Inspired By God!
There is much controversy between many in our current world as to whether the Bible is inspired by God or just written by a bunch of men void of any connection to God the Creator. I am not here today to examine the evidence for either side of that argument. I am just here to share what my heart tells me after many years of study and reflection.
What do I believe about the Bible being inspired? I believe every word of it is not only inspired by our Creator but that it also was intended to have a profound effect on the journey of all mankind.
Does that mean I believe every word in the Bible is truth? NO……….I have come to believe that often God allowed men to write absolute truth that came from the hidden image of the Creator within, and that He also allowed men to write outright lies that came from their own ignorance, prejudice, self righteousness, and their own desire to know good & evil.
Now I know the first question I will be asked is: If what you say is true Cliff then how can we possibly tell the difference between what is true and what is a lie?
Please think about that for awhile. Mankind has been arguing over the Bible (scripture) even long before it was in print. Could it just be that our Creator wanted every single human being to look deep inside themselves realizing that the ultimate TRUTH to be found has always been with them? Surely, if God gave us a book of complete truth wouldn’t there be more agreement then we have seen?
I believe our Creator is PERFECT and I believe He gave us a perfectly designed environment that included allowing us (mankind) to both write absolute truths and absolute lies even within the Bible. That’s why I believe every word was inspired by God because He knew exactly what He was doing when He gave us a book that would bring such disagreement.
Now what is the purpose of giving us such a book? Could it be that our purpose here on earth has never been to know Good & Evil, but rather to know LOVE. If you go to the Bible with the purpose of trying to know good and evil you will become a person with much fear, judgment, condemnation, and self righteousness. If you go to the Bible with the purpose of finding LOVE you will find Jesus.
Jesus is spoken of as the HIDDEN MYSTERY. I believe God placed this most important mystery within a book of both truth and lies to allow each of us to rise to the challenge of finding the God within. The God within is the Christ.
Deep within us all there is an amazing inner sanctuary of the soul, a holy place, a Divine Center, a speaking Voice, to which we may continuously return. Eternity is at out hearts, pressing upon our time-torn lives, warming us with intimations of an astounding destiny, calling us home unto Thyself. Yielding to these persuasions, gladly committing ourselves in body and soul, utterly and completely, to the Light Within, is the beginning of true life. It is a dynamic center, creative Life that presses to birth within us. It is a Light Within which illumines the face of God and casts new shadows and new glories upon the face of men. It is a seed stirring to life if we do not choke it. It is the Shekinah of the soul, the Presence in the Midst. Here is the Slumbering Christ, stirring to be awakened, to become the soul we clothe in earthly form and action. And He is within us all.
By Thomas Kelly
Hasn’t the past month demonstrated something we all know if we are honest with ourselves? And that something is "WE WILL NEVER AGREE WITH EACH OTHER BASED ON OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE BIBLE". But there is something that transcends the written word and that something is the LOVE that resides in every one of our hearts. That LOVE is GOD and sooner or later this LOVE will be revealed to every one of us.
God has always been the inspiration behind everything that man does and says. True peace is found when one is able to trust that God really is PERFECT and so is ALL His CREATION. If this is not true then we all have much to fear and very little to hope for.
Peace to ALL,
Cliff
Cliff
Sometimes it seems as though you are in my head! And indeed you are! But not you it is Him! It is the Spirit of the living God that speaks to all of His creation. That is why you wrote what was in my spirit because we are of that same spirit. Thanks for the wonderful way in which you have put into words my thoughts!
Peace
Geo
Geo, won’t it be something when we shed these clay suits and see this glorious spirit we’ve always had?
But there is something that transcends the written word and that something is the LOVE that resides in every one of our hearts. That LOVE is GOD and sooner or later this LOVE will be revealed to every one of us.(Cliff)
No truer words have I seen you write. If we truly want to share Love in the world we will eventually have to realize that if we put a name to the Creator of all, it will just divide us rather than unite us. Culture determines for most what they will decide to call “GOD”. Jesus, Yahweh, Allah, Krishna and the list goes on. The arguments on here and in the rest of the world arent about Love they are about whos interpretation of God is the right one.
When you tell a Muslim or a Jew or a Hindu that Jesus loves them and has saved their soul you are actually not expressing Love but your opinion. And for most people of different faiths that is insulting not loving. If we truly want unity in the world, we will all unite in one religious name “GOD” and leave it at that.
I agree Tit for Tat. Whatever word we choose to use we must always let those we speak with know that it is only a word and the actual energy behind the word is something we all have within us. I use the word “God” most often because it is what I am comfortable with but I would never divide from those who choose another word.
wow you guys are really open minded, I am impressed and encouraged all in one. Tit for Tat really nailed it, Cliff you are so right about Love that is transcending.
