Cyndi Wang and You can be 100% Right about Something

a)
Cyndi Wang celebrated her 26th birthday this month. 生日快乐! She also put out a new song this month, its nice and upbeat.

She also has this awesome ad on tv. Before you watch it, I must ask that those who regularly drink from their endless supply of haterade spare me their usual anthem of hateration. Maybe you shouldn’t watch it, you probably won’t enjoy it.

Sad thing about it: I don’t understand what she’s saying :(.

b)
I have a friend, let’s call him Rabbit, who I think would call himself an agnostic, meaning that he just does not know which religious system makes true statements about spiritual realities (a=without, gnosis=knowledge). I like Rabbit a lot, and make sure to hang out with him whenever he’s/I’m in town. I pray for him regularly, and it breaks my heart that such a terrible barrier exists between himself and Saving Faith in Christ Jesus.

He simply doesn’t know who to trust. Everyone’s got their own point of view. I tell him that there are intelligent reasons to trust the Canon of Scripture, and I testify to the Spiritual transformation that has happened in my own life as I daily follow Jesus Christ. Great – the devoted Muslim can do the same for the Qur’an and how his life as a Muslim has brought him closer to Allah. The Buddhist and the Scientologist all do the same thing.

The problem is not that truth does not exist, but how can we ever know what the truth is? I once asked him if he ever wanted to come out to a Bible study with me. He said “no”, because we would only analyze its contents from an Evangelical-bias. He would not receive untainted “knowledge”. Is this true?

This is such a sad understanding of knowledge. It claims that we cannot have access to the truth, because we never have all the information. Is that how God views His Word?

When Joshua is taking over Moses’s role as leader of Israel, God tells him “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” Unless I’m missing something, and the meaning of this text is too difficult for me to understand or has been lost in the sands of time, God seems to think Joshua has the capability to understand His Revealed Will (I’m being facetious, the text is quite clear).

I really believe that Rabbit could come to a Bible study, hear the Gospel compellingly and accurately presented, and that the Holy Spirit could use the content of the Gospel to open the eyes of his heart, such that he’d know the meaning of the Gospel. He would know that its Truth is logically compelling and philosophically consistent. And he would repent and be saved. What do you think?

c)
Well, unfortunately, many Christians have been influenced by the same understanding of knowledge that Rabbit has adopted. They often think that knowing God’s Word accurately is too difficult or is beyond our capabilities as human beings. Worst than that, often some don’t think it is of great importance (despite texts like Joshua 1 which show God’s Will that we know his Word with great attention to detail).

Does God want us to “baptize” our children as a continuation of circumcision as a sign of the new covenant? Well, you say “no” and point to the Bible, and she says “yes” and points to the Bible, I guess we’ll just have to say we can’t see the whole picture clearly. It’s been debated by Godly men and women for so many years, maybe we should be “humble” and admit we’re just human and might never know these things until glory. Maybe it’s not the most important issue anyways. Not as important as Christ’s deity, Substitutionary atonement, etc.

Well, first, it might be important to say that such people should consider that thousands of people have died so that today, we can believe and practice “secondary” matters like credobaptism. But right now, I want to encourage everyone that they can know what the Bible says. And they can know that their opinion can be 100% correct. Even if it is about a “secondary” issue that continues to be debated to this day.

I am tempted to find some verse and throw it in as a proof text. But it is clear throughout the Scriptures. This book was written so that we can understand it clearly. If we didn’t, and simply believed in some vague God with vague commands and a vague will and a vague character, we would not be able to enjoy Him as much, nor would we be able to show as much obedience to Him, and subsequently we would not be able to bring Him as much Glory.

Please seek clarity in your doctrine. It’ll sanctify you. It’ll refresh your soul. It’ll make you understand the Cross more. It’ll bring Him Glory. You’ve got the very Words of God, each one perfect and true. You’ve got the Holy Spirit (if you’re saved), who will give you wisdom and take away the human traditions that might hinder your understanding. And you’ve got the fruit of thousands of years of scholarship, humble people who have carefully (and prayerfully) taking into account geography, language, culture, and context to fulfil their God-given roles as teachers of His Word.