Steven, in your post #54215, you write: "If you can produce any individual . . .that can supply satisfactory verification of its claim to know the will of Almighty God...I will gladly retract it."
The individiual is Jesus Christ who said "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father."
And then Jesus added: "I and the Father are one.He that hath seen me hath seen the father."
And Jesus taught: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all thy soul and all thy mind. And thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."
And the satisfactory verification offered you is the same that was offered doubting Thomas who said when confronted with the prospect of a risen Christ:
"I will not believe except I see with my own eyes and put forth my hand and touch the wound."
To which Jesus replied: "Here I am Thomas. Put forth your hand and touch. And be not faithless but believing."
Quite frankly, Steven, the Christian believes that it is all a matter of faith which comes with redemption. Before one is redeemed, he is a sinner. When he confesses his sin, God's promise is to forgive that sin and to cleanse one's heart and mind, thus making a new person in Christ Jesus. Once that occurs, then the promise is that we can know the mind and the will of God by actively seeking Him through his Holy Spirit. Verification of this phenomenon is not a matter of reading something that is written in a book. Rather, it is a matter of coming to that personal experience known as personal salvation. Without that experience one cannot believe because one is not a believer. With that experience, one becomes no longer a doubter but a believer. And until one becomes a believer he will continue to say I will not believe unless I can see with my own eyes and touch with my own hands.
After Jesus' experience with doubting Thomas he looked at him and said: "Blessed are you Thomas, for you now believe because you have seen. But more blessed are those who, not having seen, believe."
And I am taking the time to reply to your post because you seem to have posted it in good faith. My reply is also in good faith. What I have described is a faith based not on a truth ". . .because I say so. . ." or ..."because it is written in a book. . ." but because it comes from a personal experience.
Moreover, my personal experience is mine. It does not give me the right to try to impose it on others. The only right I have is to express my convictions and to share my experience when I am given the opportunity to do so.
So, if you are seriously searching for the truth and its manifestation in your world, keep on searching. For if your search is sincere you will surely find the answers that you seek.
As Jesus taught: "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free and then you will be free indeed." |
