Chapter 4 - The Trauma of Holiness
Quotable Sproul: "People have an appreciation for moral excellence, as long as it is moved a safe distance from them."
Allowing God's Holiness to Touch Our Lives - 3 questions
1) "Is your view of God's holiness like Peter's? Do you want to run from it?"
Absolutely! I find, however, that when I am living more in line with God's moral will for my life, that I am less afraid of His holiness than when I am not in line. But I wonder how much of my thought-expectations for how I live is instilled by what others (ie, the Church) think I should do and how I should behave, instead of how God wants them. Do I live my life to please others? Or to please God's holy standards? Do others shape my behaviors? Or does God, by drawing nearer and nearer to Him every day? The latter ought to be the case, but I often think it is the former.
2) "Have you ever experienced the trauma of God's holiness?"
Based on my answer to number 2, I don't know if the trauma I've felt was delt by God's holiness, or my thoughts of others' expectations on me. Because I have sins that regularly beset me, I often feel as though I cannot go to God for forgiveness. I often don't have the desire to repent of certain behaviors or thoughts. I want forgiveness, but I fight change. I'm certain it is one of Satan's schemes, to tell us we shouldn't bother God if we don't want to change ourselves. But then again, who brings us to a point of change? It is certainly not me. Calvinism teaches we are totally depraved, unable to rescue ourselves, and unable to even recognize that we need to be rescued. So, it is difficult to answer this question, because I have difficulty discerning the origin of my "trauma".
3) "Describe a time when you were comforted by God's holiness."
I am always comforted by God's holiness when I remember that His holiness is what drew me to Him in the first place. I would/could never recognize God if His holiness hadn't first drawn me. After all, His holiness permits the Holy Spirit to draw me to Him, not Him to me. My sin would forever separate me from God if it weren't for His holy desire to rescue me from the pit. Thank you, God!
Your response here in #2 is exactly what made me ask what I asked of you concerning your 5/26 post. I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels that there's things I don't want to change but I know I need to and I know I'll have to rely on God to get the change done. However, I do get concerned when I think of Jesus telling the adultress to "go and sin no more." He was telling her it was her responsibility to make the change, right? Though we know we can rely on the Holy Spirit for guidance, what about our part in this?
ReplyDeleteNicky, it's interesting how theology is so simple...until life muddies it, isn't it? "Go and sin no more" is simple on paper, but brutal in real life. Especially when that sin is so appetizing!
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