Is there a particular dessert that you find absolutely mouthwatering?  One of those sweet-tooth satisfying dishes that makes a four-course meal look like a garnish?  All kinds of desserts come to my mind right now, but one in particular seems to stand out.  I really like mint chocolate chip ice cream.  Whenever I realize that there’s a carton of it in the freezer, my mouth gets excited.  Eating a scoop of mint chocolate chip is like having a fireworks show go off in your mouth.  The creamy texture and bold flavor of the cream bursts on your palate, while the chocolate chips go rolling around, tickling your taste buds wherever they travel.  No other ice cream can come close to rivaling the thrill of eating a waffle cone of this mouth-watering flavor.

            Needless to say, mint chocolate chip ice cream is definitely my favorite.  But let’s say I meet someone who can’t say enough about how much they savor a cone of pistachio.  I could suggest that they are mistaken.  I could correct them and explain that what their taste buds truly desire is a delectable bowl of mint chocolate chip.  They would probably counter and say that they were perfectly fine with pistachio, and have no intentions of converting to a different flavor.  And thus the debate could go on and on, until we finally decide to quit and go to Baskin Robbins.

            When the pistachio-lover and I part ways, will anything have been accomplished?  More than likely, no.  If anything, we’ll probably leave even more solidified in our respective ice cream preferences.  Arguing about which flavor is better is ultimately a lost battle on each side — neither person is going to concede their position.  The dispute will go back and forth, back and forth, with no change in sight.  While this may be a rather silly and humorous illustration, there is a much more serious parallel.

            Whenever a Christian witnesses to an unbeliever or engages in apologetics, there is a strong tendency to bring the conversation down to the argument level.  One person presents their position, the other refutes them, and on and on they go.  Nothing is accomplished.  No one is ever going to enter the Kingdom of God because some Christian blasted their position with a superior argument.  It never works that way.  In Matthew 6:44, Jesus said that “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him…”  People are not argued into the Kingdom of God.  They are drawn in by the Father.  When this truth is realized, witnessing and apologetics take on a whole new face.  The burden is not on us to present an argument that wins people to Christ.  We may be the instrument God chooses to use in sharing or defending our faith to someone, but we are never the ones who draw them in.  Our job is to simply share the gospel and give a reason for the hope that we have.  We need to leave the rest up to God.

            The purpose of apologetics is not to create arguments, but to give a response to them.  There is nothing wrong with responding to someone’s challenge, but the response needs to be courteous and loving.  That’s rarely an easy thing to do, especially when you feel hurt and defensive after your faith is challenged.  However, consider what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3:

“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.  And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.”

            Whenever we engage in apologetics, our ultimate goal is to point people to the gospel of Jesus Christ.  What they choose to do with our presentation is completely up to them.  As long as we are faithful in our representation of Christ, present an answer for the hope that we have and make our responses in love, we can be content to leave the rest in God’s hands.  Again, none of us come to the Father by our own efforts.  We only come if He draws us. Witnessing and defending the faith are tough assignments, but choosing to give the results over to God make them all the more exciting and refreshing.  Even mint chocolate chip has to take second place in this one.

               During the early years of the Christian faith, Christians did not have a complete collection of all the gospels, epistles, and other books that make up the Bible.  Different groups of Christians had access to different sources, but it took several years before a complete collection of all sixty-six books was compiled.  As a result, the early Church leaders came up with a method in combating any heretical doctrines that might sneak their way into the faith.  This solution was the creed.  Creeds were statements of faith that declared what a particular group believed about something.  People would memorize and recite these declarations as a group.  For the early Christian Church, one of the most prominently recognized creeds was the Apostle’s Creed.  Although the Apostles are not attributed with the authorship of this statement of belief, it provides a basic and accurate summary of what they taught:

             “I believe in God the Father Almighty; Maker of heaven and earth.

