The Meaning of Words 1: Fundamental

     You see a lot of words getting thrown about in the world today and most of them with little care for their actual meaning. Often groups or individuals will take a word or phrase that sounds good or has a particular popular understanding and adopt it for their own purposes. Take the word “fundamental” for example, you've probably seen it used more as a part of “fundamentalist” or “fundamentalism” and nearly always in a negative context. That being said however...

     According to Webster: ( fun·da·men·tal ) forming or relating to the most important part of something; of central importance; serving as a basis supporting existence or determining essential structure or function.

     So something that is fundamental is something that is based on, connected to, or is a part of the most basic necessary factors of a thing. Kind of strange when you see fundamental behavior being characterized as something weird, illogical, or insane. You most often see this word used in regards to religion and specifically religious people. They get labeled as “fundamentalists” and everyone knows right away that you're talking about crazy people who live on a ranch somewhere and don't let their daughters date or wear pants instead of dresses. Thanks to Webster though we can see that someone who is a fundamental believer in something is really just someone who holds to what that system actually teaches. Ultimately then, it comes down not to whether someone is fundamental or not but to what those fundamentals are that they believe whether or not you think them defensible.

     Lets make a quick comparison of Islam and Christianity. Now of course this a cursory look but the point should still be served. Anyone who reads the two texts (the Qur'an and the Bible respectively) will or at least should notice a marked difference in the way each text treats those who don't believe. Now the Bible doesn't mince words, there is only one way to heaven and those who do not choose to follow God will face Hell but it is Islam that calls for the earthly destruction of non-believers.

From the Qur'an:

“Kill disbelievers wherever you find them. If they attack you, then kill them. Such is the reward of disbelievers. (But if they desist in their unbelief, then don't kill them.)”

2:191-2

“Fight them until "religion is for Allah."

2:193

“War is ordained by Allah, and all Muslims must be willing to fight, whether they like it or not.”

2:216

And now, the New Testament of the Bible:

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”

(Matthew 28:19)

“Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

(Romans 12:17-21)

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,”

(Matthew 5:43-44)

     Now there are all kinds of points that can be made about context and historical text verses commanding text but again my point holds. To be a fundamental Christian is to be one who loves their enemies and wishes harm on no one, to be a fundamental Muslim is to work for the kingdom of Allah on earth either by conversion or by the sword. No where in the New Testament are we told to establish a kingdom for God or to “convert” others by any means. We are teachers, preachers, and prophets telling the people around us what God has said; they are responsible for their own souls after that. Those who murder and steal and cause harm in the name of Christ are in fact, not following the words of Scripture.

     Being fundamental is not necessarily a bad thing. Its important for example that a chemist be a fundamental chemist, otherwise they'll be ignoring some very important laws and they won't be very useful. Don't let people around you lump “fundamentalists” into one giant group of crazy people, study the beliefs and ask yourself if their being fundamental is really the right way to be. I am a fundamental Christian because I hold to what the Bible actually teaches; not what people think it says, not what people say about what it says, and certainly not because everything in there is easy or liked by whoever reads it. A belief must be judged by what it claims and not necessarily by what the “followers” actually do, it must be judged by its fundamentals.

That Which Matters Most

“All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth, To such as keep His covenant and His testimonies.”

(Psalms 25:10)

“But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, Longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth.”

(Psalms 86:15)

“Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

(John 14:6)

“Pilate therefore said to Him, "Are You a king then?" Jesus answered, "You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."

(John 18:37)

     I've heard it said, and quite recently, that the true message of Christianity is love, peace, and forgiveness. Isn't that a beautiful sentiment? Truly one of the most amazing things about what God has done for us is that He has loved us apart from -and indeed despite of- all the evils we have done. That being said, is love and all that really the central message and purpose of Christianity? From my perspective, I'd have to say no.

     Love is important, very important. Without love we would all have been cast down by the righteous fury of God long, long ago. Love is what spared our lives and saved our souls. Love is what brought Christ down from heaven in the form of a man to die for us. Understanding God's love for us goes a long way in explaining the pattern of history. Verse after verse of scripture is dedicated to God's love for His creation and our love for Him and each other. Their is a whole chapter devoted to love in the new testament and a whole book in the old about love! Yet love has its limits.

     Love is only good when it is informed by the truth. The less truth and knowledge we have the more superficial love becomes and the more we undermine its power. What good does it do to “love” someone and ignore their sin? How much benefit does someone get from being cared for, if we never share with them the gospel? God loves us and cares about love, but He cares about truth more. Think about it: sin was started, not with an unloving act, but with a lie. When the serpent tempted Eve it didn't batter her and stuff the fruit down her throat, it lied. The truth was warped and broken and cast aside and that act is what ultimately began humanity's descent into shadow.

     We must uphold the truth. If we do nothing else, this we must do. If we allow false teachers to degrade the message than people will not be truly saved. If they listen to lies and fictions about God, how will anyone come to know Him? If we allow the unskilled, ungifted, and untaught to steer our beliefs what will be the meaning of any of our confessions? Do you think God cares that we are sincere if we are sincerely wrong? Remember, we are called to abstain from idols and to worship only the true God. Idols can be made from many materials, including ideas. Those who teach falsely are not just errant preachers they are holding up a God that is not God, an idol.

     It is important that we love. Though love without knowledge and truth is powerless and ultimately pointless, truth without love is harsh, unforgiving, and merciless. We cannot allow a desire to love others to blind us to lies and to allow the existence of false teaching and pagan doctrine. We must confront these evils with love and a desire to save those captured by them. Love will save no one if uninformed and truth will condemn everyone unless softened by love.

“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ...”

