May I join this private conversation ;-)
Submitted by Forgiven on March 18 2000 19:58:04
In reply to Rambling On submitted by Ford Prefect on March 18 2000 14:58:46
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The passage that needs to be added when looking at the issue of Abraham's offering of Isaac is Hebrews 11, which tells us that Abraham believed that Isaac would be restored from the dead - because the promises to Abraham about his becoming a great nation were specifically linked to Issac. In that context it is still amazing that Abraham went through with it, but perhaps not as significant as it can appear. Elsewhere on the board - see the URL - I've indulged in a long exposition on the issue of seeking God's will. The only point I would want to have another go at is to do with expecting to hear God's voice / experience His guidance in our lives. It is one of the outstanding features of Jesus's life that when he prayed, things - specifically the things he's asked for -happened. THIS SHOULD BE THE NORM! It makes prayer hard work, but its far more significant as a result. Look at Elijah's prayer for rain not to fall - and it didn't. We need to resist the temptation to rush into prayer assuming that we know what God wants but rather seek his guidance on the specific issue. On the wider issue of faith and works see James's reference to the same incident. (Cpt 2 v 21). There is something about faith that it should make a difference to our lives. Certainly for me it means that I don't indulge in sexual relations because I believe that as I am unmarried, it is not God's will for me to do so. There is a sense - let's not go too far down this line but I hope you understand - that as BLs we have the opportunity to show our faith by the fact that we stay celibate. In doing this there is a reality to our faith that many of the comfortable married people never get to demonstrate - at one level it is easy for them to have faith because it doesn't really cost them that much. If it was absolutely demonstrated that Jesus isn't offering us everlasting life after I die, I would be devastated because I've built my life on that assumption - and given up lots of things to achieve it. For the 'successful' person, there is no such sacrifice. Does any of this make sense? |
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