            And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; the third day he rose from the dead; he ascended into heaven; and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

            I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy catholic¹ Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.”²

                Although the Apostle’s Creed was principally used by believers hundreds of years ago, it is still very relevant to the Church today.  The message of the gospel is still the same, and the words and life of Christ are just as effective today as they were two thousand years ago.  Even so, there is another important principle conveyed by the Apostle’s Creed — and other such statements of faith — that needs to be considered.  The people who memorized and recited these statements were, in a way, doing a form of apologetics.  In essence, they were providing an answer for the hope that they had, a response to the charge of 1 Peter 3:15.  Just as the gospel of Christ still holds its power to save, the Word of God is likewise just as powerful now as when it was initially written.  The command of 1 Peter 3:15 is to be taken with just as much gravity today as it was when it was first read by the early Christians. 

                While the aura and language surrounding the Apostle’s Creed do make it sound a bit antiquated, the basic statements it makes provide a clear, well-summarized foundation of some of the most basic and crucial tenets of the Christian faith.  The concise yet effective method of stating these principles has produced a declaration that all Christians would do well to study to some degree.  If you would like to learn more about the creed and its background, this LINK provides a brief summary of its development and impact.  You can even hear the creed in song, as the late Rich Mullins set it to music.  Later on, Christian music group Third Day recorded their own version of the song based on Mullins’ original.  Third Day’s rendition is a live recording with a definitive rock sound, while Mullins’ inspiring studio version incorporates a wide variety of softer instruments.  You can check out both of them on iTunes – both are titled “Creed” — by clicking on the following links: (Third Day) (Rich Mullins). 

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1. The term “catholic” church as stated in the creed refers to the entire Christian church as a whole, not specifically to the Roman Catholic Church.

2. Grudem, Wayne, Systematic Theology, Zondervan, 2000, p. 1169.

Gyms are interesting places.  The equipment is interesting, the variety of people — and their workout routines — are interesting, and the music is interesting.  I’ve used my share of the equipment, I’ve observed several very unique workout regimens, but I’ve only recently thought very seriously about the music.  Most gyms play guitar-induced rock anthems that get the adrenaline flowing and keep you focused on your workout via their monotonous rhythm.  The gym I go to is no exception.  It’s odd in that downstairs in the locker rooms one hears all those gushy songs about love, life, and all that good stuff, but when you migrate upstairs to the weight systems, the mood quickly changes.  Guitars start crunching, drums start throbbing, and the occasional scream is elicited from the pulsing speakers.  Even though I can’t understand the words to most of the songs, there are a few that are intelligible enough to grasp something of a meaning from them.  And it just so happens that those few songs are also some of the most catchy.

Some songs are just destined to be catchy.  I don’t know what the formula is, but those exceptionally well-crafted pieces of music that conquer it can be mighty hard to get out of your head.  Sometimes that’s a good thing, but all too often it isn’t.  For a time I never really thought about the potential impact of the songs playing around me as I worked out, but when I would catch myself humming them later, I began to realize just how powerful the influence of a finely made song truly is.  Some songs are so well produced that they can enter your mind and embed themselves to the point that you sing them without realizing it.  However, therein lies a problem: just what are the songs we sing and listen to telling us?  Are we ingesting truth, or are we gulping down lies?  Be that as it may, songs are not the only area where this subconscious ingestion takes place.  What about movies, TV shows, speeches, books, or information taught in a classroom?  Just how often do we step back and take a look at the information that is flying at us and test it against Biblical truth?  Just how often do we, as Christians, choose to think critically about the messages around us?

Critical thinking is not an easy task, but it needs to be a very integral part of every Christian’s life.  2 Corinthians 10:5 instructs us to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”  While this truly is a tall order, it is of extreme importance if we are to lead our lives as obedient and effective Christians.  If our minds are not in order, we can hardly expect our lives to be any better.  Learning to take control of our thoughts in order to bring them under Christ’s control will drastically improve our focus and set our eyes more fixedly on Him.  Test your thoughts about a particular situation, person, etc.  Do they line up with Biblical truth?  Test the music you listen to, the movies you watch, the literature you read.  Are you allowing it to influence you negatively?  Or, even worse, is it something that should be influencing you in the first place?

