Please, read part one of Davidic Meditation as I will pick up now directly where I left off. So at age thirteen I underwent surgery with the hope that God would hold true to His promise to spare my life. It was actually two surgeries: one to remove my colon and a second three months later to wire me back up. But the first held the greatest risk because I was severely underweight (not being able to eat for three months prior and being on bed rest in the hospital). I was also anemic and literally at the point of death, a result of blood loss from the bleeding ulcers that had riddled my body like cancer.
So the Lord guided me through the first surgery miraculously. And by the time I had the second surgery, I had been able to start eating again and recover strength; the doctors having removed my colon, I was no longer bleeding to death. Needless to say, I was in better health when I faced the second surgery. But I count it all a miracle, for if God hadn’t intervened in the first, I wouldn’t even have been alive to face the second.
I knew that I literally owed my life to God. And driven by this knowledge, I set out to study the Bible more intently. I remembered clinging to the words of the Psalms when I had faced my surgery. And I understood for the first time that there was power in the word of God.
After reading through the Torah and the histories, I came to the book of Psalms. And there in the words of the first song, I found what I call Davidic meditation. Psalm 1:1-3 reads as follows,
“Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.”
Those words struck me like bumping the funny bone on your elbow. If I was to make God’s word my delight, than I needed to meditate on it day and night. But what did that mean? And there in the margin was a note. The Hebrew word hagah means to meditate or contemplate something as one repeats the words aloud. This is the word translated meditates in Psalm 1.
By instinct this was how I had learned scriptures when I was in the hospital. By thinking about them and repeating them aloud, I was able to secure them in memory. And now it seemed that David, thousands of years before, had done the same.
Actually, before David, God had instructed that the kings of Israel write out their own copy of the law and read it daily (Deuteronomy 17:14-20). Unfotunately, what gets lost in translation is that the Hebrew word qara, translated “read” in verse nineteen actually means to recite aloud to oneself. Reading out loud is a distinct part of eastern culture, but to most westerns like me, reading is not something I generally do aloud.
Joshua, on receiving the command of Israel, was instructed by God, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8). Again, the Hebrew word hagah, to meditate or contemplate something as one repeats the words aloud, is used in God’s instruction to Joshua. And it is likely that this verse may have served as an inspiration for Psalm 1.
Now as an adult I now know that hagah is a major practice of the Jewish faith. But you must understand, that as a punk thirteen-year old kid, I knew nothing about the Jewish faith and received these things by revelation. Hagah is a major theme of Psalms (sadly it is poorly translated in many cases). It is also a major theme of Proverbs and Isaiah.
Next, week I will speak more to the importance of Davidic meditation (hagah) in prayer and spiritual conflict and include some tips (in plain terms) on how to meditate effectively. But to get there, I need to deviate, and explain to you why I believe meditation is an effective tool for strengthening your relationship with God. Again I will caution you, that if you make this about ritual and not about relationship, than you will have missed the point entirely.
We know that man has three parts: a spirit, a soul, and a body (1 Ths. 5:23). We are triune beings made in the image of God who is also a triune being. God’s triune nature is infallible; God is one, no distinction or lack of union between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But our three parts (spirit, soul, and body) are fallible. They are distinct from one another. The spirit can pull us in one direction while the soul and or the body can pull us in a totally different direction.
This is the life-long battle for every Christian; the fight to get your body and your soul to operate in unity with your spirit, your spirit having been redeemed from sin and endowed with the presence of the Holy Spirit. In Hebrew the spirit is ruwach, the powerful exhalation or breath that causes your body and soul to come alive (James 2:26). The New Testament (written in large part by a Jewish scholar) mirrors this idea by using the Greek word pnuema for spirit. Think of your spirit as the pneumatic engine that keeps you alive.
We also have a soul, which in the Hebrew is nephesh, the inhalation or breath that is taken in. The nephesh thinks, feels, and interprets your interactions with the worlds around you. This nepesh or soul is your mind, will, and emotions. And so in the Greek, psyche is used for soul. Think of the soul as your psychological makeup interpreting your interactions with the worlds around you into thought, habit, feeling, and knowledge.
