Posted on 01/24/2007 5:24:55 AM PST by Quix
Well, that's the point of this article, isn't it?
Yes it is. Just trying to help keep you stay on track.
Exactly! And so let me ask you...If someone could not even READ the Bible, could he or she STILL have a lasting eternal relationship with Christ.
Exactly! And so let me ask you...If someone could not even READ the Bible, could he or she STILL have a lasting eternal relationship with Christ.
= = =
Of course. Seems like a silly question, to me.
Perhaps you've heard of Saul aka Paul? He didn't have an MP3 player of Scripture; a Dake's reference Bible; a Thompson Chain nor even THE MESSAGE on the back side of the desert for 3 years.
My God is the same yesterday, today and forever.
Holy Spirit is NOT limited by lack of wood pulp and ink or lack of MP3 players.
Mercifully, He chooses, USUALLY to work through such . . . but not exclusively.
SAMUEL MORRIS and THE MARCH OF FAITH demonstrates Holy Spirit's capacity to speak Biblical truth into a soul directly. There have been many other examples.
Thankfully, folks have been led to Bible study and maturing of their faith through Bible study.
But God is not limited.
My God is NOT in a tidy little limited box.
He can convey His Biblical truth any number of diverse and miraculous ways DIRECTLY.
It is His mercy and grace THAT HE HAS INCLUDED US and mundane technologies to aid in the spread of His Gospel.
But He has been speaking His truth directly into hearts and minds, spirits and lives for many millenia.
He has NOT forgotten how.
LOL.
Whosoever will, may come.
Casting bread upon the waters is a good thing.
Amen. Exactly.
Ok, very good.
He can convey His Biblical truth any number of diverse and miraculous ways DIRECTLY.
Indeed! But what about when He seems to give different "truths" to different people so that good Christians seem to differ on important matters...pre-mil/post-mil...free will/predestination. How does that come about?
He can convey His Biblical truth any number of diverse and miraculous ways DIRECTLY.
Indeed! But what about when He seems to give different "truths" to different people so that good Christians seem to differ on important matters...pre-mil/post-mil...free will/predestination. How does that come about?
= = =
I used to whine a lot about that to Him.
Eventually, He led me to an understanding that I can only offer as my conviction . . .
1. He's God. He COULD have made the last jot and tittle abundantly, exceedingly, precisely clear. Evidently He chose not to.
2. What possible reason might He have had for being so sloppy on so many details?
3. Christ died to restore walk-in-the-garden-in-the-cool-of-the-evening-fellowship with DADDY.
4. Holy Spirit came to facilitate such dialogue.
5. Holy Spirit came to lead into all truth.
6. Christ made clear in many mentions of the pharisees that some things were hidden from some bad faith sorts of hearts and revealed to those with a true heart after God.
7. This is boot camp with many tests.
8. Scripture declares that He will have a tried people through many refiner's fires.
9. I don't think a lot of details matter as crucially to Daddy FOR US IN THIS DIMENSION AT THIS TIME as we think they do. Else He'd have made them more precisely clear. He's not handicapped in the MAKING CLEAR department or any other way.
10. Those who dig; pray; fast; seek His Face about truth--find Him at deeper and deeper levels. He seems to not only enjoy that but require it. And to require it IN DIALOGUE WITH HIM vs isolated distant study with ink and wood pulp.
11. Those who don't remain bickering children over tinker toys.
12. Those who do major in majors and minor in minors and love others who differ on minors (and even their enemies) as Christ and go on joyously closer to God together regardless.
Yeah, I think the petty bickering more than annoys God. I think it often outrages Him. And He will have a church in uinity of Spirit though probably not on all the petty details. But it's clearly going to be in His timing and His way. We don't have what it takes to force unity.
We still feel like murdering our brothers and sisters over their choice of sanctuary carpet colors.
12. Those who do major in majors and minor in minors and love others who differ on minors (and even their enemies) as Christ and go on joyously closer to God together regardless.
== =-=
Those who do dig truths out with God in deeper dialogue tend to major in majors and minor in minors and love others who differ . . .
Truly I believe those theological differences between us Christians all work together for the good and exist by the permissive will of God.
Jesus could have chosen twelve disciples with the personality of a John. But He gave us Peter, James, Thomas and so on - even Judas. Each of their personalities speak to us.
Likewise in the book of Revelation, the seven churches have different "personalities" - different challenges and such.
In this beautiful mix of colors and contrasts and Light, each Christian can find something that relates to himself on a deep, spiritual level.
The bottom line that holds it all together is that we first and above all else love God absolutely - and as a distant second, love our neighbor unconditionally. (Matt 22) All the law and the prophets "hang" on those two commandments, everything else is "details."
I think we're on the same page in this respect. You're brilliantly echoing an old old saying, I think of one of the Church Fathers:
"In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, diversity. And in all things, charity."
What's major and what's minor is where we get into the pickle jar, I think! ;)
Yes, and Amen! Fellowship is Sweet when we Gather Around our Savior and Make Him our Sole and Only Delight.
Ha! Having been on the decorating committee for our new addition a number of years ago and agonizing over carpet, I can feel your pain on that last one.
May God bless you both!
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