This is a touchy subject, and this might be a shorter post than usual. Don't look so happy.
When I say God, I mean the true God Who revealed Himself through His Word, His Word who became flesh and dwelt among us.
I have seen sinners scared nigh unto death by the idea of facing the true God.
I have known some sinners who, rather than face God, invented gods to replace Him.
Accept no substitutes, as no substitutes are acceptable.
So, the True God exists.
How do you approach Him?
Is there a candle to light, an action to be done such as raising hands, speaking certain incantations?
No.
God must be approached with the reverence He deserves. If your heart is so soiled, your life such that you would not dare to seek God...
then you are where I once was.
I did not feel worthy to approach God.
In my own strength, my own will, my own soiled (un)righteousness, I am still not worthy.
But God Himself saved me, imputing to me the Righteousness of Christ, making it possible for me to approach Him.
Why would He do such a thing for someone so unrighteous?
"16“For God so loved the world, that He gave His
only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have
eternal life.
17“For God did
not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be
saved through Him." John 3:16-17
Here is a blessing for you from God's own word:
14For this reason I bow my knees before the
Father,
15from whom every
family in heaven and on earth derives its name,
16that He would grant you, according to the riches of
His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,
17so that Christ may dwell in
your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in
love,
18may be able to
comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and
depth,
19and to know the love
of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the
fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-19
4 comments:
I didn't clearly state how not to approach God.
In simple, we can never approach God in our own righteousness, we can never do enough good works, pray enough prayers, do anything apart from Him to be able to approach Him.
99% of the world's religions will tell you different.
So, what brought this post into being? What set me on this path?
Holy hands.
It says in Scripture to lift up holy hands.
But those who are not of God may also lift up their hands, thinking that their effort is holy by their doing it.
There are many counterfeit Christians and churches who know nothing of God, but can lift up hands, light candles, recite prayers to beat the band. All unholy.
All amounting to nothing because God is the one who makes someone Holy, and that is only through faith in Jesus Christ.
I don't believe God exists. Full stop. I have seen nothing to persuade me otherwise. If it is God's choice to persuade me or not, God does not love the world, just a few selected people in it.
And, all of that being the case, I freely choose to do what I can to make the world better, knowing that I will fail often and that my successes will be tiny, rather than chase a chimera.
chim chim cheroo.
God loves the world, Lu; as for who He decides to save or not, to quote your buddy President Obama, "That is above my pay grade".
The work of redemption isn't happening to make you happy or sad.
I know that God is real, and haven't had a single moment of doubt since that day back in 1979 that He made Himself real to me.
You're not there yet, but I have hope for you, Lu.
By your lights possibly I'm either self deceived or ignorant.
But I wouldn't dare put words in your mouth, so let me ask-what do you think of my faith? Why do I believe so differently than you do?
For the record, I DID do a bit of Christmas today-I had received gifts from a friend. Today I met her at a store, asked her to pick out what she wanted, bought it and sent it home with her. No gift wrapping needed.
Merry Christmas.
You are a fascination to me, Doug, because while you don't seem to lack intelligence, you believe many things that (as I perceive reality) are blatantly, patently false. I'm not even talking about faith: Obama is the second coming of Hitler, evolution didn't happen, climate change isn't happening, poor people shouldn't have health care, the whole ball of right-wing Weltanschauung. So, yes, I think you are self-deceived in many ways. I think you feel the sand slipping from under your feet, and you've found something to hold onto that makes sense to you.
Truth to tell, I think all believers are self-deceived. That includes Muslims, religious Jews, Christians of every stripe. Your flavor of Christianity seems to me nastier than most, but the kindest Christians I know are still self-deceived, in my opinion. (They still think I'm hellbound. I know they think so, and they know what I think about faith, and they know I know they know. We're a knowledgeable group. We have other things in common, and we work from there.)
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