2 Corinthians 1:18-22

The Christian life rests on a foundation of God’s promises for today and for the future. We can trust everything that our heavenly Father has said because His Word shows Him to be…

Truthful. The Lord knows what is true and speaks honestly in all matters. We can be assured of this because He is holy; there is no sin in Him. He is also omniscient and understands everything (Heb. 4:12-13). His promises are based on His infinite knowledge and truthfulness.

Faithful. Scripture compares the Lord to a shepherd who “gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart” (Isa. 40:11 niv). What He has planned for us, He will bring to fruition (Rom. 8:28). Our heavenly Father does not waver in His intentions or will.

Loving. God’s love for us was demonstrated at the cross. He sent His Son Jesus to die by crucifixion and thereby take the punishment for our sins. The Savior experienced God’s wrath against iniquity so we might know only His love. This is the ultimate proof of His devotion to us.

All-powerful. Divine power created the world and raised the Savior back to life, so we know God has the ability to carry out all His plans. Our omnipotent Father can keep every one of His promises.

A promise is valuable only if the one making it has trustworthy character and the ability to carry through. Our heavenly Father is truthful, faithful, loving, and all-powerful. We can base our entire life on His promises, secure in the knowledge that He will do just as He has said

I remember getting into a cab outside a central London church. The cabbie took one look at my Bible and launched into his opinion of Christianity. He explained to me that belief in God is a crutch for weak, pathetic people who don’t have the strength to take responsibility for their own lives. When I answered, “Thank you very much,” with just a hint of irony, he blustered on with, “Well, I’m just saying it for your own good. A girl like you doesn’t need religion!”

This idea that Christian faith is a psychological crutch for needy people is a pervasive one, based on a number of assumptions. The first is that God is merely a psychological projection: he doesn’t actually exist in any real sense, but exists only in the minds of his followers, who have created him out of their own need—a need for a father figure or a need to give significance to their existence. The most famous proponent of this view was the Austrian neurologist and founder of psychoanalysis, Sigmund Freud (1856-1939). In arguing against the existence of God, Freud theorized that one’s view of God springs from the view one has of one’s father. When people grow up and find themselves thrust into the cruel, cold world, they look for a haven of security and protection from it. An adult can no longer look to parents for this protection, if he or she is to maintain dignity. Yet, Freud mused, we look for another “Someone” to do this job for us and this leads to the idea of a “Higher Power” or God.

From this perspective, God is merely a creation of the human mind, a projection emanating from human need and desire rather than a distinct reality. For Freud, God is made in humanity’s own image, the “ultimate wish-fulfillment,” the end product of human desire for a loving father.

Can God really be explained away so easily by one aspect of psychology? One obvious point to make is that the argument about projection cuts both ways. After all, isn’t it equally possible to say that Freud and other atheists deny the existence of God out of a need to escape from a father figure, or to argue that the non-existence of God springs from a deep-seated desire for no father figure to exist?

Clearly this doesn’t prove that God is real, but it does show that Freud’s arguments cannot prove that God does not exist while at the same time helping us tackle the question of projection. After all, dismissing God as a psychological projection while claiming neutrality in our own psyche is disingenuous at best and cannot be an adequate basis for rejecting God.

It also quickly becomes apparent that a Freudian belief in God as a human projection cannot provide us with an explanation for the Christian faith of converts such as C.S. Lewis or Alister McGrath, who would rather not believe but find themselves compelled by the evidence that Christianity is true and real.

In fact, we may go further by suggesting that a desire for a God who can fulfill our needs and provide moral order exists precisely because human beings have been created to desire him. The man floating on a raft at sea is unbearably thirsty, but he won’t get a drink of water simply by being thirsty. But the very existence of his thirst does show that a way for his desire to be satisfied actually exists: fresh water. As C.S. Lewis put it, “Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exists.” Ultimately for the Christian the important question is not whether I have a psychological need for a father figure, or a desire for a father figure not to exist. Rather, the question is about what actually exists: Is God really there? The way to come to any conclusions about that is to investigate the evidence for his existence.

The second assumption we encounter is that because belief in God provides the faithful with a crutch, this means it is somehow suspect. The skeptic implies that since the believer finds protection from the cruelty of nature and the evil of the world, the idea of God is like a talisman, an irrational superstition. But surely, if belief in God provides a positive moral framework that helps people to live constructively, that is not a reason to disbelieve. Similarly, if relationship with God enables to believer to find healing, wholeness, and comfort in the midst of human suffering, we should not be surprised.  After all, if God is real, God’s existence will have a massive impact on life and on the experience of life. It is only if God is not real that we ought to be worried about the “crutch” God provides.

