- Mar 22, 2011
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Not everything in the world is evil, and people who don’t claim Christ still may exhibit some of His qualities at times. John describes Christ as the light that came into the world, enlightening every man. The theologians call this "common grace". You don't have to even know about Christ to have it, enjoy it and employ it. So if you're looking for concrete divisions between the saved and unsaved in terms of behavior and outlook, you're not always going to find them.
But here's the thing. You know what happens when you play telephone. By the time the message goes around the room, it's all distorted. That's the way the unsaved are. They may have some good foundations, but chances are very good that the message has been corrupted. And that is increasingly true in our fallen and falling culture.
But to make matters worse, the saved are themselves struggling with belief and praxis (walking out their beliefs). And so you sometimes won't see a dime's worth of difference between unsaved and saved.
So yes, if you're going to base your beliefs and self-identification on what you see in others, you ARE going to end up confused. I'm sorry it is this way, but this is the way it is.
It really pays to get that original message right, and the way to do that is to go back to the original telling. That would be the Bible, mature trustworthy Christians, and prayer. And then, as you get Light, obey the Light, and it will become part of you, and your faith will grow.
You are young, and there are a lot of cultural pressures on you. Voices from every quarter are calling out for your attention, and many of them sound right. But look at it this way. You say you still believe that Christ died for our sins. Would it not make perfect sense, then, that He would be the ultimate answer for ALL aspects of our lives? I don’t mean in a legalistic, immature way, but wouldn't we be able to grow in the reality of His personality and character, and apply that to the challenges of our lives?
And since life can be so difficult, wouldn't it make sense that in order to be successful at that we would have to devote ourselves to it, and be patient and endure at times? That is precisely what the Bible tells us to do, and I think it makes a lot of sense.
I would advise you to think, meditate and pray your way through this. Take your time, but be diligent. Ask the Lord to show you how He can become more real in your life. You have to ask sincerely though, willing to follow what He shows you. If you do that, I think you will begin to get traction, and the confusion will begin to abate. That is exactly what happened to me when I was in deep confusion. It's a lifelong process, but you have the tremendous advantage of starting early, if you choose to use it wisely.
But here's the thing. You know what happens when you play telephone. By the time the message goes around the room, it's all distorted. That's the way the unsaved are. They may have some good foundations, but chances are very good that the message has been corrupted. And that is increasingly true in our fallen and falling culture.
But to make matters worse, the saved are themselves struggling with belief and praxis (walking out their beliefs). And so you sometimes won't see a dime's worth of difference between unsaved and saved.
So yes, if you're going to base your beliefs and self-identification on what you see in others, you ARE going to end up confused. I'm sorry it is this way, but this is the way it is.
It really pays to get that original message right, and the way to do that is to go back to the original telling. That would be the Bible, mature trustworthy Christians, and prayer. And then, as you get Light, obey the Light, and it will become part of you, and your faith will grow.
You are young, and there are a lot of cultural pressures on you. Voices from every quarter are calling out for your attention, and many of them sound right. But look at it this way. You say you still believe that Christ died for our sins. Would it not make perfect sense, then, that He would be the ultimate answer for ALL aspects of our lives? I don’t mean in a legalistic, immature way, but wouldn't we be able to grow in the reality of His personality and character, and apply that to the challenges of our lives?
And since life can be so difficult, wouldn't it make sense that in order to be successful at that we would have to devote ourselves to it, and be patient and endure at times? That is precisely what the Bible tells us to do, and I think it makes a lot of sense.
I would advise you to think, meditate and pray your way through this. Take your time, but be diligent. Ask the Lord to show you how He can become more real in your life. You have to ask sincerely though, willing to follow what He shows you. If you do that, I think you will begin to get traction, and the confusion will begin to abate. That is exactly what happened to me when I was in deep confusion. It's a lifelong process, but you have the tremendous advantage of starting early, if you choose to use it wisely.
Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. -Heb 10:35-36
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