So it seems to be destined to be another long, hard semester--and more than just on the academic level. I'll leave that at that for now.
In some ways, I think the students of this campus are going through a Job time.
There's so much I want to say, and yet I can't. Maybe I had better just pull out my doctrines notes from earlier and share a few of those more pleasant thoughts:
A new analogy for thinking about predestination/free will:
So we are dead in our sins and heart has stopped beating. But there is this great defibrillator uses on our heart and some of us respond and the heart begins beating again to a new life. Others do not and stay dead in their sins.
We were discussing regeneration today and Dr. Woodring was using the example of a dead car battery that must have an external action upon it to recharge it : as in, regeneration is action of God to give us that new life, as I think about it "that instantaneous spark."
All this, and I've been thinking quite a bit today about our response to other Christians. We learn in Education about "At-Risk" people and the traits that make them so. But you see, I'm more of a "take it as it comes person" and although I do place validity in being wary of how someone's background will affect their actions and such, I also believe the best of people and pray for their success. and if they do fail, I try to forgive, support, and encourage rather than judge. I see how someone's background might make them more liable to give in to a certain temptation, but I also believe that they have the power of the Holy Spirit upon them and they CAN escape. Christians from being born again are given the ability not to sin as Christ had on earth.
all right, i'm getting confused and really starting to sound confusing I am sure. so i'll leave now and go to bed.
goodnight.
Posted by Anna at February 25, 2004 01:18 AM