Truth and Deception

[shazeep]

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord

Yes, I am coming to see this more and more. That when we comfort ourselves with the fact that we have all the truth there is to have, that our doctrine is the only correct one, and that our particular group or organization is the only one "going to heaven", then we have veered off from following Jesus, to following that belief, doctrine, or whatever.

It can be a lonely place to find yourself with no particular place to "call home" here on this earth, yet this is exactly the life that Jesus lived in his short time on this earth, and even his disciples as they followed in his footsteps, found themselves strangers, and pilgrims, facing tremendous persecution, and difficulties, and death.

The part that hinders most believers is coming to the understanding that Jesus came as the Suffering Servant, and what it means to truly follow Christ. It is tough to comprehend that following Jesus means accepting that suffering is part of the salvational plan. I am struggling to come to grips with the fact that suffering is necessary, even so much that maybe my salvation depends upon it. Still wrestling with that understanding myself, but it is far too plain in the NT to simply explain it away.

Nice--i see it like this: it is only 'natural' to follow the path of least resistance; and in a first-world country, any number of people out to make a profit are only too willing to relieve us of our various burdens. Therefore, we get a house--with a mortgage, usually--to relieve us of the burden of where to sleep at night. We get insurance on the house. We get a job--rather than pursuing a passion--to pay for the house; and we get a car to get to the job, and insurance on the car...little realizing that these all insulate us from God in one way or another--and incur other, hidden costs as well. (People have to die so that you can buy gas). Then we of course need a wardrobe, and all of the accoutrements of the above--which we of course get very cheaply, without considering that virtual slaves make all that stuff.

Then, even a seeker may wonder why God seems so far away, and never stops to think that they got insurance because they don't trust God, in a sense at least. Of course, in this model, the insurance is 'required.' ok