Recently I received an email from a person who had listened to one of my TAWOL radio shows regarding the topic of, "The state of the dead". Their response was simple. The response to the message was basically;
"All Bible topics are of mere blind faith and speculation."
Wow! How sad this response was to me. Do we serve an impersonal God? According to this person we do. If you have children and you raise them do you teach them to use "reason" and "understanding"? Or must they guess about such important topics as "life" and "death"?
Isaiah 1:18 says, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
And...
"Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so." Acts 17:11
So we can find truth in the Scriptures and we are told to "reason" with God. Jesus also said;
"If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know him and have seen him." John 14:7
Jesus came so that each of us could know and understand God in a personal way. Jesus alone can bring meaning and purpose to life. The Bible is clear about Heaven and what it will be like. The Bible is clear that Jesus want's to give those who believe in Him "everlasting life". There is no speculation about the character and person of God.
Many who have studied philosophy and human reasoning fall into the trap of believing in a semi-personal if not all together impersonal God. Why? Because instead of reading their Bible they begin to trust human reasoning all together outside the realm of God's word. God asks us to use reasoning along with His word, the Holy Bible.
Tis' true that Life is full of unprovable assumptions. So do we as Christians trust only limited human reasoning so that we can never arrive at certanties? No! We as Christians do use human reason with God's word, and then God responds! Christians testify to a supernatural reality. Most of all, we trust that an ultimate wise God in the person of the Holy Spirit will lead, guide, direct, and protect us into all true! God does give us answers!
No friends, our faith is not mere speculation. We do not have to guess what happens at death. We can look at those who have experienced it in the Bible and listen to what the Bible says. Jesus experienced death and resurrection and said that He would come back for us that we too may be raised unto life everlasting. Why must we speculate about what God says so clearly?
Yes, our God is personal! And He loves us personally!
Written by Eric W. King [March 11,2008]
http://www.adventist.7p.com/
