Questions are in vogue. They make us feel humble and submissive. We are seeking, asking, knocking. We are on our knees. But answers can make us seem arrogant. They have the potential to splinter us into even more denominations. And what if we're wrong . . . ? How can a man ever comprehend God? If we could somehow wrap our mind around him, wouldn't that belittle him? I would much rather just sit in the wonder of him, saturating in the mystery, absorbing each subtle thrill of curiosity and awe. Isn't that what worship is? But God created humans with spirits specifically that we might know him. Imagine me connecting with my wife the way we tend to connect with God: "Laurie, you are a woman. I could never comprehend you (there is some truth to that). Just let me catch a glimpse of your beauty. Just let me feel your presence next to me on the couch. I don't expect you to speak to me, you have already written letters to me in the past. But if you do, I will write your words in a diary and treasure them. Your body is made up of so many complex systems---internal organs, muscles, tendons, and molecules---I could never understand you fully. I just want to bask here in your glory. I just want to imagine the day I'll really be able to know you . . ." Now I realize that Laurie and I are both humans, and God and man are different, but I believe that God created man that he might have fellowship with him just as fully as Jesus had fellowship with his disciples. Yes, it means that we have to learn how to connect with him in more subtle ways than speech and facial expressions. But those means are fully available to everyone who has been made alive in Christ. I don't have to understand God's omnipresence to know that he is with me. I don't have to understand God's omnipotence to rest safely in him. I don't have to understand God's love to embrace it. Should my children keep me at an "honorable" arms-length because they don't know how to drive a car or pay the mortgage? Should I keep Laurie at an "honorable" arms-length because we have different anatomies? If God gave his people a Holy Spirit to "guide them into all truth," why do we keep God at an "honorable" arms-length and generally resort to knowing him through Bible study, our pastors, and our brains? Obviously, I am generalizing here, which is dangerous. There are many Christians that have vibrant relationships with God. But I'm thinking about the general trends of our Church today. The fact that we have so many questions and so few answers is a sad testament to our times. It is like a body that was so enamored with the mystery of the brain that it rejected the nervous system, preferring the humility of paralysis to the arrogance of life and function. Do you agree? Disagree? What do you see happening in the church?
About Me
- John Barnts
- If you would like to get on a Frank Update e-mail list, send your request to johnb(at)villagechristian.org. You may also use that address for private questions or comments.
6 comments:
I think that last paragraph is a perfect analogy.
"We have the mind of Christ." What do we do with that if we are meant for arms-length? Is it like Steve Martin, storing brains in another vessel?
Right on Frank -
Jesus says in John 5:39&40 "You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me; and you are unwilling to come to Me, that you may have life."
It is no coincidence that He often calls us "sheep" [and sometimes "goats"] Herds that just blindly follow whomever the shepherd we choose to lead us wherever he [or she] chooses. I think most people are lazy and so self obsorbed that they don't even know they are just following their shepherd when they could be knowing Jesus "the Shepherd of our soul" Its comfortable to just sit in church [or watch TV church] and just beleive whatever we are told and claim that as our "religion".
Religious leaders are doing the same thing by following each others great new ideas ie: emerging church, evangelism explosion, church growth seminars, etc.. all for the sake of "growing churches" not growing in the knowledge of Christ.
Read the Bible YES, FOR SURE, but let the Holy Spirit be your final interperator and guide.
What is happening today is written about in 2 Peter 3:17-18 refering to the events preceeding The Coming Day of The Lord. You would really need to read the whole of chapter 3 to get the full message but these verses sum it up as well as summing up what is happening in the church today.
"You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard lest, being carried away by the error of unprincipled men, you fall form your own steadfastness, BUT grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. AMEN
Anonymom
I know what you mean. I really think I do keep God at arm's length, but it's not so much because I want it that way. It's more because I don't really know how to be close to God, to actually put my life in his hands. It seems too abstract to feel like a normal relationship. And I totally agree about the questions thing, I just don't know how to find answers a lot of the time. Or how to find really dependable answers. I think this circles back to my relational problem...I never know how to for sure find out God's answer to my questions. It seems like it's more or less a guessing game a lot of the time.. I dunno.
The Old Covenant of the Law still intimidates us. We need to remember that the Old Covenant is obsolete and God has written the law on our hearts. The marriage model is very much in effect. There are times when it gets rough
and personal; and it is the love, not the rules, that holds things together.
The book of Jonah has much insight into a relation with God. The book of Job gets into some of the philosophical ramblings that we are prone to.
Rick
Frank,
There is a "History Channel" program, on end times prophecy, that actually revealed a couple of stumbling blocks. The point was made that all predictions of the return of Christ have failed. Miller, and the Great Disappointment, were detailed. The program actually featured church leaders making the point that the Bible states that Christ does not even know when He will return. The program also questioned the establishment of the nation of Israel as a marker of end times events.
The point is that the Bible is very specific about the return of Christ being impossible to predict. Yes, it will happen. No, the time and season is unknown except to the Father. How did Miller miss all of the clear statements that the return could not be predicted? How did thousands of Miller's followers miss all the clear statements that the return could not be predicted? And, The Great Disappointment occurred over 100 years before Israel became a nation.
Jonestown, Waco, and Heavens Gate continue the toll of tragedies built on ignorance. Ignorance does not honor God and can be very dangerous. So, what do Christmas and the Doctrine of the Trinity have in common? Are we ready to examine what the Bible says about this, or wait for a History Channel program?
Rick
Our ability to rationalize our lack of understanding and knowing God is limitless. This all begins with he belief that we are separate from God and our sub-conscious desire to remain separate from God.
When we were created we were created in Heaven, which is in God. Believing we can be "saved" and go to heaven is tantamount to believing we left heaven at some time in our past. In our minds, we did, but in reality we did not. Remember the story of the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve tried to hide from God because of their disobedience? Well, we are still trying to hide from God. The witness to our feeble attempt to hide can be found in our claims that God could create a world that bears no resemblance to Him. If we hold to our concept of God, which is all we have, God is Love and He is an omnipotent, omniscience, omnipresent, eternal being. Omnipresent means God is present in all things in all places. This means that we are a part of Him. But if we are a part of God then how can we be something that dies and turns to dust since God is an eternal Being? How can the world, the planets, and the universe be something that will eventually decay and turn to nothing? And how can evil be present in the mind of God? All of these things are impossible because there can be nothing outside of God. There cannot be a place or thing outside of God. And since God is Love, He cannot create anything but that which is Love. So where does all this world and all of its evil, decay, sickness, fear and hatred exist? Can God's will be anything other that what He is?
If you believe that God is present in this world that we see and that He had anything to do with the creation of this world, and that He causes things to happen or not to happen, then you are attempting to weaken God and make Him something He is not. And we do this because we think our hiding place is secure and that we have become more powerful than God. We have become so powerful that we can kill something that God created. Such foolish thoughts.
Post a Comment