The Pascal Wager

One of the blogs I subscribe to is Cloud of Witnesses. A recurring post is “The Philosophical Word of the Day." Blaise Pascal was featured today. This reminded me of the conclusions I came to on the absurdity of the famous Pascal Wager.

I remember reading about the Pascal Wager during my first year of college. I was impressed by his reasoning and thought it was a good tool for apologetics. I even used it once or twice while witnessing.

While there are actually several corollaries to his argument, the most well known is his “wager” argument. Simple put, it consists of two choices (belief and unbelief). If you do not believe and are wrong you will suffer eternal punishment, but if you are right you will enjoy eternal happiness. So, it is in your best interest to believe because if you are wrong you do not loose anything, and if you are right you gain everything.

As you can see, this is primarily a practical argument. One that I believe has several shortcomings.

First, if you approach God on the basis of skepticism, will he not know? Your motives are insincere at best, and sincerity is an important if not a vital aspect of religion.

Secondly, this argument is for a belief in the “theos”. It does not help one know which religion to choose. Since the motive is based on pragmatism, why not be a pantheist polytheist? Better to worship everything, then to pick the wrong one and thereby anger the god(s) you are trying to please.

Lastly, this argument is only moderately effective for works based religions. It is worthless to Christianity. This is because Christianity is based on belief (faith) not works.

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Heb 11:6)

Salvation by grace is vital. There is nothing that we can do to be right before God. He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins so that we could be judicially righteous before Him.

Salvation does not occur through pragmatic belief. It can only be realized through sincere faith.
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Spirit Burns - Non-Experiential Views, Part One

There are many different views on Spirit baptism. Some are relatively similar while others are diametrically opposed to each other. While there many opinions on this subject, each view can be classified under two broad categories.

The first category deals with those who take Spirit baptism to be non-experiential. While several sub-categories are within this group, the unifying concept is that Spirit baptism is not experienced. Non-experientialists agree that a believer may be relieved from conviction or may have joy because of his sins being washed away, but this is not caused by Spirit baptism. Spirit baptism is therefore a positional truth and not an experiential truth (Walvoord, 146).

All non-experientialists agree that Spirit baptism occurs at salvation. Therefore, Spirit baptism is universal of all saved believers and is never repeated. The technical nature of Spirit baptism, though, is debated among non-experientialists and falls into two groups.

1.) Spirit Baptism is Distinct to Salvation

The first argues that Spirit baptism is different than salvation. It is an event that occurs at the moment of regeneration but is still distinct.

For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. (1Co 12:13)

Thus, Spirit baptism occurs simultaneously with regeneration but is distinguished. In this verse, Spirit baptism is linked with the placing of a believer into the body of Christ. Therefore, it is argued that Spirit baptism is decidedly different.

2.) Spirit Baptism is Synonymous with Salvation

The second non-experiential view holds that the baptism of the Spirit is equivalent to salvation. Cyrus Harvey in his book, The Baptism of the Holy Spirit for Salvation, defines Spirit baptism as one of many different expressions in the New Testament that represent a change of condition from “nature to grace.” Grudem states this even more clearly. “Baptism in the Holy Spirit,’ therefore, must refer to the activity of the Holy Spirit at the beginning of the Christian life when he gives us new spiritual life (in regeneration) and cleanses us and gives a clear break with the power and love of sin (the initial stage of sanctification). In this way ‘baptism in the Holy Spirit’ refers to all that the Holy Spirit does at the beginning of our Christian lives (768).”

Bibliography

Grudem, Wayne. Systematic Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1994

Harvey, Cyrus. The Baptism of the Holy Spirit for Salvation. Wichita, KS: 1906

Walvoord, John J. The Holy Spirit. 3rd ed. Findlay, OH: Dunham Publishing, 1958.

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