Tuesday, October 18, 2005
A big difference
I need a good hour or so to restructure my links and write out one of the blog posts I've been planning. Since I don't have that right now, I'll just leave you with this:
On Saturday a girl in work randomnly asked me if I believed in life after death. While not having much time to talk, I answered briefly and gave her room to ask whatever was on her mind. One point in the conversation really portrayed the big difference between this world and mine,
I believe it's a total waste of time to put your time and effort and thoughts into something that isn't real. It really has to be the epitome of pointlessness. If atheism, or whatever else is contrary to Christianity, is true then all my past experience and present mysticism is me just not being right in the head, when I pray I'm just talking to myself, and the whole thing is completely futile. But if it's the other way around, then the battle's already won and I've gained something I won't ever lose... and atheists, etc. are in deep shit.
I think so long as someone stands for something, and cares about its truthfulness, there's a chance that they can find the Truth... or rather, that the Truth can find them. (Yet if God in His mercy, sends a few major life crises to those still sunk in subjective spinelessness, there's a chance that they may start caring about what's real and true.). I was a passionate believer in something before I became a Christian... but God proved me wrong, (and actually, He's also proved me wrong on many assumptions I went into Christianity with) and here I am today. Sure, I have experiences as a Christian that I could not have if I was still firewood. As C.S. Lewis once wrote, it's like you've been a statue all your life, and now you're real; or that you've been a 2 dimensional painting, and now you're living and moving in 3 dimensions... but you can't really see or even imagine what that's like from the outside. Yet the conviction of faith goes beyond touchy-feeliness, beyond "well, it works for me", and beyond reasoning -though I am not a Christian without my reasons.
On Saturday a girl in work randomnly asked me if I believed in life after death. While not having much time to talk, I answered briefly and gave her room to ask whatever was on her mind. One point in the conversation really portrayed the big difference between this world and mine,
"Do you think it's good to believe something?"
-"Well... it depends on if that something is right."
I believe it's a total waste of time to put your time and effort and thoughts into something that isn't real. It really has to be the epitome of pointlessness. If atheism, or whatever else is contrary to Christianity, is true then all my past experience and present mysticism is me just not being right in the head, when I pray I'm just talking to myself, and the whole thing is completely futile. But if it's the other way around, then the battle's already won and I've gained something I won't ever lose... and atheists, etc. are in deep shit.
I think so long as someone stands for something, and cares about its truthfulness, there's a chance that they can find the Truth... or rather, that the Truth can find them. (Yet if God in His mercy, sends a few major life crises to those still sunk in subjective spinelessness, there's a chance that they may start caring about what's real and true.). I was a passionate believer in something before I became a Christian... but God proved me wrong, (and actually, He's also proved me wrong on many assumptions I went into Christianity with) and here I am today. Sure, I have experiences as a Christian that I could not have if I was still firewood. As C.S. Lewis once wrote, it's like you've been a statue all your life, and now you're real; or that you've been a 2 dimensional painting, and now you're living and moving in 3 dimensions... but you can't really see or even imagine what that's like from the outside. Yet the conviction of faith goes beyond touchy-feeliness, beyond "well, it works for me", and beyond reasoning -though I am not a Christian without my reasons.
I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ. This is most certainly true.
