A life of Holiness? What's that...?

In these narratives, recurring patterns of lifestyle emerge: a discipline of prevailing prayer, constant recourse to the Word of God, fasting, compassion for people, zeal for evangelism, sacrificial giving, a burden for revival-traits that undergirded and constrained their holiness."
--Robert Coleman, foreword to Heroes of the Holy Life

According to a new nationwide survey conducted by The Barna Group, it was found that most adults remain confused, if not daunted, by the concept of holiness. In the report, The Concept of Holiness Baffles Most Americans (The Barna Group,February 20,2006) ,they have this statistic:

When pressed to describe what it means to be holy, American adults give a wide range of answers. According to new research by Barna, the most common reply is "I don't know," offered by 1 out of every 5 adults (21%). Other responses fall into categories such as "being Christ-like" (19%), making faith your top priority in life (18%), living a pure or sinless lifestyle (12%), and having a good attitude about people and life (10%). Other response categories include focusing completely on God (9%), being guided by the Holy Spirit (9%), being born again (8%), reflecting the character of God (7%), exhibiting a moral lifestyle (5%), and accepting and practicing biblical truth (5%). The responses of born again and non-born again adults are virtually identical....

However, as it was written in the introduction of this report:

The concept of holiness is woven throughout the Bible and is one of the foundational teachings of many Protestant churches. From Old Testament passages such as Leviticus 19:2 (in which God says, “Be holy because I am holy”) through the more than two-dozen times in the New Testament where God’s people are described as holy, there is little doubt that holiness is a central tenet of the Christian faith.

I like to ask questions, and I think here are some of the questions we should seriously consider!!

So, are we Christians, or should I say we Asian Christians, living a life of holiness?

Do we understand what it means to be Holy?
... ... daily fasting?? ..pray three times a day??
... confess our sins every day?? ... go to all bible study meetings??....
Is attending church and reading the Bible regulary enough for one to be considered holy?

Are we obsessed With Holiness? is it a focal point of our faith development?
Do we personally desire to be holy?
Do we embrace a ‘cheap grace’ theology?
Do we believe in justification by works? (as in NT book James)
Do we consider it important to be holy?
Do we understand why we need to be holy?
Do we claim to love God but are ignorant about biblical teachings regarding holiness?
Does being holy mean thinking like Jesus?
What do we when we say we think like Jesus?
Are “Born again Christians” necessarily holy?
.... Does the Concept of Holiness Baffles us Asian Christians or Singaporean/Malaysian Christians?


Recently, I found this book of Biographies written by Wesley L. Duewel. Wesley Duewel, is a former president of OMS International. A missionary to India for 25 years, Dr. Duewel is also the author of Ablaze for God, Mighty Prevailing Prayer, More God, More Power, and Revival Fire. This book feature some less written about figures, such as Francis Asbury, Duncan Campbell andJonathan Goforth. Of course, we also have our Oswald Chambers, Madame Guyon, and Dwight L. Moody!! I have always loved reading biographies and I think this book would be on my list of "books to read". ... ...

Title
Heroes of the Holy Life: Biographies of Fully Devoted Followers of Christ
(Date published: October 2002)

Written by:
Wesley L. Duewel

Synopsis
The stories of 14 outstanding Christians, from the 14th through the 20th centuries, who by words and deeds set an example for Christians today to follow.

Description
Stories of fourteen outstanding Christians whose words and deeds set an example for believers today.This book recounts the life stories of outstanding Christians who inspire and challenge readers to live more godly lives. These fourteen men and women—some well known and others not—come from many parts of the world and from the 14th to the 20th centuries. These brief biographies highlight the events and special contributions each person has made to the church. Figures presented are Francis Asbury, Duncan Campbell, Oswald Chambers, Jonathan Goforth, Madame Guyon, Frances Ridly Havergal, John Hyde, Adoniram Judson, Dwight L. Moody, Evan Roberts, Girolamo Savonarola, Amanda Smith, John Smith, and Bishop William Taylor.