Now we know that the body has five senses that it uses for the purpose of interaction: hearing, seeing, touching, tasting, and smelling. All five are powerful tools. But the memories (records) that are stored in our soul are recorded in images and sounds (often recalled by touching, tasting, and smelling). So the medium for recording is hearing and seeing. And touching, tasting, and smelling act as triggers for recalling the records.
In this sense (no pun intended), I like to call hearing and seeing your dominant senses. Touching, tasting, and smelling I call your passive senses. This is not to discount the importance of your passive senses, but rather to stress that the passive senses are designed to support and stimulate the dominant senses. Stay with me.
Hearing and seeing then are your dominant senses. And hearing is what I call your master sense. Imagine, you are in a quiet room. Suddenly, you hear a loud noise. What do you do? You look in the direction of the sound. You can close your eyes but it is very difficult to close your ears.
Long before you saw the world, you heard it in your mother’s womb. And the first thing you likely did when you were born was to make a sound. To this day, blind people are able to adapt and live fairly normal lives. But the deaf struggle to interact with the outside world, often retreating into their own communities.
But most importantly, “faith comes by hearing, and hearing, by the word of God.” And this is why I believe hearing is our master sense. I can force you to see something with a few choice words. But if I don’t want to see something, I can simply close my eyes. So I refer to hearing, seeing, touching, tasting, and smelling as your five natural senses.
We’ll come back to this in future discussions but your soul and your spirit also have their own ability to sense or interact with the world around you. The bible will often refer to the soul and the spirit as having the ability hear or see. This is not to say that that you physically saw something or that you heard an audible voice, but rather that your soul and your spirit have their own ability to sense.
So then, you and I are triune beings with 5 natural senses and 2 supernatural senses (two senses that operate above or beyond the world of the natural). In all we have 7 senses. And these senses allow our body, soul, and spirit to interact with the world around us.
Next week, we’ll start talking about how meditation works as a tool to align our body and soul with our spirit. I’ll also start discussing practical applications as well as spiritual experiences that can be provoked or enhanced through meditation. Remember, relationship, relationship, relationship.
Cheers,
Jeremiyah
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Davidic Meditation Part I
Davidic Meditation. Don’t worry, I’m not the Maharishi, and this is not a seance. But meditation, like so many other elements of our spirituality, has become something that we wrongly associate with every religion except Christianity. And nothing could be farther from the truth. Meditation understood from a Biblical perspective can play a central role in your spiritual health as a Christian.
The central difference in the Christian use of meditation is motive. For us the motive should be love. I want to preface everything that I am about to say. This is all about your relationship with God and getting to know Him better. Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love Me, you will keep my commandments.”
You are not going to impress God by becoming spiritually pious. Nothing you do makes Him love you more or less. But if you love Him, than love will motivate you to uphold certain disciplines. A parent disciplines him or herself to work in order to provide for their child. A good husband disciplines himself to communicate well with his wife. And so on. Meditation is simply one of the disciplines flowing out of a love relationship with Christ.
When I was ten, I committed my life to Christ and began reading the Bible for the first time on my own. But it wasn’t until I was thirteen that it took over as a lifelong passion. And to this day Biblical study remains a most cherished part of my life.
I had been battling a disease called ulcerative colitis for nearly seven years. The disease would go in and out of remission like cancer. And in its throws, I would begin to bleed to death as my body attacked itself producing bleeding ulcers all over my colon.
Then at thirteen, after being hospitalized for several months, the disease literally had me at the point of death. The doctors had even tried an experimental chemotherapy to try to get the disease to go back into remission. But nothing worked. I was severely anemic and was bleeding so badly that even a massive blood transfusion did little in the way of rehabilitating my health.
The only thing the doctors could do to attempt to save my live was to perform a surgery where they would remove my colon and, if all went well, rewire me so that I could function somewhat normally without it. But my frail condition made the surgery extremely risky. If they didn’t operate than the disease, which was still progressing, would likely take my life. If they operated, I might not survive the operation.
But at least the operation gave me a chance at life. And I had received a promise from God in a vision that He would intervene and spare my life. And so I elected to have the surgery.
