The Depravity of Man

The more you get to know a man, the more you are dissapointed.

Men are more gentle and sweet to their girlfriends than their wives.

First women covet a boyfriend, then engagement, then marriage, then a baby.

“Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?” (Proverbs 20:6)

We consent to evil even when we hate it. Therefore, we do not truly hate evil.

We are far too easily pleased.

We find God more boring than television.

We take great strides in justifying ourselves.

We set up false dichotomies to avoid middle truths.

We talk around those from whom we would most benefit listening to.

We rebuke at the most inopportune times.

We shrink in cowardice at the most opportune times of rebuke.

We broadcast that which is often least worth broadcasting. We have a sick sense of newsworthiness.

We assign difficult doctrines to the convenient category of “unknowable”.

We pretend to know the secrets of God.

We say, “I feel that God is leading me to…” to justify ourselves.

When the law condmens us, we ignore it and appeal to what we’d prefer the spirit of it be.

When the spirit of a law condemns us, we appeal to its wording and specificity, or lack thereof.

You would think, by the way we respond to great things, they were boring.

You would think, by the way we respond to trivial things, they were exhillerating.

We are more polite to strangers than our own mothers.

We never think of eating less so as to avoid cursing God. (Proverbs 30:8)

We never think of eating as a means of avoiding the profaning of the name of God.

We rarely pray in secret, if ever.

Those Of The Synagogue Of Satan

From pp. 405-6 of Paul Barnett’s “Jesus & the Rise of Early Christianity“:

The writer [of Revelation] speaks of “those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews but are not” in reference to Smyrna and Philadephia. “Synagogue of Satan” implies that the Jewish synagogue was a source of trouble for Christians living in those cities. There were, of course, communities of Jews living throughout the province of Asia, as they had been for the centuries of the Jewish diaspora (cf. Acts 19:10, 17). References in the book of Acts suggests significant antipathy toward a movement that they would have regarded as schismatical and heretical (Acts 19:33-34; 20:3, 19).

Their hostility may have been increased as a consequence of the disastrous defeat at the hands of the Romans in Palestine (66-70), at which time the temple was destroyed as well as the greater part of Jerusalem. Whereas the former Julio-Claudian dynasty had been generally tolerant toward the Jews, their successors the Flavians were less permissive. The generals Vespasian and Titus, who led the campaign in Palestine, tasted firsthand the fury of Jewish fanaticism. After the humiliation of the Jewish prisoners of war in Rome, Vespasian imposed a tax on the Jews, the fiscus Judaicus, for the upkeep of the temple of Jupiter in Rome. No longer having a temple of their own to provide for in their annual temple tax, they must pay instead for an idolatrous shrine for the hated Gentile king. That Christians were free from this obligation (unless they happened to be Jewish Christians) probably intensified the bitterness.

Yet the fiscus Judaicus did secure a degree of protection from local demands for participation in the worship of “the image of the beast”, that is, the emperor. Christians enjoyed no such immunity; they were exposed to harsh treatment from the authorities. It is possible that the Jewish communities in Smyrna and Philadelphia were called “synagogues of Satan” because their members reported Christians to the local authorities, who would have compelled the Christians to participate in idolatrous ceremonies31.

—

31 Hemer, Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia, pp. 9-10.

Assorted Thoughts

No effect of the Fall is penal for the saint.

A question I’ve been asking to locals: “Is Christmas about God becoming man, or about Christ becoming a man so that he could become a god?” One man replied, “Who cares? Why worry about technical doctrinal questions? We shouldn’t forget the spirit of Christmas.”

The less concerned a people become over the substance and content of their words and categories, the move superficial and hallow and slick and affectatious they become. Speech becomes facade.

Two things I want more than anything right now: personal integrity and work ethic.

My heart knows that the music on the radio lies. It covers up the real human experience of suffering and sin and joy. It isn’t happy or angry or sad about what is most worth being happy or angry or sad about.

When I hear jazz, my heart is reminded that the fallen world is lonely, and sinful, and suffering without the kingdom to come in their lives.

Some men pretend to be humble by claiming that they have no certainty as to whether they will persevere, but in doing so they betray their arrogance in rejecting the promises of Christ and by supposing that, if they were to persevere, it would be due to them. Humility boasts in the promises of God which make much of God and little of man.

