Reply To: You wouldn’t believe it

[Just Iron]

Gurney … How did you know I’m bald? Are you moving in the Spiritual gifts?

BPG said : ‘ May I ask ,where have you ever presented the Gospel message on this site? Besides trying to be fair and show a holier than thou attitude,and showing you are a “good”(in human terms)person,trying to show other people how to behave,where have you declared we are sinful people who need to repent and put our faith in Jesus Christ(etc) . You have declared you are a Christian,true, but as for any interactional,you declare anyone who does that is confrontation and fighting a kind of battle to be won! Our friendly disagreements led to a false character assassination about a person you hardly knew ,and an arrogant attitude than had failed to seek reconciliation.’

In answer to the above question Bill about when have I ever spelled out what I mean by claiming to be a Christian I would ask you to look again through this thread as a starter but also read one clear example below from January 2023 which is just one amongst several over the years. I suspect that you may not accept it because it doesn’t quite fit your own style but nevertheless it is a gospel invitation to repent and come to faith and points anyone interested to some helpful literature:

‘In challenging one another’s views we are all surely aiming to bring others to a more healthy and accurate perception of reality. The danger is, of course, and as Gurney kind of indicated but with evident lack of self awareness , that when our deeply held notions are challenged we may well lapse into a defensive ‘flailing’ where, at its most pathological, we resort to misrepresentation, mockery, insults, name calling etc An invitation to interrogate our own beliefs and even begin again is at least a strong part of the meaning of the Biblical term ‘Repent.’ Because of its association with ‘finger wagging’ and ‘fun spoiling’ it certainly ain’t a popular word … but when, for example, I’m asked to change my view on my faith it is .. essentially .. a call to repent. A call to adopt a new reality and live out of that. I’ve actually done that .. although in the opposite direction .. once in my life .. at age 24.
And all of that leads me to say that I totally get why there is such a spectrum of responses on the Forum whenever I take it in this direction. It’s because a Christian claims to ‘see’ something that isn’t visible. And that can be puzzling to some .. but downright frustrating to the point of anger to others.
If you’ve seen Kevin Costner’s allegorical film ‘Field of Dreams’ it’s the Brother in Law/ Financial advisor who warns the family to sell up before bankruptcy. They are absorbed in the spooky baseball game that people will eventually flock to but which brother in law in total frustration can’t see. Then he can. And his advice changes.
The realm that I ‘see’ is hidden even though its right here. It’s transcendent but not distant. Deliberately so. God wants to be pursued because he knows that in that process something happens in the depths of a human being. Then they begin to ‘see’ into a realm that mere limited reason and perception by the five natural senses can’t access. Jesus said that ‘unless a man becomes as a little child he cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.’ The perception to many is that anyone believing that has indeed become childish. Its been said on the Forum in various ways a number of times. But the intended meaning is that we approach these matters with an openness and honesty and humility which can only be called ‘Childlike.’
With such an approach we might talk more attentively to that relative or friend who claims to have a faith. Or we might send off for ‘Surprised by Joy’ by C S Lewis. Or have a listen to John Lennox or Alister McGrath. That’s what I would do if I were you.
So I’ll sign off with one encouragement … ‘Repent ..For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!’