Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Unity in Diversity: Beings in Relationship

What is man? Is man a dream in the eye of his creator? It would seem so, by the Christian worldview. What is man for? How can man find fulfillment in life?

Human kind, one by one may find ultimate fulfillment in relationship. I have learned slowly but surely, that I am a being made for community and relationship.

First and foremost I am made for deep connection and relationship to God the creator. Yet I am also made for relationship with a female whom I will one day call wife. In addition, I am made for relationship with other believers. And also with my own children (someday), and extended family. And at the fringe, I am made for relationship with all people, with animals, and the natural environment around me.

Every human is born with the most important relationship broken. The relationship with God is not present upon birth. In fact God is not immediately approachable. One must approach God through Christ. Outside of Christ, no approach to God can be made. Upon the reception of Jesus Christ, the way is open to approach God. The Holy Spirit distributes a connective force between God and the believer, through the imputed righteousness of Christ. Very literally, the believer and follower of Jesus Christ wears the perfection of his life, death, and resurrection as a garment of borrowed holiness.

Meanwhile the Holy Spirit works on the heart and mind of the believer, gently and sometimes firmly the believer is molded into the likeness of Christ, in personality. This does not mean that every believer is forced into a carbon copy of Jesus Christ, but that every believer is molded with deep attention to their uniqueness and passions toward a perfection of character. The believer is molded into who they truly are underneath all the sin, darkness, pain, and confusion caused by this world.

In example, a believer may be womanizer, a fan of music, prideful, deceitful, inquisitive, a talented painter, and proficient at science. The Holy Spirit would not transform this person into a Jewish carpenter with healing powers and oratory skills. Instead the Holy Spirit might turn the pridefulness into humility. The talent for womanizing would be crafted into a talent for meeting the needs of his wife and family. The love for music would not be snuffed out but developed and shaped into perhaps a study of an instrument, or a more profound and complex appreciation for the listening experience. The Holy Spirit might craft the deceitfulness into a cunning zeal for the works of righteousness or serving the poor. The Holy Spirit might also develop the artistic talents of the individual inspiring them and leading them to produce great works of art. Given the love for science, the individual might be lead by the Spirit into an organization like NASA or the Human Genome project where those skills could be pushed to the max, and stressed to produce still higher levels of scientific skill and creativity. The believer does not consign to being forced into the mold of a Galilean peasant, but instead the Holy Spirit maximizes the talents, and transforms and adapts the ugly traits into useful skills.

This process is never completed in life. We seem to have to learn the same lessons over and over in life. Thus, when I am in community with others, I am often hurt and I often hurt others. That is the difficult part of being a being made for community and relationship. Relationships are often painful. Of course they are often wonderful and blessed.

I find myself sometimes in daily life slumping back in my chair, realizing that I am finding whatever I happen to be doing at the time wildly unfulfilling. A sort of angst flashes over my being, jumps about neocortex. I feel the pain of it. I feel my own despair and apprehension. My own fear of the unknown. I am made for relationship to God, above all else.

If Jesus Christ connects God and myself, which I believe he does, then the Holy Spirit provides the conduit between us. A prime ingredient that passes within those conduits must then be love. The Bible says that God is love. Love, healing, light, truth. Conviction, and the romancing of my soul. I do go off in my own directions sometimes. And at times I am fearful to come before the architect of reality. Given the implications, the logical outworking of my beliefs, it is progressively more and more stunning to realize just who I'm coming before. Indeed if I were to fully realize just who I'm coming before, I would probably find myself frozen with awe, terror, and unspeakable love.

I did not recognize the beauty of the cross when I first called upon Jesus Christ in the midst of my disaster. I didn't understand it. It's only now that I've begun to fully recognize the beauty of the cross. In Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis we see that God of himself could not identify with or reach out to man in his present state. God had to become a man, Christ Jesus, and live the life in the flesh day by day, just as we do, and thus he could then step one foot into the water, one foot on shore, and toss a rescue to us. He tossed the life preserver, the gift of restored relationship. He offers an emergency transport to return us to right relationship.

Man has often wondered how to find unity in diversity. One way mankind has attempted to find unity in diversity is by attempting to unify all the worlds religions along a single line of "love." Since we have so often been told that wars are caused by religion, one might attempt to synchronize all the worlds religions into a system that recognizes similarities for a sort of "coexistence" as the bumper stickers say. But as Dr. Zacharias has often written, all religions are not the same. All religions are not fundamentally the same. All religions are at best superficially similar, while remaining fundamentally different. I've found that to be quite true when studying Hinduism, Buddhism, and other world religions. These religions are quite different. And while synchronizing world religions fails as a solution, in addition, the problem is not even properly understood. Religion has never been the penultimate problem for humanity. Selfishness and corruption are the penultimate problems. The wicked heart of man is the problem. The great wars across the ages have not been linked to religion. Instead the great wars across the ages have always been linked to the selfish desires of the few for power, money, and control of the many. The problem is the evil heart of man, and the outworking of that fact. The fact is obvious when examining the world wars in the past 100 years. The desire for power and wealth have devestated the Earth. Religion is not the problem, and one cannot synchronize world religions that fundamentally contradict one another.

So how can man kind meet the deep seeded desire for unity in diversity? Humanity must first admit the problem: That the problem is not outside me somewhere, the problem is within my own heart. Then Humanity can ask: What is the solution to the problem of my own heart? The solution is Jesus Christ, through whom a person is set in right relationship to God the creator. With relationship to God at the #1 position of importance, we find that every other area of relationship is progressively set right. Within the personality of our loving creator is a unity in diversity. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Indeed within you is a unity in diversity! What do I mean?

Within your body is the DNA of your mother, the DNA of your father, and within your own experience and life choices is an amalgam of personality and identity, uniquely yours! Consider even further, how your DNA is connected to the DNA of all your extended family members, down along the ages, all the way back to the very first humans, and indeed to God the creator himself. Wondrous, truly wondrous! You friend, are the embodiment of the paradox of unity in diversity, and relationship of life within life inherent in the God-head of our blessed Lord.

Did the new atheists tell you that you are nothing? A whisp on the air? A determined automaton destined for nothingness and meaning nothing? Is that an adequate trade off for sexual freedom? In my view, not in the least.

Since you in fact are a representation of unity in diversity genetically, what then is the ultimate community unity in diversity? I see the perfection of unity in diversity as the community of Christ-followers told in the Bible to be the "body of Christ" on Earth. Every believer has unique skills, shepherding, preaching, showing mercy, caring for the poor, exhortation, creativity, writing, and on and on it goes. The body of Christ on Earth, made up of over 1 billion Christians on Earth, imperfect, deeply flawed, yet moving in unison as the hands and feet of Jesus Christ who is the head of it all.

In the politics of the United States we see how liberal and conservative war over how to best deal with the problems of evil and corruption. One side distrusts the individual and the other distrusts the group. One side sees the problem in big business and the other sees the problem in big government. Indeed at times both have been problematic. But the problem does not begin outside ourselves, it begins within ourselves. Many of my fellow libertarians see the problem as getting people educated. But that is not the solution. As they say, if you sober up a horse thief, all you get is a sober horse thief, who can now steal horses without getting caught. If you send a drug addict to prison he comes out a trained drug dealer. If you send a bank robber to college, he comes out a professional trained to steal money on a Wallstreet level. If you send a young man to Princeton, Harvard, or Yale for business, they are told all truth is relative, truth is what you make it, and when they enter the business world and are told there are certain rules to abide by, what do they do? They assume the truth is what you make it, they run a scam, steal some money, and pretty soon the economies of Europe and the United States are tanking. The problem is not education. The problem is the human heart.