Finally, the third assumption is that people who make use of this “crutch” of relationship with God, and find it practical, meaningful, and effective, must be weak or inferior. This is a rather strange idea, since surely it makes sense to access real sources of support and relationship that are there for us. If a God of love does exist, the rational thing to do is accept that love, to come to know it. Entering into that relationship will have a positive effect, and that does not make the person weaker than or somehow inferior to anyone else. On the contrary, it is the logical, reasonable response if God himself is real.

Amy Orr-Ewing is curriculum director for the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics and training director of RZIM Zacharias Trust in Oxford, England.

Morning “The church in thy house.” / Philemon 2

Is there a Church in this house? Are parents, children, friends, servants, all

members of it? or are some still unconverted? Let us pause here and let the

question go round–Am I a member of the Church in this house? How would

father’s heart leap for joy, and mother’s eyes fill with holy tears if from

the eldest to the youngest all were saved! Let us pray for this great mercy

until the Lord shall grant it to us. Probably it had been the dearest object

of Philemon’s desires to have all his household saved; but it was not at first

granted him in its fulness. He had a wicked servant, Onesimus, who, having

wronged him, ran away from his service. His master’s prayers followed him, and

at last, as God would have it, Onesimus was led to hear Paul preach; his heart

was touched, and he returned to Philemon, not only to be a faithful servant,

but a brother beloved, adding another member to the Church in Philemon’s

house. Is there an unconverted servant or child absent this morning? Make

special supplication that such may, on their return to their home, gladden all

hearts with good news of what grace has done! Is there one present? Let him

partake in the same earnest entreaty.

If there be such a Church in our house, let us order it well, and let all act

as in the sight of God. Let us move in the common affairs of life with studied

holiness, diligence, kindness, and integrity. More is expected of a Church

than of an ordinary household; family worship must, in such a case, be more

devout and hearty; internal love must be more warm and unbroken, and external

conduct must be more sanctified and Christlike. We need not fear that the

smallness of our number will put us out of the list of Churches, for the Holy

Spirit has here enrolled a family-church in the inspired book of remembrance.

As a Church let us now draw nigh to the great head of the one Church

universal, and let us beseech him to give us grace to shine before men to the

glory of his name.

 

Evening “And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away: so shall also the

coming of the Son of man be.” / Matthew 24:39

Universal was the doom, neither rich nor poor escaped: the learned and the

illiterate, the admired and the abhorred, the religious and the profane, the

old and the young, all sank in one common ruin. Some had doubtless ridiculed

the patriarch–where now their merry jests? Others had threatened him for his

zeal which they counted madness–where now their boastings and hard speeches?

The critic who judged the old man’s work is drowned in the same sea which

covers his sneering companions. Those who spoke patronizingly of the good

man’s fidelity to his convictions, but shared not in them, have sunk to rise

no more, and the workers who for pay helped to build the wondrous ark, are all

lost also. The flood swept them all away, and made no single exception. Even

so, out of Christ, final destruction is sure to every man of woman born; no

rank, possession, or character, shall suffice to save a single soul who has

not believed in the Lord Jesus. My soul, behold this wide-spread judgment and

tremble at it.

How marvellous the general apathy! they were all eating and drinking, marrying

and giving in marriage, till the awful morning dawned. There was not one wise

man upon earth out of the ark. Folly duped the whole race, folly as to

self-preservation–the most foolish of all follies. Folly in doubting the most

true God–the most malignant of fooleries. Strange, my soul, is it not? All

men are negligent of their souls till grace gives them reason, then they leave

their madness and act like rational beings, but not till then.

All, blessed be God, were safe in the ark, no ruin entered there. From the

huge elephant down to the tiny mouse all were safe. The timid hare was equally

secure with the courageous lion, the helpless cony as safe as the laborious

ox. All are safe in Jesus. My soul, art thou in him?

And they were unaware until the flood came, and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.     Matthew 24:39

The doom was universal. Neither rich nor poor escaped: the learned and the illiterate, the admired and the despised, the religious and the profane, the old and the young all sank in one common ruin. Some had doubtless ridiculed the preacher, but where were their merry jests now? Others had threatened Noah for his zeal, which they regarded as madness. What happened to their boastings and hard speeches? The critic who judged the old man’s work drowns in the same sea that covers his sneering companions. Those who spoke patronizingly of the good man’s faithfulness to his convictions, but did not share them, have sunk to rise no more, and the workers who for pay helped to build the wondrous ark are all lost also. The Flood swept them all away and made no single exception. Even so, outside of Christ, final destruction is sure to everyone; no rank, possession, or character will be enough to save a single soul who has not believed in the Lord Jesus. My soul, consider this widespread judgment and tremble at it.

How incredible was the general apathy! They were all eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the awful morning dawned. There was not one wise individual upon earth outside of the ark. Folly duped the whole race: folly as to self-preservation, the most fooling of all follies. Folly in doubting the most true God: the most malignant foolishness. Is it not strange, my soul? All men are negligent of their souls until grace gives them reason; then they leave their madness and act like rational beings, but not until then.

