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#Post#: 3054--------------------------------------------------
Three acid tests?
By: Oneoff Date: September 6, 2015, 3:43 am
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Experience, plausibility, and the ‘inner voice’ are the three
factors that I am currently inclined to rely upon in my struggle
to resolve my own ‘instinctive’ faith in God.
For example, one of the things that ‘experience’ tells me, is
that there is no ‘stand apart’ class of people who are ‘born
again’ in the way that post Reformation Evangelicals claim.
Secondly, one of the things that plausibility tells me, is that
such as is pleasing and acceptable to God has to have remained
basically unchanged throughout the ages of man.
And thirdly one of the things that ‘the inner voice’ tells me,
is that whilst Jesus may well be the only ‘way, truth, and life’
for those who have heard what ‘we’ call the Gospel Message,
there just have to be other ‘ways’ for those myriads of mankind
who ‘die/have died’ without ever hearing that particular Gospel
Message. Although I have a problem when confronted by those who
have heard ‘our’ Gospel Message, but still choose to follow one
of the other ways chosen by those who have never heard ‘our’
Gospel message. Maybe the various ‘faiths’ (including
‘Christianity’) all come to God in a way that is acceptable to
God, albeit that they each detail their ‘way’ differently.
Giving credible consideration to “those myriads of mankind who
‘die/have died’ without ever hearing ‘our’ particular Gospel
Message” just has to be the central factor that, for me,
determines whether or not one’s faith passes both the
‘plausibility’ and the ‘inner voice’ tests. Apart from those few
who believe in Universal Reconciliation I have yet to find an
Evangelical Christian whose faith gives adequate consideration
to that factor (most don’t even give it a second thought).
#Post#: 3055--------------------------------------------------
Re: Three acid tests?
By: Kerry Date: September 7, 2015, 7:05 am
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[quote author=Oneoff link=topic=347.msg3054#msg3054
date=1441529024]
Experience, plausibility, and the ‘inner voice’ are the three
factors that I am currently inclined to rely upon in my struggle
to resolve my own ‘instinctive’ faith in God.
For example, one of the things that ‘experience’ tells me, is
that there is no ‘stand apart’ class of people who are ‘born
again’ in the way that post Reformation Evangelicals
claim.[/quote]
Experience says that; and the people who claim to be "born
again" can never answer the questions I ask them about Jesus'
conversation with Nicodemus. Their starting assumption is that
they know what it is and that Nicodemus was a dummy. I am
always suspicious of giving a text a self-congratulatory
interpretation. Notably they cannot explain where "born again"
is found in the Old Testament. How could Jesus expect
Nicodemus to know about it unless it was Old Testament material?
Secondly they can never explain why they can't move like the
wind as Jesus said those born again can do. Thirdly, they
seldom venture an opinion about what born of water and born of
Spirit means. Are those the same birth or are they two births?
They follow a vain tradition of men which does not relate to
reality and is not founded on a reasonable reading of the Bible.
[quote]Secondly, one of the things that plausibility tells me,
is that such as is pleasing and acceptable to God has to have
remained basically unchanged throughout the ages of
man.[/quote]This is common sense, I think, and should be known
by anyone with the "smallest grain" of faith. This statement
comes with the proviso, of course, that God may behave
differently depending on what men do in certain cases; but the
manner of adapting to man's behavior has to be consistent.
If God is capricious God, we are wasting our time talking or
thinking about God since we could not understand anything
about Him. He could be completely different tomorrow.
This does not prove that God never changes; but the theory that
He does is not worth investigating since it leads nowhere. The
only assumption that could lead anywhere is that God is
consistent.
And if common sense isn't enough, we can rely on Scripture too
which says God does not change. I would say any person should
be able to discern that God does not change; and when He reads
the Scripture which states that, he should recognize at once
that that passage is true. He does not "believe" it just
because it's written down. It is something which can be known;
and some things are known even if we never put the idea
together in our own heads.
[quote]And thirdly one of the things that ‘the inner voice’
tells me, is that whilst Jesus may well be the only ‘way, truth,
and life’ for those who have heard what ‘we’ call the Gospel
Message, there just have to be other ‘ways’ for those myriads of
mankind who ‘die/have died’ without ever hearing that particular
Gospel Message. Although I have a problem when confronted by
those who have heard ‘our’ Gospel Message, but still choose to
follow one of the other ways chosen by those who have never
heard ‘our’ Gospel message. Maybe the various ‘faiths’
(including ‘Christianity’) all come to God in a way that is
acceptable to God, albeit that they each detail their ‘way’
differently.[/quote]If we cab believe that God adapts His
actions according to those of men, then it is easy to believe
that various faiths are a response of Heaven to varying
conditions on earth. It would be tedious indeed if everyone
thought alike. Variety is the spice of life; and if we believe
in God as Creator, we should believe He likes variety when we
see how varied life forms are.
I think of the spiritual hierarchy as resembling a tree. There
is a main trunk; but then there are various branches and smaller
branches on those. We may not perceive all the connections
because of our limited viewpoint; but the only tragedy is not
being "connected" to this Tree of Life. If we are severed,
then we must be grafted back on. Where we each as individuals
belong in the Tree of Life is unique. Every tribe, nation and
tongue have their areas; and I am convinced God is intent on
preserving them all, just as John asserts in Revelation. For
one to be missing would be a tragedy, like a beautiful tree
deformed by a big gap where one branch did not survive.
[quote]Giving credible consideration to “those myriads of
mankind who ‘die/have died’ without ever hearing ‘our’
particular Gospel Message” just has to be the central factor
that, for me, determines whether or not one’s faith passes both
the ‘plausibility’ and the ‘inner voice’ tests. Apart from those
few who believe in Universal Reconciliation I have yet to find
an Evangelical Christian whose faith gives adequate
consideration to that factor (most don’t even give it a second
thought).[/quote]They may be content believing in their own
salvation; but they may also be in a surprise or two if their
hearts are not softened. God may have to refashion the clay in
order to lead them to perfection.
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