"Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.”
― Blaise Pascal
DANIEL 7-8
1In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying in bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream.(7:1)
1 JOHN 5
1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
JOURNAL
Scott Peck wrote a book about evil called "People of the Lie". In the book he defines evil...
"Evil people hate the light because it reveals themselves to themselves. They hate goodness because it reveals their badness; they hate love because it reveals their laziness. They will destroy the light, the goodness, the love in order to avoid the pain of such self-awareness."
I confess that I don't like confronting my sin, my failures, my own potential for evil. Yet it absolutely exists and avoiding this reality is dangerous. This is why it is so critical to bind our hearts and minds to scripture. Doing so exposes our sin and humbles us to God. Without this humbling...we are in danger of avoiding the reality of our own sin. In this state it is easy to slip into a place where we avoid relationship with God. When this happens, our motives and intentions can become twisted in ways that actually use scripture and religious conviction in ways that promote fear and hate rather than love.
The chief task in this life is to live our lives in full unabashed relationship with God. By doing so we gain a power and an understanding of life that is beyond us. It gives us a love that is beyond the trivial love so often spoken of in our world. To give our lives in obedience to God anchors us psychologically and spiritually to the creator of truth and love. This rock, this foundation will give stability through the wildest storms, it gives contentment and peace no matter the circumstances.
Yet to reject God and relationship with him will cut us free from the anchor of truth and love and destine us to drift and be pummeled and scattered by every storm. It is not a pretty fate, for it pits us against God himself.
"Evil people hate the light because it reveals themselves to themselves. They hate goodness because it reveals their badness; they hate love because it reveals their laziness. They will destroy the light, the goodness, the love in order to avoid the pain of such self-awareness."
I confess that I don't like confronting my sin, my failures, my own potential for evil. Yet it absolutely exists and avoiding this reality is dangerous. This is why it is so critical to bind our hearts and minds to scripture. Doing so exposes our sin and humbles us to God. Without this humbling...we are in danger of avoiding the reality of our own sin. In this state it is easy to slip into a place where we avoid relationship with God. When this happens, our motives and intentions can become twisted in ways that actually use scripture and religious conviction in ways that promote fear and hate rather than love.
The chief task in this life is to live our lives in full unabashed relationship with God. By doing so we gain a power and an understanding of life that is beyond us. It gives us a love that is beyond the trivial love so often spoken of in our world. To give our lives in obedience to God anchors us psychologically and spiritually to the creator of truth and love. This rock, this foundation will give stability through the wildest storms, it gives contentment and peace no matter the circumstances.
Yet to reject God and relationship with him will cut us free from the anchor of truth and love and destine us to drift and be pummeled and scattered by every storm. It is not a pretty fate, for it pits us against God himself.
1Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
ROMANS 12:1-2
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