Sunday, July 22, 2012

The Bible: Strange & Beautiful

The Bible, if God's Word, would reflect His character. And God is unique, or strange. He is in a class all by Himself. It's impossible to say in all truthfulness that God is exactly like a . . . (fill in the blank). It's impossible because God is distinct from His creation, though His nature is reflected in it. We, by God's works, see a shadow of Him. And shadows do not give us details, only shape. But besides creation and God's works, we have the Bible, which is an objective testimony to His nature. And since God is strange, so is His written revelation. In other words, we should not expect the Bible to be altogether simple, but still quite clear. We should not expect to read only of "normal" ideas in the Bible. God is not "normal". And while the gospel is an unusually understandable message, it is simultaneously a mysterious one, because there is mystery in God.

Belief systems other than Christianity are quite simple. They say do this, not that, and god will favor you. In them there is nothing profound, or mysterious, or remotely beautiful or captivating or refreshing or saving. The hope of all other faith systems is the very one trying to benefit from that system; which is to say, there is no hope, because there is no divinely human Savior, humbling Himself to rescue His wayward and corrupt and helpless creatures. Christianity is for those who believe that their problem is within and salvation comes from without. All other belief systems are for those who believe their problem is without and their hope lies within themselves.


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