International Association of Biblical Counselors

2009-01-27T16:45:00.000-08:00

Family Matters - Dr. Paul Dean

Family matters, and makes a difference. Baptist Press reported that “Children living with both biological parents or adoptive parents who attend religious services regularly are less likely to exhibit problems at school or at home” according to a 2008 analysis of national data.

“The study by psychologist Nicholas Zill, the founder of Child Trends, and statistician Philip Fletcher found that children in such a situation -- when compared to children not living with both parents and not attending religious services regularly -- are 5.5 times less likely to have repeated a grade and 2.5 less likely to have had their parents contacted by the school because of a conduct or achievement problem. Additionally, intact families who have regular religious participation (defined as at least weekly or monthly) are less likely to report parental stress and more likely to report a ‘better parent-child relationship.” Further, “The authors said that children in an intact religious family ‘are more likely to exhibit positive social behavior, including showing respect for teachers and neighbors, getting along with other children, understanding other people's feelings, and trying to resolve conflicts with classmates, family, or friends.’”

It should be no surprise that children from religious, intact families fare better. Sensible circumstances lead to better results than chaotic circumstances. Such a dynamic is owing to God’s common grace and the natural law He has built into this world. At the same time, special or saving grace is necessary to truly understand God and ourselves and implement His will in our lives in a way that pleases Him and produces the genuine, peaceable fruit of righteousness.

In God’s economy, the family plays a specific role. God calls human beings, and indeed Christians, to populate and subdue the earth for His glory and the good of man. The family provides a stabilizing force in an otherwise frenzied society. It is in the context of family that men and women learn the absolute necessity of being responsible adults and the onus upon them to train their children. It is through the family that the gospel is propagated in a visible way as Christ’s commitment to His church is magnified in loving relationships and as children are taught to fear the Lord.

There are some tremendous implications for your family in God’s command to take dominion over the earth. God has a role for you and your family to walk the road of life together and to subdue the earth together in some sense. It is the individualism of our culture that militates against such an understanding. And yet, God has a specific purpose for families together as families. Certainly we all have different roles within the family. But, those roles must mesh into this dynamic of togetherness if we are to honor God and find maximum fulfillment within our family life.

Above all others, Christian parents must see the significance of the family and bring their full attention to bear upon it. Too many of our children suffer for a lack of biblical focus in that context. While they generally do better than those in “dysfunctional” families as the survey indicates, in the end, they end up making shipwreck of their faith. As Christian parents you must learn the imperative of discipleship with particular reference to your children. Other research has revealed that ninety percent of evangelical youth walk away from Christ upon graduating high school. You must embrace and apply God’s admonition to you regarding your children: “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates (Deut. 6:6-9).” Only then will your children fare better in an eternal sense.

Parents, you must learn that television, your own busy lives, and even working long hours rob you of time with your family. You are robbed of a growing and vital relationship with your spouse and children. Husbands and wives, you need to have a relationship apart from your children that you might enjoy your empty-nest years to the full. You must also prioritize the personal discipleship of your children that they might honor God, that your children might do the same even as adults, and that they might be filled with joy as their children grown in grace, again, even into adulthood. Let us not be committed to the world’s priorities but to God’s priorities. Such a commitment is the only path to true, temporal happiness and eternal fruit.

To schedule Dr. Dean to speak on Christian Worldview or to schedule biblical counseling training for your church through the Southern Baptist Association of Biblical Counselors or the International Association of Biblical Counselors, e-mail pauldeanjr@juno.com.

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2008-10-25T11:29:00.000-07:00

When it Comes to Kids, Marijuana, Faith Matters - Dr. Paul J. Dean

From the story:
Parents who hope that their efforts to communicate and involve their children in their faith will keep them from falling prey to the temptations of drug use have some good news from a new study to be released tomorrow: It works. The national study, conducted by two sociology professors from Brigham Young University, finds that religious involvement makes teens half as likely to use marijuana as their peers without religious participation. Their results settle a question that has been debated for years. While many intuitively believe religious training, particularly if it delivers a strong message against substance abuse, will deter teens from experimenting, the fact is the question has remained unsettled, scientifically.

read entire article here

At one level such research provides encouraging news. At the same time, parents, particularly Christian parents, must be aware of at least three critical dynamics.

First, mere morality or keeping our children from doing drugs is not the goal. Often we fall into the trap of thinking our children are spiritually safe if they avoid the “big sins.” That is certainly not the case. The real issue is always the heart. Our kids may avoid the “big sins” but still be enemies of Christ. We do want them to avoid drugs but we want more than that.

Second, the temptation to sin is ever present with our children, even those children who are born of God. Parents must be reminded that ongoing biblical instruction, serious worldview dialogue, and a developing relationship with their children are absolute necessities if they are to navigate the treacherous waters of a fallen world.

Third, we must also not forget that the real issue is not a positive home or church environment. Research has indicated that those factors alone have little impact upon the decisions kids make and whether or not they succumb to peer pressure. What makes the difference is a personal faith: a faith that belongs to the child himself/herself. In the final analysis, we must ever point our children to Christ as their only hope.

2008-10-17T06:16:00.000-07:00

Sarah Palin and Evangelical Pragmatism - Dr. Paul J. Dean

"The Palin selection is the single most dangerous event in the conscience of the Christian community in the last 10 years at least," said Doug Phillips, president of Vision Forum, a Texas-based ministry. "The unabashed, unquestioning support of Sarah Palin and all she represents marks a fundamental departure from our historic position of family priorities -- of moms being at home with young children, of moms being helpers to their husbands, the priority of being keepers of the home."

read entire article here

The debate surrounding Sarah Palin's nomination highlights at least three critical issues facing evangelicals today: male headship; the role of women in all contexts; and a confusion of priorities in the church. It is the third issue that is of greatest concern.

Regardless of one's interpretation of a watershed text like Titus 2:5, which is of vital import to say the least, evangelicals must wrestle with the prioritization of politics over gospel advance; pragmatism over truth; having a seat at the world's table over being a voice in the wilderness; fear of temporal circumstances over rest in divine providence; and earthly desires over scriptural authority.

Winning an election is an earthly pursuit of little value in the context of eternity and is secondary to maintaining a focus on the specific commission our Lord has given us to make disciples. To adopt a political strategy for gospel advance, assume that government is the answer to our problems, act as if morality is our goal, or justify a politically consumed focus as being salt and light, is to place the easy work of expedience over the hard work of spiritual transformation and miss the point of our calling completely. The temptation to have an influence on the world's stage is large and often militates against the position of marginilization to which Christians are often called by God. Having a prophetic voice that is pleasing to God is far more important than having a welcome voice among other earthly voices in mundane deliberations. While individual Christians should certainly have preferences with regard to political candidates, they must realize that no political candidate or public policy can change hearts. They must also realize that God is the one who raises up and deposes kings and that regardless of who is on the earthly throne or in the Oval Office, the Lord of the Universe has not stepped away from His post. The sad reality is that we are often so self-focused and consumed with fleshly desires that might include earthly power or even revenge, we fail to see that Scripture must be our authority in every circumstance and that we must never substitute form for substance if we are to have true peace in our on hearts and true peace in a world that has indeed been cursed.

2008-10-10T14:28:00.000-07:00

Maybe We Should Blame God for the Subprime Mess - Dr. Paul J. Dean

From an article this week in Time:
Has the so-called Prosperity gospel turned its followers into some of the most willing participants — and hence, victims — of the current financial crisis? That's what a scholar of the fast-growing brand of Pentecostal Christianity believes. While researching a book on black televangelism, says Jonathan Walton, a religion professor at the University of California at Riverside, he realized that Prosperity's central promise — that God will "make a way" for poor people to enjoy the better things in life — had developed an additional, dangerous expression during the subprime-lending boom. Walton says that this encouraged congregants who got dicey mortgages to believe "God caused the bank to ignore my credit score and blessed me with my first house." The results, he says, "were disastrous, because they pretty much turned parishioners into prey for greedy brokers."

read entire article

We all know people of all kinds are greedy in one form or another. Bankers and brokers don’t have the corner on that market. While there is no excuse for anyone taking advantage of another, Christians must be aware of reality. They must be aware of greedy brokers, greedy preachers who give them a message that contradicts the Scriptures, and indeed they must be aware of the greed that lurks in their own hearts.

The root of the whole mess lies in an entitlement mentality that has crept into the American consciousness. It is that mentality that compels the government to force lenders to make high-risk loans to people who cannot afford homes but who are believed to be entitled to own a home. When things go well, greed takes root in the hearts of all involved: the government officials greedy for votes and the perpetuation of themselves in office; the greedy bankers who make loans they know they should not make; and individuals who know they cannot really afford what they want.

Christians especially should be responsible enough to say “no” to something beyond their means. Moreover, they must be satisfied with true treasure and not the fleeting and worthless treasure of this world. They must never blameshift when they are part of the problem.

With particular reference to the prosperity gospel and those who preach it, as one looks at what Christ has to say to those religious leaders who take advantage of ignorant people, it is safe to say they will incur a stricter judgment than any greedy banker. They’ve been warned.

In the end, it is not God who is to be blamed for the subprime mess. It is man. It is sinful man. The reality is that God is the only one who can fix the mess because He is the only one who can remove a heart of greed and replace it with a heart of giving.

2008-09-25T07:58:00.000-07:00

Celebrity Worship: Good for Your Health? - Dr. Paul J. Dean

Shira Gabriel, a psychologist at the University at Buffalo, conducted a series of three studies on celebrity worship, focusing specifically on how admiration from afar may affect the admirer's self-esteem. "It was seven or eight years ago during the Michael Jackson trial," she says, "and I was fascinated by the people who were obsessed with him, who flew to the trial and made banners. I thought, What would bring somebody to do something like that?" One possible reason, which Gabriel decided to explore, was the vicarious pleasure that regular people get from following the lives of famous people; for some fans, there is something uniquely satisfying about carrying on an intense, albeit unrequited, relationship with celebrities. "Perhaps some people who don't feel good about themselves and are not able to get what they want out of a real relationship because of a fear of rejection can feel a connection with a celebrity and get something positive out of that," says Gabriel.

read entire article

A question often intended to evoke feelings of identification and knowing approval can often point to more truth than one realizes. Such a question was posed by Time CNN: “Who among us hasn't fallen victim to a little celebrity worship? Whether the object of our affections are movie stars, athletes, poets or politicians (just look at how many Americans are getting a buzz off Sarah Palin and Barack Obama), we're hungry for information about them. We want to know what they're saying, what they're wearing, where they're going and whom they're with. Indeed, billion-dollar industries revolve around our indefatigable obsession with celebrities.”