(Philippians 1:9-10)

Starting Points

     Every idea and every world-view has a starting point. We like to think that we can be objective but in reality, that is just not possible. We bring our own assumptions and perspectives to every thing we think about and every discussion we have. Ultimately the only real objectivity we can have is to be aware of our bias and work with it, doing what we can to look at things in the best and most honest way possible. Our understanding of objectivity is especially important when discussing God and in particular His existence and relationship with modern “science.”

     It is important to remember that no one has or can disprove the existence of God. Since God is apart from nature -above and beyond it, really- nothing that you study 'in' nature can either totally prove or disprove His existence. Now the Bible does talk about seeing God in nature:

“...because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,”

(Romans 1:19-20)

We see that nature does reveal some limited information about God, not the gospel to be sure, but enough so that men are “without excuse.” In our modern day people down-play this truth and a great deal of study is done really, just to come up with excuses as to how God wasn't involved in our beginnings. Yet still, after all that study and experimentation they can never 'prove' that what they say happened the way it happened nor does it preclude God's involvement, let alone to say whether He exists or not.

     The real heart of the matter is this, the Bible never tries to prove the existence of God. Seriously, read through it (which you should be doing anyway!). From beginning to end the Bible presupposes the existence of God.

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

(Genesis 1:1)

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.”

(John 1:1-2)

This is also important as it brings us (finally) to the main point today, everybody has presuppositions. Those who do not believe in God are not at that point because they have been convinced by some winning argument or eloquent speech, they have simply chosen to believe that God is not, they presuppose the non-existence of God.  Once that choice is made every idea that comes after is filtered through that perspective. All the 'evidence' and argument that might lead to a belief in Him becomes turned to the other direction.

     The point here today is not to bandy talking points back and forth. I am not here today to argue creation or the existence of a higher power. I am here to say that the atheist who puts down the Christian for “assuming” that God exists instead of using evidence is covering up the fact that they are just as biased. We don't kneed to prove God to people, they already know He's there.

“...because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man; and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.”

(Romans 1:21-23)

     Whether or not they want to admit this is their issue to deal with. God has called us to tell the world of Him and let the Spirit work on their hearts. We are nothing more than paperboys on the corner of the world, calling out to those around us and hoping someone listens. Remember that no one but God is objective and everyone brings opinions to the debate; don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

The Forest for the Trees

     Let's be honest for a moment here, Christianity does not have the best public image; at least not here in the US. To many people, we are the embodiment of intolerance and closed-minded, bigoted, and superstitious belief. They see us a simple-minded holdouts of a time gone by, long since left behind by those with discerning minds. Anti-science, anti-thought, and anti-love are the labels many would place upon us. We have not, for the most part, done much to help this image.

     Many modern day “Christians” spend a great deal of time blasting other groups and other people, hammering away at them and shoving the Bible in their faces. They do not care for the souls of others, only that those evil sinners stop making their lives so uncomfortable. They are crass and rude and belligerent and do nothing to progress the cause of Christ. Let's be honest once more, would you willingly seek out the faith held by these people? Would someone screaming in your face at the grocery store really convince you of the truths of scripture? Is it not more likely that these people who blithely use the name of our Lord and become indignant and preachy at the slightest offense, push people further from God?

     Worse still are those far from truth who claim it still. People like the members of the Westboro Baptist Church who seem to have no love at all, or the “name it and claim it” groups who turn God into a servant of man. People who claim the name of Christ but are not known to Him. These people parade the image of the people of God before the firing line of society. The world see's them, see's their hatred and their cold facade, their greed and materialism, and that image bleeds across everyone who calls themselves a Christian. God is just yes, but He is also love. Any message of judgment must come through the voice of one who desperately yearns for the salvation of the damned! God does not find joy in killing off the evil or the sinful (Ezekiel 33:11) rather He desires that all would be saved. These people and these groups lift up an image of Christianity that is heartless and mean, devoid of any attractive features, or who is weak and subject to the whim of his followers. Again, how likely is it that anyone will hear this message and truly repent? How will they see the love of God who longs to forgive if those who are supposedly His people lack all forgiveness?

     Don't get me wrong, this is not a popularity contest. Christians -real Christians- will be hated by the world (John 15:20). A sinful world cannot and will not accept a message that says that it must change. That being said, we must be sure that we are accurately displaying and relaying the message of God to those around us. God is just but He is also the justifier. He is the judge who condemns and who has mercy. He is the sword and the sacrifice. Real biblical Christianity is to so many, lost in a fog of falsehood; hidden behind a crowd of inaccurate teaching and unbiblical behavior. We must stand strong and show the world the Christ of the Scriptures. We must stand against false teachers and preach the truth of God in our land. People need to hear the words of God and if we must shout to be heard above the din then so be it. If we must risk our lives by standing above the foxholes then that is what we must do. Eternity lies before us, whether in heaven or in hell. Let those who reject Christ reject the real Christ of Scripture. Show Him to the world that hope may be found.

“As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.”

(1 Corinthians 15:48-49)

The Devil In Details

      Life is a battle, a war between good and evil; or is it? Humans like things to be organized, separated, and easy to understand but unfortunately life just isn't. This desire for simplicity however, has lead to an erroneous belief that there are two camps at war with each other, with humanity in between. God is cast as the good guy, the champion of light and righteousness, valiantly battling against evil for our souls. Conversely we have Satan placed as the lord of evil, waging eternal battle for dominion. The problem with this idea is that it takes power away from God and gives way more power to Satan than he really has.

“Be careful! Watch out for attacks from the Devil, your great enemy. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour.”

(1 Peter 5:8)

     Satan. What do we know about him? Honestly we don't know much. He is not, however, the opposite of God. Often it seems He is portrayed as God's opposite number, the ying to His yang (or yang to His ying depending on how exactly that works). In movies like Constantine (2005) we see this played out as a cosmic battle with both sides fairly equally matched and masters of their own spiritual domain. The truth however is both far simpler and harder to accept.