My neighbor, who had inspired me to commit my life to Christ, called me in the last hours before my surgery. She said that she had two scriptures for me and she wanted me to memorize them. The scriptures were Psalm 18:1-3 and Psalm 139:7-10. This was the first time I had ever heard anything about memorizing scripture (other than my dad tediously making my brothers and I memorize the 10 commandments as children). And as I was going into the surgery she wanted me to repeat those scriptures to myself.
Well this was wonderful. As soon as I hung up the phone, I scrambled for my Bible to find out what the scriptures said. First was Psalm 18:1-3, “I will love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies." Next was Psalm 139:7-10, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And your right hand shall hold me.”
And so these were the first words from scripture that I memorized of my own accord. And as I lay on the operating table, I recited those scriptures over and over again until I went to sleep. I remembered the promise of God that He would spare my life. And the words of those two Psalms seemed like the very voice of God calling to me and beckoning me back to life as I awoke from the surgery which was a complete success.
Meditation had become an imbedded part of my relationship with God without me even knowing what meditation was. Stayed tuned for next weeks blog where I will continue to talk about my journey. I will discuss what meditation is from the Bible and will also highlight some techniques which I have found to be particularly effective.
Cheers,
Jeremiyah
The central difference in the Christian use of meditation is motive. For us the motive should be love. I want to preface everything that I am about to say. This is all about your relationship with God and getting to know Him better. Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love Me, you will keep my commandments.”
You are not going to impress God by becoming spiritually pious. Nothing you do makes Him love you more or less. But if you love Him, than love will motivate you to uphold certain disciplines. A parent disciplines him or herself to work in order to provide for their child. A good husband disciplines himself to communicate well with his wife. And so on. Meditation is simply one of the disciplines flowing out of a love relationship with Christ.
When I was ten, I committed my life to Christ and began reading the Bible for the first time on my own. But it wasn’t until I was thirteen that it took over as a lifelong passion. And to this day Biblical study remains a most cherished part of my life.
I had been battling a disease called ulcerative colitis for nearly seven years. The disease would go in and out of remission like cancer. And in its throws, I would begin to bleed to death as my body attacked itself producing bleeding ulcers all over my colon.
Then at thirteen, after being hospitalized for several months, the disease literally had me at the point of death. The doctors had even tried an experimental chemotherapy to try to get the disease to go back into remission. But nothing worked. I was severely anemic and was bleeding so badly that even a massive blood transfusion did little in the way of rehabilitating my health.
The only thing the doctors could do to attempt to save my live was to perform a surgery where they would remove my colon and, if all went well, rewire me so that I could function somewhat normally without it. But my frail condition made the surgery extremely risky. If they didn’t operate than the disease, which was still progressing, would likely take my life. If they operated, I might not survive the operation.
But at least the operation gave me a chance at life. And I had received a promise from God in a vision that He would intervene and spare my life. And so I elected to have the surgery.
My neighbor, who had inspired me to commit my life to Christ, called me in the last hours before my surgery. She said that she had two scriptures for me and she wanted me to memorize them. The scriptures were Psalm 18:1-3 and Psalm 139:7-10. This was the first time I had ever heard anything about memorizing scripture (other than my dad tediously making my brothers and I memorize the 10 commandments as children). And as I was going into the surgery she wanted me to repeat those scriptures to myself.
Well this was wonderful. As soon as I hung up the phone, I scrambled for my Bible to find out what the scriptures said. First was Psalm 18:1-3, “I will love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies." Next was Psalm 139:7-10, “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there Your hand shall lead me, And your right hand shall hold me.”
And so these were the first words from scripture that I memorized of my own accord. And as I lay on the operating table, I recited those scriptures over and over again until I went to sleep. I remembered the promise of God that He would spare my life. And the words of those two Psalms seemed like the very voice of God calling to me and beckoning me back to life as I awoke from the surgery which was a complete success.
Meditation had become an imbedded part of my relationship with God without me even knowing what meditation was. Stayed tuned for next weeks blog where I will continue to talk about my journey. I will discuss what meditation is from the Bible and will also highlight some techniques which I have found to be particularly effective.