A Biblical Approach to Chinese Beliefs and Superstitions

On Saturday, January 14, 2006, in my article Superstitions?, I wrote a review of the book Don’t Sit On This Book: A Collection of Chinese Taboos And Superstitions (by Philip Cheong. Malaysia: The Academy of Feng Shui, 2005). I questioned some of the beliefs and Superstitions that the Chinese have during the Chinese New Year. Of course, Philip Cheong's book not only focuses on Chinese New Year's beliefs and Superstitions, other Chinese beliefs and Superstitions are discussed too. But, I only touched on these as it was nearing Chinese New Year then.

I also posted 2 questions:
"Do we Christians place more faith in passed-down beliefs than biblical truths?"
"Do we accept the bible with faith, with no questions asked?"

I have also posted a challenge to all Christians:
Maybe it is time to get back some of our misplaced faith!

However, in the tonnes of books that are published every year, it may be diffifult to find a book that can help us in gaining a biblical perspective on Chinese Traditions And Beliefs. Here is a book which has been useful to me.

A Biblical Approach To Chinese Traditions And Beliefs
Author: Daniel Tong
ISBN: 9814045926
In this carefully researched and thoughtfully written book, Daniel Tong ponders the dilemmas faced by many Chinese Christians. The book seeks to provide some guidelines on the cultural practices that believers may — or may not — be a part of, and offers sound biblical reasons for the decisions. It discusses the major festivals celebrated, the practice of ancestral worship and traditional Chinese medical care, and gives a brief description of the main tenets of the religious philosophies that undergird these traditions. The goal, asserts the author, is simply to help Christians live their faith to the fullest, while maintaining the fact that they come from an ethnic group with a long and rich heritage. (Usual price: $14.00; 208 pages)

For Evangelism, the above book may be a little bulky (though it's only 208 pages) and the reader may not finish the whole book. For a better "focus", the following 3 booklets may be useful. They are all extracted from A Biblical Approach To Chinese Traditions and Beliefs. At $2 dollar each, I think they are also affordably priced as a gift to non-Christians or new Christians.


Chinese Marriage Traditions: What's Right For The Christian?
Author: Daniel Tong
ISBN: 9814138509
Price : SGD 2.00
Extracted from the acclaimed A Biblical Approach To Chinese Traditions and Beliefs, this booklet gives Christians guidelines on the observance of Chinese marriage traditions. It helps believers to understand, among other things, the tea ceremony, the dowry and the timing of a wedding.


Traditional Chinese Medicine: What's Acceptable For The Christian?
Author: Daniel Tong
ISBN: 9814138525
Price : SGD 2.00
Extracted from the acclaimed A Biblical Approach To Chinese Traditions and Beliefs, this booklet gives Christians insights into traditional Chinese medicine. It helps believers to understand, among other things, the Daoist root in Chinese medicine, herbal remedies and acupuncture.

Chinese Funeral Practices: What's Right For The Christian?
Author: Daniel Tong
ISBN: 9814138525
Price : SGD 2.00
Extracted from the acclaimed A Biblical Approach To Chinese Traditions and Beliefs, this booklet gives Christians guidelines on the observance of Chinese funeral practices. It helps believers to understand, among other things, the funeral wake, prayer for the dead and the family altar.

Author's Info:
Daniel Tong is a graduate of TTC,Singapore. He has been a priest of the Anglican Diocese of Singapore for over 10 years, and is currently the Vicar of Chapel of Christ the Redeemer.

Divine, Human Love (3):Valentine?

For God so loVed the world
...... that he gAve
..... ..... his onLy
...... ..... ..... bEgotten
..... ..... .... SoN,
.... .... ..... .....That whoever
..... ..believes In him
..... ...... shall Not perish
...... but have Eternal life.

(John 3:16, NASB)

Which Word?(3)

1) Understanding of Dao (the Word) (continued ...)

The Dao is beneath abstraction. As the totality of all things, Lao Zi describes the dao as indescribably great (Dao De Jing, Chapter 25):

I don't know his name,
as it's designation I call it Dào;
forced to provide it a name, I call it "great".

