Q: Believing in something you can't see, test or experience?

I always have these friends that say they won't believe in something they can't see. All I can say it that we have to trust and believe in him and let him guide us and support us through our friends, family etc. But they still think it's stupid to believe in something they can't see test or experience. What can I do to convince them or shed some truth in their lives?

This is a very broad question that can be approached from various perspectives, so I probably can't do it justice. But let me point you in the right direction and provide some further resources for you.

1. There are philosophical arguments for the existence of God such as:

a. The ontological (highest ideal) argument
b. The teleological (intelligent design) argument
c. The cosmological (first cause) argument
d. The Kalam (time) argument
e. The Axiological (moral) argument

I cannot explain each one in detail, but read this post carefully and/or grab a copy of Mark Driscoll's On Who is God? Both sources deal with these arguments in detail.

2. God reveals Himself to us in two ways:

a. General Revelation: God reveals himself to everyone everywhere through general revelation, which includes*:

i. Creation: Through all of creation (galaxies, atoms, earth, sky, animals, flower, etc.), God reveals his creativity ability, power and goodness to us (and thus his existence). This is why Romans 1:19-20 tells us that we are without excuse in knowing that God does exist.

ii. Common Grace: This is a term St. Augustine used. "Common Grace" refers to God's general goodness to believers and unbelievers alike. God's common grace allows all people to learn and develop in the areas of science, philosophy, technology and medicine. It also allows for families to exist and for societies to thrive. Lastly, common grace allows people who are not connected to Jesus Christ to live decent moral lives of compassion and kindness.

iii. The Human Conscience: God reveals himself through the conscience. We all know it is wrong to murder, steal, cheat. Why? Because God has written morality into our very being (Romans 2:14-15).

b. Special Revelation: In addition to General Revelation, God shows us his existence to us through special, supernatural means. Listen to what GotQuestions says:

Special revelation is how God has chosen to reveal Himself through miraculous means. Special revelation includes physical appearances of God, dreams, visions, the written Word of God, and most importantly—Jesus Christ. The Bible records God appearing in physical form many times (Genesis 3:8, 18:1; Exodus 3:1-4, 34:5-7), and the Bible records God speaking to people through dreams (Genesis 28:12, 37:5; 1 Kings 3:5; Daniel 2) and visions (Genesis 15:1; Ezekiel 8:3-4; Daniel 7; 2 Corinthians 12:1-7).

Of primary importance in the revealing of God is His Word, the Bible, which is also a form of special revelation. God miraculously guided the authors of Scripture to correctly record His message to mankind, while still using their own styles and personalities. The Word of God is living and active (Hebrews 4:12). The Word of God is inspired, profitable, and sufficient (2 Timothy 3:16-17). God determined to have the truth regarding Him recorded in written form because He knew the inaccuracy and unreliability of oral tradition. He also understood that the dreams and visions of man can be misinterpreted. God decided to reveal everything that humanity needs to know about Him, what He expects, and what He has done for us in the Bible.

The ultimate form of special revelation is the Person of Jesus Christ. God became a human being (John 1:1, 14). Hebrews 1:1-3 summarizes it best, “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son … The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being.” God became a human being, in the Person of Jesus Christ, to identify with us, to set an example for us, to teach us, to reveal Himself to us, and, most importantly, to provide salvation for us by humbling Himself in death on the cross (Philippians 2:6-8). Jesus Christ is the ultimate “special revelation” from God.

So friend, I hope these resources help. Read them carefully. Practically, I would suggest you discern what kind of person your friend is. Some unbelievers bash Christianity (and religion in general) because they do not understand it, or perhaps they have meet some people that have been poor representatives of Jesus. These individuals have not carefully considered their arguments, so they simply say that Christianity is stupid and shallow. If your friend fall into this category, a softer, more gentle approach is required. They may need a friend who listens to them and shows them genuine care more than someone who can debate them using logical arguments.

