The novelist, Stephen King, is mostly known for writing books in the literary genre of horror. Many of his novels have been turned into horror movies. Unfortunately, some of these movies tend to glorify horror. But a good novelist has a real understanding of the development and the effects of evil. King’s books often depict the progression into great evil.
Many of King’s stories recount man’s inhumanity to mankind. They describe the effects of selfishness, greed, ambition and the desire for power and control, etc. King shows us the beginning stages of evil and then traces it to its logical conclusion. Evil is similar in many ways to the pilot light on a furnace. The thermostat tells it when to fan into flame. Likewise, our selfish desires can fan evil into flame. As these evil tendencies become more and more pronounced we begin to experience true horror. We convincingly see the effect of evil upon both the perpetrator and his society.
As we read books in the genre of horror we find ourselves both intrigued and repulsed. I think our love – hate relationship with horror is due to the understanding of our own potential for evil. When we really examine ourselves we see that deep down we are basically selfish. We are greedy. We seek power and control. We are enamored with status. We might even step on someone else to reach our ambitions. We are forced to face two haunting questions: “How far will I go? Will I also carry evil to its logical conclusion in order to achieve my desires?”
The repulsion we feel in viewing horror can be a deterrent against evil. The novel helps us understand how evil can sometimes begin almost innocently but over time become a true horror. Horror helps us to personally come face to face with evil. Not only does it show us the evil in others, but it points out our own sinful desires. We see it in the lives or ordinary men and women who once lived ordinary lives. As C. S. Lewis once remarked, the dullest and most uninteresting person can become a horror and a corruption that one usually only meets in a nightmare. We are forced to examine our own lives, our priorities and our own desires. The real horror, from which all horrible deeds proceed, is the human heart or soul. Are we the type of person who could do the same evil that we see on the screen and read about in the novel?
If we are truly honest with ourselves, the answer is often yes. We do have a propensity towards evil. We are sinners. This should lead us to seek the mercy and protection of God. We need his mercy as we confess to him the selfish thoughts of our hearts and seek his forgiveness. We need his protection to prevent the power of sin from gaining control over our lives. We need to develop a relationship with him. It is only in having a relationship with the living God that we can avoid becoming a horror ourselves.
A good novelist, such as King, has the ability to look evil square in the face and describe its horror. We see it for what it is – pure evil. We understand its all consuming power. We see its beguiling selfish attractiveness. We realize that it ultimately comes from the human heart. And if we take the time to look in the author’s mirror of horror we may see our own reflection staring back at us. We may see the seeds of evil brooding within our souls. Ask yourself, “When I seriously look in his mirror, what do I see?
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
God's Requirement
The rabbinic scholar, Samson Raphael Hirsch, commenting on religion wrote “All ‘religion,’ all so-called ‘honoring God in spirit,’ is worthless if the thought, the idea of God, is not strong enough to exercise its power practically in the control of our words and doings.” The Old Testament prophet, Amos, said much the same thing, stating “I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I cannot stand your assemblies.” He concluded “But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream.” (Cf. Amos 5:21-24). Both Rabbi Hirsch and the prophet Amos agree that religion is not worth much if it doesn’t affect how we live our lives.
Their words are all too prophetic in the world in which we live. As we look at the society around us, we often see a disconnection between our religious life and the rest of our life. This became poignantly aware to me when I met a person who was stating how God was blessing him while at the same time he was stealing several thousands of dollars of merchandise from his employer. His idea of God was not strong enough to prevent his theft.
We live in a world that tries to divorce our religious life from our secular life. The concept of “freedom of religion” has been redefined to mean “freedom from religion”. Often this is an attempt to avoid having anyone else, or any system, tell us what we ought (or ought not) to do. In doing so, we lose the moral and ethical dimension that adhering to faith in God brings to a society. This has led to disastrous consequences for our society. We have seen these consequences in the corporate scandals that have plagued us during the past ten years. Several corporate leaders, while claiming to believe in God, actually robbed many people. The leaders of Enron are a good example. Their idea of God was not strong enough to affect how they ran their business.
