What Is Love?

The following article is Lesson 3 from my book, Superhero University: The Ultimate Superhero Training Manual:

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Superheroes, having the correct understanding of what is good and right, are full of love, and they are compelled to act out from love. This is the only reason we can distinguish the hero from the villain. Spider-Man doesn’t save a falling person from splatting on the ground because he hates the person he saves, right? The superhero saves someone from danger/death because he/she has love for the person he/she is saving. In stark contrast, the villain performs acts of evil, not love. Again, evil is merely a privation of what is good; hatred is a privation or lack of love. It is written in James 2:8 that we are doing right by living a life of love toward others. But what is love? 

Love is not something we can have or hold like materialists would like us to believe. Not everything in life can be boiled down to materialism. Think about it: Can you describe the physical features of love or even the thought about love? How much does love weigh? Of what is the love molecule comprised? There is no infinity stone of love we can possess that can be contained in a gauntlet. In fact, of all the infinity stones Thanos (from the Avengers) had been able to collect that provided him with seemingly unlimited power and ability, it is evident that he lacked love, and that is why he had no qualms about murdering half of the created creatures in the universe—including his own daughter! In fact, Thanos had to sacrifice love in order to be able to obtain one of the infinity stones. Ultimately, Thanos traded love for power because he could not possess both. 

But what is love? And why do humans possess the capability to love? If love is not a material that can be weighed, or measured, how are humans able to possess love? How do we even know that love exists? Does love exist? We know that love exists—not because humans have defined the term—but because the Creator provided the definition of love and humans live by that defined divine design. 

Think about this: Oxygen—the air we breathe—exists whether humanity believes in it or not. In fact, oxygen exists even if humans call it something else. Humanity never created or invented oxygen; we merely discovered it. Likewise, love exists whether humanity believes love exists or not. Love exists even if humans call it something else. In fact, the definition of love is so confused by many humans because they believe it to be something it is not. Many people misuse the word love when they are actually referring to something else that love is not. And this is why it is important that the word love be clearly defined. 

(1 John 4:7–8, NLT)
“Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.”

(1 John 4:19, ESV)
“We love because he first loved us.”

Scripture makes sense. If GOD is love, then we would love because GOD first loved us because GOD created us. We are able to love because GOD is love and we are from GOD. If love is GOD, then we must know who GOD is so we can better understand what love is. So who is GOD? We will examine that in detail in Lesson 32, but for now suffice it to say that GOD is love and the absolute moral standard and therefore provides the definition of love (which we will soon examine and define). But we can also better understand love by examining what love is not. 

Love Is Not An Emotion 

Many people in the world claim that love is an emotion, but that simply isn’t true. Love affects our emotions and even causes us to produce emotions within us, but love is not an emotion in and of itself. You may claim that you can feel as if someone loves you, but love is not a feeling. 

Love Is Not Sexual Intercourse 

It is unwise to confuse sex for love and love for sex. Sex needs love to be relevant and meaningful; however, love does not need sex to be relevant and meaningful. A person can have sex with another person simply for the pleasure all while possessing no love for that individual. Examples of this, of course, is prostitution or rape. Such acts of sexual intercourse are meaningless because there is no love in the act of sex. That kind of sex serves a selfish purpose, but has no ultimate meaning. And of course, sex isn’t necessary for love to exist, to be relevant and be meaningful (I will expound upon this later when I define love). Now sex may be found in one of the definitions of love (Eros—I’ll get to this soon), but Eros is within the definition of love; love is ultimately selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional. A distorted desire is often misconstrued, mistaken as love. It is unwise to confuse lust for love. 

Even if love is not an emotion, a feeling, or even the act of sexual intercourse, does it matter if love can be clearly defined? If so, why does it matter? Consider what is written: 

(1 Corin. 13:1–3, NLT)
“If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.”

The definition of love matters because GOD is love and GOD created us in His image (Gen. 1:27). For without GOD, love would not matter because life would ultimately be meaningless and purposeless. And if we are to be loving beings, it is important that we understand the definition of love. 

What Is Love? 

(1 Corin. 13:4–8, NLT)
“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance. Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever!”

Love Is an Action 

Though it is not specifically and solely the act of sexual intercourse, love is definitely an action; it is something we do. Read verses 4–7 again and take notice of the fourteen different active descriptions the Holy Spirit (via Paul) uses to define love (patience, kindness, etc.). It’s important to note that this is not Paul’s definition of love, but the definition of love written by Paul while he was inspired by the Holy Spirit. 

Love Is a Choice 

The fourteen active descriptions are actions that we choose to do or not to do. There’s a nonsensical saying that states, “You can’t help who you love.” But yes—you can! We get to decide if we love and who we will love if we decide to love. And this is because we have free will (discussed in Lesson 41). 

Also, there’s a saying that states, “I fell in love.” It sounds so romantic, but this is also nonsense. Love is not a hole or trapdoor we can fall in. You don’t fall in love any more than you fall out of love. Love is a choice. You choose to love. You choose not to love. People do not fall in love; people decide to love. People do, however, fall into the trapdoor of lust. When people talk about love at first sight, what they really mean is lust at first sight. Now is it possible to possess love for someone at first sight? General love? Yes. Complete love? No. Love in the sense that you want the best for someone? Yes. Love in the sense that you desire the best for someone despite all his/her flaws and mistakes? No. It’s not possible to love someone so deeply at first sight because you wouldn’t know the flaws and mistakes associated with the person. And how is it possible to truly love someone unless you love despite the flaws and mistakes? 

Love, in a nutshell, is the good you will show toward someone and/or others. It’s treating someone else with the qualities described in 1 Corinthians 13:4–7. Take the Supreme Superhero (Jesus) as an example (after all, the Savior is the definition of love and the ultimate example of love): 

(John 15:12–13, NLT)
“This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

However, the Supreme Superhero goes even further by commanding us to love our enemies (Matt. 5:43–48). And then the Savior did exactly that—Jesus went out and laid down His life for us by dying on the cross as our atoning sacrifice while being mocked, spat on, beaten, lacerated, and murdered by those who hated Him for no good reason. Love is caring more for others than for self because love is selfless. Love is sacrificial. Love is unconditional. 

Love Defined 

Unlike the English language, which uses the one word of love ambiguously, the ancient Greek language used different words to define the one word of love so that people wouldn’t be confused as to which definition of love should be inferred. Examine the four following words and their associated definitions: 

• Storge/stergo—This is a familial love such as the love of a parent toward offspring and vice versa. Devotion can be a key word associated with this type of love.

• Phileo—This love is companionable and relational. It means brotherly/sisterly love or friendship. It carries the idea of two or more people who feel compatible with each other.