All, blessed be God, were safe in the ark; no ruin entered there. From the huge elephant down to the tiny mouse all were safe. The timid hare was equally secure with the courageous lion, the helpless lamb as safe as the laborious ox. All are safe in Jesus. My soul, are you in Him?

Family Reading Plan        Hosea 7       Psalm 122

John 16:7-11

Jesus assured His disciples that it was to their advantage that He go away so that the Helper could come (John 16:7)–God sends Him to convict people of their sin. Since the Holy Spirit is unlimited by time or space, He can reach out to every individual on the planet. However, His work differs with regard to believers and unbelievers.

With regard to unbelievers, God’s Spirit penetrates the heart and brings awareness of wrongdoing. He reveals that according to God’s holy standard, they have sinned and stand condemned by their transgression. Unbelief is the greatest sin against God, so every prick of the heart is meant to point out their need for the Savior.

As for believers, the Holy Spirit deals with them on the basis of their relationship with Jesus Christ and convicts us of disobedience to Him. In other words, He makes us aware of specific sins and the Lord’s attitude about them. But He also prompts us to be accountable before Christ for our wrongdoing by confessing it and repenting.

Convicting believers of sin is an important part of the Holy Spirit’s job, but He is equally delighted to make them aware of the Lord’s approval. God commends righteous living, obedient actions, and loving acts done in His name.

While conviction is often uncomfortable for unbelievers and believers alike, it’s a beautiful demonstration of God’s love. He desires to bring us into the center of His will and keep us there for our good and His glory. The Holy Spirit’s work makes that possible, if we choose to follow His promptings

Common is the sentiment among recent college graduates: “I went in feeling like I knew so much, and leave realizing how little I know.” I remember what this felt like, walking down the aisle to accept my diploma, wondering at the might be, I am convinced that the thought is an important place at which to arrive.

Ravi Zacharias tells of being a graduate student when the new encyclopedia Britannica was released in its fifteenth edition. It was a massive work that had taken fourteen years to produce, and he remembers being fascinated by the statistics: two hundred advisors, three hundred editors, four thousand contributors, over a hundred thousand entries, thirty-four million dollars, forty-three million words. Even so, in the last pages of that work, one of the editors had the audacity to conclude: “Herein contains the entirety of human knowledge.”

In the stories in Scripture where God is encountered we find men and women who, having come in contact God, find themselves blown away by the notion that they didn’t know all that they didn’t know. As Jacob lay dreaming, he saw God appear above a great ladder where God was introduced as the God of his ancestors. Upon waking, Jacob’s his first words were filled with astonishment: “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it” (Genesis 28:16). Hagar, the maidservant of Sarah, had a similar reaction after she encountered God in the desert. Having run away from Sarah’s abuse, Hagar was resting beside a spring when God spoke to her and told her to return. Scripture imparts that she was amazed: “And she gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: ‘You are the God who sees me,’ for she said, ‘I have now seen the one who sees me’” (Genesis 16:13).

Whatever we see, there is almost always more. It is probably the one thing we can count on—and the one thing we do not. Christian philosopher Esther Lightcap Meek writes, “We labor under the misimpression that we see what we see, that seeing is believing, that either I see it or I don’t.”(1) Perhaps seeing is not always about 20/20, and seeing God is something else altogether.

Christianity and its stories introduce us to a God who makes known God’s surprising presence again and again, a God whose revelation is both piecemeal and profound. “O LORD,” proclaims David, “for your servant’s sake and according to your own heart, you have done all this greatness, in making known all these great things.  There is none like you, O LORD, and there is no God besides you, according to all that we have heard with our ears” (1 Chronicles 17:19,20, ESV). God is well worth our efforts in learning to see. Whether in Jacob’s dream or in Hagar’s distress, God seeks to be known and seeks to gather. The Spirit seeks to surprise and comfort. The Son seeks to be near. Says the LORD, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know” (Jeremiah 33:3).

There is something relieving in knowing that there is much that we do not know. It keeps us grounded in reality. It keeps us with a grateful eye toward mystery and beauty and kindness. It keeps us looking to the one who wills to be known. When Job was confronted by God with the great thunder of 62 questions about the foundations of the world and the inner workings of life, he realized that he might have spoken out of turn. Confronting the reality of all that he did not know brought Job to a deeper certainty of God and himself. “My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you” (Job 42:5). There is no more grateful, honest cry before the God who sees.

Jill Carattini is managing editor of A Slice of Infinity at Ravi Zacharias International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia.

(1) Esther Lightcap Meek, Longing to Know: The Philosophy of Knowledge for Ordinary People (Grand Rapids: Brazos Press, 2003), 99.

