (Christ) who died for our sins.
There are different theories to reconcile God’s justice with the necessity of the gospel for salvation. See Terrance Tiessen’s “Who Can be Saved? Reassessing Salvation in Christ and World Religions”
Ecclesiocentrists: Access to salvation is only available to those who hear and receive the gospel at least in the case of competent adults.
Agnosticism: It’s a mystery that God has not revealed to us since Scripture is silent.
Accessibilists: Salvation is through Christ alone but accessible to the unevangelised beyond the boundaries of the church. Non-Christian religions are not salvific.
Religious instrumentalists: Salvation is through Christ but accepts that non-Christian religions are means of salvation.
“[My] position is exclusivist in the sense that it affirms the unique truth of the revelation in Jesus Christ, but it is not exclusivist in the sense of denying the possibility of the salvation of the non-Christian. It is inclusivist in the sense that it refuses to limit the saving grace of God to the members of the Christian church, but it rejects the inclusivism which regards the non-Christian religions as vehicles of salvation. It is pluralist in the sense of acknowledging the gracious work of God in the lives of all human beings, but it rejects a pluralism which denies the uniqueness and decisiveness of what God has done in Jesus Christ.” (Lesslie Newbigin, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society)
Pluralism promotes peace and tolerance in a world of religious conflict. When you have exclusive hold on truth, it will lead to problems. Solution: Take religions less seriously or literally i.e. Jesus is God.
But everybody brings their essential faith commitments (which cannot be proven by science). Everyone has their worldview (about where we come from, who we are, the purpose of life and our destiny) and all have their exclusive views.
For example, even pluralism will exclude other beliefs like the incarnation of God in Christ. It works only if followers of all faiths water down their conflicting truth claims in favor of pluralism. In the end, the only way humanity could attain unity is when they exclusively agree on a ‘faith’ different than their own.
The real question, then, is “Which fundamental belief leads their believers to be the most loving and honor those with whom they differ?” (See: Reason for God, page 18 – 21)
Peace may be achieved not at the cost of truth or dismissal of genuine differences. In fact, tolerance itself implies disagreement. We do not ‘tolerate’ people who agree with us. They are on our side! If every religious person is a pluralist, what room is there for tolerance? Instead, genuine tolerance recognizes conflicting truth claims and does not press for artificial common denominator. Despite our differences, we respect and honor one another as persons who have the God-given right to believe, practice and propagate our faiths. We should avoid what Alister McGrath called ‘a repressive enforcement of a predetermined notion of what something or someone should be, rather than a willingness to accept them for what they actually are.’
OK fine – Only one religion is true or all are false. But how can you tell? How do you choose your ‘home’ or belief (worldview)? By research or upbringing?
What are some criteria that you think ‘the true religion’ ought to have? There are some tests of truth that can help us measure different religious claims (moral criterion, coherence, empirical/historical claims, trustworthy authority). We can know whether these claims are true or false, rather than wishful thinking.
Greg Koukl: For example, if I told you that out in my car, in my glove box, I have a square circle, how many of you would want to take a peek? There are no square circles because a square circle is a contradiction in terms.
It's like a person who said, "I met a woman who was ten years younger than her son." Now, no empirical search is necessary for you to reject this claim. By definition, mothers are older than their children. That is why there can't be a woman ten years younger than her son. Even if the most brilliant person said this to you, you could immediately reject it.
The point I am making is this. There are some particular things you can judge as false without ever leaving the room because a moment's reflection tells you there is something wrong. These things can't be true because they violate the test of coherence. In other words, it doesn't make sense; it's contradictory.
What about this “all religions are the same” view? What it fails to take into consideration is that much of religious truth is actually competing and not complimentary. Religions have contradictory claims. For example, God in the Christian tradition is personal and in the eastern tradition is impersonal. God can't be personal and not personal at the same time. One view must be wrong.
The point is, we can use this test of coherence to disqualify certain views as being false on their face. The religious pluralism view--the idea that all religions lead to God, that all roads lead to Rome--is false on its face because all religions can't be true at the same time.
Common Questions Christians Ask About Creation Care
By David Chong and Friends from “Biblical Environmental Stewardship Malaysia”
Question 1: Why care for creation if it is to be destroyed by fire eventually (2 Peter 3:10-13)? Why bother since we'd be whisked away safely in our spirits from this God-forsaken physical planet?
Our Christian duty to be responsible stewards of God’s creation is based on clear biblical instruction in the Creation Mandate and motivated by love for the Creator and love for our neighbors, whose well-being depends very much on a sound ecosystem. (See Dr Leong Tien Fock’s article on Creation Care in this edition of Kairos for more details).
Therefore, it does not ultimately rest on any eschatological debate on whether the present universe will be utterly destroyed and replaced by a new universe created from scratch. It is clear though that the earth as it is now will not remain forever but will pass away.
The passage in 2 Peter 3:6-13 seem to imply that the present world will be subjected to judgment by fire but would ultimately result in the new heaven and the new earth. John Piper writes, “When Revelation 21:1 and 2 Peter 3:10 say that the present earth and heavens will ‘pass away,’ it does not have to mean that they go out of existence, but may mean that there will be such a change in them that their present condition passes away. We might say, ‘The caterpillar passes away, and the butterfly emerges.’ There is a real passing away, and there is a real continuity, a real connection.”
Through fire, the present universe will be refined, restored, renewed and transformed into the new one. Just as the old world was destroyed by the Flood and the present world arose out of it, so also would the present world be dissolved by fire to give rise to a purified new heaven and new earth (2 Peter 3:5-7).
