Apostasy
I thought that no one, having truly experienced Jesus Christ and His love and peace, could ever leave Him. In fact, I was sure of it. Why would people want to leave something good, right?
But then I read about Charles Templeton.
Touched by God at a young age, all afire for Him, and then suffered from a crisis of faith. The classic case of worldly wisdom masquerading as 'intellectual thinking' versus (supposedly) blind faith. If God exists, why is there evil in this world?
*sigh*
It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. - Hebrews 6:4-6
So there is a possibility that I could fall away from my faith! It all boils down to what choices I make.
A friend, self-styled Christian, did question me about what he termed as my blind faith. He asked me what if I was wrong, what if we're believing in something which isn't true.
I told him he wasn't a Christian. Not the right thing to do, maybe, but if he doubts the foundation of Christianity, how can he be Christian? If he's not sure of his faith, why believe at all?
I don't understand how he can believe in something in which he's not sure of. My mind cannot fit that piece of information in (maybe it's too small). I'm worried that he will, like Charles Templeton, fall away, that he will let Satan deceive him, let the devil's lies sway him and blind him until repentance is no longer possible.
Of course, this doesn't mean that I've never doubted at all. I've wondered, and questioned, sometimes without receiving answers.
At the end of the day, it's what I choose to do: to let my mind and human wisdom gain primacy and reject God or to continue trusting in Him.
Guess which option I choose?
No human wisdom - no matter how seductive it appears - can ever compare to what I know of my Lord and Savior. No intellectual arguments can stand against His perfect love for me!
If you're a Christian and have doubts - all well and fine. Pray about it, ask God to lead you through. After all, being Christian doesn't mean being stupid or blind, because we are made in His image.
But always, always remember what Christ has done for you. Once you look to Jesus, fix your heart and eyes firmly on Him instead of looking to the world, then it's so hard to remember what you doubted about Him in the first place!
But then I read about Charles Templeton.
Touched by God at a young age, all afire for Him, and then suffered from a crisis of faith. The classic case of worldly wisdom masquerading as 'intellectual thinking' versus (supposedly) blind faith. If God exists, why is there evil in this world?
*sigh*
It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. - Hebrews 6:4-6
So there is a possibility that I could fall away from my faith! It all boils down to what choices I make.
A friend, self-styled Christian, did question me about what he termed as my blind faith. He asked me what if I was wrong, what if we're believing in something which isn't true.
I told him he wasn't a Christian. Not the right thing to do, maybe, but if he doubts the foundation of Christianity, how can he be Christian? If he's not sure of his faith, why believe at all?
I don't understand how he can believe in something in which he's not sure of. My mind cannot fit that piece of information in (maybe it's too small). I'm worried that he will, like Charles Templeton, fall away, that he will let Satan deceive him, let the devil's lies sway him and blind him until repentance is no longer possible.
Of course, this doesn't mean that I've never doubted at all. I've wondered, and questioned, sometimes without receiving answers.
At the end of the day, it's what I choose to do: to let my mind and human wisdom gain primacy and reject God or to continue trusting in Him.
Guess which option I choose?
No human wisdom - no matter how seductive it appears - can ever compare to what I know of my Lord and Savior. No intellectual arguments can stand against His perfect love for me!
If you're a Christian and have doubts - all well and fine. Pray about it, ask God to lead you through. After all, being Christian doesn't mean being stupid or blind, because we are made in His image.
But always, always remember what Christ has done for you. Once you look to Jesus, fix your heart and eyes firmly on Him instead of looking to the world, then it's so hard to remember what you doubted about Him in the first place!
The world behind me
The Cross before me
No turning back
No turning back...
The Cross before me
No turning back
No turning back...
posted by sleepypurplepiglet at 8:15 PM
1 Comments:
Hello PPP,
Some people swing like a pendulum between the two extremes of faith, some vibrate lightly, & others stand strong.
I studied embryology last semester. Every time I saw pictures of stillborn human babies, I almost cried, "If there's a perfect God, why did he make imperfect babies?" I guess such helplessness can draw people either toward faith or away from it.
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