Friday, March 22, 2013

What Is Deism?

Deism = belief in a god (NOT the God of the Bible) or a "higher power" + lack of logical reasoning.

Deism denies the Bible as the inspired, inerrant, infallible, and sufficient holy Word of God. They argue that Scripture was written by men. They are wrong. Scripture was written by God through men who were under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The Bible is supernatural in origin. It was written over a period of 1,500 years by over 40 authors in three different languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. The FACT it is the Word of God can be seen through many different aspects. First, the Bible is the only book to hang its credibility and its ability to write history in advance—without error. Second, despite man's repeated attempts to disprove the Bible and undermine it, it has repeatedly risen above and demonstrated the FACT that it is accurate and reliable to the uttermost. Man keeps trying to disprove it using the same tired arguments that have been destroyed time and time again. Third, history, archaeology, and science repeatedly back up everything contained in the Scriptures. When science was ignorant and taught one thing, the Bible contained the correct information (e.g., science used to believe and teach that the oceans were flat, but the Bible, hundreds of years prior, stated the FACT that they contained mountains and valleys). Fourth, the Bible predicted people (by name), events, circumstances, and details hundreds of years before they were ever fulfilled. 200 years before Medo-Persia sacked Babylon, Cyrus was named by name (Is. 44:24-45:7). At Jesus' first coming alone, He fulfilled over 300 prophecies! Fifth, the Bible is the only book that actually changes lives! Drug addicts have been cured by it, homosexuals set free by it, derelicts and deadbeats transformed by it, hardened criminals reformed by it, sinners rebuked by it, and hate turned to love by it. The Bible possesses a dynamic and transforming power that is only possible because it is truly God’s Word.

Deism claims that the books of the Bible were merely "voted" upon by men, which is not true. All men did was look at the internal and external evidence of the various books to determine which were supernatural in origin. For the Old Testament, they looked at which books were accepted and used by the Jews. The New Testament is merely historical accounts and letters of the events that took place, as they were eye-witness accounts. There are many books out there that individuals claim should be part of the Bible, but anyone who examines the internal and external evidence of these books will find that they fall drastically short of the mark of authenticity, several being in a language other than what the original was in (like The Rest of Esther), many having a recognized name attached to it who never wrote it in the first place (like The Gospel of Thomas, The Gospel of Mary Magdalene, and the Gospel of Judas), among many other telling traits. Problem is, the people who want to believe these "other books" were left out by the mere "choice" of men and should be included in the Bible do so in ignorance with no desire to research the FACTS. Anyone who reads The Gospel of Thomas can tell right away that it is contradictory to the rest of Scripture, which agrees harmoniously with each other from cover to cover (hence its supernatural origin). Verse 14 of The Gospel of Thomas states that if you pray you condemn yourself. Verse 114 says Jesus will turn Mary into a man so she can get to heaven. Where are either of these contained in the Bible? Where is any such teaching contained in the Bible? Verse 14 contradicts every instance of prayer in the Bible as well as every instruction regarding prayer.

Throughout time, skeptics have regarded the Bible as mythological, but archaeology has confirmed it as historical. Opponents have attacked its teaching as primitive and outdated, but its moral and legal concepts and teachings have had a positive influence on societies and cultures throughout the world. It continues to be attacked by pseudo-science, psychology, and political movements, yet it remains just as true and relevant today as it was when it was first written. It is a book that has transformed countless lives and cultures throughout the last 2000 years. No matter how its opponents try to attack, destroy, or discredit it, the Bible remains; its veracity and impact on lives is unmistakable. The accuracy which has been preserved despite every attempt to corrupt, attack, or destroy it is clear testimony to the fact that the Bible is truly God’s Word and is supernaturally protected by Him. It should not surprise us that, no matter how the Bible is attacked, it always comes out unchanged and unscathed. After all, Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Mark 13:31). After looking at the evidence, one can say without a doubt that, yes, the Bible is truly God’s Word.

Many Deists think they used to be Christians, but the FACT is that they were never Christian to begin with. They might have participated in Christian things, but the FACT they were never saved to begin with illustrates the FACT that they were never Christians. They have no idea what salvation means or entails. They are just blind guides following other blind guides. Deists are ignorant individuals who think they are intelligent and reasoning when the FACT of the matter is that they lack logical reasoning and common sense. They are idolators, having rejected the God of the Bible for a god of their own imagination (typically "a god of love"). They deny a God Who would met out justice and convict people of their sin, thereby sentencing them to hell for eternity. Their god is merely a god of love (sound familiar to a false gospel preached by Evangelicalism?), whereas the God of the Bible is also a God of justice, of wrath, of holiness, of grace, of mercy, etc., etc. All His attributes are holy and are equal to each other. None trumps the others at the expense of the others.

Deism is a bankrupt belief system that has no foundation beneath it. When weighed and measured against truth, it crumbles into dust.