14. The Meaning Of Life
Many people are compelled by physical evidence, and by
their conscience, to believe in God. (E52)
However, the
question of suffering, evil, and death seems to be
incompatible with the Christian claim that an all-powerful and
all-loving Creator named Jesus Christ could be this God.
Einstein was among those who envisioned God as impersonal, and
therefore uncaring. Evil, suffering and death were seen as
simply a result of the evolutionary processes, especially a
result of the survival of the fittest. In fact, many clerics
will simply encourage their flock along the lines of patient
endurance and blind trust in God.
The Bible answers the question of suffering, evil and
death.
God is not impersonal as is evidenced by the marvelous
complexity of the created universe, and especially as seen in
the magnificent complexity of life. God is totally involved
in his creations, (E53)
and totally interested in each of us
individually.
We are not robots. We have free choice to follow or not
follow the Great Commandment: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy
God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all
thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the
second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as
thyself." (Matthew 22:37-39). Without free choice, real love
would be impossible for us. We can only overcome sin and evil
by choosing Jesus Christ. When we do so, we enter an
interactive personal relationship with God, wherein our will
and Christ's will join in opposition to Satan's will.
Salvation in this sense is a process that leads to the future
perfection of man, a new creation that retains free will, but
overcomes suffering, evil and death. (E54)
According to Psalms 51:5 we are all sinners, by nature,
from conception. We would become totally depraved without
God's restraint (Jeremiah 17:9, John 16:8-11), and on our own,
without personal interaction with God, nothing we can achieve
is righteous, or good, by God's high standard (Isaiah 64:6;
John 15:5; Romans 3:10-20).
Since we are sinners, evil-minded from conception, we are
born spiritually dead, unable to do good on our own. We are
"separated" from God, "out of fellowship" with Jesus Christ.
Yet we are still a spiritual being and have been created to
exist forever. We are extra-dimensional, and our conscience
confirms it. As eternal beings we will never experience the
annihilation of our spiritual-material body.
In our present existence we have only so much time to
choose or reject God's offer of eternal salvation and training
for eternity. In fact, giving us too much time or too little
time to decide between good and evil would be harmful (Luke
16:19-31; Isaiah 38-39; Acts 5:1-10), as death limits the
spread of evil and wickedness in societies. You must
understand that physical death is not bad: it limits the
degradation and punishment of people who reject God, and seals
and protects the righteous people who have chosen God (II
Corinthians 7:8-13 and 12:7-10; Hebrews 12:5-13 and 12:2).
Suffering is an alert that a potential problem confronts
us either physically, emotionally, or spiritually (II
Corinthians 7:813.), and is designed to: restrain us from
committing evil (Hebrews 12:5-13), humble us so that we
remember our weakness in the flesh (II Corinthians 12:7-10),
teach us about ourselves, our values, and our choices (Matthew
13:20-23), and teach us about God's magnitude of Love in that
he was willing to suffer and die that we might be saved
forever (Hebrews 12:2). Long-life and the absence of
suffering only favors wickedness, not righteousness (Genesis
6:3-8 and 3:16-19).
No matter how good a government might be, even when
experiencing a period of worldwide peace with prosperity, good
health, and long life, most individuals will still choose evil
in rebellion against God when a chance arises (Revelation
20:1-10), yet punishment will not eliminate sin, but only
restrain sin.
Satan is the most powerful of created beings, and the
most evil. Therefore, as the tempter of mankind, he is
attacking mankind in the most severe manner possible. There
would be no possibility of us facing a more severe test now or
in eternity (Isaiah 14:11-17; Ezekiel 28:12-19; Jude 9). Our
suffering purifies the soul and tells the world of the
surpassing value of the spiritual over the physical, and the
eternal over the temporal (Hebrews 12:16; I Peter 2:19-25 and
4:1-2). Skeptics watch how Christians respond to suffering
and persecution to see whether their faith is true, reliable,
and secure in their search for the truth (I Peter 3:13-18).
Very often the severest test a believer will undergo is
persecution (Job, Acts 7:55-8:3 and 9:1-19), yet it is the
example that the believer sets that may be the saving witness
for another lost soul.
