Friday, December 13, 2013

Noah, Daniel and Job

...even if Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they could save neither son nor daughter. They would save only themselves by their righteousness. Ezekiel 14:20

Ever have the frustrating experience of trying to communicate your faith to the non-elect? I am sure we all have.

The Catholics have a term for the condition of those who will not be enlightened--"invincible ignorance". Church of England C.S. Lewis describes the ineptitude of non believers who try to discuss Christianity. However sincere they are, he said, they never get it right. It seems that even basic doctrines will always be beyond them. Even their negative arguments are off target.

In the end we find that it is not a matter of logic at all. That is, not the logic of the flesh and the world. As Ezekiel confirms, there are depths of depravity, where the greatest examples of righteousness do not prevail. Someone said that it is like trying to describe a watermelon to an Arab.

We learn to expect this from the world, but what are we to say when we are confronted with such intransigence within the church? Doesn't it seem that many of the faithful are set against even basic doctrine?

I worked with a young charismatic man who told me that he believed such knowledge was "fleshly", and to be avoided. Goodbye Paul, goodbye Peter, and even Luther and Augustine.

There is good news however, and it is online. Some people are catching on. They are deserting the error of the churches and returning to the Word.

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