At young adult life group last week, we talked about James 2:14-26.  The whole passage is summed up in these two verses.

So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.  But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.   --  James 2:17-18

It got me thinking about the tricky relationship between faith, works, and salvation.  Why is it tricky? 

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."  --  Edmund Burke

I don't know if you've heard that one before, but its a pretty famous quote.  Movies that aim to inspire us to courage often throw this line in somewhere.  Books that cover the horrors of the holocaust, wars, and other injustices often use this line right at the beginning or the end.  Its very common for this quote to be used for the larger than life type of situations where it is clear to us all that good men and women need to stand up and do something rather than just let the world be as it is.

But does that apply to everyday life as well?  On Tuesday, I wrote about the way Jesus would bravely defend those in need and fight against those who would oppress them.  So what about the person who gets bullied at our school or the guy at work that nobody treats well?  What about the shouts we hear outside our house of an angry man yelling at his wife?  What about the person on the bus or train in front of us who looks so depressed?  All throughout the day, are we the kind of people who do nothing?  If we do nothing, can we really call ourselves good?

Did you know the Bible agrees that doing nothing is a sin?  

I love debating theology and talking apologetics.  I love it when people bring me tough questions about God and hang out long enough to talk through the answers.  But what about this question?  What do you do with it?  How do you answer it?  Can God make a rock so big that even He can't lift it?

I've Only Heard It Two Ways

Tons of people have asked me this question and, as far as I know, its always been for one of two reasons.  More than half of the time that people ask me this question, its meant as a goofy joke question to stump you sort of like asking if the chicken or egg came first or like telling someone to repeat a tongue twister.  The goal is to have fun and watch people squirm through the riddle.  In this case, you don't really need an answer.  Talking it through is half of the fun and everyone is happy in the end.

Less often though, the question comes from a very different motive and goal.  There are some people who have posed this question of me as if it were the deathblow to any and all arguments for God.  They'll often add a word like, "BOOM!" at the end of the question to show just how much trouble you are in because they themselves have come up with the most clever, original, and effective proof that God is not real ever.  I exaggerate a bit, but has anyone ever brought this question up to you like this?  In this case, you kind of need to know how to respond in order to defend your faith.  So what can we say?

This is a very common view among more and more Christians today.  Religion is a bad thing that is all about working your way to God and earning God's favor and love.  Religion is all about following rules so that you look good on Sunday.  Religion is all about what happens in the church and doesn't care about the rest of the world.  Religion judges everyone else while living hypocritically.  Jesus on the other hand doesn't call people to follow rules, He gives us freedom.  Jesus doesn't judge, He gives grace.  Jesus doesn't make you earn God's love, He earns it for you.  Jesus would rather get out of the church than spend time inside of it.  

But is that the case?  Take a look at these passages.

This is an incredibly tough topic to tackle.  Discussions get very heated because this question is about more than just right or wrong but actual people.  People who are hurting and vulnerable and need help.  I'll be perfectly honest in saying that I'm a little undecided as to where I stand on this (I used to fall into the first view but now I'm leaning heavily toward the third view).  But the question was asked and you guys voted it in a few weeks ago.  So what I'll be doing is presenting the three views as I've come across them so that you can make a more informed decision as you prayerfully consider this if its in any way applicable to you.  

*This whole blog will be referring to severe and lasting clinical depression.  I am not discussing the occasional bad mood or grief we experience through the bumps of life.  I'm talking about the kind of depression that consistently disrupts day to day living through anxiety, worry, fear, etc. 

You probably know this guy.  You may have seen him on commercials, follow him on Twitter, remember him from That Seventies Show, know him as Demi Moore’s husband, or watch him now on Two and a Half Men.  You may not have heard about the recent trouble he got himself into on Twitter.  

Penn State recently fired football coach Joe Paterno.  Ashton Kutcher read a headline about it and, without knowing the full story, he put his opinion up on Twitter.  Kutcher said, “How do you fire Jo Pa? #insult #noclass as a hawkeye fan I find it in poor taste.”  If you’ve been following the news or are really into college football, you know what a mistake this was.

Amy Winehouse died last Saturday.  For those of you who don't know, Winehouse was a very successful music artist who won five Grammys from one album alone.  She died at the age of 27.

To the best of my knowledge, the cause of death is still uncertain.  Tests have returned inconclusive and we may never know for sure.  However, Winehouse's lifestyle points to a sad possibility.  After reaching a good level of success and fame, she began abusing alcohol and drugs, harming herself, and spending time in rehab.  This has led many to speculate that her recent death was an overdose.

Chris Farley, Brittany Murphy, Heath Ledger, Judy Garland, Billy Mays, Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, and the list goes on and on.  Whether or not Amy Winehouse's death had anything to do with an overdose, there are a frightening amount of celebrity overdoses.

But how?  How does it get to that point?  How does anyone come to the place where they are not only abusing drugs and alcohol, but abusing them to the point of killing themselves?

Somebody sent me a text message today that asked that question.  It's a great question isn't it?  People don't like the concept of Hell.  Some people think God must be unloving to allow Hell to exist.  To be honest, I kind of don't like the thought of Hell.  A place of everlasting torment is not something that I would wish upon anyone... not even Hitler.  But there it is.  Hell.  If you don't believe in Hell, you can't believe in the Bible and you definitely can't believe in Jesus who speaks about Hell more than any other person in the Bible.  So what do you say about Hell?