In the beginning, the Bible tells us Adam and Eve were
naked but not ashamed, that is, not until they disobeyed God. Just as Adam and
Eve hid from God and covered themselves with fig leaves, so the human race
continues today. Perhaps if people were to remove the fig leaves, it would be
more difficult to strut so proudly. Certainly, to show ourselves
"naked" before God will make us aware that we may fool others but
not Him who knows us better than we know ourselves. God requires that we
submit our bodies to him as living sacrifices, an act more often than not of
desperation. Anything but relinquish control over ourselves. Deny God's
existence. Recreate him to fit our wishes and satisfy our
self esteem. Do good deeds to beg His favor. Then there's the favorite---simply pretend nothing is wrong. Perhaps this accounts for the rarity of
conversation about the deeper issues of life. To each his own. However, there
is a way by which we can confidently present ourselves to God without fear or
shame, a way described by Jesus Christ as eternal life--resulting in the
love, peace and joy our creator desires us to have. That way is our ONLY hope.
Please pray that I might present it in a way that will honor God and be a
blessing to the reader. Following is an outline of major truths we should all
consider.
OUR DILEMMA
We are limited by our natural outlook— senses, emotions, intellect—to
this world only. By ourselves there is no way we can discover God unless He
chooses to reveal Himself. The trouble is we don’t know our condition.
We're born with a disposition of independence from the God of scripture; while
we are ready to acknowledge a god, we create one of our own choosing (an idol
if you please). We're not ready to trust our lives to seeking His will. The
Bible calls this Sin (with a capital S) from which all other sins proceed. The result is a world of little gods, trying to be big
gods--with all the resultant conflict from Adam to now.
Because of our alienation from
the True God, all our attempts to define
him are futile guesswork, resulting in a myriad of
differing religions and cults that border on and sometimes exceed the
boundaries of sanity.
THE SOLUTION GOD HAS PROVIDED
Since we, as His creation, are naturally
blind to God, it was imperative that God reveal Himself to us. As Jesus told
Nicodemus, "no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from
heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven." John 3:13
God's revelation shows forth His
holiness, the attributes of his nature
such as His almighty power, wisdom, patience, justice and
mercy. The last two, incidentally, can only be reconciled in the
finished work of the cross. "If we confess our sins, He is
faithful and JUST to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness." I John 1:9 God's requirement of justice was fulfilled
at the cross upon the death of his son who suffered the punishment due us
because of our sin.
In Christ, God has communicated Himself
as someone with whom we can truly identify, a person like as we, but born with
a disposition to seek only His father's will. No longer so unapproachable as
in the Old Testament, God entered this world by means of His Son, who bore our own infirmities and
temptations, giving His life as a ransom for all who would accept Him as
savior. "None other name is given in heaven whereby men must be
saved."
GOD'S
METHOD OF REVELATION
Since Adam, God has been at work
revealing His nature. This was a gradual revelation through the Old Testament,
being fulfilled in the New Testament with the advent of His Son--truly man created in God's image. Hebrews 1:1 states that
"God, who at
sundry times and in diverse manners spake in times past unto the fathers by
the prophets, hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son..."
The words God has given to man
have been written down and faithfully, scrupulously recorded through history.
"All scripture is given by the inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."
II Timothy 3:16
The bible is history--that
is, His Story. It is without question the most accurate history book ever
written. It is full of names, places, dates and events that historians have
documented. While challenged by skeptics, its accuracy is again and
again documented by new discoveries in archaeology and other sciences. There
are jurists who contend the resurrection of Christ would be more provable in a
court of law than the death of Lincoln. The Bible sets apart Christianity from
all other so-called religions and cults.
While you can never prove Christ to anyone bent on rejecting Him, I do contend
he is provable to any HONEST skeptic. Really, probably every Christian was a
skeptic to begin with, even the apostles. Christianity is in no conflict with
men of intellect either. Many of the greatest minds in history, some of whom
set out to disprove Christianity, became believers after examining the facts
thoroughly.
