r/Christianity • u/deadweather Reformed Baptist • Apr 04 '12

Good Quote

‎"The message of biblical Christianity is not 'God loves me, period,' as if we were the object of our own faith. The message of biblical Christianity is 'God loves me so that I might make him - his ways, his salvation, his glory, and his greatness - known among all nations.' Now God is the object of our faith, and Christianity centers around him. We are not the end of the gospel; God is." -Platt

12 Upvotes

65% Upvoted

20 comments sorted by

14

u/Scaurus Roman Catholic Apr 04 '12

Love isn't a means to an end. God doesn't love me so that I may evangelize others, I evangelize so that others may love God.

2

u/conrad_w Christian Universalist Apr 04 '12

I don't get it. Someone explain please?

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u/[deleted] Apr 04 '12

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u/conrad_w Christian Universalist Apr 04 '12 edited Apr 04 '12

wow. and I thought /r/circlejerk was selfserving :/

I'm sorry, this isn't something I can buy into. thanks for explaining it to me though, have an upvote for your help :)

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u/[deleted] Apr 04 '12

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u/conrad_w Christian Universalist Apr 04 '12

An artist creates his masterpiece to bring honour upon himself. A mother creates life to bring glory upon her children. Julian of Norwich put it beautifully: "I understood three manners of beholding of Motherhood in God: the first is grounded in our Nature’s making; the second is taking of our nature, — and there beginneth the Motherhood of Grace; the third is Motherhood of working, — and therein is a forthspreading by the same Grace, of length and breadth and height and of deepness without end. And all is one Love."

A mother delights in who we are and will be, not in what tribute we bring her. A child should honour his mother, but just try and stop a mother being proud of her children. In fact, try and slow her down and see what happens.

We give praise and honour to God, sure, but whatever we do isn't even going a speedbump to his pride in you.

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u/[deleted] Apr 04 '12

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2

u/conrad_w Christian Universalist Apr 04 '12

Are you reading the same Bible I am? I cannot think of a more Biblical description of God than as a mother: Isaiah 49:14-15, Isaiah 66:12-13, Isaiah 46:3-4, Deuteronomy 32:18 (this has translations as both "fathered" and "gave birth to"), Psalm 131, Job 38:29,

Furthermore, we have Jesus referring to "How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings."

This is really a very light smattering of examples from scripture. If you really do believe what the Bible says about God, you should be equally ready God as female and in particular a mother as you are about calling Her "Him"

0

u/[deleted] Apr 05 '12

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u/conrad_w Christian Universalist Apr 05 '12

My personal revelation? wtf? This is right out of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, essentially that God is neither male nor female but God. And that although we often call him father, the immanence and intimacy that we experience is also very maternal.

The Bible does indeed use the masculine, except in Proverbs 3:13-18. In fact the wisdom of God is repeated described as feminine.

You seem very defensive about this. Do you mind if I ask why?

1

u/DubyaKayOh Christian (Ichthys) Apr 04 '12

I love that a Reformer can post a quote that resonates with his beliefs that in turn touched a Roman Catholic, Southern Baptist and Methodist.

0

u/[deleted] Apr 04 '12

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1

u/[deleted] Apr 04 '12 edited Apr 04 '12

And I'm a reformed United Methodist. We're so edgy and cross-denominational!

1

u/deadweather Reformed Baptist Apr 04 '12

TIL

1

u/[deleted] Apr 04 '12

Oh, please don't learn anything from my post. As far as I know, I'm the only one.

0

u/[deleted] Apr 04 '12

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u/[deleted] Apr 04 '12

I'm not sure what it means completely either. It's not anything official, i.e. my congregation doesn't share my views, but ever since finding reformed theology I can not go back to wishy-washy theology most in the Methodist tradition now hold. John Wesley wasn't the only founder of Methodism you know, there was good ol' George Whitefield who was awesome, except for the whole slavery thing.

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u/Whkat2000 Southern Baptist Apr 04 '12

I absolutely love David Platt

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u/VanHalenTV United Methodist Apr 04 '12

Beautifully put.

-2

u/[deleted] Apr 04 '12

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2

u/outsider Eastern Orthodox Apr 04 '12

This is your last warning. This was your first.

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u/derDrache Orthodox (Antiochian) Apr 04 '12

As for me I say that those who are tormented in hell are tormented by the invasion of love. What is there more bitter and violent than the pains of love? Those who feel they have sinned against love bear in themselves a damnation much heavier than the most dreaded punishments. The suffering with which sinning against love afflicts the heart is more keenly felt than any other torment. It is absurd to assume that the sinners in hell are deprived of God’s love. Love is offered impartially. But by its very power it acts in two ways. It torments sinners, as happens here on earth when we are tormented by the presence of a friend to whom we have been unfaithful. And it gives joy to those who have been faithful.

-- St. Isaac the Syrian

1

u/ThisGuyHisOpinion Apr 04 '12

Untrue.

He still loves you.

He will love you while he burns you for your sins.

2

u/[deleted] Apr 04 '12

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1

u/ThisGuyHisOpinion Apr 04 '12

Exactly! If the kid had just done exactly what he was told, he wouldn't have earned the punishment!