I recently had a small theological difference with a fellow believer. You know, one of those differences where an unstoppable force meets an immovable object, where both sides just stop for the greater good.
Yep, one of those.
Theology is not an exact science. For any Bible verse you quote to make a case for any issue, I can find ten against, and vice versa. I can pick and choose verses from all over the Bible to prove any point I want to make. For example, I can prove that; (1) motorcycles are really in the Bible and; (2) that it’s a man’s job to make the coffee.
1. Moses triumphed through the desert
2. He Brews
Pardon the levity, but this is a blatant example of what some Christians do.
The Bible is in harmony. Taken as a whole, it is the living, breathing, Word of God. It is simply beautiful. But when we nickel and dime it to death, to “prove” our point, instead of asking for God’s guidance, we do nothing more than cheapen it.
Millions of people can read the same book, or verse in the Bible and come away with a million different interpretations AND applications. It all boils down to who you are, where you live, how you were raised, and where you are in your walk with Christ. I would hazard a guess that there are no two Christians, anywhere in the world, that have 100% identical beliefs. Even my lovely bride and I do not agree on everything the Bible has to offer.
I was born and raised in a Southern Baptist Community. I attended Sunday school AND Church EVERY Sunday throughout my childhood and teens. My father was a Sunday school teacher, Deacon, and Lay Minister. I knew all of the major bible stories by the time I was 4-5 years old. I had a huge understanding about who God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit were at a very young age. I have never had a “Born Again” experience, as I have ALWAYS known God, I have ALWAYS known Jesus, and I have ALWAYS known the Holy Spirit. I was taught from a very young age that “God is Love.”
My wife was also raised in a Christian home. She attended 12 years of private Christian school where the she was taught the Word of God, and also taught to “Fear Him”. As an adult she attended Bible Study Fellowship, (BSF), for 7 years. BSF is a group that covers the Bible from cover to cover in great detail and depth over a period of 7 years. (There are folks who have graduated with Divinity degrees who do not have the theological education that 7 years in BSF provides.) When it comes to my wife’s Bible background, there are probably not many people who know it any better than she does. She also has never had that “Born Again” experience. She too has always known the truth.
I have a theological library with hundreds of books dating from present day, back to the early 1800’s. She has her BSF notebooks; a bookcase full. We share 50+ Bibles of every make, model, color, and religious preference.
Ya wanna read a real Torah? I’ve got one.
Ya wanna peruse a Koran? C’mon over.
Ya wanna take a look at a Civil War era “Self Interpreting New Testament”, bring your cotton gloves, and I’ll let ya take a peek.
Bring your shopping cart and I’ll load ya up with more Christian literature than you’ll ever want to read.
Back to the point.
Even with our similar religious backgrounds, my wife and I have differing beliefs about some major topics in the Bible. No one on this planet knows the WHOLE Truth. We only know what we glean from one of many interpretations, or translations, of God’s Word; and what He puts in our hearts.
That being said; when you read the following words, keep in mind that this Blog is written by a fellow Christian, and this is what God has put in my heart. If it does not agree with your beliefs or what God has put in your heart, that’s OK. He speaks to everyone a little bit differently. And if ya don’t believe that, read the BOOK.
I could fill up this entire Blog with Bible verses, but I purposefully did not include any Bible references to “prove” my position. Instead, I used my understanding of God’s Word, the harmony of the Bible, and most importantly, His voice speaking to my heart, to write the following.
Get ready, here it comes.
Enjoy!
Does God Need Me?
Wow! What a huge question!
However, the answer is very simple, yet very complicated at the same time. I will give you the simple answer that was given to me, and then, through your comments, we can explore this question together from each other’s perspectives.
YES! God needs you!
If He did not, why did He create you?
- He NEEDS your fellowship.
- He NEEDS your worship and praise.
- HE NEEDS you to be a lamppost in this world, to reflect His light in the darkness and be an intercessor for those in search of peace, and spiritual guidance.
- He NEEDS you to stand up for good and provide others with a moral compass.
- He NEEDS you to take a stand against the evils of this world.
- He NEEDS you to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ!
God so desperately needs these things from us, that He commands us to do them numerous times, and in numerous places throughout the Bible.
God gives us the Free Will to do what we want to do, go where we want, and believe in whatever we want to believe in. He does not force us to believe in Him, nor does He beg. He lets us decide on our own.
The beauty of this is that we can live a horrible existence, treat others bad, smoke, drink, curse, be promiscuous, etc., but eventually realize our sinful ways and find salvation in the loving arms of Jesus Christ. And as Christians, Jesus is the biggest reason that God needs us.
Throughout time, people have understood that a higher power, a God, created this world. Most have seen, with their own eyes, the beautiful and miraculous things that this blue planet has to offer. All ancient and modern civilizations have a God, or two, or ten, they worship, sacrifice, or thank for the many blessing they receive.
All one has to do is look at the simple beauty of a wild rose to understand that no man designed it. It is truly given to us by God. Take a walk in the woods, or go for a hike and look around. WOW! What a blessing this world is, and God gave it to us to take care of.
The cool thing about the people of the world is that, for the most part, we all get it. And when I say all, I mean most of us. Almost all of the world’s major religions worship the same God. We all understand that something greater than us made all that we see, hear, and touch. We all believe in an afterlife, or continuation, with paradise as the prize for a good earthly life.
However, there is one HUGE difference in our Christian beliefs that separate us from all the others. We are the only ones who believe that the only way to God is through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Many ancient writings, including the Koran, mention Jesus, the man. They may also acknowledge Jesus, the prophet, but they DO NOT recognize Him as the Christ.
NOWHERE, except in our Bible and in our hearts, is it crystal clear that Jesus is the Christ. Jesus is our Redeemer. Jesus is our Savior!
YES, God needs you! He needs you spread the Word. He needs you to be a witness to every corner of the world that JESUS IS ALIVE!
Because if Christians don’t do it, no one will.
PEACE!