The truth is that human beings are spiritual beings that have been affected by the fall. Such celebrity worship is not uncommon nor is it spiritually harmless: it is idolatry. Believers must be aware of such that their minds might be renewed that they might stop being conformed to this world that they might be transformed into individuals who do indeed live increasingly for God’s glory.

Aside from the questionable method of research employed in this case, the assertion is made that “new scientific research has found that celebrity-crushes are not only common but maybe even healthy: a study published Sept. 10 suggests that the act of celebrity worship may be a boon to some people's self-esteem.” On a worldview opposed to the Scripture, the definition of health is self-esteem. In reality, people need a proper esteem in regard to themselves if they are to ever see their need for a Savior and the esteem that is to be had in Him.

The fact that people derive “vicarious pleasure…from following the lives of famous people” is not surprising. Human beings have a natural desire to be part of something bigger than themselves. The problem is that we identify with and derive an ultimate satisfaction from the wrong things. God has set eternity in our hearts. Our identity and pleasure in an ultimate sense must be derived from Him. The good news is that we don’t have to shrink the kingdom of which we are a part down to the size of our little lives or even the little lives of celebrities. By grace through faith in Christ we can be part of the biggest kingdom there is: God’s kingdom. And, that’s ultimate.

2008-09-24T17:59:00.000-07:00

Religion: Praise the Lord and Pass the Business Plan as God Embraces Mammon - Dr. Paul J. Dean

God wants you rich, and as if to prove it His golden forefinger is pointing down through the stage ceiling at the Excel exhibition centre in east London. This is the International Gathering of Champions, one of the largest worship meetings of Pentecostalists ever held in Britain, and the three-metre (10ft) digit hanging above the preachers is a sign that they and the 80,000 who will come to hear them are, in the words of Deuteronomy, "empowered to prosper". It may seem like a Monty Python comedy prop, but how to get rich and then how to get richer is the message of this eight-day meeting of mostly west African and Caribbean Christians, which reaches a climax this weekend. In other words, the Bible is the business plan and Jesus is the financial adviser-in-chief. The loudest amen went to a preacher who told a parable of an IT consultant who went forth and multiplied his salary by 10. Thousands cheered as the preacher explained how a young man with few qualifications started on £14,000 a year and wound up working for a Swiss bank on £140,000.

read entire article

Indeed it was the Lord Jesus who said, “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (Matt. 6:24).” The loss of Scriptural authority opens the door to idolatry of all kinds. It is no surprise when such churches grow into the thousands as the way is broad that leads to destruction (Matt. 7:13).”

What is truly surprising is the continued success of this newly packaged form of hucksterism. The pull of the flesh is strong and citizens of a fallen world naturally look to earthly treasure as that which satisfies. In a life that is quite difficult for some in an economic sense, how appealing a message of health and wealth must be. Not only is the religious desire that is universally present fulfilled, but the flesh is rewarded as well.

And yet, such a message is overwhelmingly mundane and unworthy of the Kingdom. It was also the Lord Jesus who said to the rich young ruler, “Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me (Lk. 18:22).” Christ promises a far greater treasure for those who see Him as ultimate: a treasure that is “incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you (1 Pet. 1:4).”

2008-09-23T19:36:00.000-07:00

Why I’m Leaving Guyland - Dr. Paul J. Dean

Today's guys are perhaps the first downwardly mobile—and endlessly adolescent—generation of men in U.S. history. They're also among the most distraught—men between the ages of 16 and 26 have the highest suicide rate for any group except men above 70—and socially isolated, despite their image as a band of backslapping buddies. According to the General Social Survey, a highly regarded decades long University of Chicago project to map changes in American culture, twenty something guys are bowling alone when compared with the rest of society. They are less likely to read a newspaper, attend church, vote for president or believe that people are basically trustworthy, helpful and fair. Meanwhile, saddled with an average of $20,000 in student debt and reared with a sense of entitlement that stops them from taking any old job, the percentage of 26-year-olds living with their parents has nearly doubled since 1970, from 11 to 20 percent, according to economist Bob Schoeni's research with the Population Studies Center at the University of Michigan.

read entire article

That a decade-long odyssey of debauchery prior to entrance into the responsibilities of adulthood is the new normal for American males is not surprising in a culture that has cast off truth. When truth goes, responsibility, commitment, and morality go as well. These dynamics make no sense on a relativistic worldview.

On such a worldview marriage means nothing and the worship of self is glorified. The family man who is fulfilled cannot be touted lest the religion of self be undermined. The said reality is that statistically, such a self-centered and debauched lifestyle leads to nothing but spiritual, emotional, and even physical misery. As R.G. Lee once said in his famous sermon, “Pay-Day Some-Day,” “the devil pays off in counterfeit bills.”

Part of the message of the church must be the glorious nature of marriage both in theological and practical terms. That message will be heard when Christians understand the ultimate purpose of marriage as an arena for God’s glory and propagate that purpose through word and display. Christian couples find themselves in a context that is far more fulfilling than Guyland. May we live accordingly.

2008-09-18T16:57:00.000-07:00

Sarah Palin: A New Twist in the Debate on Mothers - Dr. Paul J. Dean

When Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska was introduced as a vice-presidential pick, she was presented as a magnet for female voters, the epitome of everymom appeal. But since then, as mothers across the country supervise the season’s final water fights and pack book bags, some have voiced the kind of doubts that few male pundits have dared raise on television. With five children, including an infant with Down syndrome and, as the country learned Monday, a pregnant 17-year-old, Ms. Palin has set off a fierce argument among women about whether there are enough hours in the day for her to take on the vice presidency, and whether she is right to try. It’s the Mommy Wars: Special Campaign Edition. But this time the battle lines are drawn inside out, with social conservatives, usually staunch advocates for stay-at-home motherhood, mostly defending her, while some others, including plenty of working mothers, worry that she is taking on too much. “How is this really going to work?” said Karen Shopoff Rooff, an independent voter, personal trainer and mother of two in Austin, Tex. “I don’t care whether she’s the mother or the father; it’s a lot to handle,” she said, adding that Ms. Palin’s lack of national experience would only make her road more difficult.

read entire article

There is no doubt that Sarah Palin has energized the conservative base of the Republican party and rightly so. In terms of her ideology and determination to govern in accordance with her values, if elected, she will be perhaps the closest thing to Ronald Regan the Republicans have put in the executive branch since him.

Governor Palin has also thrilled evangelicals. For the first time in quite a while, they along with other conservatives in the Republican party are truly excited about a Presidential election. Outsiders need look no further than her Down’s Syndrome baby, a living symbol of her commitment to the dignity of all human life, to see why they are exuberant. The only thing better would be to see her at the top of the ticket.

At the same time, too often evangelicals are prone to see through enculturated eyes. While the out of wedlock pregnancy of Governor Palin’s seventeen year old daughter can and does happen to the best of Christian parents, and while such a situation does not spell hypocrisy, two issues should give Christians pause.

First, though surely there have been some, I have not heard one Christian leader call Bristol Palin’s action sin. That does not mean that one should not vote for Governor Palin. That does not mean that Bristol cannot and should not be forgiven by God and her parents if there is genuine repentance. That does not mean that love and support should not be offered from her family: it should. But, it does mean that Christians should want to hear from their leaders an acknowledgement of sin in the discussion. They should want that message and the forgiveness that is to be had in Christ to go forth for the sake of the gospel. To my great disappointment, what I have heard from far too many Christian leaders is how this situation makes Governor Palin more appealing politically, how it humanizes her, and how Bristol is in a committed relationship. These are sentiments one would expect from party hacks and not servants of Christ.

Second, while the Scripture does not strictly forbid women, married women, or married women with children from working outside the home, it is clear that the home is their primary responsibility. Can Sarah Palin fulfill her biblical responsibility to her husband, her five children, including one new born with Down’s Syndrome, and one unmarried teenaged daughter who is pregnant, and serve as Vice-President? It is not unjust to raise the issue as many evangelical leaders have indicated. While it is certainly hypocritical for feminists to raise the issue, it is obligatory for Christians to do so. We must at least wrestle with Titus 2:5 wherein wives are commanded to be keepers at home. We can’t simply dismiss it. Once again, the rhetoric from Christian ministers is astounding.

Politically speaking, the Sarah Palin pick was a stroke of genius from John McCain and she is well-deserving of support apart from him. At the same time, Christians must learn that government, politics, and who wins the presidency are not ultimate. There are things that are far more important. Moreover, government will not save us or this nation. If this nation is to be changed, it will be changed by the church being the church. Sometimes that means doing what is not politically expedient that the power and glory of God might be put on display.

2008-07-03T12:31:00.000-07:00

New York Times: The Great Seduction - Dr. Paul J. Dean

David Brooks writes: “The people who created this country built a moral structure around money. The Puritan legacy inhibited luxury and self-indulgence. Benjamin Franklin spread a practical gospel that emphasized hard work, temperance and frugality. Millions of parents, preachers, newspaper editors and teachers expounded the message. The result was quite remarkable. The United States has been an affluent nation since its founding. But the country was, by and large, not corrupted by wealth. For centuries, it remained industrious, ambitious and frugal. Over the past 30 years, much of that has been shredded. The social norms and institutions that encouraged frugality and spending what you earn have been undermined. The institutions that encourage debt and living for the moment have been strengthened. The country’s moral guardians are forever looking for decadence out of Hollywood and reality TV. But the most rampant decadence today is financial decadence, the trampling of decent norms about how to use and harness money. Sixty-two scholars have signed on to a report by the Institute for American Values and other think tanks called, “For a New Thrift: Confronting the Debt Culture,” examining the results of all this. This may be damning with faint praise, but it’s one of the most important think-tank reports you’ll read this year.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/10/opinion/10brooks.html?_r
=1&em&ex=1213416000&en=4ec06791b4ad57d5&ei=5087%0A&oref=slogin

Everything must have a moral structure around it. There is no such thing as neutrality no matter what the subject. One’s view of mathematics is grounded in a worldview, realized or not, that is not neutral. The movement toward relativism in math answers in school serves to highlight the erosion of the Christian worldview that math comes from the God of order and natural law. In the same way, ones view of money is not neutral. Either moral structures are built around it, i.e. biblical hedges, or not, and if not, then money will necessarily be misused. The consequences are heavy and widespread.

