Welcome to έχω ζωη! The new site design is becoming less new, but things have been going well. The έχω ζωη Podcast, which has been the main focus of the site lately, has been much more successful than I expected, and more fun to do than I had imagined. The podcast is released once per month, usually by the second weekend. So far I’ve had great guests to talk about several interesting topics. If current plans pan out, the trend will continue. Assuming things work out, I have guests and enough guests and topics lined up to keep things going through the end of 2008 and into 2009, and a growing list of further possibilities.

If you have suggestions to improve the podcast, please share them with me via the email link in the navigation bar.

I’ve also enjoyed the article series entitled Misapplied Scripture. In each article, I take a look at a Bible verse that is well known to most Evangelical Christians, but very often misused. So far I have addressed John 10:27, Revelation 3:20, Jeremiah 29:10, and Matthew 18:20 with more to come.

I also continue to post the Federalist Papers. Posting is rather slow because I am determined not to post anything without reading it myself first, and life has been pretty busy. Once I have posted all of the Federalist Papers, I’ll likely find another series of writings in the public domain to post, though probably more theological in nature.

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I’ve heard that Penn Jillette has said this in the past, but it was refreshing to hear it from his own lips, on video. I certainly pray that one day, someone will share their faith with him, and the Holy Spirit will lift the veil from his eyes, grant him repentance, and he’ll believe. Clearly, he’d be one to spread the Good News of the Gospel if he’d first believe himself.

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“Do not judge so that you will not be judged.” – Matthew 7:1 – NASB

While the previous “Misapplied Scripture” articles have dealt with verses that are often used out of context by those professing a faith in Christ, this is a verse that is often used by those who have made no such profession, or in some cases they have only very recently made such a profession. Nevertheless, it is a verse that is commonly misapplied, so I wish to address it here.

As with any verse, this one must be taken within its context. Normally I advise, at the very least, to read a verse within the chapter that contains it. In this case, such an approach would be adequate, but not optimal. Chapter seven of Matthew’s Gospel comes as the third of three chapters detailing the famous Sermon on the Mount¹. This chapter is especially Gospel-centric.

I’ll begin by showing verse one in conjunction with the following verse: Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you (emphasis mine.)

Verse one doesn’t exhort Christians not to judge, but rather to keep their judgments fair, honest, and consistent. Because the Christian understands the Gospel, which at the most basic level states that in order to inherit eternal life one must repent of his sins and trust that the sacrifice made by Jesus our Savior on the cross is sufficient to pay the penalty for sins, it is fair, honest, and consistent to hold others to the standard of the Gospel.

By stating what Jesus did in verses one and two, Jesus was also rebuking the standards of Pharisaical Judaism, which demanded an impossible righteousness from the laity, while the leadership was corrupt to the core. Jesus was rebuking those who imposed a “do what I say, not what I do” standard on others. The apostle Paul clarifies this nicely in Romans 2:1, where he says: Therefore you have no excuse, everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things (emphasis mine.)

Not only does Jesus not command us never to judge, looking at the greater context of the New Testament we find that He often commands the Christian to make judgments. For example, later in chapter seven, beginning with verse fifteen, Jesus instructs us to beware of false prophets. How are we to beware of false prophets if we are not permitted to judge them false in the first place? He goes on to explain that bad fruit comes from a bad tree. If the fruit of a prophet is unbecoming of a believer in Christ, it is not only safe to judge him false, we are commanded by our Lord to do so.

If Matthew 7:15-20 is not enough to convince the reader, John 7:24 should be. In John’s Gospel, Jesus states: Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment²(emphasis mine.)

Furthermore, in Luke 12:57, Jesus says: And why do you not even on your own initiative judge what is right?

The apostle Paul magnifies the fact that righteous judgment is not forbidden. In 1 Corinthians 6:1-3, he says: Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life?

So we see that judgment is not forbidden by scriptures as many non-Christians familiar with Matthew 7:1 would like to believe. Rather, judgment should be done in righteousness. The whole of scripture, among other things, is written to equip the believer to correctly judge right from wrong. Where the scriptures are silent, we as believers should be silent (for example, the scriptures are silent on participation in sports activities, therefore there is no basis to condemn one who enjoys playing (or watching) baseball.) However, where the scriptures are clear, we are to rebuke, reprove, and call others to repentance; and we are to be willing to be held to the same standard we hold others to.

In addition to scriptural arguments regarding judgment, it is also reasonable to appeal to logic. In this case, it is fair to point out to the non-Christian who says that it’s wrong to judge that their statement is itself a judgment. It is self-contradictory, logically fallacious.