The solution to that problem is the transformation found through Jesus Christ. One can smirk at the problems of organized Christian groups who so often make fools of themselves, but do the failures of others get me off the hook? If I rail about the failings of organized religion, does that give me a free ticket to a life of depravity and selfishness? Of course not. Let me just say, that if you've noticed that Christians do not live up to the likeness of Christ, and oh, everyone has made that assessment from time to time. Well, perhaps instead of sitting back and judging, perhaps you should step up, get close with Jesus Christ, and show them how it's done right! Don't do it wrong because they're doing it wrong! Do it right, and set the example for those around you!

We all have free will. And no joke, Christianity as practiced has many problems. But it has always had many problems. All the way back to the book of Acts, and the letters of the New Testament. Paul describes serious issues in virtually all of his letters to the first churches (Romans, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, etc). Even from the very outset, there were serious problems. Indeed Jesus himself taught that such issues are to be expected. In the parable of the weeds (a.k.a. the parable of the wheat and tares) Jesus teaches that the kingdom of God is like a field of wheat in which an enemy came and sowed weeds in the garden. Instead of pulling up the weeds, the owner of the garden allows the wheat and weeds to grow up together, and will separate them at the harvest. This is a representation of the body of Christ. The wheat are the true followers of Christ and the weeds are those who claim to be Christian (over 80% of Americans claim to be Christian) but aren't really followers of Jesus at all (Matthew 13:24-43). Despite all the weeds, even the true followers of Jesus will make many mistakes as well. The Christian message is not that once you receive Jesus you suddenly never make another mistake. We aren't instantly made perfect. But we do consign ourselves to live on a spiritual basis for the rest of our lives, and cooperate with the Holy Spirit in the works of something Christians call "sanctification."

As the writer of Hebrews eloquently put it: "For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy" (Hebrews 10:14). At the beginning I had a tendency to view God as a cruel task master! Do this, do that! Be better! But in retrospect I now realize the process of sanctification is a profound gift. The end result is me, Justin, becoming more and more myself. I hadn't even realized how much damage sin had done. The process of sanctification is difficult, but so very rewarding. The reward is in a growing love for God, gratitude for what I have, and a legitimate interest in the affairs of others. In other words, the destruction of selfishness. Within that process is the growing reliance upon community and relationship. It all begins with God, and out-flowing from that connection is my individuality respected, yet placed within a context of divine fellowship with a growing body of broken sinners made perfect in Jesus Christ.

In conclusion, we are people made for community. God made us for community with him and with others. He made us to enjoy love and fellowship. Though man sinned and fell from God, he has offered grace and justification through Jesus Christ. All one must do is believe in the lord Jesus Christ, living in relationship to him, and his or her place is set in the next phase of existence ahead. The ultimate expression of unity in diversity, the great quest of the colleges is found within God, in connection to his family of believers. This unity can not be synchronized to include all beliefs and views on the Earth. The problem remains within the heart of every person, no matter what they believe! There is a choice to be made, to either enter that magnificent unity in diversity or to remain excluded from it forever. When traced back to it's source, one can see that the problem is within us. That is not an easy answer, but it's the real one. It's not society, or conditions, of societal conditions or religion or war or Osama Bin Laden or George Bush or even Hitler. The problem is me. If I want to continue on in my selfishness, of course that's my choice, to reject God, to keep adding to the problem. But I then willfully exclude myself from the magnificent unity in diversity. Of course there is a price to be paid for that unity of community. The price is death of my own infinite selfishness. That death can only be achieved through Christ Jesus the all sufficient savior, the transformer of the human soul.

The problem is me, the solution is Jesus Christ, and I choose today to enter into that rest, the unity of believers under the Creator, as we wait for the final perfecting of our souls for the ultimate reality, in the next life, of the perfection of unity in diversity found in relationship, community with God and people. Amen.

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Salvation of the Soul: Is it Conditionally Secure or Eternally Secure?

Conditional Security or Eternal Security?

"Salvation is God's way of making us real people." - Augustine

The exegesis of scripture surrounding salvation is perhaps the most important to understand. Christology is just as vital. It's important we understand the complexities of what salvation is, how we can have it, and how we can keep it. The highest authority must be the scriptures. The entirety of scripture. Not only select scriptures from select books of the Bible. We must understand theology in the light of every book in the Bible.

To this end, one must ask: Once we are saved in Christ Jesus, reborn and made new in his love.. is there a possibility of losing that relationship, or is that connection unbreakable?

There are two primary views. Most Calvinists would probably say that salvation is eternally secure. There is no way of losing that connection. Most Arminians would tell you that salvation is conditionally secure on faith. So who is correct?

The eternal security view has some scriptures to back it up, but not near as many as conditional security. Eternal security relies on isolating a few key verses while ignoring a great many others. But in my studies I've found that the eternal security seems to be the prominent view in the evangelical circles where I walk. Being a champion of the underdog over my life, I felt pulled to write something regarding the theology of conditional security.

There is a treasure trove of scripture to back up the idea of conditional security. Again and again in scripture we see phrases like "departing from the faith", "falling away", and "being lead astray.”

1 Timothy 1:4 (ESV) says "Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons." One can only depart from a faith they already have. There is absolutely no possibility here of "well that person was never truly saved." It would be a speculative stretch to assume that, at best, if not a clear distortion of scripture.

Hebrews 6:4-6 (ESV) says "For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt." How could anyone assume that this person was "close, but not quite a Christian?" The scenario being described is one who has fallen away, after being a Christian. One cannot share in the Holy Spirit unless they are a saved Christian, who has then fallen away and effectively lost their salvation. There is no reason to think that this would refer to "fellowship with God only” and not to the soul itself. There is no scripture to back up an idea like that.

Consider Revelation 2:4-5 (ESV) which states "But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent." Is this yet another case of a person, a church who were not really truly Christians? Of course not. This is an example of Christians who did very well in serving Christ at first, but slowly moved in the wrong direction. Jesus warns them; do what you did at first or I will remove your lamp stand from it's place. That would be an example of lost salvation.

In John 15:1-15 Jesus Christ describes Christians as branches, who are connected to the vine (Jesus) who are being pruned by the gardener (the Father). In this parable Jesus says that those branches who bear fruit will be pruned by the Father so they bear more fruit. He also says that those who do not bear fruit will shrivel up and be tossed into the fire.

Erwin Lutzer in his book "Doctrines that Divide" (1998) points out two defenses against this verse: That those people were never truly saved, or that the fire only represents the fire at the judgement seat of Christ, and does not affect salvation. Both of those defenses are in my view stretches of scripture, and miss the plain and simple teaching of Jesus in John 15. Lutzer writes that it's presumptuous to decide the case of eternal or conditional security on a metaphor (Lutzer, 1998, p. 230). Yet metaphor or no metaphor, the meaning is clear, one who does not abide, shrivels up, is removed by the gardener (the Father) and tossed into the fire.

I would also note that Lutzer points to a book by Robert Shank called Life in the Son that lists scripture after scripture indicating how salvation is conditional in nature (Lutzer, 1998, p. 230).