     Satan is a created being, just like the angels and just like me, you, or anybody. Created as a divine being he is often called the angel of light and, like everything, was created perfect. Angels however, like humans, have a degree of free choice and Satan gave in to pride and a desire for power. He desired to be “like the most High” and coveted the throne and praise of God. Ultimately he convinced a number of other angels to join him in revolt and was summarily cast down.

(This passage is meant for the King of Tyre but is also seen as being said to Satan as well, some of the event referenced are obviously before that king existed.)

"...You were the perfection of wisdom and beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God. Your clothing was adorned with every precious stone-red carnelian, chrysolite, white moonstone, beryl, onyx, jasper, sapphire, turquoise, and emerald-all beautifully crafted for you and set in the finest gold. They were given to you on the day you were created. I ordained and anointed you as the mighty angelic guardian. You had access to the holy mountain of God and walked among the stones of fire. "You were blameless in all you did from the day you were created until the day evil was found in you. Your great wealth filled you with violence, and you sinned. So I banished you from the mountain of God. I expelled you, O mighty guardian, from your place among the stones of fire. Your heart was filled with pride becauszze of all your beauty. You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth...”

(Ezekiel 28:12-17)

“Then there was war in heaven. Michael and the angels under his command fought the dragon and his angels. And the dragon lost the battle and was forced out of heaven. This great dragon-the ancient serpent called the Devil, or Satan, the one deceiving the whole world-was thrown down to the earth with all his angels. Then I heard a loud voice shouting across the heavens, "It has happened at last-the salvation and power and kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ! For the Accuser has been thrown down to earth-the one who accused our brothers and sisters before our God day and night. And they have defeated him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of their testimony. And they were not afraid to die. Rejoice, O heavens! And you who live in the heavens, rejoice! But terror will come on the earth and the sea. For the Devil has come down to you in great anger, and he knows that he has little time."

(Revelation 12:7-12)

     God you see, has no problems dealing with Satan. God does not struggle against anything nor does anything interfere with His plans. The treason of Lucifer and the evil that exists today are not an unfortunate and unseen circumstance but a part of the plan. In a way, God created evil, not that He authors it or causes it but because He made what is right. When something is defined as good, something else is automatically made that is correspondingly bad, at least in theory. When God created things outside Himself, He made the possibility of evil. The point here is that nothing is a surprise to God and nothing is out of His control. We do not find ourselves in a metaphysical war against evil, we are simply in a rather uncomfortable portion of God's great plan for eternity. No matter how dark the night may be God (who has perfect judgment) decided that it was worth it.

     Satan has no power apart from what God allows. He is not another god, he is not another power, but he is the enemy of our souls. Imagine him as a great big mean dog on a leash. If he were free he would do all sorts of harm, but he chained, and unable to go further than that chain allows. Satan is not foiling God's plans he is fulfilling them, whether he wants to or not. Also, as a created being, he is limited to his being. He is not all knowing, nor can he be everywhere. We should be wary of him for what he can do but not afraid of him for who he is. God is more powerful than any adversary and nothing -absolutely nothing- happens without His consent. We need not fear some evil shadow when we walk with the light of the world.

“Then the Devil, who betrayed them, was thrown into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur, joining the beast and the false prophet. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

(Revelation 20:10)

To See and Believe

You say I haven't faith to see,

the light of God alive in me.

You say I lack a truer heart

and belief that sets a soul apart.

You say if I would only pray,

throw all I think I know away,

and use my heart and not my head,

I'd find myself now Spirit lead!

I'd speak the language angels use,

the Holy Ghost would be my muse!

I could raise the dead and heal the sick,

God's power cutting to the quick.

You say that every sinner's heart

would be redeemed, a brand new start.

If only they could see God's power

they'd all repent this very hour.

and yet,

The Bible tells it differently.

There's evidence for all to see!

In this world created, though torn with strife

and in the power of a new-made life.

I've seen the power of God above,

I've seen His unimaginable love.

It's not in gifts of tounges or health.

It's in the Word and in myself

The power of God is plainly shown

in Christ and how His death alone,

has paid for every sinner's soul,

a sacrifice to make men whole.

If men won't listen to His Word,

if they reject what they have heard,

no cosmic show will bring them down,

to submit themselves to Jesus' crown.

I need no other evidence,

the gospel will suffice.

For my soul was bonded once to hell,

and Jesus paid the price.

by. Jonathan E. Schaefer

10/17/2014

I Believe in Miracles

     I think its safe to say that most everyone's favorite passages in the Bible are the ones concerned with miracles, and why not? We love to hear the old stories of Israel's crossing of the Red Sea and of the Jordan river, of the dead brought to life, the sick healed, of talking donkeys, floating ax heads and a stopped sun. We love to be reminded that God is powerful and has absolute control over the universe. Can this interest go too far though? What does the Bible tell us about the miraculous and how can we apply it today?

     Firstly, and I know I'm not making any friends with some when I say this, miracles are pretty much gone in our modern age. I am well aware that there is a large and active community of people who spend a lot of energy seeking after miracles and believe that they are a part of any legitimate ministry and in the life of the body of Christ. The problem with that idea is that it ignores the fact that miracles were never normative. There was never a period when when every Tom, Dick, and Harry were throwing around sings and wonders. Miracles were always purposeful and specific, never random or whimsical. Look to the Old Testament, miracles were strictly confined to those few men who were designated as prophets sent from God and the miracles they performed were secondary acts meant to attest to the validity of their teaching; serving as a beacon to guide people to the prophet's words (really God's words). Miracles such as the parting of the Red Sea were partly pragmatic and meant to prove God's power to His people (and Egypt for that matter) and to facilitate God's plan of freeing Israel from their bondage as well as -again- serving as evidence that Moses was God's man in that day.