God did not create the physical world only to annihilate or abandon it. Rather, He will completely transform and rescue the present fallen universe. "We are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth" (2 Peter 3:13). There are two Greek words for the word "new": Neos means “new in time or origin” while kainos means “new in nature or quality”.
Here Peter uses kainos to denote that the present heaven and earth will be changed in its nature. We see the same meaning in 2 Corinthians 9:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new (kainos) creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (kainos).” It means that the same person who is regenerated will be radically transformed, rather than being replaced by someone else.
When many people think of the resurrection, they also think of those popular cartoon sketches of people floating around in fluffy clouds, wearing white gowns with a harp in their hand and a halo on their head. The idea is to escape as a ghost-like spirit from this physical world. It creates a mentality where we withdraw from life and passively wait for the afterlife.
But the Christian hope of eternal life is not about running away from reality. We look forward to a resurrection just like Jesus’ where we will be raised to life in a glorified body. What God has done in Christ on Easter morning, He would do on a cosmic scale for the entire creation, including us! In the meantime, we are to live today as if the future is already present. The way we live should point forward to what God’s reign in its future fullness would look like. Therefore we have every reason and motivation to care for creation today!
“As God may gather the scattered DNA and atoms and molecules of our bodies, he will regather all he needs of the scorched and disfigured Earth. As our old bodies will be raised to new bodies, so the old Earth will be raised to become the New Earth. So, will the earth be destroyed or renewed? The answer is both—but the “destruction” will be temporal and partial, whereas the renewal will be eternal and complete.” (Randy Alcorn, “Heaven”)
Question 2: Shouldn't we spend our time and resources helping poor people rather than animals or plants?
Vinoth Ramachandran once remarked that the question is like asking a poor mother not to bother about her child’s education because feeding him is more important. Of course, both basic needs should be our concern although in some contexts, saving lives would have higher priority than environmental conservation.
In most situations, however, it’s not an either/or choice. The well-being of rural poor is often dependent on a sustainable ecosystem. The natural resources are their ‘pharmacy’ (from which they gather medicinal herbs) and ‘local supermarket’ (from which they are supplied daily needs) and water supply system. Environmental degradation disproportionately affects the poor. Since there is close interdependence in the ecosystem, animal and plant extinctions would ultimately be unhealthy to people as well. Helping people to manage and develop their natural resources in a sustainable manner would in turn alleviate poverty.
Therefore, we must care for both people and for non-human elements of God’s creation. Obeying God’s commandment to be responsible stewards of His world is also an expression of love for the Creator and for people, especially the rural poor.
The main challenge to creation care is to start with ourselves. None of us likes to change our lifestyle if it involves perceived inconvenience. If each of us care enough to act in the light of what we discover, we can begin to live a simpler lifestyle, reduce pollution load and free up more resources for those really in need. Dean Ohlman wrote, “We must not prioritize our ethical obligations to such an extent that we excuse the plight of animals made to suffer unnecessarily by our neglect or cruelty.”
Question 3: Isn't this business about ‘saving the earth’ a distraction to the church’s task of ‘saving souls’?
This question is best addressed by asking a similar question – “Is parenting a distraction from our Christian task of evangelism?”
For those of us with children, parenting is a time-consuming responsibility we carry out daily. It’s part and parcel of living in obedience to God. We rarely need to choose between caring for our children and witnessing for Christ. We perform each duty when it is required and doing either one does not contradict the other.
In the same way, Dean Ohlman observed that “earth-keeping is a natural and integral aspect of our day-to-day decision-making regarding spending, work, consumption, transportation, waste management, and so forth. The problem is that not until recently have we come to understand how irresponsible we have been regarding this foundational aspect of daily living.”
A Christian analysis of environmental degradation sees its primary cause in our broken relationship with God which leads us on a futile quest for fulfillment at the expense of the earth. Instead of purveying more gloomy news and passing more laws, lasting progress can only come about when people have a radical change of heart. And the fruit of gospel witness should result in transformed hearts and reordered lifestyles towards God, other people and the creation as part of our discipleship. The conservation movement today is in dire need of hope that the good news has to offer.
Not only that. Every time we care for creation, we are really witnessing to the Creator. We are demonstrating to the community the practical outworking of the gospel with our lives.
For instance, A Rocha, a Christian conservation movement, took a piece of unkempt land in West London and turned it into an oasis for wildlife called Minet Country Park. It raised questions among the neighboring people, “Why are they doing this?” It gives opportunities for them to find out that our ecology is based on the gospel and our gospel is centered on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Question 4: What’s the point? The ecological problems are so huge. What I do won't make any difference.”
Environmental stewardship is a loving response to God and turning away from consumerist lifestyles. As Christians, we can do what is right not primarily because of the perceived usefulness, but as an act of worship. This perspective frees us from the despair that secular environmentalists face – to act rightly while trusting in the sovereignty of God for the results even when the circumstances look bleak.
On a personal note, hearty congratulations to Steven and Jorin for starting on the wonderful journey of marriage. It's good to see the gang together again in this photo!
Discovering our vocation is a key element of discipleship. That's why I am excited to discuss this topic later this month in Klang. If you happen to be around, do join us at the worship service below:
I also hope to attend the event below by an eminently qualified professor Dr Scorgie who will speak on the topic: “A Christian Spirituality of Vocation” : The Gift of Purpose and Significance...
What is the significance of my life?
The modern way of life leaves this need largely unsatisfied…
But the good news is that the Christian faith offers something that satisfies this need for meaning. It is called the gift of Christian vocation. The word vocation comes from the biblical ideal of a calling upon one’s life—that is, a divine assignment or commission to do certain things, things that will matter for eternity. It is a calling to participate in the larger purposes of God.
