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Four General Belief Systems: Which is yours?

Ok, I've been in a pit of depression over quite a lot of things taking place over the last week and a half that I won't even go into.  I'm still not sure where I stand internally right now.  But it seems every time I go through these, I come out with something to say. 

So as I sat listening half-heartedly to the sermon tonight, it was all about faith.  It was....James 1:6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.  It was God can't help you unless YOU (by yourself) have faith and speak positive and change your words.  I sat there getting more upset by the sermon than I already was.

On the drive home I realized that I have heard basically four principal beliefs.  And thereby many of the reasons we have so many denominations.  Please tell me which you believe and why you believe it.  I will tell you which I believe and why I believe it, then I will tell you what came to me as to why you AND I believe as we do.

The Four General Belief Systems:

1.  The above message that without faith, it is impossible to please God.

2.  A step further that there is life and death in the tongue, that we must speak a thing into existence (name it and claim it?)

3.  That God won't do anything outside His will no matter what we speak or pray.  We gave this world to satan and God will step in where necessary but for the most part, satan's going to hit us with everything he can.

4.  That God will step in and show Himself in our lives and solidify our faith/belief.  That He will bring it to pass and "Lord I believe, but help my unbelief (doubt)". 

I believe #4 is closer to the truth for many reasons.  This passage in particular.  Jesus did not tell the man go away you doubter.  He also didn't spit in the face of doubting Thomas but instead stuck out His hands.  God certainly is pleased by faith, but He ALSO said He came to heal the brokenhearted. 

What does a brokenhearted person look like? 

bro·ken·heart·ed

adjective \-ˈhär-təd\
: overcome by grief or despair
a. 1. Having the spirits depressed or crushed by grief or despair.

de·spair

verb \di-ˈsper\

intransitive verb

: to lose all hope or confidence em>despair of winning>

Hmmm, interesting.  So God heals people who have lost all hope or confidence.  Brokenhearted people, people who have suffered one traumatic blow after another throughout their lives perhaps, have learned:  You can't trust, you have nothing to hope for, life stinks, it's every man for themself to survive, no one cares, people lie, etc. 

So how does God heal this without doing things in your life to show you that He's there, that He hears, cares?  That means #4 is true....God will step in and show Himself to solidify our faith/belief. 

So here's the kicker.  Does that make #1 a lie?  No.  And therein lies the answer to:  So why is it that #1 says the man who is double-minded (doubts) won't receive anything and #4 says I believe but help my unbelief (doubt) and Jesus helped the man?

Going back to the discussions of....does scripture contradict itself?  How would you explain these two verses side-by-side?

Well here is how I explained them tonight in my head driving home.

The Bible wasn't written to Paul.  It wasn't written to the Corinthians.  It wasn't written to the Philippians, the Gentiles, the Jews....the Bible was written to EVERYONE. 

It was written to Joe Blow who grew up in a loving home, attended church faithfully, accepted Christ at the age of 8, has a strong mental capacity, is a go-getter, graduated college and met his loving wife of 20 years raising 2 kids who he now puts through college and his dog Bruno.

It was written to Jane Doe who's father molested her, who's mother turned her back to it all and berated her for it, who had health issues most of her life, who's family never showed her love, never bought a dog, and kicked her out of the house pregnant at 16 so she could be beaten by the father of her child for the next few years.  Maybe heard the Gospel preached for the first time at the age of 25.  She now comes to Christ, dejected, hurt, unable to trust, unable to love, emotionally scarred.

Message #1 is going to be a slap in her face and message #4 won't appeal to forceful Joe. 

And here's where the church I believe falls into so many problems.  We split off.  We label one another.  We start tossing out the term false prophets. 

In 2 Peter 2:1 it speaks of false prophets who deny the Master.  Matthew 24:24 speaks of false Christs/Messiahs.  Galatians 1:6 says "I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel."

The Gospel is the Gospel of Christ, the message of Christ Jesus, son of God, come down in the flesh, died on the cross and rose again.  The message is to be like Christ.  The false prophets teaching a false gospel are those teaching something other than Christ.  They are not those who teach you can speak in tongues, you can't speak in tongues, you can cast out demons, you can't cast out demons, you can speak it and claim, God will bring you through and give you revelation. 

I am praying fervently that I do not keep falling into despair.  I likely have sleep apnea and after my sleep study have been scheduled for a CPAP mask study.  I have hormonal issues that hopefully a minor operation sometime soon in the future I hope will take care of, and I have major traumatic childhood experiences and current experiences in life that go on and on without a seeming end.  Yet right now, perhaps the despair, these events, are all so that I have something to impart.  And what I impart here...let's stop beating each other down and shouting out false gospel.  Instead let us realize we are all from different backgrounds, different personalities, and way different life experiences.  And the Bible is written in such a way that it has a message for us all depending upon where WE are personally at.  It is not meant to be something we beat each other over the head with using A scripture.