I have already written one post that provides a basic definition of critical thinking (LINK).  This one isn’t written as a sequel to it, but more so as an accent mark. Critical thinking is a highly valuable pursuit that everyone — Christian or not — should cultivate in their lives.  However, we will never reap the benefits without first implementing the process.  I will be one of the first to say that I have a great deal of improvement to make in this area.  Disciplining yourself to stop and analyze all the messages that bombard you every day is indeed a challenge, but, like so many other disciplines in the Christian life, it is a challenge worth pursuing.

This post is the second in a series on the reliability of the Bible. Follow this link to read the previous entry.

Internal Consistency

 The internal consistency and unity of the Bible is truly an amazing testimony to its divine authorship.  The forty men that God inspired in writing the Scriptures came from several different walks of life.  For example, Matthew was a tax collector, Peter was a fisherman, David and Solomon were kings, and Amos was a shepherd.1  Despite the different occupations, locations, and circumstances surrounding these men, the writings come together and give a solid, coherent book that maintains internal agreement throughout its pages.  Considering that the Bible was written over fifteen hundred years2, the fact that it is internally consistent becomes even more compelling!

 Many critics of the Scriptures claim that the Bible contradicts itself.  However, claims of  “contradictions” are oftentimes the result of a desire to believe that the Bible is false, not as the product of careful research.  This link provides an example of an apparent contradiction and its very rational solution.  Many of the supposed contradictions are results not of an author’s mistake, but rather of a misunderstanding or a confusing translation from a manuscript’s original language into another.  Consider also that different Biblical authors wrote with different styles.  The four Gospels — Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John — are all written with different stylistic techniques.  Much of the information provided in the different accounts on particular miracles and events doesn’t point to contradictions, but rather to the author’s decision to include specific information relevant to his telling of the Gospel.  After all, if all four Gospel accounts were identical, it would be easy to assume that corroboration was involved in their writing.

Fulfilled Prophecies

 As the Biblical authors wrote their respective books, they made hundreds of prophecies.  All of these prophecies — minus a few regarding Christ’s impending return — have come true.3  No other religious book can claim anything near the number of prophecies fulfilled in the Biblical Scriptures.  Consider these examples.

 In Ezekiel 26 — which was written in 587 B.C. — a prophecy was given about the destruction of the city of Tyre.  The city was divided into a land-based section and an island extension.  Ezekiel prophesied that God would “bring many nations against” Tyre (v.3), specifically stating that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon would “ravage your settlements on the mainland with the sword” (v. 8).  Ezekiel also prophesied that “They will plunder your wealth and loot your merchandise; they will break down your walls and demolish your fine houses and throw your stones, timber and rubble into the sea.” (v. 12)  He further stated that God said He would make Tyre “a bare rock, and you will become a place to spread fishnets.” (v. 14)  Let’s take a look at what happened, shall we?

 Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the mainland city of Tyre in 573 B.C.  Refugees from the devastated city fled to the island extension.  However, their escape from disaster proved only temporary.  240 years later in the year 333 B.C., Alexander the Great besieged Tyre.  In order to reach the island city, rubble from the demolished mainland portion was thrown into the sea to form a causeway.  Able to cross over to the island, Alexander and his troops finished the job, and Tyre was completely annihilated.  Over 2,000 years after these astonishing events, the once mighty city of Tyre is now nothing more than a small fishing town where fishing boats spread their nets.4

 In addition to prophecies concerning cities and nations, there are nearly one hundred prophecies about Jesus throughout the Old Testament.  For example, in Micah 5:2, Bethlehem is prophesied to be the city in which the Messiah will be born.  Jesus was born in Bethlehem (Luke 2:4-7).  In Zechariah 11:12,13, there it is prophesied that the Messiah will be betrayed for thirty pieces of silver.  Judas betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:15).  In Psalm 22, details are given about the Messiah’s crucifixion.  (This is especially fascinating, since this Psalm was written 800 years before crucifixion was ever employed as a means of execution.)5  It is stated that the Messiah will be pierced in His hands and feet (v. 16), that his garments will be divided among those who crucify Him, and that lots will be cast for His clothing (v. 18).  Matthew 27:35 affirms that, “When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.”