But still the question: How do we discern our personal calling in life? How do we know where we fit in the grand scheme of things?
Come and find out more in a session with Dr Glen Scorgie at Canaanland, Ara Jaya!
10 February 2011, 8pm to 9.15pm
(Free Admission but pre-registration required)
Venue: Canaanland HQ @ Ara Jaya
25 Jalan PJU 1A/41B
NZX Commercial Centre
Ara Jaya, 47301 PJ
Tel : 603-78850540/1/2
Glen G. Scorgie, a Canadian, has been professor of theology at Bethel Seminary San Diego since 1996. He is a past president of the Canadian Evangelical Theological Association with a Ph.D. from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.
Dr. Scorgie’s regular seminary teaching is in systematic theology and ethics, plus courses in historical theology, Christian spirituality, world religions, apologetics and movie theology. He has written A Little Guide to Christian Spirituality (2007) and is the general editor of the Zondervan Dictionary of Christian Spirituality (forthcoming 2011). His current research interests include gender, ecology, Christianity’s global mission, and theologically-informed approaches to Christian spirituality.
For years he has been involved in the ministries of a Chinese church in San Diego, and lectures regularly in Asia. His wife Kate is a professor of graduate education at the San Diego campus of Azusa Pacific University. They have three young-adult daughters, two sons-in-law, and a grandson.
Do you have thinker friends who ask questions and searching for reasons to believe?
Do you have believer friends who want to address such questions with clear thinking?
CDPC Puchong will organize a series of 6 sessions discussing difficult objections that people have regarding the Christian faith.
1. Isn’t the Bible a Myth?
2. How Can You Say There Is Only One Way to God?
3. What Gives You the Right to Tell Me How to Live My Life?
4. Why Does God Allow Suffering?
5. Why Is the Church Responsible for So Much Injustice?
6. How Can God Be Full of Love and Wrath at the Same Time?
If you are keen to join the discussion group, please contact David Chong at "hedonese at yahoo dot com"
The discussions will kick off with a 20 minute DVD featuring Keller in conversation with a group of people to address their doubts and objections to Christianity. Captured live and unscripted, Keller and the group explore the truth of Christianity.
The point is not about getting armed with generic arguments and answers, rather to be equipped to become conversant with ways to sensitively, humbly and gently talk about the objections in an informed way in the context of friendship or a group.
Some friends have been asking about the Internet film Zeitgeist that "attempts to make the case that Jesus was a fiction created by cobbling together pieces of various myths... The challenge in “Zeitgeist” is why we should consider the stories of Adonis, Osiris, and the other pagan mystery saviors as fables, yet treat as factual essentially the same story told in a Jewish context."
"Michael Shermer raises this myth challenge in his debates with Christians. He says there are other dying messiahs and rising messiahs all over ancient literature. Jesus is just another one of them.
Part of my response to that is this. I could go up to Michael Shermer and say to him that he was Michael Shermer, right? And when he responded he was, I could say no, he couldn’t be. Why not? Because I just met five different people who said they were Michael Shermer in the last three weeks. Of course, it doesn’t mean this isn't the real Shermer no matter how many imposters there are. The existence of impostors doesn’t undermine the possibility that there could be the real Shermer. That fact is determined by different information and not by counting the heads of the impostors."
John Dickson of Public Christianity and Dr Chris Forbes set the historical data straight here:
Many times we relate to God in terms of rules and regulations, a list of do’s and don’ts, of duties and obligations. Of course, there is right and wrong and holy commandments that God has given us to keep.
But God’s worth, beauty and manifold excellencies are not glorified by joyless duty, but by our joyful, willing and obedient delight in all that He is. We obey and serve Him because we want to, because we desire to honor and please Him. Not because we grudgingly have to. God loves a cheerful giver. He also loves a cheerful worshipper.
To put it another, our duty is to delight in God. (Psalm 37:4) The Westminster Shorter Catechism would say that the main purpose of our existence is to glorify God and ENJOY Him forever.
Now how do we find out what is God’s call for us? What are our spiritual gifts?
Must we hear audible voices from heaven before we know it? This is not something overly difficult or mysterious that only super spiritual Christians can attain.
I’ve found these FIVE simple questions in Gordon Smith’s book “Courage and Calling” to be helpful to discern our Life Calling. The idea is not to get easy formulaic answers that pin down God’s will right away. Your answers may change as you explore and learn more in life, but they are helpful to me, at least, in the process of discerning God’s calling for us.
1) What do you feel joy doing? What is my deepest desire or passion?
2) What are you good at doing? What are my abilities, skills, spiritual gifts, mutant powers?
3) What do you feel are the biggest needs of the people around you?
4) What is your unique personality?
5) What do others in school, family, circle of friends, church community say about me? Is there confirmation from the Body of Christ?
Check out the podcast here and let me know what you think
Recently, Malaysia was engaged in a public debate over the meaning of pluralism and how it relates to civil society. The need is pressing for a dialogue platform for the various religious communities to be able to come together and discuss issues affecting our lives together.
Yet some Muslim scholars are understandably concerned that pluralism as an ideology may confuse or weaken their faith. In this podcast, I discuss briefly how Christians can, at the same time, hold to a conviction in the uniqueness of Christ and yet be eager to participate in respectful dialogues with other faiths without fear or compromise. Check it out and let me know what you think.
As a tradition of sorts, I would recount with thanksgiving some of the events/projects the Agora has been privileged to be a part of for the year 2010.
January started with disturbing news of arson attacks on churches and surau around the country. It was a teaching moment to the Sermon on the Mount message on Loving The Enemy (delivered earlier in CDPC Subang) and translating some official statements and this article by Farish Noor "Kepala Khinzir, Kepala Lembu Dan Kepala Raksasa Di Kalangan Kita" to call for calm and not to give in to these irresponsible provocations.
