Have you noticed that a lot of people, maybe even you, divide life into categories of good or bad experiences? Life for these people becomes one long strenuous exercise in trying to accumulate more good times than bad times. More times of rejoicing than complaining. More times of being grateful than times of bitterness.
This way of viewing life is based upon our ignorance of possibilities.
“Do not be anxious about anything”
“Rejoice always, I will say it again rejoice”
“Be thankful in all circumstances”
These verses were written by people who were on the verge of being tortured to death. At the time of these lines being written, the end, the literal end of their lives was in sight. These men who walked with and were taught by Jesus seemed to know something about life that has been lost by us.
An atheist told me that if he had been God he would have created a world without suffering. First of all, God did give us this type of world. We were living in paradise, mature mentally, emotionally and spiritually. We had it all. We knew the consequences of obedience and disobedience and sadly, we made the choice to give that up in order to be our own gods. When that happened, we became immature mentally and emotionally. We became spiritually dull of mind and slow of thought. Humans in that condition, when placed into times of ease cease to grow mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
If he'd had his way, what this atheist would have created was a world where no one grows, matures or becomes someone who is better than s/he was the year before. Nothing positive comes about in us in times of ease and contentment. If anything, in times of ease we become more:
Self-absorbed
Less giving
Less loving
Less understanding
Jesus said that He came to give us life to the full, or to give us an abundant life. I believe firmly that He meant He would make us the kind of people who could thrive in all conditions of life. He came so that even pain and suffering and loss could be looked upon as profound and important experiences. An attitude of gratitude allows us to embrace all of life; this includes the times of sorrow as well as times of rejoicing and celebration.
For me at least, it’s been only when God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit were present with me in any and all of life, that this abundant life became real for me.
I am living in such a wonderful stage of life. It has never been harder, the challenges never greater, the risks more extreme and yet, never has it been so rewarding.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
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Explain to me how we can enter into eternal life. How does one insert a finite agent into an infinite "afterlife"? I'm having some problems with infinity that I was wondering if you would clear up for me? Because like Hugo mentioned you tend to declare that there is no infinite regress of cause and yet, we're supposed to believe that finite agents can become assimilated into an infinite system. (heaven or hell) How does that work?
ReplyDeleteAlso, I was wondering what evidence Christianity has for the existance of a soul?
Also, how is immaterial the same thing as a spirit. Isn't immaterial simply, not material? Doesn't that just mean nothing? What reason do we have to think that any material agent is qualified to make claims about an immaterial agent?(which is a contradiction, ie. Immaterial matter?)
Also, could you respond to the commont about eternity in hell from the last post? I'm curios as to how anything can burn for eternity.
Also, how are actions performed void of a temporal dimension?