The values of hard work, saving, frugal moderation, and paying as you go are biblical values. The values of get rich quick, spending with no care, wasteful excess, and living luxuriously on credit are cultural values. According to the Scriptures, the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. When an individual or a group embraces the love of money by casting off a moral structure around it, the coming economic earthquake is not an “if” but a “when.” Implications not only abound for individuals and this culture as a whole, but also for government and related economic policy. Debt, increased taxation, the secret tax of inflation, the printing of more money, mortgaging the future, and the like are certainly not answers.

It is interesting that the think tank calls for practical changes. David Brooks notes that the only real answer and hope is a return to Puritan values concerning money. I could not have said it better for indeed they were shaped by a biblical worldview.

2008-05-21T03:36:00.000-07:00

CA Court Trashes Traditional Marriage – Dr. Paul J. Dean
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=64357

The California Supreme Court today trashed society's traditional institution of marriage, opening it up for same-sex duos because retaining the historic definition "cannot properly be viewed as a compelling state interest." In a 4-3 decision replete with concurring and dissenting opinions filed by individual members of the court, the majority opinion determined state laws specifying marriage as being between a man and a woman were unconstitutional. "First, the exclusion of same-sex couples from the designation of marriage clearly is not necessary in order to afford full protection to all of the rights and benefits that currently are enjoyed by married opposite-sex couples," the court opined. "Permitting same-sex couples access to the designation of marriage will not deprive opposite-sex couples of any rights."

Commentary

Three issues stand out here. First, one of the things evangelicals must wrestle with is whether or not it is the role of the government to define marriage. God is the One who has defined marriage. It is His institution and must be regulated by Him, not the state. For the government to define and regulate marriage is to encroach upon God’s territory and set itself up in God’s place.

Second, because this is a church issue and not a state issue, the church ever needs to be the church in these discussions. Only when a culture is permeated with the gospel will that culture adopt a biblical worldview concerning the issue of marriage. Until Christians learn this simple truth, we will not win the battle through the courts. Until we learn what the battle is and where and how to fight it, we will continue to fail.

Third, along those lines, observation of public debate between evangelicals and homosexual activists concerning this issue is instructive. We will never win the debate by attempting to be philosophically neutral or by debating on the homosexuals’ territory, or from their worldview. In other words, arguments advanced by evangelicals connected to scientific studies of how children do better when raised by heterosexual couples, or arguments linked to the redefinition of marriage by society, or its demise in esteem by that society, will not work. While those things are true, homosexual activists will remain unconvinced due to the fact that they look at the data through a different worldview lens and the fact that they are convinced they are right. Further, they have studies and statistics to offer as well.

Whenever we give up our presupposition that God has spoken, we give up the only real argument that has power. The simple fact is that homosexuality and homosexual marriage is sin. This fact must be pointed out and persons must be called to repentance. We must argue at a worldview level. If there is a God, then He has a standard. What that standard is ever remains the issue. We are not trying to convince men that our opinion is right. Neither will we ever be able to do so. We are trying to convince men that they have sinned against a Holy God and need to repent. When we attempt that, the Holy Spirit speaks along side of our voice to do what He alone can do: change hearts, and thereby change spiritual opinions.

2008-05-21T03:34:00.000-07:00

Evangelical Writers Challenged to Avoid Alienating the Unchurched – Dr. Paul J. Dean
http://www.churchexecutive.com/news.asp?N_ID=1265

Evangelical writers nearly always alienate non-evangelicals in their works, noted long-time Christian writer and editor Tim McLaughlin. McLaughlin contends that evangelicals include personal information in a biography to establish credibility based on religious standards rather than professional. After careful consideration, he decided to delete the line on family life in a biography and leave just the subject’s professional qualification in his efforts to edit out the “passwords” used in evangelical writing. “Let’s not call marriage ‘biblical,’ as we like to, but healthy,” posed McLaughlin. ... “Adam and Eve had no civil ceremony, Abraham slept with other women including Hagar, Isaac’s wife was selected by his father’s servant and was his cousin, David ‘collected wives like military victories, and his most memorable son came from an affair with a married woman,’ and Prophet Hosea married a whore,” McLaughlin noted, speaking from a non-evangelical point of view. “So what do we have as a biblical model for marriage?” he asked while chuckling.

Commentary

There is no doubt that evangelicals need to learn how to talk in such a way so as not to unnecessarily offend non-evangelicals and thereby lose an opportunity for gospel advance. The Scriptures are clear that our speech should be seasoned with salt and that we are to walk in wisdom toward those who are outside of the faith. Applications of these principles abound and discussion should be evoked thereby.

However, the suggestions called for in this article are misguided. To substitute the word “healthy” for “biblical” is to say nothing in terms of one’s character or the standard to which one holds. It is that different standard, that change of life, that commitment to a different worldview that is ultimately attractive to the uninitiated, not a lowering of such standards. If Christians are no different from the world, why would the world even bother to consider Christianity? It is true that pagans do not like Christians or their standard. At the same time, it is that standard that becomes attractive when God is at work. In the same way, pagans hate the gospel. But, it is that same gospel that is the power of God unto salvation.

Further, McLaughlin is guilty of twisting the Scripture in his brief diatribe against biblical marriage. Neither Abraham nor David is held out as a model for us in terms of what it means to be faithful in marriage. Hosea was commanded to marry a prostitute as a picture of God’s redeeming love. To say the one-man-for-one-woman-for-one-lifetime is not the biblical model, as McLaughlin implies, is to twist the Scriptures. The bible is replete with teaching on marriage and Christ Himself is the standard.

In the end, as one reads what McLaughlin actually says, it is not his concern for the lost that is driving his comments. At their root is a liberal theology that rejects the authority of Scripture.

2008-05-21T03:31:00.000-07:00

Aim at 'Spiritually Interested' Sparks 'The Shack' Sales – Dr. Paul J. Dean
http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2008-04-30-shack_N.htm

A little novel written by an Oregon salesman and self-published by two former pastors with a $300 marketing budget is lighting up USA TODAY's Best-Selling Books list with a wrenching parable about God's grace. First-time author William P. Young's book The Shack, in which the father of a murdered child encounters God the Father as a sarcastic black woman, Jesus as a Middle Eastern laborer and the Holy Spirit as an Asian girl, is No. 8 on the list. Lynn Garrett, senior religion editor for Publishers Weekly, calls the book's success "most unusual. It's every self-published author's dream to start out this way and sell at this level. People are not necessarily concerned with how orthodox the theology is. People are into the story and how the book strikes them emotionally," Garrett says.

Commentary

That this novel is popular is not surprising considering the spiritual but relativistic society we have become. What should be surprising, however, is the popularity the book has gained among Christians. Of course, that popularity highlights major problems in the church today.

When a novel freely alters biblical teaching on doctrines connected to salvation and the nature of God Himself and is not rejected outright, it is no wonder that we find ourselves in an “evangelicalism divided.” To say that “people are not necessarily concerned with how orthodox the theology is...and [that] people are into the story and how the book strikes them emotionally,” is to unwittingly put a finger on the problem. Large segments of the church have bought into a therapeutic, moralistic, deism to borrow a phrase. Such a position flows from a willingness to say that my experience trumps God’s revelation. Or, truth is not important if I feel good spiritually. As postmodernism slowly infects the church, more Christians are willing to allow story to trump propositional truth. Biblical discernment is the great need of the church in this desperate hour.

From a practical standpoint, too many works under the heading of Christian fiction have led too many astray. Because the bible is not that exciting to the typical church member, Christian fiction has gained a foothold in the hearts of the so-called faithful. The problem lies in the fact that for the vast majority of those individuals, rather than allowing a biblical theology to provide discernment in connection to their reading, it is the novel itself that shapes their theology. A committed believer shared with me that he believed Christ went to Hell and had a physical boxing match with Satan because he read it in a novel. When challenged, his response was, “How do you know that didn’t happen?” The problem with his question is obvious: truth is not determined by what may or may not have happened, not by what we would like it to be, not by what we read in a novel, but by the revelation of God. In the final analysis, when people are not satisfied with the truth, the truth is, they are not satisfied with God.

2008-05-21T03:28:00.000-07:00

“Grand Theft Auto IV” Has Lots of Critics –Dr. Paul J. Dean
http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=27962

If the name "Grand Theft Auto IV" doesn't give away the violent and explicit content of the latest teenage video game craze, then the multiple warnings on the packaging do. "GTA IV," as it is called," carries a "Mature" rating for "blood," "intense violence," "partial nudity," "strong language," "strong sexual content" and the "use of drugs and alcohol."…The latest release, in fact, could become the top-selling video game of all time. It went on sale April 29 and already is the top-selling video game on Amazon.com. The game revolves around "Niko Bellic," an immigrant from Eastern Europe who lives in "Liberty City" –- essentially a faux name for New York City. The video gamer, playing the role of Niko, steals cars, kills cops and gang members, runs over pedestrians on the sidewalk, gets drunk, visits strip clubs and has sex with prostitutes. The game has multiple critics, including Mothers Against Drunk Driving, which is upset that players can get drunk and then drive.

Commentary

Parents and teenagers who claim to be Christians: be warned. Satan’s attacks are subtle. What some consider to be benign entertainment is no such thing. Every thing we see or hear comes from one of two worldviews: a Christian worldview or a non-Christian worldview. Too often Christians miss this reality. Equally problematic is the fact that those who understand such a dynamic often feel that filling one’s mind with such things has no effect upon them or that they can counteract the effect with a heavy dose of God somehow.