• Eros—This is the word for sexual or romantic love. In fact, this is where we get the word erotic. This word implies a sexual demand. And because it is unwise to confuse lust for love, it is imperative that we not confuse lust for Eros. The passion and intimacy of Eros is to be confined within the covenant bond between husband and wife, as was designed by the Designer. Lust is only about the pelvic thrust, to seek pleasure and fulfill a selfish desire. Lust is committed only to fulfilling a distorted desire whereas love (eros) is committed to fulfilling the needs of the partner within the covenant union. Therefore, be wise: pursue love and reject thoughts produced from the lustful lair of the Liar—they are lies created in the cave of the contemptible con artist and Counterfeiter, the Salesman that is Satan. Don’t buy the lies. Even a lustful look is adultery in the heart (Matt. 5:28). Money can’t buy you love. And no—that’s actually not from the Beatles—it’s from the Song of Solomon 8:7.

• Agape—This is the highest and deepest level of love. This is the ultimate love and is selfless, sacrificial, and unconditional. This is the love of GOD. This is the type of love all superheroes should possess. 

(1 Pet. 4:8, NLT)
“Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.”

Love covers a multitude of sins? Is that true? Yes! In fact, that is exactly what Jesus did for us:

(Rom. 5:6–8, NLT)
“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

For love, compassion is the key and empathy is everything: 

(Luke 23:34, NLT)
“Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”

Jesus is able to see us as His precious people, not a pervasive problem such as a plague. The Savior sees us as eternal beings, not mortal enemies. The Supreme Superhero sees us as family who belong in His heavenly home, not failures to be flung in the fiery furnace. Hell is where evil belongs and will ultimately be quarantined, but GOD doesn’t desire for us to go to that awful place. In fact, the Lord desires for everyone to be saved and doesn’t take any delight in the destruction of the wicked (Ezek. 18:21–23; 33:11; 1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9). 

Jesus is our awesome, ardent advocate who absorbed for us the penalty of sin. Apostle Paul assists us by providing an important reminder that helps us put people into proper perspective: 

(Eph. 6:12, NLT)
“For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.”

It is of the utmost importance that all superheroes remember this: we are to hate evil/sin, but we are to love people. 

Conclusion 

1. Love never fails. 

(Song of Sol. 8:7, NLT)
“Many waters cannot quench love, nor can rivers drown it. If a man tried to buy love with all his wealth, his offer would be utterly scorned.”

2. Love perfects us. 

(1 John 4:12–18, NLT)
“No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.”

3. Love is supreme. 

(1 Corin. 13:13, NLT)
“Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.”

Reflection 

If you want to be a superhero, you must possess love and choose to love others. A superhero can only be a superhero if the hero first and foremost possesses love for others. Do you possess love for others? If not, you resemble a villain. But wait—is that a fair statement? Consider the words of the Supreme Superhero:

(Matt. 12:30, ESV)
“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.”

The late and great Martin Luther King Jr. once posed a powerful question to the clergymen of Alabama in his renowned letter, “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” He asked, “So the question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be. Will we be extremists for hate or for love?” 

And that’s not a fallacy of false dilemma—if we’re not loving others, then…we’re not loving people. Therefore, I implore everyone to examine the motives and intentions of each and every choice/decision you make. Are you able to recognize good from bad? Right from wrong? Are you living a life of love or hate? For if you’re not living a life of love, what are you doing and what is your life? I choose to live an extreme life of love (not lust), and I urge you to do the same. Don’t scatter. Be a gatherer. Ironically, the best way to be a gatherer of people is to scatter seeds of love. How many seeds of love can you sow today? 

So ask yourself, do you love others? From where did you get this desire to love? Do you feel compelled to act out from love? If so, why do you think that is? All superheroes possess love for people. If you love people, then you possess one of the qualities of a superhero and you just might be one someday! 

What About Hermaphrodites (Intersex)?

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Question:
“[I] Honestly wonder how we are supposed to handle the rare cases of hermaphrodites… Do they just grow up knowing which was meant to be?”

Answer:
Before I begin on the logical side of things, I want to begin by acknowledging the emotional side. Though feelings never determine facts, it is nevertheless a fact that you have feelings. To write this article, I spent a lot of time trying to put myself in that person’s place. I remember struggling with identity as a teenager and I didn’t even have to struggle with something like same-sex attraction, let alone having to deal with this topic at hand. So, I want to start by letting you know that I understand your scenario wasn’t your fault and I acknowledge how difficult it would be to grow up with something so confusing as this would be. So, please know in advance that I love you and the value of your life never decreased due to your disorder. You are not less human than anyone else because of your condition. Further, you can still reach your full potential. 

The term “hermaphrodite” is derived from conjoining the names of the Greek god Hermes with the Greek goddess Aphrodite. As of right now, hermaphroditism is appropriately referred to as “intersex” or as a “disorder of sex development” (DSD). Hermaphroditism includes true hermaphroditism and pseudohermaphroditism. Normal human females are genetically XX and have ovaries. Normal human males are genetically XY and have testes. Pseudohermaphrodites might appear to be a sex he/she is not, but a thorough examination of the chromosomes will reveal that the abnormality does not accurately reflect the true sex of the individual. True hermaphrodites (intersex) have both ovarian and testicular tissue present in their bodies and in some rare cases, both XX and XY chromosomes.

But does this mean that the person is truly both male and female? No. We should not conflate a condition with an identity. The medical treatment for this disorder involves the surgical and hormonal “assignment” of gender, which can be damaging if done prematurely. Ideally, the decision should be made on the basis of all relevant factors (e.g., chromosomal, neural, psychological, behavioral, the dominance of the sex, etc.). 

While this might be confusing, there are only two gametes, sperm and egg, that participate in the generation of new life. The nomenclature “intersex” acknowledges something between two sexes and not a third sex. The term is intersex and not “extrasex,” therefore acknowledging the binary nature of human sex, which is only male and female. Biological sex rarely may be phenotypically unclear in a given individual, but this does not represent a third sex.  Intersex is a condition—something someone has—and neither an identity nor a third sex. But how do we explain a true intersex individual within the Christian worldview? Well, it’s actually quite simpler than many people make it out to be. 

Since sin entered the world, it is written that creation groaned. The curse of mutations and diseases have marred everything, even affecting the original perfect design, for “he which made them at the beginning made them male and female.” Not only sin, but humanity’s choices, whether inhumane or ignorant, have affected outcomes and have caused birth defects. There’s a lot of contamination in this sinful and fallen world. Now, examples can be seen with deformities caused by drinking contaminated water. Many birth defects have been documented due to infections, radiation, drug use, etc. An infection with Zika virus during pregnancy is linked with the birth defect called microcephaly, in which the brain and skull are smaller than normal. In some cases, a chromosome or part of a chromosome might be missing, such as in Turner syndrome, when a female is missing an X chromosome. Other birth defects result from having an extra chromosome, such as in Klinefelter syndrome and Down syndrome. The sad reality in this fallen world is that abnormalities exist. However, abnormalities merely call attention to what is normal, or the natural design. We must not ever try to make the exception the rule. 

It may be argued that homosexuality is inborn and must therefore be considered normal; however, what is inborn may be common but not normal. Again, we must compare existence of something to the intended Design of that something. Consider the following examples: deaf, blind, down syndrome, vitiligo, tetra amelia syndrome, cleft lip, autism, cystic fibrosis, conjoined twins, or even cancer. All of the aforementioned could be argued that there’s nothing anyone can do to change who they are; however, who they are has little or nothing to do with what they do in regards to sinning. 

