The Science of Humility

January 6, 2012

Humility has recently been studied by psychologists and social scientists. A study published in the Journal of Positive Psychology looked at helpfulness. Another study published in the Academy of Management Journal considered humility and leadership. Dr. Wade C. Rowatt, associate professor of psychology and neuroscience in Baylor’s College of Arts and Sciences, who led one of the studies states: “Our discovery here is that the understudied trait of humility predicts helpfulness.” Note that the trait has been understudied and overlooked. What did these studies discover?

  • Humble people are more willing to lend a helping hand than arrogant people.
  • Humility is a predictor of helpfulness.
  • Humble people do not think poorly of themselves.
  • Humble people are not insecure, but instead have an accurate view of themselves, understanding their strengths and weaknesses.
  • Humble people are actually comfortable with themselves.
  • Humble people make more effective and better-liked leaders than those who are self-promoting and “wear their accomplishments on their sleeve.”*

That humility has positive benefits should not be a surprise to the Christian. The Bible has much to say about humility.

  • He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. Psalm 25:9, ESV
  • When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom. Proverbs 11:2, ESV
  • The reward for humility and fear of the Lord is riches and honor and life. Proverbs 22:4, ESV
  • I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:1–3, ESV
  • Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Philippians 2:3, ESV
  • Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. James 4:10, ESV

Researchers are interested in whether humility can be cultivated. As Jeff LaBouff, of the University of Maine, states, “If we can increase humility, either in the short term or the long term, we might be able to increase those pro-social behaviors.” As a Christian I believe we can learn humility as we follow our Lord “who humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:8b, ESV).

*LiveScience.com – “Humble People Are More Helpful”

Leave a Comment » | character, Christian living, humility | Permalink
Posted by Russell Holden

Why Read the Bible

December 30, 2011

How have you done in regular Bible reading? I’ve just finished my Bible reading plan for 2011. I read through the Bible in the KJV in celebration of the 400th anniversary of the KJV, and I also read the New Testament and Psalms in the 2011 edition of the NIV. I’m in the process of planning my reading for 2012. It doesn’t take the beginning of a new calendar year to plan to read the Bible, but it is a convenient time to think about it.

Regular Bible reading is a great privilege. We have easy access to the Bible. Some of you may even have a Bible on your smart phone that you carry in your pocket or purse. With that kind of convenience, you can take advantage of the unexpected waiting that comes to all of our lives.

Why read the Bible? We worship a God who has revealed himself in the words of scripture. We come to know someone through words. We listen to one another’s conversations. We read letters. We read articles and books. Just think how limited we would be if all of life’s communications were like a game of charades. Given the importance of words in general in knowing another, it is not surprising that we come to know God through his self revelation in scripture. Coming to know God through the Bible is consistent with his nature.

The Bible is also central to Christian instruction. Paul states:

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16–17, ESV

Paul also affirms that moral transformation which is a goal of Christian living is achieved by the renewal of our minds (see Romans 12:1-2). Although it is possible to read the Bible and not be transformed morally, since it is an activity that must be approached in faith, it is impossible to have moral transformation as God desires without the words of scripture guiding us.

Finally, the Bible contains God’s dealing with his people. We read about God’s unfolding plan and mission for his people in the world. N.T. Wright notes scriptures’s relationship with our mission in the world.

The idea of reading a book in order to be energized for the task of mission is not a distraction, but flows directly from the fact that we humans are made in God’s image, and that, as we hear his word and obey his call, we are able to live out our calling to reflect the creator into his world.*

Many reasons exist for regular Bible reading. Make your plans today.

*N.T. Wright, The Last Word, p. 34.

Leave a Comment » | Bible reading, Uncategorized | Permalink
Posted by Russell Holden

If Christ Were Not…

December 26, 2011

Published in 1852, Henry Roger’s book, The Eclipse of Faith, imagines what it would be like if Jesus Christ were erased from history. He imagines going into a library and finding no trace of the life and words of Jesus. No Golden Rule. No Good Samaritan. No Prodigal Son. Pages of law books that had formerly protected women, children, and the poor are blank. Alarmed he looks into volumes of art history. Paintings like Raphael’s “The Transfiguration” and da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” are missing. He thinks of the great poems of Milton, Dante, Wordsworth, and Tennyson, but he finds only empty pages. It hits him that if Christ were erased from history great works of philanthropy and missions would cease – hospitals, schools, orphanages, and missionaries. If Christ were erased from history like a great hand erasing chalk writing from a blackboard, the effects would be devastating.

A Newsweek poll agreed with Henry Roger’s assessment. If there had been no Jesus…

  • 61% believe there would be less kindness
  • 47% believe there would be more war
  • 63% believe there would be less charity
  • 58% believe there would be less tolerance
  • 59% believe there would be less personal happiness

But Jesus never intended to be only a great moral teacher. He never intended to be just a flavoring for Western Civilization.

