15
Oct
2017
RC Sproul on Post-Christian Christianity
If you’re a believer, I think you will find the second half of Sproul’s lecture very compelling and authentic.
If you’re agnostic, and you are familiar with Kantian philosophy, let me know if you think Sproul gets it right in his opening summary.
I was curious about your other religious posts, but the Category links / tags don’t seem to work.
Yes, they haven’t worked in years, I think ever since Bob switched web hosting services.
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=site%3Aconsultingbyrpm.com+blog%2Fcategory%2Freligious&t=ffsb&ia=web
Dr. Sproul has been among my favorite teachers/preachers since the first time I ever heard him. He was the guest speaker at Thomasville Road Baptist Church in Tallahassee, Florida,one Lord’s Day in 1988. The message that day was very similar to this message, and provoked an intense desire to know the state of my soul. Five agonizing years later, I came to the same conclusion…God is infinitely just.
Well, I didn’t think I would hear basically the whole talk, but I did and it was very interesting. It made some things clear for me.
So I am agnostic, and I always asked does being agnostic mean I am out of heaven already in the Christian view. And if Sproul can be taken as authority on this then I take away the following from this talk:
It seems no, it isn’t automatically a problem by itself, but obviously the issue is that you shouldn’t aim low if you want to get far. So don’t take the minimalistic approach because it is risky, very. But what is it that we actually are talking about, he doesn’t answer that. Is it the amount of praying, and going to church? Well in my view it cannot be. The way this is supposed to work imho is this:
Actually praying, going to church, listening to a sermon isn’t done by the sake for itself, but is a means to reflect, to evaluate and think about your life, your actions towards others. Reciting words with an empty head cannot be the way to the narrow gate. So vice versa it should also be possible to do without those rites. Honestly thinking, reflecting, evaluating your actions and honestly regretting what you have done wrong and trying to make up for it to the best of your abilities is the real “praying”.
So maybe it is easier to “aim” for the narrow gate if you follow the Christian way, at least I guess for most people that is true for sure. But I seriously doubt it would help me.
Skylien, my view is this: the decision of who is and who is not saved is God’s and God’s alone. Christians believe that the Bible offers insight on what God wants from us, but ultimately, God has to have the ability to save everyone, regardless of belief or action, or God is not God.
Those who insist that you must do certain things or say certain words to be saved are in my opinion falling into the same trap as the Pharisees, whose legalistic view of God’s covenant with Israel prevented them from seeing the relationship God really wants with his creation.
That said, it’s no secret that as humans we generally crave easily understood instructions. I expect that for most, it’s far easier to believe that if you follow the guidebook you’re good to go than it is to acknowledge that God must necessarily not be bound by any rules we humans create.
Thanks for your answer. I agree completely. It seems we share similar thoughts on this.