In one of my Sunday school
classes, we were dealing with the question why God’s chosen people the Hebrews
despite the awesome revelation given to them and the manifestation of God’s
power in their lives as a nation, often revert back to paganism and the worship of idols,
forsaking the true and living God of their fathers.
When I asked an old
wizened member of the class why the seemingly hard to explain absurdity for these
people, to habitually fall in the repetitive cycle of faith, disobedience, punishment, and repentance, he
said this is not really hard to explain. Not even surprising. We see the same
cycle repeat itself in the present times. In fact this condition adequately
describes the state of fallen man.
In the case of the Israelites, he said,
their descent to idolatrous practice, turning their back from God, by following the gods of their neighbors may be
objectively judged as irrational, but it was actually a question of faith which
waxed cold. This wise Christian said, it
is far easier for man to worship different types idols which he can see, touch
or feel, or, which might represent what he falsely conceives as god, or gods,
than to be steadfast and faithful to the Invisible Almighty God whom he cannot
see, in the physical realm.
Dallas Willard, Professor of Philosophy at the University of
Southern California has aptly described this condition:
“Our faith may easily fall victim to our mind’s tendency to spatialize everything. If we think of
God as being literally outside the physical realm, then it will seem as if He
is utterly out of reach for us, and we, out of reach for Him. The edge of the
unknown Universe is now thought to be something like forty six to forty seven
billion light years away. Beyond that even light waves, travelling at the speed
of 186,284 miles per second can never reach us! How then can we reach God or He
us if He is out there? “
“The material world in which we are placed by God permits Him
to be nearer to us even than our own eyes, ears and brain are near. It is in
Him that we live and move and have our being.(Acts 17:28) So I shall hasten to remind you that God does
not have to go through special intermediaries of any sort to reach us-though on
some occasions He obviously chooses to do so.”
Christianity is a religion
of revelation. It is a faith founded on the Biblical fact that God has come,
revealed Himself, and walked on this earth, became flesh and lived an earthly
life. God Himself in the person of Jesus Christ true God and true man. This is admittedly the greatest mystery of the ages.
Where would man be without
this great and surpassing revelation?
Perhaps he would still be
worshipping the spirit of his ancestors. Or the moon or the sun or the
crocodiles or the carved images or perhaps he would end up worshipping himself.
They exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshipped and served created
things rather than the Creator-who is forever praised. Amen(Romans 1:25).
And where would Christmas
be without the Christ?
Merry Christmas! my
wise old friend said.
Happy Holidays! a visitor from North America said.
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