All In All
"God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?" (Numbers 23:19).
The secret to worthwhile faith is figuring out whom we believe - God or man.
That is no easy job. For who among us has actually had a two way conversation with God? We pray but it is always one sided. We talk to God, He doesn’t talk back…does He?
What most people believe God has said comes from a man or women who claims to have spoken with God. If we have not heard from Him directly ourselves, we must then decide whether the person who is preaching to us has…or simply thinks he has…or is actually conning us knowing he hasn’t.
So what are you saying Robert?
Well, first of all I am saying I have NOT directly heard from God, and it is my conviction that I have NEVER met or listened to someone who has.
What I have done is to assume that God spoke to men of old, inspired to do so, and wrote down what God told them. And I am assuming that over time all that God wanted to say has been said and collected into a book we call the Bible.
“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness…for everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope.” (2 Timothy 3:16; Romans 15:4)
That does not mean God actually did it that way, but I have chosen to believe that is what happened. It puts limits on what I study, and allows me to ignore anyone else who claims to have a word from God.
I have placed my faith in that book not because it is true, but because I have chosen to believe it is true - although quite honestly I cannot prove it is true.
OK, now what?
The secret to worthwhile faith is figuring out whom we believe - God or man.
That is no easy job. For who among us has actually had a two way conversation with God? We pray but it is always one sided. We talk to God, He doesn’t talk back…does He?
What most people believe God has said comes from a man or women who claims to have spoken with God. If we have not heard from Him directly ourselves, we must then decide whether the person who is preaching to us has…or simply thinks he has…or is actually conning us knowing he hasn’t.
So what are you saying Robert?
Well, first of all I am saying I have NOT directly heard from God, and it is my conviction that I have NEVER met or listened to someone who has.
What I have done is to assume that God spoke to men of old, inspired to do so, and wrote down what God told them. And I am assuming that over time all that God wanted to say has been said and collected into a book we call the Bible.
“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness…for everything that was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope.” (2 Timothy 3:16; Romans 15:4)
That does not mean God actually did it that way, but I have chosen to believe that is what happened. It puts limits on what I study, and allows me to ignore anyone else who claims to have a word from God.
I have placed my faith in that book not because it is true, but because I have chosen to believe it is true - although quite honestly I cannot prove it is true.
OK, now what?
Well now I have to figure out what the Bible actually says. That is also no easy job and most people do not bother. But it has been an obsession for me and one of the ways I determine for myself what it says is whether in the end it gives “hope” for all mankind, not just a few folks.
It clearly does give me hope and peace, and thus was born my “random thoughts on the really good news”. My thoughts are written down with no expectations of people buying into them. Just food for thought.
Paul sums it up this “hope” I have this way in his great chapter on resurrection.
“But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive… so that God may be all in all.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-28)
God “All in all”.
Now that is a God worth placing my faith in, and committing my hope to!
"I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day...with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard the good treasure entrusted to you." (2 Timothy 1:12-14)
“But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive… so that God may be all in all.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-28)
God “All in all”.
Now that is a God worth placing my faith in, and committing my hope to!
"I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him for that day...with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Guard the good treasure entrusted to you." (2 Timothy 1:12-14)