How can one dream over a list of attributes of their future husband, but then sneer at a list of the unique attributes of God?

After having done a good act, we must think, “It is because of God that I willed to do that.” He works in us to will and to act according to his good purpose (Philippians 2). From him, and through him, and to him are all things (Romans 11).

Some men will be damned someday for amiably and deceitfully pretending to agree with my Christian beliefs.

For the modernist, it is irrational to not always submit to the majority opinion of the scientific community. And for him, most of the things we thought we ought to be most certain about, we ought to be least certain about.

A noble effort: When, having already concluded on a position for sufficent reasons, one seeks to interact with opposing viewpoints for the purpose of persuasion and developing a nuanced position. Already having an opinion on the matter, rather than hindering the subsequent research, is often more helpful since it gives motivation for inquiry. I know more about what others believe because I have sought to persuade them of what I believe.

Late in the night, when I am alone, I despair of myself, and I miss my wife, and I feel desperate for sleep, and for God.

A mental game inconsistent with authentic human experience. Persuading others to abandon the game because they do not play it elsewhere.

Persuading others to know a thing, not always by arguing for it, but by giving an accurate and beautiful picture of it. “What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all.” -Acts 17:23-25

Some men refuse to debate lest the other’s position be given the appearance of plausibility. Some men accept the offer to debate lest their own position be seen as indefensible. Some men debate because they truly love a thing outside of themselves more than they love saving face.

A verbal way of lessening the blow of a contrast: “Well, they’re not exactly the same.”

An academic way of rejecting the objection of conscience: “Interesting. It’s all very fascinating.” As if it wasn’t horrific or of weighty concern?

There are at least six facets of an “ism” worth considering: What it was in its real or so-called original, pristine form. What it has been throughout its own history. Its popular, folk form. The self-understanding of an ism by its adherents. Popular culture’s understanding of it. Its developed and articulated version.

Jesus was so authenticly human that he could not have been of this world.

Assorted Thoughts

Acts 26:24-29: Paul would be pleased with both confrontational evangelism that calls for immediate persuasion, and patient, relational evangelism thatis content with gradual, transitional persuasion.

If we say, “this good work demands that I be trained elsewhere, because the Bible isn’t profitable in this area”, we lie, and call into question an apostle of Christ: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching… that the man of God may be competent,equipped for every good work.” This is why I must stop reading literature where the author bloviates his own wisdom without any regard for or interaction with scripture. It makes me a sitting duck for ignorance, error, unrighteousness, demonic influence, incompetence, and pride. It renders me unfit for good works.

Grace and peace in the God who justifies that ungodly by faith (Romans 4:4-8), not by anything that reveals the absence of what it requires (3:19-30).

“God created computers for missions. He just happens to let the rest of the world use them.”

When I try to make up a song on my own, I am humbled by my inability to pull together something of greater richness and musical taste than the very songs I so often criticize as mediocre and thin. Be humbled Aaron. You are edified and excited and encouraged and lifted up in glory when you sing your church’s praise music. Oh, I still ache for more lyrical richness in song, but I am nevertheless humbled by this all. I am a vessel of mercy. I am weak. The very things I criticize as weak are the things God has designed to strengthen my feeble heart.

Marijuana as a pain reliever for those with terminal illnesses: “Give strong drink to the one who is perishing, and wine to those in bitter distress; let them drink and forget their poverty and remember their misery no more.” –Proverbs 31:6-7

“I’m not like that.” “I don’t do things like him.” “That’s not just how God made me.” “That’s just part of my personality.” Lumping our character flaws into that morally neutral category called “personality” is a really cheap way to justify our sin.

“Just the effort to keep a thought in your head keeps the thought in your head.” -John Piper

Is it a coincidence that many writers who think they are least understood and most slandered are usually the ones who write least apologetically and speak most equivocally? Is it a coincidence that, of these, those who cry “foul” never in their cry clarify specific misunderstandings with lucidity?

Someday I hope to have the work ethic of my dad, Garry Shafovaloff, Outstanding Airman of the Year, 1980. He is one of the hardest working people I know.

