Becoming a Christian is a decision-making process. It involves a decision to believe what the Bible says is true. It requires a decision to commit yourself, without reservation, to what Christ wants you to be and do. And it is also a decision to surrender to being taken over by Jesus and yielding to the changes He wants to make in your life.
I was a guest speaker at an Ivy league university. The students that crowded into the lecture hall were intensely interested in the Bible and the gospel message. It was as though they wanted to believe and were hoping to hear some good reasons that would enable them to do so.
At the end of the lecture there was a question time, and the very first question was asked by a young man who stood and inquired, "How can you possibly believe that the Bible is true? You seem like an intelligent person, and you seem to be well-credentialed. How could anybody with your academic background possibly accept those Bible stories as though they were true?
I find myself having to decide to believe first all the time, especially when the other choice is both opposing and supported by some evidence - experiential, common sense, history, science ..
I still have the hardest time with the "facts" of a 6 day creation a few thousand years ago and the "absoluteness" of Noah's ark. For instance, A splitting of the red sea or the raising of Lazarus or finding a fish with a coin in it or walking on water may defy physical laws, but not physical evidence left behind. If that makes any sense. As much as I have to simply 'decide to believe' more frequently than one who never needs to question anything, given a choice of taking one of two roads 1) no god, pure chance or 2) God created, planned, the choice is easy. It's always in the details.....
I can totally relate to what Tony Campolo had to say and the way he said it. I have had some things happen in my life that made me, for a short time, have doubts about God. But, when I considered the alternatives, there is nothing else out there that makes as much sense to me. And, the lives I've known of faithful believers vs. those without faith are witnesses to me - I prefer the quality of life I've seen in believers. So, I choose to believe. And I do things to consolidate that belief.
Heb 11:6 No one can please God without faith. Whoever goes to God must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
I wrote a tract once that had for it's head line, "First you must believe?", made sense to me then, and it makes sense to me now. I like what Tony said.
FTL
: ConnieLard Fri Aug 17, 2007 - 14:52:37
I can totally relate to what Tony Campolo had to say and the way he said it. I have had some things happen in my life that made me, for a short time, have doubts about God. But, when I considered the alternatives, there is nothing else out there that makes as much sense to me. And, the lives I've known of faithful believers vs. those without faith are witnesses to me - I prefer the quality of life I've seen in believers. So, I choose to believe. And I do things to consolidate that belief.
Exactly! If we disbelieve in a God Who created everything, then the only other alternative is to believe that everything happened by chance. That is far more difficult for me to believe. Yes, believing in a God Who has always existed and never had a beginning doesn't seem logical. Believing in a God Who is all-powerful, all-knowing, and present everywhere, doesn't seem logical. However, what is the alternative? Believing that there is no rhyme or reason to anything and that it all just suddenly appeared, and that life began from dead matter? That would take far more faith for me. No, the most logical is what seems illogical--believing in an omnipotent, omniscient God Who created everything and is in control and keeps everything in existence, for without Him NOTHING could exist.
: Jon-Marc Fri Aug 17, 2007 - 17:10:53
: ConnieLard Fri Aug 17, 2007 - 14:52:37
I can totally relate to what Tony Campolo had to say and the way he said it. I have had some things happen in my life that made me, for a short time, have doubts about God. But, when I considered the alternatives, there is nothing else out there that makes as much sense to me. And, the lives I've known of faithful believers vs. those without faith are witnesses to me - I prefer the quality of life I've seen in believers. So, I choose to believe. And I do things to consolidate that belief.
Exactly! If we disbelieve in a God Who created everything, then the only other alternative is to believe that everything happened by chance. That is far more difficult for me to believe. Yes, believing in a God Who has always existed and never had a beginning doesn't seem logical. Believing in a God Who is all-powerful, all-knowing, and present everywhere, doesn't seem logical. However, what is the alternative? Believing that there is no rhyme or reason to anything and that it all just suddenly appeared, and that life began from dead matter? That would take far more faith for me. No, the most logical is what seems illogical--believing in an omnipotent, omniscient God Who created everything and is in control and keeps everything in existence, for without Him NOTHING could exist.
::amen::
: jmg3rd Wed Aug 15, 2007 - 12:59:53
Becoming a Christian is a decision-making process. It involves a decision to believe what the Bible says is true. It requires a decision to commit yourself, without reservation, to what Christ wants you to be and do. And it is also a decision to surrender to being taken over by Jesus and yielding to the changes He wants to make in your life.
I was a guest speaker at an Ivy league university. The students that crowded into the lecture hall were intensely interested in the Bible and the gospel message. It was as though they wanted to believe and were hoping to hear some good reasons that would enable them to do so.
At the end of the lecture there was a question time, and the very first question was asked by a young man who stood and inquired, "How can you possibly believe that the Bible is true? You seem like an intelligent person, and you seem to be well-credentialed. How could anybody with your academic background possibly accept those Bible stories as though they were true?
Potato, potato
Tomato, tomato
By choosing or not, your choosing...or not.
It IS possible to NOT choose (have you ever been undecided about anything?), and this IS different from choosing to NOT believe.
Campolo's logic seems to be that if one does not believe, one has chosen not to believe. But this is not the case. It is possible that one's lack of belief stems from a lack of a decision, not from a definite decision to NOT believe.
Minor point of logic to you, perhaps, but important to those "sitting on a fence" of indecision.
Sorry but I disagree. One can't decide to become born again of the Holy Spirit any more than he can decide that Darth Vader exists in real life. Only God decides when and to whom He will send the Holy Spirit. And 1 Corinthians 2:14 explains that the man without the Spirit cannot understand God.
So all one can do is admit his sins and ask God to forgive him. And since Jesus said; "Seek and you shall find" and also gives us the parable of the woman who badgered the judge, then when the judge relents, a person is saved.
In fact, I know many Christians who tried to muster up faith and eventually fell away because faith doesn't come from human effort. It is a gift from God so that no one can boast. ::smile::
Christ stands at the door and knocks - we have to decide whether or not to respond. Yes He chooses us, but we must choose Him in order to be justified and engage in a sanctifying / saving relationship with Him. Or we can choose to reject Him and spend eternity in isolation.
Just a side point, why is Mother Teresa getting raked over the coals ("Mother" Teresa's Agony by jmg3rd) for having doubts about God and an undeveloped theology - she never supported gay marriage like Tony Campollo. Just wondering.
blessings
: zoonance Fri Aug 17, 2007 - 12:26:20
I find myself having to decide to believe first all the time, especially when the other choice is both opposing and supported by some evidence - experiential, common sense, history, science ..
I still have the hardest time with the "facts" of a 6 day creation a few thousand years ago and the "absoluteness" of Noah's ark. For instance, A splitting of the red sea or the raising of Lazarus or finding a fish with a coin in it or walking on water may defy physical laws, but not physical evidence left behind. If that makes any sense. As much as I have to simply 'decide to believe' more frequently than one who never needs to question anything, given a choice of taking one of two roads 1) no god, pure chance or 2) God created, planned, the choice is easy. It's always in the details.....
One can no more decide to believe in God than he can decide to believe that Darth Vader is a real person. So no wonder you're having a hard time believing Genesis. Faith can't be mustered up by an individual.
"It is a gift from God so that no one can boast."
So if you suddenly believe that Darth Vader is real, God has put it on your heart to do so?
This is making less and less sense....