So the next time someone has a doubt, rather than say "Let not the double-minded man think he should receive anything from God", tell him "Lord he believes, but help his unbelief".  Because one message helps him and the other doesn't.  Which do you think Jesus would impart to him?  The message of hope or the message of get away from me you worthless doubter?

I know this is long and if you read this far bless you.  And I'm hoping for some opinions on this.  This is what came to me tonight.  You may have a different opinion of it, for better or worse.

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Permalink Reply by Leonard T on February 16, 2013 at 9:48am

Pretty much to the exception that in the last paragragh I sense it initmating, intended or unintended, that God is a distant God most of the time. I believe God is constantly aware and overseeing all that goes on up close and personal. He is so up close and personal that He lives in each of His children.

Permalink Reply by RoyW on February 17, 2013 at 7:56am

Good Sunday Morning,

I love to hear the positive messages from John Hagee. I was just listening to him preach on God taking care of your needs. He made the statement that if He could raise Lazarus with three words, "Lazarus, come forth," He is certainly capable of meeting whatever your need is. I was thinking about that comment. If we are not careful, we might be sending the wrong messages or at least some will take words like this in the wrong way. There is no question that God does have the capability of doing anything He wants to do with us. When He doesn't take away all of our problems, we sometimes get to thinking that God doesn't love us. He loves John Hagee. He loves all the rest that he is preaching to. He just doesn't love me because He is not taking care of my problems like John Hagee says He will. Let me give another perspective.

We make so many bad decisions in our lives. Sometimes we make the same bad decisions over and over. John, for example, has made too many bad decisions about his eating habits. I make many bad decisions over and over. So, a loving Father says, "I am going to help Roy to learn not to make so many bad decisions. I am going to teach him through some discipline."

He begins to teach me. I don't want to be taught. I want Him to just do to me and for me everything I want Him to do to me and for me. I immediately begin to cry out, "FATHER, TAKE THESE PROBLEMS AWAY FROM ME!!!"

The Father has a dilemma (not really). Does He answer my prayer or continue to do to me what I really need? When He chooses to allow me to learn a lesson, I DON"T LIKE IT! Even though that is exactly what I need, I want Him to take it away from me. I don't want to learn. I don't want to grow up. I continue to cry out like a baby. "Well, I guess God doesn't love me. He is not taking away my problems."

God knows before any of us are ever born exactly what we need or exactly what He needs from us. God has a plan and what a privilege it is to fit somewhere in that magnificent and glorious plan. He knows all about all of our bad decisions before we make one of them. What is it going to take for me to finally learn? Will I continue to gripe about God not caring about me or will I finally begin to grow and embrace those things thrown at me in order to serve His purposes?

Let us humble ourselves before His majesty this morning and give Him praise for everything in our lives. Let us embrace His purpose for our very lives. Let us grow in the knowledge and nurture of our God. Amen.

Permalink Reply by Richard L. Broch, Sr. on February 18, 2013 at 12:26pm

Char,

Please accept a long range cyber-space Christian hug from a brother before I start this post.

 

To begin with, it is my opinion that your #1 and #4 are extremely applicable here.

Our text: Hebrews 11:6, " And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is,  and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him."

O.K., "for he who comes to God must believe"  We're only talking about saved souls here, the flesh of the world do not apply.........who must believe..........the one answering John3:16 comes in faith, which is the Holy Spirit's conviction, and this faith will grow as the Holy Spirit takes up position in one's temple. Faith is the basis, foundation, trust, assurance, and belief in our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. It has to be..........

 

To support the above, let's consider - Ephesians 2:8, " For by grace you have been saved  through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.".........Then- Galatians 2:20, " I have been crucifiedwith Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God..............".

 Also, Jesus gives a great dissertation on the Holy Ghost in the last half of John, Chapter 14, but then, the whole chapter is cool.

Faith is one of the nine fruit generated by the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22) as long as........as long as, we allow Him to produce this fruit. How do we do that?...........please refer to Gal. 2:20 above.....which includes - prayer, worship in praise word and song, Bible study, fellowship with other saints, and witnessing.

Moving along.........#4 - I firmly believe that God steps in and shows His wisdom in working in believer's lives. And sometimes the answer is not forthcoming, or just plain "no", because He knows what we need, or can handle. Sometimes the answer is delayed because of His schedule. We have to remember......It's all about Him - not us.

