THE ULTIMATE VIDEO GAME

  Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails.

Proverbs 19:21 (NIV)

                Video games are very popular. I have tried my had at several video games over the years, although I fall far short of being a gamer. The best video games are the ones that take strategy and require the player to make choices, which affect the outcome of the game.

                Video games are designed to give the player multiple options. Each choice opens up a different pathway that the gamer can follow. Some pathways lead to victory and others lead to defeat. The gamer doesn’t know which is which until he or she has traveled down the path. When a gamer enters a game, they are free to make their own choices, even though the programmer has determined ahead of time the outcome of those choices.

                One of the great debates in Christian theology is the debate between free will and predestination. This debate is often cast in very black and white terms, with no middle ground. As I read the Bible, I am convinced that there is a middle path that acknowledges both sides of the equation without negating either one.

                There are many classic verses that are used to support the concept of predestination. Romans 8:29-30 is one example. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. This passage seems to clearly teach that God predestines our lives.

                There are also passages that suggest that God has given to us free will, and has allowed us to choose our own pathway. Deuteronomy 30:19-20 is an example of this side of the equation. This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. In this passage, God, through Moses, is clearly giving the people of Israel a real choice.

                So which is it; free will or predestination? I would like to suggest that video games may give us a clue to discovering a middle way. As beings, created in the image of God, we have been given the gift of consciousness. We are self-conscious, in the sense that we are aware of ourselves as distinct, unique beings. Our self-consciousness allows us to evaluate our surroundings and choose the course of action we want to take. This is an act of free will, which reflects the free will of our Heavenly Father. Without free will, there are really no choices, no real options, only preprogrammed responses to certain stimuli.

                Given that we have the gift of free will, we do not have control over the outcome of our choices. Here is where the illustration of a video game comes into play. I believe that God has designed the world like a video programmer. He has designed the world with real choices that affect the pathway that a person will travel. At the same time, he has predetermined the outcome of those choices. Rather than leading us toward victory or defeat, each choice is leading us closer or father away from God. Every choice we make will send us in one of those two directions. If I take choice A, it will lead me to sin, pain, and hurt. If I take choice B, it will lead me to joy, grace, and fulfillment.

                To clarify my point, I believe that God has determined in advance the outcomes of the choices we make, but has given us the freedom to make our own choice. If we go back to Deuteronomy 30, we see Moses clearly laying out the outcome of the choices before the people of Israel. Then he calls them to choose their path. In the same way, I believe that God continually sets before us choices with predetermined outcomes and then invites us to choose.

                C.S. Lewis touched on this idea when he said that each choice we make is shaping us into the being we will be in eternity. We are either becoming more and more like Christ or less and less like Christ. The good news is that with every choice we make God’s grace is available. No matter how far down the wrong path we have taken, there is always an off ramp that can redirect our lives back toward God. God is at work within us, guiding and directing us through the Holy Spirit, but we still have the option to make our own choice, for which we will be responsible.

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.
Philippians 2:12-13 (NIV)

A DEEPER LOOK AT CONFORMITY

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:2 (NIV)

                We all feel the pressure to conform in one way or another. We may feel the pressure to conform to the culture around us or the sub-culture that we identify with. Usually, conformity takes the form of outward appearance. We put our emphasis on the obvious; the way a person dresses, the political stance a person takes, the way a person responds to the moral issues of the day.

                As believers in Christ, we have most often placed our emphasis of not conforming to the current moral culture of our day. We tell ourselves that we are not conforming to the world because we have an orthodox view of marriage, sexuality, drugs, alcohol and the like. We pride ourselves in not giving into the pressure all around us to compromise our moral stand. On the surface, this is commendable, but it misses the point of what Paul wrote in Romans 12.

                Satan has masterfully used the hot button issues of our day to mask the ways that he subtly pulls us into his plan. The way that we respond to these issues reveals that we may be more conformed to the value system of the world than we realize.

                In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus made it very clear that God is more concerned about what is going on in our hearts than our actions, even though our actions are important.  This point was brought home clearly by God in 1 Samuel 16. God was directing Samuel to choose the next king of Israel to replace King Saul. Samuel was impressed by David’s older brothers, but God saw things differently. But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)

                God is much more concerned that our hearts are in the right place than that we take the “correct” stance on any current issue. How we respond to the issues of our day speaks volumes about where our heart really is. There are several ways that Satan has subtly manipulated us to conform to the pattern of this world. These have become fairly obvious during our recent period of social upheaval. Looks look at a couple of them.

                Satan has manipulated us into an attitude of rebellion instead of an attitude of submission. From the debates over wearing masks and taking vaccines to the insurrection over the outcome of the presidential election, we have seen many believers blatantly rebelling against submission to those in authority. Yet the Bible clearly tells us that we are to have an attitude of submission not rebellion. Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. Romans 13:1-2 (NIV) Keep in mind that when Paul wrote these words Nero was on the throne. No matter what we think about those who are currently in political leadership, we have a responsibility to submit to their authority.

                Satan has manipulated us into an attitude of hate and anger at those who are on the other side of the issues from us. That applies to both sides of the equation. Instead of treating others with respect, we vilify and condemn them. We feel justified in our “righteous anger” but our hearts are far from where God wants us to be. As it says in James 1:19-20, My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Jesus told us that if we are to be a follower of His, we need to change our attitude toward those who oppose us. "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, Matthew 5:43-44 (NIV)

                Satan has manipulated us into an attitude of combativeness. If there is anything that characterizes our world today it is that we are divided. We have bought into the “us vs them” attitude that so pervades our world. We create our little enclaves to protect ourselves and then we throw stones at all those who don’t fit into our group. Again, it doesn’t matter which side of the current debates you are on, we all share the same attitude. If you are not a part of my group, then you are my enemy and I must resist you. This is counter to what Jesus taught us. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus made it clear that even those who are different from us are our neighbor. As followers of Christ, we are called to be peace makers. We are to build bridges to those who are different from us, not walls to keep them out. As Paul says in Romans 12:18, If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

                The issues of our day are important, but how we respond to those issues is even more important. God wants us to be filled with grace and compassion, recognizing that every person has value in His eyes. He calls us to resist conforming to the patterns of this world by having our very mind transformed through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
Colossians 4:5-6 (NIV)