My view of clarity is paradoxical. I believe clarity is one of man's natural enemies which resides within. We suffer from clarity when we believe something with absolute assurance without considering other possibilities.
The only way to counter act clarity is to understand that it is possible to act without believing. To act without expecting rewards or specific outcomes. To act just for the hell of it. There is a certain peace and happiness that comes with acting with the full knowledge that the very act one is performing may be one's last act on this earth. I believe that the suspension of belief is much more engulfing than the suspension of dis-belief. I believe that acting with the suspension of belief provides full access to intent. And intent is what makes one invulnerable.
Quoting: Jonny Blaze I often do things just because I enjoy them, not because I get something in the way of rewards. Everybody does that at times. And I don't see why this would even be raised as some kind of conflict with anything I've said.
In my view, I find it humorous that you equate my view of struggling against yourself to find spiritual intent with 'nothing'. I find it even more humorous that you might be dead on balls accurate.
As for your assertion that having the ability to stop one's internal dialogue reduces one to an 'unthinking' animal...well, I will take a moment to apologize to all of the animals you almost offended by your words.
The ability to be offended by the words of another, ironically, is one edge all other of God's creations possess over us 'superior' humans. Indeed, it may be the source of the incredible waste of energy and resources humans constantly squander.
Quoting: Jonny Blaze Do you mean
inability?
To be sure, there are some animals we find great companionship with. But my point was that, as I think you are saying here, humans are not like the rest of creation. And wastefulness is one of many results of sin entering the world; this explanation is one I find satisfactory for all that is wrong with the world. We are not perfect, but this is no reason to be so disparaging of the human race as you seem to be. Jesus came to offer new life for all who ask, and to clean up the mess of the world when the time is right.
You could not be more wrong about this. Impeccability is a struggle. Craving yummy chocolate is simply an indulgence. It is giving into the craving that avoids the struggle.
Quoting: Jonny Blaze That's exactly my point: spiritual growth and maturity are things I want and desire, so this to me is not a struggle. A struggle implies working
against something. If I crave spiritual growth the way I crave chocolate, then it is not a struggle.
I also strive for what I desire. But what I desire is impeccable intent. Unbending intent. And one cannot 'master' this by simply believing another mastered it for him.
Quoting: Jonny Blaze Why not? Says who? Can a child not have food and clothing just by trusting their parents to provide them?
Endless indulgence is not a gift I would accept from anyone. I can do that on my own without outside help too.
Quoting: Jonny Blaze Why not? Why work for something offered freely? Again, I'm talking about salvation, not spiritual growth, when I say it's offered freely because Jesus did it already. He secured our salvation from sin and eternal death; this was something none of us could ever earn. But once accepted, once "the baby is born", growth is a long process. But unlike the baby, spiritual growth is largely by choice. Yet even in this, I find no struggle; I only learn to relax more and more of my grip on this life. This is the opposite of struggle.
To sit back and 'declare' that you are saved by Jesus, in my view, is no different than declaring you are equal to God. You are, in my view, claiming you received a gift that God gave to everybody to develop and declaring it a gift without potential. You claim it has no potential because 'Jesus' already mastered it.
A true master would never let his apprentices off so easily.
Quoting: Jonny Blaze Jesus Himself stated that he came to save us, and that whoever simply trusts in him will be saved. Who are you to call that making us his equal? If you threw me a life preserver and I grabbed on so you could pull me to safety, would I boast that I saved myself?
Again, salvation itself is a "life preserver", but growth after that is a choice. Yet it is not a struggle, because it keeps getting easier and easier to let go of myself and relax. Our growth is not just in understanding, but in spending quality time with the One we have been reconciled with.
God is like a good parent. Good parents shower love and gifts on their children, but not to the point of spoiling them. They let the children make mistakes, take risks, reason things out, and discover on their own. This does NOT make the children earn their place in the family!