OUR
NEED FOR FAITH
As mentioned, we are equipped to know
something of this world. Indeed,
much of what we can observe in creation should immediately lead us to seek out
a creator. The beauty, order and design before us attest to a supreme power of
remarkable intelligence, even though that in itself doesn't provide the
complete picture of God. As Paul's letter to the Romans declares, "For
the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen,
being understood from the things that are made, even his eternal power and
Godhead, so that they are without excuse." It’s remarkable that in view
of the God's creation and a book that claims to be authored by Him, few
appear to seek out who He is? Is not this the Sin that accounts for sins?
If we're to strike out beyond the
knowable in this world, it must be by faith, as described in the 11th chapter
of Hebrews. This is not just positive thinking, it is the deep inner knowing
that results after having proven out something. Much like being asked to sit
in an old, rickety chair, we most likely will test it very carefully before
committing our weight to it, but upon finding it truly sturdy, we can
confidently rest in
it. The Lord knows our doubts; he only asks that we prove him out.
Many will insist you need to pump up
your faith or insist upon great visions and experiences with God. Who am I to
dispute their claims? But I know that's not necessary for me or other
Christians I know. If God wants to do special things in and for us, that's His
business. Mine is simply to keep centered on his love and faithfulness. To
simply trust God in all kinds of trials without demanding special favors and
miracles, I think must please him.
PROBLEMS
WE CREATE
The greatest problem is our failure to
know ourselves. We all seem so sure we can handle our problems by ourselves.
Even as Christians we have a time learning to refrain from approaching things
in our own strength and intellect. This has caused untold damage the world
over since time began. Moses' first act for God ended up in his killing an
Egyptian. Peter cut off an ear. Are we so naive as to believe that we are exempt from the
tendency?
There is the need to learn how to read the Bible. It's not written like your dime store novel. God has written it in
such a way that only those honestly and desirously seeking him will come to an
understanding. Our heart condition is just as essential, if not more so, than
our intellect. I think of the Bible as a great gold mine. Some nuggets may lie
on the surface, but you must dig hard and deep to discover the rich veins of
precious ore. Scripture declares that it was given by the inspiration of God,
that is, by His Spirit working within the writers. It is only understood in
the same way.
Many insist on reducing everything they read to the level of their understanding. If it doesn't make sense to them, it must not be so. They
should remember, GOD IS THE AUTHOR OF THIS BOOK. Frankly, the more questions
the better. For anyone who is serious, questions can stimulate interest and deepen our
awareness of our need. God will provide the answers we need to know in his own
way in his own time. It is after we fail and then see Him succeed that we grow
in assurance of His grace.
There are those who try to make scripture fit their own preconceived point of
view. They, as Peter referred to them, are "those who twist the
scriptures to their own destruction." They account for the cults and even
much error in the ranks of professing Christians.
WARNING: Don't take the word of ANYONE, whether theologian, preacher,
teacher, author, ad infinitum, without making sure it is in agreement with
scripture. They may well be wrong! In a matter so vital as establishing an eternal relationship with
God, second-hand answers should not satisfy us. In our quest for truth, it’s
better to be slow than sorry.
Much scripture is read out of context which may infer a meaning not intended.
Many readers take scriptures either too literally or often not literally
enough--and the consequences can be tragic. Christians who consider
scripture to be the word of God are often called literalists, as if there was
something wrong with taking scripture at face value in much the same way as we
read any book or newspaper. Our "enlightened" society, including
many "men of the cloth" hold such a straightforward way in disdain.
So did the Pharisees and Sadducees in Jesus' time.
A final note. Even the study of
scripture can become a snare. Our knowledge may become a source of pride. We
may become argumentative, dogmatic. Our scriptural study is valuable only so
far as it enables us to know the one to whom it testifies--our Lord Jesus
Christ. We will either make him our own or not. Our salvation rests in Christ,
not our Bible I.Q. But we should never let this be an excuse for failure to
study. As Jesus advised, "Be wise as servants and innocent as
doves." We need to distinguish between the legal demands of God under the Law
which reveal our sin and the unmerited favor of grace that we rest in through
what Christ has accomplished. Distinctions should be made between verses
dealing with the free gift of salvation as opposed to those requirements for
discipleship. Jesus told his disciples he had many things to make known to
them but that they weren't able to understand it at the time. In one of
Peter's letters he remarked, "By faith and patience, we inherit the
promises of God." That's been my experience. Trust and wait
expectantly.
TO
TOP
HOME