Nick Nye once observed that our favorite living authors rarely have their faces egotistically plastered on the front of their books and web sites. For health & wealth and positive-esteem preachers, however, it’s a different story.

Assorted Thoughts

I need to continually learn to be broken before God in order to spill over with humility and meekness.

Truth and proof are what they are apart from anyone believing in them.

That people often see and reason everything unreasonably with presuppositions–that people see with tainted goggles–doesn’t mean we should throw in the towel and abandon the use of persuasion and reasonableness. The Holy Spirit often works through these.

I can’t escape the use of reason and logic and must trust, by the Holy Spirit, God to work in me to use them rightly. Depending on the Holy Spirit doesn’t mean abandoning the use of God-given faculties.

A wicked generation seeks signs and wonders while ignoring other obvious God-given revelation. Seeking an inward feeling as an infallible validation of truth is a way of seeking a sign.

Christ wants me to look outside of myself to his glory, to a varied package of multiple sources of testimony to point how trustworthy he and his witnesses are. This is done especially, but not only, by looking at his glory in his word. THIS is how the Holy Spirit is given. We receive the Holy Spirit by hearing the word of God (which comes from outside of ourselves) by faith. The Holy Spirit loves to do this because it loves to work through that which shines a light on the glory of Christ.

Mormonism wants me to look away from the Bible and away from the light that shines on Christ. It wants me, rather, to look inward to my own feelings. It is act of self-justification, of seeking a self-induced emotional epiphany. This is no “testimony” to be received. This is simply someone proclaiming what they have secretly, privately discerned and wanted for themselves.

Praying to God with the question of whether something is true when the answer is already easily accessible and clear in the word is a way of practicing denial and dishonors the reliability and final authority of the word of God and its inspiration by the Holy Spirit.

In the New Testament, the Holy Spirit predominately was given to people when the word of God was publicly preached to them–when before their eyes “Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.” (Galatians 3:1) Galatians 3, yo, it talks about this.

Real faith honors Christ because it looks *away* from any of our own supposed “worthiness” and looks to the righteousness of Christ. We put our faith in the person and promises of Christ. If we have the wrong person, we do not have the faith. If we have the wrong promises, we do not have the faith. Christ is fully and eternally God, and he promises awesome things to those who trust in him, even secured forgiveness, a secured future, and eternal life.

Whenever Christian faith looks inward, it is ashamed by unworthiness, and almost immediately looks again outward to the righteousness of Christ for contentment and comfort and security.

Faith in Mormonism only looks to Christ as an example of attaining self-worthiness. It trusts that Christ has opened the door of opportunity for us to prove our own worthiness and be exalted for this worthiness unto godhood–godhood that involves other creatures worshipping us. Mormon faith focuses on the self and tickles the flesh and titillates pride. It appeals to the natural self.

Christian faith is a response to the light of the revelation of God which honors Christ. This faith is a trust in the integrity and coherence and character of reliable testimony. The gospel comes through this testimony which points to Christ. Faith is attached to the reliability of the Bible, because the Bible is chiefly where we find this reliable testimony.

To promote the Mormon version of faith, first a dark shadow of unreliablity is cast over the Bible, and then an optimistic light is cast over the self and its feelings.

God would have me be humble by acknowledging my own sin and weakness and seeking the praise of God over the praise of man.

Christ gives me the joy of participating in a spiritual all out war with the kingdom of Satan.

God wants me to be proud in the proclamation of his reliable word and the exposure of falsehood.

“Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light.” -Ephesians 4:11-14

Mormonism would have me be humble by abstaining from any and all criticism, contention, negative appraisals, etc. This is contrary to the spirit of Galatians and 1 John.

Mormonism would have me proud in the proclamation of a self-justifying, self-centered, self-induced emotional epiphany, and call it a “testimony” of God telling me that the Book of Mormon and the modern mainstream sect of Mormonism are true. All this before even seriously or thoughtfully considering its polytheism, idolatry of family over commitment to truth and Christ, and equating of glib solemnity and affability with spirituality.

I have the freedom in Christ to read anti-Christian literature that argues against Christ.

It is in the very nature of a cult to create an environment of paranoia and fear over reading oppositional literature.