These notions are both ignorant and arrogant. The battlefield on which we as Christians wage war is the mind/heart. We are constantly told to “renew our minds” as Satan, the world, and our own flesh war against our souls. If we do not see our lives as a battle nor understand where the battlefield is, we have lost already. Our minds are corrupted daily with the constant onslaught of ideas contrary to God. Without a constant renewal of our minds we are unable to put-off the sin that so easily entangles us and put on righteousness.

Of course, the real question is simple: what does it say about one’s heart that loves the things portrayed in “Grand Theft Auto IV?” Examine yourselves. The true believer increasingly hates the things God hates and loves the things God loves.

Too often we reject the truth for fear of being equated with some form of legalism. There is no doubt that legalism kills and we must reject it as much as we must reject libertinism. But, it is not legalistic to say that filling one’s mind with images contrary to God is not only sin but destructive. Because of our flesh, we do not have the ability to fight off the resulting influence of such a steady barrage of the mind. In fact, our flesh loves such. And even if we could regularly take such a barrage unscathed, who among us is willing to say that God is ambivalent about the issue? These are the very things God hates. These are the very things that put Christ on the cross. These are the very things for which Hell exists. Argue with God if you will, but, Grand Theft Auto IV is grand theft of the soul.

2008-05-21T03:25:00.000-07:00

Manners are getting worse? – Dr. Paul J. Dean
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080428/od_nm/rude_dc

LONDON (Reuters) - Britons are ruder than they were a decade ago, according to a survey on Monday that showed almost three-quarters of people think manners should be taught at school. A third believe bad manners are the catalyst for much of the anti-social behavior in Britain, the ITV poll found. Experts interviewed by the network blamed a lack of respect for authority… [The head of the Campaign for Courtesy] commented, “But I think things should go back, not to the old deference, not to groveling, not to any of that but just to feeling respect, because I think that would make everyone's life more pleasant.”

Commentary

Manners are getting worse. This trend is no doubt due to a number of factors cited in the article including the fact that parents are not teaching manners to their children, there is a lack of discipline in the home, and there has been a breakdown of society related to a prolific lack of respect for authority.

Of course, the real problem is much deeper. In one sense, these dynamics could be considered symptoms even as a lack of manners is such. It is the erosion of the Christian Worldview within contemporary culture that lies at the root of these symptoms. Authority is something that God has established and His authority is ultimate. If there is a rejection or a marginalization of God in the larger society, and there is, then there will be a rejection of authority. There is a necessary connection from the one to the other. Once authority is rejected, then parental authority is jettisoned. The compulsion to teach children the need to respect authority is thrown overboard. The new norm is expressed in an oft seen T-shirt slogan, “Reject Authority!” When God is marginalized, other worldviews take hold. Regardless of which one holds sway at any given time, truth becomes relative and absolute authority is abandoned.

Put another way, a lack of manners is the result of sin and its pervasive influence. There is a trickle-down effect as it were. By way of contrast, good manners flow from a Christian Worldview. There is a trickle-down effect on that side of the equation as well. The loss of all things decent and good stems from the loss of a Christian Worldview in a culture. Even when pagans call for manners, they do so as a result of one of two things: either the influence of a Christian Worldview upon themselves some how some time, or, the influence of the knowledge of God within them that they continue to suppress but have by virtue of common grace.

The solution of course is ever the same. We must be salt and light in the context in which God has placed us. And, we have a great hope. If sinners are saved, authority and indeed manners will come to be respected rather than rejected. Hence, the answer is not education but evangelization. Only then it will be more pleasant for all of us.

2008-05-20T05:35:00.000-07:00

“Now We Have the Technology That Can Make a Cloned Child” – Dr. Paul J. Dean
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/now-we-have-the-technology-that-can-make-a-cloned-child-808625.html

A new form of cloning has been developed that is easier to carry out than the technique used to create Dolly the sheep, raising fears that it may one day be used on human embryos to produce "designer" babies. Scientists who used the procedure to create baby mice from the skin cells of adult animals have found it to be far more efficient than the Dolly technique, with fewer side effects, which makes it more acceptable for human use. The mice were made by inserting skin cells of an adult animal into early embryos produced by in-vitro fertilisation (IVF). Some of the resulting offspring were partial clones but some were full clones – just like Dolly.

Commentary

On the heels of the recent report that we are now creating cybrids, or human-animal embryos, we now have the technology to clone humans. Again, similar issues are raised.

First, there are genuine and legitimate fears that such technology could be seized by in vitro fertilization doctors. That kind of action is spurred on by greed on the one hand and a ready market fueled by desperate would-be parents. Certainly Christian couples must discern the ramifications of what they pursue before the face of God. Few couples understand the ethical issues raised in the IVF process. There is a need to be educated in addition to a need to come to grips with the reality that God’s sovereign providence is always best and is something in which we can most assuredly rest. Of course, cloning presents a new wrinkle into the mix when one considers what lengths parents might go to in order to hold onto children who have been diagnosed with terminal illness or the like. It is not too cliché to say that we are skating on thin ice.

Second, a greater fear is the almost certain push for “designer babies.” In the culture of choices and individual expression, many will no doubt be faced with too great a temptation. You want blond hair and blue eyes? No problem. You want a little DNA from Albert Einstein? You’re covered. You want your son to be the next Michael Jordan? Just purchase some of his DNA. It could make for big business – and who knows what else.

Third, where do we as a culture want to allow scientists to go? Again, simply because we have the ability to do something does not mean that we should.

Fourth, this is an issue that goes beyond our culture and should be of concern to what can now be called the global community. That dynamic in itself creates certain problems as disparate worldviews are no doubt clashing. Who will determine the limits? Who will hold renegade scientists responsible? Obviously there is a need for the propagation of the Christian worldview on a massive scale if egregious errors against God and humanity are to be thwarted.

2008-05-20T05:30:00.000-07:00

School’s Cross-Dressing Day Angers Christian Network – Dr. Paul J. Dean
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-04-06-wis-cross-dressing_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip

An elementary-school event in which kids were encouraged to dress as members of the opposite gender drew the ire of a Christian radio group, whose angry broadcast prompted outraged calls to the district office. Students at Pineview Elementary in Reedsburg had been dressing in costume all last week as part of an annual school tradition called Wacky Week. On Friday, students were encouraged to dress either as senior citizens or as members of the opposite sex. A local resident informed the Voice of Christian Youth America on Friday. The Milwaukee-based radio network responded by interrupting its morning programming for a special broadcast that aired on nine radio stations throughout Wisconsin. The broadcast criticized the dress-up day and accused the district of promoting alternative lifestyles.

Commentary

This incident is instructive on a number of fronts. First, Christians must be careful not to jump to conclusions particularly when it leads to a potential false accusation. The referenced radio broadcast accused the school district of promoting alternative lifestyles. The participating teachers claim they were simply seeking to have a little fun in the education process. The district indicated they would not have such a day again. We must be careful to get the facts before we speak and we must speak appropriately. That means saying nothing some times. When we must speak, we are to season our speech with salt.

Second, while the teachers and students in this case made no claim to be Christians, this story raises an issue for believers. Many have applauded cross-dressing in certain contexts. Certain comedians who simply wanted to get a laugh come to mind. At the same time, believers and indeed Christian workers often do the same for one reason or another. We would do well to remember that the Scriptures do in fact tell us that men should dress like men and women should dress like women. When a believer cross-dresses for any reason, he denies the distinction that God has made between the sexes and the purpose for which that distinction was created; he confuses gender roles in an already confused culture; he denies biblical complementarianism and affirms egalitarianism; he promotes the worship of self; and among any number of other things, he unwittingly denies the sins that are committed by homosexuals, transvestites, and those who have had sex change operations, etc. This is something that simply should not be done for any reason.

Christians must recognize that we are far more influenced by our culture than we realize. No doubt some will reject the warnings herein and write some of these things off as harmless fun. The question then becomes, “Why do I see “cross-dressing” as something that can be done for fun or for laughs?” Examining our own hearts is not an easy thing. Yet, for the cause of God and truth, for our own spiritual well-being, and for our influence in a lost culture, that is exactly what we must do.

2008-05-20T04:41:00.000-07:00

We Have Created Human-Animal Embryos Says British Team – Dr. Paul J. Dean
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article3663033.ece

Embryos containing human and animal material have been created in Britain for the first time, a month before the House of Commons votes on new laws to regulate the research. A team at Newcastle University announced yesterday that it had successfully generated “admixed embryos” by adding human DNA to empty cow eggs in the first experiment of its kind in Britain.

Commentary

The brave new world in which we find ourselves medically and ethically keeps getting newer and braver. In the midst of debate concerning embryonic stem cell research and other advances like cloning, along with the attendant moral implications, emerges the drive to create admixed embryos, or cytoplasmic hybrids, or cybrids. The genetic material in the resulting embryos is 99.9 per cent human. No doubt questions will be raised as the push continues as to just what to do with cybrids. Are we talking about the use of stem cells only? Will scientists lobby for more? What will be potential sources for the extraction of human DNA? Do we have a being that is 99.9 per cent created in the image of God?

Christians must involve themselves in research and dialogue with the scientific community as ethical boundaries continue to be crossed. Evangelical leaders are woefully ignorant in regard to boundaries that are now routinely crossed even by their own congregants. How can we expect the rank and file to understand certain issue in this arena when their leaders don’t? How many Christians question the biblical propriety of surrogate motherhood for example? Not only is a third party introduced into the marriage relationship that is supposed to be one flesh, but an entire new industry has been spawned with wombs for rent. Surrogacy is now Wall Street big business. How many Christians unknowingly or uncaringly add to the problem with the process of in vitro fertilization? Multiple human embryos (human beings) are discarded or destroyed.

Just because we can do something does not mean that we should do something. To borrow a saying from a friend, “we’re going to have to get our heads around this.”

2008-05-20T04:37:00.000-07:00

Living Together Before Marriage a Statistical Risk – Dr. Paul J. Dean
http://www.baptistpress.com/BPnews.asp?ID=27699

“Does living together before marriage increase the chances for a successful marriage? The answer may surprise some. Between 50 and 60 percent of all marriages begin with the two partners cohabitating, and many of those couples no doubt believe they are making a wise move up front. But living together before marriage actually increases the chances of divorce in a first marriage -- 67 percent of cohabitating couples who marry eventually divorce, compared to 45 percent of all first marriages.”