Another example, setting aside John 15 are the parables of Jesus. The view of eternal security is unable to survive the parables of Jesus including: the parable of the faithful servant, the parable of the two debtors, the parable of the unforgiving servant, and the parable of the talents.

Since scripture clearly shows that salvation is conditional on the actions of the faithful, what are the possible ways of losing salvation? From scripture we can see that Christians who fail to bear fruit for God will be lost (John 15:1-15). Salvation can be lost through being unforgiving of your neighbor (Matthew 18:21-35). Salvation can also be lost through committing the unforgivable sin (Mark 3:28-30). Salvation can also be lost by denying Christ (2 Timothy 2:12). Though there are some clear ways to lose salvation, sinning, or willful sinning are not included on the list. All believers sin. Though multiplied sinning can lead to habitual sinning, which can then give birth to disillusionment, and more sin, leading to death (James 1:15, Psalm 7:14).

One could say that sin is the road that leads to lost salvation. At the same time, God promises to protect believers and help them persevere to the very end (John 10:27-29, John 6:37, Romans 8:38-39).

Philippians 1:6 (ESV) says “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” By divorcing Philippians 1:6 from the context of a letter to believers in Philippi one could assume this scripture is pointing toward eternal security, however when carefully exegesis is done, one sees that Philippians 1:6 is bound to it's historical audience and when passing over the bridge to modern times, it is a message of encouragement to perseverance, not eternal security.

Colossians 1:23 (ESV) says "if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister." One must look outside the Bible to find the doctrine of eternal security, making it a false doctrine, unsupported by scripture. There are key verses that can be used to defend eternal security, assuming one isolates those verses from their contexts and ignores the full revelation of scripture.

Again and again, we see conditional clauses in scripture "if indeed you continue" or "take care brothers lest you fall away" (Hebrews 3:12-14). The Bible speaks of believers who fall from grace (Galatians 5:4). God gives instructions in his word, to those who have free will choices to make, which must include the possibility of falling away.

Does this mean that the believer is taking credit for his own salvation? Of course not. As Boyd (2009) says it in his book Across the Spectrum “Salvation is a gracious gift by God, but a gift is not less of a gift because it is accepted.” Faith is not a work, but a gift that is freely received (Boyd, 2009, p. 159). One final scripture points it out elegantly and simply, Hebrews 3:14 (ESV) which states: “For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end.” Italics added for emphasis. Additional scriptures that should be inspected are:

Matthew 24:10-13 ESV And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

Revelation 3:11 ESV I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.

James 1:12 ESV Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

1 Corinthians 9:27 ESV But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

James 5:19-20 ESV My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

2 Peter 2:20-22 ESV For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”

Philippians 2:12-14 ESV 12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

Now many would say that it doesn't really matter. As long as we both love Jesus, that's what matters. I agree that as long as we both love Jesus, we're on the same team. Calvinists and Arminians are family. So what we're discussing here is a family dispute. But I would be bold enough to say that it does matter. I've seen ministries like Liberty University, CARM Apologetics, Answers in Genesis, and Got Questions? all supporting an eternal security view of scripture. So I thought I would chime in with a view that seems much more grounded in the fullness of scripture. If you'd like to view articles on the eternal security view, click the two links above which will take you to articles by CARM and Got Questions? defending eternal security. Many of the reformed preachers that have deeply influenced my ministry are also supporters of eternal security; including James MacDonald, John Piper, Mark Driscoll, and many others. Of course many others hold Arminian views on salvation, like Derek Prince, David Pawson, Norm Geisler, and A.W. Tozer.

A new believer may say one prayer, and assume they are saved, but later fall away, thinking all the while that their salvation is eternally secure and there is nothing they can do, no matter how much they sin, to lose it. Conditional security leads to holiness. Conditional security leads to good works. Consider in your mind for a moment, which church, of all the churches on the planet Earth most looks like followers of Jesus Christ. One organization immediately comes to mind: The Salvation Army. Churches can talk all they want about holiness and following Jesus Christ, but who is living it? Who is out there on the front lines, living it? The church serving communities quietly across the entire planet, the Salvation Army, armed with Wesleyan holiness theology. They are living it. Some are writing books and having conferences upon conferences, building bigger buildings, shaking hands in fancy suits, appearing on television... but who is really following Jesus Christ, in the trenches, meeting needs and preaching the gospel? The Salvation Army. I don't want a bogus Christianity. I refuse it! I want a real Christianity, that really practices what it preaches. So let's do that, together. Amen.

I'm not interested in traditional divides between Calvinists and Arminians. I'm not interested in unwaveringly defending the views of others. I'm interested in what the Bible really, actually teaches. That is the foundation. We must always approach our questions and theology from that vantage. I'm not on anyone's team aside from team Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior. Amen.

Bibliography

Boyd, Gregory A., and Paul R. Eddy. Across the Spectrum: Understanding Issues in Evangelical Theology. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Academic, 2002.

ESV: Study Bible : English Standard Version. ESV Text ed. Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Bibles, 2007.

Lutzer, Erwin W. The Doctrines That Divide: A Fresh Look at the Historic Doctrines That Separate Christians. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1998.

Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Celebrating Christmas: Controversy, Culture, and Jesus Christ

Merry Christmas! Yes, I said it! Merry Christmas! This is the time of the year when we remember the birth of Jesus Christ. Was he really born on December 25th? Probably not! And oh does the controversy begin to rumble in the backdrop.

Some Christians say we shouldn't celebrate Christmas at all because it's rooted in pagan rituals. Other Christians don't like Santa and think it means "Satan" in another guise. Still others simply see it as a time of family and gratitude for the birth of the savior. Others see the December 25th date as the beginning of a spiritual birth that cusps on Easter in the resurrection, all in relation to sacraments and the Eucharist.

It's certainly very confusing. At the same time outside the church a "war on Christmas" is being waged by a culture hostile to Christian values.

Recently Kirk Cameron's "Saving Christmas" came out in theaters. It was later trending on the internet worldwide as the lowest rated film in the history of the movie database IMDB. It became a giant controversy, and another in road by which Christians we made to look like simple minded conservative fools.

In my neck of the woods, out here in central Wisconsin everyone still says "Merry Christmas." But in bigger cities, and other parts of the country one may only say "happy holidays."

I myself find it confusing. How am I to think of the Christmas season? I was raised Catholic and it was a time in the church of nativities and the repeated literal birth of Christ, every year. Very confusing for a kid my age. Why is Jesus born over and over again every year?

In a more practical sense, Jesus never came up at family events. There was a tree with lights and ornaments. There was food. There were wrapped up presents under the tree. And there was Santa in the red suit with reindeer and more presents. If anyone ever even mentioned Jesus, it was grandma or grandpa, and all the aunts and uncles would just get a little quiet and awkward for a second. Then the conversation would pick back up, and that was it. No further mention of Jesus.

So now, myself, as a dedicated Protestant Christian.. how do I go about celebrating a Christmas that honors the birth of Jesus Christ? Is that something I even need to do? There isn't anything in the Bible about a Christmas season, or celebrating the birth of Christ. Yet in the Old Testament God did encourage Israel to set up yearly "holidays" of a sort to remember his provision in times of need. A prominent example would be the festival of booths (Leviticus Chapter 23 - Commentary).

