Obsessions are not unbelief. They're a symptom of a medical condition. That said, existential trust (aka "faith") is finally the only answer to religious obsessions.
I'm going to try not to get too technical or too theologically partisan here, but I just got done on Facebook with an exchange with a Calvinist who couldn't understand how, since Luther also believed in predestination, he didn't teach that God predestines people to hell. I explained that basic to Luther's theology is the understanding that God's thoughts are not our thoughts, nor God's ways our ways. Figuring God out even on the basis of Scripture just isn't possible. We know about Him only what He tells us. He's told us about predestination. He's also told us that He isn't willing that any should perish.
It's not for us to figure out how both things can be true. It's for us to believe Him.
But how? Luther's position was that you shouldn't try to understand God. If you ever run into God as He is in Himself- "the hidden God," or "the naked God," as Luther called Him- run for your life. You are a sinner and He is holy. You and He are natural enemies. You cannot look upon His face and live!
But where do you run? What refuge can you find from Him? Only in one place. Run to the revealed God- God hanging on a cross to atone for your sins, God sharing your weakness and your humanity, God meeting you on your terms instead of you trying to meet Him on His.
Whenever there's something even about God that scares you, understand that you're dealing with the hidden God. You will never understand and you will only find trouble there. So run to the manger. Run to the cross. Run to the place where God wants us to find Him- in Christ and his love and mercy and compassion- and instead of being frightened or puzzled, just cling to Him for dear life.
Great advice for somebody with OCD. Great advice for anybody, really, whether they have OCD or not! It's not up to us to find God. That, we cannot do. So instead, God came down to us. We can find Him in Jesus, and will only wind up in over our heads if we look for Him anywhere else. The answer to all our doubts and fears where God is concerned is not to argue with them or to figure anything but to cling to Jesus for dear life.
Jesus is God come to us on our terms. He shows us God's heart. And however frightened or confused we may be, He is all we know where God is concerned, and all we need to know.
I'm going to try not to get too technical or too theologically partisan here, but I just got done on Facebook with an exchange with a Calvinist who couldn't understand how, since Luther also believed in predestination, he didn't teach that God predestines people to hell. I explained that basic to Luther's theology is the understanding that God's thoughts are not our thoughts, nor God's ways our ways. Figuring God out even on the basis of Scripture just isn't possible. We know about Him only what He tells us. He's told us about predestination. He's also told us that He isn't willing that any should perish.
It's not for us to figure out how both things can be true. It's for us to believe Him.
But how? Luther's position was that you shouldn't try to understand God. If you ever run into God as He is in Himself- "the hidden God," or "the naked God," as Luther called Him- run for your life. You are a sinner and He is holy. You and He are natural enemies. You cannot look upon His face and live!
But where do you run? What refuge can you find from Him? Only in one place. Run to the revealed God- God hanging on a cross to atone for your sins, God sharing your weakness and your humanity, God meeting you on your terms instead of you trying to meet Him on His.
Whenever there's something even about God that scares you, understand that you're dealing with the hidden God. You will never understand and you will only find trouble there. So run to the manger. Run to the cross. Run to the place where God wants us to find Him- in Christ and his love and mercy and compassion- and instead of being frightened or puzzled, just cling to Him for dear life.
Great advice for somebody with OCD. Great advice for anybody, really, whether they have OCD or not! It's not up to us to find God. That, we cannot do. So instead, God came down to us. We can find Him in Jesus, and will only wind up in over our heads if we look for Him anywhere else. The answer to all our doubts and fears where God is concerned is not to argue with them or to figure anything but to cling to Jesus for dear life.
Jesus is God come to us on our terms. He shows us God's heart. And however frightened or confused we may be, He is all we know where God is concerned, and all we need to know.
This is amazing, thank you.
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