As we move into a new election season, many of the candidates court people of faith. They claim to believe in and to follow God. Yet many times the ads attacking their opponents are full of half truths and innuendos. They may also make campaign promises that they never intend to keep. When they do this they are lying to us. Their idea of God is not strong enough to affect the moral and ethical side of their campaigns. They have lost the sense of what God really requires from his followers.
We can point at the sins of many high profile corporate, political and religious leaders. It is very easy to look at the faults of others. But we also have to ask “What about me?” Am I any better? Does my belief in God affect my words and actions? In many ways we are not much better. While we may not have all the opportunities of many high profile individuals, and our sins may not be as glaring as theirs, we do many of the same things. We deliberately mislead others when it is to our advantage. We excuse our little faults as being minor things of no consequence. We gossip and tell half truths. When we do so our faith is worthless in God’s eyes. Our idea of God is not strong enough to affect how we operate in our day to day lives. From time to time we need to ask the penetrating question: “Is my belief in God strong enough to impact all my words and actions?” May the answer be “Yes”!
Their words are all too prophetic in the world in which we live. As we look at the society around us, we often see a disconnection between our religious life and the rest of our life. This became poignantly aware to me when I met a person who was stating how God was blessing him while at the same time he was stealing several thousands of dollars of merchandise from his employer. His idea of God was not strong enough to prevent his theft.
We live in a world that tries to divorce our religious life from our secular life. The concept of “freedom of religion” has been redefined to mean “freedom from religion”. Often this is an attempt to avoid having anyone else, or any system, tell us what we ought (or ought not) to do. In doing so, we lose the moral and ethical dimension that adhering to faith in God brings to a society. This has led to disastrous consequences for our society. We have seen these consequences in the corporate scandals that have plagued us during the past ten years. Several corporate leaders, while claiming to believe in God, actually robbed many people. The leaders of Enron are a good example. Their idea of God was not strong enough to affect how they ran their business.
As we move into a new election season, many of the candidates court people of faith. They claim to believe in and to follow God. Yet many times the ads attacking their opponents are full of half truths and innuendos. They may also make campaign promises that they never intend to keep. When they do this they are lying to us. Their idea of God is not strong enough to affect the moral and ethical side of their campaigns. They have lost the sense of what God really requires from his followers.
We can point at the sins of many high profile corporate, political and religious leaders. It is very easy to look at the faults of others. But we also have to ask “What about me?” Am I any better? Does my belief in God affect my words and actions? In many ways we are not much better. While we may not have all the opportunities of many high profile individuals, and our sins may not be as glaring as theirs, we do many of the same things. We deliberately mislead others when it is to our advantage. We excuse our little faults as being minor things of no consequence. We gossip and tell half truths. When we do so our faith is worthless in God’s eyes. Our idea of God is not strong enough to affect how we operate in our day to day lives. From time to time we need to ask the penetrating question: “Is my belief in God strong enough to impact all my words and actions?” May the answer be “Yes”!
Feather Pillows
The story is told of a noble woman in medieval times who confessed to her priest that she was having trouble with gossip. Her priest, desiring to help her understand the gravity of her sin, told her to go home, tear open a feather pillow and dump the feathers out an upper story window, and then to come back. Upon her return, the priest told her “Now go and pick up all the feathers.” The woman protested that the feathers were now scattered all over the town and could not be picked up. Whereupon the priest said “And so is your gossip”.
The sin of gossip – the spreading of rumor or reports of an intimate nature – has the ability to destroy careers and lives. It also has the ability to render the gossiper as being untrustworthy. It is no wonder that the apostle James says “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight reign on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.” (James 1:26) Those who do this are in reality hypocrites. Later James says “But no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of poison.” (James 3:8). He likens the tongue to a small spark that sets an entire forest on fire. Gossip is like that. One little bit of gossip can spread in a similar manner until it becomes a consuming fire. Gossip’s chain is exponential. It spreads from one to two to four to eight to sixteen, etc.
How often do we think of our speech in this light? Do we start gossip? Or do we only pass on the tidbits of gossip that come our way? It makes no difference whether we are gossiping maliciously or merely passing on titillating information. In either case, the result is the same. We have sinned against both God and our fellow man. Although we can ask for, and receive forgiveness from both, the effects remain. We can never pick up all of gossip’s feathers.