On the other hand, there are unbelievers out there that are intellectuals/thinkers. They want to talk to someone without getting the "easy answers." For these individuals, you must be prepared. You must do good research, articulate your points effectively and be able to engage them in rigorous debate. Discernment is required here. If they are willing to listen, then continue to conversation. If they continually put you down (and you can tell they are not really trying to learn, but just want to humiliate you), then perhaps it's not time to talk to them yet.

In any case, The Bible says that we must accept by faith the fact that God exists: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). So pray for your friends; ask the Lord to open their hearts and minds so they can have faith.

Hope this helps. I will say a prayer for you this week.

[Answered by Pastor HM]

*See Mark Driscoll & Gerry Breshears, Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2010), 37ff.

Q: Why didn't God give Adam & Eve a second chance?

When God banished Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, why didn't God give them a second chance to redeem themselves. Each day we all sin, but we then get to be "clean from sin" when we pray to God and ask for forgiveness. Right? Well why didn't Adam and Eve get a second chance to ask for forgiveness so that they could be accepted back into the garden. Adam and Eve didn't get the chance to know the differences between God and Satan. In result of one sin, it cost us the whole human race to live so far away from God. How is that fair. In addition, we fall into sin each day so why doesn't he send us to some other place for sinning so much but he sent Adam and Eve away after such a sin. Why did God become so strict to them?

I would like to humbly suggest the following preamble to an “answer” to your fundamental questions:

1. Why were Adam and Eve not given a second chance?

2. Isn’t that unfair?

3. Why doesn’t God punish us like He did Adam and Eve ….. relatively quickly after we sin, and severely?

Let us admit the following:

A. The Bible is not definitive in answering your questions. It is not definitive in a lot of areas, and cannot answer every question SPECIFICALLY (that would be impossible – there are an infinite number of questions that could come up!). B. THEREFORE, we need to humbly AND carefully respond with Biblical principles that apply. In other words, we do our best. In this case, the definitive answer is ultimately buried in God’s eternal purposes, and I cannot answer for God personally. C. Having said that, I believe we ARE given sufficient principles in Scripture to suggest several reasons why “Adam and Eve were not given a second chance.” I will now attempt to give you several of these principles.

Principle #1: God is infinitely holy, and takes sin very seriously.

How serious sin is directly relates to how holy God is. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating the forbidden fruit, they sinned and brought upon themselves the punishment of sin because God hates sin and punishes sin.

Ultimately, God chooses to punish sin. By doing so, I believe He exalts His own holiness and sovereignty. Not eating the fruit wasn’t simply a petty instruction to keep the peace, or prevent depletion of fruit, or to tease Adam and Eve.

This was a real litmus test of their obedience. God was very clear as to the consequences of disobedience. To respond casually to Adam and Eve’s actions would minimize the severity of their sin.

Principle #2: The concept of “fairness” is the prerogative of the person who is sovereign or in a position to define “fairness”.

Since all sin is ultimately against God … therefore God is the one who defines what is fair and what isn’t fair. God has delegated some of this responsibility. Parents often determine what is fair between children. Governments set up laws to determine fair punishments. This happens at all levels of decisions. For eternal and existential matters, God is sovereign, and He alone determines what is fair and what isn’t. He determines the rules.

One dictionary definition of “Fair” is: free from bias, dishonesty, or injustice: a fair decision; a fair judge. However, WHO determines what is free from bias, dishonesty or injustice? Everyone may have a different opinion. Ultimately, it is the judge, or person of authority who determines what is fair. For matters of the soul and eternity, that person is God!

Principle #3: We all deserve immediate punishment for our sins.

The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). It is only the mercy and patience of God that prevents us from receiving the appropriate punishment for our sins (death) every time we sin.

Principle #4: The provision of Jesus Christ IS the second chance offered to Adam and Eve.

In a very real sense, Adam and Eve got better than a second chance …. they were offered salvation! We all need salvation. The ONLY way to be saved, is by believing in Jesus for salvation. Jesus, who is God, died on the cross for our sins to pay for all our sins, and then rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).

Salvation is a FREE GIFT that happens in a split second when you believe in Jesus alone to save you!

Final Thoughts to Ponder:

A. If God did not punish Adam and Eve after the FIRST sin, then what would be the appropriate (or “fair”) number of chances that they should have been given? Two chances? Five? Thirty-seven? Twelve million chances? Who decides what is the fair number of chances before it’s too late?

