I teach a very good Bible study program. I love to teach it, but it is not Holy Scripture so the notes for the program are sometimes off base. An example of this is that in a recent study the notes said that Jesus demonstrated complete “selflessness.” This, of course, is noodle-headed nonsense. No one can be totally selfless nor does the Bible ask us to be such a thing. Let me explain.

First, you will never escape yourself. You are stuck with you. The only way, I imagine, to be totally selfless is to have a frontal lobotomy and not have any self-consciousness at all. However, beyond this, the Bible does not require us to be selfless. This is a pagan and eastern mystical concept.

Here is what the Bible actually says:

Ephesians 5:28-29 [29] “In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. [29] After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church--…”

Paul is making several points in this passage; let me touch on a few. First, he is saying that humans have a natural self-love and because we do, we take good care of our physical needs. This is implanted by God in our nature and if we didn’t have it we would not live very long. If you don’t believe me, image there is a raging fire in a theater where you are watching a movie and you suddenly become aware of the fire. What do you think you would do? First, your natural survival mechanisms would splash your insides with adrenaline, your heart would begin to pump at a supercharged rate, you would come extremely aware of your surroundings and you would move as quickly as possible for the nearest escape. You don’t have to be taught this, it is completely natural.

Second, Paul is saying that Christ is just like us in the regard to loving himself and His body—the church. He “naturally” loves His body just like you naturally love yours.

There is another point in this passage I will come back to later.

Now let’s look at one of the defining passages in all of the New Testament. Matthew 22 contains Christ’s response to the question what are the greatest commandments from God. The second one is:

Matt 22:39-40 [39] “And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ [40] All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

Simply put, the first principle of love for others is one’s love for him/herself. Because we have a natural love for ourselves and want the best for ourselves, we are to act toward our neighbor as we would want him to act toward us. Again, we cannot escape ourselves and somehow fade into a mystical state of selflessness. To be totally selfless is to be non-existent.

The classic Christian way to talk about self-love is to use the terms inordinate self love or well-ordered self love. If I have inordinate self-love then my world is very small. I seek to get love and things from others. Eventually, I end up in my very small world where the only one to love is ME. If I have well ordered self-love, a good and genuine way that I love myself is to love others. Let’s look at Ephesians 5 again: Paul says, “He who loves his wife loves himself.” By loving one’s wife a husband loves himself. Well ordered self-love is largely outwardly focused and realizes that the best way to love one’s self is to give good things to others. If one has well ordered self-love then over the course of a lifetime one builds a beautiful cache of friendships, intimate relationships, care and compassion. Then, when the chips are down, and a crisis hits, that cache of love will come pouring back in to the one who loves himself by loving others.

The concept of total selflessness is “noodleness” and a form of eastern mysticism. Well-ordered self-love is Christian. Go and love yourself—just do it by loving others.

Isn't it dumb and old fashioned to believe in a literal hell? How could a loving God send people to hell? These are typical question asked by both non-believers and Christians. Let's do something radical, let's look at the subject of hell and why there would be such a place.

God’s Just Nature Demands that Hell Exist

Because God is just, both human wickedness and goodness must have consequences. The Bible says God is Love (1John 4:8) and an aspect of true love is justice. God would be unjust and unloving if he failed to commend and reward the good and simply “winked” at man’s sinful and cruel behavior. However, we all know that often the wicked seem to live the “good life” on earth and many good Christian people suffer horribly in this life. Consequently, God’s eternal justice is an absolutely essential universal law for the peace and order of creation.

Romans 2:6-8 6 God "will give to each person according to what he has done." 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.

The Dignity of Humanity Demands that Hell Exist

Not all humans will go to heaven because God preserves the dignity of human personhood and individual freedom. Because humans are made in the image of God and entrusted with free will, God protects our dignity by allowing each individual to choose to love or not love Him. It is commonly understood that “love cannot act coercively, only persuasively…God does not force himself upon us against our will” (Norman Geisler). A man may love a woman and wish to marry her, but they cannot be married if she does not accept. For him to force his love onto her against her will is rape. Likewise, God will not force His love on us. He desires for us to love Him freely in return (1John 4:19). The gift of free choice allows us to receive salvation, but it also allows us to reject it. C.S. Lewis put it succinctly: “There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’”

Without Hell there would be no Final Victory over Evil

Without a hell, the Hitler’s and Stalin’s of the world, murderers of millions would go unpunished. Those who willfully and blatantly reject God like Bertrand Russell and Friedrich Nietzsche would be ignored and never held accountable for their actions. In other words, evil would triumph over good. Sinners, Satan and humans who had done wrong and acted however they pleased, would get away with it! Additionally, the Bible teaches that evil is like leaven and spreads and infects those around it (Matt 16:11-12). Thus, all evil must be totally defeated, or there could not be a heaven. Heaven is the complete absence of evil in the presence of God. Therefore, without hell, evil would not only allowed, but positively condoned! If I kill my brother and there is no punishment, I am given the “O.K.” on my actions!