In the New Testament believers in Jesus Christ are encouraged to fellowship together regularly to celebrate the savior (Acts 2:42-47). So perhaps it's not such a terrible idea to have a season when we remember the provision of God to the malady of sin.

We all remember Isaiah 9:6 (ESV) For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

This was a prophecy found in the Old Testament regarding the coming of Jesus Christ. The coming of Christ changed everything. Before Christ, man kind had no way of getting right with God. There was no forgiveness for sins, there was no new birth, and the world was in trouble. But through grace, unmerited favor, God comes in person to deal with sin, heal the sick, and speak the truth.

That's what Christmas is about. It's about God coming. It's about God saving. It's about the birth of hope.

So why not celebrate Christmas? Many cite the pagan rituals that have crept into the practice of Christmas. The Christmas tree, the giving of gifts, and the mistletoe among many other traditions do have roots in paganism. If we go back to 4th century ancient Rome, we see a Christianity struggling to evangelize a pagan society. One of the key ways those early missionaries evangelized the pagans was by taking pagan rituals and infusing them with Christian meaning. Those missionaries matched pagan holidays with new Christian holidays to help the pagans make smooth transitions into Christianity. There is nothing wrong with that. It's a somewhat drastic method of missionary work where you help new believers to remain in their cultural context while allowing the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to transform the cultural practices. This allows people to remain in their "people groups" making "people movements" toward Jesus a much more likely possibility. And what do we see as a result? The ancient Christians succeeded, and the church grew by leaps and bounds.

Many would say that the Christmas season has become consumeristic and materialistic. Granted. It certainly has become something it was never intended to be. But that's how stores make money. All kinds of additions are made to existing holidays to encourage people to purchase things in regard to those holidays. We as Christians don't have to participate however. Why does Christmas involve giving gifts to one another? Is that a bad thing? Certainly not. We give gifts to one another to remind ourselves of the ultimate gift God gave us in Christ Jesus. Salvation and the forgiveness of sins, adoption into the family of God.

Jesus Christ changed my life completely. And he has given me a ministry. I've nearly finished my bachelors of science in Religion at Liberty University. In addition, I'm meeting with recruiters from a Salvation Army officer's training facility. I'm seriously considering becoming an officer in the Salvation Army, a pastor. I have a lot to be grateful for!

I started A Lifestyle Change for Peace Blog nearly two years to write about my journey in recovery and my walk with Jesus. Since then, the blog has been viewed over 35,000 times in hundreds of countries. Amazing, and humbling that Jesus would be so kind as to save someone as doomed as I was, and grant him a ministry to help others. It's all about Jesus. Always. Again and again in poetry and writing I asked the questions "Where do we go from here?" and "What is the truth?" "What is the meaning of life?" And in the book of John I received my answers. When I asked where do I go? Jesus said, "I am the way." When I asked what is the truth? He said "I am the truth." And when I asked "What is the meaning of life?" He replied "I am the life." In John 14:6 Jesus said I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me. All of my endless questioning, my disaster, was finally answered by the words of Jesus, and his powerful presence at the outset of hope in my life. Praise be to Jesus, my very real savior.

Jesus Christ was born one day, two thousand years ago. Born of a virgin, humbly in a manger. The world had no place for him, yet he was God himself. The motel was full, so he was born in the barn. This world does not recognize the savior. But we recognize the savior, maybe, because we're just a little different. Jesus was not born in a palace, amongst the wealth of this world. He wasn't built in a mansion. And those who live in mansions often cannot see him, despite him being everything. But those like you and I, accept the savior, despite the poor condition within us, and he lives within us, and his Holy Spirit works on us and through us. Let's remember during this season, this time of year, and Jesus Christ was born in humility, and came to save those who are the most marginalized and lost in this world. Praise be to the Lord Jesus Christ, our blessed redeemer.

Matthew 5:3-12 (NIV)

³“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
⁵Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.
⁶Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.
⁷Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
⁸Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
⁹Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.
¹⁰Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹²Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Monday, December 22, 2014

Seven Objections to the Bible and Seven Reasonable Responses

I was at work the other day, and we were all getting ready to go over to the church services. I was speaking to a friend who was asking about the times that certain businesses in the area would open up. I let him know. Then as he was leaving I suggested, politely, "why don't you join us at church sometime?" And thus began a 20 minute debate.

The objections he brought up were fiery and passionate. In fact I could hardly get a word in edge wise. Have you ever had one of those discussions with a non-believer that just seems to escalate at record paces? I have that from time to time. I've made more than one enemy simply by inviting them to church. Oh well. It's a far cry from what people like Canon White go through in Iraq, but it's a start.

Anyway, I thought it would be interesting to look at his objections (there were a lot) one by one and see if they hold weight and how one can answer those kinds of objections. It's good to learn these kinds of things, not to mention it's fascinating!

So let's see here, first..

1. "The Bible is a means of control."

Sub-objections included: "Constantine used Christianity to control the Roman empire."

"Millions of witches were burned at the stake by the Catholic church."

"Constantine was forcefully baptized on his death bed he wasn't even a Christian."

2. "Why should I differentiate between Greek myths and Christianity? It's all myth."

3. "None of the gospels were eyewitness accounts, they were stories passed down by word of mouth and weren't even recorded on papyrus until after 60 AD."

4. "I don't understand how Jesus dying on the cross is such a big sacrifice. Many people die on battlefields, or being tortured or slowly by disease over days or weeks, having died a much more painful death. And then the Bible says he rises again, so he's alive and well in heaven right now, so how is that such a big sacrifice to absolve all humanity of sin?"

5. "If God is the first cause, who made God? Saying God is eternal is a cop out."

6. "The United States has separation of church and state, so Christianity had nothing to do with the founding of the country or the freedom."

7. "There is no way Noah could gather all the animals from across the whole planet, one male and one female and get them on the ark. And there is no way Noah and his family could build such a large craft."

These are fairly common objections, don't you think? So how would you answer? What would you say?

I said very little. I couldn't get a word in. But those objections are reasonable and interesting. Let's see if there are answers..

1. So is the Bible a means of control? Is the Bible an "opiate for the masses" as Karl Marx called all religion? It's true that the Bible tells Christians to obey the ruling authorities. The Bible tells Christians to await a paradise after death. The Bible tells Christians not to seek worldly wealth. Was the Bible developed to keep the sheeple in line? I find it quite unlikely. Empirically, we've seen that the most free nations of the world are predominantly Christian nations. The United States is an excellent example. Europe as well. South Korea is another example. Then think about the opposite, think about nations that have adopted atheism. Stalin's Russia, the genocide in Cambodia, and Hitler's Nazi Germany are just a few I can think of off the top of my head. It turned out that Karl Marx's writings were used as the opiate of the masses, leading to genocide. Very ironic. Read about the genocide in Cambodia here.

Did Constantine use Christianity to control his empire? Hard to say what Constantine's motives were. But the Roman empire was originally predominantly pagan. The entry of Christianity was not by the hand of Constantine, but by the work of dedicated Christians of the early church. Constantine simply made it legal, and later the official religion of the empire. Doubtful that it was used as a means of control. Constantine had the Roman military to maintain control. As far as Constantine being baptized on his death bed, there is no way to know for certain if his baptism was sincere or not.

Finally, were millions of witches burned? At Salem, there were only twenty. A tragedy to be certain, but religiously motivated? That's speculative. Supported in the Bible? Not at all. One must not judge a religious system by how it is abused by a minority. Learn more here.