If you decided that punishment should only come after the second, third or fourth sin (etc.), does that lessen the importance of the first few sins? What makes the first few sins any less serious?

What severity of sin is sufficient to merit punishment? Just murder (ie. Cain and Abel)? What about rape or lying or stealing or anger or jealousy or pride? Who should decide which sin is severe enough to warrant punishment? Are you our I capable or authorized to do so?

B. God is NOT fair. He is gracious, kind and much more generous than just being fair.

This is especially clear in the New Testament. Take, for example, the Parable of the Vineyard Workers (Matt. 20:1-16). In this parable, the owner of the vineyard (God) is not only fair, he is excessively generous to some. The main thrust of the parable is that God’s standard of justice (and therefore, the standard for the Kingdom of God) is radically different from the standard of the world. All deserve hell. Salvation is not given because of merit or good works, but strictly as a pure gift. Therefore, there is no justification for boasting of our good deeds, or for jealous competition in the Kingdom of God.

In the Old Testament, Abraham asks the Angel of God, “Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Gen. 18:25). The answer is a resounding “Yes!”, based on faith in a Just God. We must not distort the justice of God. Since it is a demonstration of His character, God’s justice is invariably connected with His love, mercy and compassion. Romans 3:25 reminds us that the greatest show of God’s justice was at the Cross. Here God displayed His love in the ultimate fashion, but He also showed that He does not compromise Himself. We must affirm the sovereignty of God. He has the right to bestow amazing love to whomever He pleases. Therefore, election and predestination are ultimately fair.

We misunderstand the depth of the goodness of God, and therefore His justice. We should not complain about God’s justice when we see others receiving God’s goodness.

C. In a real sense, we all were in Adam (as the head of our race and root of all mankind), and therefore we all sinned through him. In addition, we were all punished in the same way (with death).

However, praise God, the Bible tells us that in a similar way, the death and sacrifice of Christ gives us life. The key Biblical passage is in Romans 5:12, 15-19.

[Answered by Pastor Fred Tham, English Ministry]

Q: I asked before: "Does God loves sinners?" and the answer was a simple, unquestionable "yes". Yet, this position is opposed by pastors such as John Piper and Mark Driscoll...

...who believe that God has a lawful hatred of unrepentant sinners, supported by verses such as Psalm 5:5 which states "You hate all who do wrong." How does one go about reconciling these beliefs?

[The question that was answered previously can be found here.  You may want to read it before you continue]

Hello friend!  Thank you for your response.  It is good to know that people are following up and reading the answers, I appreciate your feedback. 

I'd like to point out that the two questions you have asked are different.  The first one you asked is "Does God love sinners?" and I stand by my answer with the "unquestionable yes."  God is righteous.  He cannot be in the presence of sin.  But He loves us - those who have sinned against Him. His love is why he sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins and to make us holy. 

I interpreted "sinners" in your first question as one who loves God, yet continues to fall short of God's glory.  They would be people who are striving to live a life that honors God. However, the sinners that you are referring to in your second question are "unrepentant sinners," in which case, I agree that God is not pleased with their actions.

The unrepentant is sinner is one that does not live in reverence or fear of the Lord.  There is a disregard for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  They live selfishly, justifying their sins and actions.  The live in sin and continue to willingly do so.  They perpetuate the sin in their lives and make no intention of repenting for them.  In a sense, they are non-Christians and the Bible says that God will be judging them accordingly.

There is a difference between the "sinner" that continues to try and repents of their sins as opposed to the one that makes excuses for them.  If you came to the Good Friday Service, I talked about the 2 criminals who were crucified alongside Jesus on the cross (Luke 23:43).  Both are sinners, both faced the same death sentence. But one was unrepentant, while the other one turned to Jesus as his Saviour.  Which one do you think gets the promise of Paradise?

[Answered by Pastor KJT]

Q: Good people with good hearts?

What happens to non-believers when they die? How about if they're generally "good people" (as in they have good hearts)?

