At 10:33 AM 7/21/99 -0400, Rasmussen, Ryan J. wrote:
<SNIP material about understanding Genesis and the fall and evil in
relation to modern science>
>Im really getting frustrated because there are people in my life that I
>NEED to witness to but all I have to offer at this moment is my own
>frustrations... the blind tring to lead the deaf and blind I guess you
>could say. Before I can proclaim to know the Truth... wouldn't it be
>better if I understood the Truth? "Honest, everything in here is the
>TRUTH... but you have to be a PhD in Biology, Physics, Ancient
>Linguistics, Anthropology, History, Sociology, Geology, Archeology and
>it wouldn't hurt if you brushed up on your Logic and Philosophy if you
>are TRULY going to understand."
I'd suggest that the primary "Truth" you need to witness to those around
you is life, specifically new life in Jesus Christ. Sometimes we think
we have to understand everything about sin and evil and creation or
whatever so we can hit people with all sorts of doctrine and theology.
While many of those things are not unimportant in the long run, people in
general do not come to Christ because of our explanations of the problem
of evil or because we do a good job in explaining Genesis [perhaps our
poor efforts on that latter count give people an excuse to stay away, but
that's another discussion]. They come because they realize they need the
new life that Christ offers. Sometimes I think we add unnecessary
obstacles to that by trying to convince people of doctrines which the
"natural man" is going to have a hard time understanding. It's good to
have answers on those issues if people ask, but too often we "lead" with
difficult doctrines when our first and primary message should be about
new life in Christ.
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| Dr. Allan H. Harvey | aharvey@boulder.nist.gov |
| Physical and Chemical Properties Division | "Don't blame the |
| National Institute of Standards & Technology | government for what I |
| 325 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80303 | say, or vice versa." |
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