Faith Understanding

We choose, or lapse into, our capacities for giving and receiving.  If wise we balance our lives so to gain not only what we need to do, but how we will believe and perform.  This has implications for just about everything we are and mean to become.  We determine, or fall into, a pattern that includes the public/privacy of our daily lives, the spending/savings of our stewardship, the needs/desires of our personalities, the disciplined/casual factors we decide to follow – and other comparisons/contrasts that taken together determine the course of life for us in style, values and meaning related to desired ends.  They form our characters, personalities, activities – all summarized as the degree of maturation that we gain for ourselves.  The factors apply to both our natural and spiritual lives.  To these factors Scripture repeatedly addresses to us the persons we can become, both in mortality and immortality.  When human and spiritual factors are formed in balance they merge in the individual into what we might be termed, normal, holistic life that is not contradictory but fulfilling in all.  When well done there is an excellence, honored by God.  When less than excellent, the seeking for excellence (effort made in direction) is found acceptable with God.  (He may account for the human frame more favorably than we do.)  We are in increments moving in the right direction.  In this is the gift of justification from God.  As a parent pleased to find the loved child trying to be a better student, so God is also loving and gratified to see sincere affirmative effort in his children.  That effort is proved genuine to the individual if there is prayer, Scripture, and improvement in the applications of values and the fellowship of relationships.

This scenario about variegated human beings offers large paradoxes, but is further complicated by the paradoxes related to God.  His judgments are firm and true not glossed over, but he found ways to alleviate judgment in his extensive and profound compassion so to give perfect empathy to the human race through the suffering experience of Jesus Christ.  So deep and so extensive is his love that he found a way to overcome violation (sin) of his holiness so to remove guilt that would make the violator unacceptable to his Kingdom.  It would not serve to simply weaken guilt.  It had to be so extensive as to remove it.  A little guilt remains guilt and inviting of evaluation.  So great is that compassion that human beings have no way in which they can make judgment of the outcome of any other person than themselves.  I have a hunch that Cain might have found reconciliation with God and parents at some time length after the murder of his brother, Abel.  Rahab may have found her way to God.  Jonah may have resolved his contradictions.  Cyrus and Nebuchadnezzar seem to have had spiritual insight.  Pilate may have squared away in his closing days.  God’s compassion is so available that he is at the ready when there is even modest turning from violation so to offer ways through for us.  A malefactor was forgiven of God in a matter of moment after Jesus gave him absolution.  The judgments of God are real to motivate Christian ministry, but God’s compassion is active to relief.   The above observations might well be expanded for full understanding.

Where are we then?  We want more assurance than marginal approval.  We may be unsure about what is our way and status.  God is sure.  In this he offers instruction in both human and spiritual faith and conduct.  It is one culture when followed.  Life is God’s creation to give or to take away.  His way of life is his to give, which he offers in straightforward Scripture, and he never takes that away.  That menu doesn’t seem difficult to review and understand.  It should not be amended by deletion, and should not be added to. The application is to gain basic subscriptions of Scripture, apply them to spiritual life meant for mankind.  In them are guides for joyful human and spiritual life that includes love (the perfect factor and motivator), service (sometimes called charity or service to others, defining the purpose for life), and hope (the belief there is immortality that makes of human life a transition to a larger context for life).  In this there will be love, service and life.  Scripture, prayer and conduct given of God assure us.  A hard part in life scenario is to make adequate schedule to maintain status – both physical and spiritual.