Morning “Renew a right spirit within me.” / Psalm 51:10

A backslider, if there be a spark of life left in him will groan after

restoration. In this renewal the same exercise of grace is required as at our

conversion. We needed repentance then; we certainly need it now. We wanted

faith that we might come to Christ at first; only the like grace can bring us

to Jesus now. We wanted a word from the Most High, a word from the lip of the

loving One, to end our fears then; we shall soon discover, when under a sense

of present sin, that we need it now. No man can be renewed without as real and

true a manifestation of the Holy Spirit’s energy as he felt at first, because

the work is as great, and flesh and blood are as much in the way now as ever

they were. Let thy personal weakness, O Christian, be an argument to make thee

pray earnestly to thy God for help. Remember, David when he felt himself to be

powerless, did not fold his arms or close his lips, but he hastened to the

mercy-seat with “renew a right spirit within me.” Let not the doctrine that

you, unaided, can do nothing, make you sleep; but let it be a goad in your

side to drive you with an awful earnestness to Israel’s strong Helper. O that

you may have grace to plead with God, as though you pleaded for your very

life–“Lord, renew a right spirit within me.” He who sincerely prays to God to

do this, will prove his honesty by using the means through which God works. Be

much in prayer; live much upon the Word of God; kill the lusts which have

driven your Lord from you; be careful to watch over the future uprisings of

sin. The Lord has his own appointed ways; sit by the wayside and you will be

ready when he passes by. Continue in all those blessed ordinances which will

foster and nourish your dying graces; and, knowing that all the power must

proceed from him, cease not to cry, “Renew a right spirit within me.”

 

Evening “I did know thee in the wilderness, in the land of great drought.” / Hosea

13:5

Yes, Lord, thou didst indeed know me in my fallen state, and thou didst even

then choose me for thyself. When I was loathsome and self-abhorred, thou didst

receive me as thy child, and thou didst satisfy my craving wants. Blessed

forever be thy name for this free, rich, abounding mercy. Since then, my

inward experience has often been a wilderness; but thou hast owned me still as

thy beloved, and poured streams of love and grace into me to gladden me, and

make me fruitful. Yea, when my outward circumstances have been at the worst,

and I have wandered in a land of drought, thy sweet presence has solaced me.

Men have not known me when scorn has awaited me, but thou hast known my soul

in adversities, for no affliction dims the lustre of thy love. Most gracious

Lord, I magnify thee for all thy faithfulness to me in trying circumstances,

and I deplore that I should at any time have forgotten thee and been exalted

in heart, when I have owed all to thy gentleness and love. Have mercy upon thy

servant in this thing!

My soul, if Jesus thus acknowledged thee in thy low estate, be sure that thou

own both himself and his cause now that thou art in thy prosperity. Be not

lifted up by thy worldly successes so as to be ashamed of the truth or of the

poor church with which thou hast been associated. Follow Jesus into the

wilderness: bear the cross with him when the heat of persecution grows hot. He

owned thee, O my soul, in thy poverty and shame–never be so treacherous as to

be ashamed of him. O for more shame at the thought of being ashamed of my best

Beloved! Jesus, my soul cleaveth to thee.

“I’ll turn to thee in days of light,

As well as nights of care,

Thou brightest amid all that’s bright!

Thou fairest of the fair!”

It was I who knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought.    Hosea 13:5

Yes, Lord, You did indeed know me in my fallen state, and You did even then choose me for Yourself. When I was loathsome and self-abhorred, You received me as Your child, and You satisfied my longings. Blessed forever be Your name for this free, rich, abounding mercy. Since then, my inward experience has often been a wilderness; but You have kept me still as Your beloved and poured streams of love and grace into me to gladden me and make me fruitful. When my outward circumstances have been at the worst, and I have wandered in a land of drought, Your sweet presence has comforted me. Men have ignored me, and I have been scorned; but You have known my soul in adversities, for no affliction dims the luster of Your love. Most gracious Lord, I magnify You for all Your faithfulness to me in trying circumstances, and I deplore the fact that I have at times forgotten You and been proud of heart when I have owed everything to Your gentleness and love. Have mercy upon Your servant in this matter!

My soul, if Jesus acknowledged you in your lowly condition, be sure that you own both Himself and His cause now that you are in prosperity. Do not be puffed up by worldly successes, and do not be ashamed of the truth or of the poor church with which you have been associated. Follow Jesus into the wilderness: Bear the cross with Him when the persecution heats up. He owned you, O my soul, in your poverty and shame; never be so treacherous as to be ashamed of Him. Let me know more shame at the thought of being ashamed of my best Beloved! Jesus, my soul cleaves to You.

I’ll turn to Thee in days of light,

As well as nights of care,

Thou brightest amid all that’s bright!

Thou fairest of the fair!

Family Reading Plan       Hosea 6       Psalm 119:145-176