Let me answer the 2nd question first. Since the dawn of time, human beings have tried to justify their lives (and earn their way to heaven/God) in one of three ways:

1. They assume they are living a good enough life to please God when they finally meet Him.

2. They work very hard at some social cause because they think that they are good people and need to overcome the evil deeds of bad people

3. They work very hard at keeping the rules of a particular religion in order to justify themselves as a good person in the sight of God*

While each of these "good people go to heaven" options seem reasonable, this theory does not make sense and is full of problems (read this post from last week for a full explanation, "Why isn't being good enough sufficient?").

Scripture tells that the biggest problem of all is that there are no "good people" out there. All human beings are sinful (Romans 3), meaning we are all bad people. In the Gospel of Luke (18:19), Jesus actually states that the only person who is good (perfect, pure, sinless) is God himself. Human beings are imperfect, impure and sinful. And the reason is because we do not have "good hearts." In fact, all of our sin comes from the very core of our being, or what the Bible calls the "heart" (Mark 7:21-23). Out of the sinful heart comes sinful thoughts, words, deeds and intentions.

This leads us to your second question: What happens to non-believers after they die? Simply put: They are condemned before God for their sin. They are subsequently sent AWAY from Him, which is a frightening thought because God is the source of all beauty, goodness and love. So when unbelievers are removed from His presence forever, they enter into a place absent of all beauty, goodness and love. Scripture calls this place Hades or Hell. Now this sounds harsh, but consider what C.S. Lewis said: "Hell is the greatest monument to human freedom. All in hell choose it." Lewis is saying that those who reject God's salvation in Christ freely do so. They choose NOT to be with God, so God respects that choice.

Friend, God is giving you a choice today. I implore you to choose God by choosing to trust in Jesus for you salvation and NOT your own works/heart/deeds/goodness. Christianity is different from all other religions because it says that we can't do anything to earn our salvation. The standards are too high; and we are too weak and sinful. The only way to be saved, therefore, is by trusting the only "good person" that ever lived: Jesus. Jesus lived the perfect life we could not live. He died the death that we should have died. In doing so, Jesus takes away the sin of those who trust in Him and grants them access to God, i.e. salvation.

[Answered by Pastor HM]

*Mark Driscoll, Religion Saves and Nine Other Misconceptions (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2009), 159-160.

Q: Jesus had a twin brother?

What do you say when a non-Christian tells you that he doesn't believe that Jesus rose from the dead - that Jesus had a twin who came out from the tomb?

At first, theories like this "twin brother" theory seem creditable. There have been others that have proposed this theory, so your friend is not the first to make this assertion. For instance, Dr. R. Cavin of the University of California Irvine argues that Jesus had an unknown identical twin brother who began a hoax about the resurrection.*

Thankfully, there are scholars like Dr. William L. Craig. I would suggest you carefully listen to Dr. Craig's first presentation starting at the 8 minute mark. He does a masterful job attacking all the weaknesses and problems with this theory. who have refuted these theories. Listen to his debate here.

Here are my notes:

1. The "twin brother" theory cannot explain many aspects of the historical evidence for the resurrection including the supernatural appearance of Jesus (after the crucifixion) and the wounds/scars of Jesus.

2. Jesus was born in solitary in Bethlehem. For the "twin brother" theory to work, you must assume that Jesus either had a twin brother (there is no historical evidence for this) OR that the real Jesus was switched for a baby who had an identical twin brother. The problem with the 2nd scenario is that (1) there is no historical evidence that Jesus was "switched at birth" and (2) it is highly improbable (there weren't even other people around at the time, let alone another a crazy mother who decided to switch her babies with the real Jesus).

3. The "twin theory" assumes the twin brother is (1) a moron (Why would he want to "become" a person that the Jews want to kill as a heretic?) and (2) an unethical person (you'd have to be one in order to "trick" people into believing you were the resurrected Messiah).

4. Jewish tombs were sealed with a disc-shaped stone, which required several men to remove it. It is not possible that the "twin brother" could have taken out several elite Roman warriors and moved the massive stone all by himself.