It is important to understand that being born with genetic, psychological, or hormonal abnormalities is no more license for sexual sin than being born with violent tendencies is a license for violence. Thus, if a same-sex attraction develops, celibacy and singleness, as opposed to homosexual licentiousness, is the proper response (1Corinthians 7:8). Indeed, anyone suffering from gender confusion should not pursue romantic relationships or marriage until the confusion has been biblically resolved. Though this may seem harsh, it is no different than the requirement placed on all believers to die to sin and live for righteousness through the power of Christ with the help of the Holy Spirit (Romans 6). Behavior can change even if people themselves remain relatively the same. Thus, “born this way” cannot justify sinful behavior that needs to be controlled in the majority of all situations. I concede that there exists a number of mentally challenged people who have little or no control over certain behaviors, but those people represent the extremely rare exception to the original Design and not the rule. The Design is not redefined due to the rare exceptions. Abnormalities are only known to be such due to the awareness of what is normal; one cannot know what an abnormality is without first knowing what is normal. Common does not necessarily equate to normal; a defect, disorder or disfunction can be common, but should not be considered normal. Cancer is quite common, but it’s not normal; in fact, cancer is a deviation from the Design. 

In John 9, you will find that Jesus healed a man who had been born blind. His disciples asked Jesus why that man had been born blind; they asked if he had sinned or if his parents had sinned. The disciples [wrongly] assumed that the blindness was GOD’s wrath against sin. This, of course, was the fallacy of false dilemma. There was a third option. Jesus responded:

(John 9:3) -NASB
”Jesus answered, ‘It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.’ ”

Now, one might ask, “how could the works of GOD be displayed in intersex people?” Well, for one, it clearly calls attention to the fact that there are only two sexes: male and female. And another reason is that the deformity or deviation from the design calls attention to the Design. And truly, I believe that GOD allows such defects or imperfections to exist in order to put those who are considered to be normal to the test: how will you love those who are less fortunate? Do you look down on them or hate them because they’re different or do you love them because you know they are creations of GOD? None of the people I’ve mentioned are victims of GOD’s wrath; however, all of them are victims of the fallout from sin. But there’s Good News: everyone who repents of sin, confesses Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior, and commits themselves to a life of righteousness lived out from faith can be redeemed and restored on the new earth under the new heavens that is to come. It is written (Isaiah 25:8; Revelation 21:4) that one day the Lord will wipe away every tear and we will live in joy!

(2Corinthians 5:1-10) -NLT
“1 For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. 2 We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. 3 For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodies. 4 While we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. 5 God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit. 6 So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. 7 For we live by believing and not by seeing. 8 Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. 9 So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. 10 For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.”

(John 16:21-22) -NASB
“21 Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. 22 Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.”

So, look forward to the Day when we will all be restored and be clothed in our new perfect heavenly bodies. 

You’re loved. Jesus willingly died for you in order to set you free from the slavery of sin and the pain of this earth and these corrupted earthly bodies. Jesus wants a relationship with you. Why don’t you take a moment right now and invite the Lord into your heart and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you and help you walk by faith and not by sight. 

(Jeremiah 29:11-13)
“11 For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”

If you’re ready to accept Christ as your Lord and Savior, then in your own words and in your own way, simply repeat this prayer after me:

Closing prayer:

Lord, I’m ready to completely submit my life to You and Your will. I know now that there is nothing I can do to save myself. Christ Jesus, I confess that You alone are Lord and Savior. You willingly sacrificed Yourself on the cross, paid the price for my sins, saved me from myself, redeemed me from my sins, declared me righteous, and proclaimed me as Your child! You rose again on the third day, conquered death forever, and gave me a clean slate. I am a new creation in Christ now that the blood of my Savior has cleansed me from my sins. You died for me. I will live for You! Right now, I invite You — Holy Spirit — to live within me and fill me with spiritual gifts and to guide me and direct me. From now on, I will seek first the Kingdom of GOD, and I will take up my cross and follow You! Amen!

If you prayed that and believe it with all your heart, then it’s time to start practicing righteous living. The best way to draw near to GOD is to listen to what GOD has to say. And to do that, you need to read GOD’s Word and study GOD’s Word.

May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord see you, smile, and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you His favor and give you peace. You’re loved. You matter. You exist for a reason and for a specific purpose. May you seek first the Kingdom of GOD in all you do.

If The Bible Is True, What About Dinosaurs?

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If GOD exists and the Bible is true, then what about dinosaurs? Many critics claim that because dinosaurs were real, the Bible must be false or untrue because it never mentions dinosaurs. Let’s break this argument down into a syllogism so we can examine it:

1. Dinosaurs existed
2. The Bible doesn’t mention dinosaurs
3. Therefore, the Bible must be false or untrue

Let’s examine the first premise: dinosaurs existed. But is that true? Were dinosaurs real? Yes. The fossil records reveal the reality of dinosaurs. Dinosaurs existed! That’s both exciting and terrifying! 

Let’s examine premise two: the Bible doesn’t mention dinosaurs. But is that true? Some people believe the Bible does mention dinosaurs, just not by that specific name, dinosaur. And we shouldn’t expect the word dinosaur to be in the Bible because that word didn’t originate until 1841 A.D.. The word dinosaur is traced back to the Greek words deinos (terrible) and sauros (lizard) and thus means terrible lizard. The modern Latin translates the word into dinosaurus and it became dinosaur in the mid-19th century. Thus, a dinosaur is an enormous reptile creature (that also happens to be terrible).

The people who believe that the Bible mentions dinosaurs call attention to Scriptures which mention “Leviathan” (Job 3:8; 41:1; Psalm 74:14; 104:26; Isaiah 27:1) or “behemoth” (Job 40:15). But the word behemoth is traced back to its Hebrew origin and it means “beast.” And the word Leviathan is traced back to its Hebrew origin and it means “sea monster,” “sea serpent,” or “sea dragon.” Isaiah 27:1 states that Leviathan is the serpent; comparatively, it is written that Satan is the ancient serpent and dragon (Genesis 3:1; Revelation 12:9; 20:2). In context, Isaiah 27 is about the redemption of Israel. In order for GOD to redeem His people and save them from themselves, Jesus conquers sin and death and defeats Satan, which is described in the book of Revelation. (Read my other article, “Understanding Revelation“)

So, it seems that premise two is correct and the Bible does not mention dinosaurs. But does that make the conclusion of the argument correct? Is the Bible false or untrue because it doesn’t mention them? No – the conclusion of the argument is false because arguing from silence is a fallacious argument. Just because the Bible is silent about dinosaurs does not mean that it rejects or denies the existence of dinosaurs.

But if the Bible is supposed to be the Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth, why is it silent about such a huge topic? Well, first, the Bible is not a book on taxonomy. The purpose of the Bible is not to discuss every topic in great detail. No book could ever explain everything; in fact, there are taxonomy books that don’t even mention dinosaurs. The purpose of the Bible is to explain our origin, the problem we encountered as finite and fallible beings of free will, and the solution to that problem. Essentially, the Bible is about creation, divine design, disruption of design, redemption and restoration. Because dinosaurs were not problematic for our salvation, there was no need to mention them. But the existence of dinosaurs and the silence about dinosaurs in the Bible creates a curious question: Did humans and dinosaurs coexist? That’s actually a terrifying thought! Can you imagine having to draw straws or play rock/paper/scissor to determine who would have to leave the cave to get food or fire wood? That’s terrifying! That’s why they’re terrible lizards! 

