hold your remaining questions in tension.
what does that mean? basically, suspend judgment for a while on some questions you might have. let me put this into context. the bible says in 1 corinthians 13 that because you and i are finite individuals with finite minds and finite understanding and finite imagination we can’t fully understand an infinite GOD. so there’s bound to be some questions that we’re going to have to wait to get a full and complete answer to.
it might be that as you mature in your faith and grow in your faith you’re going to find an answer to your question that’s bothered you for years. you’re reading the bible and all of a sudden – boom! one day you’ve got it! it was just a little insight that answered the question. and many times for you as you grow in your understanding you’ll find the answer.
but sometimes you won’t. you have a peripheral question in your life that will sort of nag at you and you’re not going to find out until someday when you get into heaven. just sort of picture heaven like a third grade classroom. JESUS is up there at the blackboard and we’re all raising our hands “call me! i’ve got to know! how does this TRINITY thing work? i’ve been curious. or how does free will and predestination fit together?” or what’s the deal with pokemon? why? or like the little boy said, “why did i pray for a puppy and get a little brother instead?” we’re going to want to know some kind of issues. and HE’s going to answer.
until that day, i’ve just got the answers of essential issues of life that i can trust the bible, that JESUS died for my sins, that i can know HIM personally and be assured of heaven. i know and the evidence points convincingly towards those things as being reality.
on a few of these peripheral questions, knowing the essential stuff and knowing the trustworthiness of GOD, it’s ok to sort of allow my faith to stay in tact and hold some of those other issues in abeyance. that’s not being irresponsible. that’s making an informed decision based on GOD’s track record and the evidence for who HE is to suspend judgment for a while. if we had 100% of the answers to 100% of our questions there would be no room for faith.
we don’t have to know everything to know something. we know what we need to know. GOD has been gracious. HE’s given us exactly what we need to know. based on that we can follow JESUS CHRIST and have confidence that our eternity is in heaven with him. on these other issues we may have to wait a bit and that’s ok.
just a thought from the front porch…
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