The following blog is essentially a short Q&A about big questions concerning life, religion, politics, and some stuff in between. Just a caveat, not every answer to each question is completely thought through, nor is each answer a comprehensive or exhaustive response either. Nevertheless, here are the 10 questions/answers about big topics in life:
- How did life come to be on earth?
I believe that it all started with God, as described by the Bible as the Trinity, who collectively created all things as an overflow from the glory and love they shared with one another so that other creations might share in and know that love and glory too. (Gen. 1-3).
- Who is God and why do you believe this?
The evangelical Christian Bible is the standard and basis that foundationally defines what I believe about God and who He is. Essentially, the Bible defines God as utterly, completely, and perfectly holy, righteous, just, loving, and gracious. While the general revelation of creation points to this transcendent being, the special revelation of the descendent, God-man Jesus Christ—including his perfect life, substitionary death, and supernatural resurrection—is how we can best see, know, and wonder at the nature of God.
- Why is there evil and suffering in the world?
The reason for all evil and suffering in the world traces back to the biblical episode of the garden of Eden where mankind chose to rebel against God, to seek their own glory, and to act out upon their desire to follow their own lordship. Mankind moved outside of the natural order and design God put in place, and as a result, the natural order and human design immediately faced the repercussions, which the Bible calls ‘sin’. Evil and suffering entered into existence and pervades every aspect of life: individually, corporately, and cosmically. It manifests itself in an unruly natural world (such as tornadoes, disease, miscarriages, etc.) and in depths of the personal world (selfish motives, racism, immorality, jealousy, etc.).
- Should homosexuals be issued a state marriage license?
While God created marriage and sexual intimacy within the context and design of one man and one woman, Jesus’ ministry never focused on the politics of the day. The Jewish people—and even his closest friends, the disciples—consistently pushed Jesus to assume a political messianic role to free Israel from the dominant rule of the Roman Empire and Caesar, however, Jesus continued to honor the government that was in place and never aimed to refine the government of his day either. And that’s because his mission was never politically concerned, but spiritually concerned. However, while the Bible clearly prescribes homosexual unions as universally and timelessly sinful, I am not sure it is appropriately warranted for Christians to say whether or not homosexuals should be able to have a marriage license. Certainly, Christians should desire that all people follow and submit to God’s design and lordship in all things, it is another thing to say that people should be legislatively required to follow these codes on moral superficial basis without paying God lordship on a deeper, spiritual level. In addition, it would seem unwise or sinful for Christians to vote for homosexuals to be able to marry since that would essentially indicate their endorsement of a homosexual lifestyle.
- How do I determine if an action is good or evil?
The Bible is God’s gift of authority for all things, including ethical standards. The Bible maintains three types of laws: civil laws, ceremonial laws, and universal laws. First, the civil laws were designed only for Israel. Second, the ceremonial laws were only given to those priests in the tribe of Levi for the purposes of sacrificial and ceremonial purity and sanctity. Third, the universal laws are those ethical decrees that will always be binding and relevant for any time, culture, and people group. Because Jesus came as the fulfillment of the nation of Israel who would bring the fullness of God’s righteousness to earth, and because he perfectly atoned for the sin of the world in his sacrificial, substitionary death, the Bible informs us that the civil laws and ceremonials laws in the Bible are fulfilled and are now obsolete. However, the universal laws are still in effect for our ultimate good.
- What is the role of government?
The Bible describes the role of government as fundamentally having a dual purpose. First, the government is to exact justice, enforce the law, and punish the violators. Second, the government is to uphold righteousness and reward those who keep the law by continuing to protect and guarantee their human and civil rights.
- What is your opinion of Christians?
As a Christian, my opinion of Christians is difficult to articulate because they (including myself) are different from what people expect. Regardless of the necessary hypocrisy (in whatever degree observed) or their countercultural beliefs (in light of our modern day, secular worldview), they should always point the secular, unbelieving world to its Christ, who is never hypocritical and always full of grace and truth. Don’t throw out Christianity because of its Christians. And don’t paint Christianity by its Christians. Know Christianity by its Christ. And this is because Christianity is not about its Christians, but about its Christ. If you keep the first things first, then the secondary issues won’t be crushed under the weight that only the first things were designed to support.
- What is the purpose of life?
If we were created by God and for God, then the purpose of life is to glorify and enjoy Him for all of life. Just as a fish can only find full purpose of life underwater, so also do we—who were designed for fellowship with God—find ultimate full purpose of life by living to glorify and enjoy God.
- What is your opinion of abortion?
The presupposition behind all propositions about abortion is how you answer the question ‘What is the unborn?’. From a sheer biogenetic standpoint, it is only logical that the unborn is a human being, inherently bearing 100% of DNA of life, and fully deserving of all rights that born humans do. I believe abortion is murder because it kills a human—unborn or born—who has rights to life like anyone else. The environment or state of development of this human being has no bearing on their inherent rights or value. Overall, this position against unjust killing is rooted in the biblical theology of Imago Dei, which explains that all human life is equally valuable because all human life is made in the image of God.
10. What happens after we die?
The Bible explains that humankind, unlike all other creation, are made in the image of God, which means that at the most fundamental level of our being, we have a spiritual dimension like God’s. The Bible seems to suggest that this spiritual dimension gives us metacognition and makes us capable of perceiving the reality of death, including time and eternity (Ecc. 3). The Bible also describes that when we die, we will all be judged by God. Those who have placed the weight of their soul on the righteousness of Jesus to make them right with God will be saved. And those who do not place their faith in Jesus’ righteousness on their behalf will be damned. Their own merit–no matter how great–will be enough because a perfect God demands perfect righteousness. Thankfully, the same God who makes the perfect demands for us meets the demands perfectly for us in Christ, who lived the life we could not live and who died the death we were deserved to die so that we might be forgiven and reconciled back into fellowship with Him. Therefore, the Bible declares that there are two destinies for the human soul after this natural life: eternity with God and eternity without God. There is no other option. Jesus, the God-man, who bridged the gap between God and man is the only way. Without Jesus, there is no bridge to God, and therefore, no eternity of salvation; to refuse Jesus is to actively refuse God’s offer of life. Additionally, the Bible describes that the next life will be a new and better version of the earth that we currently inhabit—not a heavenly bliss with naked angels playing the harps. It will be perfect and renewed, restored from sin once and for all.
