Ncfca Apologetics

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61. What is the essential duty of man?

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What is the duty of man, like the purpose of man, is a question that has been pondered for many years. The duty has been changed as time goes on and according to the whims of man. The Romans thought that the duty of man was to serve the Roman Empire, America's founding fathers believed that the duty of man was to pursue life, liberty, and happiness, and my mom seems to think that my duty is to do my chores. What is the essential duty of many? Do we ourselves get to decide that? In this speech I will answer the question, "What is the essential duty of man?" and I will do this through 3 points:
1) Define 'duty' and look and who it applies to,
2) Man's duty is to fulfill God's purpose for him
3) How man can fulfill their essential duty?

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1) Define 'duty' and look and who it applies to.
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary defines a 'duty' as, 1 : conduct due to parents and superiors : respect
2 a : obligatory tasks, conduct, service, or functions that arise from one's position (as in life or in a group)

The New Unger's Bible Dictionary defines man's duty so, "Duty implies obligation. Such is the constitution of the human mind that no sooner do we perceive a given course to be right than we recognize also a certain obligation resting on us to pursue that course. Duties vary according to one's relations. Thus a person has duties to one's self, the family, the state, and God. As his most supreme relation is to God, and ass God's commands are always right , therefore one's chief obligation is to God.

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2) Man's duty is to fulfill God's purpose for him
As we saw in the definition of man's duty, man's chief obligation is to God. So how do we fulfill this? Ecclesiastes 12:13 says; Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

So we are to fear God and keep his commandments. We are also to glorify Him; 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Obviously, man is responsible to obey and glorify God.

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3) How man can fulfill their essential duty
I would like to return to Ecclesiastes 12:13 which states; Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

We have here two main 'duties':
a) Fear God
b) Keep His commandments

So lets look at each of them:
a) Fear God
In fearing God, we glorify him. We see this in Revelation 15:4; Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed." To fear the LORD does not necessarily mean to be afraid of God, but it means to understand His power and respect Him completely.

b) Keep His commandments
John 14:21 says, "Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." Our purpose is to obey God, and to be loved by him in return.

So what have we learned?-That man has a duty to fear the LORD (thereby glorifying him), and to keep His commands.

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So I would like to close with this thought; Romans 9:20-21
But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?' Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?
Regardless of whether we choose to accept our duty or not, we still have a duty. The Bible describes us as pots, created by God the potter. The duty of pots is to hold things. We can rebel, and try to make ourselves into a vase or a lamp, but not only will it fail miserably, we won't have the satisfaction that fulfilling man's duty to God provides.

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62. What is meant by the “fall of man”?

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Just think about it. A perfect life, no sin, no guilt. Walking and talking with God daily. No sadness, pain or evil. Sounds pretty great, right? Well, Adam and Eve sure thought so. In the garden of Eden, life was perfect, sinless. And then something happened. What was it? The term "the fall of man" is often used to describe what happened. We'll be looking at this in detail as I explore the topic, "What is meant by the "fall of man"? I will be doing this though 3 points:
1) The fall results in physical death
2) The fall results in spiritual death
3) The fall results in eternal death

First though, let's define the Fall of man. The New Unger's Bible Dictionary says, "By this act of disobedience [here they refer to Adam and Eve's first act of disobedience to God, the first sin] "sin entered into the world, and death through sin." Shame and alienation from God were the first visible consequences. The image of God...was marred and broken...Sorrow and toil and strugle with evil in the nature became the lot of mankind."

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1) The fall results in physical death
We first see that as a result of the first sin of man we experience physical death when God forbids Adam and Eve from eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil: 'for when you eat of it you will surely die." (Gen. 2:17) Paul also attributes death to the original sin of Adam in Romans 5:12, "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—"
So we know that because of the Fall and our ongoing sin, we experience physical death.