In order to answer this question of cohabitation, we must realize that Christians have two different points of view regarding the answer. Some Christians believe in a literal six-day creation and thus possess a ‘young earth’ belief. However, other Christians believe that the “six days” were not literally six consecutive 24-hour periods of time and thus possess an ‘old earth’ belief. For the sake of space and time, I’m going to tell you that I hold the belief of an old Earth, which means I believe everything was created in spans of time; moreover, the genealogy in the Bible was open (leaving gaps) due to only major people being listed. However, I urge you to see the following articles and investigate this issue for yourself:

• Should The Bible Be Taken Literally?
• Creation In Question (part 1/2: Six Days)
• Creation In Question: (part 2/2: Genealogy)

With the old Earth belief, it simply isn’t necessary to believe that humans and dinosaurs coexisted. Just as people acted as placeholders to prevent land from being overtaken by vegetation and/or animals (Exodus 23:29-30), dinosaurs also could have been placeholders to prevent too much growth; in addition, they could have been used to spread seeds and fertilize the land while the environment developed for proper living conditions for mankind. After all, why would GOD put mankind on Earth until it was ready for them to inhabit?

However, if dinosaurs and humans did coexist, Noah would have harbored them in the ark. Is that plausible? Yes. Noah would not have selected older (and bigger) animals past their prime. He would have selected the younger (and therefore smaller) animals of each kind. We must also remember that eggs are small and able to be stored without much difficulty. Thus, it’s plausible that dinosaurs coexisted with humans and were harbored in Noah’s ark. But if you’re wondering if there’s any evidence for a universal flood, see my other article which discusses that topic. 

Outside of the Bible, there is additional possible evidence of dinosaurs and humans coexisting. Nearly every ancient culture has stories of giant reptiles (dragons). How would cultures spread out all over the world, such as the Romans, Mayans, and Babylonians, all come up with such remarkably similar legends without some truth being the driving force behind those legends? Petroglyphs, artifacts, and even clay figurines resemble dinosaurs. Rock carvings depict men riding dinosaur-like creatures, and, remarkably, are very similar to museum portrayals of the triceratops, pterodactyl, and tyrannosaurus rex. So, all that to say, there is interesting, even compelling, evidence that human beings and dinosaurs might have coexisted. If we did, that would throw a very large wrench into the machinery of Darwinian evolution. Regardless, we most certainly did not evolve from guck and goop. See my other article, “Is Evolution True?“

The truly important issue is this: can I trust the Bible? See my other article, “Are The Writings Of The Bible Reliable And Accurate?“

The existence of the dinosaurs has been used as a weapon against biblical creationism for over two centuries. In that timeframe, however, both young earth and old earth creationists have developed plausible explanations for the dinosaurs. There is possible evidence that humanity and dinosaurs might have coexisted. But, even if the secular scientific viewpoint that the dinosaurs and humanity were separated by millions/billions of years is true, that would not change the fact that GOD is the Creator, that we are created in His image (Genesis 1:26-27), and that we are in need of a Savior. It’s ok for us to take interest in dinosaurs, but let’s also put the importance of the dinosaurs into proper perspective.

Conclusion:

Did dinosaurs exist? Yes. Did humans and dinosaurs coexist? It doesn’t matter. As amazing as dinosaurs were, they are simply irrelevant to the story of redemption for humanity. The Biblical creation account is far more interested in mankind’s role within creation and mankind’s relationship to the Creator than it is interested in listing every species that ever lived on planet Earth. And that’s why the Bible is silent about dinosaurs. The Bible is a love story from GOD to humans. In this love letter, it tells us where we went wrong and what GOD did to unite with us once again.

But as an extra side note, I just want to remind us all that no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has conceived of the things GOD has prepared for those who love Him (1Corinthians 2:9; Isaiah 52:15; 64:4)! I can only imagine what it will be like on the new Earth under the new heavens. And what I’m imagining is riding on a pterodactyl while playing a game of paintball in the sky! And if it’s even better than what I can imagine, I’m ready to go! However, as Paul stated, to live is Christ and to die is gain. And there’s still work to be done, so it’s best I remain and endure so that I may run the race until I complete my work (Philippians 1:21-24; 1Corinthians 9:24-27). 

Until next time… [insert velociraptor screech!]

Superhero: Armor of GOD: Shield of Faith

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If you would rather read this message, the words are provided below…

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This is Part 18 of my Superhero series. In the introduction of this series, I provided the argument that heroes are real and then I distinguished between heroes and superheroes. I also provided a list of what defines a superhero. In Part 1, we learned that superheroes recognize the absolute standard of Good and realize that evil is a mere privation of what is good. In Part 2, we learned that superheroes recognize the absolute moral standard and realize that what is wrong can only be known by the standard of what is right. In Part 3, I defined and expounded upon love because all superheroes are full of love and are compelled to act out from love. In Part 4, I explained that superheroes desire to save people from all forms of danger and/or death and this desire comes from love. In Part 5, we learned that superheroes are solution seekers. In Part 6, we saw that solution seekers are willing to sacrifice if necessary. In Part 7, we saw that sacrificial love steps forward and offers service. In Part 8, we saw that superheroes go above and beyond the call of duty. In Part 9, we saw that superheroes never give up! In Part 10, we saw that superheroes don’t need recognition – they are motivated only by love! In Part 11, we saw that relationships matter and teamwork works! In Part 12, we saw that the struggle is real; however, Jesus is the real solution to our real problems. In Part 13, we saw that despite problems, superheroes are more than conquerors! In Part 14, we saw that true superheroes do not have identity crises – they know who they are even if others don’t! In Part 15, we saw that superheroes are always ready to fight evil with the belt of Truth. In Part 16, we saw that superheroes are always ready to resist evil by putting on the breastplate of righteousness. In Part 17, we saw that superheroes are always ready to walk with purpose.

In this message (Part 18), we will see that superheroes are always ready to deflect the enemy’s attacks by holding up the shield of faith.

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Continuing the examination of the whole armor of GOD, we are now instructed to take up the shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16).

Marvel’s superhero, Captain America, has protected himself from the enemy’s blows many times thanks to the covering provided by his shield. As superheroes who sail for the Savior, we also find protection under the covering of the Shield. Just as the shield of a Roman soldier rested on a small clip attached to his loinbelt when it wasn’t in use, our shield of faith is attached to the Belt of Truth. The conclusion is simple but extremely important to understand: your faith is attached to GOD’s Word. And we are instructed to take up the shield of faith. In other words, faith is the shield. But what is faith?

What Is Faith?