Cheers,
Jeremiyah
Monday, February 9, 2009
Is suicide an unpardonable sin?
This past Sunday we had a question and answer session at our evening Church service called Elevation. People were able to go in and submit questions online and a panel from our church’s leadership team gave a noble effort to answer the questions. There was one question which I thought merited a more detailed answer than time and the pace of the session allowed for. And so I decided to insert an unscheduled blog.
The basic nature of the question was, “Does God send people to hell for committing suicide?” This is an important question for all of us but especially for those who have tragically lost someone they know and love. And the Bible does have an answer.
First, and foremost the Bible does command us not to murder (Exodus 20:13). I do believe that suicide qualifies as murder. It is not God’s will for us to end our own life in the same way that it is not God’s will for us to end the life of another. From the opening chapter’s of Genesis, God repeatedly asserts the value of man’s life and warns against acts of murder. So suicide is an act of sin. But is it a sin that God will never forgive?
To treat suicide as an unforgivable sin, for which God will automatically condemn someone to hell, is not a Biblical teaching. In fact it contradicts what the Bible teaches. And for my part I thought it was important to expound upon the answer I gave last night in writing.
First and foremost, the way out of hell is faith. In John 5:24 Jesus says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life." The Apostle Paul would go on to say that, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." Even more important than knowing what gets you into hell, is knowing what gets you out, namely, faith in Jesus Christ, His death on the cross, and His resurrection from the dead (Romans 10:9-10).
The assertion that suicide is an unpardonable sin is a doctrine of institutionalized religion and is not a teaching that can be supported from the teachings of the Bible. There are two major issues with the teaching that suicide is an unpardonable sin. The first issue is how to define suicide. You have to either to teach that anyone who commits a deliberate act, with the foreknowledge that it will end their life, has committed suicide or you have to setup systems to arbitrate cases where someone has ended their life in a way that shouldn’t be defined as suicide.
The example I used last night was a solider that chooses to fall on a grenade, ending his own life, in order to save the lives of his fellow soldiers. Did this soldier commit suicide or was the act of ending his own life a heroic act of service? I say it is a heroic act of service.
To those who teach that anyone who commits a deliberate act, with the foreknowledge that it will end their life, has committed suicide, I would refer you to the example of Christ. In John 10:17-18, Jesus says, “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” Jesus actually set about a course of action that He knew would end His life.
Jesus’ disciples warn Him not to go to Jerusalem because they knew that Jesus would be killed. The apostle Peter even attempted to restrain Jesus. Jesus went to Jerusalem knowing that going there would result in His death.
The Roman soldiers who were stationed at Jerusalem acted as a military police force. Jesus went to Jerusalem knowing that the Romans would crucify Him. In our modern day, we might have accused Jesus of committing “death by cop.” And Jesus says that He had actually been commanded to lay down (end) His life. He even says, “I lay it down of Myself.” You can see how easy it would be for someone to misunderstand Jesus and His intentions.
Was Jesus’ act of laying down His own life an act of suicide? Certainly not. It was a heroic act of sacrifice. And this is the error in teaching that anyone who commits a deliberate act, with the foreknowledge that it will end their life, has committed suicide (and subsequently will be sent to hell). This flawed logic might leave you condemning Jesus to hell! Clearly, there are cases where someone chooses to end their life and it is not suicide.
The alternative is to setup systems of arbitration by which men in elected positions can determine whether or not a specific act should be considered suicide, and ultimately whether or not someone should be sent to hell. To this I also refer you to the example of Christ. Even Jesus’ closest friends and family misjudged His intent in giving up His life.
But the most atrocious element of this alternative, is that it places the power to eternally damn someone to hell in the hands of men. The right of judgment belongs exclusively to Christ. It is a dangerous and false teaching that takes eternal judgment out of the hands of a loving God and places it in the hands of sinful men.
“There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?” (James 4:12). The world misjudged Christ and condemned Him to death, but God overruled the world’s prosecution of Jesus and granted Him eternal clemency (1 Peter 2:23). We are charged to judge the things that pertain to this life, but it is God’s exclusive right to judge the things pertaining to eternal life, the eternal future of men (Matthew 7:1-2). Praise God that He is a just judge. Praise God that His judgment is untainted by sin. Praise God that He is merciful, compassionate, and forgiving.
