What’s the Relationship between Apologetics and Our Experience of God? — Stand to Reason Podcast
Greg talks about the only two schools he would recommend these days, then he answers a question about the relationship between apologetics and our experience of God.
0:00 Introduction
1:22 The only schools Greg recommends
11:34 What is the relationship between apologetics and the Christian’s experience with God?
41:01 What about those who become Christians through experience only?
44:21 What does it look like to experience who God is?
#StandtoReason #Apologetics #Christianity #ChristianPodcast #BibleQuestions
––––– MENTIONED ON THE SHOW –––––
“Apologetics Aren’t Enough to Connect You with a Person” by Amy Hall: https://www.str.org/w/apologetics-aren-t-enough-to-connect-you-with-a-person
“Do You Convey a Sense of the Reality, Centrality, and Desirability of Jesus with Your Apologetics?” by Amy Hall: https://www.str.org/w/do-you-convey-a-sense-of-the-reality-centrality-and-desirability-of-jesus-with-your-apologetics-
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This video was a fascinating and thought-provoking exploration of the relationship between apologetics and our experience of God! It's clear that the ways in which we approach and understand God can have a significant impact on our spiritual journey, and it was great to see you exploring this topic with such depth and nuance. I appreciated how you delved into the different apologetic arguments and their potential strengths and weaknesses, and it was great to hear about the role that personal experience can play in shaping our understanding of God. Your insights about the importance of humility, curiosity, and openness in our spiritual journey were incredibly helpful, and it was great to see how those principles can help us to deepen our relationship with God. This video is a great resource for anyone who is interested in exploring the intersection between apologetics and personal experience, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who is seeking to deepen their spiritual journey. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us!
There are no real Gods
Only people that believe Gods are real.
Greg, I have an issue with the Gospel. You say that our faith should be rational so that we're not making blind leaps of faith.
The issue: I struggle to rationalize the death of Jesus as equal trade for the salvation of my/our soul(s) from eternal separation from God.
I, by no means, am intending to undermine the suffering that Jesus's body endured approaching the cross and on the cross until his last breath, but what I am saying is that it was merely the death of his body. The body is a complex culmination of molecules that has been compared to dust. Therefore, I struggle to see how the expiration of Jesus' physiological temporary body is sufficient replacement for my/our intangible eternal soul(s). In a simplified sense, finding salvation in the death of Jesus is a "body for a soul" trade. To accept the death of Jesus's body will ensure the salvation of my soul – Jesus offered his body so that my soul will not perish. That seems imbalanced and irrational to me. I understand a "body for a body" or a "soul for a soul" trade, but not a "body for a soul" trade.
As for the "soul for a soul" conception. Instead, if Jesus sacrificed his soul so that my soul can be pardoned, then I would have no issue with the Gospel and would know that the faith would be based in rationale. That being said, we know that Jesus did indeed go to hell [for only 72 hours as opposed to our fate of eternity] and experienced temporary separation from God until his return to the world; but given he had such a short suffering, all just to return, which he prophesied beforehand, I fail to see just how much he actually sacrificed. If Jesus knew the entire time that he was simply passing through death/hell just to return, then what was there to fear or lose? Now, if Jesus died, never returned, and continues to suffer in hell; then I can rationalize and sorrowfully honor his sacrificial offering that pardons my soul and would feel great shame for refusing to accept Jesus as my savior.
Unfortunately, mention of Jesus visiting hell isn't made until Revelations and I can't help but think that someone before me had this same issue but had the clarity to inject the event of Jesus visiting hell for 3 days in order mitigate the concern.
To summarize: what exactly did Jesus actually sacrifice and is it truly equal payment? Jesus died the 1st death for a brief moment, died the 2nd death for a brief moment, and returned to the world just to return to heaven for eternity; while I will permanently die the 1st death and permanently die the 2nd death if I fail to accept that the "body for a soul" trade found in the death of Jesus on the cross is true.
Anyone, please, provide your thoughts
My advice for the young man waiting to experience God would be in the words of our Savior Jesus Christ found in Matthew 7:24-27
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
What you are learning now as a young believer and as you experience life. The knowledge you have acquired will show proof of your faith. Continue to build on the solid rock so when the storms of life come, you will not fall. God bless you!
Why is CRT a Christian issue? Seems more like imported conservative culture war grievances
Thank you. Good conversation.
My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?
But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.
Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’ Fools and blind!
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!
If balance is not allowed, knowledge is a better starting point.
Feelings will eventually lead you away from truth. Knowledge will eventually point you toward experience.