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
(Hebrews 11:1) -ESV

GOD’s Word provides the definition of faith while the direction of faith is implied by the context of everything else found within the Bible. Simply put, faith is believing that and trusting in. This definition of faith contains two aspects: intellectual assent and trust. Intellectual assent is believing something to be true. Trust is actually relying on the fact that the something is true. A bridge can help illustrate this point. Intellectual assent is recognizing that a bridge is a bridge and agreeing that it is designed to support a person who walks across on it. Believing that a bridge is designed to support the weight of a person who walks across on that bridge is the intellectual assent. But actually walking across the bridge is trusting in the bridge that it will actually support your weight and you will not fall through to your death.

Faith In What Or Whom?

It’s not enough to merely have faith. Who or what we have faith in matters. Muslims place their faith in Muhammad and Allah, Hindus place their faith in a multitude of different gods and/or goddesses, and even atheists possess faith. For example, atheists would need to have faith that everything was created by nothing, out of nothing, and for no purpose or that the universe has always eternally existed, yet it exists without reason. They would also need to have faith that everything in nature with a design is without a Designer. Atheists would need to have faith that materials could somehow collaborate in order to generate life which produces emotions, thoughts, and a will to act. They would also need to have faith that mere matter in the shape of a brain is capable of producing thoughts and that those thoughts are somehow material rather than immaterial. Atheists also place their faith in their own bodies, believing that they can fall asleep at night and still wake up breathing the next day. They also possess faith by trusting that the food another person made for him/her isn’t poisoned, that friends or co-workers aren’t engaged in a conspiracy to harm him/her, that the law of gravity won’t suddenly stop working as expected, or even that the sun won’t explode today. Every time an atheist makes plans for the future, they are doing so in faith that tomorrow exists. Many atheists also possess faith that they were created via purposeless evolution yet somehow evolved with the purpose of becoming better and better as time goes on. Oddly enough, some atheists even have faith that life on other planets exist without having any proof of such life in existence. In fact, many atheists have faith that black holes exist even though they have no personal experience that would allow them to believe in such a thing. So, in whom or what should we place our faith? It matters. Should we place our faith in our works? In religion? Well, for Christians, this faith that is our shield is not mere belief that GOD exists; rather, it is the belief that GOD exists and the trust in GOD that He will ultimately bring about what is best and what is right. Our faith is in Jesus.

Believing that Jesus was a historical figure who died from crucifixion is not enough. Even the demons believe that GOD is real and Jesus died on a cross (James 2:19). As I stated in my other article, “What Does It Mean To Be A Christian?“, belief is only the beginning in a Christian’s walk of faith; in fact, faith will launch the Christian into action. A Christian is also to perpetuate a healthy habit of confessing his/her sins, repent from sinning, walk by faith, live righteously, and live out the great commandment of loving GOD and loving others while fulfilling the great commission. Belief is only the first half – trust is the other half! We must personally and fully rely on the death of Christ as the atoning sacrifice for our sins. We must not merely believe that Jesus is the Bridge, but also walk across the Bridge of salvation which Jesus graciously provides to the other side, trusting in the Bridge to support us and save us. This is saving faith. The faith GOD requires of us for salvation is belief in what the Bible says about who Jesus is and what He accomplished and fully trusting in Jesus for that salvation (Acts 16:31). Why is this definition of faith so important? Why must trust of the unseen promise accompany acknowledgment of facts? Because “without faith, it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). Without faith, we cannot be saved (John 3:16). Without faith, the Christian life cannot be what GOD intends it to be.

Back in ancient Greece, each Spartan hoplite came together to form a phalanx. Their trust was in each other and each individual man held up his shield with all of the other shields coming together to form one larger shield. A man didn’t just believe that other Spartans were around him, but he believed in those other Spartans to see what he didn’t see and protect him as they fought with him. As Christians, we can also come together to form a faithful phalanx; in fact, GOD’s Word instructs us to do so (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12). However, we must all come together with our trust ultimately in the Lord because it is only through the Lord that we will be saved (Psalm 118:8-9; John 14:6; Ephesians 2:8-9). Faith is the shield; our faith is in Jesus; therefore, Jesus is the Shield. All throughout the Bible, it is written that GOD is our shield (Genesis 15:1; Deuteronomy 33:29; 2Samuel 22:3,31; Psalm 3:3; 5:12; 7:10; 18:2,30,35; 28:7; 33:20; 84:9,11; 91:4; 115:9-11; 119:114; 144:2; Proverbs 2:7; 30:5). Jesus is GOD; therefore, Jesus is the Shield.

Take It Up!

Again, belief is only the beginning in a Christian’s walk of faith; in fact, faith will launch the Christian into action. Is this shield of faith a given? No. We are instructed to “take up” the shield. If you don’t pick the shield up and hold it up, it won’t do you any good. Faith without works is dead (James 2:14-26) because the lack of works reveals an unchanged life or a spiritually dead heart; a truly transformed life of faith is demonstrated by the works we do and is showcased by our fruit (John 15:8). How we live reveals what we believe and whether the faith we profess to have is a living faith.

Big Faith = Big Shield:

An illustration of a gladiator warrior character or sports mascot in a trojan or Spartan style helmet holding a sword and shield

There were typically two kinds of shields used in ancient warfare: one was smaller, carried upon the arm, and which could be moved and used with little effort in order to protect particular parts of the body; the other one was large, planted in front of the soldier and covered the whole person. It is the latter which is referred to in the text, as the word which describes it clearly shows. The word for “shield” is taken from the Greek word thureos, which was used by the Greeks to refer to a door that was wide in width and long in length. Paul paints a picture that the soldier was inaccessible and untouchable because it completely covered the soldier. And that is the kind of shield which Paul instructs us to have. Our shield is not just for small and specific protection for a particular part of the body; rather, our shield is to be a great barrier that covers us completely. So, how do we get this large shield? The greater the faith, the larger the covering of the shield. But what does great faith look like? Believe it or not, it looks like a child. We need faith like that of a child (Matthew 18:1-4; Mark 10:15). The Father wants what is best for you and will provide covering. At the end of it all, Jesus has made us a Home to dwell in for eternity (John 14:2). Seek GOD, rely on Him, and trust in Him. Just as children trust their earthly fathers, we should trust that our “Father who is in heaven [will] give good things to those who ask him” (Matthew 7:7-11). Children don’t typically ever doubt that their parents are going to love them and do what is best and what is right for their sake. Likewise, we don’t ever need to doubt that our Father in Heaven will do what is best and right for our sake (Luke 11:11-13).

Big Shield = Big Responsibility:

In the majority of cases, the Roman soldier’s shield was composed of multiple layers – usually six layers – of thick animal hide that had been tightly woven together. These layers were woven so tight that they became almost as strong as steel. Though strong and durable, the shield needed care. Because the Roman soldier’s shield was made of leather, it was important for the soldier to take good care of it. Being leather, it could eventually become stiff and breakable over a period of time. If dried out, it would form cracks and become unreliable. Consequently, a soldier had to maintain his shield by rubbing oil into the leather to keep it soft, supple, and pliable. Likewise, we need to maintain our faith with fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit. Without daily anointing of the Holy Spirit, your faith will become hard, stiff, brittle, and breakable. A faith-life that is ignored nearly always breaks and leaves a person vulnerable during battle with the enemy. Too many believers make the incredibly tragic mistake of thinking they can stay under constant protective covering and keep moving forward in the walk with GOD on the steam of their past experiences, but no believer can fuel the fire of the faith-furnace on past experiences. Our walk with GOD is an ever-present daily experience. Therefore, make sure you spend time alone with GOD every day in the Word and in prayer. 

