What is God Like: 2

"There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, 'All right, then, have it your way.'" - C. S. Lewis

Just a reminder as we try to give some thoughts about the GREAT questions you raised on Sunday . . . We believe God’s Word is inspired and infallible . . . we are not. We’re just fellow companions on the journey offering what we can for you to consider. So, here are a couple more questions . . .

Is there anything God won’t forgive?
There are many verses in the Bible that talk about God’s patience and grace. It says if we turn to Him and ask forgiveness, nothing can separate us from His love. If we are willing to repent, He is willing to forgive (1 John 1:9).

However, some people raise the issue of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit as the “unforgivable sin” (Matthew 12:31-32, Mark 3:29). Blasphemy against the Spirit appears to refer to an on-going attitude of rebellion – a deliberate, unrelenting rejection of God’s Spirit. Jesus is not just talking about rejecting Him, but rejecting the power behind Him. In Mark, the teachers of the law had attributed the power by which Jesus did miracles to Satan. Many people express honest uncertainty about Jesus, but in the end we have a choice. The Holy Spirit reveals the truth. To blaspheme Him is to reject all that God is doing to bring us to salvation through Christ. 

Why does the Holy Spirit of the early church seem to be more vibrant than the Holy Spirit of today? Are the stories in the Bible fake? 
Some people believe that God has worked in more dramatic ways at different times in history when He is initiating a new thing. Although He may work differently at different times, His power and character are unchanging (James 1:17, Hebrews 13:8).

We believe the Bible is the true, inspired, authoritative Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16), but there is the danger of abusing Scripture by neglecting to consider the historical and literary context of certain passages. We need to take into account the different types of literature that make up the Bible – history, parables, poetry, letters . . . And we need to consider the rules that apply to interpreting each of these genres. You don’t read the newspaper through the same lens as you’d read poetry or a love letter.

Laura Crosby serves as the Director of Spiritual Formation at The Table

• 's blog