1. In this PM world I agree that all students who are going through seminary need to be aware of the challenges that they will face. Regardless of what denomination you come from or are going into, unbelievers are still just unbelievers. I think that a seminary would not be setting its graduates up for success if it did not educate them on how to approach and overcome the challenges that await us all out in the real world. But, it is not only the real world, because as our churches enter into this PM world there are new challenges that arise. Therefore pastors need to be aware of them and how to over come them as well.
2. To ask if the Hindu's are saved is a very ambiguous question. That would be like asking if the Jehovah Witnesses are saved, or the Latter Day Saints. "But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."" (1 Sam 16:7, NIV) In this verse we see that God does not look at the same things man does. Instead, God looks at the heart of man. Also, there is no way for you to claim that any one group of people will or will not be save. This is because our salvation is a personal thing. Therefore, whether or not a person who practices Hinduism is found right in God's eyes during the final judgement is up to him. Take Gandhi for instance, he practiced Hinduism, however he said this about religion, "by religion, I do not mean formal religion or customary religion, but that religion which underlies all religions, which brings us face to face with our Maker." (www.mkgandhi.org) You can see that Gandhi himself believed in a higher Being and being in a relationship with him. Gandhi goes on to say "to me, [Jesus] was one of the greatest teachers, humanity has ever had. To his believers, he was God's only begotten Son." (www.mkgandhi.org) Is this quote saying that Gandhi believed in Jesus and therefore is going to be saved? We will never know until the end times. We might just run into Gandhi in heaven. In fact we might be surprised who we do and don't run into up in heaven.
3. For me growing up as a white male from a middle class family, my culture has greatly impacted my views and thoughts about the gospel. For me, I did not understand the need for slavery or racial tensions. I never understood why people couldn't just get along. But as I grew older the thoughts and ideas of my parents rubbed off onto me. It was not until my mother made a comment about me hanging out with a friend of mine, who happened to be black, that I realized she had some prejudice. After marrying my wife, we tried several different types of churches. It was only after she pointed it out to me that I in turn was showing prejudices toward other believers if they weren't exactly like what I grew up with. Thankfully, my wife has helped me to open my mind and learn to accept new and different things. It is only through my experiences and continual growth that I am able to see and learn new things. So, in this manner I am overcoming my culture because, as it says in Acts 9:18 "something like scales feel from Saul's eyes, and he could see again." (NIV) I too continually feel the scales falling from my eyes, in order that I might see things thru God's wave length and not the worlds.
4. In Genesis we read about how man lived in perfect harmony with God in Eden. But, after man sinned, God kicked them out of Eden. So, here are man and woman, creations of God. As mad as he was with them he could not simply take them from one extreme (Eden) to the other (out of Eden). Therefore, God the ultimate author of everything, created balance within the world. This is why even though the powers are never going to win , they are allowed to rule and reign. When Christ died on the cross he forever sealed the powers fate, however, only God knows when the end is coming and until them Satan and his minions are allowed to rule the earth. Augustine said, "For if every sin were now visited with manifest punishment, nothing would seem to be reserved for the final judgement; on the other hand, if no sin received now a plainly divine punishment, it would be concluded that there is no divine providence at all. And so of the good things of this life: if God did not by a very visible liberality confer these on some of those persons who ask for them, we should say that these good things were not at His disposal; and if He gave them to all who sought them, we should suppose that such were the only rewards of His service; and such a service would make us not godly, but greedy rather, and covetous." (The City of God) From this quote we can start to see a possibility into why the powers are allowed to remain, even though in the end we believers win!
5. Obviously, Newbigin is revered and honored in the Christian community. So, why hasn't there been a movement or more of a shift towards what he wrote about in this book by that community?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Thanks Jason for your thoughtful posts and candor in responding to the posts which are like goads to stimulate discussion. Your transparent posts about changes in perceptions and prejudices demonstrates good self-awareness. Non-Christian religions do have some insight and truth, and you are correct in stating that the Lord is the judge of who is saved. My understanding is that people with limited light (truth) are judged on the basis of their obedience to that limited light. Keep reflecting about the impact of spiritual warfare and the role of the church in combatting the fallen powers that Paul describes in Ephesians 6 have in salvation history.
Post a Comment