“Then the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came back to him, and he revived. And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper room into the house, and gave him to his mother. And Elijah said, "See, your son lives!" Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now by this I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is the truth."

(1 Kings 17:22-24)(emphasis mine)

     Cut to the New Testament. Many years have passed and God is moving His redemptive plan on to the next phase and so this means that miracles now serve the purpose of...attesting to the validity of prophets and teachers. Nothing changed! Jesus' own miracles were there to prove His God-hood, and the apostles were able to perform the miracles they performed to once again prove their status as the chosen teachers of God. If every believer at the time were going around raising the dead or healing the sick don't you think that somewhere in the all the New Testament books we would read about...any of them? Over the course of the book of Acts we see the recounting of miracles dwindle and disappear well before the end of the book. The only miraculous events we see happening to your everyday early church member is speaking in tongues, but those are Red Sea miracles, pragmatic ones that served to prove that those people were indeed saved by God and a part of His church. Especially in the case of the gentile believers as without a sign the Jewish brethren may not have accepted them given their long separation and dislike. We read that signs are not meant for those who believe, but to show proof to those who don't, and that the best gifts are teaching and understanding and prophecy (which is just the taking of God's words to His people, the words we have now of course are found in the Bible).

“Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe.”

(1 Corinthians 14:22)

     Modern day “miracles” seem only to work to show how spiritual the person performing them is, to prove they have reached that next plain of spirituality. In fact they have more to do with ancient Gnosticism (where it was believed secret truths would be revealed to the spiritual elite) than Biblical Christianity. The miraculous is never held up as something to be continually desired or searched for, in fact the Bible often praises those who do not require a sign and condemns those who do!

“Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. He answered and said to them, "When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red'; "and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. "A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah." And He left them and departed.”

(Matthew 16:1-4)

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony.”

(Hebrews 11:1-2)

“Jesus said to him, "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."

(John 20:29)

     Let me finish this admittedly brief discussion of miracles by saying that I do believe in them and I even believe that if God wills they can exist in this day. The problem is not that God has changed or that He no longer acts at all, it's that the ones who claim these miracles have so much about them that does not mesh with scripture. Silly 'miracles', wrong use of them, inaccurate prophecy, bad theology, horrible doctrine, and more. Not everyone in this movement is an extreme case, let me be clear that I don't meant to say that. I only mean to refocus our attention on the Bible and remind everyone that the given Word -alone- is our source of truth. Every thought, idea , and experience has to be brought to that measure and cast aside if it does not pass the test. We don't need to be excited and impressed to be faithful, we know ourselves and we ought to know God. We know who we would be without God. The power of that changed life is more than enough.

And Who Am I to Speak?

I am reminded of how little I am. What do I think I'm doing with all these words? Who am I to speak to others and to tell them what truth is? I am no prophet nor am I some great man of God. My imperfections glare at me from the mirror and I know that I am so very little worth. I am no great scholar, I am no enlightened thinker, but what I have is the Word. That is all I or anyone else has to say that has any meaning. 774,746 words that contain anything of any eternal bearing or meaning or purpose. In the end I'm just finding new combinations of words to express ideas that God has already given to us.

In a way I guess I am a prophet. The job of the prophet has always been to take the words of God to the people. In times past those words were new and directly given, now we have them already recorded. Still the job remains the same. In that way, everyone who teaches is a prophet, and like a prophet of old, we all must be very careful not to get in the way. His words truth must not be mixed with my opinion, my thoughts must be shaped by His commands. When I write, when I speak, when I try to explain this text, then I must stay within that text. If I stray into uncharted lands then I am lost and worse than that, I may drag others with me. Remember what Jesus said to the Pharisees?

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. Woe to you, blind guides...”

(Matthew 23:15-16)

Is that what we do as modern day teachers? Do we go about making disciples, teaching them what we believe, only to make them even more fit for a residence in eternal torment? How often do you examine yourself, how often do I, to make sure we are on the path? Can we check too often? Too much? Why do I never see the experts on TV or the Internet carrying Bibles? Why does the preacher always have one but the pundit does not? Do we really care if people see us as less of an authority because we have to read or look up a text? Wouldn't it be better to be accurate for sure then appear to have great knowledge?

I pray that I'm doing what I should be here. I pray that in taking up this mantle, for trying to teach the truth, that I am in fact doing just that. Dear God let my words reflect Your truth and may I not lead a single soul astray by my thoughts expressed. There is terror here if you understand what is at stake, but there is hope and comfort in Him. Like in all things our understanding of God helps us. I may hamper or hinder some poor soul by some errant teaching, but I will never be responsible for their salvation or damnation. No matter how well written the article I will never save anyone from hell and no matter how poorly I screw up a doctrine I can never damn anyone to it either. We are each of us responsible for our destiny and God will -will- save those who are His.

“And Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.'"

(John 6:35-40)

Use my words oh God, if You will. Though I can offer only a pitiful sacrifice. Keep me on a short leash, let me only say your Truth and Your words. Let me never lose sight of how little I am and how big You are; the awesome God who created and keeps all things, who has laid out the plan of creation and carries it out, who has given us the words of life (John 6:67-68). It's not much but all I have is all I can give. Like the song “So Great a Salvation“ from the O.C. Supertones: “I could never thank you enough, but here's my life for whatever it's worth.”

What is Choice?

     What is the nature of free will? Are we all on this earth to simply dance to the beat of another's drum or do we make real choices? People have been pondering this question for probably as long as they've pondered at all and I can see why. We don't like to think that our lives our controlled by someone else and if we see that none of our choices matter than it leads to a depressing fatalism. So can we come to any meaningful understanding of this problem? I think we can.

