When You Believe Nothing, You Will Believe Anything

Folks often seem to go to one extreme or another.

On the one hand there are those who can get so stuck on one idea that they won't consider or permit any thoughts, arguments, or evidence to the contrary. They automatically dismiss anything that might smack of opposition and hastily label it "rubbish", "stupid", or "academic".

On the other hand, there are folks so open minded that their brains have fallen out. They are gullibly willing to follow anyone and believe anything without questioning.

Too often people "hole up" with a pet belief that caters to their agenda -- then they sit back and call everyone else either "closed-minded" because they won't consider the pet belief; or, they will label others as "gullible" for not rejecting some idea that does not support the pet belief.

There are those who believe Christianity is about checking your brain at the door and living by "blind faith". That Christians will ignore the "reality" that the world's biased version of "science" presents.

Even within the religious community there are those that think the things of God are unknowable and we should never question. Teaching people not to think or ask questions just sets them up for falling into a cult.

To the contrary, Jesus assures us that we should ask, seek, and knock and expect an answer...

Luk 11:9 And I say to you, Ask and it shall be given you. Seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be opened to you.

James goes on to assure us that God wants us to have wisdom...

Jam 1:5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and with no reproach, and it shall be given to him.

Jesus reaffirms the commandment says that we should include our mind in our worship of Him...

Mar 12:30 and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength." This is the first commandment.

Our goal should not be to live in one extreme or another. We should be 1) willing to critically examine evidence and follow where it leads; and, 2) seek until we find the answer that convinces us completely.

God is NOT afraid of science. In fact truly objective science has always confirmed God's Word, and will always ultimately demonstrate that the universe runs predictably according to God's laws.

There are answers to our questions, and these answers are knowable. The secret is not to stop just when we feel "comfortable" with the answer. We should be sure of the answer regardless of how we feel about it, or how it might go contrary to our pet doctrines, beliefs, and vain philosophies of men.

Col 2:6-8 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone rob you through philosophy and vain deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ.

We are admonished to be firmly established in faith. To have a rooted, well grounded foundation to build upon. That way

The world's definition of faith is believing something without (or even spite of) evidence -- which is actually just wishful thinking or mental assent. So it is understandable that folks who have this definition in mind think that the Christian faith is just "blind" belief that flies in the face of reason.

Actually, the term "blind faith" is an oxymoron. The Bible definition of faith has at its core the concept that faith is the result of "knowing" something is true. That faith is based on and according to laws, precepts, and promises that existed before, and will exist long after our current physical existence. According to the Bible, there is nothing "blind" about faith. Conversely the Bible teaches that faith comes only after our eyes are opened.

Rom 10:17 Then faith is of hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

Ours is NOT a "blind faith". It is not just blindly accepting some traditions or what some clever personality pandering for money has said.

It is based on something confirmable, repeatable, and has withstood the test of time. It is based on hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

Build a good foundation from God's Word to stand on, for if you stand for nothing, you'll fall for anything.

Balance

There is a widespread belief that 'balance' means mixing a little bad in with the good. There are religions, philosophies, and even doctrines taught in some Christian circles that teach everything good is balanced by something evil. Light is balanced by dark, yin-yang, and so forth.

According to the Bible, God created everything, and everything He created was Good. Evil was introduced later through the rebellion of satan and man. Evil is not an agent of balance, but a disease, a blemish, an abberation, an agent of rebellion.

God intended that Love provide the balance and bridge between His goodness and our badness.

Forgiveness

Forgiveness is NOT about avoiding "punishment".

Forgiveness is all about rebuilding relationship.

When I break God's law, I can seek His forgiveness and with Him, the eternal slate is wiped clean because of Jesus. It is Jesus who bore God's wrath and took my punishment for me, and God has promised to remember my sins no more.

But, all too often, this can lead us to think forgiveness should wipe away ALL consequences as well. We then make the mistake of believing that God is punishing us for our sins, when we are merely reaping the fruit we have sown.

There is always damage from transgression. If I do something to violate another person's trust, I can repent and seek forgiveness.

Forgiveness is the first step in rebuilding the relationship with that person, but it will take time to regain trust and see full restoration.

In addition to trust, I will still have to face all the temporal consequences of my actions.

If I have broken man's law, then I will still have to face man's judgment system.

If I have abused and not taken care of my body, then I will have to deal with the possibility of disease and/or disability.

If I have sinned against another person, then I may never regain the same level of relationship I had.

If my sin has caused death, then I, and others, will have to deal with the loss.

Follow up from Getting What You Deserve