When we can comprehend the dao in all things, we come to know the de. (德，是“道”的物化，是“道”显现于物的功能。) De is how the dao operates in the world. De is the characteristic of the dao from the ethical point of view, but it is different from the de of Confucianism. In Daoism, de refers to the particular thing that is the source of its own potentiality, a thing that operates within the context of dao. In Confucianism, de is somewhat equivalent to what we call moral, which means “behaving in ways considered by most people to be correct and honest”. It is often translated as ‘virtue’, but it not virtue in the sense of Western morality, since the emphasis of the latter is often mainly on the individual.

As said earlier, dao can be taken as a metaphysical concept, but this was not Lao Zi's main concern. He sees the dao as a moral concept. With de（"virtue", 德），the dao represents the ordering principle behind nature, society and the individual. It is the nameless unchanging essence and source of heaven and nature. Though the Dào of John’s gospel is unchanging, it is not a nameless essence. The Dào of the bible also has many names and it is not an essence. In the Old Testament, God is also called ELOHIM, EL SHADDAI, ADONAI, JEHOVAH, JEHOVAH-JIREH, JEHOVAH-ROPHE, JEHOVAH-NISSI, JEHOVAH-M'KADDESH, JEHOVAH-SHALOM, JEHOVAH-ROHI, JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH, EL ROI and so on. In the NT, God is also called THEOS, HUPSISTOS, and yes… our most familiar WORD (logos; John 1:1ff) and JESUS. Why does God have so many names? In Scripture, the Names of God has their significance, the names of God are like miniature portraits and promises. God's Names reveal God's identity, constitution, nature, character and essence. Though both Lao Zi and Zuang Zi are right in recognizing Dào as the beginning of all things, they have failed to see Dào as a divine being. For eg, some scientists claim that the Big Bang produced the universe, but the the Big Bang is not a being, but a happening (that’s what I think! It may be wrong though!). In a way, Lao Zi and Zuang Zi’s thoughts reflect the agnostic nature of the philosophical thought of China, or should I say their writings influenced of the philosophical thought of China.

2) Dao's characteristics

How does the bible describes Dao? In John 1:1(NIV), “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God.” This verse shows that there is the Word and God.The Word and God are different as he was “with God”. The Word and God are the same as he “was God”, and “was with God in the beginning” (v.2). As Jesus in his High Priestly Prayer said, “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. (John 17:5) Jesus as the Word Incarnate enjoys an eternal relationship with the God the Father. We know that “love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (1 John 4:7-8). (See my previous reflection on Human & divine love!) For “God is love”, there must be someone who loves and someone to receive the love. The eternal relationship that God the Father and Jesus enjoy is this relationship of love. God exists as three-in-one and one-in-three in the ineffable exchange of love among the three persons of the Trinity.

In the first chapter of Dao De Jing, Lao Zi wrote:

The Way that can be experienced is not true;

The world that can be constructed is not true.

The Way manifests all that happens and may happen;

The world represents all that exists and may exist.

These are the first words of Dao De Jing. The Dao De Jing does not specifically define what the Tao is. Laozi himself reportedly said, "My words are very easy to understand [...] yet no one under heaven understands them." (chapter 70) However, we can point to some of the Tao's characteristics. Here, Lao Zi say that Dao (or “The Way”) is something extraordinary. It cannot be constructed.

In the fourth chapter of Dao De Jing, Lao Zi wrote:

The Way is a limitless vessel;

Used by the self, it is not filled by the world;It cannot be cut, knotted, dimmed or stilled;

Its depths are hidden, ubiquitous and eternal;

I don't know where it comes from;

It comes before nature.

The Original Chinese Version is:　

道冲而用之，或不盈。
渊兮，似万物之宗。湛兮，似或存。　　
吾不知谁之子，象帝之先。

The last sentence of this chapter “吾不知谁之子，象帝之先” is uniquely written. However, the translation “I don't know where it comes from; It comes before nature.”isn’t very clear. I think another English translation which I found says it better: Was it too the child of something else? We cannot tell.But as a substanceless image it existed before the Ancestor.