Grace and peace in Christ,

Aaron

A Rose is Still a Rose

If my neurology should be known
My influences shown
Temper understood
And heart exposed
A rose is still a rose
And still beautiful

If you should study sociology
And know me socio-economically
And recognize my needs
And crutches
A good friend
Is still just that

If you will fathom cosmology
And be a sage of astronomy
And understand the mysteries of all creation
And find in it intellectual elation
You are still small
And created

If you will account for my hormones
And play yourself the sexy saxophone
Analyze my stimuli
And appeal to the instinct to procreate
Love is still love
And still supernatural

If you should perceive all possible perspectives
Or see the walls of your own tunnel
Or experience a life of lies
And hypocrisy
Truth and goodness are still real, and knowable
And the light is still shining

And so

If you should slow time and watch light
Travel from flower to eye
And observe the rods and cones on a retina
And forget that the rose is beautiful
You are a fool

A rose is a rose
And beautiful
And real

Eternal Life is Knowing Christ

Today was my first day at my “Scripture Study Fundamentals” class at the LDS Institute of Religion. It’s honestly dead boring, and I’m not sure if it’s worth going to with even the purpose of sharing. The class is large, and the interaction doesn’t consist of anything very gospel-oriented. Furthermore, I really don’t like it when everyone thinks your “investigating the church” as they say.

Anyway, Mr. Barker (known as “Brother Barker”) talked quite a bit in regards to the importance of reading the chapter headings. One of his examples was the new LDS chapter heading to Genesis 3. He announced to the class that before the LDS print of the Bible the chapter heading was, “the shameful fall of man”. About half the girls in the class let out one of those awww’s—you know, one of those girly laments of sadness—almost like it was a tragedy that people should consider the fall of man shameful. The LDS header:

The Serpent (Lucifer) deceives Eve—She and then Adam partake of the forbidden fruit—Her Seed (Christ) shall bruise the Serpent’s head—Role of woman, and of man—Adam and Eve cast out of the Garden of Eden—Adam presides—Eve becomes the mother of all living.
The negative tone was taken away to reflect the LDS view of the fall as actually a gain for mankind, where we might all experience life in order to be joyful. Their logic is that in order to appreciate God’s goodness we must experience pain and sin and repentance in order to fully reap the blessings of God’s love. Philosophically it’s their belief that all good things must be known in some sort of duality. I’ll have to read up more on it. Anyways, if I had the choice to leave God’s presence and experience sin, I’d be like NO WAY! I’m staying RIGHT HERE with YOU, forever! And as far as Eden goes, we had it MADE there. We had a personal relationship with God, where HE was the source for our knowledge and joy. That’s what I gain back. The best thing God had to offer me was Himself. That’s what I want through the atonement… not the ability to procreate billions of spirit babies to populate other planets and reign as a god? Of course, the contrast isn’t articulated like that, but you get the picture.

Oh, how could I forget? In teaching the importance of “marking” scriptures to learn them and even using a system of colors, Mr. Barker said that every time he read the Book of Mormon he learned something new. So new, in fact, that it seemed like it was never there before. He joked, “Who the heck is messing with my scriptures?” I kept my humorous thoughts to myself.

I miss Stacie. Oh, I miss her so much. I can’t wait to see her August 23rd.

aaronshaf: Man, you should be here. Fly over tonight
SDelicious: You should be here are you kidding me!
aaronshaf: I need a hug
aaronshaf: And you need a hug
aaronshaf: And we need some chips and salsa
SDelicious: YEah I do!
aaronshaf: And Chocolate Molten CAKE!
SDelicious: I miss you so much
SDelicious: YUMMMMMMM!!!!!!

Preach Less Forgiveness?

The following is from chapter 4 of A Marvelous Work and Wonder, by LDS Author Legrand Richards, a standard work (not canon, but representative of) usually given to missionaries.

One erroneous teaching of the many Christian churches is: By faith alone we are saved. This false doctrine would relieve man from the responsibility of his act other than to confess a belief in God, and would teach man that no matter how great the sin, a confession would bring him complete forgiveness and salvation. What the world needs is more preaching of the necessity of abstaining from sin and of living useful and righteous lives, and less preaching of forgiveness of sin. This would then be a different world. The truth is that men must repent of their sins and forsake them before they can expect forgiveness. Even when our sins are forgiven, God cannot reward us for the good we have not done.

