Wednesday, January 11, 2006
How Can You Pronounce What You Don't Know?
I could not help but be struck by the juxtaposition od these two posts. The first was on Monday from my buddy Jollyblogger. He was talking about the inappropriateness pronouncing whether other people are Christians or not.
To be followed yesterday by this post from Challies on assurance of salvation. Tim's point is that if salvation is indeed wholly something that comes from and originates with God, we can never really know if we are saved.
My point, if we can't have full knowledge about the salvation state of ourselves, we sure as heck can't know about someone else. Now Tim says he is coming back to visit the issue again today, and he may make a case for someplace to find assurance of salvation, blowing my whole point, but he is going to have to work pretty hard to do that, because I don't think we can know.
So what motivation to be a Christian? Because if we don't at least try, we can be assured we aren't saved.
But back to the point. God is a mystery as are His ways.
David said:
To be followed yesterday by this post from Challies on assurance of salvation. Tim's point is that if salvation is indeed wholly something that comes from and originates with God, we can never really know if we are saved.
My point, if we can't have full knowledge about the salvation state of ourselves, we sure as heck can't know about someone else. Now Tim says he is coming back to visit the issue again today, and he may make a case for someplace to find assurance of salvation, blowing my whole point, but he is going to have to work pretty hard to do that, because I don't think we can know.
So what motivation to be a Christian? Because if we don't at least try, we can be assured we aren't saved.
But back to the point. God is a mystery as are His ways.
Isa 55:9 - "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.This is a hard thing for blogging where all we really have are words and ideas, but somehow we need to learn to relish in that mystery.
David said:
In recent years I have become comfortable with my own ignorance,I am happy for him, I too am learning that, but I want more. I want to find joy in my ignorance - the joy that comes from knowing I can never know, but that I can rely on my Lord whose knowledge is perfect and complete.
