TWO GREAT STUMBLING BLOCKS

Ignorance and vanity are, it seems to me, two of the greatest personal forces mitigating against one coming to understand more of the Love of God, the Grace of God, and the Trinitarian Adoption and Inclusion Gospel message of scripture. The other day I was at my health club and became engaged in a brief discussion with a nice man who happened to have a mainline Protestant denominational background. He wasn't attending church anywhere presently so I thought I would encourage him in the area of God's Love for ALL HUMANITY from before the creation of the world. Of course I could not get too detailed in the discussion since this is a LARGE subject. I did refer to a number of scriptures which pointed out God's Love for all humanity from before the creation of the world, ( Ephesians 1:3-14) and that Jesus died for ALL humanity and that actually He saved EVERYONE and Included all humanity in the life of God. And, that one must come to understand and believe just WHO they are IN Jesus. ( This Trinitarian Theology -- THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST -- is discussed in detail on the sites listed at my church site, www.newlifewcg.org, and is made much more plain.)

I referred to some of the greatest theologians of the last 2000 years who embraced THIS theology. Athanasius, Irenaus, Karl Barth, Tom Torrance, J.B. Torrance, Baxter Kruger, and others.

I was amazed that he held to HIS opinions which pictured God as love on the one hand, but a vicious, vindictive hanging judge on the other just waiting to fry sinners forever in ( Plato's) hell fire. Sad.

His last comment to me was that this 'different' theology which I was sharring with him was "just the OPINION " of all these men and no more correct than what he--untheologically trained as he was--thought!

It is amazing to me how we in defence of our personal thoughts and opinions will put down the greatest TRUTH OF ALL TRUTHS simply because we don't understand it from the old pardigm structures we have always held. " I did not come up with this, so it must NOT BE TRUE", is the thought of the day for many. Sad.

Our vanity and ignorance when admitted to ourself can be the greatest obstacles removed for the Holy Spirit to teach us His message which will set us free at last. " Free at last. Thank God Almighty we shall be free at last." MLK