Revisiting the God-Shaped Hole & its Tie to Happiness

In 1670, Blaise Pascal published Pensées*, which was a defense of the Christian religion. In that book, he has a quote:

“What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace? This he tries in vain to fill with everything around him, seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot find in those that are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object; in other words by God himself.”

- Blaise Pascal, Pensées VII (425)

Augustine of Hippo rightly stated in his fourth-century book Confessions, “Thou hast made us for thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in thee.”

The phrase "God-shaped hole," has taken on a life of its own and has been found throughout many Christian circles. Therefore, it is accepted, at least by believers, that true, lasting happiness, peace, & contentment are a direct result of Almighty God being an integral part of our lives. Without God happiness is fleeting. Like a whisper in the wind.

This concept of a God-Shaped Hole in relation to one’s happiness is not biblical per se, although there is biblical support for such a concept.

            Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: https://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/2746/where-does-the-concept-of-a-god-shaped-hole-originate

*This book was published after Pascal’s death in 1662.

Have you ever wondered how God’s sees you?

          I know what the Bible says regarding how God both views us & feels about us, but with the strange things that we all say and do from time to time, it begs the question: “Lord, how can you love me now?” According to scripture, there is nothing we could ever think, say or do that would ever turn Him against any of us. No matter how terrible you may think the thing you have thought, said or done is. 

 

“For I know the thoughts I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11.

 

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9.

 

“For the Lord will not cast off His people, nor will He forsake His inheritance.” Psalm 94:14.

 

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 8:38-39.

            Hopefully these verses, and there are plenty more, have convinced you that no matter what you could ever think, say or do, you will NEVER drive a wedge between yourself and God’s love for you. 

            Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Sola Gratia

                       Sola gratia is a Latin phrase that means "grace alone." It means that salvation from sin and death is provided by God's unmerited favor alone, and we can do nothing to earn it. The concept is expressed in Ephesians 2:8-9 which reads, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." 

Sola gratia is one of the five "solas" of the Protestant Reformation. The others are: 

 

1) Sola scriptura: Scripture alone; God gave us His Word through Scripture, not papal authority or sacred tradition

 

2) Sola fide: Faith alone; salvation is by grace, through faith, not our works (Ephesians 2:8-9)

 

3) Solo Christo: Christ alone; Jesus is the only way to salvation (John 14:6)

 

4) Sola Deo Gloria: glory of God alone; everything we do should be for God's glory (Colossians 3:17) 

 

These were foundational beliefs during the development of the Protestant Reformation, and continue to be vital today.

 

Why is it essential to believe and teach that salvation is provided by grace alone (sola gratia)? First, Scripture is clear that no person seeks God of his or her own initiative: "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God" (Romans 3:10-11). Instead, God must reach out to sinful humanity (Romans 3:23). Christ died for us while we were still ungodly (Romans 5:8). Further, Jesus came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). He actively pursues sinners, calling us to faith in His name.

When a person does accept Christ by grace through faith, Jesus is the One who gives eternal life (John 3:16) and makes us a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17). Once we have become a believer in Christ, God's Spirit provides the power to live for Him and keeps us in the love of God (Roman 8:37-39). Ultimately, Christ also gives us assurance of eternal life (1 John 5:13).

Salvation is by God's grace alone because He is the One who created us, provided a way of salvation for us, seeks us, gives us faith, changes us when we do believe in Him, empowers us to live for Him, keeps us in His love, and will take us to be with Him for eternity. At no point do our good works provide salvation. This is why sola gratia was not only an important belief during the Protestant Reformation, but remains essential to Christian faith and living today.

Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: www.compellingtruth.org

Sin - Remedy

What is sin? “Transgressions against a divinely appointed moral code.” Sin effects our standing with Almighty God, since sin cannot abide in His presence. But what if, as many non-believers say, there IS no God?

“From a Christian theological perspective, if there is no God, evil does not have a coherent origin or definition, as it is understood as the absence of good, which itself is grounded in God. Without God, there is no objective standard for good or evil, making morality subjective and based solely on individual or societal opinion. In this view, evil is not a created entity but a privation or lack of good, similar to how darkness is the absence of light. Therefore, if God does not exist, the very concept of evil as a moral wrong ceases to have a foundation, and what might be labeled as evil would merely be a human interpretation of actions or conditions without an ultimate moral reference point. Some argue that evil arises from the absence of God's presence and the resulting moral disorder, suggesting that without God, the framework for distinguishing right from wrong collapses.” ^[1]

So for the sake of this blog post, let’s say there IS a God. That would, in a spiritual respect, mean there WAS sin. What would the remedy for sin be?  First, what is a remedy? It’s something that is “meant to correct an evil, fault, or error. It is meant to set something right.” THAT is exactly what Christ’s substitutionary death accomplished. We sinned; He corrected the problem with His blood. Christ’s death was the remedy for our sin.

