Augustine begins each book in “Confessions” with a prayer, proving that he glorifies God and truly believes in God’s assistance to a path of forgiveness and righteousness. He writes, “you have broken the chains that bound me, I will sacrifice your honor” ( ) suggesting that he accepts God’s grace and will help others to do the same. Throughout the collection “Confessions,” St. Augustine attempts to inform others about the various enjoyments life has to offer. His big argument is that people can attain true happiness by accepting God into their lives, and refrain from participating in worldly pleasures. He believes that rejecting the
All these texts put Christians in a quandary on how to avoid spiritual contamination and moral impurity while at the same time carrying out the commission Jesus has given. Richard Niebuhr struggled with this dilemma and examined how the Church historically has understood her relationship to culture. He gave his findings in a popular book titled Christ and Culture where discusses five basic ways Christians relate to culture. They are either (1) against culture, or (2) of culture, or (3) above culture, or (4) in tension with culture, or (5) transformers of
I think it is very important that a Christian should first read his/her culture in the light of the Bible. We cannot transform everything in culture but we can definitely seek to transform ourselves. In the end, God will influence people to change and become what He wants them to be. A Christian’s response to culture should include a positive revolutionary mindset. Christian thought and life should state things to culture that exhibit Christ’s revolutionary vision for all people Our choice today is between a prophetic religion and a culture religion, but we must be cautious about our emphases within culture.
In other words, it involves the development of virtues and the abandoning of vices. It is a call for total commitment and love towards God as the object of our desire. The first point Kempis puts an emphasis on unworthiness. Humans are deemed as worthless in God's eye. Jesus has always honored the sinners, he preached to the
There are many thoughts that I have but the following are the salient pointers that I trust will be relevant to your question. A godly woman has the following characteristics. 1. She knows the Lord Jesus as her personal Lord and Saviour and loves God and carries herself well in a gracious manner (Proverbs 11:16). Always marry a Christian who fears God and be not unequally yoked with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14-18).
A Light bulb flashed in my mind. I just randomly opened the Bible two times, and God showed me two Bible verses that helped and encouraged me spiritually. I was so desperate-- I wanted to overcome the fear and depression. God gave me Romans 8:28 and Isaiah 41:10. In Romans 8:28 it said, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” In Isaiah 41:10 it said “fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” I could feel God’s voice-- soft and pleasant.
Much of the Sermon on the Mount is an exposition of these questions, as Jesus presents an upside down kingdom counterintuitive to the world’s ways. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, theirs is the kingdom. The meek shall inherit the earth. If a solider impresses you into service for one mile, you go two.” He says we should “not resist and evildoer.” Here we notice something about the kingdom and about following Christ. No one here is crying out for their rights.
Verse four continues be saying “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me’’ (Psalms 23:4). The first phrase of this verse suggests that David encountered difficulties in his life and was not immune to troubles or oppositions, it was quite the opposite. In my younger years as a Christian the thought of God’s protection being upon His children seemed like a great reason to surrender to him. I Soon came to realize that is was deceptive philology. The Bible in James 1:2-3 ‘‘Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
a. The Worthy and Unworthy Worship Worship is about God and for the glorification of His name; it is a celebration of love that gives life and empowering to His people, who worship Him in righteousness through obedience. Specifically, worship involves abandoning oneself to God as an offering that is being represented by his sacrifice to atone for his sin. Significantly, people come to His presence to verbalize their deep affection for Him through such an ardent worship. The Bible delineates that God shows unreserved favor to those who faithfully love Him with all their heart, soul, and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5); but on the other hand, God hates and curses those who do not love Him and worship Him selfishly.
Moreover, questions that are tied closely to religious faith are central in Rowling’s books: “Harry wonders: Why must I suffer? Are my dead parents still alive in heaven? Does justice exist, or is it a winner-takes-all world? Can mercy and love really defeat violent evil?“ (Colbert, 2008, 295-296). Whether intended or not, there is an apparent Christian framework in Harry Potter.