Most Christians are aware that this is a spiritually dangerous world, but grossly underestimate the dangers. The dangers of this world are ubiquitous - everywhere and cannot be avoided.
There are no safe guides and there is no safe path.
It is impossible to avoid dangerous churches, dangerous religious practices, dangerous writers; and there is no teaching that cannot (easily!) be misinterpreted and turned to evil.
Therefore we should not worry about trying to avoid exposure to dangers, and should not waste time and energy on trying to construct or pick out a dry, safe path through the swamp of corruption.
The discernment must be in our-selves, both in our hearts and in our relationship to divine guidance. The path these will find and direct us towards, is not a path of safety - but path of learning.
Even on the best possible track; there will be trial and there will be error; and the errors need to be detected, acknowledged, repented.
It is our-selves that we should be working-on, an inner task, suitable for free agentic beings -- and not trying to build around-ourselves a safe world, that will shepherd us toward salvation; as if we were (and ought to be) externally-controlled entities.
For instance; we will go too far along a path, and need to turn back - and/or we will fail to take a direction we we ought - and thereby fail to learn a valuable lesson.
This challenging never ends, so long as we are alive... Life is a journey that brings-along situations to which we must respond.
It is natural to seek safety, yet that is a regressive route that saps our innate strength.
(And fear is a sin.)
We should instead be existentially-confident that God (who is the loving creator, and our Father) has "placed" us each in a situation where salvation is possible, and where we may learn and develop spiritually.
Know that success is always possible - as long as we live we shall be challenged, and given chances and choices.
After which... it is up to us.
4 comments:
It’s hard for me to even talk about this sort of thing without sounding like the people who don’t actually repent sin because “it’s all part of the journey.”
@Mia - I think I know what you mean. People who assume all will attain salvation sooner or later, by one route or another.
That's not how I see it. I think the door is always open to repentance, but it certainly looks (now, as in the Gospels) as if many or most do not want what Jesus offers - or do not want it enough.
There's also a risk too of growing calcified in our sins (old ways, familiar habits, etc.) if we are not trying to actively overcome these things in this life, worlds without end. As you say, it must be an inner journey.
@Jeff - it is very individual as to what is most needed. Many people seem to expend vast efforts on the more trivial sins, while ignoring their most serious and habitual (besetting) sins. As I've often said, many people are habitually (and frequently) dishonest, with minimal awareness and no repentance - which I would regard as a very serious sin - despite near zero public discussion or awareness (including within churches).
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