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2) The fall results in spiritual death
Sin separated Adam from a perfect God, and man's ongoing sin results in our separation from God, too. Romans 6:23 says For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Millard J. Erickson in Christian Theology says, "The essence of spiritual death can be seen in the case of Adam and Eve. "For when you eat of it [the forbidden fruit] you will surely die" did not mean they would experience immediate physical death...It meant spiritual death, separation between them and God. And indeed, after Adam and Eve ate of the fruit, they tried to hide from him because of their shame and guilt...Sin results in alienation from God." Paul speaks of these wages of sin in Romans 6:23 The fall, the original sin has separated us spiritually from God, and resulted in our spiritual death.

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3) The fall results in eternal death
Eternal death is really the extension and finalization of spiritual death. Eternal death is permanent for those who come to physical death still spiritually dead.
Eternal death is everlasting separation from God, but there is another option. Eternal life is everlasting togetherness with God. How to achieve eternal life? Let's look back to Romans 6:23. Eternal life comes from spiritual newness and coming to spiritual life.

How do we do this? Romans 10: 9-10 says That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
So we can be saved from the eternal death resulting from the fall by recognizing our own ongoing sin and asking God to renew our spirits to life!

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So today, we can know that because of Adam and Eve's sin, all of their descendants, us, are fallen creatures. Yet through God's grace and love, he has offered us a way out. If we believe in Jesus Christ, and trust him to take away our sins, we can share in eternity with God. We can once again be restored to God.

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63. Evaluate and respond to the following statement, “All men were born with ten fingers and toes but no one was born with the knowledge of God.” Voltaire

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How many of us knew how to walk the moment we were born? Answer: No one! How many of us knew how to talk when we were born? No one! How many of us were born with a knowledge of God? Perhaps you don't remember. Today I have been asked to Evaluate and respond to the following statement, “All men were born with ten fingers and toes but no one was born with the knowledge of God.” Voltaire
And I will do this through 3 points;
1) Knowledge of God
2) Everyone is born with the knowledge of God
3) Our initial knowledge of God leaves us seeking Him

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1) Knowledge of God
The American Dictionary of the English Language defines knowledge as, "Knowledge: A clear and certain perception of that which exists, or of truth and fact; the perception of the connection and agreement, or disagreement, and repugnancy of our ideas." We can have no knowledge of that which does not exist.

The New Unger's Bible Dictionary defines knowledge, "Knowledge may be partial. It implies discovery, detection; as 'through the Law comes the knowledge of sin" (Rom. 3:20)
These two definitions may appear to contradict each other, but really the build upon each other. The first says that we have a perception of that which exists, and the other says we can build upon our initial knowledge. Which leads us to my next point...

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2) Everyone is borne with the knowledge of God
Romans 2:14 says, "Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them." Even those who do not have the law know in their hearts that they need to follow it. They are searching for God's ways.
Dr Justin Barrett, a senior researcher at the University of Oxford's Centre for Anthropology and Mind, says that children (even children raised in a non-Christian environment who have heard nothing of God) all have faith and believe in a God. "The preponderance of scientific evidence for the past 10 years or so has shown that a lot more seems to be built into the natural development of children's minds than we once thought, including a predisposition to see the natural world as designed and purposeful and that some kind of intelligent being is behind that purpose,"

So we see that everyone has an existent knowledge of God.

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3) Our initial knowledge of God leaves us seeking Him
Because we know of God, we have a longing for him; men are borne seeking him. Romans 1:18-20 says, The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
Only God can satisfy our longing, but our sins have separated us from him. (Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.) But listen!-Though our sins have separated us from him, we still have hope to fulfill our longing for him. The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 10: 9-10 says That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

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We have seen that we do indeed have knowledge of God, and only through coming humbly in faith to him can we satisfy our longing for Him.

