Re: The Fall

On Mon, 2010-09-13 at 11:04 +0100, John R wrote:


All I want is for God to make himself real to *me* once again. If
that is too much to ask then so be it. If that's the case though it
breaks at least one of the promises of the Bible.

I'm not sure which promise you are referring to but if it's Matthew
7:8-11 which you mention in another post, I'd say that giving the Holy
Spirit is not always the same as "making himself real".

God has promised a reality but, unless I've misunderstood you, you are
looking for a feeling or a Gideon-style sign which is not the same
thing. God gave you that in the past, maybe He wants you to live on the
basis of that rather than giving you repeated reassurance. Or maybe not,
obviously I can't know but it is one possibility.

Certainly it is the common experience of Christians of all denominations
and throughout history that there are times when God is tangibly present
and there are times when He isn't. Hence the need for faith and
perseverance. As I've said before, I don't know why that is apart from
the "training" analogy but it is a fact. John 20:28, for example, would
seem to indicate this. As does Heb 11:1 and Rom 8:24-25.

It's not a question of believing despite contrary evidence but more
believing despite an absence of direct experience. A bit like believing
in the sun on a foggy day. It would be much easier if God was present in
the way He was present to the Israelites on their way to Sinai but, for
whatever reason, He doesn't generally do that.

Fergus



.

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