2. What's the difference between Greek myths and the Bible? A great deal, I should think. I've heard this one worded "Should I believe in leprechauns too?" There is a great difference between mythical stories and the Biblical texts. The Greek myths read like legendary myths. The "gods" in the Greek myths are petty, disturbing images of gods made in the image of man. The Jesus Christ described in the Bible is a beautiful portrait of divine perfection. The books of the Bible read like historical accounts. In addition, the historical reliability of the gospels and books of the Bible are powerful, with outside references and thousands of copies with only miniscule differences. Watch a presentation by William Lane Craig on the historicity of the gospels (at Yale University).

3. The gospels of John and Matthew were indeed eyewitness accounts written before AD 70 (before the destruction of the Jewish temple.) Mark and Luke were not eyewitness accounts, but investigative reports.

4. Why is the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his resurrection an acceptable sacrifice for all sins? That is an excellent question. To begin with, we must understand who Jesus Christ is. He is both fully man and fully God. God himself came in human form. In addition, Jesus Christ, the God-man lived a perfect life. Never made one "mistake", "slip" or "white lie." He never sinned even once. That is unheard of. It's never ever been done. It's so alien the idea of it is ludicruous. Imagine if someone you knew, anyone, said I never made a mistake, not even once. You'd know instantly that it's a lie. God himself offered his own life, and he was killed, when he was not guilty of a single crime. Not even one. Every time I smoked a cigarette, or thought something perverse about a female, I was wracking up a debt to the architect of the universe. Since God made everything, including me, it all belongs to him. I belong to him, regardless of if I want to acknowledge that. Considering the incredible debt I've wracked up over 29 years of hurting myself and others, I am very much in need of a savior. Why does God's son Jesus provide that? Because he takes my place, and receives the punishment I should've received. He endured ridicule, hatred, torture, and a slow death on a cross. Then he descended, and endured death itself. But a pure sinless man could not remain dead, he was resurrected, because of his perfection. And so I will also be resurrected after my death, because I choose to believe that Jesus Christ is my savior, the remover of my sins. He has facilitated my rebirth into a new family, the family of God. For an incredible in depth study of the cross, I recommend a book called The Cross of Jesus Christ by John R.W. Stott.

5. The question "Who made God?" is an excellent question. Before I became a Christian, I asked this question. And Christians told me that God is eternal, he has no beginning or end. I thought that was a bad answer too. It seems like a cop-out indeed! But it's important to remember that within naturalism, the theory of the big bang one must also ask the question "What came first?" It can't just be "and then the big bang." What created the big bang? Everything that begins has a cause. Therefore one must either postulate eternal energy or eternal nothingness preceding the big bang, right? But even if so, who created the nothingness, or, who created the energy? Same problem. The architect must be outside the system, and timeless, with no beginning or end, because everything with a beginning has a cause. So God must be causeless and eternal, a state outside the human ability to comprehend. That too seemed a cop-out, but it's not. It's simply a statement of fact. Comprehending an eternal causeless being is at least somewhat impossible. Given the choice between eternal energy and a timeless divine architect, an architect seems more plausible. The Kalam Cosmological Argument explains it better than I could, click here to view the quick video.

6. Is the United States a Christian nation? The Supreme Court said so in 1892: "These, and many other matters which might be noticed, add a volume of unofficial declarations to the mass of organic utterances that this is a Christian nation. 143 U.S. 457 (1892)."

7. How could Noah and his family build an ark of such large dimensions? Isn't the Noah story impossible? It may seem implausible, but it is certainly not impossible. Given that God exists and is an eternal being, infinite in power, he can do anything he likes. If God can call the universe into existence from nothingness, then helping Noah build a big boat doesn't seem like such a difficult task. Noah may have only had himself and his family, but according to an article from the Institute for Creation Research, Noah may have had over 100 years to build the ark. If you recall, in those ancient days people lived much longer, possibly due to more pure and unfettered DNA. Given such a large amount of time, and divine assistance, the possibility of an ark being built by a family becomes much more possible. Read the full article on ICR here.

I firmly believe in politely answering questions regarding the Bible and the Christian worldview. I believe many have honest questions that should be answered with love. Of course many have an agenda and simply wish to attack. But that's OK. There is no way to know who is sincere and who is not. So if you can get a word, offer some answers and recommend some books or Youtube videos. I always tell people to go to Youtube.com and search for videos from Frank Turek and William Lane Craig my favorite Christian apologists. I also recommend C.S. Lewis books like the Problem of Pain and Mere Christianity.

But the questions and answers are only given with the hope of leading a person to Jesus Christ. He is the reason for all of it. Jesus Christ is God. People desperately need to know him, and it's painfully obvious day by day. There is so much brokenness in the world, and Jesus is the cure to all of it.

Thank you for reading, and God bless you!

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

The Lifestyle Change: Following Jesus one day at a Time

Following Jesus, I mean really following him... That's the mission. It's not a social club or a tradition. It's a vital experience, and it takes work. It's wonderful. It's beautiful. The feelings and experiences are so surreal. It's like a dream really. It's stepping into a journey very new, and powerful. It's not like the old lifestyle. It's a new lifestyle. Day in and day out, I change. I become positive, friendly, selfless, loving, and faithful. I become wiser and wiser, learning and growing. It's a beautiful journey that the Jesus-follower enjoys. It's tough at times, it's easy at times. It's magical at times and sometimes it hurts. Yet it's all worth it. And the goods always outweigh the bads.

It is a daily lifestyle change. One day at a time. 24 hours a day, it's living differently than before. Stepping outside the comfort zone. And really if I'm not growing then I'm moving backwards. There is not much standing still in the Christian lifestyle. There are certainly vacations, quiet time, and sabbaticals, but complacency is a different matter all together. There are negative extremes that we need to avoid. On one end is total laziness and on the other is perfectionism. Both will lead to collapse. So balance. Do what you can, yet also take care of your own needs. And focus on now. I try not to worry about what's coming next week. I try to focus on today.

Today I'm a Christian, a follower of Jesus. Today I'm going to pray before I leave the house. Today, I'm going to listen to an audio Bible while I scroll through Facebook. Today I'm going to smile at a stranger. Today I'm going to stop at the food pantry and give a few cans of food for the poor. Today I'm going to share some encouraging posts and links on my social media accounts. Today I'm going to thank God on my knees before bed.

Intimacy with God is a massive goal in all this. How can I be more intimate with my maker? How can I cultivate a firm relationship with God? How can I increase my devotion to following Jesus? Communication is vital. Just communicate! Talk to God. And listen for his response. Read the scriptures. Page through Philippines, Romans, John, Galatians, Psalms, and Proverbs. Let the life of Jesus Christ inspire your actions.

One day at a time. How can I encourage someone? How can I meet a need? How can I volunteer my time? The actions increase our faith. Our faith rests in the Lord, and our actions confirm that faith and build that faith. Take an interest in others. Take an interest in someone who seems upset or lost. I had no idea how selfish I had become, until I really tried to take an interest in others. It was harder than I expected. I'd always considered myself such a great guy, but I really was quite selfish. But I found as I pushed myself a bit to take an interest in others, I started seeing myself becoming increasingly legitimately interested. And eventually I started to really care about the people around me. I started to love to care about others and meet needs. It snowballed slowly, and as long as I continue to practice that, growth in the Spirit continues. It's a wonderful thing to experience.