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 When all the evidence for the veracity of the Bible is laid on the table, it truly conveys a compelling case.  The Bible is a God-inspired book with insight into the human condition unlike any other piece of literature.  Not only does the Bible provide astounding insight, but it also conveys the most hope-filled message of all time.  While the Bible clearly states that man is sinful, it outlines the steps a person needs to take to be free of his or her sin.  Those steps are found in Romans 10:9.

“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

 Saved from what?  From our sin.  Many people believe that simply being a good person is enough to get into heaven.  Going to church, giving money to charity, volunteering for a cause, etc. are all good, but they don’t ensure eternal salvation.  The Bible gives a list of things a person must do — perfectly.  That list is the Ten Commandments. (Exodus 20: 1-17)  If a person breaks just one of them, they are unfit to enter heaven.  Sin has hideously blemished them.  However, there is hope.  Because it is impossible for man to live his life perfectly, he is in desperate need of a savior.  That Savior is Jesus Christ.  God sent His only Son, Jesus, to die a horrible, bloody, and tortuous death on a cross for the sin of the world — past, present, and future.  Three days later, God raised Him from the dead.  Because Jesus died and shed His blood for us, we can be eternally cleansed from our sin.  What one needs to do is “confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead”.  And then you will be saved.

1. – Patrick Zukeran, “Authority of the Bible,” Probe Ministries, (2005), http://www.probe.org/site/c.fdKEIMNsEoG/b.4227389/k.6202/Authority_of_the_Bible.htm (accessed February 5, 2010).
2. – Ibid.
3. – Mark Cahill, One Thing You Can’t Do In Heaven (Rockwall, TX: Biblical Discipleship Publishers, 2007), 157.
4. – Zukeran, op. cit.
5. – Cahill, op. cit., 157-158

Throughout the centuries, men have sought to undermine the Bible and disprove it as what it claims to be: the inspired Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:20-21).  Countless objections have been raised toward its accuracy and authenticity.  How can we be sure that we hold the actual Scriptures in our hands today?  Haven’t they been distorted and chopped up throughout the years?  Doesn’t the Bible contradict itself? Wasn’t the Bible written down years after the events described in it took place?
 
 For every question, there is an answer.  Hopefully, in this post, many of those questions will indeed be answered.  In exploring the reliability and authenticity of the Scriptures, four main points are going to be covered: 1) the textual validity the Bible, 2) the archaeological evidence that supports it, 3) the internal consistency of the Bible, and 4) the veracity and magnitude of the prophecies fulfilled in the Scriptures.  We will cover the first two topics in this post and the remaining two in a post just a few days out.  Let’s get started.

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Textual Validity

 Before any evidence is given for the Bible’s authenticity, one very important point needs to be thoroughly clarified.  The Bible is a product of Divine inspiration.  The authors of the various books of the Bible were inspired by God, Who guided the writers in their work. (2 Peter 1:21, 2 Timothy 3:16)  It is only after this fundamental truth is grasped that the Bible’s content is fully understood for what it is: the Word of God.

 Understanding the textual validity of the Bible is of paramount importance.  Many Biblical critics deny that the Bible was written over several hundred years by numerous authors, claiming instead that it was written up as some sort of a highly imaginative book sometime after the events described in it would have taken place.  Furthermore, even if the Bible was written over a long span of time by numerous authors, surely translation mistakes riddle it and totally destroy its original authenticity.  Such misunderstandings may be attributed to a lack of study on the dating of Biblical manuscripts, as well as the precision of Biblical scribes in copying Scripture.

 One of the most excellent examples of the Bible’s textual authenticity can be found in the discovery of the “Dead Sea Scrolls” in 1947.  These scrolls — discovered by a young shepherd boy in caves near the valley of the Dead Sea — included numerous pieces of Biblical literature.  Among the books represented were a complete copy of the book of Isaiah and fragments of almost every book in the Old Testament.1  The materials in this phenomenal find are dated around 100 B.C.2  However, what makes this discovery so fascinating is the history behind the writing of the scrolls.

