Hi there!
So I have been thinking more and more about what it means to be a believer, what I should be focusing on as a believer, what scriptures I should be believing. The more I think about it, the less it has anything to do, with what I want. For a start, I can't know everything that every other believer, believes. There is no way to predict what scripture will or will not be important, to any other believer - even like myself. And there is no way for me to say "yes, that is sufficiently godly" or "no, that's not godly enough". All I can basically be certain of, is that if I am assessing other believers, as to how godly they are, then every other believer is assessing me the same!
I'm not sure what to make of that? God is not assessing me, from an unattainable standard of godliness - rather He is assessing me on the basis of the Holy Spirit's godliness, which the Holy Spirit shares with all of us. But what am I - or is anyone - supposed to do with this? Other than grow in godliness? I mean, there isn't a set of ten verses I am supposed to memorize, there isn't a particular chapter of scripture I am supposed to show potential family members - I just don't ever graduate the school of theological understanding, and get told "now rest". Rest is coming, both for me and the rest of my spiritual family - but how many practice that rest, out of faith, for what will be (if that last point has more emphasis than the rest)?
What it seems to me is, some prefer to assess the heat of other's godliness (the many scriptures that blaze in the truth of the Holy Spirit) and some prefer to assess the cold of other's godliness (the ability of interpreting scripture to phrase them more succinctly) - I fall into the latter category. I'm not sure I even need to change (from being cold), but would happily convert those that are hot, at least to see the many verses they quote from different angles. I'm not sure if that is accommodating enough, for other cold believers, who think that even welcoming one scripture justifies welcoming all the scriptures of the same godliness. There is power in this, as we push each other, to accommodate godliness more and more.
I think God even enjoys immersing Himself in cold scriptures, being godly in a cold way among believers, waiting to see what they will say. It is the more patient path, to be cold, not to hold the hot tap water of scripture after scripture on the frost-bitten sinful hand. Jesus Himself said "How I wish the fire was already kindled" (gospels, from memory) in other words "I am cold!" "The Holy Spirit will be in you" (John, from memory) that is, helping you face the cold! If there isn't these things, then there is always godliness, to refresh God - like a splash of cold water to the face! When it comes to believers being cold, I think God takes them at their word - that is where I struggle! I am always convinced there is more of a subtext (to godliness, but also other things) that believers don't understand. I wish I could provoke godliness, is what I am saying.
In the end, it becomes ice-block weightlifting - you are not able to make others godly, the way you are godly, so you resort to looking for a way to provoke your brothers in scripture. But if the Holy Spirit won't do it, the Holy Spirit won't do it! First you have to pray, then you have to submit, then you have to evaluate your desire to be godly through scripture and nowhere does it say "convince your brothers of this"! I think that is what the Bible is talking about when it says "the sons of the kingdom will be cast into outer darkness" if all you want to do is provoke your brothers and sisters to aspire to a greater rank within the faith, you are missing the great many works they are able to do for God, as godly as they are. Maybe when you have prayed for their works as well, you will have gotten somewhere (I am learning this, myself, right now - Lord bless). The point is, there is more that is about caring in the Bible than there is about anything else. The Bible's simple message is that "God cares".
Now I don't know if I have hit all the right notes here; I have learned something myself, which is good, but basically I have ended up with a narrower focus. Se la vie! I suppose in the end, if I am cold and pray and commit to works, I will have satisfied God a great deal, it just seems a shame that there isn't teaching around this, in the Church. Well, not in so many words, there are theological colleges and Church groups and Church charities and missions and the rest. It's just seems like online we forget, what the Holy Spirit has yet to teach us - which He will! Imagine if we really edified the Church and really strengthen the faith, with our time online. Well, in effect we do, I have hit that 'like' button more times than I can remember. I guess what I really think, is that with all this being 'cold' I wish we were closer - which is as much my responsibility as anyone.
Keep the faith, keep the word, do the works of truth - if we have that, we have more than enough. I hope this has been of some encouragement to you.