5. The "twin brother" theory goes beyond what is known, i.e. it cannot explain all the other pieces of historic evidence for the resurrection. For instance, it cannot explain the eye-witness accounts, the radically changed lives of the disciples and the rise of the Christian church. Only the resurrection can. This is what Dr. Craig considers the weakest part of the "twin brother" theory.

Please note these are simply my notes. Dr. Craig's explanation includes more precise detail, so please LISTEN to the debate carefully. Dr. Craig does a great (and humorous) job in explaining why the "twin brother" theory is ridiculous. So friend, take heart. The resurrection of Jesus is a historical fact. The "twin brother" theory ... is just a theory.

[Answered by Pastor HM]

*R.G. Cavin in William Craig vs. Robert Greg Cavin. Dead or Alive? A Debate on the Resurrection of Jesus. (California: Simon Greenleaf University, 1995).

Q: What does it mean when the Bible says "God is love?"

The phrase, "God is love" is found in 1 John 4:8, "Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love." What does the author mean?

1. "Anyone who does not love does not know God...": If a person lacks love, he is unchanged at the core of his being by God. The implication here is you cannot say you know God if you do NOT love others. Remember the more you know a person, the more that person's values will influence your life (e.g. decision, behavior, thoughts, etc.). Therefore, the way you know whether someone loves God or not is whether she is influenced by him - if she loves others as He does.

2. "...because God is love." The author is not saying that God is ONLY love (because God has many other attributes), nor that love is God (i.e. the emotion or feeling of love equals God). "God is love" means that God always gives of himself to others and seeks their goodness. The most visible way He shows us this attribute is through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ (1 John 4:9). God came into our human world to suffer with us and die for us - demonstrating the greatest act of love.

Also consider the community and intimacy between God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. This is the perfect example of love, servanthood and humility. Indeed, God shows love, but more importantly, God IS love.

[Answered by Pastor HM & Elvin Wong, Agape Counselor]

Q: Is abortion a sin?

In order to answer this question we need to answer two preliminary ones: What is abortion? and What is sin? Let’s take the second one first.

What is sin? One way to answer this question is to appeal to Romans 14:23b where the Apostle Paul says, “Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.” That’s quite a comprehensive answer. Anything we do that doesn’t come from faith in the Triune God of the Bible, Paul says, is sin. So, we should ask, does abortion proceed from faith or lack of faith? The answer should be obvious.

In case it’s not, J. I. Packer, one of the most influential evangelical theologians of the last one hundred years, writing about the Puritan pastor John Owen, offers us another way to think about sin. This is a lengthier quote, but well worth reading and contemplating:

John Owen . . . in his monumental work on sin, wrote a paragraph in which he summarizes God’s view of sin. Read with care the words that Owen used to describe how the creature acts toward his Creator: disgrace, fraud, blasphemy, enmity, hatred, contempt, rebellion and injury, poison, stench, dung, vomit, polluted blood, plague, pestilence, abominable, and detestable. Sin is essentially the resolve—the mad, utterly blameworthy, but nonetheless, utterly firm resolve—to play God and fight the real God. Sinners resolve to treat themselves as the center of the universe and so they keep God at bay on the outer circumference of their lives—or so they think. They won’t allow the Creator to rule over them as he wills to do. . . . They . . . resent the claim to dominion that he makes. This is why people like Luther, Calvin, and Owen say, roundly and without question, that sin wills the fundamental abolition of God. Sin wills that God should not be there. Sin plays God, sin fights God, and sin wishes that God didn’t exist at all.

We’ll return to this quote in a moment. Let’s turn now, however, to the other preliminary question: What is abortion?

Wikipedia’s got a fine definition: “Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo, resulting in or caused by its death.” Strictly speaking, miscarriages are abortions in the technical sense. For the sake of the response to this question, however, they won’t be considered as “abortions” (what are, more precisely called elective [or procured] abortions).

Notice, now, that the definition says abortion results in the death of a fetus or embryo. Death is a very important word here. The clear implication is that the fetus/embryo is alive before it’s aborted. It’s living. Science, in fact, confirms this. All fetal physiologists and embryologists agree, regardless of their religious views, that human life begins at conception. They disagree on the value of this life and on whether or not it should be considered a person, but they all agree that when a male sperm fertilizes a female ovum, human life begins. The science is indisputable.