Supplementary to describing how this verse is misquoted and misapplied, I would like to discuss the primary reason it is misused so often. The scriptures teach that men hate righteousness and love darkness. Exposing the darkness in their lives pricks their consciences, typically evoking wrath. They do not want their deeds to be judged in any way because they love their sin more than they love their own lives, and don’t want to be reminded of where their sins will lead them. However, even if we disobey our Lord and remain silent, they are left without excuse. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. (Romans 1:18-21)

These people need the Gospel. The kind of rebuke that we Christians would offer each other is offensive to them. To the Christian, proper rebuke and instruction in the Word of God is as precious as fine jewelry, but to those who despise the Word of God, rebuke is received in much the same way as hurled stones. Don’t waste your time treating them the way you would a fellow believer. For Jesus said: “Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.” (Matthew 7:6) Instead, plant the seed of the Gospel, pray that it take root, and move on to other business.

I’ll conclude the way I always do, by exhorting the reader to consider the context of every verse in the Bible. No verse is given in a vacuum. At the very least, read the chapter that the verse is contained in, but ideally read a chapter or two before and a chapter or two after. Also consider the greater context. Consider Matthew 7:1 in the larger context of the four Gospels at one level, but also the New Testament at another level.

In addition, consider the logic of how the verse is being applied. If the statement contradicts itself, as the application of this verse often does, the application must be wrong.

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Footnotes
¹ Many scholars believe that Matthew’s occupation before becoming a disciple of Jesus, that of a tax collector, required him to write in a form of short-hand that would allow very quick writing, likely meaning that he was able to record what a person was saying word-for-word, as the person spoke. The likelihood that the Sermon on the Mount was recorded exactly as it was spoken in Matthew’s Gospel is quite high.
² Jesus was responding to those condemning him for healing a man on the Sabbath. He reminded them that the Law allowed men to be circumcised on the Sabbath in order to bring them into compliance with the Mosaic Law (healing them of their legal deficiency), how much more was it right to heal a man of a physical deficiency!

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Stand to Reason is a Christian ministry that has, for over 16 years, focussed on training Christians to be “ambassadors” for Christ in light of 2 Corinthians 5:20, by helping them to develop the qualities of Knowledge, Wisdom, and Character.

Stand to Reason’s Greg Koukl joins me this month to discuss his new book Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions, which focuses on the second quality: Wisdom. We discuss how to converse with non-Christians in a way that gets them thinking about Christianity without being argumentative, confrontational, or offensive. The majority of our conversation is about what Greg calls “The Columbo tactic.”

Tactics is widely available (I’ve seen it at Barnes & Noble), so you should be able to get it just about anywhere, but if you like you can get it at Tacticsbook.com (STR’s bookstore).

Other resources Greg mentioned at the end of the interview include: his other book, Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air; his DVD course with Scott Klusendorf called Making Abortion Unthinkable; and Common Ground. You can also find out how to listen to his radio show, or get the podcast.

To sign up for email notifications of new episodes of Echo Zoe Radio, visit http://www.echozoe.com/archives/2292

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This month, I’m joined by Carl Johnson, assistant pastor of Twin City Fellowship church in St. Louis Park, MN. Our topic is “Moral Relativism,” the idea popular in western culture today that says that individuals determine their own moral values based on their personal experiences and the specific situations they face. Carl describes many aspects of moral relativism, giving real-life examples of where we see it in our culture, as well as the fatal flaws in this ethic that prove it to be logically fallacious.

To sign up for email notifications of new episodes of Echo Zoe Radio, visit http://www.echozoe.com/archives/2292

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David Wheaton is a former professional tennis player, a Christian radio talk-show host, and author of University of Destruction: Your Game Plan for Spiritual Victory on Campus. This month he joins me to discuss his book, which deals with the biggest challenges that Christians face in the world and the strategies to overcome them, focusing on the college campus to exemplify those challenges.

David offers signed copies of his book at his website, as well as an audio book version and study guides. Information on where and when you can catch his radio show, The Christian Worldview, is also available at thechristianworldview.com

To sign up for email notifications of new episodes of Echo Zoe Radio, visit http://www.echozoe.com/archives/2292

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Returning for his third appearance on Echo Zoe Radio this month is Bob DeWaay, pastor of Twin City Fellowship church in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, and author of Critical Issues Commentary. The topic of our discussion is “The Problem of Evil”, and is a follow up to the first episode of Echo Zoe Radio, when Bob and I discussed Open Theism. Our discussion is based on his article for CIC entitled “The Hebrew Lament and the Problem of Evil” (pdf also available.) We address the age-old question: If God is all-powerful, and He has a perfect sense of justice, why does He allow evil in the world?

In the course of discussion, Bob mentioned his current series for CIC Radio on the Book of Hebrews. That is also available at the CIC website.

To sign up for email notifications of new episodes of Echo Zoe Radio, visit http://www.echozoe.com/archives/2292

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I’m trying out Twitter. I’m not sure if it’s something I can see getting into, but figure it deserves a shot. If you are a twitter user, follow me.

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Have you ever heard the question “why do bad things happen to good people?” Have you ever wondered the opposite? Why do good things happen to bad people?

The problem is our point of view. Proverbs 20:6 says “Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?” We all think that we are good people. I have even seen interviews with hardened criminals serving life sentences for horrible crimes say, with a straight face, that they consider themselves to be a good person. Psalm 14:3, speaking of us all, says “There is no one who does good, not even one.”