Faith Deflects Fiery Darts:

What are the fiery darts? Doubt? Fear? Perhaps a professor launches challenging questions that shake your faith? Maybe you suddenly lose your stable job? Perhaps there is an unexpected death of a loved one? Maybe a natural disaster tears apart your home? Regardless of what these darts are, they are all surprise attacks from Satan, an ambush from the adversary. While under attack, people tend to wonder if GOD is there, aware, or even cares. If these fiery darts are not blocked, they will pierce and penetrate.

Ancient soldiers used the large shield to hide under when archers would launch a barrage of arrows toward them. In the 2006 movie, 300, even the courageous Spartans had been temporarily immobilized while hiding under their shields from arrows that rained down on them from the Persians. But as soon as the arrows stopped, they were able to march forward once again.

Scripture warns us that these arrows launched by Satan from the fiery pits of Hell are themselves fiery. The Greek word used to describe these particular “darts” is a specific and ancient word of warfare. Thucydides, the ancient Greek writer, used the identical Greek expression to depict especially terrible arrows that were equipped to carry fire. All fires start with either a single spark or a flickering flame that fans out. The goal of the arrows of fire is to cease progress of the soldiers and make sure the army doesn’t advance forward. If the soldiers can’t advance forward in the moment, they might just believe that they will never be able to advance forward and then decide to retreat and flee in fear or surrender in submission. If the fiery dart enters you, it would seem that the fire would burn within you and consume you just as the fire of Hell would also consume you. Fire-bearing arrows were used to inflict damage and/or destruction on a fortified place or an encampment. And since your body is the living temple of the Holy Spirit (1Corinthians 6:19), Satan desires to burn the building down. 

Before a Roman soldier went out to war, he typically placed his shield in water and allowed it to become saturated. The reason for this is because the enemies used arrows that carried fire. But even when those flaming arrows came at the soldier, the saturated surface of the shield would help extinguish the flaming arrow, or at the very least, prevent the flame from transferring from that arrow to him. Likewise, we need to keep our shield of faith completely saturated with “the washing of water with the word” (Ephesians 5:26). Our Word-saturated shields possess the power to extinguish the flaming arrows, or at the very least, prevent us from being consumed by the fire. Think about it: the shield is maintained by oil and water. The oil symbolizes the fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit and the water symbolizes GOD’s Word. Are you maintaining your shield? Preventative maintenance is better than corrective surgery. Do not wait until you see the cracks in your shield before you decide to care for it. All the enemy needs to penetrate the fortified structure of your living temple is one opening. 

Another thought regarding these fiery darts is that this might be a reference to arrows with poison tips. This is also a good analogy. The poison of fear spreads just as fast as fire, if not faster. For this reason, ancient Israelite soldiers were commanded to go home and not join in the battle if they were full of fear (Deuteronomy 20:8). However, GOD’s Word repeatedly informs us that we are not to fear. In fact, the phrase “do not fear” is found 38 times in the Bible (ESV), the phrase “do not be afraid” is found 33 times, and the phrase “fear not” is found 34 times. Those alone add to 105 times we are told not to fear. But then if we add how many times we have been commanded not to worry, not to be anxious, or that we should rely upon GOD, the picture becomes clear: we are not to fear. In fact, Jesus provides a good reason why we shouldn’t fear finite and fallible humans:

“And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”
(Matthew 10:28; see also, Luke 12:5) -ESV

From the beginning until the end, GOD has been in control and always will be in control. The first fiery dart Satan ever launched at humanity was aimed at the heart and this is why the heart is the start and we must wear the breastplate of righteousness to protect our hearts. Knowing how much GOD loved Adam and Eve, Satan targeted Adam and Eve. Knowing how much Adam loved Eve, Satan targeted Eve. The first fiery dart was doubt, denial, and deception (Genesis 3:1). The second fiery dart was pride (Genesis 3:5). The ultimate end goal of all fiery darts is to first tear your life apart and then tear you away from GOD. In fact, this is evident in the book of Job; Satan desired to tear Job’s life apart with intentions of ultimately tearing Job away from GOD. And GOD allowed Satan to launch his fiery arrows at Job so that He could prove that He is our Shield by protecting Job from his accuser. GOD’s reversal tactic was also revealed in Jesus. Jesus allowed death to overcome Him (John 10:18) so that He could in turn conquer death (Luke 24:5-7). From the beginning, GOD allowed the temporary separation of humanity from Him so that He can conquer evil and reunite us all with Him under His covering. The complete picture of our story reveals GOD’s power and love as our Shield.

The Shield Is Spiritual:

A common misconception about the shield of faith is that this shield will protect us from all physical follies and mayhem from mismanagement. The shield of faith is, in fact, spiritual. In Daniel 3, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego held up their shields of faith while in the fiery furnace. King Nebuchadnezzar threatened to throw them in the fire if they did not fall down and worship the gods and the golden image he set up. The three men of faith essentially responded by proclaiming that GOD could remove them from physical harm if He wanted to do so, but that even if GOD didn’t save them from the physical fire, they knew they would never encounter the spiritual fire of Hell (Daniel 3:17-18). It is important to realize that these men of faith were thrown into the physical fire. Their faith did not prevent them from experiencing the physical fire in the furnace. In this specific story, GOD miraculously intervened and acted as their physical shield. But that’s not always the case. 

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were mentioned in the book of Daniel and so Daniel should also be examined. Daniel also held up his shield of faith in the den with lions (Daniel 6:22). But why? Because he refused to cave into demands to worship the king and was discovered praying to GOD (Daniel 6:11). If society ever gets to that point again, we must know how to respond in faith so that we will honor the Lord rather than people (Acts 4:19-20; 5:29). Remember: Jesus told us that if we refuse to acknowledge Him before people on Earth, He won’t acknowledge us before the Father in Heaven (Matthew 10:32-33).

What fiery darts have you experienced? If you haven’t experienced any fiery darts, I assure you that you most certainly will. Fiery darts look a lot like persecution and/or tribulation. It would be an enormous mistake to assume that the shield of faith completely covers our earthly bodies or physical possessions. The shield of faith is a spiritual shield and covers our soul in eternity. Both apostle Paul and the Lord Jesus warned us in advance that in this life, we will have trouble and experience pain and suffering; however, Jesus also gave us a promise and a reason to trust in Him:

“Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”
(2Timothy 3:12) -ESV

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
(John 16:33) -NLT

Is your shield of faith paper thin and easy to tear apart or is it like Captain America’s shield and able to withstand the hardest of blows? Is it oiled and saturated and able to extinguish the flaming arrows? How confident is your trust in the Lord? This shield doesn’t just stop the arrows, but it also extinguishes the fire. It’s easy to have faith when everything seems to be going right, but how is your faith when it all starts to fall apart? When everything seems to be at its worst, do you trust GOD to have your best interest? Consider the Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11. What can we learn from the heroes of faith?