We have all likely heard the dictum “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” Remembering this helps us avoid gossip. It also is a reminder of James’ statement that with our mouths we can both praise God and curse men. This should cause us to be careful of what we say. While we must always speak the truth in love, it should be done in a way that doesn’t lead to gossip. Gossip is particularly destructive in the church. It destroys relationships, causes pastors to leave the ministry, and causes churches to split apart. Once it has started, it cannot be corralled. The damage is done, and the body of Christ suffers. As part of that body, we all suffer and our effectiveness as Christ’s church is diminished.
The recovery, if it even can occur, is a long and tedious process. It begins with confession of our own sin of gossip, both to God and the person we have gossiped about. We need to seek their forgiveness in order to be reconciled. It then requires us to confess to and seek forgiveness from all to whom we have spread the gossip. This requires great humility. It will take considerable time for trust to be reestablished within the body as all wonder about the truthfulness of what is said. But there is one thing the church has that society in general doesn’t. That is the love we have for each other in the body of Christ. A God given love can overcome the effects of gossip over time. As we think about the effects of gossip, two questions remain. How many feathers am I spreading abroad? How many have spread so far they are impossible to pick up?
The sin of gossip – the spreading of rumor or reports of an intimate nature – has the ability to destroy careers and lives. It also has the ability to render the gossiper as being untrustworthy. It is no wonder that the apostle James says “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight reign on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.” (James 1:26) Those who do this are in reality hypocrites. Later James says “But no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of poison.” (James 3:8). He likens the tongue to a small spark that sets an entire forest on fire. Gossip is like that. One little bit of gossip can spread in a similar manner until it becomes a consuming fire. Gossip’s chain is exponential. It spreads from one to two to four to eight to sixteen, etc.
How often do we think of our speech in this light? Do we start gossip? Or do we only pass on the tidbits of gossip that come our way? It makes no difference whether we are gossiping maliciously or merely passing on titillating information. In either case, the result is the same. We have sinned against both God and our fellow man. Although we can ask for, and receive forgiveness from both, the effects remain. We can never pick up all of gossip’s feathers.
We have all likely heard the dictum “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.” Remembering this helps us avoid gossip. It also is a reminder of James’ statement that with our mouths we can both praise God and curse men. This should cause us to be careful of what we say. While we must always speak the truth in love, it should be done in a way that doesn’t lead to gossip. Gossip is particularly destructive in the church. It destroys relationships, causes pastors to leave the ministry, and causes churches to split apart. Once it has started, it cannot be corralled. The damage is done, and the body of Christ suffers. As part of that body, we all suffer and our effectiveness as Christ’s church is diminished.
The recovery, if it even can occur, is a long and tedious process. It begins with confession of our own sin of gossip, both to God and the person we have gossiped about. We need to seek their forgiveness in order to be reconciled. It then requires us to confess to and seek forgiveness from all to whom we have spread the gossip. This requires great humility. It will take considerable time for trust to be reestablished within the body as all wonder about the truthfulness of what is said. But there is one thing the church has that society in general doesn’t. That is the love we have for each other in the body of Christ. A God given love can overcome the effects of gossip over time. As we think about the effects of gossip, two questions remain. How many feathers am I spreading abroad? How many have spread so far they are impossible to pick up?
False Gods
A child once asked her Sunday School teacher “What is an idol?” Her teacher replied that it was an image of God and recited the commandment: “You shall not make unto me a graven image.” While this may be technically correct, there is much more to idols. The worship of an idol is a deviation from the pure worship of God. Many times it begins as a temptation or seduction. We begin to give more thought and attention to something other than God. This eventually leads to the worship of a false god. We create a distorted image of God that will replace him.
Idols come in many different forms and shapes. The temptations we face today are really no different than the temptations faced by the ancient Israelites. They merely have new faces. But the false gods of today are much the same as in ancient times. Ancient Israel struggled with the worship of fertility gods. These were thought to provide power and economic prosperity to the worshipper. Worshipping them was also thought to be a way of manipulating the gods. It is not that different today when we struggle with the temptation to covet power, status and prosperity.