Yes, it is possible to have a cultural benefit if some people know and follow the Golden Rule at least part of the time. Jesus undoubtedly has influenced law, art, and literature. But in recognizing the profound influence of Jesus, we must ask ourselves the bigger questions. Did Jesus die for our sins? Is Jesus Lord?

The skeptic may complain that unkindness, war, greed, intolerance, and unhappiness still exist and ask, “What has Jesus really done?” But in answering the bigger questions, we have a reply. We need to go beyond the lip service of Jesus as a cultural influence to Jesus as Lord. The more profoundly Jesus transforms us, the more our world will change. We must confess that this world is not yet as Jesus would have it to be. But to erase Jesus is to erase hope.

It’s possible to enjoy the cultural benefits of a world influenced by Jesus. But Christ’s greatest gift is received when we trust and obey. It would be devastating if Christ were not. But it would also be devastating to our life and eternity, if Christ’s we’re not.

Leave a Comment » | Jesus | Permalink
Posted by Russell Holden

Aren’t You Being Judgmental?

December 20, 2011

If you stand for Christian values, you will likely hear someone say, “Aren’t you being judgmental?” I like the story of Swami Vivekananda, a Hindu philosopher. He came to the World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893. In his address to the delegates, he said, “We [Hindus] accept all religions to be true,” and “[it] is sin to call a man [a sinner].” Of course in making the statement, he himself has called someone a sinner (i.e., the one who calls another a sinner). The charge of being judgmental is always a boomerang.

But what about “Judge not, that you be not judged”? Doesn’t that forbid judging. Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 7:1-6 has three parts. The middle part uses the image of getting a speck out of someone’s eye. The image of getting a speck out of someone’s eye is a way of talking about counseling or confronting someone about sin in his or her life. This isn’t forbidden, but we are first to get the beam out of our own eye. Jesus is concerned about hypocritical judgment.

But what about “Judge not, that you be not judged’? It is indeed a warning about judgment in a section that confirms we will indeed make judgments. What is Jesus’ point? The point is found in the explanation that starts with “for.”

For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Matthew 7:2, ESV

Jesus is warning us about unmerciful judgments. If we want mercy from God, then we need to extend mercy to others.

Finally, Jesus warns about uncritical judgment, a failure to evaluate a situation and its dangers. Holy things are not to be given to dogs, and pearls are not to be thrown to pigs, because pigs trample, and dogs attack. Wisdom can know ahead of time how certain things and people will be treated by others. Jesus is warning us of an uncritical judgment in the face of persecutors.

Jesus is not opposed to us making judgments. He is giving us warnings about unmerciful, hypocritical, and uncritical judgments. It is impossible to live the moral life without making judgments.

The charge of being judgmental is always a boomerang, because it too is a judgment. The question in such cases is do we have an agreed upon basis for moral decision making. If we are both Christians, we should in the moral teachings of the Bible. If we don’t have a common basis for morals, then the problem is likely not judgmentalism regardless of the charge, but our competing ways of deciding what is moral. Both of us have the right to attempt to persuade the other, but in the end, if we can’t agree on the basis, we may have to lovingly disagree and await for God, the Judge.

Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Permalink
Posted by Russell Holden

Wings Like Eagles

December 2, 2011

Are you weary and troubled? It is part of the human condition. We will all face moments of trial. We will all at times grow tired. In Isaiah 40:27-31, Isaiah looks ahead to the Babylonian Captivity. Those would be dark days for Israel. Those captives too would be weary and troubled.

Isaiah pictures the discouragement of the captives. They think God has forgotten about them. They long for a vindication and return to their homeland, but they fear that God is no longer concerned. Isaiah in his prediction asks them, “Why do you say this?”

Isaiah then reminds them of the nature of God. God is everlasting. God is creator of the ends of the earth. He doesn’t grow tired or become weary. God’s wisdom and understanding are limitless. Who could search it out?

Why does Isaiah remind them of the nature of God? The nature of God and the problems of life have a connection.

He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Isaiah 40:29, ESV

Even the young can be exhausted. But renewed strength is available for “they who wait for the LORD” (40:31). This is the waiting in faith. This is the waiting in hope of God’s saving activity. Isaiah provides a beautiful and poetic picture of those with renewed strength.

…they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31, ESV

Eagles soar even on the winds of the storm. Our own strength will fail us, but if we rely on God’s strength, we will have the strength to endure. We may not escape the storm, but we can endure the storm. We can ride out the storm. If we hope and trust in the Lord, we will see His salvation. We shall mount up with wings like eagles.

