The big, bad fact of these times is that people actually do choose their reality; and they are (en masse) choosing the reality devised by the powers of evil.
If we consider meaning and purpose in life; then it can be seen that purpose dictates meaning; meaning derives-from purpose.
Meaning derives from purpose - and purpose is external.
We necessarily choose our purpose, because our purpose is outside us. Having chosen our purpose, we consciously derive meaning from that purpose.
Thus purpose is chosen. Therefore we actually-do choose the meaning in our lives; or more accurately we already have-chosen the meaning of our lives - but, that meaning can be changed if we change purpose.
There are only two purposes, into which all others may be classified: with God, or Against.
This has a precise meaning in that God is the Creator, and we live in divine creation insofar as our life has meaning (since the alternative is un-formed chaos, without knowledge or purpose).
And God's creation is on-going, moment-by-moment - a living 'process'. (i.e. God is create-ing.)
The purpose of a Christian is called 'salvation' - which means the choice of resurrected life eternal, in Heaven (with those others who have chosen salvation); to come after the transformation of biological-death.
This is the choice to become immortal mini-gods (Children of God), whose life is participation in the work of divine creation.
Therefore, salvation is bound-up-in affiliation to God the Creator - a wish to be part-of and harmonious-with ongoing divine creation.
What we - each as an individual - decide is whether harmoniously to affiliate-with creation (this is called Love of God); or else try to use creation for our own purposes (this is called pride).
If we pursue some other purpose than harmony with creation; then we are essentially subordinating divine creation to our-own-purposes. (Or trying-to...)
This is termed 'pride' and all other sins can be reduced to it - hence, for Christians, pride (in this meaning) is the master sin.
In other words, if we want to live in Heaven, then we will put-first the harmony of God's creation and the people in it - and this virtue is called Love.
(This is not something theoretical - but what all members of a happy and good family are doing; for so long as that family is happy and good - which, on this world, is always temporary and usually partial.)
Love is the motivation for those who wish to live in Heaven as it actually is; therefore is is part-of salvation.
(Someone who cannot love or does not love would not wish to be a part of Heaven; since Heaven 'entails' putting divine creation first.)
It is the fate of modern Man that the choice to join the side of God and creation is unconscious. A choice that is unconscious, passive, will be a choice to subordinate to the group-mind; and that group-mind is (here-and-now) corrupted to the side against-God.
The group-mind of Man was not always and everywhere corrupted to oppose God and creation - but It Is Now. Therefore, in 2021, the default is anti-creation, prop-evil. In 2021, if we are ruled by that which is spontaneous and appears 'natural' - then we will be opposed to the divine.
But the seduction to the side of evil is by pride. An implicit 'deal' is offered by evil, which is that: "We will support your personal purposes, If you you join our side."
Such a person (and this appears to be the majority of people) has come to understand his own life as a matter of manipulating creation to maximize his own personal purposes or gratification.
This 'deal' ("join us and get what you want") is fundamentally dishonest - because 'joining' the side of evil is actually a voluntary submission; after which evil has no reason to honour the deal.
Nonetheless there are many deal-takers - who are choosing the path to join with the demons*.
In sum; the most important decision relates to our purpose in life - since this dictates meaning. If there is no conscious choice of purpose - then that purpose will 'naturally be dictated by the group-mind, which is on the side of evil.
(In a world where God and creation are denied - this is the normal, default choice.)
Yet we may consciously choose Heavenly Salvation as our personal purpose. This amounts to 'creating our own reality' - which (in a materialist world that denies life beyond biological-death) sounds like mere wishful thinking...
In truth; it is explicitly taking responsibility for your purpose in living.
*Few people apparently want Heaven, or do not put it as the priority - or else they do not, in mortal life, understand what is on-offer. But if mere ignorance of Heaven is the problem, we can expect that such people will choose Heaven after this mortal life. On the other hand, if a person is (by that point) too deeply corrupted by evil motivations, too deeply committed to his sins (sin meaning other, personal, priorities) then Heaven will be rejected. The main barrier to salvation is not ignorance but 'having other priorities'.
"The main barrier to salvation is not ignorance but 'having other priorities'."
ReplyDeleteThe whole post is excellent. I've already read it three times, but I particularly like this last line because it boils the matter down to an understandable essence.
What strikes me about the other priorities is their ultimate meaninglessness if salvation is rejected. Without salvation, everything we do, everything we enjoy, and everyone we love is rendered pointless because death and decay will inevitably bring an end to all of it.
We will not "survive" in any meaningful way. In this sense, having other priorities certainly stems from pride, but it also hints at a most degraded form of selfishness, and an utter lack of real love.
On the surface, selfishness and self-love should inspire people to pursue salvation, to become mini-Gods, in the same way selfishness motivates people to ensure they find a place in a lifeboat aboard a sinking ship. But it doesn't; which proves salvation cannot be attained through mere concern for oneself (through subordinating divine Creation for one's own purposes).
Salvation is not about "survival"; it truly is about love (as you defined it in this post), which helps explain why so few people want Heaven.
Once again, great post.
Thanks Frank! - "What strikes me about the other priorities is their ultimate meaninglessness if salvation is rejected. Without salvation, everything we do, everything we enjoy, and everyone we love is rendered pointless because death and decay will inevitably bring an end to all of it."
ReplyDeleteI think we can perceive that most people have recognized the pointlessness of 'everything we enjoy and everyone we love' absent salvation; by the fact that these pleasures and (most of) relationships are exactly what were given-up en masse in 2020; with barely a murmur of protest and without any apparent strong desire to get them back again.
Excellent post. The last point is quite sobering as while ignorance can be overcome, a willful refusal to repent cannot be overcome. I believe this was what Jesus warned about the "unpardonable sin". All sins can be forgiven, but if one refuses to see sin for what it is, then no circumstances can make one want salvation.
ReplyDeleteFrancis makes another great point about how refusing salvation leads to despair. I believe this is the real story behind the hysterical overreaction to the birdflu. Humanity has faced worse pandemics before yet we have never resorted to indefinite house arrests, denying loved ones the comforts of spiritual guidance before death, canceling holidays, and completely abolishing in person worship. Secular society is unable to cope with death. Modern man was delivered from the fear of hell by embracing materialism. However, annihilation doesn't seem to provide any real comfort.