Lao Zi says that the Way is a child, but he wasn’t able to say who it is? The “Ancestor” described by Lao Zi maybe the “Yellow Ancestor” (皇帝). Lao Zi describes it as existing before the first king of China. So, the question is: Is this “The Way” the God of the Bible? Maybe the bible can shed some light on this. About two to three hundred years before Lao Zi, the prophet Isaiah has already prophesized:

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)

Isaiah said Jesus is the child that will be born, and he is the Prince of Peace. Isn’t this rather similar to Lao Zi’s portrayal of “The Way” as a child? Lao Zi’s description of “The Way” as eternal also matches Isaiah description of Jesus as “Everlasting”. However, Lao Zi’s understanding of “The Way” as “substanceless image” is against the biblical teaching. This is close to the Docetism’s view (a heresy) that Jesus only appear to be man. But the biblical teaching is that Jesus has full humanity. If it is a substanceless image, how could Jesus have died and have a bodily resurrection (Matthew 28:6)? Jesus needs to have full humanity so as to be the mediator btw God and Man (cf. 1 Tim 2:5).

Lao Zi’s view that “The Way” is ubiquitous is also problematic. “Ubiquitous” means “seeming to be in all places”, but we know that God is omnipresent; He cannot be limited by space as He created space. For Jesus, this view that He is ubiquitous is also problematic. With full humanity, Jesus is “limited” by space. So, to describe Him as being ubiquitous would be inappropriate. Wayne Grudem commented, “The divine doctrine of omnipresence is not directly affirmed to be true of Jesus during his earthly ministry” (Bible Doctrine, p. 239).

In Lao Zi’s writing, I think God has somehow miraculously revealed Himself. Thus, Christianity may not be an “ang-moh’s”(Westerner's) religion after all. The Chinese had the concept, or rather the knowledge, of “The Way” in their ancient writing (about 600 BCE).

The “Word (道)” described by John is Jesus. The word “知道” (understand) is an interesting word. We always say “知道” , “知道” , but I think it is not until we know Christ as our Saviour that we finally “知道”, that we finally understand, for Jesus is the only “道” can bring us into eternity with God.

Which Word? (2)

There are both differences and similarities btw the dao of the bible (as described by John in the opening of his gospel) and the dao of Lao Zi.

1) Understanding of Dao (the Word)

Lao Zi sees dao as eternal and present everywhere, but it is not perceivable by the senses or the mind. Difficult to define as it is, Dao is first and foremost be understood as an ontological rather than a temporal cause. It is a principle and the ultimate basis of change, though itself changeless. Dao extends beyond the human mind and beyond the human word. Dao can be comprehended through its effects or by observing the events in nature and human actions.

The general revelation provided by God is somewhat similar to the Taoist's understanding that Dao can be comprehended through its effects or by observing the events in nature and human actions. As David says, "The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. " (Ps. 19:1, NASB) Or as the New International Reader's Version puts it more simply,"The skies show that his hands created them." (Ps. 19:1b) Whenever we look at the sky, we see the evidence of the infinite power, wisdom and glory of God. Romans 1:19-20 reiterates this, "For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse." All men are able to recognise this evidence, but "although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened"(Romans 1:21).

Lao Zi said that we can use words to describe Dao, but this is at best only knowledge by description and not knowledge by acquaintance. I sense another similarity here. A Christian can have a lot of bible knowledge, but he may not know God personally. The thief who was hanged next to Jesus when he was crucified was not an expert of bible knowledge, but he recognized who Jesus was. This was something which the learned Pharisee was not able to see. Not that bible knowledge is useless, but bible knowledge should lead us to love God, to want to know Him. Bible knowledge, by itself, is useless as it cannot save us. But, It can point us to (help us to learn more about) the one who can save us, so that we can know God personally. This may be why it is written in Matthew 7:7-8, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Which Word?

John 1:1-4 reads:

1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2. He was with God in the beginning.
3. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
4. In him was life, and that life was the light of men.