This is the way of the cross. This is how we setup signposts of the Kingdom that points to a different way of being human. Not through hatred but through love for our enemies. It was also an opportunity to assist Kairos in disseminating information regarding the usage of the word "Allah" amongst Bahasa-speaking Christians.
2010 is a milestone of sorts because I am now part of the church planting team in Puchong. I had the honor of drafting out a summary of the gospel for the CDPC Puchong website.
In February, from the initiatives of Kar Yong and Chai Hock, I learnt the joys of writing short Lent devotionals based on a few Romans passages on faith, mortification, perseverance in grace and the Resurrection (Easter Sunday).
In March, I took leave to address the student fellowship at University Malaya on the topic of apologetics. Managed to make some connections from 1 Peter 3:15 injunction to sanctify Christ as Lord to the climate of concern and uncertainty during that time. PKV has a special place in the history of Agora.
One of the highlights of 2010 was participation at an Interfaith Forum at International Medical University (IMU) on the topic "Purpose of Life". It was like a privilege to share the panel with distinguished speakers of Hinduism, Buddhism, Catholicism and of course, Bro Shah Kirit representing Islam. The questions and answers session was stimulating and cordial, I was relieved the atmosphere was not as tensed as the previous ones I've witnessed.
After flying back from a business trip in Vietnam, I drove up Cameron Highlands for the CPDC youth retreat to address the topic - "Be Yourself". Learnt a couple of new things there... I have become used to speaking with full written texts for some time now, as opposed to the more free, impromptu style adopted in earlier forays into public speaking. It worked in CDPC sermon contexts, but in an more informal youth camp setting, it needs some major adjustments. Need to learn to be more flexible and give myself more time to be familiar with the mood/environment. Also, I have become more and more indebted to Tim Keller's approach to apologetics, gospel-centeredness and cultural analysis as evidenced in the message content.
Delivering an Easter message at an Orang Asli village was the second time in my life to give a mini-sermon in Bahasa Malaysia. But the first one was an impromptu, 2-minute attempt during college days before a group of East Malaysian soldiers (who providentially walked into the campsite) so that hardly counts. If I had more time, I wish to do more translation work in Bahasa.
While continuing my studies at Malaysia Bible Seminary, I managed to get Rev Loh Soon Choy to teach me on Modern Theology even though he retired. In April, I handed in my assignments on Karl Barth, Liberation Theology, Pannenberg and early liberal theology.
Agora partnership with Kairos continues with article contributions to the bimonthly magazine - on the topic of Creation Care and Recovering the Biblical Text. The latter was pretty tough as it touches on two weighty issues of textual criticism and translation philosophies. I was about to throw in the towel as the deadline looms. Somehow I was sent on an assignment in Kuching which required me to be on standby until 4 am! (That was the blessing in disguise that allowed me to complete it in time)
In August, Elder Chew contacted me to speak on apologetics and cultural engagement (salt and light) at Klang Presbyterian Church. It was to be a partnership that continues on into 2011.
In CDPC Puchong (home base), I am grateful that lay preachers like myself get the opportunity to address self-chosen topics like Rojak Spirituality (pluralism-September), Hungering God and Discover Your Life Calling (November). Especially meaningful was the small group discussions facilitated by Alvin Ung that followed the sermon on vocation discernment. We learn how to listen to each other and share what gives us joy/pain so as to help each other to discern our calling.
In October I was happy to promote the MICAS Christian art exhibition in Cheras but only able to view this year's offering on the last day. Wished I could have attended the launch but family commitments are different now that little Zhen is 1.5 years old.
It was also a great privilege to discuss Reformed theology for four sessions at Meng's cell group gathering and doing bible study on Romans with the youth group in CDPC Puchong. It was no small feat to complete reading the epistle in about 7 months or so. Made a trip back to CDPC Subang youth group on Common Misconceptions people have about the Christian faith.
That brings us to December - returning to d'Nous Academy after 3-year cycle to do four-session introduction to Worldview is another highlight for the year 2010. Especially loved the interactions and questions between breaks and over meals. I feel most alive doing this kind of thing.
Most encouraging is their Thank you card which had these comments that made all the time and effort worthwhile:
- "Thank you for answering my questions. I really enjoyed your lessons"
- "...the study group was very interactive and exciting" (assigned them to talk abt a movie's worldview)
- "you make my doubts clear and I'll treasure it"...
Thank you, Lord, for the opportunities and strength You gave that made all these possible. Help me grow in wisdom, diligence and skill.
And... Thank You - all readers, forum participants, blog contributors, ministry partners, prayer supporters, downloaders, forwarders, lurkers etc. You have been a great encouragement to me as well.
I had the pleasure to spend two days with a group of teens at dNous Academy camp at Seminari Teologi Malaysia, Seremban discussing the Christian worldview (scripts/slides below). The informal conversations with the youths were most stimulating and challenging (I must say!)... It's moments like these that make all the hours poured into reading and research worthwhile.
Looking back, I wish I could give more time and detail to some of the questions raised and that I had been more prepared as well (i.e. on the question of sex selection). So here is an opportunity for me to provide some possible resources for anyone who is interested to explore more.