What are some of the modern gods that we find so alluring? Our jobs can become our god. This can happen when we spend all of our time either at or thinking about work to the neglect of our families and friends. Another tempting god is the accumulation of wealth and the status it brings us. Yet another is the achievement of power, often at the expense of others. It can also be our possessions. Our god can be our spouse or our children. One man regretfully told me that he had married his beautiful, but now ex wife, to be a showpiece of his status. Having a gorgeous spouse had become his god. Parents who try to live their lives through their children effectively fashion gods out of them. This often takes the form of sports where parents push their children into participation. They vicariously participate through their children and become obsessed with their winning. For others sex can become their god. Education, cars, our homes etc. can also highlight the list. Many more examples could be given. They all have one thing in common. Each can easily, seductively, lead us away from the true worship of God. Each can lead us to the worship of a false god – one that we don’t even think of as a god as all. That is the danger we face – not recognizing these things as gods.
Most of these false gods come to us as selfish motives. We want something more than we desire God himself. It may begin simply as a wish or a thought, but eventually end up as an obsession. Our desire can become so great that we are willing to even compromise our standards to achieve it. We may even violate our own consciences to obtain it. We numb them to the point that we don’t even realize we have violated them. When this happens we have transferred our worship to a false god. We have made the objects of our desires into idols. Unfortunately, in the process, we also lose our own souls. As we examine our lives, we each must ask ourselves “What idols have I placed upon a pedestal that I am worshipping? What false gods am I tempted to worship?”
Idols come in many different forms and shapes. The temptations we face today are really no different than the temptations faced by the ancient Israelites. They merely have new faces. But the false gods of today are much the same as in ancient times. Ancient Israel struggled with the worship of fertility gods. These were thought to provide power and economic prosperity to the worshipper. Worshipping them was also thought to be a way of manipulating the gods. It is not that different today when we struggle with the temptation to covet power, status and prosperity.
What are some of the modern gods that we find so alluring? Our jobs can become our god. This can happen when we spend all of our time either at or thinking about work to the neglect of our families and friends. Another tempting god is the accumulation of wealth and the status it brings us. Yet another is the achievement of power, often at the expense of others. It can also be our possessions. Our god can be our spouse or our children. One man regretfully told me that he had married his beautiful, but now ex wife, to be a showpiece of his status. Having a gorgeous spouse had become his god. Parents who try to live their lives through their children effectively fashion gods out of them. This often takes the form of sports where parents push their children into participation. They vicariously participate through their children and become obsessed with their winning. For others sex can become their god. Education, cars, our homes etc. can also highlight the list. Many more examples could be given. They all have one thing in common. Each can easily, seductively, lead us away from the true worship of God. Each can lead us to the worship of a false god – one that we don’t even think of as a god as all. That is the danger we face – not recognizing these things as gods.
Most of these false gods come to us as selfish motives. We want something more than we desire God himself. It may begin simply as a wish or a thought, but eventually end up as an obsession. Our desire can become so great that we are willing to even compromise our standards to achieve it. We may even violate our own consciences to obtain it. We numb them to the point that we don’t even realize we have violated them. When this happens we have transferred our worship to a false god. We have made the objects of our desires into idols. Unfortunately, in the process, we also lose our own souls. As we examine our lives, we each must ask ourselves “What idols have I placed upon a pedestal that I am worshipping? What false gods am I tempted to worship?”
Monday, February 2, 2009
The Effects of Polution
In her book A Way of Seeing, Edith Schaeffer speaks of the effects of pollution. “Polluted air can be a gradual thing, and --- as one day follows another with slight difference and unnoticeable change --- whole cities full of people can be breathing a certain amount of poison so destructive that some become ill, and others even die as a direct result of the variety of lung problems which arise.” A little later she says “Polluted food and drinking water can be deceptive to the point that poison can be taken into the body without recognizing its presence.” Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan describes a similar progression in societal ills as “defining deviancy down.” He uses this phrase to describe how what used to be considered deviant in society is now standard practice. This is how a society often becomes immersed in corruption, immorality and evil. These terms are redefined to be less offensive. Deviancy has been redefined. There is no abrupt change. The downward slide is gradual. The social pollution has become more powerful but we hardly notice it. Even if we find ourselves being uncomfortable, we don’t recognize that it is because the standards have changed. Karl Menninger, in his book "Whatever Became of Sin" takes a similar stance, noting that what used to be considered sin is no longer considered to be sin.