 The Dead Sea Scrolls were copied down in the Massoretic tradition, a method of copying that was exceedingly precise.  Massorete scribes would copy manuscripts in all capital letters, with no punctuation or paragraphs.  When they were finished copying a particular book, they would total up the letters and find the middle letter of the book.  If it wasn’t the same, they made a new copy.  This meticulous attention to accuracy was highly evident in the Dead Sea Scrolls.  When the copy of the book of Isaiah was compared with a more recent Massoretic Hebrew text dating from the tenth century A.D., the manuscripts were found to be in remarkable harmony with only a few minor differences.3

 The evidence for the validity of the New Testament is extremely compelling.  At this time, there are over 4,000 different ancient Greek manuscripts that contain all or portions of the New Testament.  In addition, there are more than 1,000 copies and fragments of the New Testament in Syriac, Coptic, Armenian, Gothic, and Ethiopic.  There are also 8,000 copies of the Latin Vulgate.4,5  Numerous quotations from the New Testament Scriptures can be found in the writings of the early Church fathers.  These quotations are so numerous that it would be possible to gather them and reconstruct the entire New Testament, minus only fifteen to twenty verses!6  Considering just how many manuscripts Bible translators have at their fingertips, it is stunning just how much evidence there is for the validity of the New Testament.  To further support this claim, there is astounding evidence for the specific timing of the New Testament writings.  Check out this chart (near the end of the article) from Probe Ministries for further information.
 
Archaeological Evidence

 When it comes to providing solid historical evidence for the Bible, archaeology has proved the Bible’s reliability time and again.  In fact, the current number of archaeological finds that relate to the Bible reach into the hundreds of thousands!7  Archaeology has uncovered several civilizations, cities, ancient sites, etc. that are mentioned in the Scriptures.  One excellent such example is the Hittite civilization.

 For many years, critics had attacked the Bible’s references to the Hittites, whom It stated were a powerful people in the Middle East from 1750 to 1200 B.C. (Genesis 15:20, 1 Kings 10:29).  During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, archaeologists discovered evidence that permanently silenced critics of the Hittites’ existence.  A Hittite city — which was soon understood to be the empire’s capital — was discovered in Turkey.  This city also housed a library of thousands of tablets, providing additional insight to the Hittite language and culture.8

Check back soon for part II!

1. – Williams, James F., “Are the Biblical Documents Reliable?,” Probe Ministries, (1995), http://www.probe.org/site/c.fdKEIMNsEoG/b.4227393/k.3AE2/Are_the_Biblical_Documents_Reliable.htm (accessed February 4, 2010).
2. – Ibid.
3. – Ibid.
4. – Ibid.
5. – The Latin Vulgate is a Latin Translation of the Bible completed in A.D. 405 by Saint Jerome.
6. – Williams, op. cit.
7. – Zukeran, Patrick, “Authority of the Bible,” Probe Ministries, (2005), http://www.probe.org/site/c.fdKEIMNsEoG/b.4227389/k.6202/Authority_of_the_Bible.htm (accessed February 4, 2010).
8. – Ibid.

He is Lord of Lords, but He came to earth as a peasant.  He is King of Kings, but He arrived in a stable, not a palace.  The same God who spoke the world into existence was visited on the night of His birth not by kings and princes, but by some humble shepherds from a nearby field.  He was given gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh by wise men, having left the eternal riches and majesty of heaven to dwell upon this temporal earth with its material wealth.  He who is eternally adored by angels was mocked, beaten, spat upon, and crucified by the people He came to save.  Although He has legions of angels at His disposal, He surrendered His life with perfect meekness.

 His life-giving message was so radical and contrary to popular opinion that He was disdained by the religious leaders of His day.  Those same leaders, who had so fervently awaited the coming of a Messiah, would not accept Him when He arrived.  He who is so worthy of our highest praise taught and modeled humility, even to the point of washing His disciples’ feet.  He loved unconditionally those who denied and refused Him.  He lived not for His own pleasure, but instead ever sought to serve and love others.  His coming to this earth did not signal the beginning of His life, but rather initiated the beginning of His walk toward Calvary.  He came not to live, but to die as the perfect sacrifice for a world utterly lost in darkness.

