Padawanbater2
Well-Known Member
The rejection of Christ is willful. It is rooted in a stubborn defiance to God. The Bible is not hard to understand, or hard to believe. It is hard to swallow. It is because man is sinful and God is holy and His Word is holy therefore sinful men choose to reject God and His Word. They even go so far as to no longer acknowledge God any longer.
The rejection of Christ is no more willful than the rejection of Santa Clause. Do you believe in Santa Clause? Why not? Well.. that's why I don't believe in Jesus.. do you "willfully" not believe in Santa Clause?
It is not rooted in a stubborn defiance of God. It is rooted in a complete absence of evidence for Gods existence.
The Bible is not hard to understand, but it is definitely hard to believe. It's hard to swallow because in the back of the mind, rationality tells you it isn't true.
It is [hard to swallow] "because man is sinful and God is holy and His Word is holy, therefore sinful men choose to reject God and His Word". 1. "man is sinful" - sin is expected according to Christianity, therefore using it as a reason to justify Gods behavior is illogical. 2. "God is holy and His Word is holy, therefore sinful men choose to reject God and His Word." - any deviation from "Gods plan" is considered sin, therefore anyone who rejects it is considered "sinful".
Romans 1:28
(28 ) And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,
God judges these who reject Him by giving them over to their sinful desires. They are happily deceived yet still empty and attempting to suppress the pricks of their own conscience. They are sometime angry with those who would "lay a guilt trip on them" and therefore have disdain for righteousness and Christianity and God's preachers. They are at one moment enthralled and thrilled in their sin, and at another moment miserable for the thrill does not last and great lows may follow their highs. They have been given over to a depraved mind and been given over to their sinful appetites. If a sinner still has a conscience that bothers him there is hope in Christ. For the Holy Spirit's conviction of sin is a great gift from God. If you are convicted repent before it is too late.
Consider the following passage in context.
Romans 1:18-32
(18 ) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
(19) because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.
(20) For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
(21) For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
(22) Professing to be wise, they became fools,
(23) and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
(24) Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.
(25) For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
(26) For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural,
(27) and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.
(28 ) And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,
(29) being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips,
(30) slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,
(31) without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful;
(32) and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
Repent and trust Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior today while there is time, before it is too late!
Realizing someone like this exists in the same world I do blows my mind..
The rejection of Christ is no more willful than the rejection of Santa Clause. Do you believe in Santa Clause? Why not? Well.. that's why I don't believe in Jesus.. do you "willfully" not believe in Santa Clause?
It is not rooted in a stubborn defiance of God. It is rooted in a complete absence of evidence for Gods existence.
The Bible is not hard to understand, but it is definitely hard to believe. It's hard to swallow because in the back of the mind, rationality tells you it isn't true.
It is [hard to swallow] "because man is sinful and God is holy and His Word is holy, therefore sinful men choose to reject God and His Word". 1. "man is sinful" - sin is expected according to Christianity, therefore using it as a reason to justify Gods behavior is illogical. 2. "God is holy and His Word is holy, therefore sinful men choose to reject God and His Word." - any deviation from "Gods plan" is considered sin, therefore anyone who rejects it is considered "sinful".
Romans 1:28
(28 ) And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,
God judges these who reject Him by giving them over to their sinful desires. They are happily deceived yet still empty and attempting to suppress the pricks of their own conscience. They are sometime angry with those who would "lay a guilt trip on them" and therefore have disdain for righteousness and Christianity and God's preachers. They are at one moment enthralled and thrilled in their sin, and at another moment miserable for the thrill does not last and great lows may follow their highs. They have been given over to a depraved mind and been given over to their sinful appetites. If a sinner still has a conscience that bothers him there is hope in Christ. For the Holy Spirit's conviction of sin is a great gift from God. If you are convicted repent before it is too late.
Consider the following passage in context.
Romans 1:18-32
(18 ) For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
(19) because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.
(20) For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
(21) For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
(22) Professing to be wise, they became fools,
(23) and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
(24) Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.
(25) For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
(26) For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural,
(27) and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.
(28 ) And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,
(29) being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips,
(30) slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,
(31) without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful;
(32) and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.
Repent and trust Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior today while there is time, before it is too late!
Realizing someone like this exists in the same world I do blows my mind..
It is much more than simply choosing faith over 'reality'. To actually have faith you need to get to reality - first. I am not talking about the faith we surf through with the clicker box. Nothing wrong with saying that you believe, but "show, don't tell". It is obvious to me that reality is the most subjective commodity we deal with. It (reality) becomes objective in the scientific theatre. It (reality) becomes a problem of quantity vs quality in daily living. Real faith is about quality - and is just as hard to observe as a tiny particle of quanta-mustard 
. Good luck trying to express the quality of something with words. Let alone trying to describe that which is unknown. So way back when, the dreamers dreamt, and scientists quantified those dreams with the analytical mind. They worked together, they did. (Art and Science)