Suffering, evil, and death are only small things of
insignificance, like a whiff of smoke when compared to
eternity (Job 7:6-10; Psalm 103:15-16, James 4:14), and in
fact we can only begin to comprehend God's time frame (II
Timothy 1:9 and 1:2; II Peter 3:8, Revelation 21:1). If the
billions of years we comprehend since the singularity creation
were scaled down to a year, all of human history would be
under one minute.
Sometimes the wicked seem to be blessed while the
righteous suffer, and it seems to be so unfair. But there is
purpose and Godly design even in this. God approaches us
personally with mercy and grace first, and if necessary with
justice and rebuke second (John 3:16-18; II Peter 3:9). God
first blesses the lost sheep so that that person has an
opportunity to acknowledge Him as the source of what is good
(Psalm 73), but then God may remove the Blessing to humble the
sinner to prepare him to listen to the message of people who
have already chosen God. (Proverbs 24:15-20). If the
individual persists in evil, and rejects God, he will receive
the eternal torment and separation from God which he has
chosen. (Psalm 73). No one dies without the clear opportunity
to accept right over wrong, and thus God over Satan (John
3:16-21). It is sin when we know to do right, yet we do
wrong.
In hell there are differing degrees of torment. The
worse a man's wickedness and rebellion is, the worse the
torment will be (Revelation 20:11-15). This is so the
residents of hell will not torment each other to an
unthinkable degree (Jeremiah 17:9). Thus even hell and
punishment reflect the love and compassion of a just God.
Likewise, the believer in heaven will receive a different
reward according to the degree of submission the Christian
chose in becoming Christ-like (I Corinthians 3:12-15). (E55)
Atheistic and agnostic individuals have constantly
invented more and more bizarre "loopholes" to justify their
rebellion against God. But science and conscience demonstrate
that God is real and that He is a loving being. Especially is
the evidence clear in today's world, where quality and
quantity of proof are so vast. This generation has no excuse
for rebelling against God. (E56)
It is clear that contrary to
the atheists belief, The Savior is closer and just as real as
the person standing next to them.
"...Thomas Macauley, a British historian,
[who] died on the eve of our Civil War...said:
"Your republic will be fearfully plundered and laid
waste by barbarians in the twentieth century, with
this difference: The Huns and the Vandals who
ransacked Rome were from without, and your Huns and
Vandals will come from within your own country, and
be engendered from within your own
institutions."...Though the Founding Fathers wished
to secure the religious freedom of all men, it was
never their desire to create a secular, humanist
nation with God uninvolved in her affairs." (B70)
Intellectual belief, head belief, is not enough to save
anyone. "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest
well: the devils also believe, and tremble" (James 2:19). One
further step is required to be "saved." One must yield his
life to Christ. At that moment God initiates the personal
relationship between the yielding sinner and the Holy Spirit.
Without doubt, our Founding Fathers would be taking up arms right now, given the chance, to rid this land of the "politically-correct" poop rampant in Washington DC's establishment, rampant both in the left and the right. The notion that the "rights" of non-citizen Arabs who consider us to be Satan and who have vowed to kill us should be protected on a level with our own rights, is absolute ignorant crap. It will be a cold day in hell when George Washington or Thomas Jefferson pat Bill Clinton or the Bush boys on the back. I suspect that if ever given the chance, they will call them spineless and stupid idiots to their faces! The terds that have passed all the liberal laws that give our avowed national enemies protection within our midst, should all be lined up against the wall and shot as they are the traitorious scum of the land. If you are a U.S. citizen and a follower of Islam, you should be stripped of your U.S. citizenship and deported overseas!
Salvation is not found in Islamic tenants. Only evil is generated, and only slavery, death, destruction and murderous results are produced by Islam. Christianity, on the other hand, can produce much good. And that is the difference between the American and the Muslim! You see, salvation is not produced by agression. Salvation is not a result of martyrdom, though martyrdom can be a result of salvation. Salvation is not forced. One doesn't have to prove to God one is worthy of gaining heavenly reward by performing sacrificial and heroic deeds. One only has to quietly and sincerely yield to God's Holy Spirit and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour into one's life.
