The Pursuit of God Ch: 4

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Questions and Answers

According to Canon Holmes, what is the nature of the average person's faith in God?

A personal experience

An inference from evidence (correct)

A mere superstition

An ideal or a principle

How do many people view God?

As a myth

As a personal friend

As a distant figure

As an ideal or a principle (correct)

What is the significance of the biblical concept of God's personality?

It suggests a mere ideal or principle

It implies a distant and unapproachable God

It is limited to Old Testament understanding

It carries the idea of the possibility of personal acquaintance (correct)

Why do many Christians fail to have a personal experience of God?

Because they try to love an ideal and be loyal to a mere principle Signup and view all the answers

What is the central theme of the biblical doctrine of God?

God as a loving Personality Signup and view all the answers

What is the assumption made by the Bible about men's ability to know God?

That men can know God with the same degree of immediacy as physical things Signup and view all the answers

What is the condition of many Christians today, according to the text?

They are spiritually numb and insensitive to spiritual things Signup and view all the answers

What is necessary for spiritual faculties to become active in a person?

Regeneration by the Holy Spirit Signup and view all the answers

What does the author mean by the term 'reality'?

That which has existence apart from any human idea or thought Signup and view all the answers

What is the author's response to idealists and relativists who question the concept of reality?

The author smiles at their contempt and asserts the Christian view of reality Signup and view all the answers

What is the key difference between the mentally sick and the idealists and relativists?

The idealists and relativists are not mentally sick, and they prove their soundness by living according to their notions of reality. Signup and view all the answers

What does the Christian's sincerity allow him to do?

Live by his beliefs and stand or fall for this world and for all time to come. Signup and view all the answers

What does the sincere plain man know about the world?

That it is real and was here waiting for him when he came. Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between God's reality and the reality of created things?

The reality of created things is contingent upon God's reality. Signup and view all the answers

What does 'reckon' mean in the context of faith?

To trust in something that is already there. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Key Concepts of Knowing God

Many view God as an inference or deduction from personal beliefs rather than a personally known entity.
Common beliefs about God include perceiving Him as an ideal, goodness, or abstract principles, lacking personal experience.
Christians theoretically recognize God’s personality and fatherhood, yet many do not experience this personally, living in a detached manner.

Spiritual Knowledge and Experience

The Bible conveys the possibility of personally knowing God, presenting Him as an active, loving Personality engaged in human affairs.
Scriptural language equates the knowledge of God with familiar sensory knowledge, using terms like "taste," "hear," and "see."
Spiritual faculties lie dormant in those unregenerate by sin and awaken through the Holy Spirit's work, allowing realization of God's presence.

Overcoming Unbelief and Recognizing Spiritual Reality

Chronic unbelief hinders Christians from experiencing habitual communion with God.
Spiritual reality surrounds everyone, awaiting recognition and engagement from individuals.
The terms "reckon" (which denotes faith) and "reality" (existence independent of human thought) are pivotal to understanding God’s nature.

Reality vs. Perceptions

Reality exists apart from human ideas; ideational concepts do not create reality but relate to perceptions of it.
Christians base their lives on the real, absolute existence of God, engaging with the physical world while recognizing God's overarching reality.

Engaging with Spiritual and Visible Worlds

Sin clouds perception, making it hard to recognize the spiritual realm that coexists with the physical.
Distorted thinking leads to a false dichotomy between the spiritual and real, though both are ultimately part of existence.
A transformative shift in focus from visible to unseen realities is necessary for deeper spiritual awareness.

Choice of Worldview and Spiritual Reality

Christians are encouraged to consciously choose the pursuit of God's Kingdom over worldly distractions.
Emphasizing the present reality of the spiritual realm highlights an immediate rather than future understanding of God's Kingdom.
Biblical references stress the continuity between absolute spiritual truths and their present manifestation, inviting believers to perceive and interact with both realms.

Awakening Spiritual Perception

True focus on God enhances perception of spiritual realities, enabling clearer vision and understanding of God's presence.
Christ’s teachings promote the awakening of spiritual awareness, offering the promise of seeing God to the pure in heart.
The longing for a deep connection with God should drive believers to seek acute spiritual insight and acknowledgment of His goodness.

Prayer for Spiritual Awakening

A personal prayer reflects the desire for heightened awareness of eternal truths and God’s goodness, emphasizing reliance on divine assistance to perceive spiritual realities more vividly than earthly ones.

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Description

This quiz explores the concept of faith in God as an inference versus a personal reality, discussing how many people believe in God based on evidence rather than personal experience.