Entry A - Outside
reading - The person and the work of the Holy Spirit by R.A. Torrey
I believe that every man strives to
discover truth and to live their lives according to the truth they have
found. Living in a postmodern culture
where there are numerous ways of viewing the realities of God and the world,
many choose to believe and follow whichever views fit their preferences the
best. Christians believe that God gave them the Bible, God’s inspired word, to
reveal the truth. However, even among Christians, with this tool that they
regard as the source of truth, there are numerous divisions and contentions.
For instance, one of the greatest
controversies in the Christian realm is Calvinism vs. Arminianism. Calvinists
believe that the omniscient God has already destined who is going to be saved
and who is not. On the other hand,
Arminianists believe that God gave people freedom to choose their destiny by
living their lives for Him or for themselves. In addition, there is a
controversy between people who believe in the young earth and the old
earth. Some think that God created the
heavens and the earth in a literal seven days whereas others believe that the
seven days in Scripture need to be interpreted figuratively. In fact, there are
numerous other cases that Christians disagree on. Thousands of denominations
illustrate this serious theological division among the believers of the Bible. How
is it possible for the people who claim to know the truth and even are willing
to give up their own lives for holding their beliefs to be divided in such a
dramatic way?
In fact, reading the gospel of John
16:13 made me even more bewildered. It says, "When the Spirit of truth
comes, He will guide you into all truth."
If Christians are guided and influenced by the Spirit of God, how is it
possible for them to have polarized views on so many issues? Does this mean some are led by the Spirit of
truth and others are misled by the spirit of false truth? The Scripture says
the Spirit will guide us to all truth, not some truth. It sounds like we must
come to know everything if the Spirit accompanies us. Doesn't it?
Then I began questioning, "what
is the truth?" Is the truth the answer to all questions? The Scripture
says, "I [Jesus] am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through
me." I think I know who Jesus is and I regard Him as the Savior of my soul
and the Son of God. But I still have so many questions. Why doesn't God reveal
all the answers along with the knowledge of Christ? Am I not the bearer of the
Holy Spirit? As I pondered these dangerous questions, I began to realize that
the answers that I am looking for are not necessarily the truth. The truth is
so much bigger and deeper than cheap yes or no responses. The truth is a new
vision to view the mystery of God incarnate and the conundrum of God's plan for
humanity.
R.A. Torrey, in his book, The Person
and Work of the Holy Spirit, asserts that, "To understand God's Word, we
must empty ourselves utterly of our own wisdom and rest in utter dependence
upon the Spirit of God to interpret it to us." We must acknowledge that we human beings,
with our flesh, are not capable of receiving the holy truth of God as it
is. Our sinful nature distorts and even
decimates the truth when it enters into our inner being. We can only rely on the Spirit of God and our
new self that Christ has clothed us when He initiated His work in us in order
to receive the truth and be transformed by it.
Then I came to a realization that I
was being impatient and obsessed with satisfying my curiosity, expecting God to
be the way that I prefer Him to be. There are areas that God intentionally does
not reveal and He will reveal them to us in His timing when we can glorify His
name most effectively. I think there is a difference between asking, seeking,
and knocking for the revelation of truth, and trying to fit the truth of God in
the definition of truth that we have established.
We are humans, God's creation that
bears the image of God. As creatures, we
are utterly incapable of understanding God and His way fully. I believe it is God who decides what and when
to reveal about Himself and His way. There are some things that we must stand
and fight for, but at the same time, there are others that we can only trust
God's sovereignty and goodness for with great patience and humility.
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