Oh, do we give everthing our children (or grandchildren) ask, or demand, of us?.........Hmmm?

 

Now, about "unbelief"......How about we include the measure of faith  present in any given situation?

In the Gospels, Jesus used the expression - "O you of little faith, or no faith" to His disciples several times. I know, I know, they didn't have the indwelling Holy Spirit at the time. But, if they would have...........would that made any difference?

One episode ( Mark 4:35-41) They're all in a boat, Jesus is asleep at the stern, a fierce gale of wind comes upon them, the disciples are freaking out  saying, " Jesus, don't you care that we are all perishing?!?!

And He said to them, " Why are you so timid? How is it that you have no faith?"........(Could we say temporary unbelief?). Lookey here, A major storm of life had beset them.....and all they could do was.......consentrate on this major problem going on right then........and they had already seen Jesus healing multitudes.

And how about Peter walking on water? ( Matthew 14:22-33). When Peter saw Jesus walking on the water, he asked if he could join his master. Jesus said, "Come.). After getting out of the boat, and walking with his eyes on the Lord, he suddenly became aware of where he was, and what he was doing....and started to sink. Jesus then reached out and took his hand and said, " O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

Do we ever do something of great magnitude or risk, in prayer with faith.........and then realize where we are, and what we're doing......and forget the faith that stared this venture?  Little faith = Doubt, or Wavering.

 

Now about James 1:6.....The word "doubt"(Greek, diakrino, waver, doubt, and to be in strife with oneself.).

Verse 6:" But let him ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.".

Here are some interesting facts regarding a relationship to God through Jesus Christ by faith...........People of all ages, from every part of the world, from every walk of life, of various experiences......war, peace, luxury, poverty,

all kinds of abuse, including childhood (which really makes Jesus mad)......and what-ever else......are all welcome at God's Throne of Grace.

Everybody, underline everybody brings some old baggage into the Kingdom of God with them. Some of this stuff is hard to unload into the permanent trash bin.....particularly events from childhood experiences.

After coming to Christ and being justified in God's eyes, a period of sanctification is in order.....kind of like a caterpillar going into a cocoon......and after a process.......coming out a beautiful butterfly. I think our sanctification period is a rest of our lifetime event. ( Hebrews 12:14, " Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord.").

Stay with me now.....

 

So, we have this internal change going on inside us....best explained in Galatians 5: 16-17 = " But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. (17) For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.".

This says to me that we can't always be "full of the Holy Spirit" because there's still some of our old junk crowding in. And could this also mean then.......our faith level can't be as effective as it should be  because the indwelling Spirit has to deal with other things clamoring for attention?

These "other things" can still be around our lives as well as past-gone experiences.........family, "friends", financial matters, illness/medical, stress, anxiety, depression, etc, etc........

 

And Char, ever since Biblical times, remember.............we've had the Theological perverts, religious cults, satan specialists,

and of course modern day Pharisees, IMO's ( Thanks Mischelle) around, and will contiue  to the maps (thru Revelation in the Bible to the maps).

Sorry to be so long........but your post is pretty deep. Hope some of this helps............

 

Grace and Peace.

 

Permalink Reply by Seek on February 20, 2013 at 8:39am

Thanks Richard.  I have always loved my church.  Even before I was saved, I grew up with many of these people, have known them since I was a child.  I love the youth and children's ministries there.  I love the preaching...for the most part.  But lately, I'm not so much in love with what seems to be the majority belief of our leadership that if you have any doubt/unbelief whatsoever, it seems you're almost an outcast, labeled unfit for the kingdom in their view.  It SEEMS that way.  I'm still trying to decide whether this is just me going through a rough spell or if this really is the way my church is headed.  I'm loathe to change it for many reasons.  But I've heard from so many there how you NEVER EVER get angry with God, NEVER doubt or He CANNOT help you.  That seems to be limiting God by saying He can’t…or even to say He won’t….who has the mind of Christ? 

 

That kind of message seems to be discouraging rather than encouraging and it’s been really getting to me.  I’m battling several different issues that cause these periods of depression and I’m about as brokenhearted as can be during these times and feeling like God isn’t there, isn’t going to come help, nothing.  But I do come out of them.  And while in them, all the “just snap out of it” advice in the world is useless. 

 

I read recently a difference between condemnation and conviction that I love.  Condemnation is making you aware of the problem (ie:  Just snap out of it).  Conviction is giving you the SOLUTION (ie:  Tell me HOW one snaps out of it rather than say just dew it….I’m not a can of soda). 

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