On Enjoying God To Overcoming Sin

"The joy of the Lord will arm us against the assaults of our spiritual enemies and put our mouths out of the taste for those pleasures with which the tempter baits his hooks"

- Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible, vol. 2 (Old Tappan: Fleming H. Revell, 1708), 1096.

On The Chief End Of Man

All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend tot his end. The cause of some going to war, and of others avoiding it, is the same desire in both, attended with different views. The will never takes the least step but to this object. This is the motive of every action of every man, even of those who hang themselves.

- Blaise Pascal, Pascal's Pensées, trans. W.F. Trotter (New York: E.P. Dutton, 1958), 113, thought #425.

On Egg Donation, Greed, And Value Theory

Debt and Donation probably better titled "regret and donation" from Regrets of an Egg Donor from the ruthinstitute.org -read and share any thoughts.

An injustice that comes to the fore is the literal abuse of the women who are giving their eggs. Say what you want about egg donation, but the woman's body undergoes a lot of stress (albeit self-induced) while the companies provide no follow up health care.

For what it's worth, I think the entire process is wrong. But, if a company has the desire to purchase the eggs from a woman, they ought to make sure she has adequate care afterwards. A woman's value is not relegated to her eggs. She is made in the image of God (c.f. Genesis 1:26f).

On Holiness, Glory And The Trinity

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!

Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee;

Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty!

God in three Persons, blessèd Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore Thee,

Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;

Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,

Who was, and is, and evermore shall be.

Holy, holy, holy! though the darkness hide Thee,

Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see;

Only Thou art holy; there is none beside Thee,

Perfect in power, in love, and purity.

Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!

All Thy works shall praise Thy Name, in earth, and sky, and sea;

Holy, holy, holy; merciful and mighty!

God in three Persons, blessèd Trinity!

- Reginald Heber, "Holy, Holy, Holy," 1826.

On Grace, Sovereignty, And Grace

Therefore this alien righteousness, instilled in us without our works by grace alone-while the Father, to be sure, inwardly draws us to Christ- is set opposite original sin, likewise alien, which we acquire without our works by birth alone. Christ daily drives out the old Adam more and more in accordance with the extent to which faith and knowledge of Christ grow. For alien righteousness is not instilled all at once, but it begins, makes progress, and is finally perfected at the end through death.

- Martin Luther, Two Kinds of Righteousness, in Martin Luther's Basic Theological Writings, ed. Timothy Lull (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1989).

On The Depravity Of Man, God's Mercy, And The Freedom of Man

Today I was reading through Psalm 81 and came across vvs. 11f. Needless to say, my mind immediately thought of Paul's words in Romans 1:24-27. Consider:

So I gave them over to their stubbornness of their heart, to walk in their own devices

- Psalm 81:12

Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.

- Romans 1:24

For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural.

- Romans 1:26

Needless to say, if one desires a practical illustration of Psalm 81:12, one only has to read Romans 1:18-32. It also raises the question, "What is the natural state of the heart of man?" Scripture seems to be clear, the devices of man are sin, and the heart of man appears to be naturally stubborn and in a state of rebellion against the Lord.

Lord as I read your word, Father, help me to have a repentant and soft heart. That, when I hear your Word that Your Holy Spirit would grant my heart faith, hope and love that would spring forth obedience in order to walk according to Your ways living by faith in the Son of God, Jesus, who lives in me.

On Anime, Depravity, And Darkness

This past week, I have been watching the Anime Tokyo Majin Gakuen. My youth watch it, and I wanted to see what exactly was influencing them. Needless to say, it is demonic and full of divination, so I am not too thrilled they watch it. With that said, there are themes of sin, death, atonement, salvation, resurrection, redemption, love and even the need for a savior. Sadly it's wholly deficient and distorted without revelation of Jesus. The anime struggles with the human condition (mixed with themes of divination). Although it's not like reading Nietzsche or Dostoyevsky where a sin wrought, depraved humanity drips off the page in honest fashion, there is still something to learn. So what is seen when one goes below and within and observes the human heart? There is a telling monologue in episode 13:

"That man said to me, 'to exact your revenge you will need a mighty power. A power to violate or obliterate the laws of this world and change it forever.' He told me I could obtain that power if i was willing to sacrifice. I would have to abandon my human heart. What heart? I don't need any human heart? What good is it? I abandoned it a long time ago. A human heart -what is a human heart? What a useless organ -much more trouble than it's worth. What did the human heart ever do for me? What did the human heart ever do for my mother. Those people, those miserable pigs don't deserve to live -so why don't you kill them? There is nothing stopping you. I have been chosen -I don't have to worry about those swine anymore. Destroy them... do them in.... end their lives... MURDER every last one. And then.... become a demon. I'll show you once and for all why we call it the dark arts."

- Tendo Kozunu, Episode 13, Toyko Majin Gakuen Kenpucho

On Anselm's Tension Between God's Transcendence and Immanence

Taking into consideration Nietzsche's "Madman" (c.f. The Gay Science Bk. III, 125), I advance Anselm as a charitable and glorious alternative:

Truly, Lord, this is the 'inaccessible light which you dwell' (1 Tim. 6:16) For surely there is no other being that can penetrate this light so that it might see you there. Indeed, the reason that I do not see it is that it is too much for me. And yet whatever I do see, I see through it, just as a weak eye sees what it sees by the light of the sun, although it cannot look at that light directly in the sun itself. My understanding cannot see that light. It is too dazzling; my understanding does not grasp it, and the eye of the soul cannot bear to look into it for long. It is dazzled by its splendor, vanquishes by its fullness, overwhelmed by its vastness, perplexed by its extent. O supreme and inaccessible light, O complete and blessed truth, how far you are from me while I am so close to you! How far you are from my sight while I am so present to yours! You are wholly present everywhere, and yet I do not see you. "In you I move and in you I have my being" (Acts 17:28), and yet I cannot come into your presence. You are within me and all around me, and yet I do not perceive you.

Still, O Lord, you are hidden from my soul in your light and happiness, and so it still lives in its darkness and misery. It looks around, but it does not see your beauty. It listens, but it does not hear your harmony. It smells, but it does not perceive your fragrance. It tastes, but it does not know your savor. It touches, but it does not sense your softness. For you have these qualities in you, O Lord God, in your own ineffable way; and you have given them in their own perceptible way to things you created. But the senses of my soul have been stiffened, dulled, and obstructed by the long-standing weakness of sin.

- St. Anselm, Proslogion, trans. Thomas Williams (Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing Company, 1995), Ch 16f.

On Humanity and Humeanism

Christianity claims that the essence of humanity that separates all mankind from animals stems from the doctrine of the Imago Dei. Namely, that man was made in the Image of God (c.f. Genesis 1:26), and therefore, a supremacy and distinction. This doctrine has many corporate implications. Namely, murder is wrong in that man is created in the Image of God (Genesis 9:6) and that slandering another human is wrong in that they are made int he image of God (James 3:8f).

From a more Aristotelian standpoint, man is unique in that they have reason. From a Thomistic (a far more Christan) reinterpretation of Aristotle, man has reason because he has the Image of God. It seems, however, that David Hume argues from a different standpoint concerning the sentiments of humanity (9.2) and also that there is a natural "infused benevolence". Namely, corporate benevolence is a defining factor of humanity. I disagree with him. I am not Hobbesean. I am Pauline. Man is made in the image of God. And what makes us fallen is sin and what makes us (fully) Human is Christ. But is humanity defined by infused benevolence?

What is more interesting is Donald Tusk, the Prime Minister of Poland, has made a similar assertion. Namely, the humanity of the individuality would ensure a humane punishment. But, in the case of pedophilia, the perpetrator is inhumane. As a result, according to Tusk, the punishment fits the crime -it's inhumane. Hume states in his Enquiry Concerning the Principle of Morals (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005):

"I may be esteemed, perhaps, a superfluous task to prove, that the benevolent or softer affections are estimable; and wherever they appear, engage the approbation, and good-will of mankind. The epithets sociable, good-natured, humane, merciful, grateful, friendly, generous, beneficent, or their equivalents, are known in all languages, and universally express the highest merit, which human nature is capable of attaining (2.1.1).

