Discuss the following statement (from p. 27 of the Participant's Manual): "The gospel isn't about intellectual content; it's about each individual's personal relationship with God." Agree? Disagree? If you disagree, how would you qualify it?
Any comments or questions are welcome here!
2 comments:
I would agree because it is through faith in the gospel that we establish a relationship with God. Each person's reaction to the gospel reflects the kind of relationship that person has with God. One who rejects the gospel rejects God just as one who accepts the gospel acknowledges the need for a relationship with God. The gospel brings us into a dynamic relationship with God and our continual studying and comprehension of the gospel allows this relationship to strengthen.
I definitely agree with the statement and Doug's comment. Unfortunately, many people fail to initiate a relationship with God because to them the Bible "just doesn't make sense." God could have made the Bible more understandable by leaving out miraculous and almost "magical" qualities such as parting of the Red Sea or raising the dead to life, and by incorporating more intellectual scientific concepts that we humans can understand, but He chose not to. Some argue that they would rather turn to the Quran because of it's intellectual content. Even in the beginning, the Quran begins with the idea that we were formed as a "chewed substance," which is supposed to represent and explain our embryonic beginnings. God could have easily made the Bible more understandable and less magical, yet intellectual, but He chose not to. Would we be as fascinated and curious about seeking our Father if God made everything make sense and intellectual? After all, the Christian life is a journey, which involves a growing relationship with God in time, and we will never fully understand God's ways. If I knew everything, I would get bored.
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