The author of Psalms 1 describes a similar process in the spiritual descent into evil. He uses the metaphor of “Walk, Stand, Sit” to describe a seductive progression into evil. At first a person merely associates with the wicked and their ways. He merely accepts them. But by stopping and standing, he begins to entertain the counsel of the wicked as being attractive. Finally he becomes one of the co-conspirators, instigating evil as he sits in their planning sessions. “Walk, Stand, Sit” --- the progression into evil goes ever so slowly and unnoticed. Just like the process of the pollution of the air, water and food which slowly increases day by day, one doesn’t even notice his own steady descent down the slippery slope into evil until it becomes normal and habitual. We have become spiritually polluted. It has a negative impact upon our personal lives, the lives of our families and that of the society around us.
How do we avoid this descent into evil? The author of Psalms 1 provides the answer. The descent is avoided by delighting in and meditating on God’s word. Just as fresh air, pure water, and unpolluted food is the answer to our physical pollution, so also the fresh Word of God is the solution to the problem of our spiritual pollution. Psalms 119:11 states: “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” God’s Word provides the corrective solution to keep us from digressing into evil. It keeps us from redefining sin in more socially acceptable ways. His Word is a deterrent to keep us from a slow steady progression towards evil. It becomes an objective standard that we can use to measure the tendency we have to slide down the slippery slope into sin. When we truly examine our own lives, we come face to face with the fact that we all have this tendency. This raises some thought provoking questions that we each must face. Where is my delight? Is it in God’s Word? In what areas of my life do I have one foot on the edge of the slippery slope that can lead me down the path towards evil? Only by knowing them can we avoid the slow, steady descent into sin.
The author of Psalms 1 describes a similar process in the spiritual descent into evil. He uses the metaphor of “Walk, Stand, Sit” to describe a seductive progression into evil. At first a person merely associates with the wicked and their ways. He merely accepts them. But by stopping and standing, he begins to entertain the counsel of the wicked as being attractive. Finally he becomes one of the co-conspirators, instigating evil as he sits in their planning sessions. “Walk, Stand, Sit” --- the progression into evil goes ever so slowly and unnoticed. Just like the process of the pollution of the air, water and food which slowly increases day by day, one doesn’t even notice his own steady descent down the slippery slope into evil until it becomes normal and habitual. We have become spiritually polluted. It has a negative impact upon our personal lives, the lives of our families and that of the society around us.
How do we avoid this descent into evil? The author of Psalms 1 provides the answer. The descent is avoided by delighting in and meditating on God’s word. Just as fresh air, pure water, and unpolluted food is the answer to our physical pollution, so also the fresh Word of God is the solution to the problem of our spiritual pollution. Psalms 119:11 states: “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” God’s Word provides the corrective solution to keep us from digressing into evil. It keeps us from redefining sin in more socially acceptable ways. His Word is a deterrent to keep us from a slow steady progression towards evil. It becomes an objective standard that we can use to measure the tendency we have to slide down the slippery slope into sin. When we truly examine our own lives, we come face to face with the fact that we all have this tendency. This raises some thought provoking questions that we each must face. Where is my delight? Is it in God’s Word? In what areas of my life do I have one foot on the edge of the slippery slope that can lead me down the path towards evil? Only by knowing them can we avoid the slow, steady descent into sin.
Dogs Don't Have Whiskers
A three year old girl once remarked to my wife “Dogs don’t have whiskers”. A short time later she was playing with our family dog, Yukon. Upon being shown that Yukon had whiskers, she immediately remarked, “Dogs don’t have whiskers”. In defense of the little girl, all of the pictures of cats that she had seen in books showed whiskers. But none of the pictures of dogs she had seen had them. As humorous as this story is, it has a point. Based on what she had seen in books, dogs don’t have whiskers. With her mind made up, evidence to the contrary just didn’t fit in her worldview of dogs. It would take more time and experience for her to comprehend that dogs do really have whiskers.
