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.