     First off let's look at things from the naturalistic perspective, frankly because it's much simpler. If we are all just animals, meat machines, and more specifically if we are the end result of automatic process working as they have to ultimately culminating in the formation of man, then there is no choice. As Hawking pointed out we cannot avoid determinism if we come at life from this angle. There can be no transcendence in a world that evolved. If we are born of nothing but chemical reactions and the laws of physics and if nothing else exists to interact with this matter than nothing can ever happen but what is programmed into that material (so to speak). Every “choice” that you make is really just what your particular set of chemicals and structures has to do when encountering that situation. In this view all of existence is one big calculation, a series of equations where A + B will always equal C. Your personality, your beliefs, your choice of a job or a spouse, these things are all just illusions of sentience and the reality is that we are all just robots; DNA machines that run on a very complicated set of rules. Depressing isn't it?

You cannot cut the strings

     The problem with this ideology is that we do see glimpses of the transcendent in our lives. We are aware of what we are in a metaphysical, existential sense. This is where Christianity comes in. You see, in the Bible, we are shown to be more than just matter. Made from the dust of the earth God breathed life into us (Genesis 2:7) and made us a living thing. This is important because we see here two huge differences from how He made animals. First we were made 'from' something, unlike animals and the earth which were simply popped into existence by God's own power, we were formed from the “dust of the earth.” I'm sure there are ramifications and reasons for that but it's beyond my abilities to find them. The second and really more important bit is that our life was “breathed” into us by God directly. To me this connects us to God's Word which is described as “God breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16), and which is also described as being “alive” (Hebrews 4:12). Also we were made in the “image of God,” (Genesis 1:26) which obviously doesn't mean that we look like Him since God is spirit and has no set physical form (other than the humanity taken unto the Son, ie. Jesus). All of this points to a creation that is more than just the stuff it's made of, we are both physical and spiritual beings and this allows us the ability to look outside ourselves and to rise -just a bit- above our material.

We are more than the sum of our parts.

     It gets a bit more complicated from this point. You see, all of the previous stuff is quite clearly shown in the Bible but we also see that God has total control over His creation (1 Chronicles 29:11-12, Psalm 115:3, Isaiah 46:9-10, etc.). Many people have a hard time reconciling true free will with a being that can simply make you do whatever He pleases. Now I'm not going to get super deep here simply because there isn't time but I've done a lot of thinking on this over the years and I'll simply run you through my current conclusions. The short answer is that no you don't have free will. You do however have free choice, let me define that. Free will is the ability to do whatever you want, to make decisions and plan your life as you see fit. Honestly I don't see that as an option Biblicaly, we do seem to make choices and decisions but the ultimate outcome of those choices is far beyond our control. We can choose to obey or rebel against God but in the end we get heaven or hell and there is nothing we can do at that point to change our destination. I think what we have is what I call “Free Choice.” By that I mean that God has laid out His world and has given us options and we have the freedom to choose from those options. Obey or rebel, love this person or this other person or no one, this job or that job, school or no school, and on and on and on. These choices come to us and some are better than others and some are obviously where God would have us go but He doesn't necessarily force us down these more proper roads. Look at Jonah, God actually TOLD him what to do but he chose instead to run away. This is one way in which our choices can matter and how we can still be responsible for our sins. We chose, in a very real sense, to do that evil. We are always presented with options and we may not like them but they are there.

     When we speak of the big questions of salvation and sanctification, God is just doing what He wants to ultimately, and we can either choose to obey or to rebel. I think that when we move beyond the ultimate questions we have a lot of give and quite a bit of 'wiggle room.' God has plans and purposes but He made them with our personalities and preferences in mind, using us to tell His story so that we are truly involved in the telling; actors not puppets. We may say the wrong line or miss a cue every once and a while but we are right there on the stage. We have to be more than matter for anything we do to matter and our soul gives us that bit of transcendence.   

What We Fight For

     You might hear it if you listen, the battle cry of the faith. Rise up Christian soldiers and stand against the tide! The world we're told, is falling, and we cannot stand aside! And yet some people do. There are a good many people who simply do not educate themselves on true doctrine or who do not stand up for the gospel. Some are just lazy of course, still others simply aren't saved to begin with, there are some however that will question why we need to 'defend' the gospel at all. Isn't God, God, they'll say. Doesn't He not need our help? Why bother?

     First off, and you'll find this is often the first answer regardless of the question, because we've been commanded to! We stand for God's word and proclaim it to those around us because we have been expressly ordered to by our God and King and by the example set forth in scripture.

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear...”

(1 Peter 3:15)

“...just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace.”

(Philippians 1:7)

(emphasis mine)

It seems kind of heavy handed to say and it may sound like I'm skirting the real issue but frankly many of the questions we might have as Christians come down to a sort of “because I said so” from God. We have lost some of that prophet, priest, and KING teaching about Jesus these days and we don't always hear about how he is to be obeyed. Not just listened to or taken under advisement but obeyed!

     Let me further say that God -is- God. He really doesn't need our help in any sense. If no one spoke the gospel He could make the rocks beneath our feet sing hymns to His glory! If He desires to preserve His Word it will endure; as it has through all these centuries. That being said, one important reason we 'defend' the gospel is because we aren't defending the gospel at all. What we are defending is the gospel's opportunity to impact, we are defending people! There are people out there -men, women, and children- who might only hear a little bit of the truth over there whole lives. Will you sit back and let that little bit of truth be mired in an ocean of lies? These people we see around us are dieing! The are headed to eternal fire and the world we live in is throwing up a smokescreen of falsehood to blind them off the edge of the cliff! We quiet the noise of evil so that the sweet sound of the gospel can make it to the ears of the unsaved! These people need God, and they need the truth about God; so we fight for that truth to be heard and we strike down falsehood without mercy.

“How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?”

