During Miyamoto Musashi's life he learned that he could not depend on the gods of his land., that they would fail him. We on the other hand serve a God who says in His Word, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say,“The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5b-6, ESV)
However, Christianity has plenty of history in regards to those who do not believe as we do. The Crusades, and the Inquisition are black eyes in the history of our faith. God judges the heart, and a heart cannot be changed at the end of a sword. As followers of Jesus Christ we are confident in our faith and belief that He is the Son of God and the only way to eternal life; however, not everyone believes as we do and that we may not be able to bring them around to our point of view. We should understand that God does not reveal all things to all people, but that does not make the Christian superior to the non-Christian. Ultimately we should be humbled and driven to our knees in adoration for all that God has done and revealed to us in our lives. For "...God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8 ESV)
Unfortunately i will not be able to expound on this point as thoroughly as i would like, but i encourage any reader who wants to explore this more to seek out the works of Charles Spurgeon (especially All of Grace
), Jonathon Edwards, and organizations such as Together for the Gospel and Desiring God.
), Jonathon Edwards, and organizations such as Together for the Gospel and Desiring God.Remember, you are never going to convert anyone. Only the Holy Spirit can do that. Respect where others are coming from, even learn from it. If your message is rejected this is what Jesus says, "And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet when you leave that house or town." (Matthew 10:14, ESV) In the end...
Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess [2] to God.” So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. (Romans 14:10-12, ESV)
1 comment:
Well said, Samurai. The gentleman in my recent blog posts really likes this list, and we can't seem to agree on this particular rule. Mayhap the thoughts you shared will help us both come to a more complete understanding of the gospel.
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