I recently had a run-in with quite the scientific mind and enjoyed these last couple days conversating with the gentleman, discussing the nature of man and man’s ultimate design. He would not be a man that I would consider listening to regarding life, but if I had an equation to solve he could be the guy. Regardless, these last couple days have been an opportunity to consider a greater equation that just so happens to be the equation of life itself. Try as we may the way of man is not in our capacity to find out. Even the Proverbs of Solomon exclaim, ” a fool has no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself”. So quantifying such an equation is quite frankly, a fruitless pursuit. Nevertheless, here we were discussing the matter as if it was going to be revealed yet by a work of God’s grace or even His good humor I stumbled upon something truly fascinating in the convergence of this man’s wandering scientific mind and my walk of faith.
O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.
Jeremiah 10:23
Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them.
Proverbs 5:6
Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.
Psa 143:8
There is an apparent and obvious truth communicated in the scriptures that the way of man is something that God reveals to man and not from man to himself or others. It has been this way since the dawn of man, or rather the moment of man when God breathed that very soul into the beautiful creation that he was. There is a singular way that we are to take, one we can know, experience, and within great freedom even shape. It is the way of God, the way of Christ, the way of life everlasting, the solution to our finite life equation.
There is a singular way that we are to take, one we can know, experience, and within great freedom even shape.
Transformed to His way
And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
John 14:4-6
Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Degrees of Freedom
Within the conversation, there was talk of this principle or scientific pattern described as “degrees of freedom”. Any statistician or physicist reading at this point would know what I speak of, but for the uninitiated, it is quite simply: the space or “freedom” an equation or system has to change or vary. Bringing this highly theoretical conversation back to earth I discussed the degrees of freedom within one person’s life. Mathematically it is finite (although a very large finite number) because within each person’s life is the limit of time itself, just as in physics the speed of light serves as the limiting factor for the known universe. Human life in time, therefore, is definitely quantifiable, finite, and KNOWN! Although we all have this very unknown factor of what will happen if I go left versus going right, there is the very known factor of the end of both, being death. The great thing about this conversation was revelation of the reality of imputed sin because within each person’s life is the truth that at any point he or she can or rather will sin. It is no wonder that in the Book of James that it writes, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” So in our life equation there lies this degree of freedom that has us all GUILTY before God IN SIN, but by Christ who did not have this flaw in His equation whatsoever, We have but one degree of freedom, one decision, one moment that grants us eternal life; JESUS HIMSELF!
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
1 John 5:13-15
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:
And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
NO Limited atonement
At this point, I must add this addendum to what already has been said because there is this pervading idea that some do not have the degree of freedom or even capacity to accept and receive Christ when in fact ALL do! Yes, our life is known by God, it can by great toil even be known by us mathematically speaking, but in God knowing us, knowing our fallen and helpless estate HE SENT Christ with the final and sole solution for our life. If at any point of a person’s life do they accept, look, receive, repent, or do what is written with the blood of Christ – they will be saved! Among the countless possibilities within one’s life, God in his mercy has made a way for any and all to have eternal life with Him through Jesus Christ. Do not let this idea of knowledge supersede the truth of God’s wisdom and very nature. This idea of limited atonement is rooted in belief of a very limited god, who only behaves according to limited understanding and framework not established by scripture although scripture is utilized to justify such thought.
1Ti 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
1Ti 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
1Ti 2:6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
2Pe 3:11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
The best path to take in life is one with a known outcome
Transformed to His way
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“WHAT MANNER OF PERSONS OUGHT YE TO BE“
The best path to take in life is one with a known outcome. Through Christ, we can know the outcome of our life, the value of our life, and even experience the richness of our purpose for life in Christ. Yes, we still have the adventurous and mysterious aspect of our choices and outcomes to those choices, but with Christ, we have a known end! Christ came to give life, not to limit it or even cast a long shadow of judgment over it. When He gave His life upon the cross, He gave us the solution to our life equation, our finite equation bound by death. Christ ultimately, as the scripture states, gave us a NEW LIFE. If you are in Christ you are a new creation, the old has passed away and you have at any and all moments the opportunity to live in what is new! You can know your end, know your life, and be defined by the very life that Christ gave for eternity. Do not toil in trying to solve the equation of life without Christ, it has no solution apart from Him. Find Him, there is grace in His plan, mercy within His care, and great hope in His way.
Transformed To His Way 