Bill,
When I ask "what difference does it make if I understand this or not?" I
am asking relative to salvation. Does my knowing what "spiritual death" is
or is not affect the "thou shalt be saved" part?
The answer is no. There are many who have and will live and die without
ever hearing the term "spiritual death" or understanding it even
conceptually, that still "shalt be saved". My point being that while it is
interesting to ponder and study these things, understanding them is not
required.
[This is the gist of my response. You can stop reading here. The rest is how
I grapple with this personally.]
I have always held to the premise that in order for salvation to be
granted to anyone, it must be available to everyone, including those who may
not have the capacity to study and understand theological things. If our
salvation depends on our intellectual ability to understand anything more
than "we are saved by the blood of Christ", it is then available only to the
intellectuals who can read and understand theological principles. If
salvation is truly not of ourselves, then there is nothing we can do to
change that other than believe (accept) or reject it. The esteemed theology
professor at the great Christian university has no different a standing
[relative to salvation] than the slowest of minds who believe.
I do agree that it is good to know and understand the things of God and
Christ, and that some are called to be teachers and pastors who should have
answers to these types of questions. But, I also happen to know that there
are many who love Christ, trusting and believing that they are saved by His
blood, but either do not have the capacity, ability, or desire to know or
understand much more than that. I do not think they are excluded from
salvation for this. It is with those in mind that I ask "what difference
does it make if I understand this or not?"
Perry
From: "Bill Taylor" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Perry wrote
By the way, what difference does it make if I understand this or not?
It makes a difference in your ability to hold consistent and true beliefs
pertaining to the things of God and to rightly explain those things to
others.
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"Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you
ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org
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