The second error in teaching that suicide is an unpardonable sin is that such a teaching directly contradicts the teachings of the Bible. Jesus clearly states in Matthew 12:31, “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.” Jesus identifies only one unpardonable sin and it is not suicide.
The context of Matthew 12:31 is Matthew 12:22-30. Jesus had just miraculously healed a man who was demon-possessed, blind, and mute. The Pharisees accuse Jesus of delivering the demon- possessed man by the power of Beelzebub (a demon). Jesus rebukes them and asserts that it was by the power of God’s Spirit that He had healed the man. Then Jesus issues a warning not to blaspheme the Holy Spirit.
Jesus, clearly states, “every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.” Jesus asserts that there is only one sin that God is not willing to forgive which is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. All others God is willing to forgive including suicide.
Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (the only unpardonable sin) as defined in the context of Matthew 12:22-30 has nothing to do with suicide. What you have in Matthew 12:22-30 are religious leaders who recognize the Holy Spirit at work and then knowingly choose to blaspheme the Holy Spirit by calling His work the work of the devil. Jesus in essence says that they have committed the only unpardonable sin. They didn’t commit this sin by accident and they knew what they were doing. I won’t elaborate on blasphemy of the Holy Spirit other than to say that, if you were blaspheming the Holy Spirit, it wouldn’t be by accident and you would know what you were doing.
In the larger picture of things we now have a clear and contextually definable statement from Jesus Himself that directly contradicts the teaching that suicide is an unpardonable sin. And nowhere in the teachings of the apostles do they add a contingency clause that God will not forgive someone who commits suicide. Suicide is not an unpardonable sin.
To say that the power of cross is sufficient to forgive every sin except suicide is to cheapen and debase the sacrifice that Jesus made. At the moment that someone takes their own life, their eternal salvation is still based on faith. And only God can judge them righteously.
Often people who commit suicide are not fully aware of the consequences of what they are doing. They hurt and they just want the hurt to end. They are broken, confused, and in pain.
Psalm 34:18 says that “The Lord is near to the broken hearted, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.” Rather than condemning those who have ended their own life, we need to teach people that God is near to them when they are broken hearted and that God still has the power to save them. It is also tragic that in the time of a family’s loss many religious organizations add to their pain with a false and misguided teaching that suicide is an unpardonable sin.
In the moments of individual weakness and suffering, in times of loss and pain, and in times of doubt and confusion the Church should be a beacon of light and a source of hope and strength.
Cheers,
Jeremiyah
The basic nature of the question was, “Does God send people to hell for committing suicide?” This is an important question for all of us but especially for those who have tragically lost someone they know and love. And the Bible does have an answer.
First, and foremost the Bible does command us not to murder (Exodus 20:13). I do believe that suicide qualifies as murder. It is not God’s will for us to end our own life in the same way that it is not God’s will for us to end the life of another. From the opening chapter’s of Genesis, God repeatedly asserts the value of man’s life and warns against acts of murder. So suicide is an act of sin. But is it a sin that God will never forgive?
To treat suicide as an unforgivable sin, for which God will automatically condemn someone to hell, is not a Biblical teaching. In fact it contradicts what the Bible teaches. And for my part I thought it was important to expound upon the answer I gave last night in writing.
First and foremost, the way out of hell is faith. In John 5:24 Jesus says, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life." The Apostle Paul would go on to say that, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." Even more important than knowing what gets you into hell, is knowing what gets you out, namely, faith in Jesus Christ, His death on the cross, and His resurrection from the dead (Romans 10:9-10).
The assertion that suicide is an unpardonable sin is a doctrine of institutionalized religion and is not a teaching that can be supported from the teachings of the Bible. There are two major issues with the teaching that suicide is an unpardonable sin. The first issue is how to define suicide. You have to either to teach that anyone who commits a deliberate act, with the foreknowledge that it will end their life, has committed suicide or you have to setup systems to arbitrate cases where someone has ended their life in a way that shouldn’t be defined as suicide.