                  Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Note: Definitions come from the American Heritage Dictionary.

^{[1]  www.timeofgrace.org}

Regarding Faith...

Martin Luther King, Jr said the following about faith: “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” I rather see faith as taking a jump into a black abyss. In that case we give up all control. When walking up a staircase when you cannot see it in its entirety you still have control – the control to stop going up it and return to the bottom. Faith in God is submitting to something or someone that you HAVE TO trust. Otherwise, you would be terrified of that which you cannot see. With faith you are essentially giving up control to an unseen power that in fact is holding you in the palm of His hand. 

            An enemy of faith is fear. Fear is defined thusly: an unpleasant often strong emotion caused by anticipation or awareness of danger. Did you know that there’s another definition that has to do with God. In the beginning of Proverbs, we are told that “the beginning of wisdom is to fear the Lord”. Now in this case the word fear means something far different than the previous definition. It doesn’t mean we should be afraid of God, but rather, we should revere Him with awe and respect. 

            To have your faith well-grounded in scripture makes it a formidable weapon against fear. As I have often said, an outcropping of faith is trust. According to the Bible’s description of Almighty God we have absolutely no reason to not trust Him. The Lord will train you regarding how you should live with the help of His Holy Spirit. This is yet another reason for us to cultivate our walk with the Lord as if it were a garden. Stay alert. Keep your head on a swivel and be ready to defend your faith at all times.

            Everyone places their faith in either someone or something. I’m asking you, if you are still not a believer in Christ, to seriously consider what it’s all about. God loves us all, but will only admit into His heaven those who have turned their life over to Christ. Autonomy, like Socialism, seems like something wonderful, but in the end things will not turn out the way you thought or at least hoped they would. God allows you to choose; His way or your own way. He is willing to forgive your sins; you are unable to save yourself. To not choose Christ seems a little self-destructive to me. But regardless, you choose... your soul is at stake.

            Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Is There Such a Thing as “Necessary Evil”?

       The phrase “necessary evil” is often used in parallel with sayings such as “the ends justify the means”, “for the greater good”, or “the lesser of two evils”. The expression implies certain immoralities are warranted by the situation. Taken at face value, the expression necessary evil is unbiblical: if something is truly evil, then it is never necessary or morally acceptable. That said, the phrase “necessary evil” can have some validity, depending on how it is understood. The difference hinges on how one defines the terms involved.

Scripture uses the term ‘evil’ in two distinct ways. The most common meaning implies ‘moral wickedness’,meaning ‘sin’ (Matthew 12:35; Judges 3:12; Proverbs 8:13; 3 John 1:11). In common English, this is how the word evil is most often understood. However, Hebrew is a highly contextual language. Old Testament terms referencing moral evil are closely connected to those implying disaster, catastrophe, ugliness, or tragedy (Genesis 50:20; Amos 3:6). 

Moral evil is sin: something contrary to the nature of God. Moral evil is never necessary. No matter the situation, God offers a resolution that does not require evil (1 Corinthians 10:13). That which is explicitly forbidden by God’s moral law is neither justified nor excused by any situation. Committing a sin may be “necessary to keep my wealth,” “necessary to keep my power,” or even “necessary to keep my life,” but it is never “necessary in the eyes of God.” The concept of a “necessary evil,” taken literally, is clearly unbiblical. 

Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Is there demonic activity in the world today?

Undoubtedly there is demonic activity in the world today. The goal of demonic activity is to draw people away from God either by keeping unbelievers from coming to Christ or by leading believers to sin so much their spiritual walk becomes more of a hindrance than an encouragement to others (1 John 5:16). Not every hardship with health, well-being, relationships, and government are demonic in nature, but those that are, are designed to pull us from God. We resist demonic activity when we resolve to follow Christ no matter the distractions.

The Bible does not blame all misfortune on demonic activity. Someone who is plagued by fear does not necessarily have a "spirit of fear." Someone who can't manage money is not necessarily being harassed by a "spirit of poverty." Someone who can't find a spouse is not necessarily being tormented by a "spirit of rejection." While it's possible that a person could be subjected to particular attention by demons, the Bible does not indicate that every hardship is a direct result of spiritual warfare. Our world is broken, and we should expect to experience some of that brokenness in our lives. On a worldwide scale, while it is possible that demons are guiding human institutions to wreak havoc across the globe, the Bible doesn't indicate that Christians should concentrate on stopping those efforts.

We are not to concern ourselves with how to perform exorcisms or expel demons from places. Instead, we are commanded not to allow demonic activity to influence us to reject God's authority over our lives. James 4:7 says, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." This doesn't refer to a spiritual attack that causes earthly harm, but to temptation to sin. Job, again, is our model for this—"In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong" (Job 1:22). We can't control the spiritual forces; we can only pray for protection and resist the temptation to sin.

Until next time, walk with the King & be a blessing.

In His Name & for His Glory,

RL Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Source: www.compellingtruth.org