In the first verse of Gospel of John,the "Word" was mentioned . The next three verse proceeds to explain what this "Word".
The "Word" was not perculiar to the Christian faith. In Chinese philosophy, there is also the "Word". The Chinese call the "Word" Dao. This concept of Dao was formulated by Laozi in the Dao De Jing. The Dao literally means the way. In Chinese, both the "Word" (of the Bible, as in all Chinese translation) and Dao is represented by the character "道". Interestingly, when the Jesuit scholars first translated the Dao De Jing, they imbued the Dao with religious significance. However, the Chinese concept of Dao of Heaven (or Tian Dao), unlike the Christian understanding of Dao, there is no connortation of a personal God. Regardless of whether it is the Dao of man, the Dao of nature or the Dao of Heaven, Dao is not about God. Rather, it is a road, the path. Dao has been interpreted differently by many interpretors. Some say it is the cosmic substance before all determination and a unique substance in which yin (阴) and yang (阳) are only modes. However, taken as a metaphysical concet, its meaning remain illusive.

In the Dao De Jing, it is written: All things are produced and nourished by its outflowing operation (de) . They receive their forms according to the nature of each, and are completed according to the circumstances of their condition (51). In other words, Lao Zi sees Dao as eternal and present everywhere. Hmm..., isn't there some similarities here btw what he perceives and what is said in John 1:1? Lao Zi said the dao is the source and origin of all things. In a way, the dao is analogus to logos (of the bible) as the principle which creates order. The difference is that the dao as perceived by Lao Zi is not God.

In Hebrews 1:3 (NIV), we read, "The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven." Is "nourished" the same as "sustaining all things"? Hmm... I think this would be one of the things I'll be thinking about for the next few days! boring? .... ??

Excellent Theological Resource!

Found this amazing resource "Covenant Worldwide" at the website of Covenant Theological Seminary. This resource is a "free educational resource for faculty, students, and self-learners around the world." As the website describes, "It flows from Covenant Theological Seminary's grace-centered Gospel mission and exists to make high-quality, graduate-level theological education available to those who do not have the ability to attend seminary." The courses posted on this Web site comprise Covenant Seminary's Master of Arts in Theological Studies degree. Lectures are in MP3 format, and study guides are available as PDFs. It is indeed most kind of Covenant Theological Seminary to make such complete & high-quality theological resource available to those who want to know more about God's Word. I really thank God for their efforts. May God bless them richly in their ministry. Really hope to see other seminaries emulate CTS's effort. Amen.

Divine Love & Human Love

Channel News Asia's Get Rea! have always been able to report on issues which reflect society's values in a very real way (that's what i think!?) & this interest me. I think the name of the program "Get Rea! " is very appropriate. The host Diana Ser is able to report with feelings. In a recent episode where she reported on the jobs of so-called "invinsible people"(can't remember very clearly! but it refers to those whose work as a cleaner.), she even tried to be a cleaner to experience the cleaners' feeelings. The cleaners interviewed say most (hope I didn't hear wrongly!) people shun them. The job of a cleaner is being looked down upon.

The Channel News Asia is conducting an online poll and it wants the public's view on what irks us most. Singapore is a first world country. But do we have the social graces to go with it? Take part in the online poll. (The findings of the poll will be released on Get Rea! at 8.30pm on 8 Feb 2006 (Wed.) ) There are 5 questions. Of the five questions, what Q5 describes annoyed m most.
Q5: People who are rude to service staff, maids and cleaners etc.
Do you find this annoying?

Being rude to people is a terrible thing. But, what I find even more annoying is mistreating others who does not have the ability to go against us. To mistreat means to treat badly, cruelly or unfairly. Recently, there is thee case of this employer who allegedly (oops, I think she has pleaded guilty! The court has reserved judgment and the case will be heard again on February 7.) caused the death of her domestic worker. The employer had instructed her 22-year-old maid to hang laundry on a ledge barely one metre wide outside the study of her Windermere condominium in Choa Chu Kang on 20 December 2003. Being rich doesn't mean we could tell others to do whatever we want. If we were the maid, how would we feel? This is a simple truth & i don't think one needs a Ph.D. to understand that "己所不欲,勿施于人" (What you do not wish upon yourself, extend not to others. --- Confucius's Analect, Chapter 15.) I have also heard "stories" where maids are only to have their meals after their employers (some are Christians, or they profess to be) finish theirs. ... The maids eat the leftovers.

