Part 1 is two posts down.
See Tony Rubolotta's comment there that prompted me to develop my theme here.
Thanks, Tony, you always make me think.
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My former pastor is the one who told me the Ten Commandments were a recipe for good living. He said they were like a map of the solid ground through a swamp. Follow them and you’ll have a good trip.
If you love your family, for example (5th commandment), you’ll have a loving family life. And that’s way better than the alternative.
If you don’t envy and covet (10th commandment), but are satisfied and happy with what you’ve got, you’ll be a lot happier, and undoubtedly bring happiness to others.
If you don’t murder or steal, (6th & 8th) you won’t end up in prison…or at the least have to live with an intensely guilty conscience, which will taint your entire life…even if you pretend or declare otherwise (barring mental illness like psychopathy, of course, but that’s a whole ’nother kettle of fish.)
If you remember what’s important (2nd), and don’t get caught up in the shallow and unfulfilling, you’ll more likely be happy and fulfilled.
If you treat other people kindly (4th) chances are they’ll return the favor.
If you don’t commit adultery (7th), you don’t destroy marriages, families, homes and children, which are, despite the modern take on self-indulgence, way better than a good lay.
God gave us freedom. And like civil liberty, it comes with risks. Suffering, mistakes, pain, loss etc. are all part of the deal. He could have made use perfect little obedient robots, I suppose. We’d never sin. But we wouldn’t be nearly as much fun. And couldn't voluntarily honor or love Him, which He seems to appreciate.
I think God laughs, I think God cries. But he does not rage, or howl in anger. I don’t think God gets cross, or offended, or affronted, or jealous. He’s GOD for Christ's sake. He’s above all those petty human emotions. God ain’t Allah.
He doesn’t rain fire and brimstone, he doesn’t flood the world to kill all living things. These are, however, certainly useful, vivid stories.
All God really says is, “When you do what you did, you get what you got.”
Consequences. You hit someone, they hit you back. Ouch. Consequences.
Think Karma, or "What goes around, comes around".
God made us, and the universe with certain characteristics. We behave in certain ways, we respond in certain ways and react in certain ways. And so does everything else.
When we do bad things, one way or another, we end up feeling bad. Because we feel guilty, because we have to hide them from the ones we love, so we can't be completely ourselves, because people find out and we're humiliated, because the law finds out and we get busted.
Bad people are profoundly unhappy. Consequences.
But it IS easier to demonstrate the dire and dreadful consequences of sin if you shout "God rained down fire and brimstone because the people in Sodom and Gomorrah were sinners!"
It’s rather less evocative to say that the people of Sodom & Gomorrah had really crappy lives because they did really crappy things. When you’re preaching, you’ve only got so much time to really get your point across. I vote for Fire and Brimstone!
I think my pastor proved that interpretation is the key to realizing that God is not a furious judge but a loving father.
Best advice: Follow the map through the swamp, you’ll mostly avoid getting eaten by ‘gators, or at the very least, ruining a good pair of shoes.
/gun
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2 months ago
Undoubtedly we agree the Ten Commandments are laws given to us for our happiness. I would go one step further and say that if we were confident others believed as well, we would have even greater happiness knowing we did not have to fear other people. That doesn't mean drop your guard but it does mean a less stressful and fearful life if we know other people abide by the same rules by choice.
ReplyDeleteBut living by the Ten Commandments is not enough if we accept the existence of the God of the Bible. He knows we will always fail but fortunately, a loving God requires very little from us. I think God looks forward to being with us, not as robots but as free agents that have chosen to love and fear God when the opposite was made to look easier and more attractive. The little that is required is belief and acceptance of His sacrifice. I'm not doing this justice, but think about what has been done for us and how little is being asked in return. Well, that may be different today and being a true believing Christian is going to become more and more difficult.
I don't think God wants to spend eternity in the company of souls that hate Him, disrespect Him, show their contempt for Him and deny His existence. It makes no sense that the ungodly would be welcomed in His home when it is by their choice they are ungodly and refused the invitation. Now the point becomes what difference should it make to anyone, godly or ungodly, what I believe may be their destiny?
I think living in a nation of believers that carry the Ten Commandments in their hearts is far more comforting than living in a nation of anti-theists governing themselves by expediency and insisting every commandment must be violated as a matter of law and social acceptability. I think this is that time when belief is more difficult and dangerous than disbelief. Would not a merciful God would remove the evil that torments His faithful? Of course, I will trust in God's plan whatever and whenever it may be.