Truly truly, you have never truly lived until you've loved and cared for someone who can do nothing to help you. It's really true. The feeling of helping and loving others is wonderful. Sometimes it hurts. Sometimes it really hurts, when they make poor choices. But in any case, when you're really loving others, despite the result, you will experience the incredible peace of Jesus Christ. Because you're actively working for the kingdom by loving others and showing mercy. It's at those moments, and after those moments that you'll truly feel those moments of the active presence of Jesus Christ the architect of the universe. Truly truly, peace is a lifestyle change.

So live it my brothers and sisters. Live it one day at a time. Don't worry about yesterday or tomorrow. Live in today. What can you do today? You can do a lot today. You can live for Jesus, just for today. God bless you, and take care.

Christian Mental Health: Strategies for Developing Personal & Relational Security

Strategies for Developing Personal & Relational Security

Justin Steckbauer

Liberty University

Abstract

A great deal has been written on the topic of healthy relationship styles and damaged relationship styles. In addition, a great deal has been written on personal security and self esteem. However, few have examined the practical application of change techniques for a client seeking to build a secure personal and relational pattern. The paper examines the problem of personal security from the perspective of a client intending to make a concerted effort to move from a damaged sense of personal security to a healthy style of personal and relational security. The paper examines four relationship styles described by Clinton & Sibcy (2006) in their work Why You Do the Things You Do. Five personality styles presented in the Freedom from Depression Workbook by Carter & Minirth are also briefly examined. EMDR and Theophostic therapy are discussed as possible means for growth in personal security. Spiritual disciplines are examined with a focus on daily implementation. Another key issue discussed is countering lies of the world with truth found in scripture. Finally, twelve step groups and Celebrate Recovery are examined for their usefulness in helping the client maintain and build upon progress made on the journey to personal and relational security.

Introduction

Jesus Christ, during his time on Earth was once asked, “What is the greatest commandment?” (Mark 12:28 English Standard Version). His response was very powerful: “29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31). From the mouth of the blessed Lord Jesus Christ humanity discovers the very greatest imperative of life: a loving relationship with God and equally loving relationships with other people. Unfortunately for those who have developed poor personal security and broken relationship styles, this can be a very difficult proposition. Humanity lives in a world cursed by sin and brokenness (Genesis 3:17-19). Therefore many do struggle with past trauma, a shattered sense of self worth, and broken patterns of relating to others. To obey the command of Jesus to love God, people must know Jesus. In addition, if people are to obey his second command: “Love your neighbor as yourself” they must also love themselves. If a person can love Jesus, a person can love God, if a person can love God, a person can love himself, and they can also love others. Assuming someone has been through trauma and hurts, and have developed broken relationship styles, how do they fix those broken places and come to a place of personal security and healthy relationship skills? Some possible solutions would include: Understanding the psychology of personal and relational security, Theophostic therapy, EMDR treatment, development of spiritual disciplines, confronting lies of the world with truth of the Bible, personal study workbooks, and long term twelve step group attendance.

Personal & Relational Security Overview

What does it mean to be a secure individual? What does it mean to be relationally secure? The two concepts are completely interrelated, to the point that personal security and relational security are simply two parts of the same issue. Personal security is the internal structure of self esteem while the secure relationship style is the logical outworking of a healthy personal security. The terms will be used interchangeably for the course of this paper. Every person has a relationship style that is developed very early in life (Clinton & Sibcy, 2006, p. 13). Clinton & Sibcy (2006) in their book Why You Do the Things You Do discuss four primary relationship styles: the secure style, ambivalent style, avoidant style, and disorganized style.

The characteristics of a secure self are emotional strength, a willingness to seek and accept comfort in times of trouble, courage for love and intimacy, responsibility for self, and overall courage (Clinton & Sibcy, 2006, p.61-65). Emotional strength is described as an acceptance of emotions as a part of life (Clinton & Sibcy, 2006, p.61). An emotionally strong individual tends to accept challenges and take necessary risks, while standing up for what they believe in (Clinton & Sibcy, 2006, p.61). The emotionally strong person feels emotions deeply, yet does not fear emotions but accepts them as a healthy sign of experiencing life (Clinton & Sibcy, 2006, p.61). The second characteristic of a secure person is seeking and accepting comfort (Clinton & Sibcy, 2006, p.61). The secure individual seeks comfort from within, from others, and from God in reasonable balances (Clinton & Sibcy, 2006, p.61). Turning to God in prayer frequently is a sign of healthy behavior (Clinton & Sibcy, 2006, p.61). The third characteristic of a secure person is courage for love and intimacy (Clinton & Sibcy, 2006, p.62). Secure people are willing to step out and take the risk of loving someone through all the hard work that takes (Clinton & Sibcy, 2006, p.62). The secure person is optimistic despite knowing that life comes with much suffering (Clinton & Sibcy, 2006, p.63). The secure person relies on God's plan for their life during times of trouble (Clinton & Sibcy, 2006, p.63). The fourth characteristic of a secure person is that they take full responsibility for themselves, their actions, and their attitudes (Clinton & Sibcy, 2006, p.63). The secure person actively looks for solutions to problems as they come up, and if the problem can't be avoided they look for ways to cope in a healthy way (Clinton & Sibcy, 2006, p.63).

In stark contrast to the healthy relationship style are the three unhealthy relationship styles: avoidant, ambivalent, and disorganized (Clinton & Sibcy, 2006). The avoidant style is similar to the secure style in that the individual believes they are worthy of receiving love, but only on the basis of success and meeting goals (Clinton & Sibcy, 2006, p. 67). The avoidant style also believes they can find love, but they depend on their own abilities to do so (Clinton & Sibcy, 2006, p. 67). The avoidant style believes others are incapable or unwilling to love them (Clinton & Sibcy, 2006, p. 67). The avoidant style believes firmly that others are not trustworthy and are unreliable in regard to meeting his or her needs (Clinton & Sibcy, 2006, p. 67). The second insecure style is called the ambivalent relationship style. The ambivalent style is characterized by a belief that they are not worthy of love. They also believe they cannot get the love they need from others. The ambivalent style is typically quick to anger, clingy, and desperate (Clinton & Sibcy, 2006, p. 87). They believe others are indeed trustworthy and capable of meeting their needs, but fear abandonment and their own flaws upsetting the relationships they have (Clinton & Sibcy, 2006, p. 87). The disorganized relationship style is characterized by a negative view of themselves and others. This relationship style has characteristics of the secure, avoidant, and ambivalent styles. One moment the disorganized individual will be secure, the next clinging as the ambivalent style does, and another moment or day showing classic avoidant style tendencies (Clinton & Sibcy, 2006, p. 103). The disorganized relationship style is often developed by an individual in a highly abusive family, having endured physical, emotional, or sexual abuse early in life (Clinton & Sibcy, 2006, p. 107). For those who can identify with the avoidant, ambivalent, or disorganized relationship styles, there is a path to healing and security.

