01-19-2008, 06:12 PM
I'd appreciate your comments on the article below, which i read on a website called RBC ministries. It really struck a chord with me. I constrantly struggle with the idea that im just too imperfect to have any kind of relationship with God. Part of this is my own negativity in general, but i also put it down to the all or nothing works-based theology that i've inherited from the WTS.
"When you doubt that your faith is strong enough for you to be a child of God, it's a clear indication that you misunderstand the nature of faith. Faith in God doesn't involve certainty, nor does it imply the absence of doubts. The Gospel of Mark makes this clear in the account of Jesus' healing of a little boy possessed by evil spirits ( Mark 9:14-27 ). The father came asking for help in front of a multitude, including religious leaders. He told Jesus that he had asked His disciples to cast the demons from the child, but they were unable. Then he said:
If You can do anything, take pity on us and help us (v.22).
Jesus' tested the father's sincerity, saying:
"If you can" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes" (v.23).
The boy's father didn't claim that he had perfect faith, nor did he walk away in despair. He acknowledged his doubts (unbelief) at the same time that he passionately expressed his desire to believe:
Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" --This has been my prayer for the past 2 years btw!-- (v.24).
This father's faith passed Jesus' test. Jesus didn't condemn him for his doubts. Instead, He healed his son.
What a torment, what a terrible burden, to believe that faith must be perfect before God will respond to our need! If we believe that our faith must be perfect, we have established an unattainable goal and enslaved ourselves to a new form of works-based salvation. Rather than basing our faith on God's goodness and Christ's completed work of love on our behalf, we base it on our own achievement-our own perfection.
People who think that their faith must be perfect before it will be acceptable to God ignore dozens of scriptural examples of people whose trust in God was imperfect, yet their faith was still accepted by Him. Here are just a few:
Moses ( Exodus 3:11; 4:1 )
Abraham ( Genesis 12:10-13; 15:1-5 )
Jacob ( Genesis 25:29-34; 27:1-46 )
Elijah ( 1 Kings 19:4 )
Peter ( Matthew 14:28-31; 26:69-75 )
Thomas ( John 20:24-25 )
The disciples ( Matthew 26:56 ).
These examples show that it isn't the perfection of our trust that matters, but the perfection of God's love and forgiveness. Perfect faith will be ours only when the Holy Spirit has completed His work of sanctification within us.
I also used to think that the scripture of James 1:6-8 supported the view that God doesn't accept anyone who has doubts:
"But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does"
It seems to me this scripture shouldn't be interpreted the way some Christian faiths interpret it; namely that if we just believe enough and have enough faith we can get what we want, and when our prayers aren't answered it is because we don't pray hard enough or exercise enough faith. It makes it seem that Gods love is dependant upon some subjective level of faith or prayers on the part of imperfect men.
Maybe the key to this passage is that we shouldn't be double minded. The double minded person is one who has two agendas, who is pulled in two directions, and tries to serve two masters. On the one hand he wants God's favor and may have genuine desire to live for God. On the other hand, he wants to please this world and serve himself or something other than God; he has two minds, so to speak. I feel at the moment that this sums me up quite well. My instability can probably be put down to the fact that im usually aiming for two targets at once. In this position the slightest bump in the road sends you off course. When hard times come it's sometimes difficult to know how to respond because i don't know where my heart really is. Thus being blown about by the waves, as the scripture says.
Many times i have asked for wisdom without being fully committed to Gods plan. I've many times wanted his blessing but also wanted to secure my own agenda and pursue my own desires. I've got a long way to go!
Christian blessings,
Pete(the Sheep)
"When you doubt that your faith is strong enough for you to be a child of God, it's a clear indication that you misunderstand the nature of faith. Faith in God doesn't involve certainty, nor does it imply the absence of doubts. The Gospel of Mark makes this clear in the account of Jesus' healing of a little boy possessed by evil spirits ( Mark 9:14-27 ). The father came asking for help in front of a multitude, including religious leaders. He told Jesus that he had asked His disciples to cast the demons from the child, but they were unable. Then he said:
If You can do anything, take pity on us and help us (v.22).
Jesus' tested the father's sincerity, saying:
"If you can" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes" (v.23).
The boy's father didn't claim that he had perfect faith, nor did he walk away in despair. He acknowledged his doubts (unbelief) at the same time that he passionately expressed his desire to believe:
Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!" --This has been my prayer for the past 2 years btw!-- (v.24).
This father's faith passed Jesus' test. Jesus didn't condemn him for his doubts. Instead, He healed his son.
What a torment, what a terrible burden, to believe that faith must be perfect before God will respond to our need! If we believe that our faith must be perfect, we have established an unattainable goal and enslaved ourselves to a new form of works-based salvation. Rather than basing our faith on God's goodness and Christ's completed work of love on our behalf, we base it on our own achievement-our own perfection.
People who think that their faith must be perfect before it will be acceptable to God ignore dozens of scriptural examples of people whose trust in God was imperfect, yet their faith was still accepted by Him. Here are just a few:
Moses ( Exodus 3:11; 4:1 )
Abraham ( Genesis 12:10-13; 15:1-5 )
Jacob ( Genesis 25:29-34; 27:1-46 )
Elijah ( 1 Kings 19:4 )
Peter ( Matthew 14:28-31; 26:69-75 )
Thomas ( John 20:24-25 )
The disciples ( Matthew 26:56 ).
These examples show that it isn't the perfection of our trust that matters, but the perfection of God's love and forgiveness. Perfect faith will be ours only when the Holy Spirit has completed His work of sanctification within us.
I also used to think that the scripture of James 1:6-8 supported the view that God doesn't accept anyone who has doubts:
"But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does"
It seems to me this scripture shouldn't be interpreted the way some Christian faiths interpret it; namely that if we just believe enough and have enough faith we can get what we want, and when our prayers aren't answered it is because we don't pray hard enough or exercise enough faith. It makes it seem that Gods love is dependant upon some subjective level of faith or prayers on the part of imperfect men.
Maybe the key to this passage is that we shouldn't be double minded. The double minded person is one who has two agendas, who is pulled in two directions, and tries to serve two masters. On the one hand he wants God's favor and may have genuine desire to live for God. On the other hand, he wants to please this world and serve himself or something other than God; he has two minds, so to speak. I feel at the moment that this sums me up quite well. My instability can probably be put down to the fact that im usually aiming for two targets at once. In this position the slightest bump in the road sends you off course. When hard times come it's sometimes difficult to know how to respond because i don't know where my heart really is. Thus being blown about by the waves, as the scripture says.
Many times i have asked for wisdom without being fully committed to Gods plan. I've many times wanted his blessing but also wanted to secure my own agenda and pursue my own desires. I've got a long way to go!
Christian blessings,
Pete(the Sheep)