Who Goes to Hell?

The occupants of hell will be the unbelievers of all generations and all nations who stubbornly refuse God’s grace along with the antichrist, the false prophet, Satan and his fallen angels.

What is Hell Like?

The Bible uses strongly descriptive and figurative language to describe a real spiritual place that is ultimately beyond our present understanding. From the Biblical descriptions we can gather the following insights about hell:

It is “eternal”—humans will not be annihilated into non-existence. Both the righteous and unrighteous will be resurrected for eternity.

It is a place of great anguish (“weeping and gnashing of teeth”).

It is a place of “outer darkness”—meaning complete separation from God’s light and truth.

It is a place of eternal judgment and disorder (the “Lake of Fire”: fire symbolizing judgment and lake symbolizing chaos).

It is a place of “torment” which is self-inflicted as opposed to torture which is inflicted from without against one’s will.

How to be Healthy, Wealthy and Wise, Part II

In my first post on this subject, I proposed that according to the Bible a wise person has a much better opportunity to discover health, wealth and happiness in their lifetime. There is no guarantee or magic formula in the Bible for attaining these things. On the other hand, the Bible indicates that through godly wisdom a person’s chances are much improved for experiencing life’s blessings. The converse is also true; if a person acts foolishly he/she is likely to suffer painful consequences.

In my Part I, I suggested that wisdom is to know the highest purpose or “end” of life and then ordering one’s relationships and priorities to that end. I also wrote that prudence is the application of wisdom in the daily affairs of life and I promised to describe the lost art of how to make prudent decisions in the nitty-gritty situations that we all must face. But, let’s go forward by getting a working definition of prudence under our belt. Aquinas defined it this way:

“…a habit dealing with action directed by genuine reason and is concerned …about things good and bad for man himself” (Book VI, Lect. IV, 1166).

If we are going to understand this statement we first have to grasp the meaning of “habit.” A habit is a pre-disposition to act in a certain way based upon the fact that a person repeats a certain behavior. This pre-disposition (habit) actually resides in a person’s ability (called a faculty) to do certain things. We all have a faculty to direct our actions; however, we can do this in a good way or a bad way. Through repeated behavior we form habits in our powers to act. Now then, a virtue is "a good habit bearing on activity," or a good faculty-habit. A bad habit is not, obviously, called a virtue but rather a vice. The virtuous habit helps us do good things and, like all habits, can grow stronger as we repeat the behavior.

The second thing we want to note from Aquinas’ short definition is that he says that prudence is a “habit dealing with action directed by genuine reason.” We have already noted that habits connect our ability to act with the actual actions we take. Prudence is the specific habit that is an extension of our intellect. It connects our intellect to our actions. The part of our intellect that prudence works with is called the “practical intellect.” We all use our minds to figure out what is the best thing to do in any given situation and this part of our intellect is labeled, appropriately, the practical intellect. In other words, our practical intellect can develop a habit of prudence to effectively choose good and appropriate behaviors.

The final thing to observe about Aquinas’ definition is that he says that prudence is concerned with “things good and bad for man himself.” The virtuous habit of prudence helps us choose to do those things that are life-affirming and demonstrate the wisdom we attain by knowing our highest end and ordering the things of our lives in relationship to that wisdom.

Now there is much to be said about how prudence works hand-in-hand with the other moral virtues and how the three Theological Virtues of faith, hope and love empower prudence; however, for now, let us center in on the lost art of making prudent choices. I am convinced that our culture has forgotten about one of the most important ideas ever discovered; it is the “Doctrine of the Mean.” I first came across this idea in J. Budziszewshi’s book “Written on the Heart.” The Doctrine of the Mean places every important moral choice somewhere between two extremes—the extreme of excess and the extreme of deficiency. For instance, in the modern debate tolerance is usually posed opposite intolerance. You are either a completely tolerant person not having any judgmental attitudes or you are a narrow-minded repressive who is intolerant. This could be diagramed as follows:

Intolerance ---------------------------------------Tolerance

However, using the Doctrine of the Mean, we end up with three possibilities. One is a deficiency (narrow-minded repressiveness), the other is an excess (co-dependent indulgence) and the third is the mean of true tolerance. This could be diagramed as follows:

Deficiency-----------------The Mean---------------Excess
Narrow-minded---------------------------------------Co-dependency

------------------------------------Tolerance

There are two very important things to keep in mind. One is that prudence examines the possibilities and searches for the mean. The second thing is that the mean is not just a compromise between to extremes—it is actually a moral right. In other words, there are two wrongs and one right. An example might be the issue of modesty. Modesty is actually taught in the Bible. An excess of modesty would be wearing a Burka to avoid tempting others to lust. A deficiency of modesty would be dressing and acting like Christina Aguliara or Madonna. True modesty is wearing appropriate attire and acting in an appropriate way that restrains self-promotion without drawing attention to itself through odd clothing or strange behavior. Prudence guided by wisdom from above consistently finds the mean.