Commentary

While we do not need statistics to affirm the truth of Scripture as we accept it on faith, such statistics do point out that the world does not have the answers. Everything is an issue of worldview. All worldviews that seek answers to life’s issues apart from God will always get it wrong as all such thinking is an act of rebellious independence from God and futile (Rom. 1:18f). God must be brought into the equation to provide a reasonable explanation for our experience and to supply answers for the problems we experience.

Couples do have problems. The world focuses on compatibility, living together to see if things are going to work out, prenuptial agreements, and “I’ll scratch your back if you scratch my back” scenarios for marriage improvement (which is actually nothing more than a focus on self). The bible focuses on a covenant grounded in God’s covenant; compatibility derived from complementary dynamics brought to the marriage combined with the putting off of selfish sin; sacrificial, service-oriented, and other-focused love; and a life-long commitment adherent in such things with an acknowledgement throughout that we self-centered individuals need a power outside of ourselves to accomplish this in our lives.

In the process, the gospel of redeeming and reconciling grace is put on display. It is the power and grace of God alone that can prevent us from finding ourselves on the wrong side of the statistical chart.

2008-05-20T04:29:00.000-07:00

Materialistic Society is 'Damaging' Children: Poll Says - Dr. Paul J. Dean
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080226103117.duhctnsx&show_article=1

Children feel under pressure to own the latest designer clothes and computer games and most adults believe the "commercialisation of childhood" is damaging young people's well-being, a poll said Tuesday. A survey by GfK NOP for the Children's Society showed that out of the 1,225 adults questioned, 89 percent felt that children are more materialistic now than in previous generations. Evidence submitted to the inquiry from children themselves suggests that they do feel under pressure to keep up with the latest trends, the society added. The poll is part of a larger inquiry into childhood and includes evidence by professionals and members of the public on issues such as lifestyle, learning, friends and family.

Commentary

Certainly children feel under pressure to own the latest designer clothes and computer games for at least two reasons: the materialistic philosophy they are being taught by their parents and the larger culture and the target market they have become. The culture of the individualized self is manifest at earlier ages with each passing generation. That dynamic in combination with the almost universal American notion that “I deserve it all” is a recipe for disaster. Add to that the concept of “my own money,” give it to children and the dish is done. Children are easy pickings for the advertising industry.

What should be more alarming is the actuality that biblical prohibitions against selfism, materialism, greed, pride, and vanity are all but rejected even by most Christians. That things will make us happy, that we must like what the world likes, that we must have what the world has, and that we must be well thought of by the world, are attitudes associated with those who don’t truly know God. The fact that these attitudes should be found in children, and indeed among evangelicals, merely reveals the spiritual poverty in which the church finds herself today. One may attempt to alter the biblical revelation that the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil with some kind of misguided rationale that enables him to adopt a lifestyle in pursuit of “building wealth,” but one may not alter its reality or its consequences. By the way, it is not society that’s damaging children, its sin.

2008-02-23T12:59:00.001-08:00

Government, Mental Health Screening, & Christian Worldview - Dr. Paul J. Dean

Believers and non-believers alike face common dangers from time to time. In such instances, as in all others, the Christian worldview alone is the answer or protection we all need. Recently, the Boston Globe reported that “annual checkups for the nearly half a million Massachusetts children on Medicaid will carry a new requirement: Doctors must offer simple questionnaires to detect warning signs of possible mental health problems, from autism in toddlers to depression in teens. The checklists vary by age but ask questions about children's behavior - whether they are spending more time alone, seeming to have less fun, having trouble sleeping - that are designed to trigger discussion between parents and doctors. The conversations may or may not lead to a referral to a specialist.” Further, “The new requirement represents ‘a huge step forward in a direction that is a national trend,’ said Dr. Robin Adair, a University of Massachusetts Medical School pediatrician and screening specialist.” Here, the fundamentally flawed and greedy mental health industry and the long arm of the state have combined to foist a new imposition upon the citizenry which threatens to further propagate a destructive view and methodology in terms of mental health, create even more mental health problems with their attendant consequences, and violate the personal liberty that Americans have held so dear. Make no mistake: this is but one step with many to follow.

At issue here is the systematic dissemination of a worldview opposed to the Scriptures. That worldview is grounded in the notion that human beings are nothing more than matter in motion, that their mental problems are related to the brain only, and that man is not a composite being having both physical and spiritual aspects. While there are other views in the psychological world, this view has ascended and now holds sway. On such a worldview, testing is developed (despite the fact that physiological/objective tests have not been possible) that ultimately highlights so-called warning signals in an effort to substantiate the industry’s claims and provide a solution the “brain only” crowd deems appropriate. The resolution of course is more children medicated unnecessarily and more profits for the industrial complex. Dr. John Abramson, a clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School and author of “Overdosed America,” noted that “What happens is that there's a very quick translation of mental health symptoms into drug treatment.” According to the Globe article, “Already, children's psychiatrists and psychologists are often overbooked. Children with serious mental illness sometimes end up stuck in psychiatric hospitals for lack of mental health services in the community.”

The Christian worldview affirms that human beings are bipartite: physical and spiritual. We are more than the confluence of random molecules. We have and are living souls. Obviously, spiritual problems require spiritual solutions while physical problems require physical solutions. Sometimes the two overlap and diagnosis must take into account both of those factors. At the same time, it is that worldview that truly moves to help others with no conflicting motives. True compassion is brought to bear upon each individual for God’s glory and his/her good.

A second issue is the creation of consequences that flow from the aforementioned flawed view and methodology. Well documented is the connection between psychotropic medication and increased suicidality, the FDA’s revelation that the pharmaceutical industry’s claims concerning the safety and efficacy of anti-depressants is greatly exaggerated, as well as their admission that anti-convulsant/anti-epileptic drugs, commonly referred to as mood stabilizers, also foster an increased rate of suicide. Loud is the lament from many concerning the massive number of children subdued by Ritalin and yet the state is calling for more. While the world sees a convergence between the rash of school shootings and those who are mentally ill or not taking their medication, the nexus may actually be the medication itself as guns and depression have always been with us. We have yet to learn what vast consequences attend the artificial altering of brain chemistry. Yet, we still live in a culture that blindly accepts industry claims. Advertising for anti-depressants is at an all time high and prompts patients to pressure their doctors for what they have been told they need.

The Christian worldview affirms that individuals are different. For that reason, some do better than others in certain settings. Some behave better than others. Some learn differently than others. It is that worldview that respects individuality and seeks to not only affirm such but move with love in seeking to help individuals navigate properly the circumstances in which they find themselves by God’s providence for their good. It is a worldview that does not seek to control or further enslave others with drugs as a matter of convenience. Rather, it is a worldview that seeks to liberate people from the bondage they are in by nature with grace and mercy.

A third issue is the further encroachment by the state upon the citizenry. This move is yet another wave lapping against the once massive rock of liberty. Erosion of that liberty is well advanced with more to come if people are not awakened to its reality. It has never been the proper role of government to screen children for anything let alone illusive if not fictitious mental health problems. Of course, whenever the government dole is involved, the government’s constraint will follow. At issue here is not only the state’s willingness to exert its power, but also the popular notion that the state is to take care of us. As those who do not take responsibility for their own lives and well-being increase, so too will government intrusion into all of our lives. And a compliant majority will applaud.

The Christian worldview affirms that individuals must take responsibility for their own lives and well-being. The proper role of the state is to protect a depraved citizenry from one another. One man’s liberty ends where the next man’s liberty begins. The state monitors that dynamic. At the same time, if one man may not encroach upon the liberty of another, neither may the government. It is the Christian worldview alone that promulgates the lofty notion of liberty and justice for all.

These subjects really are matters of worldview. One group seeks to find solutions to man’s problems with the presupposition that there is no God while the other asserts that God is. The diagnosis as well as the treatment flowing from each position will naturally contradict one another. Additionally, as noted, unforeseen consequences always attend the application of a non-Christian worldview, i.e., the destruction of liberty. Let us not fail to recognize what is at stake with developments such as this. A loss of liberty is bad; a loss of mental health is worse; a loss of God is unbearable.

2007-09-06T09:04:00.000-07:00

Labor: How to be a Christian Doctor, Lawyer, or Whatever - Dr. Paul J. Dean

Over the Labor Day weekend I’ve been thinking about, well, labor. The truth is that labor is a gift from God. Labor is not the consequence of sin but rather the toil associated with labor. Yet, for the believer who lives under the providential care of God, labor can be rewarding, productive, and God-glorifying all at the same time. Labor is an opportunity to put our God-given skills and gifts to work. Labor gives us the prospect of making a contribution to our world. It gives us occasion to put God’s glory on display as we work as more than mere men-pleasers. At the same time, labor provides for us an avenue by which we may serve others physically and spiritually. Of course, in order to serve others in both capacities, we must see our labor from God’s vantage point and embrace the reality that our physical labor can and should be used to help persons move toward Christ.

By way of example, how should a Christian physician respond to one who suffers from chronic pain? The truth is that pain is a reality and there are physiological issues that cause pain. At the same time, pain is often the result of or at least exacerbated by “inner” or spiritual problems. Can anger, bitterness, and a general feeling that life is unfair contribute to the misery one experiences when she has a physical problem? The answer is “yes!” Is life unfair? Again, the answer is “yes!” But, the real question is this: do we deserve to have a life that is fair? Answering this question properly, along with a number of others, can help us get some unexpected relief from pain and help us in other areas that may surprise us.

In his book, True Competence in Medicine: Practicing Biblically-based Medicine in a Fallen World, Jim Halla, M.D., asserts that the real issue is whether we are living like atheists or those who understand that God is our environment. In other words, life is unfair because of the fall, we do not deserve a life that is fair, and all of life is lived in connection to God and His providence. When we recognize these foundational principles, we will respond to our pain very differently than we will if we fail to recognize them. If we hold to a biblical worldview, we know that we will suffer as a result of our fallenness, that we deserve our suffering, that God is gracious to give us relief from our suffering in so many ways, and that God is using even our suffering for our good and His glory. Our bitterness toward our circumstances will turn to a rest in God and His providence in our lives.