GOD declares us righteous when we have faith and trust in Him (Genesis 15:6). What you do cannot be separated from what you believe (Deuteronomy 27:9-10; Matthew 7:21). Jesus said no one’s faith in Israel was greater than the centurion who believed Jesus could accomplish His will by mere command from a distance (Luke 7: 2-10). We need to move from belief that to trust in. Are you willing to walk on the Bridge, even if that bridge appears to be shaky and unreliable? Even if there are gaps between the planks? In China, there exists a bridge that’s about 500 feet high with gaps between the planks. On this bridge, many people challenge themselves to walk by faith:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.”
(Proverbs 3:5-7) -ESV

Understand this: GOD doesn’t promise us explanations for everything, but He does promise us an escape for whatever may come our way (1Corinthians 10:13). If the escape happens to be death, then life still awaits us:

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
(John 11:25-26) -ESV

It all boils down to trust in GOD. We know that all things are possible with GOD (Matthew 19:26; Luke 1:37). In fact, greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world (1John 4:4)!

The one being protected by the shield is unable to fight. Getting behind the shield is a purely defensive position and all trust is placed in the shield. Sometimes we just need to wait until the fiery arrows stop falling. Not all superheroes are witnessed flying in action; not all boxers are seen swinging. Boxers sometimes need to take up their gloves and block the opponent’s attacks. While behind the Shield, we simply need to be still and know that GOD is GOD (Psalm 37:5-7; 46:10).

We may have pain and suffering in this lifetime, but the final outcome is that we are more than conquerors in Christ (Romans 8:37) and we win in the end. Jesus will wipe away every tear and we will live in eternal joy (Isaiah 25:8; Revelation 7:17; 21:4). Our faith is in Jesus and His promise of our eternal joy. The shield of faith is constructed by our belief and is held together by every word of GOD. But do you know GOD’s Word? What’s holding your belief together? What transforms your belief into trust?

And because the shield of faith is so important, it is written that above all, or in all circumstances, we are to take up the shield of faith. The phrase Paul used is taken from the Greek phrase epi pasin. The word epi means over. The word pasin means all or everything. Rather than referring to being more important than the other pieces of armor, the phrase epi pain describes position over the other pieces of armor. Therefore, it means that this shield is out in front as a covering. Faith is meant to be out in front! Faith was never meant to be held next to your side or to be timidly held behind your back. Faith is our covering. Are you covered? For a soldier in GOD’s army (or any army), the shield is not optional – it’s a requirement. Paul wrote to Timothy and emphasized the importance of this shield: “wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith” (1Timothy 1:18-19). In other words, by ignoring or neglecting the maintaining of their faith, some brothers and sisters in the Lord freely chose to travel down the wrong path that eventually led them to being vulnerable to the enemy’s attack. Again, remember that preventative maintenance on a ship is better than an emergency evacuation plan due to the ship sinking out of neglect from proper inspection and correction. 

So, does the Shield of Faith work? In the words of Peggy Carter from the 2011 movie, Captain America: The First Avenger, after firing a gun at Steve Rogers while he was holding the shield in front of him, I will also say, “Yes, I think it works.”

 

Superhero: Supreme Sacrifice

 

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If you would rather read this message, the words are provided below:

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This is Part 6 of my Superhero series. In the introduction of this series, I provided the argument that heroes are real and then I distinguished between heroes and superheroes. I also provided a list of what defines a superhero. In Part 1, we learned that superheroes recognize the absolute standard of Good and realize that evil is a mere privation of what is good. In Part 2, we learned that superheroes recognize the absolute moral standard and realize that what is wrong can only be known by the standard of what is right. In Part 3, I defined and expounded upon love because all superheroes are full of love and are compelled to act out from love. In Part 4, I explained that superheroes desire to save people from all forms of danger and/or death and this desire comes from love. In Part 5, we learned that superheroes are solution seekers.

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In this message (Part 6), I’m going to examine another defining characteristic of superheroes: they are selfless and sacrificial!

Many legends, comic books, and movies showcase heroes or superheroes who are willing to sacrifice their lives in order to save the lives of others. The ancient Greek legend of Damon and Pythias tells a tale of sacrificial love between two friends. Spider-man was one of the superheroes who ended up dying due to his decision to love sacrificially. One of the greatest moments in comic book history was when Superman chose to love people even if it meant that fighting Doomsday would lead to his death – which it did!

But why do so many comics and movies depict sacrificial love as being something ultimately good? This needs to be examined – especially if you’re not a Christian.

In an atheistic worldview, one must consider sacrificial love to be stupid and/or wrong. Allow me to explain… For atheism to be true, materialism and naturalism needs to be true in order to provide answers to the most basic or crucial questions regarding life and the meaning to life. For example, I recently had a conversation with an atheist who believes everything to be mere matter – including the brain. He objected to my statement that the mind exists distinctively apart from the brain. The conversation I had with this man, whom I shall refer to as Chad, is as follows:

Chad: Are you saying a mind is made of something other than matter? If so, what? And by what method did you determine this? What does it mean for a mind to exist “distinctly apart” from a brain and what data/testing supports this conclusion?

Trenton: Answer this: Of what molecules does the thought consist? How much does a thought weigh? What does a thought look like? If your brain and mind are one and the same, what is a thought? If your brain is merely matter, what does a thought matter? If you are merely reacting (not responding), how can you trust your own thought? What do you personally believe regarding the thought? Explain.

Chad: Nothing in your response resembled an answer. You made a claim that matter cannot produce a mind. This is a positive claim. I’d like to know how you came to that conclusion. All I could deduce from your article and comment is: you don’t understand exactly how the brain/mind functions, therefore you’ve concluded something non-material (whatever that means) exists…? You seem like a bright person and yet beneath your intellect you attempt to shift the burden of proof for your claim onto me by trying to stump me with questions. Even if I answer, I don’t know, this does not make you correct. Are you going to substantiate your claim or not?

Trenton: I knew you wouldn’t know the answers to the questions I asked. And yes – that’s why I asked them. I want you to recognize the amount of faith you possess in your belief. The brain 🧠 as mere matter cannot account for thoughts 💭 – especially thoughts that ought to be trusted as anything meaningful. Mere matter merely reacts. If I were mere matter, explain how I would be able to plan ahead with responses for actions that haven’t yet happened. Planning ahead is proactive, not reactive. The point I’m making is that I simply don’t have enough faith to be a materialist. And I don’t even need to prove with absolute certainty that my Christian worldview is true. I need only to show that it is the most reasonable of all beliefs. And that can be done by presenting the entire collection of evidence for Christianity. The existence of life, minds, personalities, logic and abstract items, the fact that the universe had a beginning, why there’s something rather than nothing, intelligent design, love, and objective morality. Not to mention historical documents and archaeology that corroborates what is written. The list is grand. But all the other worldviews fail to sail and ultimately sink. Your argument was to say I don’t yet understand the workings of the brain and I therefore jumped to an unwarranted conclusion of a non-material mind. But by presupposing a materialistic or naturalistic view, one can easily say you lack understanding of the supernatural and stop short at the brain. But brain that’s mere matter wouldn’t even matter. That kind of brain cannot account for sacrificial love and nor should it. If life is a program of survival, sacrificial love would be a malfunction, not an innate desire to fulfill a greater purpose. I did not shift the burden of proof on to you. I merely called attention to your burden. I have a burden of proof for my Christian worldview. My entire article (Why I Am A Christian) is dedicated to that burden. But you also make a positive claim because you possess a belief. You need to provide for your claims. In the end, the one whose case is best supported should be believed. So, like it or not, you need to answer the questions I posed to you, even if only for yourself.

