This will be a little off the topic. I'll try to work my way back to it.
Purpledawn,
Because there is room for doubt which you said may be purposely left open by God. He may have created the problem.
It appears that we are kept in dependence upon God. Even in a moment by moment way. It seems that we can never get to the point where we say "Okay, God. I have it. Now you can go away because I have the correct information that I need. I'll take it from here."
Faith is a means that God has decided to use in order to do something very specific - that is to cause one Living Person to make His home in another living person:
"For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father ... that Christ may make His home in your hearts through faith"
The instrument that God has chosen to wrought His Spirit into our lives is faith. So whatever the prophets or apostles say, there is always left room for the excercise of our faith.
It is a problem for the old man and the Adamic nature. That I will concede.
I don't think I know of anyone who begrudgingly trusts God.
I'll think about that. I know that God loves a cheerful giver, when it comes to presenting a portion of our wealth to His work. Sometimes I have to check my heart prayerfully whether I am giving in cheerfulness or begrudgingly as if I am paying another bill.
I don't know why I have this reaction. Time and time again God has proved that I cannot outgive Him.
If my car malfunctions in a remote town and there is only one mechanic available, I will begrudgingly trust him even though I have my doubts, because I have no choice if I want my car fixed.
Now if I'm faced with a Spanish Inquisition scenerio, then yes I would probably begrudgingly say I trust to save my life even though I doubt the veracity of people who threaten death as a means of gaining believers. But am I truly trusting God in this scenerio or saying what is necessary to save my physical life?
That kind of compulsion in gospel preaching is an abomination to God.
The Great Comission included no instructions about torturing people into becoming disciples of Jesus. And because of such behavior the way of the gospel has been held in evil repute.
I would not want to have to answer to God for those Inquisitions.
IMO, begrudgingly implies a lack of choice in the matter against one's better judgement.
If you look at the entire command written in the OT:
Deuteronomy 6:16
"You shall not put the LORD your God to the test, as you tested Him at Massah.
you will find that the original story isn't dealing with asking for signs to aid in belief or proof as the NT usage does. In the NT the Devil was asking Jesus to purposely put himself in danger to prove God. The people in the OT did not. There is a difference.
Are you sure about that? Consider the larger context. God showed them many signs that He was with them. There were the ten mighty plagues. There was the opening of the Red Sea !!
When they murmured that there was nothing to drink they provoked the Lord's anger. But I have to admit that I would have to read the account again. I am speaking from memory.
Then again, I was providing a definition of "tempting" the Lord which may have limitations. Asking for a sign above what God is pleased to give may only be one symptom of "tempting" God.
Your analogy with the child doesn't really work because the child knows her father exists and has heard her father's voice. The child may not trust their siblings message, but they would insist their father come to the head of the stairs or come closer etc.
I don't argue that the child knows. But the child is playing a game of self justification through rationalization. The sibling is a kind of messenger. The sibling is a kind of deputy authority.
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John are all messengers. God expects that we would receive those who He sends in His name. Even if He were to send a little child in His name we should receive the little child. This requires humility and pureness on our part.
God could have had Jesus write the whole New Testament Himself. He chose not to. He assigned His dicsiples - His apostles to write. What would you think if what Matthew wrote about the prophecy was what he learned directly from Jesus' teaching? Perhaps Matthew was only conveying what he heard the Master teach.
Anyway, for me as a Christian, when Matthew says that this was the fulfillment of a certain prophetic word, that is enough for me to believe that it was so. You see I do not regard the New Testament as a kind of faulty and error prone commentary on the Hebrew Bible. I candider the New Testament as the oracles of God like Genesis, Exodus, Jeremiah, or Zechariah.
And I would not be at all surpised if what Matthew wrote about the fulfillment of the prophecy was taught by Jesus Himself.
After His resurrection He opened up the Scriptures and taught many things showing that they refered to Himself:
And He said to them, O foolish and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and enter into His glory?
And beginning with Moses and from all the prophets, He explained to them clearly in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. (Luke 24:25-27)
And He said to them, These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all the things written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and Psalms concerning Me must be fulfilled.
Then He opened their mind to understand the Scriptures; And He said to them, This it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise up from the dead on the third day, And repentence for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem" (Luke 24:44-47)
I suspect that what Matthew told us was probably what he learned from the resurrected Christ as He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures concerning Himself. I cannot prove this. But I suspect it.
And I further think that Matthew was faithful to record this even if it meant that he had to set aside his own opinion about it. That is the way of faithfulness in service to God in obedience.
This message has been edited by jaywill, 02-15-2006 10:19 AM
This message has been edited by jaywill, 02-15-2006 10:22 AM
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