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64. Evaluate and respond to the following statement, “…whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap.” Galatians 6:7

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Have you ever felt you don't quite get the recognition for what you do? I often work so hard on an essay, perfect it, or perhaps in a group project, I'll put in an extra effort, but everyone else gets the credit. I often feel like I'm not recognized. But when I do something wrong, e.i. I slack off and don't do my homework, I shrink recognition. And it always feels like just then my teachers pay attention! But the Bible says in Galatians 6:7; whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap. Today I have been asked to Evaluate and respond to the following to the Galatians 6:7 statement, “…whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap.” And I will do this through three points;
1) Our evil deeds will always be punished.
2) God recognizes His children's good deeds.
3) It holds a promise for those who follow Christ.

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1) Our evil deeds will always be punished.

We see from the verse in Galatians that we reap what we sow. Job 4:8 also reconfirms that when we sin, we will be punished; Even as I have seen, Those who plow iniquity And sow trouble reap the same.
What do we reap from sin? Death. Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Lord Byron put it this way, "The thorns of the tree that I have planted, have reaped me: and I have bled. I should have known that such fruit would have sprung, from such a seed." We understand that we reap the sins, the bad deeds we sow.

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2) God recognizes His children's good deeds.
But God also recognizes his children when they do good. Galatians 6:7-9 says, Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Though evil deed will be punished, believer's good deeds will be rewarded. How are they rewarded? Well, this leads me to my final point...

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3) It holds a promise for those who follow Christ.
In Matthew 25, Jesus tells a parable of a rich man who went away on a journey, but first entrusted his money to three of his servants. To one he gave 5 talents, to another 2, and to the last, 1. The first to invested their money, and when their master returned, he rejoiced with them-they had doubled his return! But the final servant dug a hole in the ground and kept it there until his master returned. His master grew angry at his lazy servant and throw him out. Those who had worked hard and earned their master more money-had done good deeds, so to speak-were able to rejoice with their master when he returned. We know that when Jesus returns for his faithful children, he will reward them for their hard work and good deeds.

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In conclusion I would like to remind us of the reward in store for God's faithful ones by reading from Jesus' parable in Matthew 25:19-21; After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'

"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

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31. Analyze and respond to the statement, “If God understands my humanity and sin nature better than I do, why does He still hold me accountable for what I cannot help doing?”

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When my mom told me not to touch the hot stove as a child, she knew exactly why I shouldn't touch the stove. But she also knows that I often reject authority and disobey her. She understands that about me. But she still punishes me for disobeying her if I touch the hot stove. Today I have been asked to analyze and respond to the statement, “If God understands my humanity and sin nature better than I do, why does He still hold me accountable for what I cannot help doing?” And I will be doing this through three points:
1) Look at the wrong assertion in the statement
2) Address the wrong assertion
3) Why God holds us accountable

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1) Look at the wrong assertion in the statement
Romans 3:19-Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.

We will all be held accountable for this kind of sin because we participate by our unwillingness to challenge the group or our own ignorance of what is going on before our very eyes. ~ Kathy Bernard

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2) Address the wrong assertion
2 Chronicles 12:14-He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the LORD.

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3) Why God holds us accountable
Isaiah 59:1-3 Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt.Your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters wicked things.

Isaiah 1:18-"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool."

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68. Explain the meaning and significance of justification.

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Have you ever done something wrong, but tried to justify it with a bunch of excuses? "Well, officer, I was only speeding because I needed to get home quickly..." "I was going to put away the dishes like you told me, mom, but I had this huge project..." You know what I mean. But can we ourselves really justify our wrong-doings? In this speech I will explain the meaning and significance of justification, and I plan to do this through three points:
1) The Meaning of Justification
2) Justification is significant to the Gospel and Christianity
3) Justification offers hope to unbelievers

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1) The Meaning of Justification

So what does 'justification' mean? The New Unger's Bible Dictionary defines justification as "a divine act whereby an infinitely Holy God judicially declares a believing sinner to be righteous and acceptable before Him because Christ has borne the sinner's sin on the cross...Justification springs from the fountain of God's grace. It is operative as the result of redemptive and propitiatory sacrifice of Christ, who has settled all claims of the law. Justification is on the basis of faith and not by human merit or works."