Continuating my reflection on Divine love & Human love, I think service staff, maids and cleaners etc. are all people making an honest living. Their jobs should not be looked down by others. Indeed, it always saddens me to see pple being rude to service staff, maids and cleaners etc. When people say Christians are hypocrites, I don't think they have always been unfair. However, whenever I see the people being rude to service staff, maids and cleaners etc. are Christians, I feel those who say Christians are hypocrites may be right in some cases. In these cases, I think we indeed need to repent. How can we not love others when God loves us?
We fail to remember that all that we are, all that we do, and all that we have has been given to us as steward of the gifts of the LORD God our Maker.

“You shall love your neighbour as yourself” (19:18; cf. Mk 12:29-31). Very often, I think we like to ask questions, but when we are given answers we dislike, we shut our ears to them. We start interpreting "neighbour" according to our defintion! We forgot that since God has first loved us (cf. 1 Jn 4:10), love is now no longer a mere “command”; it is the response to the gift of love with which God draws near to us. Those who say theology is useless should note that the biblical concept of Total depravity & sola gratia reminds us that we are not worth God's love. (Biblical Anthropology too!!)

I think it was Robert Schuller who sees "self-love" as spiritually freeing. He denies the biblical teaching of salvation, sin, the sinful nature of man, and original sin. While many many of us Singapore Christians may not know Schuller, but I think many Christians subscribe to his view. We think that "self-love" is more important. Nevermind what the bible says, they say. Very often, many churches tell their members God loves them, but they sledom mention sin, the sinful nature of man, and original sin. This is call preaching to please the audience.

“If anyone says, ‘I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 Jn 4:20). In this text, we see that the unbreakable bond between love of God and love of neighbour emphasized.

I think Pope Benedict XVI is right when he says (forgive me if I sound presumptuous!), "Saint John's words should rather be interpreted to mean that love of neighbour is a path that leads to the encounter with God, and that closing our eyes to our neighbour also blinds us to God."

God has become visible in that he“has sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him” (1 Jn 4:9). God has made himself visible: in Jesus we are able to see the Father (cf. Jn 14:9). The incarnation of God shows that he has loved us first and he continues to do so; we too, then, can respond with love. To quote again from the Deus Caritas Est: God does not demand of us a feeling which we ourselves are incapable of producing. He loves us, he makes us see and experience his love, and since he has “loved us first”, love can also blossom as a response within us.

Deus Caritas Est: Love of neighbour is shown to be possible in the way proclaimed by the Bible, by Jesus. It consists in the very fact that, in God and with God, I love even the person whom I do not like or even know. This can only take place on the basis of an intimate encounter with God.

I think this is a simple, yet seldom praticed biblical truth. For eg., we often say we have an intimate encounter with God, but when we hear someone criticizing our beliefs, we turn our "artillery" towards that person & start firing, defending, ... ... & yes, without love! How do we know? By the way they sound! By the words they use!

We need to learn to look on the person whom I do not like (or even know) not simply with my eyes and my feelings, but from the perspective of Jesus Christ.

John Calvin once said, "We must not be hindered by the malice of men, but rather contemplate the image of God in them, which by its excellence and dignity moves and enables us to love them."

I think the Deus Caritas Est echoes John Calvin's (or should I say the biblical view): If I have no contact whatsoever with God in my life, then I cannot see in the other anything more than the other, and I am incapable of seeing in him the image of God.

Deus Caritas Est: But if in my life I fail completely to heed others, solely out of a desire to be“devout” and to perform my “religious duties”, then my relationship with God will also grow arid. It becomes merely“proper”, but loveless. Only my readiness to encounter my neighbour and to show him love makes me sensitive to God as well.

I think this is most true of many of us Christians (regardless of RCC or not). We try to look loving, look “proper”, but others can sense that we lack what we are trying to "look". We may performreligious duties such as being the usher, being paert of the worship team, being a cell group leader, or evern speak in tongues, etc. But, these can never be a substitute for love. As 1 Corinthians 13 (NIV) reminds us:

1. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
2. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
3. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
... ...
13. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.