The example I used last night was a solider that chooses to fall on a grenade, ending his own life, in order to save the lives of his fellow soldiers. Did this soldier commit suicide or was the act of ending his own life a heroic act of service? I say it is a heroic act of service.
To those who teach that anyone who commits a deliberate act, with the foreknowledge that it will end their life, has committed suicide, I would refer you to the example of Christ. In John 10:17-18, Jesus says, “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” Jesus actually set about a course of action that He knew would end His life.
Jesus’ disciples warn Him not to go to Jerusalem because they knew that Jesus would be killed. The apostle Peter even attempted to restrain Jesus. Jesus went to Jerusalem knowing that going there would result in His death.
The Roman soldiers who were stationed at Jerusalem acted as a military police force. Jesus went to Jerusalem knowing that the Romans would crucify Him. In our modern day, we might have accused Jesus of committing “death by cop.” And Jesus says that He had actually been commanded to lay down (end) His life. He even says, “I lay it down of Myself.” You can see how easy it would be for someone to misunderstand Jesus and His intentions.
Was Jesus’ act of laying down His own life an act of suicide? Certainly not. It was a heroic act of sacrifice. And this is the error in teaching that anyone who commits a deliberate act, with the foreknowledge that it will end their life, has committed suicide (and subsequently will be sent to hell). This flawed logic might leave you condemning Jesus to hell! Clearly, there are cases where someone chooses to end their life and it is not suicide.
The alternative is to setup systems of arbitration by which men in elected positions can determine whether or not a specific act should be considered suicide, and ultimately whether or not someone should be sent to hell. To this I also refer you to the example of Christ. Even Jesus’ closest friends and family misjudged His intent in giving up His life.
But the most atrocious element of this alternative, is that it places the power to eternally damn someone to hell in the hands of men. The right of judgment belongs exclusively to Christ. It is a dangerous and false teaching that takes eternal judgment out of the hands of a loving God and places it in the hands of sinful men.
“There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?” (James 4:12). The world misjudged Christ and condemned Him to death, but God overruled the world’s prosecution of Jesus and granted Him eternal clemency (1 Peter 2:23). We are charged to judge the things that pertain to this life, but it is God’s exclusive right to judge the things pertaining to eternal life, the eternal future of men (Matthew 7:1-2). Praise God that He is a just judge. Praise God that His judgment is untainted by sin. Praise God that He is merciful, compassionate, and forgiving.
The second error in teaching that suicide is an unpardonable sin is that such a teaching directly contradicts the teachings of the Bible. Jesus clearly states in Matthew 12:31, “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.” Jesus identifies only one unpardonable sin and it is not suicide.
The context of Matthew 12:31 is Matthew 12:22-30. Jesus had just miraculously healed a man who was demon-possessed, blind, and mute. The Pharisees accuse Jesus of delivering the demon- possessed man by the power of Beelzebub (a demon). Jesus rebukes them and asserts that it was by the power of God’s Spirit that He had healed the man. Then Jesus issues a warning not to blaspheme the Holy Spirit.
Jesus, clearly states, “every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.” Jesus asserts that there is only one sin that God is not willing to forgive which is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. All others God is willing to forgive including suicide.
Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit (the only unpardonable sin) as defined in the context of Matthew 12:22-30 has nothing to do with suicide. What you have in Matthew 12:22-30 are religious leaders who recognize the Holy Spirit at work and then knowingly choose to blaspheme the Holy Spirit by calling His work the work of the devil. Jesus in essence says that they have committed the only unpardonable sin. They didn’t commit this sin by accident and they knew what they were doing. I won’t elaborate on blasphemy of the Holy Spirit other than to say that, if you were blaspheming the Holy Spirit, it wouldn’t be by accident and you would know what you were doing.
In the larger picture of things we now have a clear and contextually definable statement from Jesus Himself that directly contradicts the teaching that suicide is an unpardonable sin. And nowhere in the teachings of the apostles do they add a contingency clause that God will not forgive someone who commits suicide. Suicide is not an unpardonable sin.
To say that the power of cross is sufficient to forgive every sin except suicide is to cheapen and debase the sacrifice that Jesus made. At the moment that someone takes their own life, their eternal salvation is still based on faith. And only God can judge them righteously.
