If you aren't concerned about whether or not what you believe is the TRUTH, you should be. In the end, the truth is going to be the ONLY thing that matters. Believing a lie, no matter how good it makes you feel, does not make it a reality. If what you believe is based solely on your own personal ideas, preferences and imagination about the "way things should be"; can this possibly be real? As if we can dream something up and it be "our" truth. I have to hope that deep down, even the people who SAY they believe that, know how foolish it is to put faith in anything of their own design.
The fact is, as we all know from having spent time on the Earth, the TRUTH hurts sometimes. What I believe about God and the Bible does, in fact, bring pain to me sometimes.
It hurts when I am convicted of sin and have to repent of that.
It hurts when I am asked to change or give up something I very much want to hold on to.
It hurts when I have plans to go one way and God directs me somewhere else.
It hurts when God disciplines me.
It hurts to think that loved ones who have died without Jesus are in hell at this moment.
It's NOT always easy. Some people will inevitably read this and say, "What a fool for believing something so unappealing. I would never believe that!" But that's just the thing. I did not make this... it is making me. I cannot pick and choose because I did not make this up. It is just the truth and just like truth in non-spiritual things, I must take the bad with the good. And the good God provides in my life is more than enough to make up for the difficulties.
If your "belief system" is nothing more than a bunch of ideas you have put together which make you feel happy and good about yourself and where you are headed - then I would strongly suggest you give it some more thought. One day the feelings and emotions that are driving you right now won't even exist anymore. The only thing left will be your soul, God and the truth. At that moment, you will be confronted with whether or not you believed and accepted His Truth.
When you come before the throne of God... what will you stand on? Your own ideas from your own imagination which provided you with the strength and comfort you needed to make it through this life - or God's Word - which maybe wasn't so comfortable but which WILL be the foundation you'll need under you to be able to stand in His presence.
The Bible says there will be a day when everything that CAN BE shaken WILL BE shaken. And all that will remain after that will be all we ever really had. What will you have left?
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GOD HAS ONE DESTINED END FOR MANKIND - HOLINESS. His one aim is the production of saints. God is not an eternal-blessing-machine for men. He did not come to save men out of pity for them. He came to save men because He had created them to be holy. - Oswald Chambers
"There is something worse than holding our silence while the lost world runs headlong into hell. It is the crime of preaching to them a watered down, culturally carved, truncated Gospel that allows them to hold to a form of godliness, while denying its power, to profess to know God, while denying Him with their deeds, and to call Jesus 'Lord, Lord', while not doing the Father's will. Woe to us if we preach not the Gospel, but even greater woe if we do so incorrectly!"... Paul Washer
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I am told that Christians do not love each other. I am very sorry if that be true, but I rather doubt it, for I suspect that those who do not love each other are not Christians.
Charles Spurgeon
Charles Spurgeon
Excuses
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them for God has shown it to them.
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and divine nature, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man - and birds and four-footed beasts and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.
For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorailty, wickedness, greed, malice, envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness, they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, invetors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful;
Who knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
Romans 1:20-32