Why is it that you believe?
Dear brothers and sisters,
In the interest of answering the questions of a friend, I am looking for your responses to these questions. Feel free to take time with them--I really want to know!
1. Why DO you believe in the centrality of scripture? Why is the Bible true?
2. Why DO you trust that, even though God predestines people to go to hell and be objects of His wrath, He is a good and righteous Being?
Thank you in advance for your prayerful responses.
In the interest of answering the questions of a friend, I am looking for your responses to these questions. Feel free to take time with them--I really want to know!
1. Why DO you believe in the centrality of scripture? Why is the Bible true?
2. Why DO you trust that, even though God predestines people to go to hell and be objects of His wrath, He is a good and righteous Being?
Thank you in advance for your prayerful responses.
posted by Heidi | 8:51 PM
6 Comments:
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Hi friend ~
These are challenging questions, but we should be able to articulate it, shouldn't we? "Be ready always to give an answer to anyone who asks the reason for the hope that is in you."
(why does it seems so hard?)
I guess, to answer the first question I would say that the consistency of the Bible, and the prophecies about Christ are my 2 anchors. The cross is where God was going from the beginning of time. The nature of human beings- rebellious, and the nature of God- as a Merciful Savior from the first sin of Adam where God shed blood in the garden to His purchase of a people for His own possession by His own blood is just staggering. He makes His covenant, people are disobedient and irreverent, and in magnifying His attribute of being merciful, He sets His love toward them. 'Just because'
Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of the old testament in ways that demonstrate that He is absolutely the promised Messiah. The laws of probablility suggest for one person to fulfill all that Jesus did, it would be like filling the state of Texas with quarters 4 feet deep and marking just one of them. Then blindfolding someone and telling them to walk around and find that one quarter.
I have a huge list of why I believe that Jesus is who He said He was....but perhaps I'll email that. :)
As for #2, that one is a hard one to wrestle with for someone whose never heard such a thing put in such blunt terms....
But the core issue is that God is not on trial, nor that he must submit Himself to what the creatures think is good or fair or just. It is a God centered worldview that takes time to wrestle through I think. I would recommend a sermon series called "The Love of God" by John MacArthur. He says things like, God puts on display ALL of His attributes. So, He is glorified in displaying His mercy and His wrath. We don't WANT justice!! Justice sends us all to hell!
God can be accused of being selectively gracious and we should tremble that we are not His enemies any longer.
The view that people are trying to get to God and He turns them away is just not biblically accurate.
It's the exact opposite.
By nature we love sin and self and are running with all our might away from God....but then, in His mercy, He gently stops some of us from running from Him- He gives us the Holy Spirit and we want to be with Him and we then fear the thought of being out of His presence.
Also, you may want to purchase the TULIP CD sermons by Pastor Piper for this person. They helped me out immensly with limited atonement....
God's peace be with you today sister.
Holding fast, because I'm held by grace :)
jen2
Heidi,
Great questions, and very valid questions...
In order to answer #2 obviously #1 needs to be answered first. Here's what I find interesting about people who question if scripture is true, they've never read or have barely even read it themselves.
If someone starts asking me that question, I have to ask them if they've even picked up a Bible and tried to read its contents, pick it apart and prove what it says is wrong. Shoot, people do this every day with other books, why not do it with this one? .... It's interesting to find that when this question is asked, people no longer make an issue out of why I believe the Bible is central, but instead the ball has been put back into their court for them to contend with their position. And if they can't say that they've studied it and know it in and out. I then say, what business have you to make a stance that it's wrong or not central? Obviously there's a lot of ways to answer this question or go about getting people to think about what they are really asking, this is jsut one of my many responses.
As far as question two goes... If I can get the other person to at least "suppose" or "assume" the Bible is completely accurate and truth to the core. I then say, I know this because the Bible says so. I like the way MacArthur paints the picture of this... he says that we are like a bunch of beings in a box, and the only thing telling us what's outside the box is a book. This book then tells us everything we need to know on what's outside the box and how to get there. So this book also tells us about God's will and what He decides happens or doesn't happen. Which if the person is still interested I'll proceed to take them through passages.
Of course to both questions there's no single right way to answer it. There's a general right way, by holding God's Word as central. But, there are many different words and analogies to use. This is why, I believe Christ said in Matthew 10:19, "When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour." Yet we should as Jen2 said on what Peter says in 1 Peter 3:15, "but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;"
Hope that answers your questions :)
Ever post something and forget to re-read it to make sure that it makes sense? Yeah, I forgot to do that on my reply. Sorry if it's hard to follow....
PS....This is a great thing to discuss Heidi - so thank you kindly for the post! :(
If I could give define God by one word it would be: FREE.
Ooh, this is my first comment on this blog!
1. I believe in the authenticity of Scripture largely because I choose to. There is a lot of evidence for their accuracy, but it can't be empirically or scientifically proven. That said, they can't be disproven, either. Therefore, I've weighed the evidence, and made the deliberate choice to believe it.
2. This question presupposes that I already have a standard in my mind of what "good" is and I feel that I can measure God against that. But in fact, the opposite is true. "Good" is measured by who God is. The problem begins when you, a finite little human being think that you can tell God how a good God should act. Doesn't work that way.
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