The scriptures are an immeasurable source of revelation (information) as to the very heart and nature of God, at least as perceived to be. But to take them literally I feel the essence gets lost in the shuffle, we in turn get religious.
For example, a lot of us believe that Jesus was literally born of a virgin, does that happen in our world today(or yesterday)? Do stars literally move in the sky to guide people? We could debate this till the cows come home, but why bother?
Why not move past the literal interpretation and discover what was it about this Jesus that caused them to write so epically about him in the first place? Could it be that God of very God was met in him? A God experience that transcended their literal interpretation and system of life in God?
In Christ,
Marco
Marco
I think this scripture hits the nail on the head.
Luke 17:21 (King James Version)
“Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.”
Titfortat, I love that verse.
Marco, In all my years in organized religion I found that most people move through this exciting spiritual journey excited about all the wrong things. It is so very easy to just go along with the croud instead of opening yourelf up to the majestic glory that pervades every thing we see and everything we don’t see.
Recently I was asked by a dear friend to preach for his church because they were inbetween preachers. I told him I loved him too much to do that because I would not be able to speak without offending many in his group. It’s not that I am afraid of what they would think of me, but rather I would not want them to think poorly of my friend who invited me. I am prepared for the abuse that comes from thinking outside the box but I don’t want to bring any of that pain to someone else unless they clearly know what they were getting in to. That’s exactly why I quit preaching. I knew that the group I was with loved me and even enjoyed what I was preaching about but it was bringing much outside hostility toward their little church by other conservative groups around that area. I knew they were not strong enough to handle the whisperings about the things I was saying in the pulpit so I finally decided I would have to leave organized religion in order to truly flex the freedom of this exciting spiritual journey. Certainly, I have not arrived but I now get up each new day with great anticipation for the glories that will be revealed. I am FREE, FREE, THANK GOD AT LAST I’M FREE.
WOW!!! Sacrificing ones opinion for LOVE – A sweet smell going up to God!
Because he first loved us – Sue
This is great stuff. Hanging around you BoldGrace guys is like biting into the center of a York Peppermint Patty for me! Like cool mountain air rushing over my face… brrrrrr!!!! Get the sensation!
>>>Could it be that our purpose here on earth has never been to know Good & Evil, but rather to know LOVE.
Exactly! That’s the best, most concise statement the human purpose that I’ve ever heard.
Thanks,
Kevin
Believe it or not, a person void of any connection to God the Creator cannot even breathe.
The very question validates the answer.
Inspire, inhale, infuse LIFE by breathing into the nostrils. Gen. 2:7.
Man cannot live by bread alone but by every word that exhales out of the mouth of GOD. Matt.4:4
To the skeptic; Look into the mirror of LOVE and say, “Thank you for LIFE, whoever you are”.
This is all very interesting. I have an honest question that I’ve been struggling with this for quite awhile. What do you say to ppl who think the Bible is inherently evil b/c of the genocides and other harsh laws of the Old Testament. Was this perhaps man seeing God through the knowledge of good and evil? Any thoughts?
I think you have it Kiara. Much of God dealing with man in the OT was dealing with man corrupted by their own illusions which stemmed from their great desire to know good & evil. I fully understand why some would think of the OT harshness as evil but they are also looking through the glasses of Good & Evil. When we look through eyes that only see a PERFECT GOD AND A PERFECT SYSTEM then we see everything different. We are no longer partaking of that fruit. We’re simply following what God asked of us from the beginning.
“OF THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD & EVIL DO NOT EAT.”
“There is no way to peace, peace is the way.” words by peace activist A.J. Muste
The thinking of a god dealing with mankind itself is part of that system of illusion, the new conscience reveals Being that has always been, without plans and dealings with humanity, but just Is. All that one can really do is be aware of this and allow Spirit to energize and flow through, even without the awareness Life passes by and through, the simply act of breathing is an expression of God. I guess though, through awareness I AM not stuck in my mind, I AM not my thoughts. Little double meaning there but it seems to work.
This quote I read months ago took me some time to grasp, but when I did it was like the clear blue ocean:
“If God is God then God is not good, if God is good then God is not God”
Marco, If the simple act of breathing is an expression God, (which I believe) I am at a loss with your quote “If God is God then God is not Good, if God is Good then God is not God”. The bible says God describes himself as “I AM That I AM”. What does your quote say to you? I do not want an arguement I just want to understand what you mean. (I understand what the quote says but I don’t think it says much) Because he first loved us – Sue
the quote refers to understanding God through the lenses of theism, a very controversial statement to make for sure, but a good one none the less.