In our present time, this same Savior is all too often treated with shameful indifference.  Christmas Day, the date on which His birth is celebrated, has been gradually watered down to the point of a mere reflection of the honor and reverence it should receive.  Even the name has been replaced by more “tolerant” greetings: Happy Holidays, Season’s Greetings, etc.  Nevertheless, no matter how much Christmas is diluted with distractions, no matter how much this Savior’s name is defiled and misused, His impact on our fallen world will be forever present, forever known, and forever honored by those who accept His gift of life.

Much is made among Christians about focusing on the “real meaning of Christmas”.  Obviously, this would be understood as a call to realize that this day honors Christ’s birth.  However, this Christmas, I want to ask you to remember and seek to realize the sheer awesomeness of this event.  This isn’t simply about a baby being born; this is about God Himself coming down to this world in order to die for mankind.  Consider the weight of this love and mercy.  Consider the humility, meekness, abounding grace and unconditional love Christ had to show at His coming.  Jesus’ physical arrival on our planet wasn’t simply a momentous occasion.  It initiated the most important sequence of events in the history of the world: His ministry, death, and victorious resurrection.

Merry Christmas

   The other day while I was at the gym, I had a thought cross my mind.  In fact, the thought was about my mind. As I lifted __ pounds of iron without hardly breaking a sweat, I got to thinking  about how our minds are kind of like our muscles.  When we work them out, exercise them, and challenge them, they develop and grow stronger and we are better off for it.  On the flip side, if we let them take it easy all the time and only tackle what’s within — or below — our comfort zone, they remain weak and progress becomes stagnant.  If we feed them a balanced, nutritional diet with only an occasional allowance for something less healthy, they are given the dietary support they need in order to complement our exercise program.  If all they get is junk, they return the favor and make us think and feel like junk.  So what’s a body (or mind) to do?

   Obviously, the most comfortable way is the easy way.  Just stay in your comfort zone and hit the automatic button for an everyday, predictable routine.  No challenges, no pain – and no growth.  This approach might appear to be comfortable, but in the end it actually bites back.  You feel sluggish, rotten, and possibly depressed.  Eventually, you might get to the point where you decide to bite the bullet and start making changes.  I can remember the days leading up to my purchasing a gym membership.  I had been dissatisfied with how out of shape I was, and sporadic workouts weren’t getting the job done.  I knew that if I wanted to get results, something had to change.  So I joined a local gym and got a workout routine going.  The results didn’t come as fast as I would have liked, but they eventually did come.  Now I wouldn’t even consider trading them for the previous condition I had simply accepted for so long.

   Our minds clearly can’t get physical exercise, but there are other ways that they can be exerted.  Turn off the TV, take a vacation from the computer, and unplug the iPod.  Granted, there are certain programs, internet articles, music, etc. that do succeed in engaging the mind on a challenging level, but they aren’t very common.  Try to get into a reading routine, especially with books that are above your reading level.  A particularly refreshing and challenging pursuit can be found in studying and memorizing Biblical passages.  Read some of the works by the early church fathers and other authoritative Christian authors (St. Augustine, Thomas à Kempis, William Wilberforce, C.S. Lewis, etc.)  Good literature can often be the equivalent of a full body workout for the mind.  But don’t just stop with literature.  Though they may not be in the majority, there are some examples in the electronic realm of music, websites, and videos that are also capable of exercising the mind.  Don’t just settle for post-digested content that you only have to absorb.  Search out stuff that requires you to work before you can understand the message.  If music, look for complex (and definitely morally sound) lyrics that cause you to think about the message the artist is trying to convey.  If websites, don’t waste a lot of time surfing through trivial information that won’t matter in a couple of hours.  Look for some blogs or resources where you can be intellectually encouraged in your Christian walk.  If videos/movies, challenge yourself to determine the message that a director is embedding in his film or, if you want to be really unorthodox, watch (or listen to) some quality lectures or sermons on a particular topic that interests you.