So what exactly does that mean? Well, that brings me to my next point.

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2) Justification is significant to the Gospel and Christianity
Grudem says, "A right understanding of justification is absolutely crucial to the whole Christian faith. Even today, a true view of justification is the diving line between the biblical gospel of salvation by faith alone and all false gospels of salvation based on good works." So going back to the definition in my first point, we see that "Justification is on the basis of faith and not by human merit or works." Justification through faith is essential to the Christian belief. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." Without justification through faith, no man would stand a chance of coming to God. So God's promise of justification through Jesus Christ is essential to the Christian faith.

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3) Justification offers hope to unbelievers
How does justification offer hope? Well, everyone sin that needs to be reconciled, and justification gives everyone a chance to be reconciled to God. Romans 3:22-24 says, "This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." God promises justification for those who have sinned because Christ Jesus bore the sin of man on the cross. Romans 10:9-10 promises, "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."

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So we no longer have to make excuses. Jesus' sacrifice on the cross is enough to make us righteous before God. His sacrifice justifies us. Thank you.

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69. Explain the meaning and significance of atonement.

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Want to hear some scary statistics? Try these: Ten out of every ten people have sinned. And worse, ten out of every ten people deserve punishment for their sins. The bible clearly states that the punishment for sin is death. We all deserve to die. But God, in his mercy, has offered us a way out. Jesus' sacrifice on the cross offered atonement for our sins. We'll be looking at this in detail as I explain the meaning and significance of atonement, and I will be doing this through two points:
1) What does 'atonement' mean?
2) How is Jesus' atonement for our sins significant?

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1) What does 'atonement' mean?
The Compact Oxford Dictionary defines atonement as, "1 amends for a wrong or injury, or in Christian Theology the reconciliation of God and mankind through the death of Jesus Christ." The New Unger's Bible Ditionary defines the atonement as, "the covering over of sin, the reconcilation between God and man, accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the special result of Christ's sacrificial sufferings and death by virtue of which all who exercise proper penitence and faith receive forgiveness for our sins and obtain peace."

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2) How is Jesus' atonement for our sins significant?
Well, to answer that, I would like to break down the definition from The New Unger's Bible dictionary into three points:
a) In our sin, we are separate from God,
b) Christ reconciled man and God through his sacrifice, or his atonement,
c) Our faith in His sacrifice grants us forgiveness and peace.

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a) In our sin, we are separate from God. Isaiah 59:1-3 says "Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt.Your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters wicked things."
b) Christ reconciled man and God through his sacrifice, or his atonement. Grudem's Systematic Theology says, "The atonement is the work Christ did in his life and death to earn our salvation." Romans 3:23-26 says "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
c) Our faith in His sacrifice grants us forgiveness and peace.
Psalm 103:12 says, "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." Remember in Romans 3:25 says and [we] are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus, and in Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast."

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Through Christ's sacrifice, we are reconciled with God, we can return to Him. Christ covers our sin with his death on the cross, and we can come to God because of his atonement. Thank you.

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70. Explain the meaning and significance of propitiation.

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Do you feel like when someone forgives you a debt, you still owe them something? Or perhaps when you forgive a friend when they wrong you, you don't quite feel like you have been reconciled to them-you still feel not everything is quite right. Well, God isn't at all like that. When God's wrath is satisfied, and he is reconciled with one of his children, he is appeased. This is called propitiation. In this speech I will explain the meaning and significance of propitiation, and I plan to do this through 3 points;
1) What does propitiation mean?
2) What does the Bible say about propitiation?
3) How is propitiation significant?

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1) What does 'propitiation' mean?
The Unger's Dictionary defines propitiation as "The divine side of the work of Christ on the cross. Christ's atoning death for the world's sin altered the whole position of the human race in its relationship to God, for God recognizes what Christ accomplished in behalf of the world whether men enter into the blessings of it or not. "

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2) What does the Bible say about propitiation?
How does the Bible describe propitiation? Well, it says that Jesus Christ displayed himself as a propitiation through his blood. Rom 3:25 “Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in his blood through faith. This was to demonstrate his righteousness, because in the forbearance of God he passed over the sins previously committed.
1 John 4:10 “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

So what do these verses tell us? That because God loves us, he wished to be restored to us, and so he sent Jesus as a propitiation for our sins. But how is this significant?

