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God is Not Confusion
Sometimes it is difficult to adjust to a paradigm shift when we replace an existing belief with one aligned with Scripture. What we always thought we knew or accepted, we now see as inconsistent with the Father's heart as expressed in His Word.
The first time we rest on Shabbat and mow the grass on Sunday, it feels strange! All our good Protestant or Catholic neighbors glare at us on their way to church. Ouch! Later we have uncomfortable conversations with friends or family who do not accept our shift from Sunday to the Seventh Day. One of the common arguments is: "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints." (1 Corinthians 14:33)
In other words, if we cause them (or ourselves) confusion, then God must not be the author of our actions. We are disrupting their peace with the uncomfortable truth. Our friends are confused because we present to them the Scriptures that conflict with traditional interpretations. Before we throw stones, however, haven't we also been confused when faced with ideas that conflict? Be patient.
We also may remain confused because our FEELINGS don't reflect the new truth we've learned. We might actually feel guilty for mowing the lawn on Sunday! This is confusing, so does that mean that every time we feel confused or conflicted when we learn truth from His Word that is different from our old beliefs that the devil is writing the script? No!
No!
No!
In regard to growing in our faith and replacing faulty beliefs, Keeran writes: "A value or belief shift may occur and is expected. Confusion is a normal part of the process of re-thinking one's beliefs." (Daniel Keeran in "Refutations of Atheism," 2009)
This confusion is a normal part of sorting through the information. To the Sunday mower who has always mowed on Saturday, of course it feels odd. Something new doesn't always FEEL right, but it doesn't mean it isn't right. Habits are not truth, but they stake a claim on our feelings because they create cognitive comfort.
Study the Corinthians verse carefully, and you'll notice that the translators actually added "the author of" to the verse. A simple interlinear check will yield the actual content of Paul's statement: "God is not confusion." This makes more sense, for if He could not originate confusion, then why does Scripture say He confused the language of the world or the Philistines in war? The Holy One is not confusion, but it is definitely in His toolbox when He chooses to use it on His enemies.
Confusion occurs when man transgresses the boundaries of His Creator's Torah. It can also occur when man makes the journey back into Truth because we are conditioned to mistake our feelings for actual truth. In that case, it is the Word that motivates change in a still, small voice, yet our old way of doing things is screaming at us to go back to the old way, for it "feels" more comfortable. The presence of confusion is sometimes a good thing, not confirmation that the devil is at work.
The truth however, is that our feelings are confused, not our spirits, which are yearning toward HIS Spirit, the Truth in His Word. If you feel confused:
1. persist in studying His Word
2. don't depend on feelings to ratify the truth
May your Sunday mowing be blessed with peace. Just smile and wave!
Shavuot
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What is the Torah? from www.amazon.com. It is a great refresher on the prophetic importance of the Torah all the way to the four horseman of Revelation.
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East Bernstadt, KY 40729
From our home to yours,
Shabbat shalom!
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The Creation Gospel
PO BOX 846
East Bernstadt, Kentucky 40729
bigdaddy@israelnet.tv
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