I wonder how many times do we experience the same as we go through life. It is very easy for us to have a similar attitude. In many cases it is related to the worldview we hold. At other times we don’t want to change our viewpoints. It is easy to express thoughts like “My mind is made up, don’t confuse me with the facts”. This tendency affects many aspects of life. We take the attitude that one political party is always right and the other is always wrong. For many, the thought of even considering voting for a candidate of the other party never even crosses their mind. Parents whose children are in serious trouble with the law often state “But he or she is such a good kid”. Having our minds already made up contributes to both the racial and marital tension in our society. We prejudge those who have a social economic status that is different than ours. In each case, an inflexible worldview prohibits us from knowing the truth and developing meaningful relationships with others. We are either unable or unwilling to change our preconceived ideas.
In Jesus’ time, The Pharisees had preconceived ideas of what the Messiah would be like. They eagerly awaited his coming. But Jesus didn’t fit into their mold. The gospel accounts show Jesus clashing with them again and again. When he didn’t fit their definition of the Messiah, they rejected and eventually killed him. How many times we do the same thing with God? How many preconceived ideas do we have of God that are incorrect? Do we put him into a box and refuse to let him out? Do we tell him what he can or cannot do? Do we believe that he was actively involved in history during Bible times but not today? Too often the answers to these questions indicate that we really have placed God in a box. When we do, we have a distorted worldview.
But God refuses to be confined to a box. He will always break out. He invites us to give up our preconceived ideas and to seek to know him as he really is. It is the same invitation that Jesus gave to the Pharisees. He invited them to accept him as the Messiah whom they were anticipating. But they had to accept him on his terms, not theirs. He asks us the same. We have to accept him on his terms, not on our own terms. This requires us to change our thoughts and worldview. We have to put whiskers on dogs, so to speak. Lest we become entrenched in our own inaccurate beliefs like the little girl, we need to ask from time to time “What dogs in my life do I need to put whiskers on?”
I wonder how many times do we experience the same as we go through life. It is very easy for us to have a similar attitude. In many cases it is related to the worldview we hold. At other times we don’t want to change our viewpoints. It is easy to express thoughts like “My mind is made up, don’t confuse me with the facts”. This tendency affects many aspects of life. We take the attitude that one political party is always right and the other is always wrong. For many, the thought of even considering voting for a candidate of the other party never even crosses their mind. Parents whose children are in serious trouble with the law often state “But he or she is such a good kid”. Having our minds already made up contributes to both the racial and marital tension in our society. We prejudge those who have a social economic status that is different than ours. In each case, an inflexible worldview prohibits us from knowing the truth and developing meaningful relationships with others. We are either unable or unwilling to change our preconceived ideas.
In Jesus’ time, The Pharisees had preconceived ideas of what the Messiah would be like. They eagerly awaited his coming. But Jesus didn’t fit into their mold. The gospel accounts show Jesus clashing with them again and again. When he didn’t fit their definition of the Messiah, they rejected and eventually killed him. How many times we do the same thing with God? How many preconceived ideas do we have of God that are incorrect? Do we put him into a box and refuse to let him out? Do we tell him what he can or cannot do? Do we believe that he was actively involved in history during Bible times but not today? Too often the answers to these questions indicate that we really have placed God in a box. When we do, we have a distorted worldview.
But God refuses to be confined to a box. He will always break out. He invites us to give up our preconceived ideas and to seek to know him as he really is. It is the same invitation that Jesus gave to the Pharisees. He invited them to accept him as the Messiah whom they were anticipating. But they had to accept him on his terms, not theirs. He asks us the same. We have to accept him on his terms, not on our own terms. This requires us to change our thoughts and worldview. We have to put whiskers on dogs, so to speak. Lest we become entrenched in our own inaccurate beliefs like the little girl, we need to ask from time to time “What dogs in my life do I need to put whiskers on?”
Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth
Various people have pointed out that the letters in the world “Bible” are an acronym for the phrase “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth”. While it has a certain catchiness to it, the statement also has a very profound message which becomes clear when we individually look at the words that the acronym represents.
