CA9 – Responding to the Bible and to God

Committed Christians trust and accept that God has preserved a sufficiently accurate set of documents for His purposes. That is, they believe that the Bible is theologically reliable. The aim then is to look for its information about God and how to apply it. A Christian relies on the Holy Spirit in order to perceive the theological truth and spiritual force of what is written in the Bible John 16:13,14-15, 1Corinthians 2:10-11,12.

Bible-based knowledge of God reveals His own glorious nature. A core aspect is His relational and generous attitude towards people. This should lead people to respond by loving Him.

But the very essence of love involves free choice. No-one can be forced to love. If compulsion is involved it is not love. It must be voluntary [see 1A6(f)]. This means that all people even have freedom to choose their responses to God! So they decide whether or not to participate with God in pursuing His primary purpose.

Those who choose to be committed to loving God aim to do what He requires, as understood from the Bible. By this commitment they can come to know God Himself. He will also make Himself known THROUGH them to others.¹ They will come to share with God in accomplishing His primary purpose! God Himself intends this to be the ultimate enthralling experience and fulfilment of meaning for each person!!

Sadly the responses of most people in the Bible and since have been negative or lukewarm towards God and usually changeable. This is mainly due to the influences of God’s Enemy (the Devil or Satan) 1 Peter 5:8-9 along with our own strong desires to live in ways that are not biblical 1John 2:15,16-17. So we struggle to perceive God as He really is and to increase our understanding of Him, desire Him and cooperate with Him. It really is that hard!

For these reasons daily exposure to the Bible is essential, to nurture and strengthen these God-seeking motivations in ourselves² Deuteronomy 17:15a,18,19,20, Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1:1-2. My hope in setting up this website is to inform and encourage you to make positive responses to God through increasing your exposure to the Bible, understanding it and applying it personally.

End of CONFRONTING ASSUMPTIONS

FOOTNOTES

1. People originally were made “in the image and likeness of God” (Genesis 1:26,27). They were meant to “see” Him primarily in each other! (Return to reading).

2. This has been my daily practice for all my adult life, motivated particularly by a sense of personal need and vulnerability to disobeying God. Over time this has developed into a growing enjoyment of relating to God through reading the Bible, thinking about it, sensing His closeness and praying to Him. (Return to reading).