Friday, July 30, 2010

The Maker and the Instruction Manual

A friend told me today, “I don’t know what is best for me. I have proven that.”

This is such a true statement. I fool myself into thinking I know myself, what I want, what will make me happy, what is right. The weird thing is, when I come to know I was wrong, I simply change my mind and still think I am back on the right track, only to realize I was wrong again.

I see how people get offended when someone acts like they know better. We think, “how can they know me better than myself? How could someone claim that they know what is best for me?”

The fall made us confused about ourselves. We cannot, by our own efforts, live in peace and love easily. We are lost and don’t have any idea where to go. When I’m honest with myself, I really don’t know what is best for myself.

So where do I go? Is it a lost cause of constantly trying new things and figuring out what fits best? If there is no god, then yes. I am simply a human, and can reach a conclusion from my limited reason and fleeting emotions. Definitely not an easy road. However, there is a God, who has revealed the way to happiness. Now, we must simply (?) accept this and live it out.

Which brings me back to the questions “how can they know me better than myself? How *could* someone claim that they know what is best for me?” Well , if it’s God we all keep hearing about, then *they* do. I find it so beautiful that God has given us the Church, and has revealed to it all we need for salvation and happiness. We could have *never* figured it out on our own.

Because of the Church, I know what is right and wrong. I can know, even just slightly, about the nature of God. I know how to behave, what is true and right and good, and how to live my life. If I never reached these conclusions on my own (which I should try to understand, of course), and only accepted them solely because the Church taught it, my life would already be better.

I have proven that I don’t know what is best for myself, but God has shown us by His Bride, the glorious Church. If only we could stop acting as if we created ourselves, maybe we could find peace. (I hope to talk more about this soon.)

3 comments:

  1. Hey Ruth, I have some question after reading some of your posts regarding the church and your recent missions to Uganda. Please read all scriptural references given, prayerfully consider their meaning in the context of scripture, alone.

    Thought....If "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God", and "in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us..."

    How does salvation come by baptism/membership in a church, when scripture clearly defines the church as a body of true believers?

    "Neither shall their be salvation in any other (name)".... so why has the glorious Church been lifted up as a precursor for salvation, or the vessel through which the Holy Spirit is "unleashed", or limited in His work, so to speak?

    I would like to ask one more simple question for thought. If you delete this post that is OK, but please read for your own edification. According to Ephesians 2:1-10, you are saved by Grace through Faith (not your own doing, the Faith to believe comes from God). It is grace, or unmerited favor, and faith that is the gift from God. This may help you clarify Ephesians 1:3-14. "sealed with the promised Holy Spirit" He won't let you go.

    See Romans 5:8, while we were sinners, Christ died for us, and looking at v. 15 & 16 this for grace to abound much more since, according to one man's transgression sin entered the world, and death through sin, by one man...Christ, many more are offered grace.

    There is really nothing to "figure out" or understand here except that we are all under God's wrath/judgement because He is Holy, and we are not...PERIOD. Our efforts to please Him, or try and appease Him for falling short of His standard of Holiness are "as filthy rags."

    But PRAISE be to God because He provided the substitutionary sacrifice that was perfect (lived a righteous life, tempted as we are but was yet without sin) so that the righteousness of Christ could be "credited" to our account, so to speak, when we believe in Him. (Blessed is the man in whom God does not impute sin. - this is a one time legal declaration by God...not a life-long, hope I can become good enough to please Him. We would ALL be doomed if that were the case. Where would the "peace that surpasses all understanding" be in that type of salvation.

    See Rom. 10:6-7. We don't say who will reach up into heaven and bring Christ down or who will reach down and bring Christ up from the abyss (or grave)...why, because God has already done this on our behalf, ONCE for all. We don't need a priest like in the old testament to offer any kind of sacrifice for us, now or forever.

    Hebrews 10:14-17. v.14 "For by a single offering He has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified." How many offerings? see v.12 "But when Christ had offered for all a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. focus on ONCE and the NEW covenant he makes in Christ's blood for the redeemed.

    In light of these verses, Rom 10;6 and Heb 10:12, is a perpetual sacrifice for sin by a priest, who himself sins, necessary? Or has scripture already answered this question with a PERFECT sacrifice who said "it is finished" when He had completed His Father's work here on earth?

    Ruth, please take these passages to heart, they are the foundation of the gospel (Good News) of what Christ did on our behalf. It is not that I am trying to discourage you, but only to help you discern that scripture interprets scripture. All 'revelation' must be brought to bare in "light" of the revealed Word of God, not teachings of men, who themselves may be errant.

    Heb 9:24-28. Christ does not need to be offered many times in mass for sins. He did this once, and will return to save those who eagerly await Him.

    Phil. 1:6

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  2. I've posted my response here:
    http://ritabea.blogspot.com/2010/12/basic-summary-of-church-teachings.html

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