Justification by faith is through and through, thematically and explicitly, succinctly and passionately taught in the New Testament. The LDS interpretation of James is in direct contradiction with the foundational reason of why the gospel was needed. It forces a dichotomy and ambivalence wherein Mormon teaching works win.

Justification by faith does not preclude an inevitable justification of sin. Justification by faith, rather, was taught as a completely different means of upholding the law of God. Yes, if sin increases, grace increases. Hence, believers really are completely forgiven; but that does not consequentially necessitate a reckless behavior under fire insurance! The fact is that plenty of people believe that they are justified by faith alone, and they follow up with presenting themselves to God as a living sacrifice, not even partly as their means of attaining salvation, but purely out of a confident worship. If the wages of obedience were salvation, then salvation would no longer be a gift! Obedience is a believer’s response to God’s perfect love, not a fulfillment of God’s prescribed conditions.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) The atonement of Christ was powerful. The LDS thought is that some people are more worthy of forgiveness than others, and that the blood of Christ does not cover all sins. Yeah, that’s right you death row convicts, sexually defiled, and fellow reprobate sinners, there won’t be any easy love from LDS doctrine. Fear not though, for Christ’s blood really does purify the believer from ALL unrighteosness. The ultimate benefit we reap is a gift, and not a reward or wage according to our work. We have done nothing to deserve it.

It’s All About the Milk

I’ve expressed myself in my last couple of entries primarily with caustic material, and it certainly doesn’t do justice for me as person. For those who know me I get pretty wrapped up in the pursuit of truth. I will have you know, that—don’t get jealous—the milk… is delivered to the house I’m staying at. Not only that, but they have broadband. Milk. Broadband. Ohhhhhh sweet mercy I am taken care of.

It’s pasteurized and 2%, rich, and mmm oh so good. It calls to me at night, and in the morning, and in the evening… it beckons me to partake of the fruits of a cow’s labor. Golden Grahams then cry out to be united with his bride, and then the matrimony ensues upon the bowl, and sealed with a spoon. Meanwhile, millions and billions of bits bounce off my head. The broadband here is wireless. It sings to me sweet soft songs of data at night.

To add to the joy, David, the 15-year-old guy who lives here informed me yesterday that if you beat WarCraft III in the hard mode you get to see a preview clip of StarCraft II. I eagerly await it. Oh, and I found my camera at the bottom of my backpack. Kim added to her perception of me as oblivious—directionless, short-term memory… I can’t remember names without some persistent use of a memory device. You get it. Well, now I’m hoping to finish a poem, which I am supposedly going to read tonight at a reading in downtown Salt Lake City. I need to go mow someone’s lawn, so you take care.

The Great Stumbling Stone

Kim and I spent most of the day at Brigham Young University, a beautiful campus surrounded by breathtaking mountains. We made sure to visit the library, check out the religion section (and an interesting one it is), and use the copy machine. This excerpt is from the third volume, page 268, of Journal of Discourses, by former President and “Prophet” Heber C. Kimball:

Compared with the hosts upon the earth, only now and then one will receive the Gospel, and after that, only now and then one of those who do receive the truth will be saved by it, and obtain celestial glory. If all the Saints would obey counsel, doing as they are directed, is there any difficulty in their being saved? No, no more than there is raising a crop of grain. We have only to take a wise, judicious course, listen to counsel, and obey those instructions, which we receive from this stand, from day to day, from Sabbath to Sabbath, and from year to year. Can I save you? No, I can only advise a righteous course, and encourage and aid in walking therein, it then remains for them to take the course, which I advise, and I always advise people to adopt that policy which Joseph taught and advocated, and which brother Brigham now lays before us, from day to day. This is what will save you, and you cannot be saved upon any other principle. I have power to save myself, and if I do not save myself, who will save me? All have that privilege, and naught can save us but obedience to the commandments of God.

It’s the same mistake the Jews made.

“… the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the “stumbling stone.” As it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” (Romans 9:30-33)

Tomorrow I start classes again. Pray for open hearts and words from the Holy Spirit. Oh yeah, I found my camera!