Friday, July 22, 2011

Thoughts from my reading


I came across the following quote in a book I'm currently reading:

"...In keeping with our cultural biases, we have tended to overemphasize intellectual truth to the detriment of experiential truth - learning the truth by practicing it. We have been solidly concerned with true understandings of Biblical doctrine. We have largely conformed our teaching to what can easily be done in a classroom – conveying information. We have, therefore, tended to ignore the considerable body of truth that only comes through launching out in faith – dependence on God, truth that cannot be reduced to information (John 3:21). We fail to see that it is experiential truth that is in focus in verses such as John 3:21, "But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God." And John 8:32 "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (Notice: "know the truth" = knowledge, "set you free" = experience)

Had we not narrowed our understanding of truth to the informational and intellectual aspects of it, we might well have gone further in understanding and participating in the more supernaturalistic dimensions of our relationship with God. For experiencing a life of faith gets one well beyond that which can be rationally understood."

My prayer: That the gap between my Biblical knowledge and my day to day experience lessens. That my faith in what God says manifests itself daily in my life, experience, reactions, expectations and decisions. I believe in a supernatural, all-powerful, infinitely wise God who has filled me with the Holy Spirit and His power …May I daily believe that and live that.

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