Most people are familiar with the Old Testament book of Proverbs and most Christians know that it was mostly authored and edited by Solomon. What many Christians don’t know is the purpose of Proverbs. I have to admit that for years I had neglected to notice that Proverbs is one of the only books in the Bible that actually broadcasts its purpose. The opening verses of the book of Proverbs, almost like a modern mission statement, indicate its purpose. It reads as follows:

“[1] The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: [2] For attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; [3] for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; [4] for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young…” Proverbs 1: 1-4

It is remarkable that Solomon was so clear about the divine purpose of his collection of ancient proverbs. He tells us that they were written down to assist the individual in becoming a wise person and to increase his/her ability to act prudently. This purpose is reinforced in the wonderful eighth chapter of Proverb which is considered an Old Testament foreshadowing of the deity of Christ. The chapter portrays wisdom calling out to humanity instructing us that if we will gain insights from her we ourselves will become wise and also prudent.

The question is what is wisdom and what is prudence? It would seem good to know these things because the book of Proverbs indicates that the wise and prudent person is able to increase the likelihood that he/she will be healthy, wealthy and happy.

My guy, Thomas Aquinas, tapping into Aristotle, explains what it means to be wise.

“According to the Philosopher, it is the office of a wise man to set things in order. For things can be ordered only by knowing their relation and proportion to one another, and to something higher, which is their end…” (SCG II, 24, 4)

Thomas tells us that a wise man is one who knows the end of things and then orders the rest of life according to that end. We might use the analogy of a driver. When you are driving, it is good to know where you are headed. If you do, then you can choose the best route of travel, you can avoid potential traffic snarls and you can actually end up at your proper destination. If, however, you don’t know where you are going, then you can be a very competent driver but be totally lost and ultimately a failure at automotive transportation. The wise person knows the proper end or destination of life and orders the rest of their life to that end. Of course, the proper end of life is union with God.

Wisdom, therefore, has three components. First, it knows the end or destination of life. Second, wisdom, with its eye on the purpose of life, orders the things of life in relationship one-to-another. And, finally, it establishes proper proportions or priorities for all of the events, actions and things in life. In short, the wise person sets his/her priorities and relationships in order by focusing on the “true north” of life’s ultimate purpose.

But, what is prudence? Prudence is doing what is right in the practical affairs of life. Whereas wisdom is more of an intellectual virtue, prudence is the virtue of the practical affairs of life. After I have ordered my priorities and relationships according to life’s true purpose, I must apply these things in the “trenches” of life. Prudence grabs wisdom and incarnates it in the nitty-gritty decisions of the day. However, there is a way to make prudent decisions that has been lost in the mists of time. This lost art of making prudent decisions will be the subject of my next post.

Yes, you read it right, you, my friend, are completely unnecessary to God. And so am I. But, you say, that’s not a nice thought, doesn’t God love me? Yes He does, but you are not necessary. The deal is this--the fact that you are unnecessary is an absolutely wonderful thought.

I know, I know, there are all those contemporary praise and worship songs that “moan” about how God always had us on His mind, yada, yada, yada. That, my friend, is just so much spiritual cow pie! The only thing that God has ever had on His mind as a necessary thought is His own blessed Being. God is completely fulfilled and ever in a state of happiness within Himself. Put another way, God is the only necessary Being. You and I are completely contingent. We do not have to be here. God MUST exist, in fact He cannot NOT exist. You, however, do not need to exist for God to be fully happy and delighted within Himself. He DOES NOT need you!

When I point this fact out to Christians, they get all hot and bothered. They say, “how can that be, doesn’t God need my love?” My answer is NO! God does not need anyone’s love. But here is the wonderful truth in all this—God, out of his generosity has freely given life and breath to all things. Thomas Aquinas expressed it this way:

“For, the reason for everything that has been made is derived from the end which its maker intended. But the end of all things made by God is divine goodness. Therefore, the reason for the things that have been made is so that the divine goodness might be diffused among things” (SCG III, Part 1, 59, 9).

In other words, God is so good, even though He needs nothing; He diffuses His goodness by creating and sustaining everything that is made. On the other hand, I am a very, very needy person. I need people to love me. If they don’t, I get upset and even angry. Therefore, my love and goodness, no matter how mature, are always mixed with selfish motives. God has no needs and yet He freely gives His love and goodness to His creation. That, my friend, is LOVE! Now let’s take this thought up a notch by looking at the Cross. Though God had no need for our love, He freely give His only begotten Son to die for humanity on an ugly cross so that all who would believe might have an eternal relationship with Him. Oh, and by the way, the definition of love is to do good toward another. NOW THAT IS LOVE!