(Romans 10:14)

     Remember that our lives are for eternity, our actions here will echo in forever. In defending the gospel we defend those who will be saved by it. In fighting for truth we help to free those enslaved by lies. When we do the work that God has laid out for us, His name is glorified among the people. Don't neglect your work, don't leave these fallen desperate people undefended. Fight, protect, defend, and stand firm.

“Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle.”

(2 Thessalonians 2:15)

Those Who Persevere

     Perseverance of the Saints. I'm sure you've heard of it. It's one of the primary doctrines of Christianity and one that offers great hope to us all. Unfortunately it is also a doctrine that is widely misunderstood. The idea behind the doctrine is God's people cannot lose their salvation, sadly it has been used and abused by quite a few preachers.

“This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him. If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.”

(2 Timothy 2:11-12)

“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, 'If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 'And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

(John 8:31-32)

     Let's look at the problem. The common saying used these days is the well known “Once saved always saved.” Now to be honest there is nothing said by that phrase that isn't true. If we are really and truly saved by God we cannot be taken from Him. The problem lies in the path that saying takes to get there. When you say “once saved always saved” the thought behind it is that nothing I do will make me go to hell. Again, nothing being said is technically wrong but it SO the wrong attitude! The attitude expressed here is that I don't have to worry, I don't have to try, and I don't have to care at all, because I'm set. I've got my fire insurance, I prayed my little prayer, I went to the front of the church and that is all I need right? Wrong! There is so much more to Christianity and so much more to perseverance than that! It may sound like nit-picking but we have to remember that the words we use have power and the meaning and attitude behind them has a ripple effect as it moves away from us. What we meant to say will probably not be what the fiftieth person to hear it hears.

"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. "And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. "My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. "I and My Father are one."

(John 10:27-30)

“Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you; unless you believed in vain.”

(1 Corinthians 15:1-2)

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

(Romans 8:38-39)

     Now for the truth. What is meant by perseverance of the saints is that those who are truly God's will endure until the end. We will stumble and fall, we will sin and sorrow, but we will never full leave God's side. We will outlast temptation and make it to the end of this long road, we will meet our Father at the highways end. God's power keeps us going and the only real sign of a true believer is endurance. We will see fruit from their efforts and we will see growth indeed but so much of this can be mimicked by hard work and human effort. Remember that God rules over everything and nothing surprises Him. He knew from the moment you came to Him -from the moment of creation really- every sin you have and will ever commit. When He forgives your sin He forgives ALL of it, what could you do to lose that salvation that doesn't fall under “all?” You could do nothing to save yourself. We cannot earn our salvation and thus we cannot disqualify it either. The true saints of God will continue!

     Take this to heart, Christian, if you mire in worry and doubt. Are you working to get closer to God? Does your sin burden you? Do you always come back and repent no matter how far you stray? That presence in your soul, that burden on your heart is most likely the Spirit of God dwelling in you and keeping you! Don't fear doubts, face them! Don't get lazy and don't give up, God will empower those who are His own to last to the end! Our work doesn't save us, but as James points out it acts as the evidence of a changed life. So work out your salvation as the Bible says, seek God, ask for strength and don't sit on your laurels and assume that your prayer saved you. For it is the changed life and new hunger for God and His path for you that signifies your salvation.

The False Dilemma of Dualism

     There is an age old belief in the world. One that has existed for hundreds if not thousands of years. One that has wormed its way even into the church. The idea is expressed in many ways and different words are used each time it surfaces. The concept is generally referred to as Dualism. In a nutshell the belief states that reality is essentially separated into two halves: the spiritual and physical. The physical is inherently evil and the spiritual inherently good. You'll find this idea spread across the globe in eastern religions and even in the Roman Catholic church and you'd think that the idea has some merit but sadly it does not.

     The physical, the flesh, the world and everything in it: to the dualist these are evil and tainted and must be removed from our lives. Desires are something that taint us and only when we are free from these earthly yearnings will we find righteousness. It's easy to see why this belief is so prevalent, what with all the war and greed and want in the world. So many people fight a daily war with their own bodies and minds that it makes sense to blame it all on the flesh and the world, to yearn to escape from all this and be freed from all these desires so unfulfillable. We see the monastic movements and the cave dwelling hermits seeking absolution in a grave existence of self punishment and denial. Men and women driven to celibacy by their lusts or even just the normal desires of the human body. Churches lay bare of even the most rudimentary of decoration or of a single note of music for fear of waking these evil tides of the flesh. All of this can be seen from one corner of the globe to the other, but are we fighting shadows?

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

(Genesis 1:1)

“Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”

(Genesis 1:31)

     Do you realize the implication of those verses? God created the heavens and the earth. God, who can do no evil. God who bends all things to His perfect will. God who can make no mistakes, created the earth and sky and everything and it was “very good.” How then can you say that the physical is evil by its very nature? How can the physical be necessarily evil when its very origin is in the great God almighty?

“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

(Ephesians 6:12)

     Furthermore, we can plainly see that merely being spiritual is not enough to be righteous. The fallen angels and satan himself are of a completely spiritual nature and yet they are the very core of evil in existence! What matters is not merely being spiritual but being spiritually right! God did not come as Jesus to make us spiritual but to make us right with God. Man, from the beginning, has been a being both spiritual and physical. What makes us evil is not our physicality but our separation and rebellion against a Holy God. This is why it's a false idea to think we will spend eternity as spirits or as 'angels'. We were created to be physical beings and we will spend eternity as such, albeit glorified.

     The point is not to eliminate all desire, for we desire to be with God. Our aim is not to shun all physical things, as they are gifts from our loving Father. Our goal is not to be a purely spiritual people, as that would require denying part of who we are. The point is to enjoy this world in a manner that honors God and is in line with His will. We never let our desires lead us off the road laid before us and we never let things become the primary motive force in our lives. When viewed and used rightly, this physical world can bring great joy and show us yet another aspect of our Glorious God.

