Reflections
"If God had wanted to, He could have made us all clones. We would all pray, worship, and honor Him the same way.
How boring would that be?
There would be no reason for Bible discussion or study because we would all have the same thoughts. Everyone would think the same.
He did not just create us different, but allowed us to be different. He allowed each one of us to have our own personalities and thoughts. He did not, and
does not, create people to be smart, ignorant, disabled, or any other facsimile in that manner, but allows it for His purpose. I believe that as far as Scripture goes, He allows us to have different understandings to meld woth our individual personalities. This in turn gives people the
opportunity to share a different point of view which may truly helo someone in a way they might not have thought of.
It is true, though, that there are cretain fundamental issues that should be interpreted only one way and these are those concerning the Salvation message.
That Christ, the God-Man, came to earth and died for all. that when we believe on Him in our heart and mind and ask to be forgiven of our sins He will do that
and we will be accepted into His kingdom to dwell with Him forever. Then we will be perfect and maybe some type of a clone for Him? We most likely will not have different thoughts, or issues to get in our way because we will be with Him in a state of perfection. As it was meant to be from the beginning before the fall of man. Which emphasizes the fact that as long as we are on this earth we have fre choice, as Adam did. What choice we make is up to us. And He allows it. If we make the wrong, or bad, choice, we will not get the blessing he had planned for us that we would have gotten if we had made the right, or good, choice. Here again, we have that freedom. God wants us to choose right and praise Him, but does not force us to as He well could. That, in a way, is showing love for us, allowing us to have free expression and His want is for us, is to freely express our love back to Him. If we do that, we reap one tyep of blessing, if we don't we reap something else. The purpose for this writing I am not sure. The words just kept coming to me, from where I am not sure...or maybe I am!"
- A Reflection by Richard Tuckey (A Member of the LaFargeville Church of the Nazarene)
THE VIEWS AND IDEAS PRESENTED IN "REFLECTIONS" ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE LAFARGEVILLE CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE, OR OF THE INTERNATIONAL CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE.