On responsibility
March 23rd, 2005Religion’s a dangerous and evil thing.
One of its greatest deceptions is that God is in control of everything. If that’s true, He’s the beast that the “atheists” believe He is. I cannot and will not serve a God like that. If I believed what religion taught, I would be with the atheists, shaking my fist in His face and hoping He doesn’t exist.
You can’t have it both ways and you don’t have to continue trying.
He’s only in control of earthly events to the degree that humans choose to learn about Him and the proper way to involve Him. The Bible makes this clear assuming that you’re paying attention to what He put in the book and not blinded by stupidity that men made up to try explain away God’s apparent evilness (created out of their stupidity and misunderstanding).
I’m now being accused of preaching that God is my servant. I’ve got news for you, I respect Him more than that, but He is. Because He chose to be.
Was Jesus Christ God in the flesh? Did He not spend his whole life serving the people around him? (John 13)
God is a servant. That’s what Love does. When you begin to understand that it will inspire real love and true worship. As long as you gloss over it with religious platitudes, you’ll never get it.
He serves me because He is Love. I serve Him because of that Love and as He teaches me how. (It’s humbling to realize that we’re all selfish and He’s not. It is impossible for a human being to be selfless. Everything you do, even towards God is selfish.)
Love serves. First Corinthians 13 makes that clear. First John (and other places) make it clear that He IS Love.
If you don’t believe He’s your servant, you’ve completely misunderstood who He is and what the whole book was for.
Excellent post DC. Jesus said that among those born of woman there was no one greater than John The Baptist yet he who is least in the kingdom of heavan is greater than him. Jesus went on to say (later in Matthew 18), “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” The answer of course is, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted adn become like children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
Skip to Matthew 23: 11-12 “But the greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.”
Keep preaching brother!
Theology can be as dangerous as religion. Especially when you believe that you have the only correct theology, that your interpretation is the only right way. I’m afraid you are dangerously close to what you have accused Nate and his bros of being. You should read again what Res Ispa posted on Nate’s blog. He’s spot on.
Open theism is a crock. It isn’t scriptural in the least. I just don’t think you’re in great peril because that’s what you believe.
I consider theology and religion the same thing.
You’ll notice I wasn’t weighing in at all about “open theism.” I’ve never even heard of it and don’t care what it’s about. I don’t study theology, I study the Bible. If you read around here much you’ll see that I’m quite open to correction if I’m wrong, but I’m not one bit open to “theology” or religion. Prove it with scripture and I’ll happily admit when I’m wrong. In fact, I encourage it. I want to know the Truth, undiluted and uncorrupted.
I don’t want men’s opinions unless they’re based in the Word.
I’m interested in relationship with Him and pure Truth.
The way you interpret scripture is your theology. Some scripture is black and white, some is grey. We work out our salvation with fear and trembling. When we insist our ‘working it out’ is the only possible version, and others are ignorant, dead wrong, etc, we cross into dangerous territory. Your view of God being impotent on earth (or non-omnipotent) is consistent with Open Theism, and is theology. There is no scriptural basis for this, only your interpretation of what some scripture can be construed to say.
I don’t agree with you, but I would never say your salvation is in jeopardy or you are headed for disaster because of this. I would simply pray that God would soften your heart and allow you to hear Him, despite any of your foregone conclusions.
When we insist our ‘working it out’ is the only possible version, and others are ignorant, dead wrong, etc, we cross into dangerous territory.
and
Open theism is a crock. It isn’t scriptural in the least.
Don’t you see a little contradiction there?
No, because even though I believe Open Theism is a crock, I don’t insist that others see things the same way as I or risk fire and brimstone. That’s the difference. We will all come to our own conclusions and see them as right. That’s a given. Even though I think I’m right I don’t find it as the only way to salvation. I am not God, and I can’t judge you for your theology when it comes to ‘grey’ matters. There is only one way to salvation; that is black and white. Our views on how God works can only be finite, limited to our human understanding. I can’t be dogmatic about that.
The way you interpret scripture is your theology.
No, it’s not. Technically, “theology” is literally the study of God. In practice, what is usually referred to as theology today is a bunch of men who don’t know God making up stuff to try to make Him fit into their perspective so they can explain Him without knowing Him. It’s the pinnacle of human arrogance and a great playground for satan.
Your view of God being impotent on earth (or non-omnipotent) is consistent with Open Theism, and is theology. There is no scriptural basis for this, only your interpretation of what some scripture can be construed to say.
You can disagree if you want and I won’t condemn you (I don’t, haven’t and won’t, condemn anyone.) but you’re really stretching to say there is no scriptural basis for it. I’ve written on it here at least four times now and used scripture every time. I have more.
You need a theologian to help you misunderstand the Bible. Unfortunately they seem to breed like politicians.
as theology today is a bunch of men who don’t know God making up stuff to try to make Him fit into their perspective so they can explain Him without knowing Him
You’re being a little unfair again, DC. There are plenty of theologians who know and love God. In fact I can think of little other reason for anybody to become a theologian, the pays not great, and you tend to get tons of abuse whenever you speak against someones pet doctrine.
What you call scriptural basis is in my mind completely stretching, and taking it completely out of context. It is your interpretation of those scriptures. I’ve read many of your posts, and in my view, it is not you using scripture that supports your view, but you citing the scriptures you’ve construed to mean what you’ve already determined must be true.
You’re mincing words about theology. Yes, technically it’s: The study of the nature of God and religious truth; rational inquiry into religious questions.
When you apply your study (theology) you are interpreting the scripture based on that study.
And from what I’ve read, you are strongly criticizing if not condemning those whose disagree.
What you call scriptural basis is in my mind completely stretching, and taking it completely out of context. It is your interpretation of those scriptures.
And you do the same thing, so do I, so does DC. We all filter everything we perceive through our own interpretive grid. I’ve found that Calvinists are particularly bad at not recognizing themselves doing this, but that’s just me.
Larry, that’s my point. Theology is subjective. Being dogmatic about it usually achieves nothing but alienation.
DC, Dude, I didn’t even read the comments, here. They are irrelevant. Inasmuch as you value my opinion on anything, trust me when I say that calling the Creator a servant skips and hops well over the line of blasphemy. He sent His Son to give us some slack, but don’t push it. He is the Boss, and while He may not enforce what color of toilet paper you use, He has set up His rules, and He knows when every sparrow farts, and what they had for dinner.
He left us the manual, and in spite of all the mutations evil man has rendered unto it, if you read it in His Spirit, he will clue you in. If you are illiterate, try like heck to live in His Spirit, and He will clue you in, too.
Jesus washed feet, not to show that He was subservient, but that none of our human conventions mattered a whit.
A lot of His followers got all excited about different things, back then, and put their own interpretations on them, but He designed that Book for those of us in these end times. Most of it would not even be discovered and confirmed until the last century, and there are still revelations ahead.
Patience.
Inasmuch as you value my opinion on anything, trust me when I say that calling the Creator a servant skips and hops well over the line of blasphemy.
I do respect your opinion, Bane. I’m a little flattered that you even bother reading around here. But I think you missed my point. Maybe religion’s messed you up too. Difster did a very good job of follow up for me in his comment that you admit you skipped.
God is my Father and Jesus is my older brother and the only friend that I can count on. Brothers and friends serve each other. As I said in the original post, that’s what Love does and that’s what He IS. I don’t claim Him as my servant in some kind of arrogance like I could order Him around. He chose to serve me and the sacrifice of Christ is only one biblical example of that.
He serves me like you serve your children and I serve mine.
I cannot think of anything more humbling.
Is Jesus God?
Of course Jesus is God.
He preferred to emphasize his humanity, though. While you’ll never find him denying that he is God, you’ll also never find him claiming it directly.
He usually referred to himself as the Son of Man.
I was mulling this over DC, and I came to this conclusion – someone can serve without being a servant. I think I know what you were getting at, but by using the word ‘servant’ you’ve given the impression that we get to tell YHWH what to do. I think He does indeed serve us out of love, but serves how He chooses, not how we choose.