[And] it will be suffice to remark, (what will readily, I believe, be allowed) that in qualities are more entitled to the general good-will and approbation of mankind, than beneficnence and humanity, friendship and gratitude, natural affection and public spirit, or whatever proceeds from a tender sympathy with others, and a generous concern for our kind and species. These, wherever they appear, seem to transfuse themselves, in a manner, into each beholder, and to call forth, in their own behalf, the same favourable and affectionate sentiments, which they exert on all around (2.1.5).

[There is a frequent satisfaction] of seeing knaves, with all their pretended cunning and abilities, betrayed by their own maxims; and while they purpose to cheat with moderation and secrecy, a tempting incident occurs, nature is frail, and they give into the snare; whence they can never extricate themselves, without a total loss of reputation, and the forfeiture of all future trust and confident with mankind (9.2.24).

In terms of Humanity, it seems either Hume is right or, perhaps, the Prime Minister of Poland (Donald Tusk) is Humean.

WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland on Friday approved a law making chemical castration mandatory for pedophiles in some cases, sparking criticism from human rights groups. Under the law, sponsored by Poland's center-right government, pedophiles convicted of raping children under the age of 15 years or a close relative would have to undergo chemical therapy on their release from prison. "The purpose of this action is to improve the mental health of the convict, to lower his libido and thereby to reduce the risk of another crime being committed by the same person," the government said in a statement.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk said late last year he wanted obligatory castration for pedophiles, whom he branded 'degenerates'. Tusk said he did not believe "one can use the term 'human' for such individuals, such creatures."Prime Minister Donald Tusk said late last year he wanted obligatory castration for pedophiles, whom he branded 'degenerates'. Tusk said he did not believe "one can use the term 'human' for such individuals, such creatures." "Therefore I don't think protection of human rights should refer to these kind of events," Tusk also said. His remarks drew criticism from human rights groups but he never retracted them.

- Baczynska, Gabriela. "Poland Okays Forcible Castration for Pedophiles" from Reuters, September 25, 2009. http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE58O4LE20090925?feedType=RSS&feedName=oddlyEnoughNews

On Ontology and Action Theory

The point of Matthew 7:15-20 is that believers know the difference between a false prophet, who are ravenous wolves in sheep's clothing (difficult to tell on a superficial level), by their fruit. This of course implies that false prophets and Christians are different. More specifically, this text argues that different plant produce different fruits. And, going deeper, this text has interesting implications that bring to light the differences between those of God and those not of God.

What exactly can be inferred? Answer: ontology and action theory. Otherwise known as being and ability, Scripture is rather clear concerning the reality that there are (at least) two different plants (vs. 16) and that each plant can only produce fruit in correspondence to its species (vvs. 17-19). Namely, the plant type determines the fruit, the nature determines ability, and ontology determines action. The point that Christians can differentiate between wolves and sheep (Christians and false prophets) seem to hinge on this reality. Conclusively, it's the only way the text makes sense.

15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 “So then, you will know them by their fruits.

- Matthew 7:15-20 (NASB)

Before I end, a word of application: what fruit do you produce (action/ability)? What kind of plant does that make you (ontology/being)? May the Holy Spirit convict your soul, and may God draw you to Himself. He who has ears, let him hear.

On Ability Or A Lack There Of

As Jesus stood before Mary asking her why she was weeping and who she was seeking, it seems remarkable that Mary remained blind and did not know who she was speaking to. But perhaps remarkable isn't the correct word. A better word is possibly encouraging because if I am honest with myself, Mary isn't the only one blind.

"She said to Him, 'Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you ahve laid Him, and I will take Him away.'"