Leave a Comment » | Christian living, perseverance | Permalink
Posted by Russell Holden

The Goal of Life

November 28, 2011

On July 4, 1952, Florence Chadwick attempted to swim the channel from Catalina Island to California. She was no new comer to long distance swimming. She was the first woman to swim the English Channel in both directions. The conditions that day were challenging. The water was numbing cold. Sharks were driven away by rifle fire. But the greatest challenge was the fog. The fog was so thick that you could barely see the boats that accompanied her. For 15 hours, she swam before asking to be taken out of the water. Her trainer attempted to urge her on, but to no avail. She quit only to find herself one mile from land. In an interview she said, “I’m not excusing myself, but if I could have seen the land I might have made it.” The fog obscuring her view of the goal had defeated her.

Do we see our goal or does the “fog” of busyness and daily living obscure our sight and discourage us? One thing is certain—Christian living is goal oriented. Listen to the Apostle Paul.

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:7-14, ESV

Paul clearly sees his goal. He realizes that he has not yet attained it. He is willing to sacrifice everything to attain “the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Such goal oriented language is not unusual in scripture (see also 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Matthew 6:33, Matthew 22:37, and Ecclesiastes 12:13).

Two months after Florence Chadwick’s failed attempt, she again stepped into the waters off Catalina. She swam the distance setting a new speed record for the swim. The difference—this time she could see her goal. The fog had lifted.

Is there a fog obscuring your sight of the goal of life? May we with Paul say, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14, ESV).

Leave a Comment » | Christian living, goal, purpose of life | Permalink
Posted by Russell Holden

Regeneration

November 14, 2011

Regeneration means to be born again. In the context of the New Testament, it is the spiritual rebirth associated with receiving the Holy Spirit. Some argue that regeneration occurs first and then is followed by faith. Others argue that regeneration differs from person to person. Some argue that a person becomes a Christian and then one must seek the Spirit to receive Him. By definition, regeneration must be God’s act, but we still ask when does regeneration take place? What is the evidence of the New Testament?

  • John 7:37-39 “On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.'” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” ESV Evidence: belief * regeneration
  • Galatians 3:2 “Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith?” ESV Evidence: hear * faith * regeneration
  • Acts 2:38 “And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” ESV Several things suggest that “gift of the Holy Spirit” refers to the gift which is the Holy Spirit. It is certainly one of the grammatical possibilities. This grammatical possibility seems to make the best sense in the light of the New Testament’s teaching that Christians receive the Holy Spirit (see Romans 8:9 and 1 Corinthians 6:19). Evidence: repentance * baptism * regeneration
  • Acts 5:32 “And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.” ESV Evidence: obedience * regeneration
  • John 3:5 “Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” ESV Grammatically, the passage is talking of one birth with two aspects: water and the Spirit. Given the context of the New Testament, the water in this passage most likely refers to baptism. Evidence: water and regeneration
  • 1 Corinthians 12:13 “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body- Jews or Greeks, slaves or free- and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” ESV Evidence: baptism and regeneration
  • Titus 3:5 “he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit” ESV Clearly baptism and regeneration are linked together in other passages. This makes the reference to washing most likely a reference to baptism. Evidence: washing and regeneration

When taken with all the New Testament evidence, becoming a Christian involves faith, repentance, confession, baptism, and regeneration. Regeneration before faith does not fit the evidence. Neither does the idea that the reception of the Spirit is long after becoming a Christian. And although there is a variety of ways of expressing things, as the above list demonstrates, the variety is not inconsistent. A pattern emerges from the evidence when taken as a whole. Have you been born again?

Leave a Comment » | born again, Holy Spirit, regeneration | Permalink
Posted by Russell Holden

Till When?

November 4, 2011

The answer in the traditional wedding vow to this question is “till death do us part.” A few years ago I was reading through some sample wedding vows online and found one that read “till love dies.” That is certainly the vow many people seemingly mean even if it is not the one they promise, and the tabloid news gives us an example of this in one more brief celebrity marriage lasting 72 days. If it were just a matter of celebrities, I’m not sure it would be worth noting, but the evidence around us is that a biblical view of marriage is in trouble.

What is the evidence? The divorce rate for first time marriages is around 40% (it has been as high as 50%). Seventy percent of Americans were married in 1960. Now it is about 50 percent. In the 1960s, two-thirds of twenty year olds were married. Today it is about 26%. What has replaced marriage among young adults is living together. Cohabitation which was once rare is now the norm. Over half of marriages begin with cohabitation, yet couples who cohabit are more likely to divorce. Forty percent of births in the U.S. for 2007 were out of wedlock.

What does God’s word have to say? Here’s a small sampling:

So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate. (Matthew 19:6, ESV)

Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous. (Hebrews 13:4, ESV)

Let me summarize the Bible’s teaching on marriage.

