you are what you believe
I've stumbled across a couple of places in the past day or so that make the point that what you do is determined by what you believe - practice flows from theory, behaviour flows from belief.
Take linguistics, for a random example - people who believe that language is for people to communicate with each other and share ideas and feelings, study very different aspects of language in very different ways from people who believe that a language consists of an infinite set of strings generated by an innate universal grammar.
For a different example, take a person who believes that God exists: surely that person is going to live a life that takes into account the omniscience and omnipotence of God, and acts accordingly, doing what pleases him and avoiding what displeases him.
One particular issue arising from this is the question, what impact does a false or mistaken belief about God have on the life of a Christian, someone who does believe in the existence of God and who professes to have been saved by him. There's a verse that makes it clear that his people are sanctified through the truth, for example - so if they have a shaky grasp of the truth or hold onto errors mixed in with the truth, surely their sanctification is going to be impaired. I suppose too that, depending on how serious the error or ignorance or doubt is, the implications for that person's comfort and sense of security and ability to run the race set before them will be proportionately serious.
Thinking of that verse in Isaiah, Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength ... the reason why we are encouraged to trust in the Lord is because in him there is everlasting strength, he is the eternal Rock. So, if a person did not believe the premise 'in the Lord there is everlasting strength', they would hardly follow through with the argument, 'trust in him for ever.' Surely, people, surely failing to believe that God is eternally strong, that the Lord has everlasting strength, would have a harmful effect on your faith, hope, love, peace, and any other grace provided in the gospel for the benefit of the Christian and to equip him/her to glorify God and enjoy him for ever.
Take linguistics, for a random example - people who believe that language is for people to communicate with each other and share ideas and feelings, study very different aspects of language in very different ways from people who believe that a language consists of an infinite set of strings generated by an innate universal grammar.
For a different example, take a person who believes that God exists: surely that person is going to live a life that takes into account the omniscience and omnipotence of God, and acts accordingly, doing what pleases him and avoiding what displeases him.
One particular issue arising from this is the question, what impact does a false or mistaken belief about God have on the life of a Christian, someone who does believe in the existence of God and who professes to have been saved by him. There's a verse that makes it clear that his people are sanctified through the truth, for example - so if they have a shaky grasp of the truth or hold onto errors mixed in with the truth, surely their sanctification is going to be impaired. I suppose too that, depending on how serious the error or ignorance or doubt is, the implications for that person's comfort and sense of security and ability to run the race set before them will be proportionately serious.
Thinking of that verse in Isaiah, Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength ... the reason why we are encouraged to trust in the Lord is because in him there is everlasting strength, he is the eternal Rock. So, if a person did not believe the premise 'in the Lord there is everlasting strength', they would hardly follow through with the argument, 'trust in him for ever.' Surely, people, surely failing to believe that God is eternally strong, that the Lord has everlasting strength, would have a harmful effect on your faith, hope, love, peace, and any other grace provided in the gospel for the benefit of the Christian and to equip him/her to glorify God and enjoy him for ever.
Our Father, which art in heaven ... Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
posted by cath at
1:24 pm
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