The point that Halla makes is that we must view our occupations as theological endeavor. Though addressed to Christian physicians, all believers will glean insight from his approach. For Halla, “The overriding principle in any endeavor is faithfulness to God. This book challenges every Christian physician to act upon the truth that the delivery of medical care is at the core a theological issue which should bring honor and glory to God.” So it is in any profession.

Don’t miss the concept of theological endeavor. By way of summary, Halla begins with an actual patient case study of Mary. She presented with chronic fatigue and pain. She was on medication for both but described her life as overwhelming. She felt as if she was in a black hole with no hope or relief in sight. Depression, anger, and bitterness had overtaken her.

Halla took her pain seriously, treated her as a whole person, gave her exercises for her physiological problems, and then gave her “pain papers” he had written to help her think about issues related to pain and how to view them. He entered the patient encounter as a theologian, was able to develop rapport with her, and guided her to a biblical view of her circumstances which ultimately gave her a bright outlook and some pain relief. She moved from acting like an atheist to acting like a Christian in response to her plight.

Halla points out that Mary, like many of us when we look at our circumstances, was a poor theologian. All of life is theological. We are either good or bad theologians as we look at and react to the providential circumstances in our lives. The issue for believers is whether or not we are looking at life in the context of God’s environment, that is, living as if God is completely sovereign over all things, including our difficulties.

Halla also notes that we are either good or bad stewards. We must understand that in terms of health, we have an inner person and an outer person and the two are connected. In other words, we are bipartite. We have a physical body and we have a spiritual nature and the two affect one another. Our reaction to physical problems can either help or exacerbate those problems.

By way of application, all Christians must enter their encounters as theologians. All believers must bring a biblical worldview to bear upon their service to others both in the performance of their duties and in the direction they point those they serve. Our employment, vocation, labor, and/or encounters at the core are all theological issues through which we must bring glory to God. What is proper for the Christian physician is proper for the Christian attorney, banker, teacher, construction worker, electrician, etc. There is no doubt that certain professions require more conversation or specified counsel from the practitioner to the one seeking service than others. At the same time, as we are able to do the work God has called us to do, not only do we do it for His glory, but, insofar as we deal with people and have opportunity to meet some kind of need for them, we must do so as theologians with God-glorifying goals in mind.

How can we do such? It is quite simple to apply Halla’s counsel to our respective fields of endeavor. Regardless of who you are, if you are a Christian, you can implement these values into the everyday ebb and flow of your life.

First, make a commitment to approach your vocation and/or interactions with others as a true, biblical theologian. That does not mean that you must study the latest systematic theology text book. However, it does mean that you will have to become familiar with the Scriptures and how to help others with them. God requires such from us anyway.

Second, make a commitment to approach the one you serve as an opportunity to minister God’s truth to him. You may not always be able to help someone for any number of reasons. But, the issue here is mindset. God puts opportunities before us that we routinely miss for a lack of awareness or even for a lack of realization that we are here ultimately to do just that: minister God’s truth to those whom God places before us.

Third, make a commitment to really listen, interpret what is being said to you through the lens of Scripture, and develop God’s perspective clearly in your mind. As you put what people say into biblical categories, you will have a platform from which to proceed and a direction in which to go as you begin to move them toward God. The Christian doctor will help persons deal with pain and illness in a way that glorifies God. The Christian attorney or banker will help persons deal with individuals’ legal or financial matters in the same way.

Fourth, make a commitment to direct your counsel toward the individual’s heart. This commitment will confront persons in the right place as all of life relates to issues of the heart before God. Further, individuals will be enabled to do more than cope with problems or put sound financial principles into practice. They will be moved toward victory as they deal with their problems, finances, or home improvement before the God who loves them and is working sanctification into their lives.

As we embrace these principles and make them part of our everyday thinking, we will not only truly help others and glorify God, but we will be more effective in the work we do. Labor is a gift from God. If we treat it as such, as theological endeavor, and as the means through which God gives us opportunity to serve others physically and spiritually, we will be more fulfilled as we see God actually working through us in ways that we perhaps could not heretofore imagine.

2007-08-16T12:41:00.000-07:00

A Plea to Use the Bible Every Day - Dr. Paul J. Dean

How often do you go to the Scriptures when faced with a difficult decision, an ethical dilemma, or when in need of simple advice? Do you realize just how practical the Scriptures really are? Would you first consult the bible when faced with a co-worker’s question concerning a problem he’s having with his teenage son, or would you first consult an “expert,” a secular book on the subject, or another friend?

Christians no doubt are aware that the bible contains information and of course doctrine. Not only is doctrine a dreaded concept in our contemporary context, but for many, the information the bible contains, even the information with which believers are familiar, seems so disconnected from their daily lives. Few people are aware of just how practical the Scriptures really are and therefore just how useful they really are for helping us to answer every day questions or deal with every day situations.

We get a lot of bible content on Sunday. In other words, we get a lot of information. However, somehow, we are failing to connect that information to our daily living and we have not grasped the fact that the bible is something that should be with us for ready use every day and not merely put away so we’ll have it on Sunday. In his little book, What to do on Thursday, Jay Adams asks the simple question, “Can we know how to go to the bible to find help on Thursday?” The answer of course is that we can and we must. Let me flesh that answer out just a bit.

First, we must be able to go to the bible to find practical help in our every day lives because if we do not, we will make major decisions without reference to God. Not only do we miss out on the wisdom that God has for us but we actually commit ourselves to futility in so doing. When we attempt to make decisions without reference to God we are actually acting independently from God in the areas of knowledge and wisdom. To do so is to have no ground or basis for what we believe in that particular instance which means we have no ground for the decision we make. The decision we make will be foolish in God’s sight in that we have gone the way of Eve: we have decided that His revelation is not good enough for us and that we know a better way. Even if we happen to make a decision that occasionally squares with Scripture, we still play the part of the fool in that we don’t know why our decision is a good one because we didn’t consult God’s wisdom for us. We merely stumbled upon a good decision in one instance by virtue of the fact that we have been created in God’s image and therefore run into His truth in our thinking from time to time.

Second, this commitment to independence from God has other implications concerning our need to go to the bible to find practical help and disastrous consequences if we do not. It does not go too far to say that the situation in evangelical circles today is desperate and therefore tragic at the same time. Not only do believers end up consulting sources that compete with God for their decision-making needs, but in so doing, they invariably get bad advice, miss out on the joy God has for them, and indeed dishonor the Lord in forsaking Him. Yes, to forsake His word in the every day affairs of life is to forsake Him.

Third, Adams points out the fact that believers who want to know God’s will for their lives but have no ability to glean every day wisdom from the Scriptures often adopt the dangerous course of mysticism. In seeking answers to life’s problems in experiences, impressions, open or closed doors, dreams, or different kinds of revelations from God, they not only circumvent the Scriptures, but undermine their sufficiency in so doing with the unfortunate and inevitable further consequence of bringing reproach upon Christ in holding Him out to be something He is not or to have said something He did not. Of course, a greater problem rises when impressions lead people down the wrong path one too many times into circumstantial error or even spiritual disaster. Cynicism toward God is a predictable result.

Fourth, when an increasing number of Christians have no ability to glean wisdom from the Scriptures and when an increasing number of Christians turn to mysticism, the net effect is not only disaster for individuals in their walk with the Lord and in their inability to have coherence and consistency in their lives, but disaster for the witness and effectiveness of the church as a whole. The weakness of the church in America today is owing to two or three major dynamics, not the least of which is the issue before us.

The fact is that we must go to the Scriptures for more than information concerning the Canaanites and the Hittites. What real application from the life of Zacchaeus can we glean for our lives? Pooled ignorance in Sunday School-type discussions and “what the text means to me” emphases must be rejected. Scripture must be understood in context and not used as a launching pad to disconnected applications or useless moralizing. The people of God are obliged to be able to know where to turn in the Scriptures when faced with a life situation that they might get God’s authoritative word on the issue. Where would you turn to find counsel on problems concerning overbearing husbands, feminized wives, poor communication, anxiety, depression, addictive behavior, rebellious children, harsh employers, a new job offer, financial calamity, what the world calls bi-polar disorder, ADHD, etc.?

By way of example, have you considered the fact that the book of Jonah is about more than a big fish? The message and application is rich. God’s perspective on His call and
His will, His mercy to His people as well as to pagans, His love for all nations, His attitude toward self-focus, love for enemies, the sin of pride and prejudice, the necessity of evangelism, the downward spiral of bitterness and depression, the consequences of wrong attitudes and thought patterns, suicidal thoughts and God’s response, His providence and power in our lives, and so much more is to be gleaned from this little treasure of a book.

As Adams points out, we have to be able to move from the Scriptures to life and we have to be able to move from life to the Scriptures. This ability comes when we are committed to the authority of God’s word and when that commitment is real enough to drive us to it for answers to all of our questions theological, philosophical, and indeed every day practical. There is no other way to trust and obey but to use the Scriptures every day. Think about it.

2007-08-15T08:47:00.000-07:00

Worldviews: God, not Evolution, Explains it All - Dr. Paul J. Dean

What do you believe and why do you believe it? Such a question is basic to our very existence and all people must answer it in some way whether consciously or unconsciously. To answer the question unconsciously is both to answer it and to ignore it at the same time. To ignore the question is to answer it along these lines, “I only believe what I feel like believing at any given moment.” In other words, this individual has no coherent philosophical grid by which he approaches life in general except that he acts merely upon circumstantial feelings. This individual will live with philosophical inconsistencies and contradictions within his own mind without really caring or perhaps even knowing such to be the case.

Some take a more thoughtful approach and attempt to develop some sort of belief system. In other words, they know what they believe and are often very committed to those beliefs. Yet, they are not so different from those who ignore the question, though they may conceive themselves as being different by virtue of the fact that they at least answer the first half of the question: what do you believe? They are not so different because setting forth what one believes is not enough. What one believes is irrelevant if he does not know why he believes it. If one does not know why he believes something then he is his own authority and has relegated himself to a position of relativism, or, to put it more aptly, arbitrariness. That is, he is philosophically uncertain about anything because he has no ground for what he believes. He simply believes it because he believes it.