1) For those keen on cultural stuffs, check out Damaris Culture watch which provides a Christian perspective on the latest movie, song, book etc
2) The issue of homosexuality is 'hot'... students want to know how should Christians respond and whether it is genetically determined ("born that way"? "hard to control/suppress"?). I highlighted Real Love Ministry and Pursuing Liberty under Christ in Malaysia that provides practical support to gays with compassion and hope as examples of how Christians could respond. Below are two helpful articles from Bethinking.org
3) Another group of popular questions revolve around bioethics - 'what about sex selection of babies?' Did some Google and found this article from Probe.org to be quite balanced yet cautious
4) Relationship between faith and science is also a hot topic. Is Big Bang a problem for Christian faith? On the contrary, I think it could be understood as supporting the Christian belief in a finite universe.
Bethinking also has balanced articles from both sides of the debate on evolution. Check it out here
5) I also wished I had more time to discuss biblical passages on the 'new heaven and new earth' (Revelation 21) so here is a good summary of a book called "Heaven" by Randy Alcorn. It also answers common questions like "Will dogs go to heaven?" You can download free chapters of the book here
Basically, the earth as it is now will not remain forever but will pass away.
The passage in 2 Peter 3:6-13 seem to imply that the present world will be subjected to judgment by fire but would ultimately result in the new heaven and the new earth. John Piper writes, “When Revelation 21:1 and 2 Peter 3:10 say that the present earth and heavens will ‘pass away,’ it does not have to mean that they go out of existence, but may mean that there will be such a change in them that their present condition passes away. We might say, ‘The caterpillar passes away, and the butterfly emerges.’ There is a real passing away, and there is a real continuity, a real connection.”
Through fire, the present universe will be refined, restored, renewed and transformed into the new one. Just as the old world was destroyed by the Flood and the present world arose out of it, so also would the present world be dissolved by fire to give rise to a purified new heaven and new earth (2 Peter 3:5-7).
God did not create the physical world only to annihilate or abandon it. Rather, He will completely transform and rescue the present fallen universe. "We are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth" (2 Peter ). There are two Greek words for the word "new": Neos means “new in time or origin” while kainos means “new in nature or quality”.
Here Peter uses kainos to denote that the present heaven and earth will be changed in its nature. We see the same meaning in 2 Corinthians , “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new (kainos) creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (kainos).” It means that the same person who is regenerated will be radically transformed, rather than being replaced by someone else.
When many people think of the resurrection, they also think of those popular cartoon sketches of people floating around in fluffy clouds, wearing white gowns with a harp in their hand and a halo on their head. The idea is to escape as a ghost-like spirit from this physical world. It creates a mentality where we withdraw from life and passively wait for the afterlife.
But the Christian hope of eternal life is not about running away from reality. We look forward to a resurrection just like Jesus’ where we will be raised to life in a glorified body. What God has done in Christ on Easter morning, He would do on a cosmic scale for the entire creation, including us! In the meantime, we are to live today as if the future is already present. The way we live should point forward to what God’s reign in its future fullness would look like. Therefore we have every reason and motivation to care for creation today!
“As God may gather the scattered DNA and atoms and molecules of our bodies, he will regather all he needs of the scorched and disfigured Earth. As our old bodies will be raised to new bodies, so the old Earth will be raised to become the New Earth. So, will the earth be destroyed or renewed? The answer is both—but the “destruction” will be temporal and partial, whereas the renewal will be eternal and complete.” (Randy Alcorn, “Heaven”)
We have come to the final worldview question: Where are we going? Is human history heading somewhere or is it going in an endless, meaningless cycle?
In the passage we read just now, we follow the events after the death of Jesus. On the third day, his tomb was empty! And now Christ appeared right before the disciples’ surprised eyes. Filled with fear and doubt, the best theory His disciples could come up with was that they have seen a ghost! (Luke 24:37) So Jesus shows them His very physical hands and feet, “Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones”. Still they remain stunned in joy and amazement. Then Jesus gave them the ultimate evidence.
“Er… You’ve got anything here to eat?”
And the risen Lord of the universe munched down a piece of “ikan bakar” right in front of their eyes (Luke 24:42). His resurrected body is capable of swallowing food neatly unlike those messy ghosts we find in the movie Pirates of the Caribbean. This is no phantom. He is back – with muscles, bones and a functioning stomach. All over the world, Christians celebrate the bodily resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday. But what does the resurrection mean for us today?
When many people think of the resurrection, they are actually thinking of life after death in heaven. Like those popular cartoon sketches of people floating around in fluffy clouds, wearing white gowns with a harp in their hand and a halo on their head. The idea is to escape from this physical world. Life on this earth is just a temporary transit station to a disembodied state of bliss somewhere else. Only the spirit minus the body survives death. But this state of being is only temporary for those who died and awaits the final resurrection. It is not the ultimate or permanent hope for Christians.
And the danger of misunderstanding the meaning of resurrection is we can be so heavenly minded that we are of no earthly good. It creates a mentality where we withdraw from life and passively wait for the afterlife. Some people see the poor oppressed and the environment destroyed and they shrug and say, “Oh well, this world’s gonna burn anyway so I just wait for my time to go to heaven.” Or in some worldviews, after we die, we just get reincarnated as an animal or a less fortunate person if our sins or karmic debt is great. “Why should I help these suffering people if they are only getting what their karma deserved anyway? If I help them, it means they will suffer even longer”. No wonder many people see religion as a drug that makes us insensitive to pain and oppression happening around the world.
But the Christian hope of eternal life is not like that. It is not about running away from reality. Our final hope is a resurrected spiritual body. Our ultimate future is a new heaven and a new earth. This world we live in will be renewed, transformed and restored. It won’t be abandoned or left to rot. So we look forward to a resurrection just like Jesus’ where we will be raised to life in an incorruptible and glorified body. (Not as a ghostly, floating apparition!) And God did not create the physical world only to annihilate or abandon it. Rather, He will completely transform and rescue the present fallen universe. Through fire, the present universe will be refined, restored, renewed and transformed into the new one. Just as the caterpillar passes away and the butterfly emerges; so also would the present world be dissolved by fire to give rise to a purified new heaven and new earth (2 Peter 3:5-7).
