new orleans re:visited
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28
its interesting.
we're in baton rouge after a day of work, and we're praying, and someone prays that verse. i do not remember who said it, and it didn't strike me until just recently.
and here are some questions i have. . . not like the ones that get an immediate answer, but ones that need to be chewed on, wrestled with, and then take you even deeper . . .
what if someone doesn't really love God at that moment?
what if they're ticked off?
i mean, what if someone is really pissed off at the fact that they just lost their house to rain and water? do they then feel guily about their emotions?
what qualifies as good and who determines if it is "good?"
is it a state of mind, an attitude, or material possessions that meets the standard of good?
and doesn't the rain fall on the just and unjust alike?
if someone doesn't love God, does that mean that things won't work for good, but rather bad?
maybe this is really a question of how we use this verse. . .
do people feel guilty about not loving God, so they then try to love God, but then that really isn't love. . . like we're unintentionally pressuring people into loving God. . .
or if someone doesn't love God, do they then resent Christians/God feeling that we(christians) believe that bad will come to them because they don't love God?
and what if someone doesn't feel like they've been called by God, because they've never really understood what it means to know that God calls ALL OF US . . .
does this make me doubt who Christ is? no
does this make me doubt my salvation or other's salvation? no
but i am struggling with how we use the bible . . .
any thoughts? feel free to respond and point out areas where i may be off a bit. . . thats what this place is for. . .
be good to each other. look at Christ. peace.
"i could drink a case of you, and still be on my feet" - joni mitchell
**quick little follow-up.
i'm realizing, courtesy of a close friend, that i was frustrated with how people were taking the verse out of context.
therefore, my questions were in not necessarily directed at what the verse actually means, but rather at how the verse has been used and the reactions to that.
i am always for putting the verse into the context of the writer and his/her audience, for that is necessary to get to the root of scripture.
just a thought.**
posted by marcelliott at 3:24 PM
2 Comments:
mr. marc elliot > thank you for sharing your questions...that leads me to beleive that you have been moved by your experiences in baton rouge. i heard this sermon at c'ground the other week that blew me away...it is from the book of james...it might help with alot of your questions. It was the october 2nd sermon
http://www.cground.org/CGCC_Public/News/Sermons/James/
Lets play tennis before it gets to cold
-vincent vegas
Something that i learned from you, you cannot pick one verse, taket
out of context and begin to ask questions. you have to get an
understanding of what the writer, who is human, is meaning; what is
he teaching us, the reader, of what God showed him.
The 2 verses before that are: In the same way, the Spirit helps us in
our weakness. We do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit
himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And
he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the
Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.
(Romans 8:26-27 NIV)
I think that what Paul is saying is that since we are children of God,
and he is inside of us, that the holy spirit inside of us helps us
pray when we dont even know what to pray for...(everything happens for
a reason, right? well since god gave us free will, even though he is
in control he wants us to pray for the happenings in our lives.
because he answers our prayers.) the holy spirit helps us pray for the
happenings, it is what happens. The spirit prays according to the mind
of God, and then he answers by bringing into our lives the experiences
that we need. He sends into the life of those for who we are concerned
for, the experiences that they need, no matter what they are.
So doesnt that mean that the trails and tradgities, good or bad, that
happen to us are answers from God, through our prayers that the holy
spirit leads us to. Everything is a direct answer from what we have
prayed for, not just the good, they are all a result.
From our prayers comes the assurance that no matter what happens, it
will work together for good. This verse doesnt tell us that everything
that happens to us is good. It does say that whether the situation is
bad or good, it gunna work together for good for you if you are one
who is loved and called by God. Which we are, we are children of God.
Its the weird and confusing way that God is working out his purposes
within us. within being the holy spirit inside of his children.
Ok so maybe this is not what you had asked for, but when i read your
blog, this is what i thought...it always makes me think, makes me
start reading and trying to figure out what the orginal purpose or
point was...
-like the sun did the moon-
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