Others are more thoughtful still. Not only have they answered the first half of the question, but they have wrestled with the second half as well. These individuals know what they believe and offer some justification for it. In other words, they have attempted to answer the question: why do you believe it? They have consciously committed themselves to a particular worldview. Of course, those who ignore the question and those who answer only the first half have committed themselves to their respective worldviews to be sure. The difference between those individuals and the one who wrestles with the “why” question is that the former are unconsciously committed to their worldviews and the latter is consciously committed to his worldview. The latter is attempting to make some sense out of his world.

There is yet another category to be brought forth momentarily. The concept of “worldview” must be dealt with first. A “worldview” quite obviously has to do with the way a person looks at the world. In one sense, it is the totality of what one believes. In another sense, it is the lens through which a person views the world or ultimate reality. It consists of one’s presuppositions or assumptions about the nature of our world. A worldview is made up of those presuppositions that individuals believe without evidence or outside support; they are merely taken for granted or on faith. Then there are those presuppositions or beliefs that persons hold to based on some kind of rationale. A person will always speak from his particular worldview whether he is conscious he is doing so or not, whether he is consistent or not, or whether he has determined to do so or not. Everyone brings his worldview to the marketplace of ideas.

To pick up on the opening question once again is to put these issues in sharper focus. It is not difficult to see that the individual who has ignored the question has no ground for what he believes. And, it is perhaps quite clear that the one who has only set forth what he believes without asking why he believes it has no ground for what he believes either. And yet, it is also true that the one who has answered both sides of the question, the one who knows what he believes and why, has no rational, philosophical ground for what he believes if he holds to any worldview other than a biblical worldview. In other words, the one who does not presuppose the God of the bible has no ground for believing what he believes about anything. He has relegated himself to a life of intellectual futility and philosophical inconsistency.

By way of example, one committed to an evolutionary/naturalist worldview must live with philosophical contradictions. He conceives of the universe as a box. The only things that exist are those things within the box. One may not go outside of the box to search for answers to anything or to explain anything. There is only the physical universe in which we live. There is nothing metaphysical. Thus, he says there is no God.

Yet, there are a number of things that he cannot justify on his worldview. He presupposes laws of logic to engage in scientific method or have a conversation, etc... But laws of logic are immaterial, that is, metaphysical and cannot be justified on his worldview. He cannot justify concepts like honesty on his worldview though he presupposes those concepts in the reporting of data or in formulating hypotheses or theories, etc. He violates his own worldview by presupposing the uniformity of nature though he says the origin of the universe was a random chance accident. He posits a natural law that says matter and energy cannot come from nothing yet he says just that: the universe came from nothing. He posits a natural law that says that life cannot come from non-life yet in the beginning life did in fact come from non-life says he. On an evolutionary worldview, we are but an accident with no real purpose for being here. On that worldview, values mean nothing and there is no life after death. Evolutionists do indeed attempt to inject meaning into our existence. But, they have no justification for doing so on their worldview.

Let me take it a step further. The evolutionist says there is no God. The question must be put to him, “how do you know there is no God?” On his worldview, one of observation and data, he does not know. He has not searched every corner of the universe. He has limited knowledge and limited investigative ability. He posits a statement of absolute fact concerning the existence of God but he is relegated to a position of complete uncertainty on his worldview. He cannot justify his claim.

Suppose he says, “You’re right, we cannot know there is no God.” Once again he falls into a philosophical dilemma on his worldview. Has he searched the universe to know that he cannot know there is no God? The point is that by rejecting the reality of God, he has rendered himself to a position of futility in the area of knowledge.

When anyone attempts to know truth apart from God he renders himself to a position of futility. The reason for such is clear: “in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col. 2:3).” Let’s flesh that statement out a bit.

The bible is clear that “in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Gen. 1:1).” He is the Creator and Sustainer of all things (Jn. 1:1f; Col. 1:15f). Nothing exists apart from God and He upholds all things by the word of His power (Heb. 1:3). He is before all things, He is eternal, and He alone is wise (Col. 1:17; 1 Tim. 1:17). To put it simply, God is distinct from His creation; He is outside of time and space; He is independent of all things. He needs nothing outside of Himself. He simply is. Paul referred to this dynamic when he spoke to the Greek philosophers in Athens: “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things (Acts 17:24-25).” When Moses asked God what to tell the children of Israel if they asked who sent him, God simply replied, “I Am (Ex. 3:14).” God is. He has always been and will always be. He is independent of His creation.

God is an independent being. He is the only independent being. By way of contrast, man is a dependent being. We would not be able to take the next breath apart from God. All that we are comes from God. We are completely dependent upon Him for our very existence. “Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves (Ps. 100:3).” Of course, that means that our knowledge, or all that we know, comes from God. We are dependent on God for knowledge. We have no knowledge or wisdom apart from God. “The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken. Behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD; so what wisdom do they have (Jer. 8:9)?”

As noted, because God is independent and man is dependent upon God, man’s knowledge comes from God. In order for man to know anything, God must reveal it. If God did not reveal Himself or knowledge about the world, man would know absolutely nothing. As a dependent being and as a dependent thinker, his mind is incapable of knowing anything apart from the action of God.

Of course, God has revealed Himself and we can classify that revelation under two broad headings: general revelation and special revelation. General revelation is that revelation God has given to men in general through creation, conscience, and history among other things. That revelation cannot save anyone. Paul explains that everyone has been given a knowledge of the true and living God but each one has suppressed that knowledge by virtue of his own sinfulness (Rom. 1:18f). But, that revelation can still be apprehended by all men in some sense so that man may know something of how God’s world works. The scientific method is simply the investigation of God’s general revelation of Himself, man, and His world.

Special revelation is that revelation of God that speaks directly to who He is, His will, and His ways. That revelation comes by way of the Lord Jesus Christ and His word: the Scriptures. This revelation is a potentially saving revelation of God. The Holy Spirit uses the word of God in the lives of some to effect the new birth. That’s why Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation… (Rom. 1:16).”

Because man is dependent upon God for knowledge, he commits himself to a position of futility in the area of knowledge when he seeks to know something apart from God. When he commits himself to a position of independence from God he cannot know the truth. He may get certain facts right when he investigates God’s world by virtue of the general revelation of God available to all men. Despite the fact that the image of God in man has been marred by the fall, all men are created in the image of God. That fact enables even lost men to apprehend something of God’s general revelation. But, the lost man cannot know the meaning of that general revelation in an ultimate sense because he observes it through a lens that presupposes independence from God. He will misinterpret its ultimate meaning every time and he will misinterpret its obvious meaning part of the time.

By way of example, Charles Darwin observed differences in finches in different habitats in the Galapagos Islands. Because he was looking through a lens of independence from God, he developed a hypothesis of gradual change over time in animals. This change over time accompanied by mutations would be such that one animal could evolve into another animal on a macro or vertical scale. In other words, according to Darwin, a monkey could become a man.

Scientists who are Christians look at the same evidence through a lens of dependence upon God. They presuppose that God is. They observe that changes can occur in animals due to different factors. These changes can be illustrated in the breeding of different kinds of dogs for example. All the DNA necessary to produce every breed of dog was present in the fist dogs created by God. However, one species cannot evolve into another species regardless of how much time is given nor do mutations ever add DNA. All mutations involve a loss of DNA. When different breeds of dogs are developed, it is done so through a loss of DNA and not through an evolution of a lower form of dog into a higher form of dog.

Evolution in the simple sense of the word, change, on a micro scale, that is horizontal change or changes within a kind of animal that results in different breeds, is a given. Evolution on a macro scale, that is vertical change or change from a lower life form to a higher life form or even change from one kind of form to another, or Darwinian Evolution, is impossible. Because the evolutionist looks through a lens of independence from God, he misinterprets what he observes and does not know the truth.

When men look at the world through a lens of independence from God, they misinterpret what they observe and do not know the truth. Neither can man ever know the truth concerning ultimate reality or spiritual things apart from the saving revelation of God in Christ Jesus. The Scripture is clear on this point: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools (Rom. 1:20-22).” Further, “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned (1 Cor. 2:14).” And, “This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart (Eph. 4:17-18).” In the realm of knowledge, apart from God, man is futile in his thoughts by virtue of his darkened heart. He is a fool and has no ability to understand the things of God. His thinking is futile, his understanding is darkened, he is ignorant, and blind to truth.

Man’s commitment to knowledge independent from God goes all the way back to the garden. The very nature of Satan’s temptation of Eve had to do with knowing truth or ultimate things. “Then the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil (Gen. 3:4-5).’” Satan told her that her eyes would be opened and that she would know what God knew. No longer would she have to be dependent upon God for knowledge. She would be like Him. And note v. 6: “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.” She saw that the tree was desirable “to make one wise.” She had committed herself to independence from God. Once Adam partook, they both fell, all of creation fell, and the entire human race was plunged into ruin, that is, sin and death. That ruin also included futility in the realm of knowledge apart from the gracious, saving revelation of God.

One’s worldview is critically important, to say the least. As noted earlier, there are those who ignore the question of what they believe and why they believe it and there are those who answer only the first half of the question. Both have committed themselves to their respective worldviews unconsciously and relegated themselves to philosophical futility in the realm of knowledge. There are those who wrestle with the “why” question and are thus consciously committed to their worldview. The problem lies in the fact, as also noted, that they have no rational, philosophical ground for what they believe if they hold to any worldview other than a biblical worldview. They too are relegated to futility.

That leads us to the final category of individuals alluded to earlier: those who believe the Scriptures unto salvation. These individuals alone know what they believe and why they believe it. They alone have a justification for what they believe. They are committed to dependence upon God in the realm of knowledge and they presuppose that He is. They know why they are here: God created them. They have a purpose in living: to glorify God. They have morals and values that come from God. Things like honesty, promises, contracts, and marriage vows make sense on their worldview because God is a God of values. They know there is life after death and they will spend eternity with God. They can justify laws of logic on their worldview because not only is God a logical God but they are not relegated to justifying what they believe from the physical box alone. They believe in the metaphysical. They believe that communication has meaning because God gives it meaning. And, long before Darwin came along and evolutionists contradicted themselves by saying that something came from nothing and life came from non-life, even though it’s impossible on their worldview, the bible declared that God was outside of the box. The bible declared that God is eternal. The Christian can justify the existence of the universe on his worldview: the eternal God who is distinct from His universe created it. The God who is outside of time and space hung the earth on nothing (Job. 26:7). The evolutionist cannot even justify the world’s or even his own existence on his worldview. In other words, he cannot logically explain the fact of his existence. Christians can because they presuppose God.