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3) How is propitiation significant?
Because we are separated from God by our sin, his wrath needs to be satisfied, and we need to be reconciled with him. Jesus Christ's sacrifice is the propitiation of sins, as it says in 1 John 2:2 “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.” This is significant because it redeems us with God.

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Jesus' sacrifices not only appease God's wrath, but they can restore us to him. However it takes our faith in his sacrifice, in the propitiation for our sins, to save us and restore us. I would like to conclude with this verse; Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.

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80. “I know that all the good vibes he sent out will return to carry him off to a better place.” Comment made after the death of Bob Hope

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Ever heard of Bob Hope? He was an American actor and comedian who died just 6 years ago. He was highly admired for his work; he stared along-side some of the most famous and adored people of his time, and made funny, clean movies. Upon his death, someone commented, "I know that all the good vibes he sent out will return to carry him off to a better place.” What does this mean? Well, today I am going to evaluate this statement and I will do this through three points.
1. What is this comment actually saying?
2. What's the truth?
3. Can good vibes earn us something?

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1. What is this comment actually saying?
Well, to answer this question, I did a bit of research on the meaning of "vibes." According to The Compact Oxford English Dictionary, a vibe is "the atmosphere or aura of a person or place as communicated to and felt by others." No sites provided any strong information about what defines the vibe you send out, though one unanimous blogger described a good vibe as, "A good, kind hearted, caring person usually sends off good vibes & makes others feel more at ease around them. It's their personality & character. On the other hand, negative people who are untrustworthy, not sympathetic or egotistical usually send off bad vibes." So basically our vibes our based upon our character, and on the things we do. So the comment is saying that Bob Hope's actions and personality will carry him to a better place. This leads me to my second point, which asks...

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2. What's the truth?
I'd like to know; can good vibes carry us to a better place?
Well, lets define a better place. According to The Compact Oxford English Dictionary, heaven is "a place or state of supreme bliss." That would define a better place. So how do we get to heaven? Well, the Bible says in Galations 2:16 that, "knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified." So our works are pointless to get into heaven. It is only by faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins that we can be saved, and God can accept us into heaven. But this leads me to my final point...

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3. Can good vibes earn us something?
we can't save ourselves but can we-out of our love for God-send good vibes? Well, James 2:17 says, "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." This should not be confused to saying that we earn our salvation through works, but what it is saying is that works display our faith, and strengthen it. Ephesians 2:8 reminds us that, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—" God's grace saves us, and our works show others around us of our faith.

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Although good vibes, good works, and good actions are all...good, they don't send us to that better place called heaven. Our works must be backed by faith in Jesus Christ and covered by saving grace. Thank you.

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81. Analyze and respond to the following statement, “Christianity is the opiate of the masses.” Karl Marx

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Have you ever encountered someone on heavy narcotics? Perhaps you've had the experience yourself. All senses...they seem dull. Sight, smell, hearing...even your tongue seems to get stuck in your throat. It's hard to keep a train of thought, and you kind of just try to nod along through any conversation anyone else holds around you. It's like you're not in control, because your senses are so dulled, you can't really be in control. Karl Marx once compared Christianity to narcotics. He said, "Christianity is the opiate of the masses." I would like to analyze and respond to that statement, and I will do that through three points.
1. Who is Karl Marx and what does this statement mean?
2. What would Christianity being the opiate of the masses look like?
3. Christianity works opposite of narcotics.

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1. Who is Karl Marx and what does this statement mean?