   Exercising and challenging your mind is not an easy thing to do, especially with discipline.  I’ll be the first to say that I fall short in consistently applying myself toward mental workouts.  Physical and mental fitness, as good as they are, can’t be purchased cheap.  The price is steep and the work is intense, but the rewards surpass the exertion.  I may not be anywhere near the level of mental fitness that I want to be, but the compensation I’ve received for what little work I have put forward has been encouraging.  I’m more able to identify underlying agendas in media and literature, more appreciative of difficult books and teaching, and more aware of how my Christian faith applies to the world around me.  Exercising my mind has not been especially easy and there have been times when I haven’t considered it as important as it truly is, but just like with my experience with the gym, I wouldn’t even consider tolerating what I had before.  Working out our minds is an awesome privilege that God has given us, and we need to be sure to take advantage of all the opportunities we have to develop it for His glory.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

In verse 1 we are given our spiritual act of worship (offering our bodies as living sacrifices to God).  However, notice the turn that the next verse makes.  Instead of addressing a spiritual matter, verse 2 concerns an intellectual transformation: the renewing of our minds.
 

 If we consider living the Christian faith in light of these two verses, it becomes evident that there is a dual-pronged approach.  On one side we have spirituality, and on the other we have intellect.  We are called to give Christ not only our lives, but our minds as well!  Jesus addressed this in Matthew 22:37:

“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ”

We are called to love God with our heart, with our soul, and with our mind.  We can’t love Him with a couple of them and forget the third.  He wants everything.

 
Before I end this post, I want to consider a quote by John Dewey, the man who made huge strides in establishing secular reforms in the American public education system:

“While you Christians examine your spiritual bellybuttons, we burly sinners will rule the world.”

Ouch!  How painfully true Mr. Dewey’s statement is.  As Christians, we can’t live our lives doing nothing more than “examining our spiritual bellybuttons”.  There is a whole other intellectual dimension to the faith that we just don’t want to go to.  We can’t be that selfish.  If we want to see progress made, if we want to take back our schools, cities, businesses, etc., we are going to have to claim something more than the little space our culture allots us for exercising religion.  We need to engage the world with our intellect, meeting them and ministering to them by giving them a reason for the hope that we have (1 Peter 3:15).  Becoming well-rehearsed in apologetics and worldview-awareness is essential.  Our goal isn’t limited to just giving the gospel, but also in getting those to whom we witness to think.  If the mind isn’t open, the pathway to the heart is boarded shut.  We can’t afford to just be “spiritual Christians”; we have to get down and accept the rigorous challenge of renewing our minds as well.

 Romans 12:2 is a key verse that He opened my eyes to:

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

I had read this verse before and understood its meaning on a surface level, but I hadn’t really grasped the deeper meaning.  Same story with verses like 2 Corinthians 10:5 and 1 Peter 3:15.  Eventually, I caught on to the message.  All Christians, regardless of their maturity in the faith, are called to think.  And I don’t mean whimsical daydreaming.  I’m talking about thinking deeply and critically about their faith and how it applies to the world around them.

 You might be thinking, “Man, that sounds kind of hard. Do Christians really need to think about their faith?”  Yes, it is hard, and yes, Christians do need to think about their faith.  But we need to realize that we can’t quit on something just because it’s difficult.  When you really hone in on the thinking aspect of Christianity, all kinds of amazing insight into the faith and reality is stunningly revealed!  Christians aren’t just called to a spiritual focus in their faith, but to an intellectual one as well.  Please understand that when I say intellectual, I don’t mean that everyone has to go out and earn a Ph.D. from some prestigious seminary.  On the contrary, a thinking Christian is not measured by how much he knows, but rather by how much he thinks (with a Biblical perspective) about his faith and the world around him.  Knowledge naturally results from analytical thought and research.

 So here’s the bottom line: Christians are called to think critically about their faith and the issues that the world constantly throws in their faces.  There is no easy way in when becoming a thinking Christian.  It is hard and it won’t always be fun.  But you’ll be stronger and better equipped by becoming one.  We can’t just ignore the issues and circumstances around us and hide in a safe spiritual bubble.  We need to be willing to roll our sleeves up, get a little dirty, and ring the truth out of all the agendas that challenge our faith.  I think the best way to sum this up is with a quote by Saint Augustine:

“Involuntary ignorance is not charged against you as a fault; but your fault is this – you neglect to inquire into the things you are ignorant of.”

Let’s not be ignorant Christians.  Let’s become thinking ones.