The noun “instructions” and its modifier “basic” should be looked at together. The adjective “basic” can refer to the starting point of something. It is also related to its fundamental principle. To say that one must understand basic math in order to understand calculus implies that one must first understand the fundamental principles of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division as a starting point in order to be able to do higher level math. “Basic” can also imply the essence of the noun that it modifies. To be able to enjoy watching a sporting event we must have a basic understanding of the game being played. Thus basic instructions are those that are the general instructions that everyone should know. The noun “instructions” are precepts or directions calling for compliance or understanding. Who has not read the words “Read the instruction manual before operating” or “To assemble, follow the instructions in the installation manual” when buying a new product. It would be interesting to know what percent of us actually do so.
The Bible is God’s basic instruction manual. It is the starting point for growing closer to God, for it tells us about him. It also contains the essence of what God wants us to know. Containing God’s fundamental principles for us, it isn’t something that is so esoteric that we can’t understand it. As his instruction manual, it contains the things that he wants us to comply with.
The final three words associated with the acronym are also tied together. The preposition “before” carries a time element. It is the opposite of “after”. It implies that something must be done in advance of the next step. It is tied directly to the following word “leaving”. This word implies departing from or abandoning. A common phrase used when couples are in the process of divorce is “I’m leaving my wife (or husband)”. Putting these two words together implies that God expects us to do something before leaving. They raise the question as to what we are leaving. The word “earth” informs us of the answer. We are leaving earth. But if we are departing from earth where are we going? To heaven! Earth is not our final destiny.
Thus we can learn a lot when we put these five words together. If the Bible contains God’s “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth”, we had better have a good understanding of his instruction manual because it contains the fundamental principles of who he is, what he has done, and how he wants us to live our lives. As we interact with his manual he expects us to grow closer to him. Since we are expected to know this before leaving earth, we can’t put it off till later. We have to do it now! That’s what God desires. We also see a hope for the future. Death here on earth is not the end. There is more. We will leave all this behind someday. It would be interesting to know what percent of people have read God’s instruction manual cover to cover. As we think about this, the question comes to mind, “How well do I know the BIBLE? How familiar am I with God’s basic instruction manual?
The noun “instructions” and its modifier “basic” should be looked at together. The adjective “basic” can refer to the starting point of something. It is also related to its fundamental principle. To say that one must understand basic math in order to understand calculus implies that one must first understand the fundamental principles of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division as a starting point in order to be able to do higher level math. “Basic” can also imply the essence of the noun that it modifies. To be able to enjoy watching a sporting event we must have a basic understanding of the game being played. Thus basic instructions are those that are the general instructions that everyone should know. The noun “instructions” are precepts or directions calling for compliance or understanding. Who has not read the words “Read the instruction manual before operating” or “To assemble, follow the instructions in the installation manual” when buying a new product. It would be interesting to know what percent of us actually do so.
The Bible is God’s basic instruction manual. It is the starting point for growing closer to God, for it tells us about him. It also contains the essence of what God wants us to know. Containing God’s fundamental principles for us, it isn’t something that is so esoteric that we can’t understand it. As his instruction manual, it contains the things that he wants us to comply with.
The final three words associated with the acronym are also tied together. The preposition “before” carries a time element. It is the opposite of “after”. It implies that something must be done in advance of the next step. It is tied directly to the following word “leaving”. This word implies departing from or abandoning. A common phrase used when couples are in the process of divorce is “I’m leaving my wife (or husband)”. Putting these two words together implies that God expects us to do something before leaving. They raise the question as to what we are leaving. The word “earth” informs us of the answer. We are leaving earth. But if we are departing from earth where are we going? To heaven! Earth is not our final destiny.
Thus we can learn a lot when we put these five words together. If the Bible contains God’s “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth”, we had better have a good understanding of his instruction manual because it contains the fundamental principles of who he is, what he has done, and how he wants us to live our lives. As we interact with his manual he expects us to grow closer to him. Since we are expected to know this before leaving earth, we can’t put it off till later. We have to do it now! That’s what God desires. We also see a hope for the future. Death here on earth is not the end. There is more. We will leave all this behind someday. It would be interesting to know what percent of people have read God’s instruction manual cover to cover. As we think about this, the question comes to mind, “How well do I know the BIBLE? How familiar am I with God’s basic instruction manual?
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