But, you ask, how can that be? People do good all the time. Motorists pull strangers from burning cars, philanthropists give up riches to help needy families, people give kidneys to save the lives of total strangers. Isn’t that good? In a sense, yes! It is good. However, is it enough to say that giving a kidney to a stranger would make a serial rapist a good person in the end? Certainly not, his good deed, being the right thing to do, does not wipe out his crimes. In the case of civil law, as well as God’s law, we are expected to do what is right, but doing right does not erase our evil deeds.

So let’s approach the question of good from God’s point of view. He has given us a simple measure that most people learn about before entering elementary school: the 10 Commandments (also known as “The Law”). Follow along with me to see how you will do on Judgment Day. The 9th commandment, do not lie. Have you ever lied? Even disregarding small, white lies, such as “that outfit looks great on you” when it doesn’t, who among us hasn’t told a whopper? The 8th commandment, do not steal. Have you ever stolen anything? Even something small? Before you say “no”, think about it for a minute. Have you ever downloaded music from the internet? Have you ever gotten paid for time you didn’t work? It is a rare person that can say “no.” How about the 7th commandment, do not commit adultery. This includes fornication. Actually, it’s much stricter than that. Jesus said in Matthew 5:27-28 “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY’; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Ouch!! This one gets most people. Have you ever looked at someone with a lustful eye? I won’t ask about every commandment, but let’s end with the 3rd; do not take the name of the Lord in vain. Have you ever used the name of God in place of a four-letter word banned by the FCC? Have you ever said the name of Jesus Christ, not in reverence, but in anger or disgust? Do you realize what you’re doing? What would you say if someone used your mother’s name to express disgust? You are doing that with the God who gave you life, and blesses you with good food and a warm bed.

When I go through the 10 commandments, I fail on every one of them. Even the 6th (murder)? Yep, even the 6th! Jesus said in Matthew 5:21-22 “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.”

So, like me, you will have to stand before God one day and give an account of your life. Like me, you won’t do so well. Romans 3:23 says “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” And Isaiah 64:6 says “For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.” Actually, the original Hebrew doesn’t say “filthy garment”, it says “menstruation cloth”. And that’s speaking of your GOOD deeds! Imagine how God sees your sins!! Is it any wonder that Romans 6:23 says “For the wages of sin is death“? (Death referring to the spiritual – Hell!)

Well that sounds pretty doom-and-gloom!! Yeah, it does. But there is good news! Remember the title of this post “Bad People Go to Heaven…” While it was intended as an attention grabber, it is also the truth. If all bad people go to Hell, and we are all bad, then we would all go to Hell. So how do bad people go to Heaven? This is the good news of the Gospel. God so loved the world, that He gave his only son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Another way of saying this is that you committed the crime, but 2,000 years ago, Jesus stepped in and paid your fine when He died on the cross. It’s an amazing transaction! God must punish sin, but we cannot pay the price of even one sin, and most of us sin every day, no matter how good we try to be. He would not be a just judge if he simply forgave people for their sins and let them go. Imagine if someone raped and killed your mother, and the judge simple forgave him and let him go. You would rightly consider that judge a corrupt person with no sense of decency. But there is no reason the judge cannot pay the penalty on behalf of the accused. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” Romans 5:8.

So what must you do? You must do the obvious, Repent! Stop sinning. Forsake your sins! You must also place your trust in Jesus Christ, the way you would trust a parachute when jumping from an airplane. Recognize that it was his death that turns away God’s wrath against your sin.

I know most people who read this will blow it off, but thanks for reading it anyway. Please think about it though. I spent the time writing this because I care about everyone who would read it, and hope to see you all in Heaven with me some day!

Soli Deo Gloria!

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While I never promise to have a podcast episode posted by a specific date unless it is in the can and ready to go, I do strive hard to get them posted by the first Saturday of the month. Unfortunately, scheduling conflicts with my next guest have prevented me from getting this month’s podcast recorded in time to post today. I apologize for the delay. I’ll have it up as soon as possible, and will do whatever it takes to make sure I do get a March episode up (If I can help it in any way, I don’t want to miss an episode.) I may get a backup guest & topic if “Plan A” doesn’t work out.

Thank you to everyone who has supported the podcast by listening every month. Thank you also to those of you who have given me words of encouragement in regards to the podcast. It has been an immense joy to do!

For those of you who may get the show by checking the site periodically, you can sign up for email alerts of new episodes. Your email address is never shared with anyone, and never used for any purpose besides the email alerts you sign up for (and you can unsubscribe any time.) You can sign up at: http://www.echozoe.com/archives/2292.

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Twin City Fellowship’s Associate Pastor Ryan Habbena returns this month for a discussion on “The Means of Grace.” The basis for the discussion is Acts 2:42 – “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (NASB)

To sign up for email notifications of new episodes of Echo Zoe Radio, visit http://www.echozoe.com/archives/2292

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