MennoSota
Well-known member
- Joined
- Sep 24, 2017
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- Christian
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Because humans, by their rebellious nature, will not willfully seek God, they will substitute belief into anything that does not require them to give up control.Human nature created by God in His Image does not really have the option of faith in its psychological meaning...
You WILL have faith in SOME-thing...
Anthropological studies show how many are some of the things man can have faith IN...
Here are a few:
Wealth...
Poverty...
Crack pipes...
Hallucinations...
Demonic revelations...
Emperor Hirohito...
Napoleon...
Self...
Social approval...
Science...
Books...
The Prophet Mohammed...
God...
Satan...
etc etc etc...
You see, faith IS the BASIS - eg the HYPOSTASIS - of things anticipated...
And in action, it is the EVIDENCE of things NOT SEEN...
It's basis can be fear - eg based on death, upon which all have sinned...
Or it can be Love - eg based on Life, for which the world is renounced...
That is our choice as Christians at every turn...
Life of death, Love or fear, Good or evil, God or His enemies...
We are saved THROUGH the Faith of Christ...
Which Faith He discipled to His Apostles...
But we are Saved BY God Himself...
God's Grace is God Himself in His Power...
The Gift Unearnable is God Himself...
It is not free...
It cannot be earned...
There is the COST of Discipleship in the Faith of Christ...
The cost is the world...
The cost is the self...
The cost is one's cross...
The Cost is Christ Crucified...
Christ Crucified is embraced...
By man denying himself...
By taking up his own cross...
And following Christ...
A cross is an instrument of torture...
A torture unto death...
Renouncing the world...
In the Love of God...
Not as the world gives...
Does Christ Give...
The Peace of God...
To His Faithful Ones...
Arsenios
God requires a complete crucification with Christ so that Christ might raise us up with Himself and grant us faith to believe and trust. That faith comes not from us, but is solely a gift from God.