An atheist said, "If there is a God, may he prove himself by striking me dead right now."
Nothing happened.
"You see, there is not God."
Another responded, "You've only proved that He is a gracious God."
- Source Unknown. - (Borrowed from Scotwise)
The atheist in this story was not too wise. Had God struck him dead he would not have had a chance to repent of his sins. I wonder if the response did anything to change his heart. Probably not. He probably would not admit there is any sin in his life.
What is sin??? Simply stated it is disobedience to God's will and His purpose for us.
How can we tell what is God's will? There is a clue in the above dialogue. He is a gracious God. - Check this out from 1 Thessalonian Chapter 5 -
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16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
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This little statement is in the middle of some other instructions that Saint Paul gave in his letter to the Thessalonian Church. It helps to put it back into context however it can be utilized as a simple test to check your standing in God's will.
(16) Are you happy in the majority of your time spent awake? God is not a mean tyrant that wants you under His thumb. He is a kind and loving Father that wants you to enjoy life.
(17) Do you talk to God on a regular basis? - This includes LISTENING for answers and not just a one way dialog. Listen carefully for that still small voice that says, "This is the way. Walk in it." -
(18) Giving thanks in some situations can be near impossible but not totally impossible. Giving thanks sometimes means just throwing it on God's shoulders and leaving it there. It is part of the deal Christians call 'walking by faith'. Just trusting God that He will work it out in the long run. This is not to say that we should not do our 'hands on part' in the circumstances but instead of worrying we should go back to verse 16 and rejoice.
Sounds simplistic doesn't it. Well life is complicated enough as it is and God, being gracious, doesn't want our lives cluttered up with a lot of religious rigmarole to complicate it any more.
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