Self Esteem

Ruth Ward in her book Self-Esteem: Gift from God (1984) writes “Self-esteem is a little-understood abstract quality that influences and controls our entire existence. Many people recoil at the word, thinking it is egotistical and self-seeking. Instead they prefer to demean themselves in an effort to avoid being conceited, which only produces negative results.” Christians in general have often recoiled at the term “self-esteem” suggesting instead a total focus on Jesus Christ, and a death to self (Mark 8:34-35). In the context of the scriptures, death to self is putting aside selfish desires and seeking to imitate the example of Christ in serving others (Mark 10:44-45). However, Christ did not hate himself or talk poorly about himself (John 14:6). He knew his identity in the heavenly Father, and as a result lived with dignity, self-respect, and purpose (John 10:30, John 5:36, John 4:34). The example of Christ is the perfect example for living and includes a sense of identity and intrinsic worth, confidence in position, and eternal hope (1 Peter 2:9, 1 Corinthians 12:27, 1 John 3:1-3). Therefore it can be reasoned that self-esteem is indeed a good thing, and a biblical concept (Ward, 1984, p. 30). Self-esteem is developed early in life, derived from parents, siblings, neighbors, friends, self talk, and personal achievements (Ward, 1984, p. 30). The quality of such sources can be quite varied and cannot be relied upon for long term stability (Ward, 1984, p. 30). Therefore understanding God's provision for self-esteem is absolutely vital to personal security. Ward (1984) describes God's unique packaging of esteem as a “constant iron-clad bottomless reservoir.” The characteristics of that provision include God's approval, his personal attention, encouragement, unique gifts, and a calling to good works (Ward, 1984, p. 30). In understanding God's provision for the malady of relational insecurity the recovering individual can proceed forward knowing there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother (Proverb 18:24). The message of Ward's book Self-Esteem: Gift from God is one of hope for the insecure and troubled believer, that God has made each person unique with important gifts to contribute to the family of Christ, introverted or extroverted, artistic or rational; making the book an important tool for recovery from insecurity.

Spiritual Disciplines

The journey of long term recovery from broken patterns of relationship will ultimately fail without the dedicated practice of spiritual disciplines (Clinton & Sibcy, 2006). Ultimately personal security is a journey like any other, and is contingent on the daily practice of relationship with God and community with believers. Relationship with God must be the primary source of security for the recovering individual (Clinton & Sibcy, 2006, p. 136).

The Bible has very clear things to say about the identity of a person in Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV) says “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” The first area of focus should be the fact that the believer is a new creation, fundamentally right and good before God. It would be a mistake for a person looking to development a healthy relationship style to think of him or herself as a broken sinner. For the believer, that was a previous condition that is now gone, and the new has come (Galatians 2:20). 1 Peter 2:9 ESV says “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” The believer is royalty, cherished by God, and chosen to proclaim truth. The believer is part of a holy family, a child of God and has the privilege to call the architect of the universe: “Father” (John 1:12). There are three very important fundamentals within the scriptures regarding identity. The believer is a new creation, therefore fundamentally good and right in Christ. That is the foundation. Second, the believer is important and has intrinsic value and a mission to live by truth. The third area is that the believer is in relationship to others in the church and to God the Father. All of this is made possible through faith (Galatians 3:26). Of course these truths are difficult to ingrain within a believer who has struggled with identity issues from a young age. In addition, it's not enough to simply know the truth, one must live the truth and practice it. God is the safety net for the believer, and that truth must be known and lived in daily life (Clinton & Sibcy, 2006, p. 140).

The most common spiritual disciplines are Bible study, prayer, worship, and fasting (Clinton & Sibcy, 2006, p. 141). Of course they should be practiced daily. Searching the scriptures, and studying them vigorously should be the practice of a believer (Clinton & Sibcy, 2006, p. 142). Practicing solitude is also very useful, shutting off the phone, laptop, and all electronics and just sitting in quiet contemplation (Clinton & Sibcy, 2006, p. 142). Another discipline is the practice of silence (Clinton & Sibcy, 2006, p. 145). The noise of the day can keep believers from realizing the realities that exist behind all the noise (Clinton & Sibcy, 2006, p. 145). Other disciplines are helpful such as confession of sins to other believers, admission of powerlessness before God, and celebrating the blessings of Christ Jesus (Clinton & Sibcy, 2006, p. 150). With the daily practice of dedicated relationship to God the Father, and reliance upon Jesus Christ the individual seeking to build a secure identity may be assured of long term success.

Depression and Personality Disorders

Inevitably many of those who suffer with relationship insecurity will also have struggles with depression. Carter and Minirth (1995) in their Freedom from Depression Workbook describe a practical process by which depression can be dealt with in a healthy biblical manner. The workbook outlines twelve steps arranged through twelve chapters helping the reader to identify the depression, learn about the illness, commit to a path of recovery, and implement positive attitudes to counter future outbreaks of depression (Carter & Minirth, 1995). Of particular interest are six personality disorders that relate to depression, personal security, and relational security (Carter & Minirth, 1995, p. 161). The six personality types are: dependent, obsessive-compulsive, histrionic, avoidant, narcissistic, and borderline (Carter & Minirth, 1995, p. 183).

The dependent personality is characterized by a core desire to please others (Carter & Minirth, 1995, p. 162). People in this subgroup often work too hard to keep peace in a world where conflicts are common. The dependent individual has a hard time saying no, and often struggle with fear and guilt, as well as a sense of being dominated by others.

The obsessive-compulsive personality is distinguished by a desire for order and repetition (Carter & Minirth, 1995, p. 166). The obsessive-compulsive performs out of a sense of duty and obligation, feeling a powerful need to complete a task, then move on to the next (Carter & Minirth, 1995, p. 166). The obsessive-compulsive finds a sense of self-worth in the completion of projects, while often hiding intense feelings of insecurity and confusion (Carter & Minirth, 1995, p. 166).

The histrionic personality is characterized by an intensity of emotional expressiveness (Carter & Minirth, 1995, p. 169). The histrionic individual may often appear intense, dramatic, and excitable (Carter & Minirth, 1995, p. 169). They are extroverted, people oriented individuals who feed off the emotions of others (Carter & Minirth, 1995, p. 169). The histrionic personality feels a strong need for emotional satisfaction and attention, and when others fail to meet those needs they quickly become dejected and melancholy (Carter & Minirth, 1995, p. 169).

The avoidant personality commonly seeks to avoid personal involvement and works very hard to minimize their own vulnerability (Carter & Minirth, 1995, p. 173). The avoidant person attempts to create a pain free comfort zone around themselves in the hopes of evading uncomfortable emotional attachments and high stress (Carter & Minirth, 1995, p. 173). The avoidant personality maintains only limited relationships that are of the least possible commitment and possible threat (Carter & Minirth, 1995, p. 173). The avoidant personality is often quite frustrated internally and expresses that frustration passive-aggressively through evasiveness, procrastination, indecisiveness, and a lack of accountability (Carter & Minirth, 1995, p. 173).

The narcissistic personality is characterized by an excessive self affection (Carter & Minirth, 1995, p. 176). The narcissist is quite self absorbed, and diligently seeks a life of ease, pleasure, and comfort (Carter & Minirth, 1995, p. 176). This personality can seem quite friendly, but the narcissist struggles with building deeper meaningful connections (Carter & Minirth, 1995, p. 176). The narcissistic personality refuses to acknowledge the struggles of life and is entirely pleasure oriented (Carter & Minirth, 1995, p. 176).

