Occam's Razor - William of Occam was a fourteenth century philosopher who enunciated the principle "pluritas non est ponenda sine necessitate," or "nature likes things as simple as possible." In other words, the simpler the explanation of a given phenomena - that takes into account all the experimental evidence - the more likely it is to be correct. This could also be called the KISS principle.The Bible tells us that those who have trusted in Jesus as their Lord and Savior have been adopted into the family of God. We have life with God, we are children of God, and we are in the family of God...forever!
"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him." (1 John 3:1)
Pretty simple, and that theme is played over and over again in scriptures. Then why so many variations on the theme, when scriptures from the Old and New Testament clearly reveal God’s plan of salvation and reconciliation through the sacrifice of God the Son?
"But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep." (2 Peter 2:1-3)
I am still amazed by what some of the mainline churches have adopted as “New Spirituality," rejecting the completeness of God’s coming in Jesus Christ. It’s a new name for a very old error. Almost two thousand years ago St. