Jacob
2007-08-21 02:56:47 UTC
Truth is getting compromised more and more, as time goes on. Many
compromise it by mixing it with error so that while the final message
has a semblance of truth it actually leads people astray. One example
is in the use of the word 'God' and 'faith' in Him. In the world that
worships a variety of gods, including inanimate objects, animals,
people, demons, mythological beings and abstract concepts such as
'force', 'influence', and 'power', the Christian concept of God as a
Person who is present everywhere, all knowing, all powerful, holy,
loving, and the only One is offensive to many. One reason why people
don't like Him is because He is holy and they are held accountable to
Him (Ro.14:12). The second is that Jesus claimed to the only way to
God the Father, thereby negating every other claim to godhood (Jn.
14:6;Acts.4:12). But is this a point on which Christians can afford to
compromise, by agreeing with the 'opposition' or keeping quiet?
It isn't enough just to have faith. It's also important to ensure that
what we believe is true. If we believe in, worship and follow a "God"
and we finally discover at the end that we were mistaken, wouldn't
that be the biggest mistake that we could have made? That is, if God
is as Christians believe He is, and He has revealed Himself and His
love to us through His Son Jesus and requires each of us to give an
account of ourselves to Him on the final judgment day, can we afford
to make a mistake about our faith in God?
Of course every man or woman has the right to choose for themselves
what they want to believe. We respect that right. We cannot force
anyone to agree with us or follow us. But at the same time, we can't
be expected to agree with everyone else about their concept of God, or
respect them. For example, we respect the right of people to believe
that the moon is made of cheese. But we would not respect that
belief.
At the same time, just the fact that we believe in the true God does
not make us superior to others who believe differently. We know that
it was God's mercy to us that caused us to believe, and that we are no
different in ourselves from others. What makes us different is Christ
in us, working in us to make us more and more godly in our character
and behaviour. (It goes without saying that if there is no difference
in these, we need to examine the reality of our faith). One of the
things that people need to see in us is humility, that accepts others
for what they are, and shows them love and kindness as much as we are
able.
We can't get to know God by our own thinking, because He is the One
who created us and is thus far beyond our understanding. But God has
revealed Himself to us through the Bible. Once we humbly surrender
ourselves to Him, He also gives us understanding and experience that
strenghten our faith in Him. Then we are convinced that what the Bible
says is true and that God has inspired the words of the Bible.
http://www.c-n-c.org
compromise it by mixing it with error so that while the final message
has a semblance of truth it actually leads people astray. One example
is in the use of the word 'God' and 'faith' in Him. In the world that
worships a variety of gods, including inanimate objects, animals,
people, demons, mythological beings and abstract concepts such as
'force', 'influence', and 'power', the Christian concept of God as a
Person who is present everywhere, all knowing, all powerful, holy,
loving, and the only One is offensive to many. One reason why people
don't like Him is because He is holy and they are held accountable to
Him (Ro.14:12). The second is that Jesus claimed to the only way to
God the Father, thereby negating every other claim to godhood (Jn.
14:6;Acts.4:12). But is this a point on which Christians can afford to
compromise, by agreeing with the 'opposition' or keeping quiet?
It isn't enough just to have faith. It's also important to ensure that
what we believe is true. If we believe in, worship and follow a "God"
and we finally discover at the end that we were mistaken, wouldn't
that be the biggest mistake that we could have made? That is, if God
is as Christians believe He is, and He has revealed Himself and His
love to us through His Son Jesus and requires each of us to give an
account of ourselves to Him on the final judgment day, can we afford
to make a mistake about our faith in God?
Of course every man or woman has the right to choose for themselves
what they want to believe. We respect that right. We cannot force
anyone to agree with us or follow us. But at the same time, we can't
be expected to agree with everyone else about their concept of God, or
respect them. For example, we respect the right of people to believe
that the moon is made of cheese. But we would not respect that
belief.
At the same time, just the fact that we believe in the true God does
not make us superior to others who believe differently. We know that
it was God's mercy to us that caused us to believe, and that we are no
different in ourselves from others. What makes us different is Christ
in us, working in us to make us more and more godly in our character
and behaviour. (It goes without saying that if there is no difference
in these, we need to examine the reality of our faith). One of the
things that people need to see in us is humility, that accepts others
for what they are, and shows them love and kindness as much as we are
able.
We can't get to know God by our own thinking, because He is the One
who created us and is thus far beyond our understanding. But God has
revealed Himself to us through the Bible. Once we humbly surrender
ourselves to Him, He also gives us understanding and experience that
strenghten our faith in Him. Then we are convinced that what the Bible
says is true and that God has inspired the words of the Bible.
http://www.c-n-c.org