My hubby read this excerpt from a book called "A Gardener looks at the fruit of the Spirit" By Phillip Keller, and I had to journal it down.
~ Unbelief is one of the most difficult subjects to deal with in a book of this kind. Like the massive formations of bedrock that underlie some marginal land, because it is out of sight, hidden from view, it almost defies exposure. Yet it underlies so many of our lives.
An honest attempt will be made here to deal with what unbelief is and how it stunts and shrivels us.
There are three formidable dimensions to unbelief which, if we can grasp them, will enable us to see what our spiritual soil is really like.
The first of these is this: when we come into contact with Christianity initially our belief is not really in Christ, but rather in the Church. By the church, I mean the Pastor, the preacher, the evangelist, the counselor, the congregation, the liturgy, the fellowship, the friendship, the experiences, the sharing, the love of other so-called Christians, the acceptance and concern of God's family.
All of these things are to be commended. Each plays it's part in leading us to Christ. All nurture us as newborn people. But these factors are not and can never be used as a substitute for God Himself. Our faith, our belief, our trust, if invested only in the church, it's people and it's programs will lead to disillusionment, discouragement, and despair.
Our belief, our trust, our confidence, our faith, must find its foundation in God. He is the only ground of our salvation, of our deliverance, of our hope, of our peace, of our very life.
So many of us have the roots of our faith in the shallow soil of the social life of Christian community of which we are part. Because of this we are sure to be shaken.~
~ Unbelief is one of the most difficult subjects to deal with in a book of this kind. Like the massive formations of bedrock that underlie some marginal land, because it is out of sight, hidden from view, it almost defies exposure. Yet it underlies so many of our lives.
An honest attempt will be made here to deal with what unbelief is and how it stunts and shrivels us.
There are three formidable dimensions to unbelief which, if we can grasp them, will enable us to see what our spiritual soil is really like.
The first of these is this: when we come into contact with Christianity initially our belief is not really in Christ, but rather in the Church. By the church, I mean the Pastor, the preacher, the evangelist, the counselor, the congregation, the liturgy, the fellowship, the friendship, the experiences, the sharing, the love of other so-called Christians, the acceptance and concern of God's family.
All of these things are to be commended. Each plays it's part in leading us to Christ. All nurture us as newborn people. But these factors are not and can never be used as a substitute for God Himself. Our faith, our belief, our trust, if invested only in the church, it's people and it's programs will lead to disillusionment, discouragement, and despair.
Our belief, our trust, our confidence, our faith, must find its foundation in God. He is the only ground of our salvation, of our deliverance, of our hope, of our peace, of our very life.
So many of us have the roots of our faith in the shallow soil of the social life of Christian community of which we are part. Because of this we are sure to be shaken.~
An honest attempt will be made here to deal with what unbelief is and how it stunts and shrivels us.
There are three formidable dimensions to unbelief which, if we can grasp them, will enable us to see what our spiritual soil is really like.
The first of these is this: when we come into contact with Christianity initially our belief is not really in Christ, but rather in the Church. By the church, I mean the Pastor, the preacher, the evangelist, the counselor, the congregation, the liturgy, the fellowship, the friendship, the experiences, the sharing, the love of other so-called Christians, the acceptance and concern of God's family.
All of these things are to be commended. Each plays it's part in leading us to Christ. All nurture us as newborn people. But these factors are not and can never be used as a substitute for God Himself. Our faith, our belief, our trust, if invested only in the church, it's people and it's programs will lead to disillusionment, discouragement, and despair.
Our belief, our trust, our confidence, our faith, must find its foundation in God. He is the only ground of our salvation, of our deliverance, of our hope, of our peace, of our very life.
So many of us have the roots of our faith in the shallow soil of the social life of Christian community of which we are part. Because of this we are sure to be shaken.~
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