What about Those Who Have Never Heard?

29 May 201211 October 2023 ~ MD Harris Institute ~ Leave a comment

Skeptics sometimes say “If Jesus is the only way to heaven, then God is unjust, because some people have never heard of Him.” Between the Scriptures, the oral message, creation, dreams, visions, and the myriad of other ways that God speaks to man, there is probably no one who actually has never heard.

By Mark D. Harris

The discussion last Sunday, centered around how someone can be sure of his salvation and focused on Luke 23:32-43, the story of the thief on the cross, engendered some lively discussion. One issue which came up, which always comes up in lessons about salvation, was the question about what God is going to do with people who have never heard the gospel of Jesus.

The Bible teaches that everyone is a child of God, in the sense that we are all created by Him (Genesis 2:7), but some people are His children in the sense that they live in good relationship with Him (Galatians 3:26, 1 John 3:10). It also teaches that every person will live forever, some people with God and some people without Him (Matthew 13:40-43, Matthew 25:31-46, Revelation 20:11-12). In that sense, all religions and even non-religion lead to God because every person will stand before Him in judgment. To use a human analogy, every person is a child of their parents because they were “created” by them but not every person lives in good relations with their parents. Bible believing Christians hold that Jesus is the only way to eternal life; defined as everlasting life in good relations with our Heavenly Father.

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Christians and Politics

14 May 201211 October 2023 ~ MD Harris Institute ~ 1 Comment

Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world, but Christians are salt and light in their society, protecting it from the rot of sin. Followers of the Lord must be active in politics, at least voting, but never forget that our salvation is in Christ alone and our home is in heaven. Let’s examine Christians and politics.

By Mark D. Harris

This morning in church one of the members of my class asked me about my opinion on Christians being involved in politics. There has been a great deal of press, largely negative, on the issue of evangelicals opposing the legalization of same sex marriage, and this brother was unsure about what the Bible teaches about the issue. While I do not pretend to speak Ex Cathedra, this issue is important enough to examine what Scripture teaches, especially in light of our current circumstances in the United States.

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A Child Leaving Home, and the Providence of God

11 May 201211 October 2023 ~ MD Harris Institute ~ 1 Comment

Parenting is not over when a child leaves home. In many ways, the hardest part is just beginning. Parents must trust in the providence of God.

By Mark D. Harris

I was chatting with a friend, a professor of government late of Georgetown University, during our Wednesday night church dinner. He mentioned several Christian youth he had recently met who had lived a sheltered life of homeschooling and church activities, and his concern of how they would do when confronted with the belligerent anti-Christian staff and libertine lifestyles prevalent in most secular universities. As my oldest will be starting a state college this fall, I was intrigued by his observation. This educated and devoted man was certainly right to be concerned, and mentioned that he wanted his children to attend a Christian school when the time comes. There are many sad tales of students raised in Christian homes who are too unprepared intellectually and too undisciplined morally to resist the temptations of living on their own. How many make mistakes that haunt them for the rest of their lives?

At the same time, Jesus and His disciples lived and worked in Galilee, the most cosmopolitan place in Palestine. He clearly tells us to be in the world but not of the world (John 15:19, 17:14-16), and to be as salt (Matthew 5:13) to preserve and light (Matthew 5:14) to illuminate the fallen world. How does a faithful Christian know what to do in the face of such important principles?

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Science and Christianity

8 May 201211 October 2023 ~ MD Harris Institute ~ Leave a comment

Does real science, not “scientific philosophy,” contradict real Christianity? Since honestly, we know less about science, and about the Bible, than we think we do, humility and inquiry needed to find the answer. Science and Christianity go together.

My sons enjoy playing a computer game called Civilization, in which players take the role of the ruler of a historical civilization such as China, Greece or Rome and try to win by conquering the world, sending a rocket into space, or building the most spectacular culture. There are many cultural advances that a civilization can get, but getting some cultural advances eliminates the ability to get some others. For example, the designers of the game decided that piety and rationalism were mutually exclusive; it is impossible for any civilization in the game to have both.