I then went on to offer Chad some reading material that would help him further understand the untenable position of the atheistic worldview, including former atheist Antony Flew’s book, “There Is No A God: How the world’s most notorious atheist changed his mind“. Sadly, Chad cut off contact with me and we never got to continue our conversation. Perhaps Chad got frustrated because he was seeking a short answer to attain Truth; however, Truth is not so simple and there is much that needs to be explained. But perhaps Chad got upset because he started to see that mere matter can’t possibly matter in the big picture.

Inevitably, some atheists will contend that love is still valuable and that there can still exist meaning in life apart from GOD. Atheism can only branch off into two possible paths: Secular humanism or nihilism. Secular humanists, unlike nihilists, strive to create good and make life better for others. That’s commendable. But secular humanism relies upon naturalism, unverified evolution, and moral relativism. But moral relativism is absolutely absurd. The major problem that atheists encounter is that what they consider to be good could only be considered good if an objective standard of good exists. Further, what they consider meaningful would still be without purpose because everything and everyone ultimately comes to nothing. The atheist simply cannot live both happily and consistently; even if the atheist lives happily, that person cannot live consistently. For the atheist, a meaningful moment of saving someone’s life is still rendered pointless in a purposeless existence. And this is why secular humanism will inevitably collapse in on itself and find itself in nihilism, which is a dead end that focuses on the finality of death yet unable to explain why life exists at all.

Like it or not, if atheism is true, sacrificial love would be a malfunction that leads to suicide rather than self-preservation and is thus considered stupid or wrong because evolution apparently programed people to instinctively survive, not sacrifice. And without GOD, life is purposeless and anything other than pleasure is pointless. Thus, in an atheistic worldview, one should only live for him/herself and sacrificial love would be a waste of a cosmic coincidence of an accidental life that is soon to expire.

But if sacrificial love is a malfunction and should not be valued or praised, why do so many comics, movies, and news articles showcase sacrificial love and promote it as an ultimate good? For example, the movie, Hacksaw Ridge, is the extraordinary true story of Desmond Doss, who refused to touch a gun yet ended up saving the lives of 75 men in the Battle of Okinawa in World War II. Because of Desmond’s selfless decision to sacrificially love others, he ended up winning the Congressional Medal of Honor and the praises of many people. Though Desmond didn’t die while saving the lives of those men on the battlefield, he accepted the possibility of death with each individual he cared enough to carry to safety. But why would his acts be praised as something good if he’s supposed to be preprogrammed for his own survival?

Consider another real-life example: there was a man, Emmanuel Mensah, an African immigrant living in the United States, who was hailed as a hero because he died in a fire only after saving the lives of four of his neighbors from that same fire. In addition, consider yet another real-life example: A man by the name of Aaron Feis chose to sacrificially love students by using his own body to shield the students from bullets being fired by a gunman at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. If atheism is true, neither Emmanuel Mensah nor Aaron Feis should be hailed as heroes; rather, they should be labeled as malfunctions to the naturalistic design of survival. (Oops! Did I say design? Atheists don’t like to believe that intelligent design exists. But it certainly does. All we need to do is examine the available evidence: Part 1 and Part 2.)

And the example of Aaron Feis’ sacrificial love calls attention to a major flaw in the atheistic worldview. Almost everyone will agree that Aaron Feis died from gunshot wounds, inflicted upon him by an evil person. Many atheists will assert that the existence and persistence of evil and the problem of pain and suffering argue in favor of atheism and against Christianity; however, those arguments actually work against atheism and in favor of Christianity. In addition, atheists don’t have a foundation on which to build their case of evil because they rely upon moral relativism. And this is why atheists cannot live both happily and consistently. For without an absolute moral standard, atheists must accept and approve of the gunman’s relative moral compass which told him that shooting Aaron Feis was right.

If we want to understand why sacrificial love is promoted as the ultimate good, we need only to realize that GOD – the Creator of everything – is the standard of good and that the standard of good not only told us that sacrificial love is the ultimate good, but that He showed us this truth by becoming the sacrifice in order to provide for us the ultimate example of love. This is the Gospel!

Gospel literally means, “good news.” However, this good news cannot be understood properly without first knowing the bad news. The good news is that GOD created humans in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27) and gave us free will out from love so that we can have a loving relationship with GOD. The bad news is that humans used free will to rebel against GOD and distance themselves from Him. Sin always separates from a holy and perfect GOD (Psalm 5:4; Isaiah 59:2). In our sinful and fallen world, there simply isn’t a way to come into GOD’s presence without making amends for our sins. Sadly, humans are completely incapable of living completely righteous lives without sin by their own power (Romans 3:23). GOD set up an entire sacrificial system just to show us that even with forgiveness of sins, humans are still incapable of living completely righteous lives by their own power (Hebrews 9:22; 10:3-4). The good news is that GOD became flesh as Jesus (John 1:1,14), born miraculously from a virgin by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:26-38). Jesus willingly sacrificed Himself for us on our behalf in order to atone for all sins, for all people, in all places, for all time (Romans 8:3–4; Hebrews 10:5–10).

“There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
(John 15:13) -NLT

“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”
(Romans 5:6-8) -NLT

Sacrificial love is rare in reality, but it is a reality nonetheless. People like Emmanuel Mensah and Aaron Feis don’t make the news headlines very often. However, sacrificial love has occurred in moments of life-or-death defining decisions and it occurred when Jesus willingly sacrificed Himself on our behalf in order to atone for all our sins so that Creator and creation may once again be reunited in a loving relationship.  Jesus was willing to die for those who rejected, mocked, beat, tortured, and murdered Him. So, if you are an atheist and are ridiculing both Christ and Christians, may it be known that Jesus willingly sacrificed Himself knowing this. The crucifixion of Christ shows us the extent of His love that He gave Himself up, not to common sufferings, but to the most bitter, painful, and protracted sorrows for an uncaring and unbelieving world. Yet through death, Jesus spoke life of forgiveness (Luke 23:34).

“This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.”
(1John 4:10) -NLT

But death was never the intended design and death couldn’t hold Jesus down. As it is written, the resurrection of Christ defeated death and provided a way for us to once again experience a loving relationship with our Creator. Jesus made a way when there was no way. Jesus saved us from ourselves despite ourselves.

And this is how Jesus saved the whole world. There may exist many sacrificial superheroes, but there is only one Savior – Jesus (John 14:6)!

In what ways can you love others sacrificially?