What God has done in Christ on Easter morning, He would do on a cosmic scale for the entire creation, including us. There will be no more sorrow, sickness, decay or violence for God will wipe away every tear and restore all that is good. We can expect to be stewards in His renewed universe and priests who glorify and enjoy God’s presence forever. C.S. Lewis described the future redeemed world to be more substantial, more tangible and more solid than the world as we know it. You see, the Christian worldview values the material world and the human body much more than other worldviews which treat the world and body as an illusion or evil.
Because God himself took on physical flesh and blood and invaded this planet 2000 years ago, we long to see the presence of God's kingdom come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We live in the interim period between the coming of God’s kingdom already present in the world and the future, not-yet fullness of that Kingdom. And while we wait for that glorious day, we can start practicing right now! In the meantime, we are to live today as if the future is already present. The way we go about our daily chores, prayers and worship are to be signposts pointing forward to what God’s reign in its future fullness would look like.
So the church community is like a movie preview: We are to display some hints, clues, glimpses or foretastes of the actual movie so people will look at us and go, “Wow! I want to see the complete show!” New Creation: Akan datang. Coming soon to a planet near you… Lesslie Newbigin said, “The church is the bearer to all the nations of a gospel that announces the kingdom, the reign, and the sovereignty of God. It calls men and women to repent of their false loyalty to other powers, to become believers in the one true (king) and so to become corporately a sign, instrument and foretaste of the sovereignty of the one true and living God over all nature, all nations, and all human lives. It is not meant to call men and women out of the world into a safe religious enclave but to call them out in order to send them back as agents of God’s kingship”.
Now, how would that look like? Let me trace out the practical implications of the biblical view of human destiny as resurrection and a renewed heaven and earth.
1) It means that Christians, of all people, have the strongest motivation to be involved in transforming the world with justice, healing and mercy. If we do not have a God-centered worldview, we can get so easily discouraged and despaired: What’s the point? The ecological and social problems in the world are so huge. What I do won't make any difference.” But if we have a worldview of human destiny that is meaningful, we know that God will put things to right. If the present creation and our bodies will not be forsaken but ultimately transformed, then we are to work here-and-now in anticipation of that final vision. We can do what is right not primarily because of the perceived usefulness, but as an act of worship, trusting in the sovereignty of God for the results even when the circumstances look bleak.
Perhaps, at each individual level, it could mean simple things like signing up for a new project that gets our hands dirty caring for the creation or planting a tree. Or maybe, getting involved in caring for the poor and the sick around us? Ever thought of spending some time and energy on a worthy social cause that promotes fairness and peace in our country? Surely the surprising reality of Easter Sunday ought to empower us to be witnesses of Christ’s death and resurrection the way it did for the early disciples. Resurrection power is lived out in down-to-earth realities, grounded in the real world where we do business, as we cook in the kitchen, when we play with our children, study in schools, draw a painting, love and be loved, infusing everyday life with fresh spirituality and power.
For example, a Christian conservation movement called “A Rocha”, took a piece of abandoned land in West London and turned it into an oasis for wildlife called Minet Country Park. It raised questions among the neighboring people, “Why are they doing this?” (By doing this, we become a sign, an instrument and a foretaste of God’s kingdom) It gives opportunities for others to find out that our ecology is based on the gospel and our gospel is centered on the Lord Jesus Christ.
2) The suffering and evil we see in the world is not without meaning. If there is no God, there will be no final justice. If there is no God and everything is just ‘survival of the fittest’, then this world is exactly what you would expect it to be. It’s natural for the strong to eat up the weak. Why should we be concerned when the weak gets oppressed by the strong? “Unless you assume a God, the question of life’s purpose is meaningless” (Bertrand Russell). There are times when evil seems to be winning.
But because the rightful king of the world had entered human history and conquered death itself by rising from the grave, it means that death and sin will not have the final laugh. All unjust structures and rulers will be held accountable and judged. Wrongs will be put to right at the end of history. Dictators like King Herod, Roman Caesar, Satan, Sin, Death, Injustice, Pain and Diseases - their days are numbered. The worst they can do is put people to death but even death (the final enemy) is conquered by the resurrection. Let me share a story how Christians can challenge a corrupt system in society. You can watch it in action in a movie called “Amazing Grace”, based on the life of William Wilberforce. Wilberforce was a Christian Member of Parliament in Great Britain who worked all his life to abolish slavery of African people. (By the way, human trafficking and modern-day slavery is not a thing of the past, it’s something happening at our own doorsteps. Even in Malaysia!)
Wilberforce first launched his campaign for abolition of slavery in 1787 and lived to see it finally succeed in 1833 (just three days before his death). That’s 46 years in total! His life reminds us that social justice is a long, painful marathon. It’s not a 100 meter sprint. For the first twenty years, he suffered nothing but defeats, rejection from friends, insults from enemies, physical illness and even threats to his life. And it’s so easy to burnout. But social justice is a community project, not a solo effort.
Fortunately for him, William Wilberforce has a group of friends who work and walk together with him. This famous small group was nicknamed “The Clapham Sect” or “The Saints”. They shared a deep conviction in the evangelical Christian faith, a long-term commitment to a social cause and a lifelong spiritual friendship. Won’t you like to be part of a cell group like that?