The Bible tells us, however, what science cannot; namely, that you are very much a person known and loved by God even in utero. In Psalm 51 David says that from the time his mother conceived him he had a sinful nature (v. 5). In other words, personhood is attributed to the initial stage(s) of life.

A second text that informs this question is Luke 1:39–45. Mary has just been told by the angel, Gabriel, that she will be pregnant with the Messiah. She immediately leaves her hometown of Nazareth to visit her cousin Elizabeth in Judah. The Gospel writer tells us that she went immediately (v. 39). Given the distance between Nazareth and Judah this would have been a three-to-four day journey. So, three or four days after Gabriel has announced the big news to Mary, she meets her cousin, who, by the way is herself six months pregnant. (Her son is John the Baptist.)

As soon as Mary arrives, Elizabeth recognizes that something astounding has happened. “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to me ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy” (vv. 42–44). So, Mary is already pregnant by this time. To be more precise, she’s (only) three or four days pregnant, yet Elizabeth recognizes that the embryo she’s carrying is “my Lord!” We forget sometimes that Jesus didn’t come as a fully formed baby wrapped in swaddling clothes. He came first as a fetus, an embryo, a zygote, a single cell. He had/was a body/soul at conception. His body was only a cell, but it was a body, nonetheless. He was already the Lord as an embryo.

Let’s return, then, to our definition of abortion: “the termination of a pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo, resulting in . . . its death.” From science we’ve established that the embryo/fetus is alive, and from the Bible we’ve determined that the embryo/fetus is a person, a full-fledged human being. What, then, does that say about abortion? I hope you see that when definitions call abortion “the termination of a pregnancy” what they’re describing is the putting to death of a living human being. That’s not politically correct, but it is correct. In any other context we call that murder. Murder is most clearly a sin (Exodus 20:13).

And, therefore, to answer the original question, abortion (that is, elective, or procured, abortion) is a sin.

Let’s go back to our lengthy quote from Packer/Owen, above. “Sin is essentially the resolve . . . to play God and fight the real God.” Isn’t that what abortion does? Abortion says to God, “I don’t care what You’re creating inside me. I’m going to decide my own fate, and that of my child.” Abortion is not only a sin against the unborn child, it is, ultimately (as with all sin), a sin against God.

Let me make three closing remarks:

1. Abortion is a grievous sin. The church, throughout its history, has always called abortion murder; some saying it’s even worse than murder. The most defenceless human beings are being killed by the very people entrusted to care for and protect them. 

2. Abortion is a sin that can be forgiven. If you’ve had an abortion or been complicit in one (for instance, encouraged a girlfriend to have an abortion), you need to confess your sin to God and repent. The Bible says you can be and have been forgiven. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Rest in that and turn from your old ways.

3. Nevertheless, abortion has devastating consequences. I know many women (and men!) who are crippled with guilt over killing their unborn children. In most cases, that guilt never goes away. Legally, before God, that guilt is gone if you know and trust Jesus. You can have the assurance that He paid for even this sin on the cross. But, if you’ve had an abortion, you will very likely carry the emotional and psychological scars and wounds from it for the rest of your life. This underscores the seriousness of sin. There are real and devastating consequences. Perhaps, though, if you’ve had an abortion, God will use you in your tears and your testimony to change people’s lives; even, to rescue unborn children.

I know this response may have left you with even more questions. I blog about abortion on a regular basis at tubytu.wordpress.com and you may find additional help there. There are also lots of great web sites. Start with abort73.com. Then, if you are bold enough, go to silentscream.org and watch a video of an abortion done at 11 weeks after conception. I must warn you, it is very graphic and heartbreaking. I pray God will move you to consider how you can be involved in the efforts to protect the unborn.

[Answered by Dr. Stephen Tu, Trinity Pacific Church, Vancouver. Dr. Tu is a close friend of Pastor HM's & has recently completed his doctoral work on this very issue]