by James Thomas Lee, Jr. 11/06/96 Copyrighted 1995 by James Thomas Lee, Jr. Copyright Number: TXu 704-227
Chapter 15. Criterion Four - A New Creature in Christ {175 words} a. Some Remarks By Mr. Hume {223 words} b. Mr. Hume Was Wrong! {127 words} c. Ours Is A Personal Testimony {247 words} d. A New Direction {216 words} e. The Holy Spirit Is My Proof! {187 words} f. Can Others Make These Same Claims {145 words} g. Making Everything Better {192 words}
Chapter 15. Criterion Four - A New Creature in Christ {175 words}
The approach for showing Criterion One was to list those things of God which have survived. In like manner, the best way to convince one of Criterion Four is to show in a clear way how He changes and makes better a person's life. To do that, I must and will again refer to my own experiences. After all, what the Lord did for me was very special, and I understand those events quite well! Then, I will show how He has done and continues to do for others that which He did for me. By then, it should be clear that God is real and that He is in the "change" business! When He comes into a life, He truly does change and make that life better, plus He gives renewed meaning to that individual who is hurting.
But before getting into my experiences, a few sentiments by the philosopher Mr. David Hume, from his essay "Of Miracles," will help to set the stage. In that work, Mr. Hume criticized miracles as being unbelievable. At the same time, he also said that they are very much necessary for one to have faith in God. Lastly, he indicated that a person who acquires faith will be conscious of a continuous miracle within [1].
From these three comments, it is fairly easy to see that this philosopher rejected God and that he also argued vigorously against the validity of miracles. He believed that miracles were typically reported by ignorant, backward people. He considered the genuineness of most or all such stories to be totally unreliable, and like most of the big bang and evolution theorists, he also thought that all miracles could be explained by some sort of natural phenomena.
Mr. Hume distrusted the testimony of the miracle recipients because he thought that their story would be naturally tainted with lies and exaggerations. He also thought that there were many religions, which strongly opposed each other, yet which each still claimed to have had miracles of their own. This, of course, in his opinion would have forced each religion into a shouting match over who was really correct.
In my opinion, though, Mr. Hume was wrong! His discussion of miracles was too limited in scope because he only considered and dealt with natural phenomena. His criticism was for the "seen" miracles, not for the "unseen". He would have, for example, examined my early life and perhaps concluded that my chance of getting by all of the "seen" hurdles in my life was one in a million. Yet, unlike me, he would have stubbornly clung to his belief that even one chance in one million means that natural causes must be assumed. I disagree. In reaching such a conclusion, he would have completely dismissed my "seen" and even "unseen" miracles as nothing more than insignificant and non-provable.
Despite Mr. Hume's criticisms, I am personally convinced that the Lord orchestrated the incredible turnaround of my life. I believe that He placed certain people in my path at critical times to provide me with timely advice. I believe that He caused some very incriminating data about my early life to be conveniently hidden or lost from my records at just the right time. And I believe that He caused some people in authority to see something in me which was not readily obvious at the time. But I cannot prove any of these "unseen" beliefs! I simply believe them to have been of the Lord.
While I cannot prove these things, though, I can offer the following comment as my type of proof. Had I only been given another opportunity or another good break in life, I would have probably fallen again. My problem in 1967 was not bad luck. It was me! When I came to the Lord in December 1967, I needed more than just a new set of circumstances. I needed more than just another chance. I needed a new me, and that is exactly what I got! Without question, the Lord changed me. He was my rehabilitator. He was my "unseen" miracle who brought everything to pass in my life and pulled together all the broken strings of my life. And best of all, His work was instant!
The Lord filled the void which I had felt, He took away the feeling that something was missing, and He changed my life for the better. These are Criteria Two, Three, and Four, which have already been described above, all wrapped into one very dramatic event, and I have experienced each one, one by one. I know firsthand about the sorrows of condition two because for a very long time, I carried that empty feeling on the inside. I know what it is to feel something wrong in your life, yet not know which way to turn. But I also am aware of the pleasures of conditions three and four because on a late night in December 1967, the Lord removed that empty feeling and forever changed my life. He replaced my lack of direction and hope with a very clear direction and a pure hope. Therefore, in a very personal way, I know that He is present, available, infinite, not lazy, and caring. Though He has never spoken audibly to me or revealed Himself in a way that I can visualize, I have continually felt is presence in my life for over twenty-eight years.
Referring to the statements above, I agree with Mr. Hume in one regard. He stated in his essay that one who receives the Lord by faith is "conscious of a continual miracle in his own person." This, in my opinion, is a true statement! Since 1967, I have known that the Lord did something very special for me. He made me a new person, He gave me a new life, and I really have been aware of a continual miracle within. Personally, I do not need further proof of God's existence, His goodness, or His power. The Holy Spirit is my proof! But to Mr. Hume, even though I do agree with that one statement, I would still submit the following. Just because something can be explained by natural causes, it does not mean that God did not cause it! The Lord is all-powerful! He can work through the natural as well as the unnatural.
Let us now proceed to the second part of showing Criterion Four, which is that of showing his work in others! I know that, in December 1967, the Lord changed me. I know that He turned me into a new person, but has He done that same magical work for or in others who have come to Him? The answer is yes! He did it for all of those martyrs who were just cited in the previous chapter. He did it for all of the Christians who have worked through the years to preserve the Church and God's Word. He has done it for all of those who have labored faithfully to spread the good news of the Gospel. And He has done it for many who today can attest to His ability to remake a destroyed life.
My testimony from those early difficult years involves some genuine miracles. Some physical events from my past were literally wiped clean, as though they had never occurred. Yet, my case, while being different from most, is clearly not unique! Everything the Lord touches, He makes better. Every person in whom His Spirit dwells is a better person simply because of that indwelling. Speaking for all Christians through all the Ages, we must each, in one voice and one accord, confess that the good work in us is because of God and God alone. None of us can legitimately take any credit for this good work which He has done. As Criterion Four implies, God really is in the "change" business. He really does change people's hearts and lives, and He really does give them a better reason for living.
1. David Hume, "Of Miracles", An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding, Great Books of the Western World, Volume 35 (Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 1952), page 497.
Chapter 16. The "BEFORE" and "AFTER" Proofs
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