Can the bible be more clear than this concerning the importance of love?

In Genesis, God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness." (Genesis 1:26-27, NIV) It simply means that "A human being is the image of God." To be created in the image of God means that we have not only the ability, but indeed privilege, of relating to, serving, and loving our heavenly Father. However, have we served God? Have we loved God?

From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. (James 3:10, ESV)
Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. (James 3:10,NIV)

Or more clearly, in James 3:10, it says, "Out of the same mouth comes praise for God and curses for the image of God." And then he says, "My brothers, these things ought not to be so." That's why the apostle John in the New Testament says, "Don’t even talk to me about loving God if you don't love your neighbor." (1 Jn 4:20) From theses texts, we see that the way we treat an image of God is the way we're treating God.

Insteading of being unloving to the image of God, we should be multiplying the images of God. We should be spreading the Gospel. When we bring people into the faith we're actually multiplying redeemed images of God. Evangelism is not about teaching and raising second generation Christians. When we are loving & nice to somebody in Jesus' name, we evangelise, we witness. When we bring somebody to church & we say, "Have you ever considered the claims of Jesus on your life?", we need also to ask whether our lives reflect the the power of the cross, whether our lives reflect the awesome love of God? Many who chose not to believe say, "So what if God loves us, but we don't see Christians being loving. If God can't change their attitude, I don't see how He can save me!"

What's our response? May God help us to love Him & others.

A Introductory Guide to Christian Beliefs

Dr Wayne Grudem has always been one of my favourite authors. His Systematic Theology, Bible Doctrine (abridged ed. of his Systematic Theology) for example, has been a useful resource for me. Very recently (2005 Winter), he has produced another new bk titled Christian Beliefs:Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know. I suppose this is an abridged ed. of his Bible Doctrine!! For me, abridged doesn't always mean bad quality or too brief to be useful. As the Synopsis describes, it is a basic guide to twenty Christian beliefs that is solid, yet readable, and not intimidating for new believers and Christians in general. It includes chapter review questions.

Description of Christian Beliefs:Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know

Albert Mohler Jr. (President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky) descrbe this bk as:

Christian Essentials Made Plain and SimpleGod doesn’t call every Christian to go off to seminary, but there are certain matters of doctrine—that is, the church’s teaching—that every Christian simply must know. Theology is important because what we believe affects how we live. If you’re a relatively new believer in Jesus, or if you’re a more mature Christian looking for a quick brush-up on basics of the faith, Christian Beliefs is for you.This readable guide to twenty basic Christian beliefs is a condensation of Wayne Grudem’s award-winning book on systematic theology, prized by pastors and teachers everywhere. He and his son, Elliot, have boiled down the essentials of Christian theology for the average layperson and made them both clear and applicable to life. You will learn about the Bible, the characteristics of God, what it means that we are created in the image of God, what God has done for us in Christ, the purpose of the church, and much more. Each chapter includes questions for personal review or group discussion.These truly are twenty basic beliefs that every Christian should know. Wayne Grudem is a master teacher with the ability to explain profound truths in simple language. He is a man of deep conviction and theological passion—and those who read this book will be both educated and encouraged in the faith.

J. I. Packer (Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia) too gave his endorsement:

Based on Systematic Theology, this summary will certainly help beginners with
Christ to get the hang of their faith.

Table of Contents

1. What Is the Bible?.....

2. What Is God Like?.....

3. What Is the Trinity?.....

4. What Is Creation?.....

5. What Is Prayer?.....

6. What Are Angels, Satan, and Demons?.....

7. What Is Man?.....

8. What Is Sin?.....

9. Who Is Christ?.....

10. What Is the Atonement?.....

11. What Is the Resurrection?.....

12. What Is Election?.....

13. What Does It Mean to Become a Christian?.....

14. What Are Justification and Adoption?.....

15. What Are Sanctification and Perseverance?.....

16. What Is Death?.....

17. What Is the Church?.....

18. What Will Happen When Christ Returns?.....

19. What Is the Final Judgment?.....

20. What Is Heaven?.....

Appendix 1: Historic Confessions of Faith.....