Don't Give Up

Dear Christian,

     I know where you are right now. Alone and angry and frustrated. You're sitting in the dark as you rail against yourself. “Again.” You ask yourself. “Why have I done this again?” For the hundredth time you find yourself in the aftermath of sin, of sin you chose to do for reasons that have now evaporated. I know this because I've been there, we all have. The life of a Christian is not one of perfection and sadly we often find ourselves repeating the same bad choices we swore never to make again.

     The first thing I'll say is this: Use it. Sin won't stop at merely getting you to choose the 'flesh'. It will use your grief to drive you further from God.  Grief and guilt are unusual. When used properly they can keep us humble, drive us to do better, and cause us to draw closer to God. Often though, our guilt makes us unwilling to approach the perfect God and can actually push us to further sin. It's important to remember that we are undeserving of His grace and deserving of His punishment, but we can't focus on that. We have to keep that fact in mind so that it informs the wonder and awe we experience from the knowledge of what He has done for us. That the Holy God of the universe would deign to save such as us shouldn't make us cower into the dirt, it should have us shouting for joy and praise! On the flip side, we must examine our sins and our behaviors and our history to be sure that the overall pattern is growth not simply a lack of freedom from sin. God has given us freedom, we don't -have- to sin, but we will. Not until glory will we be totally free. Use it, don't let your guilt simply sit there. Go to God and repent, ask for His help and He will be there with you.

     Furthermore, remember that you never deserved your salvation in the first place. I know that when I sin, when I have to repent of my actions, one of the first things that comes to my mind is the question “why on earth would God have saved me?” It's helpful to remember that God didn't save you because of anything within 'you'. To put it bluntly, He saved you because He chose to. That's it and we may never understand the reasons. We were utterly unworthy of salvation in the first place so we can't become less worthy than that. God saw all of your sin, all of it, from the time that He made time itself. He knew exactly what He was getting into when He saved you. There are no surprises, there are no regrets, and there is nothing that will cause Him to revoke that which He has given. If you're saved, if you really are, then know that you will never fall fully away. You will always return, God will always be calling you back or even dragging you back.

     So don't give up. Use your guilt and your mistakes. Take what the enemy want's to use to destroy you and give it to God so that He can build you up instead. Repent and move on from that dark room you find yourself in. Keep your eyes on the bright horizon and keep walking, keep fighting for every step and when you fall, get back up. 

 I'll be praying for you.

The Power and Purpose of Prayer

     Why do we pray? Much doubt is being cast on the importance and usefulness of prayer these days, leaving many to wonder why pray at all? It can be a hard thing to pray continually. You'll find that a million different distractions will creep up on you and you may even fall asleep as you kneel on the floor with your eyes closed tight. So why do it? Why fight against the current of popular opinion? Because to do so and reject prayer would be disastrous to our spiritual lives.

     I've heard it said that praying is pointless because God already knows everything anyway and He already has His plan and since God already knows everything about us we can't build that relationship. Of course this is all true but it's missing a crucial point. We are commanded to pray and God has told us that prayer is effective.

“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”

(James 5:16)

Furthermore, God does know us perfectly already but we barely know Him! The relationship we are building is not based on mutual lack of understanding but on the fact that we are woefully ignorant of our creator. Prayer is not merely time spent mumbling in the dark but time spent conversing with our heavenly Father. We're talking to Dad. 

     Similarly we don't have to keep our prayers constantly wordy and fancy, we don't have to use flowing speech and grandiose words. We can simply seek Him and talk to Him, tell Him about your day and what is bothering you. He is listening. Especially helpful is the knowledge that we don't need to perfectly articulate what we need for two reasons: God does already know our needs, and the Holy Spirit speaks on our behalf.

“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

(Romans 8:26)

     As you pray, as you make it a habit of your life, you will see it's benefits. Prayer not only works in this world -though we may not see or understand how- it draws us closer to God and to each other. We need to keep God in our thoughts, keeping a “constant state of prayer”, carrying Him with us always and going to Him specifically whenever we can. Prayer defines a Christian in a way, unlike other religions of the world we are not simply repeating verses or chanting lines or paying homage, we are talking directly to God. After all, this faith we have is more than simply a duty or responsibility or a requirement, it is a relationship with our creator and savior. So don't give up on prayer, don't let it slip aside because you don't have time or don't know what to say. God is waiting to hear from you, don't make Him wait too long.

The Shadow of Death

     How do we deal with suffering? How can we understand the reasoning behind the hard times, or the necessity of struggle? The question is so often asked; “Why do bad things happen to good people?” As we journey through this life we often find more trouble than peace and it so frequently leads people astray. Is there any way to cope with it? The problem of pain is a complex issue, one not solved with a single paper or a pithy phrase, but we can spend some time today on a few hope-filled truths.

     Probably the most harsh answer to the issue of suffering, to the question of 'why do bad things happen to good people is this: they don't. Bad things do not happen to good people, bad things happen to bad people and we are all bad people. This is yet another instance of how having your theology straight affects your understanding of other things. The Bible clearly teaches us that we as a race are fallen from birth and are enemies of God by our very nature. As soon as we have the ability to choose we choose sin, we desire after it, we want to rebel. So as I said the harsh answer to the problem of pain is that we all deserve everything we get. From the lost job to the flooded streets to the death of a loved one to the death of ourselves; everything is the end result of a fallen world brought about by our sin. No one is innocent, everyone is guilty, we have no right to complain.

     That being said there are more comforting explanations for struggle. Growth for example. Going back to my previous statement, having a systematic theology helps you to understand the questions that arise in life. When we understand the nature of God (as much as we can as finite, fallen creatures) and the plan He has for us, we see that ultimately God is not worrying so much about our 'happiness' as He is our 'holiness.'

“but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct..”