Marco, I think my class had a discussion like this with a philosophy professor last spring. I think what that quote is saying that if God is God, then God is not necessarily good. After all, if God is all powerful, couldn’t He call murder, rape, etc good? But if God is good, He is subject to the same morals as us and can’t be truly powerful.
Is that what you’re trying to get at? It is interesting food for thought. Just like we can’t really explain why there is suffering in the world if God is all good and all powerful. I guess we all see through a limited understanding. Your views are new to me but neverheless are very interesting and thought provoking.
you are on the right track, I think it boils down to understanding/relating to God as Being itself, not so much as a being seperate out there in space, that being(created by man) is becoming all the more irrelevent as humanity moves forward. We are learning that God cannot be put in a box of neatly lined doctrines.
People can die in a rainstorm. It seems evil to us but without rain we would not exist. Likewise of any natural occurance. Our earth home poses many dangers and death for mankind. It is also a natural state for man to die at some point. Man does not see as God sees. As creator, sustainer, he also is destroyer as all was set in motion by him with a physical lifespan. I do not believe that is evil to God but to man it seems evil that we die. The reason the bible gives for this is so mankind will not live forever in this state of impending and sure death. Mankind brings more untimely deaths by the way we treat each other. Most “evil” is caused by mankinds greed for power, money, things, sex, etc. and misunderstanding of what God intended for mankind. Freedom of thought without destruction or domination over others is a basic human need and want. However, we are far from that in the world in general. Most Evil is a result of political and personal greed. The world has plenty to sustain each person but is denied by mankind. So I see God as good as he/she has supplied but mankind denies. Can any of us make such an awesome earth or heavens? No. As a human what has or does each of us add or subtract to its benefit for mankind? It is funny how smart mankind thinks he is when he invents or discovers as all things are already here, provided by our creator. It is the image of God in us that strives to share and the human side of us that wants more than our share. I cannot image what it would be like to have life anywhere(earth or heaven) where there is no decay or death or “life cycle”. What an awesome thought to just BE in pure lovliness with our creator. Because he first loved us – Sue
Marco, I knew I recently read your quote “If God is God he is not good, If God is good he is not God”, and found it on page 60 of Jesus for the Non-Religious by Spong. He quoted from playwright Archibald MacLeish from his play J.B. based on the book of Job. This Spong book is about not taking much of the bible literally and why. Thought provoking book.
Because he first loved us – Sue
Cliff,
Since Adam and Eve ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil and their eyes were opened to good and evil all decendents live likewise – knowing good and evil and we reap the same thing as Adam and Eve in that we ALL DIE. DEATH is not an illusion. Even if we see perfection in ourselves and all creation we still die. I know we are redeemed because of Christ but I guess I still don’t understand your teaching.
Because he first loved us – Sue
Sue,
The following verses describe for me exactly how I feel. I think you are relating the destruction of the body to your death and if you have been awakened to your perfection you will understand that the real you can not be threatened by physical destruction. We are no longer living in the illusion of the first Adam, but rather we are living in the reality of the second Adam (Christ).
Rom 5:17-21
17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.
19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.
20 The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more,
21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
NIV
Cliff, So the illusion is that we die?
Yes
Cliff,
The churches also believe in eternal life after we die in this life. I know you have said after we shed this clay body – maybe you are saying that this clay body is the illusion? What do you have that I don’t have where belief is concerned. I know I ask this periodically but I get lost in trying to get it. I lost a child and mother to “death” and those deaths were not illusions.
Because he first loved us – Sue
Sue, What I’m saying is that there is only life after life. Death was an illusion brought on by sin. What is SIN? Sin is separation from God, or better said “Thinking we are separated from God because of our actions.” Jesus came to show us that nothing can separate us from the LOVE OF GOD. You did not lose a child or a mother. The energy behind who they were in the clay is still that same energy. Can we understand it? I don’t think we can until we also lose the clay. My point is: WE ARE NOT THE CLAY.
Cliff,
One more ? – God told Adam not to eat of the tree or he would surely die. Satan told him he would not die. Did God lie? Because he first loved us – Sue
Sue, I believe God was talking about Adam’s death being the “Death to Reality”. Adam entered a life of illusion thinking that the only way he could survive was to please God. Jesus came to show us the way back to REALITY. Reality is a state of being that can never be threatened. We can choose to ignore it but the reality of who we are has never been in doubt except in our minds. That’s why salvation is of the mind.
Cliff, Thank you. I need to think on this for awhile. Seems very reasonable though. Because he first loved us – Sue