God created life itself. Life is therefore a sacred gift to us from God. How can the indiscriminate slaughter of something so sacred as life by mere humans be of God. It can not be of God. God Himself has ordered the lawful execution of peoples and of individuals, but He has never been indiscriminate about it. If you are an Islamic radical you are on the wrong side of God. Genuine Christians are trying to preserve life, even your life, eternally. You are trying to destroy life. In your heart you know your destroying position is wrong if you stop to think about it. You are simply serving the destroying angel, Satan, if you are busy slaughtering innocent people. Life is sacred.
"The Holy Spirit (1) establishes the
relationship; (2) enforces the rules; (3) enriches
the life; (4) empowers for service.
At the time of salvation the personal
relationship is established, the Holy Spirit
enters, and is "with you and "in you" (John 14:17). In
fact, "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is
none of his" (Romans 8:9)."
Unsaved people often "...do always resist the
Holy Spirit" (Acts 7:51). "The unsaved person has
many ways he can resist the Holy Spirit because
there are many ways God calls him. Sometimes God
speaks through his goodness (Romans 2:4); sometimes
through a concerned relative or friend (John 1:40-
41); sometimes through trouble (Acts 16:25-34);
sometimes through a sermon (1 Corinthians 1:21);
sometimes through a Bible verse (2 Timothy 3:15);
and sometimes through a still small voice (1 Kings
19:9-12)...When God speaks, regardless of the
method He chooses, the unsaved person either
receives or resists. If he resists, he never
receives the joy God has for him."
Newly saved individuals are instructed to
"Quench not the Spirit" (1 Thessalonians 5:19).
"Quench means to "extinguish or cool suddenly."
Every new believer faces this danger in the first
few months of being a Christian. While the
conversion experience is still fresh, Satan
whispers, "You didn't mean that. That was a moment
of emotion. Don't do anything else about it." To
fail to obey God's direct commands and to follow
God's leadership is to "quench the Spirit." Again,
joy flees."
To those who have been saved for a long period
of time, the Biblical instruction is to "Grieve not
the Holy Spirit" (Ephesians 4:30). "Grieving
speaks of a heretofore close relationship,
established over a period of time. We grieve only
those we know intimately. We grieve the Holy
Spirit because we have walked closely with him in
days gone by. Sin grieves the one who cares the
most about us. "Grieving" occurs when we (1)
revert from a Christ-controlled life to a self-
controlled life, (2) seem content with second best
in our choices, and (3) expect God to do little or
nothing through us (and give him just that much
opportunity!). It is sad indeed when a believer
spurns God's love and grieves the Holy Spirit."
(B72)
God can be trusted and we can stake our life on it! But
the Bible does not teach that the "Spirit-controlled" life is
a life of perfection. The opposite is actually true. For a
life to be Spirit-filled, an individual must confess sin and
ask for forgiveness every day (1 John 1:9), and claim His
fullness according to His promise (1 John 5:14-15).
For the Christian, success is the continuous achievement
of being the person God wants one to be. It is the continuous
achievement of goals that God helps set. Success is not a
great "self-image" derived from one's confidence in self's
ability to do something.
"As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs
23:7. Thus, it is easily seen that the course of a man's life
is determined by what he thinks. Real motivation and joy come
from within a person, from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
You have now been exposed to real truth. No matter what your
situation in life is, if you have not accepted the Lordship of
Jesus Christ in your life, you can do so right now. Simply
speak to Jesus Christ from your heart:
"Father in Heaven, I understand now that truly you are
God, and that there is no other. I see that I am sinful, and
I am ashamed. Father, I repent of my evilness, and ask you to
come into my heart and life, that I might be saved by the
power and blood of Jesus Christ who died for my sins. Thank
you Father, for paying for my sinfulness. Father, lead me now
and guide me by the power of the Holy Spirit, and strengthen
me, that I might learn to fully hate the evil within me and to
recognize right from wrong completely. Open my mind, my eyes,
and my heart, that I may be a true servant and fully
respondent to your leadings, and an agent for good toward the
salvation of others who are lost and in danger. Thank you,
Lord, for saving me. Amen."
You are now a vital member of the real New World Order if you
have just accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior!(E57)
End of Book
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