God bless.
So I have been thinking more and more about what it means to be a believer, what I should be focusing on as a believer, what scriptures I should be believing. The more I think about it, the less it has anything to do, with what I want. For a start, I can't know everything that every other believer, believes. There is no way to predict what scripture will or will not be important, to any other believer - even like myself. And there is no way for me to say "yes, that is sufficiently godly" or "no, that's not godly enough". All I can basically be certain of, is that if I am assessing other believers, as to how godly they are, then every other believer is assessing me the same!
I'm not sure what to make of that? God is not assessing me, from an unattainable standard of godliness - rather He is assessing me on the basis of the Holy Spirit's godliness, which the Holy Spirit shares with all of us. But what am I - or is anyone - supposed to do with this? Other than grow in godliness? I mean, there isn't a set of ten verses I am supposed to memorize, there isn't a particular chapter of scripture I am supposed to show potential family members - I just don't ever graduate the school of theological understanding, and get told "now rest". Rest is coming, both for me and the rest of my spiritual family - but how many practice that rest, out of faith, for what will be (if that last point has more emphasis than the rest)?
What it seems to me is, some prefer to assess the heat of other's godliness (the many scriptures that blaze in the truth of the Holy Spirit) and some prefer to assess the cold of other's godliness (the ability of interpreting scripture to phrase them more succinctly) - I fall into the latter category. I'm not sure I even need to change (from being cold), but would happily convert those that are hot, at least to see the many verses they quote from different angles. I'm not sure if that is accommodating enough, for other cold believers, who think that even welcoming one scripture justifies welcoming all the scriptures of the same godliness. There is power in this, as we push each other, to accommodate godliness more and more.
I think God even enjoys immersing Himself in cold scriptures, being godly in a cold way among believers, waiting to see what they will say. It is the more patient path, to be cold, not to hold the hot tap water of scripture after scripture on the frost-bitten sinful hand. Jesus Himself said "How I wish the fire was already kindled" (gospels, from memory) in other words "I am cold!" "The Holy Spirit will be in you" (John, from memory) that is, helping you face the cold! If there isn't these things, then there is always godliness, to refresh God - like a splash of cold water to the face! When it comes to believers being cold, I think God takes them at their word - that is where I struggle! I am always convinced there is more of a subtext (to godliness, but also other things) that believers don't understand. I wish I could provoke godliness, is what I am saying.
In the end, it becomes ice-block weightlifting - you are not able to make others godly, the way you are godly, so you resort to looking for a way to provoke your brothers in scripture. But if the Holy Spirit won't do it, the Holy Spirit won't do it! First you have to pray, then you have to submit, then you have to evaluate your desire to be godly through scripture and nowhere does it say "convince your brothers of this"! I think that is what the Bible is talking about when it says "the sons of the kingdom will be cast into outer darkness" if all you want to do is provoke your brothers and sisters to aspire to a greater rank within the faith, you are missing the great many works they are able to do for God, as godly as they are. Maybe when you have prayed for their works as well, you will have gotten somewhere (I am learning this, myself, right now - Lord bless). The point is, there is more that is about caring in the Bible than there is about anything else. The Bible's simple message is that "God cares".
Now I don't know if I have hit all the right notes here; I have learned something myself, which is good, but basically I have ended up with a narrower focus. Se la vie! I suppose in the end, if I am cold and pray and commit to works, I will have satisfied God a great deal, it just seems a shame that there isn't teaching around this, in the Church. Well, not in so many words, there are theological colleges and Church groups and Church charities and missions and the rest. It's just seems like online we forget, what the Holy Spirit has yet to teach us - which He will! Imagine if we really edified the Church and really strengthen the faith, with our time online. Well, in effect we do, I have hit that 'like' button more times than I can remember. I guess what I really think, is that with all this being 'cold' I wish we were closer - which is as much my responsibility as anyone.
Keep the faith, keep the word, do the works of truth - if we have that, we have more than enough. I hope this has been of some encouragement to you.
God bless.