The borderline personality struggles with moodiness, out of control emotions, clingy behavior, and intense fits of anger (Carter & Minirth, 1995, p. 179). According to Carter & Minirth (1995) “The term borderline implies that they seem to teeter on the brink of breakdown.” The borderline personality is characterized by a strong fear of being alone (Carter & Minirth, 1995, p. 179). The borderline personality struggles with a sense of identity confusion and a disintegrated self-image (Carter & Minirth, 1995, p. 179).

Carl Jung (1923) said “We cannot change anything unless we accept it.” Self-knowledge is an important aspect of recovery from broken relational and personal security. When one understands their personality disorders they are more likely to succeed in dealing with the underlying issues of personal and relational insecurity.

Confronting Lies with Truth

The lies of the world can have a very damaging effect on personal security. In his book The Lies We Believe (1989) Dr. Chris Thurman describes how people often believe many lies about the world and themselves, and as a result their relationships and mental health suffer. Dr. Thurman uses the acronym TRUTH to describe how lies, false beliefs about the world and self can become ingrained in the mind (Thurman, 1995, p. 16). A trigger event occurs leading to reckless thinking regarding the trigger event (Thurman, 1995, p. 16). The reckless thinking leads to unhealthy response (Thurman, 1995, p. 16). The second T refers to truthful thinking, the practice of telling oneself the truth regarding a given situation, to confront the lies and reckless thinking (Thurman, 1995, p. 16). The H stands for healthy response and is a result of the truthful thinking regarding the situation (Thurman, 1995, p. 16).

Dr. Thurman effectively approaches the issue of false beliefs from the framework of developing the mind of Christ (Thurman, 1995). In The Lies We Believe Workbook (1995) Thurman helps the reader confront lies about self, the world, marriage, and religion (Thurman, 1995). There are many workbooks available from the perspective of Christian counseling that are very helpful to those seeking personal recovery from issues like anxiety, worry, depression, and anger available through Thomas Nelson publishers and Meier Clinics. Though resources like The Lies We Believe Workbook are very effective tools for growth in personal security, additional help may be required.

EMDR & Theophostic Ministry

EMDR was initially developed in 1989 by Francine Shapiro to help those suffering from PTSD (Cornine, 2013, p. 83). EMDR is considered an empirically verified form of treatment for those with PTSD, but it's also been applied to a myriad of other issues including depression, trauma, and substance abuse (Cornine, 2013, p. 83). EMDR is based on the presupposition that there are physiological changes that take place in the brain when trauma occurs, effectively freezing information in the mind that then cannot be processed successfully by the client (Cornine 2013, p. 83). Recalling the memory or information then triggers a harsh emotional response connected to the trauma (Cornine, 2013, p. 83). Through the use of bilateral eye movements or bilateral stimulation through touch or sound, the emotional context of the memory can be adjusted to a properly processed state (Cornine, 2013, p. 83). For those who struggle with personal insecurity and broken relationship patterns, many of the underlying issues may be based in painful memories that have never been properly addressed (Clinton & Sibcy, 2006). EMDR treatment should only be conducted under the supervision and care of a trained medical professional.

Theophostic therapy, or theophostic ministry can be described as a technique quite similar to EMDR in it's effect on the brain, though the approach is quite different (Entwistle, 2004, p. 26). Theophostic ministry is similar to Dr. Thurman's The Lies we Believe in that theophostic ministry is about accessing past memories embedded with a “lie” and with the help of Christ replacing that lie with the truth (Entwistle, 2004, p. 26). The theophostic approach is about bringing to light things in the dark that have hurts attached to them (Entwistle, 2004, p. 27). Through the guidance of a trained and certified professional the individual can experience God's healing power in past memories and false beliefs attached to those memories (Entwistle, 2004, p. 27). Like EMDR, theophostic ministry should only be conducted by trained lay counselors or trained professional counselors in cooperation with the individual seeking treatment.

Twelve Step Groups

Twelve step groups, through the use of spirituality, have revolutionized client on client health care. Since the first fellowship developed under the name Alcoholics Anonymous in 1939 hundreds of twelve step based fellowships have developed (Alcoholics Anonymous, 2006). Other prominent fellowships include: Gamblers anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, and many others.

The twelve steps are designed to trigger a spiritual awakening in the person who works them (Alcoholics Anonymous, 2006, p. 25). The individual working the steps admits to a state of powerlessness over the issue they are facing, then comes to believe that a spiritual power can help them (Alcoholics Anonymous, 2006, p. 60). The individual offers their life to serving their higher power, then completes a written inventory of their life, later confessing it to a trusted friend or clergy (Alcoholics Anonymous, 2006, p. 65). The individual then requests that God remove his or her character defects, makes amends to those he or she has harmed, and pursues prayer, meditation, and helping others with similar ailments (Alcoholics Anonymous, 2006, p. 59, 89). Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of the program of action, the individual continues to live by the principles of the twelve steps as a permanent “design for living” (Alcoholics Anonymous, 2006, p. 28).

The twelve steps have been adapted successfully, not only for alcoholism and addiction, but also for mental health support (Emotions Anonymous - a 12 Step Anonymous Program). Rick Warren and John Baker adapted a program called Celebrate Recovery using the twelve steps, and eight principles based on the beatitudes (Baker, 2014). According to Celebraterecovery.com “A wide variety of hurts, hang ups and harmful behaviors are represented at Celebrate Recovery. Examples include dependency on alcohol or drugs, pornography, low self-esteem, need to control, depression, anger, co-dependency, depression,fear of rejection, fear of abandonment, perfectionism, broken relationships, and abuse.” Celebrate Recovery could provide an excellent resource for those struggling with identity and personal security issues. Unfortunately Celebrate Recovery is not particularly widespread, though it has served over 17,000 people at Saddleback church in California and has programs in over 20,000 churches worldwide (Celebrate Recovery). The resources for starting a Celebrate Recovery group are also somewhat expensive, and the program suffers from a lack of governing traditions and departs from the tried and true methods of the various other successful anonymous programs.

Another option for the individual seeking support and growth in a group setting would be Emotions Anonymous (Emotions Anonymous - a 12 Step Anonymous Program). According to Emotionsanonymous.org “Our program has been known to work miracles in the lives of many who suffer from problems as diverse as depression, anger, broken or strained relationships, grief, anxiety, low self-esteem, panic, abnormal fears, resentment, jealousy, guilt, despair, fatigue, tension, boredom, loneliness, withdrawal, obsessive and negative thinking, worry, compulsive behavior and a variety of other emotional issues.” Though consistent work with a counselor can be helpful, as well as dedicated study and a strong support network, the power of weekly meeting attendance is unparalleled. The creator of the twelve steps, Bill Wilson came across the power of spirituality, and adapted a practical program of action to help those with many kinds of ailments to seek lifetime recovery (Alcoholics Anonymous, 2006, p. 1).

Conclusion

Jeremiah 33:6 (ESV) says “Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security. “ Jeremiah wrote in regard to the nation of Israel and it's health and security and healing. Today all can receive the same from God through his gift of Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 (ESV) says “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” Jesus Christ provides restoration for those with even the most severe relational and personal security problems (Psalm 41:3). There are many powerful tools for recovery including personal study, spiritual disciplines, professional counseling, and twelve step support groups. An individual committed to a daily path of healing and change can experience total healing through the power of Jesus Christ (Clinton & Sibcy, 2006).

References

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Clinton, T., & Sibcy, G. (2006). Why you do the things you do: The secret to healthy relationships. Nashville, TN: Integrity.

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