Psalms 34:4-7 (ANIV)
4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.
6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.
Verse 5 is fantastic, especially for those of us who all too readily accept the enemies’ accusations that we somehow do not measure up to the perfection we THINK is expected of us. Our society “demands” that we are this or that; that we perform flawlessly; that we measure up & juggle all the balls well & with a smile plastered on our faces at all times! But really it is the quiet whispered accusations of the enemy of our souls who keeps laying expectations upon our overloaded backs until we creak under the strain.
His goal is not to perfect us, but to break us.
Of course we “hear” his accusations in the first person; “I should do better”, “I didn’t do that very well”, “I should shape up & be more like, x,y,z”. But accusations “heard” in our imaginations in the first person are from Satan.
We HAVE to resist his insidious accusations... But how do we do that?
God’s word is powerful to the pulling down of strongholds. We must rely on what the Word of God says, not the whispered, poisonous warped words of the enemy, which are designed to knock us down & keep us down... sometimes with our own absent-minded consent.
2 Corinthians 10:5 (ANIV) says, ‘We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.’
I rather like the Message version of that scripture which reads, ‘We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ.’
‘powerful God-tools’ = The Bible; the Word of God, which speaks the truth to us at all time. Rely on what we KNOW God has said, through the Bible, not on our own thoughts which are so variable, wavering & subject to outside influence.
‘...for smashing warped philosophies’, that’s a GREAT way of describing the evil, soul-destoying accusations of Satan!
Psalms 34:5 reminds us (& boy, do we need daily reminders!!!) ‘Those who look to him [God] for help WILL be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.’ That verse reminds us that DESPITE all the fears, insecurities & ideas that we don’t measure up; that we’re not good enough, the FACT is, that Jesus MAKES us sinless, such that we do not have to accept the enemies accusations any more.
We need to learn to disregard ANY thought that accuses us; disregard ANY thought that says we don’t measure up; disregard ANY thought that says we don’t perform well enough. Any “voice” that says these things to you is not “for” you, but against you.
God loves you...
don’t gloss over that 3 word sentence without REALLY dwelling on it & realising the truth of it. If God loves you, then He ISN’T going to accuse you. God has paid far too high a price (in the death of Jesus) to accuse you & “put you down”. That’s not what God is about AT ALL. Any & all performance anxiety you face never comes from God, it is an accusation from the enemy of our souls. After all, Jesus described his yoke as easy & his burden as light, right? (see Matthew 11:30)
The FACT is, the death & resurrection of Jesus the Christ is MORE THAN ENOUGH sacrifice to remove ANY & ALL sin from our souls. The work of Jesus REMOVES any claim Satan has over us any more. The cross of Jesus IS ENOUGH to save us.
So don’t listen to that small inner “voice” that accuses you. The Holy Spirit DOESN’T accuse, He CONVICTS. There is a BIG, fundamental difference between accusation & conviction.
We need to learn the difference, then we ‘ll correctly identify the source of the “voice”, every time.
If anyone (outside or inside) accuses you, then they are not speaking God’s Word in love... so disregard at once!
Keep your shield of faith up at all times.
Psalms 34:5 reminds us, ‘Those who look to him [God] for help WILL be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.’ That means that never, ever will God accuse us, & therefore, never EVER do we have to accept shame. We ARE free of all shame - that is our on-going condition, even if we don’t feel like that is true. Just because we don’t feel it, that doesn’t change the fact that, through Jesus, we ARE free of all condemnation, accusation & shame.
So don’t accept that thought-accusation - kick it into touch! It isn’t from God, so you don’t have to accept it.
Remember: the shield of faith is there for your defence: use it.
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Tuesday, 26 February 2013
Friday, 22 February 2013
The tiny/huge step: needing faith like a child
I have just been reading about the life of Thomas Aquinas, sent to me as an article regularly by BibleGateway (BibleGateway@e.biblegateway.com). He wrote extensively & compiled his Summa Theologica, which was the most comprehensive treatise on theology ever written (at that time, in the late 13th Century.)
What grabbed my attention was the assertion that Aquinas proved the existence of God with his "Five Ways", a sequence of logical thought progression... I was intrigued by that, so I looked up the "Five Ways" on Google; it proved to be an interesting read.
(source: http://web.mnstate.edu/gracyk/courses/web%20publishing/aquinasfiveways_argumentanalysis.htm).
Then I noticed 4 articles down the list on Google an atheist article entitled, “Refuting the five ways of Aquinas” (Source: http://patas.co/articles/opinion/refuting-the-five-ways-of-aquinas/)
Although the arguments against Aquinas seem not very well constructed (a bit like this sentence!) I took the point that for every logical argument FOR God’s existence, there is an equal logical argument AGAINST God’s existence.
I think there will always be arguments for & against the existence of God. We quote from astronomy, cosmology, evolution, logical reason, quantum physics, etc, etc, & use these mental frameworks to bolster our own beliefs; to uphold the positions we have already adopted, either in support of our assertion that God exists, or, using exactly the same evidence (!) in support of our assertion that God does not exist!
For me, the only logical conclusion is that logical argument is INCAPABLE of proving God’s existence in either direction. It seems to me that logical reasoning & logical rationalism is a “tool” incapable of actually shedding any light on the subject of God’s existence or non-existence. As I have explained in other blogs, I believe that we human beings are bound into a temporal, physical cosmos, with physical cause & effect, & therefore can not use observable data from within that cosmos to assert anything about a being who may or may not dwell outside that cosmos.
We can tie ourselves up in knots by trying to find evidence either for or against the existence of God. The pursuit of either seems to be never-ending, & there appears to be no single piece of irrefutable evidence either way. As a Christian I am left to wonder if perhaps that is exactly what God intended!
”For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.”
Jesus the Christ shed some light on the whole subject of how to approach (the kingdom of) God, in Luke 18:15-17 (NLT), which says, ‘15 One day some parents brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But when the disciples saw this, they scolded the parents for bothering him. 16 Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. 17 I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” ‘
Jesus himself says that we need to approach the kingdom of God as a child. And that unless we do, we will not enter it.
What does that mean?
I think he was saying that our adult thinking, which seems to always require evidence & proof before we are prepared to enter into something, is simply UNABLE to help us to enter the kingdom of God. I don’t think Jesus was saying it is wrong to have a questioning mind. Questions are good! I don’t think Jesus was saying that critical thinking doesn’t have some value in certain situations. As anyone who has children, or works with children will know, children ask a LOT of questions! Would Jesus have been cross with the many questions he would have been asked by children (& adults alike) - No, I think not. The Bible doesn’t show Jesus ever getting angry with anyone who had genuine questions for him.
Atheists & the search
I’m not trying to “bash” atheists in my blog writings. All of our questions from ANY viewpoint or stance, are really our attempts to try to uncover the truth, to discover what is REAL & what is RELIABLE. So an atheists’ questions are as important & invaluable in uncovering the truth about the universe as anyone elses. An atheist is a person who has simply not found enough compelling evidence to switch from not believing in God to the reverse position. If that is you, then simply be happy in your current assertions. But please, do make sure you have weighed up all the alternative positions. Please don’t let someone else’s thoughts bias your own thinking: examine the arguments for yourself. Find your own position, don’t just adopt someone else’s.
That said, I pray to my God that you will find that the atheist position is not really the “end game position” but is, in fact, the “starting position”... obviously we are all atheists before we believe in God! I hope you will come to see that what you are looking for (THE answer) is not found in unbelief at all. I pray that you will find the lasting peace, security & hope we all want. We just have to be honest in our own hearts & minds, about that search. But, of course, I believe you will only really find that answer & position, in Jesus the Christ. I can’t help but pray to my God, that you will find the lasting peace, lasting hope & eternal meaning that we all seek.
The limited scope of logic & reason
When it comes to the kingdom of God (& therefore God & His existence) I do believe that Jesus was asserting that logic & reason was incapable of catapulting us from unbelief into belief. I think Jesus was alluding to the position that any amount of logical thinking, reasoning, & the adult’s need for proof before agreement & adoption of an alternative lifestyle, would be UTTERLY incapable of taking us from unbelief in God to belief in God. I think that is why it is impossible to “prove”, either way, using logical & reason, that God either exists or does not.
What then is required?
Two quotes from Bible commentaries are useful here, please note, I have put the key words (as I perceive them!) in upper case letters, to draw your attention to them:
‘In these words Jesus was stating that a person must come to Him in HUMILITY in order to enter the kingdom. Children come with EXPECTATION and EXCITEMENT. They come realizing that they are NOT SUFFICIENT in themselves. They DEPEND totally on others. If these same attitudes are not present in adults, they can never enter into the kingdom.’
(Source: The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty.)
‘Jesus explained that little children have the kind of faith and trust needed to enter the Kingdom of God. Anyone of any age who exhibits their kind of faith and trust is PROMISED access to Jesus and to the Kingdom. Children represent the essence of discipleship, coming to Jesus in humility and receiving his blessing as a GIFT. Unless we can completely TRUST in God, we will never get into the Kingdom of God.’
(Source: Life Application New Testament Commentary.)
There are some great points about the attitude we need to have, if we want to enter into the kingdom of God. And it seems to depend on attitude more than anything else.
Taking these points, it seems we need HUMILITY in order to enter the kingdom of God. Pride & arrogance will not get us there. Pride is exhibited in believing that we can do it ourselves. Self-help books are, by definition, reliant on me: my efforts to improve myself; my efforts to “fix” myself. Jesus explains that we simply are not able to work our way back to a perfect, unsoiled, spotless condition.
Romans 3:23 (NLT) states, ‘For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.’
No matter how hard we try, WE can not undo our wrong-doing. Of course, an atheist may not believe in their own wrong-doing. But if we are truly honest with ourselves, we can all look back on a less-than-perfect past performance in our own lives. No matter how small the error, we have all done wrong.
In the commentary quote above, the words NOT SUFFICIENT & DEPEND (or dependent) stand out: because the wise person realises that they are simply not able to repair their own damaged lives, no matter how hard they try. We try to fix ourselves with bigger & better jobs, cars, houses, & other “stuff”, but none of it brings real, lasting contentment. To the atheist: simple denial of your condition does not change it, however hard you try to think yourself into a better state of being. It is very frustrating, I know, but the truth is we are incapable of fixing ourselves, & the only person who can repair our damaged, broken lives is the person you don’t want to believe in: Jesus the Christ. That is the truth. And I simply want to point you in that direction, because Jesus loves you, no matter what you may have done in your past. It is love that wins us back to Jesus from the atheistic starting position we all begin with.
EXPECTATION and EXCITEMENT, these are two very notable characteristics of children!
And I think Jesus wants us (adults) to have the same child-like expectancy & excitement when we want to encounter God. In truth, I think we all have needs & from the believers side of the fence, I can tell you that all our needs can be met & are met, when we chose to believe in Jesus the Christ. Atheists have needs, just like everyone else, but unlike a Christian, those needs can not be met if you “growl” & “bite” the loving hand of Jesus which is constantly extended to you, & in which all your deepest needs are met.
The kingdom of God is PROMISED & is a GIFT, freely given to anyone & everyone who wants it.
TRUST is required: the simple, uncomplicated trust of a child.
It is not a problem to God that we have tons of questions, He welcomes our questions. Indeed, our curiosity & questioning minds have carried us forward into technical advances & devising new break-throughs which benefit us all. God knows, questions are useful tools for us!
But... if our questions stand in the way of us believing in God, or getting to know God, then just how useful are those questions? As adults, we often say that we will only believe in God & Jesus if He proves Himself to us; if He appears to us: thereby asserting that “seeing is believing.” But it isn’t! We see yet still we refuse to believe. The same evidence put forward by an atheist to assert that God does not exist (quoting from the sciences, logical thoughts, micro-biology, etc) can be used by a Christian to assert the exact opposite: that because of that evidence God does exist!
Coming back to the two articles I read at the beginning of this blog, it seems to me that we can always find supporting arguments for our positions. It isn’t hard to find them. But in the end we have to ask ourselves what we REALLY want?...
Do we want to shake off the worries & concerns of our own past performance?
Do we want to exceed our own experiences?
Do we want to be content?
Do we want to be truly confident?
Do we want to be excited by the future instead of fearing or dreading it?
Lifting up my eyes
I don’t know about you, but I have found that all the reasoning, logic, rational thought, sciences, etc that I have studied have not brought that result. However, I can report that when I focus my attention on the love & nature of Jesus the Christ, then contentment comes my way.
When I lift my eyes up from my problems & look to Jesus, then those problems shrink to their real size, & my Saviour, & his kingdom become more “real” than the problems. That is not denial of my situation: the problems do exist! It’s just that God can & does go to work on them with me, & together, we will solve each & every one of them.
I’m living proof that God can “speak” to anyone, & bring them into his kingdom. I am the lowest & the least likely of people to have become a Christian, yet here I am! Talk about having doubts - that’s me! Talk about trying to hang on to science, astronomy, philosophy, any other comforting mental cushion - that’s me! But none of that man-made stuff has ever really, truly brought me comfort, peace, confidence or excitement about my past, present & future.
But Jesus the Christ, in his infinite patience, kindness & love, is coaxing me onwards, ever more gradually forwards, into His kingdom. He is SO patient with my doubting, uncertain, quivering-like-a-jelly faith! He is so patient when I run away from anything I don’t like the look of! He is so kind & loving & encouraging. God “jumps for joy” at my least, tiny, hesitant step of faith, like the proud Father in heaven He really is!
If God is like that to me, then He can be just like that & more so, to you.
What do we truly believe?
In the end I believe we all face the BIG question: what do I truly believe. I have come to realise that belief is a choice, rather than a response to any evidence that we might put forward. I hope I’ve shown that all so-called evidence can be viewed in either way: as “proof” for, or against the existence of God. In the end, what is required is a step of faith: if you want to believe in Jesus, then it is only a matter of asserting that you choose to believe in Him.
For me, on the “having already decided to believe in Jesus” side of the fence, I can report that everything changes, & improves, once you do make that choice. Yes, your problems remain, but there is peace, contentment, & power to overcome, which we did not have before that decision.
I think Jesus showed intense & searing wisdom when He said, ‘For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.’ That statement effectively strips away all the logical arguments, all the adult “Show-me-proof-before-I’ll-belive” attitudes.
For me, Jesus & the Bible are both Real & Reliable.
All that is really required is simply a desire to believe. God answers our deepest, most endearing, most urgent questions... but only if we choose to approach Him in a child’s humility & with a child’s faith. Will you put your faith in this amazing Saviour Jesus the Christ?
Additional information:
Here’s an interesting article I just found focussing on what it might mean to have Faith like a little child. It’s well worth a read.
“What did Jesus mean by ‘Faith like a little child’? Dawkins on curiosity.”
http://sntjohnny.com/front/what-did-jesus-mean-by-faith-like-a-little-child-dawkins-on-curiosity/365.html
What grabbed my attention was the assertion that Aquinas proved the existence of God with his "Five Ways", a sequence of logical thought progression... I was intrigued by that, so I looked up the "Five Ways" on Google; it proved to be an interesting read.
(source: http://web.mnstate.edu/gracyk/courses/web%20publishing/aquinasfiveways_argumentanalysis.htm).
Then I noticed 4 articles down the list on Google an atheist article entitled, “Refuting the five ways of Aquinas” (Source: http://patas.co/articles/opinion/refuting-the-five-ways-of-aquinas/)
Although the arguments against Aquinas seem not very well constructed (a bit like this sentence!) I took the point that for every logical argument FOR God’s existence, there is an equal logical argument AGAINST God’s existence.
I think there will always be arguments for & against the existence of God. We quote from astronomy, cosmology, evolution, logical reason, quantum physics, etc, etc, & use these mental frameworks to bolster our own beliefs; to uphold the positions we have already adopted, either in support of our assertion that God exists, or, using exactly the same evidence (!) in support of our assertion that God does not exist!
For me, the only logical conclusion is that logical argument is INCAPABLE of proving God’s existence in either direction. It seems to me that logical reasoning & logical rationalism is a “tool” incapable of actually shedding any light on the subject of God’s existence or non-existence. As I have explained in other blogs, I believe that we human beings are bound into a temporal, physical cosmos, with physical cause & effect, & therefore can not use observable data from within that cosmos to assert anything about a being who may or may not dwell outside that cosmos.
We can tie ourselves up in knots by trying to find evidence either for or against the existence of God. The pursuit of either seems to be never-ending, & there appears to be no single piece of irrefutable evidence either way. As a Christian I am left to wonder if perhaps that is exactly what God intended!
”For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.”
Jesus the Christ shed some light on the whole subject of how to approach (the kingdom of) God, in Luke 18:15-17 (NLT), which says, ‘15 One day some parents brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But when the disciples saw this, they scolded the parents for bothering him. 16 Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. 17 I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” ‘
Jesus himself says that we need to approach the kingdom of God as a child. And that unless we do, we will not enter it.
What does that mean?
I think he was saying that our adult thinking, which seems to always require evidence & proof before we are prepared to enter into something, is simply UNABLE to help us to enter the kingdom of God. I don’t think Jesus was saying it is wrong to have a questioning mind. Questions are good! I don’t think Jesus was saying that critical thinking doesn’t have some value in certain situations. As anyone who has children, or works with children will know, children ask a LOT of questions! Would Jesus have been cross with the many questions he would have been asked by children (& adults alike) - No, I think not. The Bible doesn’t show Jesus ever getting angry with anyone who had genuine questions for him.
Atheists & the search
I’m not trying to “bash” atheists in my blog writings. All of our questions from ANY viewpoint or stance, are really our attempts to try to uncover the truth, to discover what is REAL & what is RELIABLE. So an atheists’ questions are as important & invaluable in uncovering the truth about the universe as anyone elses. An atheist is a person who has simply not found enough compelling evidence to switch from not believing in God to the reverse position. If that is you, then simply be happy in your current assertions. But please, do make sure you have weighed up all the alternative positions. Please don’t let someone else’s thoughts bias your own thinking: examine the arguments for yourself. Find your own position, don’t just adopt someone else’s.
That said, I pray to my God that you will find that the atheist position is not really the “end game position” but is, in fact, the “starting position”... obviously we are all atheists before we believe in God! I hope you will come to see that what you are looking for (THE answer) is not found in unbelief at all. I pray that you will find the lasting peace, security & hope we all want. We just have to be honest in our own hearts & minds, about that search. But, of course, I believe you will only really find that answer & position, in Jesus the Christ. I can’t help but pray to my God, that you will find the lasting peace, lasting hope & eternal meaning that we all seek.
The limited scope of logic & reason
When it comes to the kingdom of God (& therefore God & His existence) I do believe that Jesus was asserting that logic & reason was incapable of catapulting us from unbelief into belief. I think Jesus was alluding to the position that any amount of logical thinking, reasoning, & the adult’s need for proof before agreement & adoption of an alternative lifestyle, would be UTTERLY incapable of taking us from unbelief in God to belief in God. I think that is why it is impossible to “prove”, either way, using logical & reason, that God either exists or does not.
What then is required?
Two quotes from Bible commentaries are useful here, please note, I have put the key words (as I perceive them!) in upper case letters, to draw your attention to them:
‘In these words Jesus was stating that a person must come to Him in HUMILITY in order to enter the kingdom. Children come with EXPECTATION and EXCITEMENT. They come realizing that they are NOT SUFFICIENT in themselves. They DEPEND totally on others. If these same attitudes are not present in adults, they can never enter into the kingdom.’
(Source: The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty.)
‘Jesus explained that little children have the kind of faith and trust needed to enter the Kingdom of God. Anyone of any age who exhibits their kind of faith and trust is PROMISED access to Jesus and to the Kingdom. Children represent the essence of discipleship, coming to Jesus in humility and receiving his blessing as a GIFT. Unless we can completely TRUST in God, we will never get into the Kingdom of God.’
(Source: Life Application New Testament Commentary.)
There are some great points about the attitude we need to have, if we want to enter into the kingdom of God. And it seems to depend on attitude more than anything else.
Taking these points, it seems we need HUMILITY in order to enter the kingdom of God. Pride & arrogance will not get us there. Pride is exhibited in believing that we can do it ourselves. Self-help books are, by definition, reliant on me: my efforts to improve myself; my efforts to “fix” myself. Jesus explains that we simply are not able to work our way back to a perfect, unsoiled, spotless condition.
Romans 3:23 (NLT) states, ‘For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.’
No matter how hard we try, WE can not undo our wrong-doing. Of course, an atheist may not believe in their own wrong-doing. But if we are truly honest with ourselves, we can all look back on a less-than-perfect past performance in our own lives. No matter how small the error, we have all done wrong.
In the commentary quote above, the words NOT SUFFICIENT & DEPEND (or dependent) stand out: because the wise person realises that they are simply not able to repair their own damaged lives, no matter how hard they try. We try to fix ourselves with bigger & better jobs, cars, houses, & other “stuff”, but none of it brings real, lasting contentment. To the atheist: simple denial of your condition does not change it, however hard you try to think yourself into a better state of being. It is very frustrating, I know, but the truth is we are incapable of fixing ourselves, & the only person who can repair our damaged, broken lives is the person you don’t want to believe in: Jesus the Christ. That is the truth. And I simply want to point you in that direction, because Jesus loves you, no matter what you may have done in your past. It is love that wins us back to Jesus from the atheistic starting position we all begin with.
EXPECTATION and EXCITEMENT, these are two very notable characteristics of children!
And I think Jesus wants us (adults) to have the same child-like expectancy & excitement when we want to encounter God. In truth, I think we all have needs & from the believers side of the fence, I can tell you that all our needs can be met & are met, when we chose to believe in Jesus the Christ. Atheists have needs, just like everyone else, but unlike a Christian, those needs can not be met if you “growl” & “bite” the loving hand of Jesus which is constantly extended to you, & in which all your deepest needs are met.
The kingdom of God is PROMISED & is a GIFT, freely given to anyone & everyone who wants it.
TRUST is required: the simple, uncomplicated trust of a child.
It is not a problem to God that we have tons of questions, He welcomes our questions. Indeed, our curiosity & questioning minds have carried us forward into technical advances & devising new break-throughs which benefit us all. God knows, questions are useful tools for us!
But... if our questions stand in the way of us believing in God, or getting to know God, then just how useful are those questions? As adults, we often say that we will only believe in God & Jesus if He proves Himself to us; if He appears to us: thereby asserting that “seeing is believing.” But it isn’t! We see yet still we refuse to believe. The same evidence put forward by an atheist to assert that God does not exist (quoting from the sciences, logical thoughts, micro-biology, etc) can be used by a Christian to assert the exact opposite: that because of that evidence God does exist!
Coming back to the two articles I read at the beginning of this blog, it seems to me that we can always find supporting arguments for our positions. It isn’t hard to find them. But in the end we have to ask ourselves what we REALLY want?...
Do we want to shake off the worries & concerns of our own past performance?
Do we want to exceed our own experiences?
Do we want to be content?
Do we want to be truly confident?
Do we want to be excited by the future instead of fearing or dreading it?
Lifting up my eyes
I don’t know about you, but I have found that all the reasoning, logic, rational thought, sciences, etc that I have studied have not brought that result. However, I can report that when I focus my attention on the love & nature of Jesus the Christ, then contentment comes my way.
When I lift my eyes up from my problems & look to Jesus, then those problems shrink to their real size, & my Saviour, & his kingdom become more “real” than the problems. That is not denial of my situation: the problems do exist! It’s just that God can & does go to work on them with me, & together, we will solve each & every one of them.
I’m living proof that God can “speak” to anyone, & bring them into his kingdom. I am the lowest & the least likely of people to have become a Christian, yet here I am! Talk about having doubts - that’s me! Talk about trying to hang on to science, astronomy, philosophy, any other comforting mental cushion - that’s me! But none of that man-made stuff has ever really, truly brought me comfort, peace, confidence or excitement about my past, present & future.
But Jesus the Christ, in his infinite patience, kindness & love, is coaxing me onwards, ever more gradually forwards, into His kingdom. He is SO patient with my doubting, uncertain, quivering-like-a-jelly faith! He is so patient when I run away from anything I don’t like the look of! He is so kind & loving & encouraging. God “jumps for joy” at my least, tiny, hesitant step of faith, like the proud Father in heaven He really is!
If God is like that to me, then He can be just like that & more so, to you.
What do we truly believe?
In the end I believe we all face the BIG question: what do I truly believe. I have come to realise that belief is a choice, rather than a response to any evidence that we might put forward. I hope I’ve shown that all so-called evidence can be viewed in either way: as “proof” for, or against the existence of God. In the end, what is required is a step of faith: if you want to believe in Jesus, then it is only a matter of asserting that you choose to believe in Him.
For me, on the “having already decided to believe in Jesus” side of the fence, I can report that everything changes, & improves, once you do make that choice. Yes, your problems remain, but there is peace, contentment, & power to overcome, which we did not have before that decision.
I think Jesus showed intense & searing wisdom when He said, ‘For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.’ That statement effectively strips away all the logical arguments, all the adult “Show-me-proof-before-I’ll-belive” attitudes.
For me, Jesus & the Bible are both Real & Reliable.
All that is really required is simply a desire to believe. God answers our deepest, most endearing, most urgent questions... but only if we choose to approach Him in a child’s humility & with a child’s faith. Will you put your faith in this amazing Saviour Jesus the Christ?
Additional information:
Here’s an interesting article I just found focussing on what it might mean to have Faith like a little child. It’s well worth a read.
“What did Jesus mean by ‘Faith like a little child’? Dawkins on curiosity.”
http://sntjohnny.com/front/what-did-jesus-mean-by-faith-like-a-little-child-dawkins-on-curiosity/365.html
Wednesday, 20 February 2013
Be reconciled... what’s that?!
How do I know that God loves us?
The Bible is God’s response to that question. But just looking at one little part of the answer; the apostle Paul wrote in the book of Romans on this subject...
Romans 5:8-11 (ANIV) - ‘8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10 For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. ’
The first verse states clearly how absolutely certain we can be that God loves each & every one of us: But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Whilst I was still sin-soaked, still separated from God by an enormous gulf of wrong-doing, Jesus died on the cross, to reconcile me to God. God didn’t require me to take the first step - I couldn’t, because my own wrong-doing prevented me from getting to God. Instead, Jesus paid for all my sin, & so opened up the way for me to get to God.
A dictionary definition of the word “reconciled”:
1. To reestablish a close relationship between, as in marriage: The estranged couple reconciled after a year.
2. To settle or resolve.
3. To bring (oneself) to accept: He finally reconciled himself to the change in management.
4. To make compatible or consistent: reconcile my way of thinking with yours.
5. To become compatible or consistent: The figures would not reconcile.
(Source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/reconciled)
The word reconcile sounds a bit formal, or legal, but when you look at the description, it reveals the depth & incredible scope of the meaning involved: to settle differences & BRING BACK into close relationship, like a marriage. To become COMPATIBLE OR CONSISTENT, to fit together properly once more.
Wow! When put like that we can see that God’s plan to reconcile us to Himself is anything but cold & legal, it is full of passion, desire & deep love: God wants us to believe in Him, come back to Him, trust & love Him. From that reconciled position, we can have an on-going, ever deepening relationship with the Creator God, moving from closer to still closer friendship - amazing! I want that... how about you?
The Bible is God’s response to that question. But just looking at one little part of the answer; the apostle Paul wrote in the book of Romans on this subject...
Romans 5:8-11 (ANIV) - ‘8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10 For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. ’
The first verse states clearly how absolutely certain we can be that God loves each & every one of us: But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Whilst I was still sin-soaked, still separated from God by an enormous gulf of wrong-doing, Jesus died on the cross, to reconcile me to God. God didn’t require me to take the first step - I couldn’t, because my own wrong-doing prevented me from getting to God. Instead, Jesus paid for all my sin, & so opened up the way for me to get to God.
A dictionary definition of the word “reconciled”:
1. To reestablish a close relationship between, as in marriage: The estranged couple reconciled after a year.
2. To settle or resolve.
3. To bring (oneself) to accept: He finally reconciled himself to the change in management.
4. To make compatible or consistent: reconcile my way of thinking with yours.
5. To become compatible or consistent: The figures would not reconcile.
(Source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/reconciled)
The word reconcile sounds a bit formal, or legal, but when you look at the description, it reveals the depth & incredible scope of the meaning involved: to settle differences & BRING BACK into close relationship, like a marriage. To become COMPATIBLE OR CONSISTENT, to fit together properly once more.
Wow! When put like that we can see that God’s plan to reconcile us to Himself is anything but cold & legal, it is full of passion, desire & deep love: God wants us to believe in Him, come back to Him, trust & love Him. From that reconciled position, we can have an on-going, ever deepening relationship with the Creator God, moving from closer to still closer friendship - amazing! I want that... how about you?
The “Perfect” Tool in the toolbox
You have a favourite tool in your toolbox. You prefer to use that tool. You love to use that tool. You get such a high from using that tool that you use it to the exclusion of all other possible tools. Besides, “everyone else” only ever uses that tool, & they can’t all be wrong, right?! You grew up using that tool. All your school teachers & university professors told you that this one tool was the ONLY tool for the job, ANY job. In fact, they sneered if you even mentioned any other tool. They told you repeatedly that no other tool was up to the job; no other tool would ever out perform the One Tool! They told you that you were silly, uneducated, pathetic, if you DIDN’T use the One tool.
So now, naturally, you only ever use that one tool in your tool box, even when the job at hand calls for a completely different tool!
What is the “Perfect” Tool in your toolbox? Hellenistic thinking, Greek thinking. Logic & reason. Science as the only viable answer. We call it the Western mind-set.
I’m not pouring scorn on the One tool, the Western mind-set. I use it a lot myself! It’s a great tool, & no mistake.
BUT... it’s NOT the only tool in the toolbox. There are others.
Are there any alternatives to the One tool?
Are there any other tools in the toolbox?
What might some of the other tools be?
Abstract thought. Poetry. Nonsense poetry. The Hebrew (Hebraic) mind set. Australian Aborigine thinking. Actually there are a lot of alternative mind sets & ways of thinking other than the Western mind-set.
The Bible is largely written from a Hebrew (Hebraic) mind set, so reading it with a Greek (Western) mindset may not bring out all the subtle language inflections originally intended.
1 Corinthians 1:21-23 (NLT) - ‘Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom [Greek thinking - MY added], he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles [Greeks] say it’s all nonsense.’
These verses show WHY to those who insist on remaining within Greek thinking mode, the preaching of Christ crucified appears to be nonsense: it requires something OTHER THAN Greek thinking (logic, reason, science) to fully appreciate the “foolishness” of the Gospel. It requires another tool in the toolbox: FAITH.
Hebrews 11:1 (ANIV) - ‘Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.’
The Greek mind set is only comfortable with, & believes in, what we can see, taste, touch, hear, etc. That which is unseen, mysterious, un-provable, is rejected as nonsense in Greek thinking. Hence the death of a man on a cross as a means to save me from my sins sounds foolish to the Greek (Gentile) mind.
But the Lord God has granted us the gift (tool) of faith, to take us BEYOND merely the provable & observable. Faith enables us to move, be & do things that the Greek (Gentile) mind would not believe as being possible.
Questions to ask yourself.
Do you want to live your entire life using only one tool?
Do you want to live your life tied exclusively to the One tool?
Do you actually want to live your life within the straightjacket of the One tool?
There is so much more to experience in this life, but that requires deliberately putting the one tool of Greek thinking (the Western mindset) down, & picking up another tool instead.
The One tool of Greek thinking is DEEPLY ingrained in the western mind set. Our education systems have used that One tool for centuries, we are soaked in it, so it is not easy to give up something we have been using all our lives. But God can give us faith, & a different mind set, a different experience, if we ask Him for it.
There are many dusty, long-forgotten, foreign, unused, unusual, mysterious tools available.
Do we trust these others tools? If we do, we can start to use them, if we don’t we won’t.
Faith is another tool in the toolbox... a great one to use!
Faith is something which is antithetical to Greek thinking. But Faith is a gift from God, which we can possess in bucket loads, if we simply ask God for that gift!
Hebrews 11:6 (ANIV) - ‘And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.’
This verse shows that faith is the means by which we recognise the existence of God, & the means by which we approach God & operate in ways that please Him. In turn, God rewards those people who deliberately use their faith to earnestly seek him.
I’m aware that I am beginning to use Greek thinking again, in the construction of these sentences: one built on the arguments presented in previous sentences! Greek thinking is clearly well ingrained in us all! However, I pray that God will grant you the mysterious & powerful gift of FAITH, which transcends Greek thinking & can take you to places you have only dreamed of.
So now, naturally, you only ever use that one tool in your tool box, even when the job at hand calls for a completely different tool!
What is the “Perfect” Tool in your toolbox? Hellenistic thinking, Greek thinking. Logic & reason. Science as the only viable answer. We call it the Western mind-set.
I’m not pouring scorn on the One tool, the Western mind-set. I use it a lot myself! It’s a great tool, & no mistake.
BUT... it’s NOT the only tool in the toolbox. There are others.
Are there any alternatives to the One tool?
Are there any other tools in the toolbox?
What might some of the other tools be?
Abstract thought. Poetry. Nonsense poetry. The Hebrew (Hebraic) mind set. Australian Aborigine thinking. Actually there are a lot of alternative mind sets & ways of thinking other than the Western mind-set.
The Bible is largely written from a Hebrew (Hebraic) mind set, so reading it with a Greek (Western) mindset may not bring out all the subtle language inflections originally intended.
1 Corinthians 1:21-23 (NLT) - ‘Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom [Greek thinking - MY added], he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles [Greeks] say it’s all nonsense.’
These verses show WHY to those who insist on remaining within Greek thinking mode, the preaching of Christ crucified appears to be nonsense: it requires something OTHER THAN Greek thinking (logic, reason, science) to fully appreciate the “foolishness” of the Gospel. It requires another tool in the toolbox: FAITH.
Hebrews 11:1 (ANIV) - ‘Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.’
The Greek mind set is only comfortable with, & believes in, what we can see, taste, touch, hear, etc. That which is unseen, mysterious, un-provable, is rejected as nonsense in Greek thinking. Hence the death of a man on a cross as a means to save me from my sins sounds foolish to the Greek (Gentile) mind.
But the Lord God has granted us the gift (tool) of faith, to take us BEYOND merely the provable & observable. Faith enables us to move, be & do things that the Greek (Gentile) mind would not believe as being possible.
Questions to ask yourself.
Do you want to live your entire life using only one tool?
Do you want to live your life tied exclusively to the One tool?
Do you actually want to live your life within the straightjacket of the One tool?
There is so much more to experience in this life, but that requires deliberately putting the one tool of Greek thinking (the Western mindset) down, & picking up another tool instead.
The One tool of Greek thinking is DEEPLY ingrained in the western mind set. Our education systems have used that One tool for centuries, we are soaked in it, so it is not easy to give up something we have been using all our lives. But God can give us faith, & a different mind set, a different experience, if we ask Him for it.
There are many dusty, long-forgotten, foreign, unused, unusual, mysterious tools available.
Do we trust these others tools? If we do, we can start to use them, if we don’t we won’t.
Faith is another tool in the toolbox... a great one to use!
Faith is something which is antithetical to Greek thinking. But Faith is a gift from God, which we can possess in bucket loads, if we simply ask God for that gift!
Hebrews 11:6 (ANIV) - ‘And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.’
This verse shows that faith is the means by which we recognise the existence of God, & the means by which we approach God & operate in ways that please Him. In turn, God rewards those people who deliberately use their faith to earnestly seek him.
I’m aware that I am beginning to use Greek thinking again, in the construction of these sentences: one built on the arguments presented in previous sentences! Greek thinking is clearly well ingrained in us all! However, I pray that God will grant you the mysterious & powerful gift of FAITH, which transcends Greek thinking & can take you to places you have only dreamed of.
Thursday, 10 January 2013
We walk by faith, not by sight
I encountered this phrase in some on-line preaching the other day, “we walk by faith & not by sight” & it seemed to be used to justify a message of sucess & prosperity for us modern Christians. I wondered if that was what the phrase originally meant. He’s my findings, observations & conclusions:
2 Corinthians 5:6-7 (AMP)
6 So then, we are always full of good and hopeful and confident courage; we know that while we are at home in the body, we are abroad from the home with the Lord [that is promised us]. 7 For we walk by faith [we regulate our lives and conduct ourselves by our conviction or belief respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, with trust and holy fervour; thus we walk] not by sight or appearance.
2 Corinthians 5:7 (ANIV)
7 We live by faith, not by sight.
2 Corinthians 5:7 (NLT)
7 For we live by believing and not by seeing.
2 Corinthians 5:6-8 (MSG)
6 That's why we live with such good cheer. You won't see us drooping our heads or dragging our feet! Cramped conditions here don't get us down. They only remind us of the spacious living conditions ahead. 7 It's what we trust in but don't yet see that keeps us going. 8 Do you suppose a few ruts in the road or rocks in the path are going to stop us? When the time comes, we'll be plenty ready to exchange exile for homecoming.
When I looked at a commentary to find out what was meant, it said this:
‘What sustained Paul was the realization that this was a temporary and transitory state (2 Cor. 4:18). He focused not on present but on future conditions, not on the seen but the unseen. To live this way is to live by faith, not by sight. It is to live in light of ultimate rather than immediate realities (cf. Rom. 8:24-25), to be obedient to God’s commands despite the hardships that obedience produces (e.g., 2 Cor. 11:23-29). Such was Paul’s life. If the choice were his, he would have seized the opportunity to depart this pilgrimage life and take up residence (be at home) with the Lord (Phil. 1:21-23). But the constraints of his commission caused him to press on (cf. Phil. 1:24; Eph. 3:1-13).’
(source: The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty.)
Can we legitimately quote this verse to say that we will have success & prosperity in our lives? I’m sure I’ve heard some Christians say that “We live by faith, not by sight” & go to use that as a justification for expecting success & prosperity to come to them. They say we can expect success & have prosperity when we live by faith & not by sight. But is that what this verse is actually saying?
And that question opens up the question of interpreting what we read in the Bible.
How can we be sure that we are reading a verse or chapter correctly... as it was originally meant to be read? The answer may be in the context. Taking a verse out of context & just reading it on it’s own can be misleading for us. So, in order to understand what Paul was actually saying in this verse, we need to read the previous & next few verses; to examine the whole chapter perhaps. Then, once we know the context, we can be more certain that we understand what Paul was actually writing about.
So, what was Paul writing about?
In the previous chapter Paul was writing about determination in fearlessly preaching the Gospel of Jesus the Christ & concludes that what we see on earth is only temporary, but unseen things are eternal. In chapter 5, Paul continues by writing a comparison between living on earth in our mortal bodies, & living in heaven with eternal, imperishable bodies. He even says that one purpose of the Holy Spirit within us is to give us a little taste of what heaven will be like. Paul’s writing (chapter 5, verses 1-10) builds up towards the day of Judgement, concluding that we will receive a ‘reward’ depending on what we have done in our earthly bodies: who we have lived for.
So, can we legitimately appropriate verse 7 “We live by faith, not by sight”, to mean that we will have success & prosperity whilst we live on earth? Is Paul writing about success & prosperity whilst we live on earth within these verses & chapter?
When I read it, Paul is writing a comparison between life on earth & life in heaven. In verse 6 Paul writes, ‘So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord.’ To me, that speaks of the tension that exists between living here on an imperfect, sinful earth in mortal bodies when compared to what it will be like when we are clothed in a new, eternal body in a perfect, sinless heaven. That sounds like spiritual tension to me!
Verse 8, says ‘Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.’ And verse 9 says that our goal (whether on earth or in heaven) is to please the Lord.
So, it seems to me that Paul isn’t writing a ‘prosperity on earth’ message in verse 7. Therefore, to use verse 7 in that way, to justify a “success & prosperity on earth” message seems a ‘stretch’ at the very least.
The danger of taking a verse out of context.
There is a ‘danger’ of taking one verse, out of context, & applying it to a different situation. If a verse when read in context means one thing, then it would be daft to try to use that verse out of context, to ‘twist’ it to say something that the author never meant when it was originally written. Interpretation is a rather subjective thing!
Then again, we believe that the Holy Bible is living & active, & that multiple meanings can be applied to the scriptures. Certainly God is quite capable of getting us to notice a verse & to ‘speak’ to us about it, in terms of a different situation, condition or meaning. In this way, the verse we read CAN have multiple meanings.
Can we interpret the Bible, based on the character of God, as revealed in the Bible?
Another ‘angle’ would be to ask what the Lord God is like, as a person, & what He might want from us, or to give to us. It seems to me that the Bible DOES INDEED promise lots of good things for us. I don’t think it is beyond the realms of reason to interpret the Bible in that God wants to bless us with success & prosperity. Although someone else will always point to Jesus Himself saying, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33 (ANIV) ) There are other verses where Jesus, the prophets & the apostles spoke/wrote of trials, difficulties & hard times that we should expect as Christians.
I suppose I am trying to figure out here what we can legitimately expect in our Christian life. On the one hand we have the promises of God in the Bible & the “success & prosperity” preaching of modern Christians. On the other we have the Bible, Jesus, prophets & apostles talking about trials & facing hardships, difficulties, even death, as we live out our Christian lives.
Maybe that is why it is so important to get to know the character & nature of God, because in situations where your interpretation of what you read in the Bible can ‘take you’ to one place (positivity) or the other (negativity), in the end, your interpretation can be based on what you think about the character & nature of God: either He is your rescuer & is ultimately for you & will grant you success & prosperity, or He is for you, but situations & circumstances that are worldly, difficult & tough to overcome will inevitably come into your life.
Which will we encounter, success & prosperity, or trials & tribulations? I think we will probably encounter both!
I think the Bible ‘proves’ that God is for us. So that ought to give us confidence. But even though God is definitely FOR us, we also need to realise that this fact won’t stop bad things happening to us in this earthly life. And even some of those bad things are a result of us being in close fellowship with the Lord, i.e. persecution due to our Christianity.
Personal goal
I just want to know the truth. That’s what I’m interested in knowing. What is God saying to me, at the time I am reading a particular verse in the Bible?
I’m not trying to be clever when I talk about reading a verse in context. My motive is to get to know the truth.
I need to be wise enough to read any given verse in context, but I also need to have faith that God can use any given verse to mean what ever He wants it to mean, in all the times & situations of my life.
Conclusions:
1) God is for us. He is our rescuer, advocate & helper in times of trouble. I think the Bible ‘proves’ that this is so.
2) God wants to prosper us & give us success.
3) We will be tried, tested, face difficulties & may even be persecuted due to our faith in Jesus the Christ.
4) We will face problems, hassles, ‘aggro’, & issues that make us flip! Bad things do happen to good people. But that doesn’t mean that God isn’t for us 100%, or that the world is out of His control.
2 Corinthians 5:6-7 (AMP)
6 So then, we are always full of good and hopeful and confident courage; we know that while we are at home in the body, we are abroad from the home with the Lord [that is promised us]. 7 For we walk by faith [we regulate our lives and conduct ourselves by our conviction or belief respecting man's relationship to God and divine things, with trust and holy fervour; thus we walk] not by sight or appearance.
2 Corinthians 5:7 (ANIV)
7 We live by faith, not by sight.
2 Corinthians 5:7 (NLT)
7 For we live by believing and not by seeing.
2 Corinthians 5:6-8 (MSG)
6 That's why we live with such good cheer. You won't see us drooping our heads or dragging our feet! Cramped conditions here don't get us down. They only remind us of the spacious living conditions ahead. 7 It's what we trust in but don't yet see that keeps us going. 8 Do you suppose a few ruts in the road or rocks in the path are going to stop us? When the time comes, we'll be plenty ready to exchange exile for homecoming.
When I looked at a commentary to find out what was meant, it said this:
‘What sustained Paul was the realization that this was a temporary and transitory state (2 Cor. 4:18). He focused not on present but on future conditions, not on the seen but the unseen. To live this way is to live by faith, not by sight. It is to live in light of ultimate rather than immediate realities (cf. Rom. 8:24-25), to be obedient to God’s commands despite the hardships that obedience produces (e.g., 2 Cor. 11:23-29). Such was Paul’s life. If the choice were his, he would have seized the opportunity to depart this pilgrimage life and take up residence (be at home) with the Lord (Phil. 1:21-23). But the constraints of his commission caused him to press on (cf. Phil. 1:24; Eph. 3:1-13).’
(source: The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty.)
Can we legitimately quote this verse to say that we will have success & prosperity in our lives? I’m sure I’ve heard some Christians say that “We live by faith, not by sight” & go to use that as a justification for expecting success & prosperity to come to them. They say we can expect success & have prosperity when we live by faith & not by sight. But is that what this verse is actually saying?
And that question opens up the question of interpreting what we read in the Bible.
How can we be sure that we are reading a verse or chapter correctly... as it was originally meant to be read? The answer may be in the context. Taking a verse out of context & just reading it on it’s own can be misleading for us. So, in order to understand what Paul was actually saying in this verse, we need to read the previous & next few verses; to examine the whole chapter perhaps. Then, once we know the context, we can be more certain that we understand what Paul was actually writing about.
So, what was Paul writing about?
In the previous chapter Paul was writing about determination in fearlessly preaching the Gospel of Jesus the Christ & concludes that what we see on earth is only temporary, but unseen things are eternal. In chapter 5, Paul continues by writing a comparison between living on earth in our mortal bodies, & living in heaven with eternal, imperishable bodies. He even says that one purpose of the Holy Spirit within us is to give us a little taste of what heaven will be like. Paul’s writing (chapter 5, verses 1-10) builds up towards the day of Judgement, concluding that we will receive a ‘reward’ depending on what we have done in our earthly bodies: who we have lived for.
So, can we legitimately appropriate verse 7 “We live by faith, not by sight”, to mean that we will have success & prosperity whilst we live on earth? Is Paul writing about success & prosperity whilst we live on earth within these verses & chapter?
When I read it, Paul is writing a comparison between life on earth & life in heaven. In verse 6 Paul writes, ‘So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord.’ To me, that speaks of the tension that exists between living here on an imperfect, sinful earth in mortal bodies when compared to what it will be like when we are clothed in a new, eternal body in a perfect, sinless heaven. That sounds like spiritual tension to me!
Verse 8, says ‘Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.’ And verse 9 says that our goal (whether on earth or in heaven) is to please the Lord.
So, it seems to me that Paul isn’t writing a ‘prosperity on earth’ message in verse 7. Therefore, to use verse 7 in that way, to justify a “success & prosperity on earth” message seems a ‘stretch’ at the very least.
The danger of taking a verse out of context.
There is a ‘danger’ of taking one verse, out of context, & applying it to a different situation. If a verse when read in context means one thing, then it would be daft to try to use that verse out of context, to ‘twist’ it to say something that the author never meant when it was originally written. Interpretation is a rather subjective thing!
Then again, we believe that the Holy Bible is living & active, & that multiple meanings can be applied to the scriptures. Certainly God is quite capable of getting us to notice a verse & to ‘speak’ to us about it, in terms of a different situation, condition or meaning. In this way, the verse we read CAN have multiple meanings.
Can we interpret the Bible, based on the character of God, as revealed in the Bible?
Another ‘angle’ would be to ask what the Lord God is like, as a person, & what He might want from us, or to give to us. It seems to me that the Bible DOES INDEED promise lots of good things for us. I don’t think it is beyond the realms of reason to interpret the Bible in that God wants to bless us with success & prosperity. Although someone else will always point to Jesus Himself saying, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33 (ANIV) ) There are other verses where Jesus, the prophets & the apostles spoke/wrote of trials, difficulties & hard times that we should expect as Christians.
I suppose I am trying to figure out here what we can legitimately expect in our Christian life. On the one hand we have the promises of God in the Bible & the “success & prosperity” preaching of modern Christians. On the other we have the Bible, Jesus, prophets & apostles talking about trials & facing hardships, difficulties, even death, as we live out our Christian lives.
Maybe that is why it is so important to get to know the character & nature of God, because in situations where your interpretation of what you read in the Bible can ‘take you’ to one place (positivity) or the other (negativity), in the end, your interpretation can be based on what you think about the character & nature of God: either He is your rescuer & is ultimately for you & will grant you success & prosperity, or He is for you, but situations & circumstances that are worldly, difficult & tough to overcome will inevitably come into your life.
Which will we encounter, success & prosperity, or trials & tribulations? I think we will probably encounter both!
I think the Bible ‘proves’ that God is for us. So that ought to give us confidence. But even though God is definitely FOR us, we also need to realise that this fact won’t stop bad things happening to us in this earthly life. And even some of those bad things are a result of us being in close fellowship with the Lord, i.e. persecution due to our Christianity.
Personal goal
I just want to know the truth. That’s what I’m interested in knowing. What is God saying to me, at the time I am reading a particular verse in the Bible?
I’m not trying to be clever when I talk about reading a verse in context. My motive is to get to know the truth.
I need to be wise enough to read any given verse in context, but I also need to have faith that God can use any given verse to mean what ever He wants it to mean, in all the times & situations of my life.
Conclusions:
1) God is for us. He is our rescuer, advocate & helper in times of trouble. I think the Bible ‘proves’ that this is so.
2) God wants to prosper us & give us success.
3) We will be tried, tested, face difficulties & may even be persecuted due to our faith in Jesus the Christ.
4) We will face problems, hassles, ‘aggro’, & issues that make us flip! Bad things do happen to good people. But that doesn’t mean that God isn’t for us 100%, or that the world is out of His control.
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