When one has a biblical worldview, he can make sense out of his world and experience. He can philosophically justify what he believes without contradiction or inconsistency. On the other hand, those with a different worldview cannot justify any number of things on their worldview nor do they really have the truth. Do you want to know what you believe and why you believe it? Do you want to be a philosophical fool or do you want to be philosophically wise? If you want to be wise, be dependent on God. He explains it all.

2007-07-26T08:31:00.000-07:00

The Bible is our Authority: What Does that Mean? - Dr. Paul J. Dean

Christians have long held that God's Word is our sole authority for faith and conduct. Consider an excerpt from the Baptist Faith and Message that will serve to illustrate the point.

"The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is God's revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. Therefore, all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. It reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation."

From the opening line of this confession, the Bible is affirmed as inspired and revelatory. It is breathed-out (inspired) by God and is more than a mere book containing revelation but in fact is revelation. In this statement of faith, the Bible is referred to as perfect, as a treasure, and as divine instruction. God wrote it and it consists of truth without any mixture of error. Lest there be any confusion as to what is meat, it is again described as totally true and trustworthy. It is not referred to as a mere standard nor is it referred to as a good standard, but it is referred to as the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. Note that the standard applies to human conduct, human belief systems (including worldview, philosophy, psychology, sociology, etc.), and human religious opinions.

According to the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith (1689), the Scriptures are our rule for faith and practice. The Westminster Confession of Faith (1646) affirms the same thing. The words "sole authority for faith and practice" are used in a variety of confessions with reference to the Word of God. Very simply, plainly, and collectively, the Scriptures are our authority. Now, what does this simple fact mean?

First, if the Scriptures are our sole authority for faith and practice, then what we believe must be submitted to them. For example, we may not subscribe to an evolutionary worldview as the Bible gives us a definitive word concerning creation and origins (Gen. 1:1f). We may not engage in abortion as an attack on another human being is an attack on God (Gen. 9:6). We must affirm that homosexuality is sin and not merely an alternative or legitimate lifestyle (Rom. 1:18f). We may not adhere to a psychological model in counseling as its presuppositions are contrary to Scripture (Col. 2:8f; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:3). We must reject all forms of universalism (Jn. 14:6), nationalism (Eph. 2:11f), relativism (Jn. 17:17), or selfism/self-esteem (Phil. 2:3). We could go on. The point is that our commitment to the Scriptures in terms of what we believe must encompass every area of life.

Second, it follows then that what we do must be submitted to the Scriptures. We must love God, serve others, spread the gospel, engage the culture, work hard, etc. We must put off sin and put on righteousness through the renewing of the mind. These things, among others, are not optional. We must check our hearts, our thoughts, our tongues, and our feet. We must be kind, compassionate, and forgiving. Whoever claims to live in Christ must walk as Jesus walked (1 Jn. 2:6). We cannot make excuses for remaining in sin or ignoring God's commands. "If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin (1 Jn. 1:6-7)."

Third, if the Bible is our standard, our measuring rod, then our thoughts, feelings, and experiences must be judged by that standard. Some people think that God will accept them on the basis of their good works but they are wrong. The standard says otherwise. Some people feel that "their god" would or would not do certain things or be unhappy with certain things in their lives. Whether or not God would do certain things or be happy with certain things is not a matter of what people feel but a matter of what the Bible says. An individual might experience something strange and/or wonderful. Someone may believe God is giving him/her a revelation. That experience must be judged by Scripture. The question is not whether a person has an experience. The question is whether or not the experience is from God. The only way to evaluate the source of one's experience is to go to the standard, the Word of God. We cannot even know the true bent of our own hearts at a given moment without the Word of God (Heb. 4:12).

Fourth, because the Scriptures are perfect, trustworthy, and authoritative, in them we can find hope. In 1 Thess. 1:3, Paul refers to our patience produced by hope. Patience refers to endurance, particularly the endurance of trials. An important word and concept in the New Testament for strangers/believers in this world, it refers to bearing up under a load. The only way believers can endure persecution, hardship, and trial with joy is hope. That is, their hope must be and is in Christ. Christian hope is not an "I hope so" proposition expressing a measure of doubt. Rather, it is an "I know so" proposition expressing a complete confidence in the promises of God. Christ Himself is our hope. We are certain of His reality and return. We are certain all will be made right when we see Him. This certainty wrought by faith is Christian hope.

Fifth, the Bible then gives us direction in terms of our thoughts, our speech, and our actions. We can be "filled with the knowledge of [God's] will (Col. 1:9)." Paul refers to God's prescriptive (revealed) will. In other words, God has given His word to believers that they might know His will for them. As we saturate our minds with God's word we gain a more intimate knowledge of God, His character, and His ways.

Knowledge of God's will is no mere obedience to a set of rules or commands. God certainly gives commands, but He also gives principles. He desires that we seek a closer relationship with Him and that we apply His commands and principles to our lives and decision making so that His character might shine through us for His glory. In simple terms, we must gain wisdom to know how to apply God's revealed will (Scripture) to our lives. As we do so, we can be confident we are fulfilling God's will for our lives. As we do so, we will "walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God (Col. 1:10)."

Sixth, it follows from the foregoing that the Word of God is sufficient to equip us for every good work. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17)." Note the purpose in this text for God's giving us His word: that we might be equipped for every good work. Peter says the same thing: in Christ and through His word we have everything we need for life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3).

Seventh, as we apply the Word of God to our own lives, we are then equipped to serve others. We are equipped with the Word by the power of the Holy Spirit who applies that word to our hearts (1 Thess. 2:13; Jn. 17:17; Acts 1:8) and we are equipped with the Word by those over us in the Lord (Eph. 2:11f). We are equipped to be sufficient ministers of the New Covenant by the Word and Spirit (2 Cor. 3:5-6). And, we are equipped with the mind of Christ that we might humbly serve others for the glory of God (Phil. 2:5f).

If the Bible is our sole authority for faith and practice, then we ought to live our lives in light of that reality. It is sufficient to help us in our time of need, to teach us what we need to know and do in terms of godliness, to rebuke us when we sin, to correct us when we are in error, and to instruct is in holy living. It is sufficient to equip us for every good work. In it we have everything we need for life and godliness. This is the testimony of Scripture, God's authoritative Word. Let us truly embrace this testimony by living it out for our joy and God's glory.

2006-10-31T19:39:00.000-08:00

Babies on the Therapeutic Couch – Dr. Paul J. Dean

Psychotherapy doesn’t necessarily require the probing of one’s past any more. Of course, that development depends upon the age of the patient. Consider this new trend with a couple of excerpts from a news piece out of London with a few thoughts to follow.

According to the Telegraph in an article entitled “Babies on the Couch,” “Tots as young as a few months old are being taken for psychotherapy, and not just in America…”

In a specific case: “Toby was eating well, sleeping soundly and was, generally, at one with the world. He did, however, have a seemingly insoluble problem that was causing him quite a bit of anxiety: he wasn't bonding with Sahar, the woman he loved most in the world. Therapy seemed the obvious, 21st century solution. Over the next 11 months, he spent several sessions with Dr Stella Acquarone, a psychologist and psychotherapist, at her private mental health clinic. Not only did his difficulties disappear, but his relationship with Sahar flourished into a loving, life-long bond.”

Don’t miss this:

“Toby began his therapy when he was just one month old, at Dr Acquarone's parent-infant clinic at the School of Infant Mental Health in Hampstead, north London. His parents are among an increasing number who believe that good mental health cannot be established early enough.”

Or this:

“For Miss Mientakeivitch, 34 when Toby was born, the bond between mother and son was not established at birth. Suffering post-natal depression, she had panic attacks and suicidal thoughts at what she, wrongly, believed was her incompetence as a mother.”

“In America, where therapy is, perhaps, still more common than in Britain, the notion that one had to wait until a child was at least five before tackling emotional problems is now considered out of date. "There is a growing awareness that we can identify mental health problems in infants and toddlers and that early intervention is very important," says Dr Joy Osofsky, professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at Louisiana State University, one of America's foremost experts on infant mental health.”

What are we to make of such convoluted thinking?

First, consider the age at which Toby entered psychotherapy: just one month. The baby cannot even roll over but can begin therapy and be given a psychological diagnosis? Such a notion points to the psychologized worldview embraced by most. No biblical doctrine can be more easily defended by a vast measure of overwhelming evidence gleaned through simple observation than that of the total depravity of man and the accompanying noetic effects of sin. It is that reality that fuels the mad rush into psychological oblivion.

Second, how does one “establish good mental health” at the age of one month? “Well Doc, my experience in the womb wasn’t all that great. It was generally damp and cramped. I couldn’t wait to get out. Do you think I’m claustrophobic?”

Third, is it not reasonable to assume that a panicked and suicidal mother would have trouble bonding with her one month old baby? The immediate conclusion or underlying assumption was that something must be mentally wrong with the child: a child who was otherwise a healthy baby, (one who was “eating well, sleeping soundly and was, generally, at one with the world).” A psychological mindset is no benign opinion or set of opinions. Such a mindset necessarily eschews personal responsibility and seeks to lay blame at the feet of someone or something else. Furthermore, it seeks to create problems where there are none. Of course, when real problems exist, the root and cure are missed completely. Christian leaders and indeed all Christians who integrate worldly philosophy into their counseling must carefully consider the presuppositions upon which psychology is founded and the resulting applications that are by nature destructive of genuine health of the soul. “Blessed is the man who walks not after the counsel of the ungodly (Ps. 1:1).”

Fourth, Dr. Joy Osofsky asserts, "There is a growing awareness that we can identify mental health problems in infants and toddlers and that early intervention is very important.” As always, the question remains: what is the objective data upon which this assertion is made? Awareness is the wrong word. There is no doubt a growing faith commitment to a false worldview in opposition to Christ, but certainly not awareness. In the end, we must remember that “in Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col. 2:3).”