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Discussion Forum : General Topics : Knowing in a Biblical sense

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sicnarf
Member



Joined: 2003/6/22
Posts: 6
Canada

 Knowing in a Biblical sense

Hi everyone!

This is something that the Lord has been speaking to me about by His Spirit thru His Word for quite sometime now. it is on the subject of how to know in the true biblical sense of the word.

The verse of Scripture that provoked this line of toughts is found in 2 cor. 3:6. Were Paul compares the Old covenant with the New. Paul uses the analogy of the letter and the Spirit to describe both covenants. I find this very interresting and l would like to share with you what l believe the Lord laid on my heart in the hope that maybe some of you may expand on this or even bring in new insights for the edification of all.

I think that the letter and the Spirit is the only two choices that has always faced mankind. Let me explained.

In the garden of Eden there were two trees. One would give the knowledge of good and evil but would also kill if it's fruit was eaten. The other tree would give Life.

Paul in Romans 7 says that the law (letter) gave the knowledge of the good but in doing so it revealed the evil in him thus condemning him to death. The question is...why would Paul call the Law " The Letter" ? Isn't it because it was exactly what Moses brought down from the mountain of God. Letters written on two tablets of stone by the Finger of God. What are the purpose of letters? Letters are written characters used to record and preserve what has been spoken or tought. They in a sense, if recorded accuratly, preserve what has been spoken for future posterity. A man's words can easily be distorted if they are repeated by word of mouth. But if recorded on a piece of paper...the integrity of what has been said can be preserved.

So in a sense, the letter becomes a fixed point of reference. Something tangible, outside of ourselves, our feelings and toughts.

Thanks be to God for the letters! God gave us the Bible which is a book filled with letters. Letters about Himself and His will for mankind. Through the Bible we can know objective truth. It is indeed our fixed point of reference.

But the letter has its limitation. Jesus says in John 5:39,40 " Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life."

If my understanding of this is correct..it seems to me that the letter can only give us knowledge about the facts but not the knowledge of the facts themselves. Let me explain.

It is possible for me to read books about cars and know the different makes, sizes, colours of them and still be a pedestrian. It is one thing to know about cars and another thing to own and enjoy one. Many today still make the same mistake the pharisees in Jesus's day made. The letter does not give one automatically the thing its speak of. The doctrinal knowledge of grace does not mean that one has grace. One can know all about God but not know Him personaly.

Would not this explain why so many in christendom can have their faith shaken by so called discoveries of the bones of Jesus or some clever scientific explanation as to why the flood cannot be true? Could anyone persuade you that a person you met face to face does not exist? That's why Paul could say " For l know whom ( not what ) l have believed..." 1 Tim 1:12. If a man can be won to Christ by mere arguments, could he not also then be shaken through the same. But take that same man and let that man meet God and he will know for himself that there is a God. Suddenly the story of the flood will no longer be hard to believe or anything else in the Bible fo that matter.

It seems that there is a Divine tension in the Scriptures between the Spirit and the Word and objective and subjective truth that must be maintained at all cost. Ignorance of both leads to liberalism and atheism Marc 12: 24. The knowledge of one without the other seems to lead to legalistic dryeness or charismatic excess.

Let us pray that our Lord would give us the grace to keep both in balance so that we may have true revival: Theology set on fire.

Love in Christ






_________________
Francis

 2007/7/6 5:25Profile









 Re: Knowing in a Biblical sense

This is good sicnarf.

Funny {How GOD works through Body), I just posted earlier about that "tension" and you put it in a more beautiful way.

Quote:
It seems that there is a Divine tension in the Scriptures between the Spirit and the Word and objective and subjective truth that must be maintained at all cost. Ignorance of both leads to liberalism and atheism Marc 12: 24. The knowledge of one without the other seems to lead to legalistic dryeness or charismatic excess.




Thank you for your post.

 2007/7/6 13:18





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