As humans we've been given the ability to think and converse and as such we are the highest of the animals. This is our biggest downfall as well as our greatest privilege.
As my closest friends will know I love to argue - I don't mean fight or abuse, just a good old-fashioned debate, I love to win! I try to use that passion to evangelise, to debate truth and I think that in itself is a gift. It helps me to research and come up with better answers to other people's many questions. The process of research, answering questions and debating issues has helped me to think through my own truth and decide what I actually believe.
I've come to the conclusion that everyone has that longing for truth to some degree and that is the gift God has given us - to reason, to decide, to discuss. The freedom of thought and speech should never be underestimated. The freedom of free-will is such a privilege and I feel God was very generous in giving that to us. Being a slight control freak I can't imagine giving complete control over to something or someone I had created! But that is love.
And that's why I love leading 18-30s - the random questions that come out of that group are amazing and its such a privilege. I love debating real issues with that group. The issue of free-will came up in conversation a couple of weeks ago, the idea that free-will should be taken away from some people when they commit sins so atrocious. We discussed that when a prayer is said for help in a horrible situation, God has to ignore that plea if it goes against someone else's free will. If that person is determined to commit the sin, God has to honour that; He has to respect free will.
That doesn't seem fair but I imagine it must be God's sadness everyday to see sin occurring and not to step in.
It reminds me of the C.S.Lewis book 'The Problem with Pain'. Lewis writes of this dilemma, writing that humans created objects like knives and hammers; it is our choice what we choose to do with these things. God cannot allow us to cut food with a knife one day and stop us using a knife to kill someone the next.
I think God is that great magnet that pulls us towards truth but I suppose some people resist a little too much.
Dear beloved of the Lord, God created us not among the animals, so we are not the highest among them but above them in all our ways. To include us with animals is part of evolutionist worldview not biblical worldview.
ReplyDeleteFor the longest time I too enjoyed a good debate and was on debate teams at several churches and where I worked, but the older I get the less I desire such things. It is a gift and I pray the Lord blesses you with many opportunities to use it. Like the Apostle Paul I learned that most debates do not change people’s convictions, except one, that of Christ alone, Jesus crucified.
Over the years I learned like Paul to keep the debates on Christ and Him crucified, due to the fact that most debates did not result in a changed choice because it was not centered on evangelism, but other points of our believe system, so it is with great joy that I encourage you to continue to evangelize the gospel in such a manner.
When we are forced to use the information we collect from the Bible or other resources that substantiates Scriptures, it only reinforces them in our own mind and convictions. What I have found is the Scripture is right in that some people exchange the truth for lies and with their conscience seared they no longer desire truth and will turn on you, as they did on those who were beaten and ran in fear for their lives.
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The Word of God tells us there is evil in the world and far too often; it resides in the hearts of some people. I have seen evil in ways that still raises the hair on the back of my neck. Any read on the website of the voice of the martyrs will let you know of the evil without seeing it.
ReplyDeleteThe reason God gave us free will was because He wanted it to be a choice, not by force. It is the difference between Christianity and some other religions, which convert by the sword. It is why the enemy of our soul wants to silence the free will choice. It is not about love but righteous judgment of God.
We humans often put love in the place of righteous judgments because we think with our feelings instead of reason with Biblical precepts and concepts. I had to learn this because I often made that mistake and often felt what I mistakenly believed to be condemnation was not.
God does not ignore any plea and to teach such is wrong. God will help us through any such situation. I have starred into the barrow of a gun and faced the point of a knife. I had to walk through those times and was angry with God for it for a time. As a child when I was repeatedly sexually abused for 12 years and it did not stop, I was angry with God for it. God grieved just as much as I did and could not stop evil because then He would have to take away free will.
The cause is the lack of preaching accountability to God and others; plus the lack of those willing to hold other to accountability. My father was a deacon of a church and years later I found out the elders know about the sexual abuse but did not remove my father from his position, why. It is not God who is ignoring the pleas but mankind.
When God’s people no longer preach law to the proud (un-regenerated hearts) there is no fear of judgment for sin. This is the truth that has to be heard, our sin nature condemns us to the judgment of eternal separation from God and Christ took that judgment. It is only by a free will choice to accept the cross and the sacrifice that this judgment is removed but commands we live as living sacrifices as our duty.
God gave us the creative gifts of knives, guns and hammers, etc. to be useful tools, the devil will take anything of God and try to make it evil, what is good will be taken as evil and what is bad will be taken as good in the hearts of those who desire by free will to do evil.
God bless you for your youth group, in some ways my heart is jealous for I am no longer able to do that or the blog for health has caused me to have to pull back from the things I love to do. The “At Home Journal” will be closing down, do to the fact that even this comment here being typed is very painful.
My voice is going, my hands are declining, my nerves have had a lot of use, my mind is just not as sharp, guess it is my time to bow out gracefully to a younger generation. Illness causes isolation and many seniors suffer such. I am blessed to have a daughter who lives with me and takes care of me, but many seniors are totally alone. Please take your youth group to help the seniors that live alone.
Goodbye from Mrs. J. and At Home Journal, God bless you beloved of the Lord.
Thank you for your comment and I'm very sorry for all the evil and suffering that has happened to you.
ReplyDeleteYou have made many valid points and I agree with you in many ways. I did not mean that God does not help those people who suffer at the hands of others, just that He cannot remove the suffering if that person has chosen to act in that way.
Our group is woefully thin on outward expressions of our love for God so I will definitely take the suggestion on board.
Thank you for your lovely comments and I will continue to pray for you.
God bless you and thank you for your great blog posts.