What’s more amazing is that in their lifetime, this little platoon of committed believers managed to start a Missionary Society, a Bible Society, they promote agricultural reform to supply affordable food to the poor, prevent cruelty to animals (RSPCA), promote Sunday school education, prison reform, improve harsh child labor conditions and championed the freedom to preach the gospel in India! It’s simply amazing… It’s both word and deed. And the impact of their work can still be felt today. So don’t underestimate the power of small, committed groups to start social change. We don’t need to wait until there’s a huge Christian population to make a positive influence in society. Small groups of committed people empowered by the gospel can make a significant difference where we are! We may not do exactly what Wilberforce did but just imagine what we can do if each small group in church creatively commits ourselves long term to at least one social cause that we are passionate about?
The King had come. The kingdom of God had broken into history, bringing healing and hope, peace and life. Easter marks the decisive victory of Christ to recapture the world has been won. The fullness of this victory will be experienced when He returns. Human history is heading towards a meaningful destiny and resolution. Tears will be wiped away. The lion and the lamb will lie down together.
The gospel of John begins like this: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.”
One day a little boy came to his father and asked, “You know, Dad, our teacher just showed us that the world is really round and that it is just out there hanging in space. But Dad, how can the earth just hang in space without support? What holds it up?”
And the father, thinking that his son would be satisfied with a simple answer, said, “Well, son, a camel holds the world up”. Always trusting his father, the boy walked away satisfied – at least, for a while.
The next day, he came back to his dad with the obvious question. “Dad, you know, you said yesterday the world rests on a camel. But what supports the camel?”
A bit troubled now, the father decided to give a quick answer to avoid more questions so he said confidently, “Son, an elephant holds the camel up”.
But the son got smarter now: “Hey dad. I’ve still got a problem. What holds up the elephant?”
His father was now desperate and so he searched for any animal he could think of and said in a loud voice: “A Turtle holds up the elephant!”
“Come on dad”. By now the son realized that the father is not getting to the bottom of things so he asked, “What holds up the turtle?”
So his father answered in a stroke of pure genius, “Son, it’s turtles all the way down”.
This story highlights the question of origin: “What is ultimately real? Where does everything ultimately come from?” Maybe you too have looked up to a starry sky and felt a sense of cosmic wonder: “How come we exist in this universe? Why is there something rather than nothing? What is the final reality that holds up the universe?” Suppose that the father in the story just now answered his son’s question scientifically: “Son, the law of gravity holds the world in place”.
The next question would be: “Why is that so, Dad?”
The father may say: “Because the laws of nature work the same way under the same conditions. The universe is an orderly place and governed by natural laws”.
But his son again could ask, “Why, Dad? Why is that so?”
And you cannot go on forever. Sooner or later, the father must end the discussion in one of two ways. He could say, “That’s just the way it is. That is the foundation principle of the universe: It’s the law of nature all the way down”. The final reality is the orderly structure of the universe. That is the worldview called Naturalism: The universe is a closed system and there’s nothing else. No angels, no demons, no miracles. All that is ultimately real is this world. Where do we come from? We come from matter + energy + random chance + time. Who are we? We are just highly evolved biological machines. Why are we here? There’s no ultimate purpose or freedom of choice. We just exist to survive and pass on our genes. Where are we going? In the long run, everything in the universe will be dead. The end. “The cosmos is all there is or ever was or ever will be”.
Or the father can go one step further and say, “Well, son, that’s the way God made the world. Isn’t it wonderful that God is rational and orderly so the created world is also governed by rational and uniform laws of nature. It is God who sustains everything”. That is the worldview of Christian theism. Where do we come from? There is a personal and infinite Creator God who created the universe and all of us. So the air that we breathe, the planet we walk upon, our bodies, souls and minds belong to Him. All that we are depends on Him for existence. But God Himself is self-existent. He was, He is and He is to come. The Alpha and Omega. He is the source of all living and non-living things. He does not need anything else for His own existence. Because God is rational, the world he created is also orderly and can be explored rationally. As a result, the Christian worldview provided a key foundation for the scientific movement in Western civilization.
You see, either way your answer comes to the bottom of reality at which we cannot go on any further. We have come to the beginning that has no beginning. We have stopped at what is “really real”, which explains everything else. But you can’t explain it any further from that. So when someone asks “Who created God?” he or she doesn’t really understand that by definition God is self-existent. He is the ultimate reality which does not need to be created. He is the beginning that has no beginning. So the question itself is meaningless.
Suppose that in the beginning there was nothing. If there was absolutely nothing at the start, there won’t be anything now. Because out of nothing, nothing comes. No cause, no effect. But something does exist today and not only that, if we look around us, everything that we observe has a beginning and was caused to exist by something else. For example, I have a beginning and my existence was caused by my parents, and my parents came to exist because of my grandparents, and if you rewind all the way back, even the universe has a beginning. Scientists called it the big bang. But what caused the big bang? Who is the Big Banger?
There must be something or someone that has always existed from the very beginning. In ancient times, the Greeks called this eternal force that holds the universe together – the Logos. The Logos (translated as the word) gives life to human beings and order in the universe. So when the apostle John spoke of the “Word of God”, the people understood what he was talking about. He’s talking about the rational principle Logos that made all things to exist, brings order to chaos. The Logos has always existed, it is eternal, uncreated since the very beginning of time… The Logos is the beginning that has no beginning. That means: The Logos existed long before the heavens and the earth were even created. In fact the Logos was the one who created everything.
But then the apostle John went on to say something radical that they never thought of: “Guess what? This Logos is not something abstract or a philosophical system. It’s not even an impersonal force that you can manipulate.” The Logos is a person. He is someone who knows, who loves and makes choices and communicates with us. He is relational. The Logos took on a human body and dwell among us.
