"Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!" Deut. 30:19
"God is not the author of confusion" 1Cor. 14:33
Sin.
I believe in the Bible.
I believe that it's words are true.
I base my life on what it says.
The Bible says that God created the heavens and the earth.
It says that he is not a God of confusion.
I also believe in science.
Although some scientists will not admit the truth about creation, they can not deny the basic laws that rule the earth.
Gravity....
Entropy....
The Bible also says that God created mankind.
It says that he has blessings for us.
It says that God is just and cannot be in the presence of our sin
It says that he sent his son to save mankind from their sin and free them to have relationship with him.
Now I know that is rather jumbled, but bear with me as I make some assumptions based on these arguments.
God cares about order.
Based on science, he created a world that will only sustain human life within the confines of certain natural laws.
God cares about humanity.
He longs for relationship with humanity.
He longs to bless us.
Based on the word and social evidence, He created a moral law to allow humanity a chance for relationship with him, and a way to be blessed.
I hope that was not too ambiguous.
Basically, I believe that God does not want to lord it over us. I believe God is a loving father and friend and wants to bless his beloved ones.
But God is also just and perfect. He knows our sin keeps us far from him and repels the blessings he has for us. I believe our sin hurts his heart, because it robs him of the opportunity to bless us.
He's not a control freak.
As with the earth; he created order for humanity.
His commands are there to guide us into his blessings, not to keep us from having fun or living however we want.
Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!" Deut. 30:19
I believe that every decision is an opportunity to choose blessings or curses. That at every turn our choices could fling open a door to blessing (even if you don't believe in God) or could slam that specific door shut forever and open us up to the enemy's curses (even if you do believe in God).
This is not religion. These are basic social and moral laws that rule humanity no matter who you are or what you believe. Just as gravity and entropy rule all of nature. Not because God wanted to have a bunch of random rules, but because he know that is the ONLY way it works.
Before I go on I want to again clear a common misconception. God does not want to condemn or be a tyrant who rules with an iron fist. He wants to BLESS us. He created a way for that to happen.
"Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules." 2 Tim. 2:5
I hope that is clear and makes some sense. I'm pretty sure everyone wants blessings. God asks us to choose them, then he shows us exactly how.
I know I have gone on for a while about this and I'm sure you are probable ready to click the close button and move on, but I want to give you an example from real life.
If I have a friend who starts talking crap about another one of my friends, and the Bible says not to gossip, but I choose to join in and talk crap about my other friend any way and this other friend finds out, our relationship will be seriously damaged, and people will no so readily trust me. But if I choose to do the right thing and stand up for my other friend, I will protect our relationship and may even deepen it, and more people will trust me because they know I'm not going to talk crap about them.
You may get away with it. But what a bummer that you are cutting yourself from all those blessings.
Just know that Jesus loves you dearly. He gave his life so that you could have direct access to the throne and blessings of God.
Just a thought.
I would love to hear your thoughts about this.