- John 20:15b

On Special Revelation, Anthropology and Teleology

Aquinas begins by expounding the purpose of Scripture in light of the purpose of Man:

"It was necessary for man's salvation that there should be a knowledge revealed by God, besides philosophical science built up by human reason. Firstly, indeed because man is directed to God, as to an end that surpasses the grasp of his reason: The eye hath not seen, O God, besides Thee, what things Thou hast prepared for them that wait for Thee (Isa. lxvi. 4). But the end must be known by men who are to direct their thoughts and actions to the end. Hence it was necessary for the salvation of man that certain truths exceed human reason should be made known to him by divine revelation. Even as regards those truths about God which human reason could have discovered, it was necessary that man should be taught by a divine revelation; because the truth about God such as reason could discover, would only be known by a few, and that after a long time, and with the admixture of many errors. Whereas man's whole salvation, which is in God, depends upon the knowledge of this truth. Therefore, in order that the salvation of men might be brought about more fitly and more surely, it was necessary that they should be taught divine truths by divine revelation. It was therefore necessary that besides philosophical science built up by reason there should be a sacred science learned through revelation."

- St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica Part I, Question 1, Article 1 (New York, NY: Benziger Bros., 1948).

On Responsibility

In a word:

"Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?"

 - Genesis 3:9

On A Relient K Midrash of New Creation Theology

Rejecting authorial intent and employing a great deal of appropriation, Matt Thiessen provides a simple yet profound midrash concerning new creation theology viz., Romans 7:14-24. (Cf., Romans 6-8; 2Corinthians 4-5; Galatians 5:1-25; Ephesians 4:17-5:21; Colossians 3:1-17; 4:28; James 1:21-25; 2Peter 1:1-15; 1John 2:15-24; Jude 17-24) stating:

"Who I am hates who I've been."

- Relient K, "Who I am Hates Who I've been," on Mmhmm (Gotee and Capitol Records, 2004), Track 10.

On the Affections of Humanity

       "Affections are a gift from God to all humanity. Far too often the faculties have been 'gendered' in the church, for example, when people lump 'rationality' with men and 'emotions' with women. In addition to empirical evidence that easily contradicts such hastily drawn stereotypes, one should reject such schemas because all Christians are called to love God with their mind, will, and affections. Healthy affections are crucial to the life of faith, and numbing them cannot be the answer. In Owen's estimation, because the affections are so important to faithful obedience, Scripture often interchanges the language of heart and affections, for here is 'the principal thing which God requires in our walking before [Him].... Save all other things and lose the heart, and all is lost -lost unto eternity.' 

       The goal of the Christian life is not external conformity or mindless action, but a passionate love for God informed by the mind and embraced by the will. So the path forward is not to decrease one's affections but rather to enlarge them and fill them with 'heavenly things.' Here one is not trying to escape the painful realities of this life but rather endeavoring to reframe one's perspective of life around a much larger canvas that encompasses all of reality. To respond to the distorting nature of sin you must set your affections on the beauty and glory of God, the loveliness of Christ, and the wonder of the gospel: 'Were our affections filled, taken up, and possessed with these things... what access could sin, with its painted pleasures, with its sugared poisons, with its envenomed baits, have unto our souls?' Resisting sin, according to this Puritan divine, comes not by deadening your affections but by awakening them to God [Himself]. Do not seek to empty your cup as a way to avoid sin, but rather seek to fill it up with the Spirit of life, so there is no longer room for sin."

 - Kelly M. Kapic, "Life in the Midst of Battle: John Owen's Approach to Sin, Temptation, and the Christian Life," in Overcoming Sin & Temptation: Three Classic Works by John Owen (Wheaton: Crossway Books, 2006).

On Augustine and the Will

... bound, not with the irons of another, but my own iron will.... Because of a perverse will was lust made; and lust indulged in became custom; and custom not resisted became necessity.... But that new will which had begun to develop in me, freely to worship [You], and to wish to enjoy [You], O God, the only sure enjoyment, was not able as yet to overcome my former willfulness, made strong by long indulgence. Thus did my two wills, one old and the other new, one carnal, the other spiritual, contend within me; and by their discord they unstrung my soul.

- St. Augustine. The Confessions of Saint Augustine, translated by J.G. Pilkington (New York: Liveright, 1943).