Karl Marx is a name that is familiar to us all - notorious as the brain behind communism.
This statement, originally from the German, has been translated many times, returning results such as, 'Religion is the opiate of the masses', 'religion is the opium of the masses' and, in a version which German scholars prefer 'religion is the opium of the people'.
In context, the phrase goes, "Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, just as it is the spirit of a spiritless situation. It is the opium of the people." Karl Marx himself was German philosopher, political economist, historian, political theorist, sociologist, communist, revolutionary, and had a very atheistic philosophy. His ideas ideas are credited as the foundation of modern communism.
Opiate is defined by Merriam-Webster
1 a : a drug (as morphine or codeine) containing or derived from opium and tending to induce sleep and alleviate pain; broadly : narcotic
2 : something that induces rest or inaction or quiets uneasiness
It's an addicting drug that puts the user to sleep, and dulls their senses-dulls their pain. So Karl Marx is saying that Christianity dulls the senses and the pain of the masses.

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2. What would Christianity being the opiate of the masses look like?
A friend of mine, Christopher Anderson, said, "The Point of View that Marx is basically advocating is that the religions of the world (especially Christianity), dull society, dull intellectual development, and cause people to substitute fantasy for reality (all common effects of the drug opium, which is why he used the word). " Christians would be substituting the reality of their world for the reality of heaven, because their senses and minds had been dulled by the brainwashing of Christianity. It would be a church blindly following to satisfy their own needs. Does Christianity do this?

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3. Christianity works opposite of narcotics.
If a person Christianity were the opiate of the masses, they would be following it to satisfy their own needs and fantasy. However, Jesus says in Luke 21:17 that "All men will hate you because of me." Revelations 2:10 warns that "Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life." Because of our Christianity we will suffer, be hated, and be persecuted. So how would this satisfy our needs? Christianity does not provide an "escape" from our senses like narcotics do. Christians around the world are persecuted because of their faith-Christianity is definitely not an escape from their pain. Still, you may argue that our minds are dulled. Paul calls for the opposite of a dull mind; Romans 12:2 says "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." God wishes us to be renewed in our minds, not dulled or dumbed down. Renewed.

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RESTATE ROADMAP
Sometimes Christians seem to be blindly following the church, or that our minds have been dulled. But true Christian theology proves that Christianity should not be like a drug. It is not an escape. It is not dulling our minds. Christianity is not the opiate of the masses. Thank you.

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83. What is the meaning and significance of the deity of Christ?

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Ever heard anyone say that Jesus wasn't really God? It could be possible, right? I mean, he was a great guy, a pretty good prophet. Did he really have to be God? Well, today I will be looking at the at that the meaning and significance of the deity of Christ is, and I will do that through 3 points:

1. What does 'deity' mean?
2. How do we know Jesus is God?
3. The deity of Christ is essential to his character

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1. What does 'deity' mean?
Well, the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a deity as, "the rank or essential nature of a god, or one exalted or revered as supremely good or powerful." So basically it means the essential "god-ness" of a god, his nature that makes him god.

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2. How do we know Jesus is God?
Well, John 1:1 says "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Jesus' name itself was chosen because it meant "God with us." Isaiah 9:6 says “For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is give; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, the everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” Christ was God on earth! God squeezed himself into a man and came to walk on earth among us. Christ and God are one.

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3. The deity of Christ is essential to his character
The Deity of Christ is essential to his character. Why? Well, it ensures us that he is perfect. If Christ was not God in the flesh, He would not have been perfectly sinless. If He had not been perfectly sinless, the sacrifice for our sins would not have been able to be made. If He had not sacrificed Himself for our sins, we would all be doomed to Hell as sinners. It is because of Christ's deity that we are given the option of eternal life. It is very significant that that Christ was a deity, that he was indeed God by nature.

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RESTATE ROAD-MAP
So we see that Jesus not only was God, but his nature as a deity was essential to his nature and to our salvation. If he were not a deity and fundamentally God, we would not have experienced his perfect grace. The deity of Christ is significant to our faith. Thank you.