(1 Peter 1:15)

“...just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love..”

(Ephesians 1:4)

It's not that the Lord doesn't care about our happiness it's that He understands the truth that we will not be happy until we are in Him! True joy will come not from constant pleasure, not from an easy life, not from myriad possessions but from a closeness to God! Even in the most dire of situations, in the darkest of places, we can have joy! Maybe not shouting from the rooftops and dancing in the streets joy, but the joy of lasting peace and trust in the God who guides our step and directs everything that happens. And we can trust Him, because He knows what we don't. He knows that the man in the pew behind you won't be made more holy by getting that new job, but that being unemployed for a few more months will teach Him to rely on God for his every need. That women praying at the steps of the stage won't become more like Jesus in some particular way unless her son rebels against God for another year; and her son won't learn to love God above himself unless he see's just what sin he is capable of. We wouldn't choose that path, we wouldn't choose these lessons but God knows what we need and since He cares more for our holiness than our 'happiness' He will rain fire down on the life that wants rain!

“But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.”

(1 Peter 5:10)

“In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood. You have also forgotten the exhortation addressed to you as sons: "My son, do not disdain the discipline of the Lord or lose heart when reproved by him; for whom the Lord loves, he disciplines; he scourges every son he acknowledges." Endure your trials as "discipline"; God treats you as sons. For what "son" is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are without discipline, in which all have shared, you are not sons but bastards. Besides this, we have had our earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not (then) submit all the more to the Father of spirits and live? They disciplined us for a short time as seemed right to them, but he does so for our benefit, in order that we may share his holiness. At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.”

(Hebrews 12:4-11)

     Have you ever compared the sorrows of this life to the suffering of Jesus on the cross? Has anything you've gone through been like that? Has it even been close to even the physical pain of His death? I doubt that it has and I know that nothing you or I or anyone has ever gone through is even comparable to the suffering He endured under the full wrath of God against our sin! Our pain in this life is but a shadow of death. A specter of the true punishment we deserve. God is using these 'minor' pains to tell us something. If this is what earthly pain looks like, if this what temporary physical suffering feels like how horrible must an eternity in Hell be! If this is what it feels like to endure the wrath of men, how must Jesus have felt under the wrath of almighty God! God allows the shadow of death to cross over us in part so we can appreciate the sacrifice of Jesus and so we can run to Him for salvation. He allows it so that we would flee in terror to Him.

     Finally, as Christians, we suffer because we are not of this world. There is a promise in the New Testament that cannot be missed, Christ was hated by the world and so we will be hated as well. If we seek to live this life as God would have us live we will rub people the wrong way. If we show them the holiness of God it will point out how unholy they are, if we show them that their sins can be forgiven it will force them to look at the sins they have hidden or denied. We may not live a life of constant persecution but it will come from someone in some form.

“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.”

(2 Timothy 3:12)

    I know that this isn't every reason, but it's a start. Regardless of the hows and the whys we as the people of God can find comfort in Him. He is our rock and our cornerstone, our redeemer, brother, and friend. He will hold us and keep us safe even in the midst of trials. We may not understand, but that is when we have to trust Him because He does know what is best. Pray for peace and comfort from Him, pray for those you see in trouble around you and remember that you may be the one that God would use to help them. When all the world is falling apart, God will always stand sure; and when everyone has left you, He'll be there.

What Does it Matter Who God Is?

      How much does the truth matter?  Does it matter exactly what you believe about God?  Can't we all just have our own differing perspectives and still get along?  Well, yes and no.  We can get along with each other because as Christians we are told in scripture to live at peace with all men (Romans 12:18), but that does not mean that the truth doesn't matter.  Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but it is crucial that the opinion you hold to is correct.

One of the great things about Christianity is that it allows for so much wiggle room.  It makes it possible for people to have opinions and disagree on things without breaking fellowship.  We don't all have to have every little peg pushed firmly into every little hole to be Christians, but we do have to believe in Christ.  That's where the problem lies.  We can allow for variance of perspective and thought on much of what we believe but we absolutely must have our theology correct or we're simply not Christians.  That may sound harsh but remember, I'm not saying that everyone has to believe what -I- believe or what -that guy- believes, what I'm saying is that we all have to believe what God tells us and luckily the Bible is often quite clear; and when it doesn't confirm something definitively it usually shuts down the false thoughts rather completely.

If we believe in a Father that is not The Father, or a Jesus that is not The Son, or a Spirit that is not The Spirit than we are not believing in the Father, the Son, or the Spirit.  We may as well be worshiping golden cows in our living rooms.  Look at the early centuries of the church.  They fought against heresy so much that modern day scholars try and tell us they were just pushing down opposition and enforcing their own views; when really they were just stating more specifically what everyone already believed but perhaps hadn't put down succinctly until that point.  For example they debated the modelists who believed that God existed only as one but who showed Himself in three 'modes', namely as Father, Son, and Spirit but never at the same time and they were not distinct persons.  It became quite popular but the Bible again kills it due to several instances of all three persons of the Trinity appearing together; most notably at the baptism of Jesus (see Matthew 3:16, Mark 1:9-11, and Luke 3:21-22).

This isn't going to be a full description and defense of the Trinity, perhaps another time.  The point I'm making is that truth matters and if we're not worshiping in truth we're not worshiping properly.  God is not who we want Him to be, nor is He so vague that we cannot know Him with certainty.  We hear the old phrase used for Christian peace all the time “major on the majors and minor on the minors, namely that we shouldn't push so hard on the less specific things in scripture.  But how much time do we spend on the first half of that phrase, on majoring on the majors?  We need to study, to debate, even to argue with the people around us -always in love- but with the knowledge that how someone defines God will point them either toward or away from the one true God of the universe.

Recommended Reading:

The Nicene Creed

The Athanasian Creed

The Apostles Creed