Post Script

You are closer to belief than you know. If you are aware of the weight of your sin, then you also know that it needs to be forgiven. It would be arrogance to assume otherwise. Please do not hold tightly to sin, thinking it must be who you are. Do not be content to settle for the miserable comforts of this world.

Do not let satan convince you that you would be surrendering your intellectual integrity by putting faith in God instead of something less worthy (see prior blog entitled "The Problem With Faith", posted Feb. 15, 2009). This is not about checking your brain at the door. It is about not ignoring facts. When I mention the ambiguity of the evidence, I do not mean that it is not conclusive for those with the eyes and will to see clearly (Not talking ourselves out of where plain logic would lead because we did not get the answer we wanted). Those who want God to work in plain sight do not realize that if He did, then He must needs judge us immediately for our lack of obedience (and He will shortly initiate that sort of method). Instead, He gives us the freedom of choice between abandoning ourselves to love, or saving our "love" for ourselves. (Remember, we cannot save ourselves.) He chooses to woo us with the proofs of His love. The proofs I speak of are His awesome creation, the testimonies of believers, and the eyewitness accounts of His miracles and ressurection (the Bible, which also predicted His life and told us who He is). So, as the Bible says, "Anyone who seeks to know God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." If we feel compelled by His love, we will be saying "I want that" and respond with submission to Him. After we are obedient, then is when He will provide us with "many convincing proofs", as the Bible says it. (I will share some of my own experiences to any who ask.)

I feel I must also clarify the statement that I made that God "will take care of us and take away our problems." True, that, but an oversimplification. While christians live on this earth, He cares for us in the midst of our problems. As a matter of fact, Jesus said, "a servant is no better than his master. The world has hated me, it will also hate you." He also said we are to be "exceedingly glad" when we suffer persectuion for His name's sake, because "great is your reward in Heaven." He has uses for the christians's troubles and pains in this life, just as the suffering and death of Jesus accomplished His plan.