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83. What is the meaning and significance of the virgin birth?

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"It is true, I deny the sacrilegious story of a God born of a virgin to redeem the race." This quote by Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy takes an interesting view. His opinion is that it is sacrilegious to believe in the Virgin birth. But is this so? On the contrary, the biblical evidence for the virgin birth is overwhelming, as I will demonstrate as we explore the topic, "What is the meaning and significance of the virgin birth?" In doing this, I would like to contradict Leo Tolstoy's statement, and prove that yes, the virgin birth, is biblically factual and true.

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1. What does the 'virgin birth' mean?
Erickson in Christian Theology defines the virgin birth so, "The virgin birth refers to Mary’s miraculous conception of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit, without any male participation, so that, though the birth process was not unlike that of other humans, Mary was still a virgin when Jesus was born. This Biblical doctrine should be distinguished from the Roman Catholic tenets of Mary’s immaculate conception and her perpetual virginity."

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2. Is this biblically true?

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What is the meaning and significance of Jesus as the Word of God?

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John 1:1 says that, " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." The Greek word for "Word" in this passage is Logos, and introducing God as Logos would have been a thought that was common for both Jewish and Gentile readers. However, now a-days, hearing someone called "The Word of God" does not have as much significance. So today I plan to answer the question, "What is the meaning and significance of Jesus as the Word of God?" and I will do that through 3 points:
Road-map:
1. The title declares Jesus as the revealer of the God-head
2. The title declares Christ's eternity and his absolute deity
3. The title declares Jesus' absolute humanity

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1. The title declares Jesus as the revealer of the God-head
In the original Greek text, John describes Jesus as 'ho logos,' meaning the Word. Now we see in John 1:14 that Jesus came into flesh to reveal to man his own glory, and the glory of God. Let me re-read: "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." We also see from verse one that Jesus is one with God. It says that, "the Word was with God, and the Word was God." This is a revelation of the God-head. The New Unger's Bible Dictionary says that the term logos conveys, "most expressively the mission of Jesus as the revealer of the God head. (And later) Christ as the Word constitutes the complete and ultimate divine revelation. God has spoken with finality in "His Son", who was Himself God, coequal and coeternal with the Father. Only such a Being coming forth from "the bosom of the Father" could, as a distinct Person of the God-head, "explain the Father-literally "show Him forth"." This quite puts it well; Jesus came to reveal the very nature of God, but in doing that, reveals the God-head, because he is part of God. So this leads me to my next point; The title declares Christ's eternity and his absolute deity

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2. The title declares Christ's eternity and his absolute deity

The term 'Logos' declares Christ's absolute deity; his 'god-nature' so to speak. It says in verse 1 that "In the beginning was the Word, and...the Word was God." We see from this that Jesus, being the Word is actually eternal and is actually fully God. It indicates the divinity of the Word. We know from other scriptures, that the Father and Son have unity and closeness; Jesus says in John 10:30, "I and the Father are one." John identifying Jesus as the Word of God reaffirms him as a deity.

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3. The title declares Jesus' absolute humanity
We see in verse 14 that "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." Unger's New Bible Dictionary describes the title as "His [Jesus'] assumption of humanity for man's salvation." Jesus, who is also God, takes on the flesh to bring mankind significant. This title in a way distinguishes the Father and the Son, even though there is still fellowship. Jesus becoming man allows him to take our sins upon himself, offering us the gift of salvation.

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Restate Road-map
1. The title declares Jesus as the revealer of the God-head
2. The title declares Christ's eternity and his absolute deity
3. The title declares Jesus' absolute humanity
So although it is not a common concept today, referring to Jesus as the Word is quite significant. It describes Jesus as our mediator, someone who can be fully Human, yet fully God. It would depict a picture of a bridge built between man and God, Jesus, the Word, being that bridge. Joh 1:12-13 says, "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God." Because Jesus was the Word of God, we have the promise of becoming God's children, because Jesus was able to bridge the gap that our sin created. Thank you.