The Bible's contradictions; do's and don'ts. How do I know?

Hiyer,

Apologies for being really tired today.  My head is swimming with all kinds of stuff so I'm going to write it down in the hope of finding clarity.

I've just spent the most amazing weekend at Meltdown, a Christian hard music festival with like-minded believers and non-believers... it was superb.  (http://meltdownmusic.co.uk/) I met so many great people and caught up with some people I haven't seen in years!  I was truely blessed.  BUT I've come away completely confused!

During the weekend there was some outstanding teaching.  All very relevant and appropriate. Some was extremely challenging and other bits were just really motivating and encouraging.  I loved it.  There were some real gems that I took from the weekend.  BUT I'm still confused.  In fact I'm often confused about stuff to be honest because in this world there are just so many voices screaming at you to wear this, don't wear that, be this, do this, eat this, avoid this... In one magazine you can read so much contradicting advice.  The TV, the news, our politicians, our friends, and even our churches can be so full of contradicting advice.  What's a girl supposed to do?!

This weekend I heard one speaker say that you can lose your salvation and another the same day say that you couldn't.  They both backed up their arguments with scripture and both had relevant arguments to make.  As you know from my previous blogs I am dating a non-christian.  (Please let me clarify here, I am 'dating' this guy, getting to know him better, spending time with him, praying for him, taking him to church, having fun with him, chilling out with him and so on to build up a foundation and see whether a relationship is something we can pursue further down the line.  Whilst I am also exclusively dating, I am not committing the rest of my life to him.  He has not asked me to marry him.  We are not officially together.  We are not boyfriend and girlfriend.  Yes I am not perfect and it is a difficult road to tread in keeping things calm, chilled and not rushing, but nonetheless we are taking things very slowly, being very open and honest with eachother and just seeing what happens.  I am aware that at times this could cause mixed signals, but we are both doing our best to limit these and at the end of it all if nothing works out between us, then nothing works out between us.  Time and space will tell.).....

Anyways, so as you know I am dating this yet to be believer.  I have spoken to several people about this this weekend.  Some people have been quite feisty in their opinions that 'you shouldn't be yoked together with a non-believer', 'what are you doing', 'the Bible is quite clear on this'.  Others have been extremely happy for me 'you are free to date who you like', 'God didn't make man (or woman) to be alone', 'Hosea dated a prostitute, it's fine', 'Adam and Eve weren't the conventional Christian'.... and so on. 

So what do I believe?  The Bible is full  of 'opposing' views, opinions, arguments and so on.  So what are we supposed to do?  What do we believe?  What do we follow?  Now I don't quite like my use of the word 'opposing' views because I feel that many arguments in the Bible merely offer alternative perspectives.  I have certain views on teaching.  Other people have different views.  But we both teach and the pupils still learn.  Just in differing ways - neither is right nor wrong.  I also massively value the Bible.  I think it is all 'God-breathed' (2 Timothy 3v16) and is also alive.  I think it is all useful and inspirational.  Infact I really like the analogy that God hides gems in the Bible for us to discover as and when we grow deeper with Him.  Hiding an easter egg for a 2 year old would be in a much more obvious place than hiding an easter egg for a 10 year old to find.  Just like scripture - the more mature we grow, the more gems we can find hidden in deeper places.

But this still doesn't give me an answer to what I should do or what I should follow.  Particularly at present, do I go with the 'don't be yoked with a non-believer' verse and risk putting this guy off and him turning his back on God because he doesn't agree or do I go along with 'it is not good for man to be alone'?  Similarly and just to throw this out there... do we follow David's example in killing and plundering the Philistines or do we follow the 'do not kill' commandment?  So what do we do?

Well personally I love the seemingly contradictory parts in the Bible.  I love peoples' opposing views and opinions.  It just shows and demonstrates how individual each person is, and how different we can interpret things.  It allows us to exercise free will and consider alternative perspectives.  I don't think the Bible is opposed or contradictory necessarily, I think it just allows for us to chew over certain things and exercise our free will in what we choose to believe or follow.

I tell you, if I'd have followed the advice I have received this week, I would have stopped dating and started dating this guy a billion times over.  How's THAT for confusing?  He is far too precious for me to mess around with like that.  And besides how do I know what is right and wrong?  If we followed everything in the Bible and the examples we see we would all be murderers and adulterers, have up to700 wives, concubines and princesses (like King Solomon - see 1Kings 11v3), not allow women to show their hair or speak in church.... and a whole host of other things.  So what should we do?

Isn't it amazing that Christianity is based on relationship as opposed to do's and dont's.  Isn't it amazing that after it all we have a heavenly Father who has GOOD plans for us and who is FOR us, not against us and out to trick us with His Word.  Isn't it amazing that we can ask Him directly and ask Him to reveal His will and plan and thoughts to us.  Isn't it amazing that we can tell Him when we don't understand and ask for clarity.  He isn't going to point an accusing finger because we don't get something or have misunderstood.  No.  He is going to walk this with us, guide us and direct us, help us out, reveal things to us...  I think it's amazing that the Word, i.e. the Bible is a 'light for our feet' (Psalm 119v105).  The Word is not the Way itself - that role belongs to Jesus, i.e. God.  HE is the Way and the Truth and the Life (John 14v6).  The Bible is there to light the way and help us to discover a pathway to God and make things clearer and assist our understanding.  YES it has power, YES God SPOKE the world into being with words, yes we can use scripture to speak life into things and break strongholds, but ultimately it is GOD who does these things, who has blessed us with His Word to enable us to see Him clearer and understand Him better.  Perhaps my theology is not entirely accurate here.  Perhaps there are differing views.  That's fine.  Good.  I hope there are and I would encourage you to think about these things for yourselves.

So in answer to what to do; take it to God.  What does He say?  What does He think?  What is He getting at, telling you, speaking to you about?  I am fed up of us living a Christianity based on what other people say and think and tell us to do.  YES praise God for other people's divine wisdom and encouragement.  Praise God for other people's ability to teach, minister and help us through things, but at the end of it all WHAT DOES GOD SAY?  How much of what we believe is based on God and how much of it is based on what other people have said and the cultures that they have formed?  Let's take things to our Creator.  Honestly, if something goes wrong with my computer, I take it back to it's creator because they know best.  Yes a technical assistant in Curry's or a friend with IT knowledge may be able to help me out and often I do ask for their help.  But ultimately the designer and creator knows best.  Let's be a people who do not live out a people based faith, but a God based faith. 

Some interesting thoughts. My head is not swimming so much anymore. 

xxx