Appendix 2:Books for Further Reading in Systematic Theology.....

Author's info: Dr Wayne Grudem was previously professor of biblical and systematic theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He holds degrees from Harvard (BA), Westminster Seminary (MDiv), and the Cambridge (PhD). He is author of a number of books, including the Silver Medallion Award-winning Systematic Theology. He is also the co-editor of Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.

Divine, Human Love (2): Being a witness

Continuing with my reflection on the topic of Divine, Human Love … …
I think I’ll start with Human Love & how it is related to being a witness to our faith.

Being a witness?
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8, NIV)

What does the word “witnesses” mean?
The word “witnesses” is μαρτυρε in greek & it occurs 24 times throughout Acts. Our English word "martyr" is a direct translation of the Greek word μαρτυρε. According to the Cambridge Learner’s Dict.., a martyr is a “person who suffers greatly or is killed because of their political or religious beliefs, and is often admired because of it”.

In contemporary church, has Christians failed in their witnesses?
Certainly, we are no martyr. However, what about the basics? (which seem to be the most difficult to live out too!)
How about our unloving acts?
Do we live the lives similar to that of non-Christians?
Why then do so many (that's what I think!) Christians, as well as non-Christians, accused the church of hypocrisy?
I was reading J. Bridges’ book The Discipline of Grace. I think he most rightly commented that most often our sin problems is in the area of refined sins. Yes, we may not murder, kill, rob, steal, commit adultery, ill-treat maids, … … We may not support physician assisted killing, homosexual acts, … We may not have commit these (grievous) acts, but unloving, unkind, proud, bias, judgmental, selfish, self-centered, gossip, impatience, rude, self-righteous, … … Are we not guilty? Here are more examples:

In the church … …
We do not smile when we see a new-comer.
We do not smile when we see someone we do not know.
We do not smile when we see someone we do not like.
We do not smile when we see someone not belonging to our “gang”.
We do not smile when we see someone who has make us angry before.
We do not smile when we see someone who our friends do not like.
We do not smile when we see someone who our pastors do not like!

Note:
“Smile” is only an example, it is replaceable with: talk to, shake hands with, mix around with, have fellowship/ bible study with, be friends with, … … (the list can be endless.)
Very sadly, the “We” can be any Christians. Lay, clergy, deacons, elder, pastors, Sunday school teachers, cell group leaders, ushers, … … are all guilty at one time or the other!!

In between … …
We spend too much time gossiping than spreading the great commission.
We spend too much time doing our own things than doing God’s.
We spend more time thinking about my money which is in bank than our father who art in heaven.
We spend more time grumbling than praying.
We make more people unhappy than disciples?
We only spread the gospel to the people we like!
We only include the people we like in our cell group/ bible study!
We only go to the church whose pastors we like! (We do not care much about its teachings.)
We only read the bible version we like! (We do not care much about its reliability!)
We only go to the church whose worship style we like! (We do not if it is biblical.)
We only read Christian literature whose authors we like!
We only give to God the amount we like! (We do not care much about the church’s need.)

In private … …
We pray that my salary come (hopefully faster) rather than thy kingdom come.
We pray my will be done rather than thy will be done.
We pray give us this day more money rather than give us this day our daily bread.
We pray that others forget our debts rather than forgive us our debts.

Some thoughts … …
Many a times, people (non-Christians) do not see the Christ-likeness in us Christians who are the body of Christ.
"Do not be conformed to this world (Rom 12:2)." Is what we lack & maybe what we have missed. “To be conformed to the image of his Son” is what we need (Rom 8:29).We need a metamorphosis!!
“The Gospel becomes credible when it is visible as well as audible.” –-Rev Dr John Stott.
Jesus said, “you will be my witnesses”, what’s our response?

All the above acts of lack of Christ-likeness are mainly due to the lack of love for God & fellow Christians.

Does our Christian Testimony show:
the change that happened in our life when we invited Jesus Christ into our life?
the power of God that changed us and make us look at life in a whole different way?
the power of the cross?
the awesome love of God?
that God, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit (known as the trinity) does exist? (From the love btw the persons of the trinity, we learn to love.)