Making a decision
Nate led tonight's bible study, based on Philippians 2:1-11. We talked about what we value and cherish in our lives and what goals and ambitions we have.
Phi 2:3-4 GW Don't act out of selfish ambition or be conceited. Instead, humbly think of others as being better than yourselves. (4) Don't be concerned only about your own interests, but also be concerned about the interests of others.
Our unscheduled tangent took us to the concept of making decisions in our lives, and how we can discern God's will since God doesn't speak directly to us.
Someone commented that perhaps it's only after one develops a close relationship with God that it becomes easier to interpret the influence of the Holy Spirit. From an outsider's perspective, this would sound like indoctrination or even brainwashing. Moreover, it's circular reasoning in that God isn't apparent until you believe.
The result of this sort of debate with a Christian invariably results in a Christian rebuttal that humans cannot know God's will as he is beyond our understanding. Why are many Christians afraid to question the world around them and their own belief system?
Jam 3:13-15 GW Do any of you have wisdom and insight? Show this by living the right way with the humility that comes from wisdom. (14) But if you are bitterly jealous and filled with self-centered ambition, don't brag. Don't say that you are wise when it isn't true. (15) That kind of wisdom doesn't come from above. It belongs to this world. It is self-centered and demonic.
Jam 4:14-15 GW You don't know what will happen tomorrow. What is life? You are a mist that is seen for a moment and then disappears. (15) Instead, you should say, "If the Lord wants us to, we will live and carry out our plans."
Pro 3:5-7 GW Trust the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. (6) In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths smooth. (7) Do not consider yourself wise. Fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
An interesting first-hand anecdote was given that many mentally-ill patients have delusions of hearing voices. The patients attribute the voices as instructions from God or the Holy Spirit. Today we have a better understanding of mental illness and how to treat it. How would people hearing voices be received in Biblical times? Was Moses mentally ill?
Where is God? How do we discern God's will apart from circumstance, coincidence, and chance? When we pray, how do we know God's answer, since God doesn't answer directly?
Let's consider a thought experiment to try to differentiate between coincidence/chance and God's influence that might help us to determine God's will. The key of this experiment is to see if anything exists that can be attributed to God by an unbiased observer.
Imagine a philosophy of living life identical to Christianity in every way except that God does not exist; the philosophy is merely a way of living a good, ideal life. In making life decisions how is using Christianity as the basis different than using the philosophy with the same constructs? We pray, we seek guidance from the Holy Spirit; we consult with like-minded peers; we use our God-given minds to help us decide. How do we determine God's answers to our prayers, or what the Holy Spirit intends? Those gut feelings are the same for the philosophy as for Christianity. So why do Christians decide their gut feelings came from God, while the student's gut feeling of the hypothetical philosophy did not. What evidence does the Christian have for that conclusion? It seems to be a self-reinforcing idea, without any real evidence to back it up.
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