praise_yeshua
Well-known member
A challenge of perspective.....
How many times in your life have you heard the words "I didn't know". I have heard it many many times in my life. From many many different people. When spoken with sincerity, those words should produce empathy in us. There is not a one of us that hasn't been deceived. I realized I was decieved very early after I became a Christian, I began to mistrust most everything I heard someone insisted was true. I've made it a point since to try and know the facts and circumstances of what I was being told. Fast forward......I believe this is the very intent of this life God has designed for us. It is a "training ground" so that we can learn to see ourselves in the "human condition" we all experience. We cannot know ourselves without the assistance of God. We can't. As much as you would like to think you can, you need His mind. You need His perspective. One of the first things that must happen to a human being is to realize that they "don't know" nearly as much as they think they know. Add the fact that it takes years of experiencing the limitations and suffering of this life to understand that this is a fundamentally aspect of seeking God. We have to learn that we just "don't know"....... so many things. I could go on and on but I want to start this thread with a challenge of perspective.
Two individuals sincerely admit they do not know something that is potential very dangerous and impactful to their long term health and life. This lack of knowledge both of them share will ultimately end up with massive suffering and eventually take their lives...... You can't stop it. You can't even deaden the pain and suffering of these individuals..... I'm talking about an unquantifiable duration of pain and suffering for the solution to only be death.
You still with me?
How do you feel toward these individuals? Do you long to be able to help them?
If you could help them, just what would you do?
Notice that I didn't ask "what wouldn't you do"......
Now imagine if you really cared about these individuals. Now imagine if ONLY one of them was your child......
I can't help but believe that your thoughts would change from "what would you do".... to "what wouldn't you do" based upon the simple fact it was one of your own children.
Therein comes "perspective".
How about we take this "perspective" and apply to the theology of Election.... or maybe the theology of "Limited Atonement"......
This is where theology meets realty. How you see (perspective) the qualities of Divinity/Deity. Some men insist that God doesn't care about anyone but His Own. They would like for you to believe that some are privileged while others are not. It is a challenge of perspective relative to how we form "idols" or embrace the One true God.
I believe I'll embrace "the real thing" instead of some imaginary idol..... Just how can we tell the difference?
Act 17:26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
Act 17:27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
Act 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
Act 17:29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
Act 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Act 17:31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
Unmistakably clear. Of one man's blood all the nations of the earth...... (Adam) The descendants of Adam all have hope in Jesus Christ.
The difference between idols and Jesus Christ.... is how God showed He loves us all. (Adam).
Rom 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
How many times in your life have you heard the words "I didn't know". I have heard it many many times in my life. From many many different people. When spoken with sincerity, those words should produce empathy in us. There is not a one of us that hasn't been deceived. I realized I was decieved very early after I became a Christian, I began to mistrust most everything I heard someone insisted was true. I've made it a point since to try and know the facts and circumstances of what I was being told. Fast forward......I believe this is the very intent of this life God has designed for us. It is a "training ground" so that we can learn to see ourselves in the "human condition" we all experience. We cannot know ourselves without the assistance of God. We can't. As much as you would like to think you can, you need His mind. You need His perspective. One of the first things that must happen to a human being is to realize that they "don't know" nearly as much as they think they know. Add the fact that it takes years of experiencing the limitations and suffering of this life to understand that this is a fundamentally aspect of seeking God. We have to learn that we just "don't know"....... so many things. I could go on and on but I want to start this thread with a challenge of perspective.
Two individuals sincerely admit they do not know something that is potential very dangerous and impactful to their long term health and life. This lack of knowledge both of them share will ultimately end up with massive suffering and eventually take their lives...... You can't stop it. You can't even deaden the pain and suffering of these individuals..... I'm talking about an unquantifiable duration of pain and suffering for the solution to only be death.
You still with me?
How do you feel toward these individuals? Do you long to be able to help them?
If you could help them, just what would you do?
Notice that I didn't ask "what wouldn't you do"......
Now imagine if you really cared about these individuals. Now imagine if ONLY one of them was your child......
I can't help but believe that your thoughts would change from "what would you do".... to "what wouldn't you do" based upon the simple fact it was one of your own children.
Therein comes "perspective".
How about we take this "perspective" and apply to the theology of Election.... or maybe the theology of "Limited Atonement"......
This is where theology meets realty. How you see (perspective) the qualities of Divinity/Deity. Some men insist that God doesn't care about anyone but His Own. They would like for you to believe that some are privileged while others are not. It is a challenge of perspective relative to how we form "idols" or embrace the One true God.
I believe I'll embrace "the real thing" instead of some imaginary idol..... Just how can we tell the difference?
Act 17:26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
Act 17:27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
Act 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.
Act 17:29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
Act 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Act 17:31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
Unmistakably clear. Of one man's blood all the nations of the earth...... (Adam) The descendants of Adam all have hope in Jesus Christ.
The difference between idols and Jesus Christ.... is how God showed He loves us all. (Adam).
Rom 8:32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
