For Such A Time As This...

Posted by nOFuTuRe at 3/20/2007 1:21 PM
Categories: ARTICLES

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   Ah, what a long road it has been for me.  For almost 30 years I've been praying for a way to educate Christians to the fact that the future is not only unknown and unseen by us, but that it also unseen by GOD Himself. Shocking news to most people, I know, yet the reasons why this has to be true are simple, logical, and obvious.  Most importantly, they are clearly backed by the revelation of Scripture. Open Theism, as it is popularly called these days, may appear on the surface to be a "new" form of theology taught & debated in some Christian circles, but the fact of the matter is that the Bible has always presented the fundamentals of Open Theism plainly from Genesis to Revelation, at least to those with "ears to hear" and "eyes to see".

   While I felt very alone in 1979 when God first showed me these truths, it has been quite comforting over the past few years to discover that I actually was not alone. God had also stirred these things up in the hearts of other men of God, more learned and skillful than I,  who've since authored numerous outstanding books that explain Open Theism quite well. Greg Boyd, John Sanders and Michael Saia, to name a few,  have done a great job bringing forth these truths, but not surprisingly they've stirred up some opposition in the evangelical community as well.

   Did I say opposition? Opposition from within the church? Yes, sad but true. But if the ideas put forth by Open Theists are so obvious, you may wonder, then why have they been opposed and why is it that virtually all of Christendom today has never even heard of them? Good questions. You may even wonder what practical difference it makes anyway whether or not God sees the future. Ah, my friends, it happens to make all the difference in the world, and even in heaven! This issue directly affects our relationship with God, our prayer life, our attitudes toward others, our evangelistic efforts, our understanding of God's will for us individually and corporately, our understanding of prophecy, predestination, the problem of sin and evil, and most of all our very freedom to think and make our own decisions. The ripple effects go on and on into every area of our lives.

   My hope at this point in time is to provoke born-again believers to some good, old-fashioned thinking and studying, especially those who have real, honest questions and are frustrated by the canned responses and incoherent theological explanations coming from their leaders. Today, like always, the dead traditions of the elders and religious elite must be examined and challenged. Truth should be valued above any dearly held doctrines or beliefs. Unfortunately, truth is often set aside for a spectrum of reasons, ranging from fear to greed.

   In the coming weeks and months, I will attempt to post some relevant articles here that will show the true importance of this issue. To God be the glory!

Questions or comments: Email  nofuture@opentheist.com

 

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