Often people who commit suicide are not fully aware of the consequences of what they are doing. They hurt and they just want the hurt to end. They are broken, confused, and in pain.
Psalm 34:18 says that “The Lord is near to the broken hearted, and saves such as have a contrite spirit.” Rather than condemning those who have ended their own life, we need to teach people that God is near to them when they are broken hearted and that God still has the power to save them. It is also tragic that in the time of a family’s loss many religious organizations add to their pain with a false and misguided teaching that suicide is an unpardonable sin.
In the moments of individual weakness and suffering, in times of loss and pain, and in times of doubt and confusion the Church should be a beacon of light and a source of hope and strength.
Cheers,
Jeremiyah
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Memories Are Forever?
Well, let’s settle the issue. Memories aren’t forever. The words of Revelation 21:3-7 come to mind, “And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.”"
The motivation for us to overcome is that a new day is coming. One day God will wipe away our tears. And every painful memory will be wiped away. God will make all things new.
God created you. He is your Alpha, your beginning. Whether or not you realize it, you’ve got a good beginning. God is Alpha and He is also Omega. One day your story will have a wonderful and glorious end. And all of the painful things in between will be wiped away!
So what do you do while you are stuck here on earth with bad memories? Easy. Get over it. I’m not saying to forget because only God can wipe the slate clean. What I’m saying is that there is a difference between being under something and being over something. And you need to get over your bad memories.
Often I remember places I’ve been or things I’ve done. And they aren’t all good. It seems like a bad movie that I am being forced to re-watch in my head. But I’ve gotten over those things. They are under me now. Sometimes you need to remind your bad memories that their clock is ticking.
And the wonderful thing is that you can change the channel. There is nothing stopping you from piling up good memories of good places and good experiences. And there is a force more powerful than memory operating in our lives. That force is love.
Love overrides memory. It trumps fear and regret. It humbles doubt and releases faith and hope into our lives. God is love.
Love motivates us to stand when we have fallen. It reminds us to have courage when our hearts grow faint. Love rises in the mist of sorrow to nurture the seeds of faith. And love never fails even when we do. God is love!
You can’t take it with you. The good, the bad, and the ugly will one day be wiped away. There will be no sad people in heaven but there won’t be anyone who is proud either. Just a band of people emboldened by God’s love. Left standing will be a people who dared to overcome, believing that God would keep His word. The slate will be wiped clean. And God will make everything new.
Cheers,
Jeremiyah
The motivation for us to overcome is that a new day is coming. One day God will wipe away our tears. And every painful memory will be wiped away. God will make all things new.
God created you. He is your Alpha, your beginning. Whether or not you realize it, you’ve got a good beginning. God is Alpha and He is also Omega. One day your story will have a wonderful and glorious end. And all of the painful things in between will be wiped away!
So what do you do while you are stuck here on earth with bad memories? Easy. Get over it. I’m not saying to forget because only God can wipe the slate clean. What I’m saying is that there is a difference between being under something and being over something. And you need to get over your bad memories.
Often I remember places I’ve been or things I’ve done. And they aren’t all good. It seems like a bad movie that I am being forced to re-watch in my head. But I’ve gotten over those things. They are under me now. Sometimes you need to remind your bad memories that their clock is ticking.
And the wonderful thing is that you can change the channel. There is nothing stopping you from piling up good memories of good places and good experiences. And there is a force more powerful than memory operating in our lives. That force is love.
Love overrides memory. It trumps fear and regret. It humbles doubt and releases faith and hope into our lives. God is love.
Love motivates us to stand when we have fallen. It reminds us to have courage when our hearts grow faint. Love rises in the mist of sorrow to nurture the seeds of faith. And love never fails even when we do. God is love!
You can’t take it with you. The good, the bad, and the ugly will one day be wiped away. There will be no sad people in heaven but there won’t be anyone who is proud either. Just a band of people emboldened by God’s love. Left standing will be a people who dared to overcome, believing that God would keep His word. The slate will be wiped clean. And God will make everything new.
Cheers,
Jeremiyah
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)