Someone else shared this with: "This is how I understand man’s autonomy/responsibility and God’s sovereignty. The Bible freely uses language that supports both views, which makes me think it’s a 'both and' kind of thing."
Perspective. Things look different from different viewpoints. Information decoded from one view often looks different when decoded from another. It's because we don't have the ability to see a thing completely all at once. It's not until we view it from multiple angles that we begin to get an accurate mental model. Understanding bias and accounting for it is an important concept in critical thinking. And in every professional, well, profession I've worked in - thinking critically and perceiving perspective have been incredibly important, both for people making retail purchases and for lives hanging in the balance.
It's rather amazing how God made man to work, and how much he can push through to do that work. If there is no accounting for other perspectives, that man will work to beyond the end of himself. And it's when you're finally out there, far beyond any safety nets - at that point, "that you're really in trouble", as Jordan Peterson says.
Because when all of your safety nets fall away, that water you can fall into is cold, dark, deep, and crushing. It is unforgiving and is loathe to give up what it has taken. Once you're out that far, the current only flows out, out toward the depths.
The irony in this, is that it could be - that the person you're standing next to is right there in that situation, and you'd never know.
Because of perspective.
Think deeply of your loved ones. Watch for the signs. Many, many people are in battles that even their closest family would miss, except for those with eyes to see. Encourage them, and give them strength. Share their burdens if you are able. Remind them that beyond this life, there is peace, and an eternal sunrise.
The weary wearing-down of this life can be rejuvenated at the Cross.
Defending Ravi - Open Letter: https://defendingravi.com/2024/01/01/open-letter/
This is a rather sobering and not-unexpected response from Ravi's family. It is always best to examine single-sided accounts with a healthy grain of salt and critical analysis of the holistic picture.
I will admit when things first came out, I callously and jadedly thought, "sin never surprises me anymore". With more discernment and conversation, though, the more I see the work of the enemy to try and destroy the legacy of a faithful servant.
It takes a nontrivial amount of work to examine the motivations of involved parties because you have to do a deeper examination of what intrinsically drives a person to determine what their default trajectory is likely to be. Being Reformed, this is only marginally easier because we can start from the natural tendency towards total depravity.
Bringing the evidence into contextual relation of a holistic overview gives us a better overall picture of what we're up against when trying to discern truth.
And the truth here is, despite the sinful motivations of those who were part of the RZIM organization, despite the rose-colored glasses Ravi's family look from, despite the actual sins of Ravi (and the general fallenness of humanity as a whole), his work for the kingdom should stand on its own as its own testimony from decades of evidence. Whatever Ravi did or did not actually do is irrelevant to the ideas that he preached that can be corroborated by scripture.
God's truth is universal and the actions of a man will not tarnish it, neither objectively or in the eyes of people that actually value truth for what it is above all. Those that would dismiss ideas simply due to the characteristics of the person that spoke them, and not on the merits of the ideas themselves, commit no less hypocrisy.
We are a condemning people, willing to exact judgment in the righteousness of our own eyes at transgressions we perceive. How much, do you think, is this an image-bearing aspect? How sinful, do you think, must this be to have the hubris to think we are capable of righteous judgment with our limited perception? Only the omniscient can make righteous judgment, for the only the omniscient is capable of knowing and seeing all.
Why then, do you think, Jesus was sent to exalt and hold high love as the synopsis of the whole of the Law (Mark 12:30-31), giving us license to judge the ideas while leaving judgment of people and acts of vengeance to God alone?
Because, as with Cain and Abel, we are more than happy to murder our neighbor (in heart or physically) for nearly any reason whatsoever.
To our own shame.
I used to be decent at stewardship. At one point, I used to be known as the mediator. At some point I went off the rails and became cranky and obstinate, lobbing grenades from a bunker when attacked. I showed little grace and understanding of the underlying pathology causing the anger and despair, instead returning like for like. That is textbook poor stewardship and a poor example of Christ.
At some point soon, when the Lord permits me, I plan to take the Mastermind leadership course. It is going to be brutal, I know. But it is necessary in order to continue to grow in my walk.
https://lifeovercoffee.com/podcast/ep-66-ten-responses-friend-wont-admit-wrong/