- Dec 20, 2003
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While reading the below passage for a sermon and in various discussions I have been struck by how a Trinitarian world view underpins a truly free society.
Islamic and Jewish understandings of God are about submission to a will that is defined in law and external compliance to that law is evidence therefore of ones faith. Thus there is a conformity and sameness in many truly religious people in these religions. But Christians believe in a Saviour that shared our humanity in all its fullness and in doing so and after His Ascension opened up a gateway for his Holy Spirit to work in each and every person to guide, comfort, transform and heal them from deep within. The explosive potential of the Christian religion by this inner transformation in every culture, people group and place is enormous. The Spirit releases a potential and creativity that no other religion allows for. It seems to me that where Trinitarian Christians are in charge or have been in charge of a country this freedom exists for its people and the people have prospered and live in peace to a greater extent than elsewhere.
12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”
But my questions are these.
Many Trinitarian Christians live in countries that have never allowed for the kinds of freedom available to these believers. These believers feel the persecution and the weight of oppression of these rulers more keenly because they know what it means to be free from deep within themselves. They model freedom in their daily lives but are continually slapped down by those who do not want people to be free
What could you say to a bunch of Islamic thugs, Chinese political policemen or Hindu nationalists to convince them to allow you the kinds of freedom that are available as a result of your faith?
Islamic and Jewish understandings of God are about submission to a will that is defined in law and external compliance to that law is evidence therefore of ones faith. Thus there is a conformity and sameness in many truly religious people in these religions. But Christians believe in a Saviour that shared our humanity in all its fullness and in doing so and after His Ascension opened up a gateway for his Holy Spirit to work in each and every person to guide, comfort, transform and heal them from deep within. The explosive potential of the Christian religion by this inner transformation in every culture, people group and place is enormous. The Spirit releases a potential and creativity that no other religion allows for. It seems to me that where Trinitarian Christians are in charge or have been in charge of a country this freedom exists for its people and the people have prospered and live in peace to a greater extent than elsewhere.
12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”
But my questions are these.
Many Trinitarian Christians live in countries that have never allowed for the kinds of freedom available to these believers. These believers feel the persecution and the weight of oppression of these rulers more keenly because they know what it means to be free from deep within themselves. They model freedom in their daily lives but are continually slapped down by those who do not want people to be free
What could you say to a bunch of Islamic thugs, Chinese political policemen or Hindu nationalists to convince them to allow you the kinds of freedom that are available as a result of your faith?
