From: barclay@hpa.rf.no (Barclay Stevenson)
Subject: An End to All Arguments
Organization: Rogaland Research, Stavanger, Norway
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 13:42:04 GMT

			 An End to All Arguments
			 -----------------------

God is a good God, God is righteous and God is just. This is the basic
nature of God (God is love).
If you do not agree, then your God is just a god.

It is because of the earthly limitations of our brains (and thence pride
in our hearts) that we can start to argue if God is unjust,
or doesn't care.

Jesus said that we cannot even understand earthly things, how then could
he start to explain heavenly things for us.

Paul explains it like seeing through a glass darkly.
Don't critisize the view when it's your eyesight that's the problem

Reading some articles here in this group shows that some talk from their
intellectual understanding of God without knowing him in person.
Like in this natural world, it's only when you live with a person that
you really get to know them. So it is when you have the Spirit of Christ
in you, it's then that you understand and experience that God is good,
loving, and not willing that any should perish.

But, this can be like explaining what colour is to a blind man.
The Bible says "Lean not to your own understanding"

There is a great chasm between Christians filled with the Holy Spirit and
unbelievers that cannot be crossed by the bridge of intellect, reasoning, or
consensus. There is only one bridge, the one already supplied by The Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ accomplished through his sacrifice on the cross, and by
faith you cross it.

The fact remains that the Bible is not for arguments, but is Truth that
can set you free by accepting it whether you are Jew or heathen, pagan,
Witch or witch, or reject it and remain under Satans' dominion.

It isn't even sufficient just to believe the Bible. Even the devil has
greater "faith" and knowledge than many. He believes and trembles,
because he has had first hand experience with God, so he does the next
best thing - get humans to doubt.

We can never expect to know God fully, but he does reveal himself
sufficiently in the Bible so that we can be rescued from hell to Heaven.
And, yes, there are passages of the Bible that are difficult for us to
understand (even Peter says that). But you don't have to understand all
the ingredients of a medicine to be healed from a disease.

------------------------   Some Scipture references:   ----------------------
Prov 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own
	 understanding. (KJV)

John 3:12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye
          believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? (KJV)

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
	  whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting
	  life. (KJV)

John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
          (KJV)

John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. (KJV)

1Cor 2:10-16 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit
	  searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man
	  knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him?
	  even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
	  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit
	  which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given
	  to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which
	  man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing
	  spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man receiveth not
	  the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him:
	  neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
	  But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is
	  judged of no man. For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he
	  may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. (KJV)

1Cor 13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now
	   I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
	   (KJV)

Heb 1:9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even
        thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy
	fellows. (KJV)

James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils
	   also believe, and tremble. (KJV)

2Pet 3:15-16 And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation;
          even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given
	  unto him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking
	  in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be
	  understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they
	  do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. (KJV)

1John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. (KJV)

1John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is
         love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
         (KJV)

 
                     ~~~  barclay@rf.no ~~~


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