  • God designed marriage as the union of one man and one woman. (Genesis 2:18-25, Matthew 19:4-6)
  • God desires that marriage be until death do us part. (Matthew 19:6)
  • God permits divorce in the case of sexual immorality, but God hates divorce. (Matthew 19:9, Malachi 2:16 see NASB)
  • God will judge sexual activity outside of marriage. They are the sexually immoral and adulterous. (Hebrews 13:4)

In today’s world, these verses are like a voice crying in the wilderness. Do we have eyes to see and ears to hear?

Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Permalink
Posted by Russell Holden

How to Read Psalm 119

October 28, 2011

To be a Bible reader is to read poetry. Someone has estimated that sixty percent of the Old Testament is in poetic form. Poetry also occurs in the New Testament. The basic marker of Hebrew poetry is parallelism. The two parallel lines will say the same thing in different words, or say contrasting things, or sometimes the second line will build on the first.

The longest poem in Psalms is Psalm 119. I have to admit in the early days of my Bible reading I would feel a little dread of Psalm 119. It is so long! It is twenty-two stanzas and 176 verses long. Even then, it was easy to recognize some high points in the psalm:

How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. Psalm 119:9, ESV

I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. Psalm 119:11, ESV

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105, ESV

Yet 176 lines is a long way to go for a few choice nuggets. I recognized some familiar trees, but I didn’t have a sense of the beauty of the entire forest.

I wasn’t alone. Some unkind things have been said about the psalm by commentators through the years. Some have felt that the poem is disjointed. Yet to be a Bible reader is to read and to read again. In time, I’ve come to appreciate the psalm as a whole and to see its beauty.

Psalm 119 is a tightly structured poem. It is an acrostic poem. The twenty-two stanzas of the poem are usually marked in English with each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Hebrew has only twenty-two letters in its alphabet. That means that each of the eight lines in the stanza begin with that letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Eight lines beginning with the same letter and a stanza for each letter of the alphabet is a challenging task. The poem uses the word law (Hebrew torah which also means instruction) and seven synonyms for law. Likely the reason for 8 lines per stanza is the fact that the psalm uses 8 words for law. One of these 8 words for law occurs in every line except four, but in five lines of the poem a synonym for law occurs twice.

What helped my reading of this psalm? Read through the psalm and look for the circumstances of the psalmist. Read through the psalm and look for the petitions of the psalmist. Read through the psalm and look for the things he says about law or instruction and its benefits. Read through the psalm and look for praise of God. Do this and I think your appreciation for the psalm will grow. You will see its lament, wisdom, and praise. You will see how the whole psalm fits together in a wonderful way.

2 Comments | Bible, Bible reading, wisdom | Permalink
Posted by Russell Holden

Is Mormonism a Cult?

October 22, 2011

I have no interest in the political aspects of this question, and I have no political recommendations for you. I’m interested in the question because I’m fascinated by words and by the media’s inadequacy in dealing with religious questions.

The problem with the question is that the word “cult” has several meanings. I can think of a number of different usages, but only two are germane to the current question. The popular meaning of cult today is a religious group often with a charismatic leader who is authoritarian and uses mind control techniques on his followers. Think Jim Jones and the mass suicide of his followers in Guyana or David Koresh and the Branch Davidians who died in Waco. Is Mormonism a cult in this sense? I think the answer is no.

But there is another definition that is relevant. The late Anthony Hoekema, a former Calvin College professor, wrote a book called The Four Major Cults. The four are Christian Science, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormonism, and Seventh Day Adventism. He had a very specialized meaning of cult in mind. His definition is that which is unorthodox and breaks with historic Christianity.1 The World Christian Encyclopedia is a social science reference book that attempts to classify all Christian denominations, but they break all of them down into six major groupings. One group is “marginal,” and that is where Mormonism is placed. Why marginal? Again, it is because of their break with historic Christian beliefs.

How different is it? Latayne C. Scott is a convert from Mormonism. Her book, The Mormon Mirage, was published 32 years ago by Zondervan and is still in print. When asked whether Mormonism is Christian, she answers with a series of questions.

Do you believe that God the father was once a man and grew to adulthood on another earth and achieved godhood? Do you believe you can become a god or goddess? Do you believe that the Bible is so flawed and in error that it gives Satan power over people who read and believe it? Do you believe that Jesus didn’t keep his promise to protect his church against the gates of hell?2

Mormonism does not believe in God as trinity, but rather the Father Son, and Holy Spirit are three gods. Doctrines and Covenants teaches that the Father has a body of flesh and blood (130:22). Human beings have the potential of becoming a god. Mormons have a wonderful emphasis on family and a notable missionary zeal, but they frequently use Bible terms with entirely different meanings. Are they a cult in the sense that they break with historic Christian teaching? The answer is yes.

1Anthony Hoekema, The Four Major Cults, p. 374

2http://www.christianchronicle.org/article2159446~A_conversation_with_Latayne_C._Scott

Leave a Comment » | Uncategorized | Permalink
Posted by Russell Holden

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »