GOING DEEPER WITH GOD
As we begin this Fall a new season of Godtalks, I wanted to explore some deeper questions of faith. Very often what stops or stunts spiritual growth is simply a question unanswered. A question about God or the Bible, that you encounter, and find you have no answer for it. That question causes doubt to creep in and you begin to feel cracks in your faith. Soon other questions arise that trouble you. You can grow discouraged and in some instances, start a new spiritual journey exploring other religions or philosophies for life.
The best way to resolve unanswered questions is to become a student of the Word of God. As we study the Word of God, the Holy Spirit also interacts with us to bring the Words on the page to life. After a group of followers of Jesus decided to walk away from Jesus, in John chapter 6, He asked the disciples if they were considering walking away. Peter answered for the group: “Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. (Jn, 6:68). Jesus is the living Word of God. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to be our teacher. “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (John 14:26)"
When we become a student of the Word of God we understand that the ultimate context for all scripture is the whole Bible. What do I mean by that? If I select a few passages of scripture that agree or disagree with what you want to believe to be truth, I am doing a disservice to both you and me. For instance if I were to say to you “the Bible teaches God will never give you more than you can handle” “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability.” (1 Corinthians 10:13). In this passage the surrounding context of scripture helps us understand this passage better and the whole of the Bible gives us a beautiful picture of what is being stated here. If you have lived more than a minute on this planet you have been overwhelmed and experienced circumstances beyond your control. This verse is specifically referring to temptation, and goes on to say that God will provide us a way out, meaning that we can choose His way over temptation. One other important point about this verse, if we take it out of its context it appears God is responsible for placing difficult circumstances on our lives. He is not. He is in fact our door way out of temptation and bondage.
I want to invite you to interact with these blog posts and perhaps even post your own questions that are troubling you. My hope is that together with God we can settle your doubts and encourage you in your walk. Let’s begin by just sharing a post from the Christian Apologist Dr. William Lane Craig. He will tackle the question Does God Love me? Enjoy and look for more posts as we God deeper with God this fall! https://www.reasonablefaith.org/writings/question-answer/does-god-like-me