And that’s what Christmas is all about. The God who is from eternity stepped into time. He took on flesh and blood and moved into our neighborhood. The invisible has become visible, the spiritual has become physical. The ideal has become reality. In other words, God has become human without losing His divine nature. It’s a profound mystery -Jesus is not just fully man, He is fully God.
To appreciate just how radical this is, we can compare it with what other religious worldviews tell us about God. On one hand, in Islam/Judaism, God is so high above the creation, so transcendent that incarnation is impossible. It’s scandalous to think that God could take on human nature. On the other hand, in the worldview called Pantheism found in religions like Hinduism/Buddhism, God is so close to the world, so immanent that reincarnation is normal. It happens to everyone. Everybody has a divine spark in us. The world and God are one and the same. So not all religions are the same…
Listen to these words from Tim Keller: “But Christianity is unique. It doesn't say incarnation is normal, but it doesn't say it's impossible. It says God is so immanent (near us) that it is possible, but he is so transcendent (high above us) that the Incarnation of God in the person of Jesus Christ is an earth-shaking, history-changing, life-transforming, paradigm-shattering event. Christianity has a unique view on this that sets it apart from everything else”. The Word became flesh and dwell among us.
So who is Jesus? He’s a teacher but not just a good teacher. He’s a prophet but not just a human prophet. He’s so much more. He is the transcendent God who became incarnate. He’s not a far away God. He is God with us (Emmanuel). He is the personal yet infinite God who created the heavens and the earth. He is all-powerful, untamable, uncontainable yet He intimately knows and loves each and every one of us.
Now, does the Christian answer to the question of our origin make any difference to the way we live? Yes, indeed. It has enormous implications on how we understand who we are: What is a human being? What is our true identity?
Because if human beings are just a bunch of carbon-based materials; then we are just a random product of blind accident. There is no eternal purpose or meaning or value to the human life. We are only valuable because we can contribute to the society or because we are functional (able to think and do stuffs). But we have no intrinsic worth. If someone is incapable of contributing to society or loses his ability to function, then his life is not worth living. You can pull the plug or poison him to death. These are the questions involved in ethical issues like euthanasia or abortion – what does it mean to be human?
In the Christian worldview, however, human beings have infinite dignity and worth because they were made in the image of God, in His own likeness. We are fearfully and wonderfully made for relationship with God and with each other. So there is an infinite worth, value and dignity in you that does not depend on how many A’s you score in exam, what brand of T-shirt you wear, who you hang out with. You are infinitely precious because you are created in God’s likeness and bear his image. That is why for Christians, we should care for people even when they are weak, sick and incapable of contributing to society. When God created the earth and everything in it, He declared that they are good. Everything bears the fingerprints of the Maker. Of all people, Christians should be at the forefront of protecting endangered species, conserving the environment and enjoying the beauties of nature because they are God’s handiwork. The implication is that no part of creation is bad in itself. Music, food, work, dancing, sex and the physical body are part of God’s good creation. In fact, Adam and Eve were given the responsibility and privilege to work as God’s partners in eco-management - ruling, caring and stewarding the earth. Genesis 1:28 says: “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.” They were to care for the garden. and to complement each other as husband and wife. Without a gardener, Eden will quickly become like the Amazon jungle. Because the world belongs to God, we are just stewards of His world. The earth does not belong to us. Therefore we are called to care for creation and create culture and develop society as part of God’s creation mandate.
But that is not all. Although we are created in the image of God, we have also rebelled against the Creator when we have turned away and decided to run our lives apart from God and become self centered. Every part of our being – our bodies, minds and spirits – is tainted by sin and death. When we ate of the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, we have made ourselves the center of the universe – to define our own morality, to decide what is right and wrong without reference to God. We try to find happiness, self fulfilment and meaning in life in chasing after idols that do not satisfy. But there is no happiness apart from God. As a result of our rebellion and idols, there is sorrow, pain, suffering and broken relationship with God and with each other. Even the natural world has been affected by human sin, resulting in natural disasters, pollution, extinction of animal species, destruction of rainforests, death and diseases. And Sin has twisted what is created good to express our rebellion against God. For example, music is good but a lot of popular songs today can be used to glorify violence and immorality. Work is a calling from God, but as a result of sin, it becomes an addiction and a curse characterized by frustration and greed. Sexuality is God’s idea in the first place but it can be distorted to serve selfish pleasures at the expense of others. That’s the bad news.
But the good news is Christ has come to redeem every area of life from sin. On the cross, He reconciled the world to God by providing the atonement for sin. He has come not only to save our souls but also to save our bodies and the entire creation. Our weak and corruptible bodies will one day be resurrected and raised in a glorified and incorruptible physical body. There is no ‘sacred versus secular’ division. Every part of creation will be rescued and transformed in the new heaven and new earth. We will explore the question of our final destiny later. For now, let’s recap what the Christian worldview says about “who we are”. The naturalist says that we are nothing but carbon-based biological machine. That is too low a view of human nature because there is no transcendent purpose or value for human beings. We’re just highly developed animals.
The pantheist says that we are part of God and we just need to realize that we are divine. But that is too proud a view of human nature because we are claiming to be God when we are just His created beings. That’s idolatry – trying to rob God’s glory.
The Christian worldview says that we are not God and we are not just animals. We are created by a loving Creator in His image, reflecting His likeness. Therefore, we are endowed with great dignity, creativity and worth. At the same time, we are also fallen sinners who have rebelled against God so death and darkness have infected the deepest core of our being. So we are both noble and depraved, capable of both compassion and cruelty, of both wisdom and foolishness. We are like a living contradiction yet through Christ, we are redeemed and rescued by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
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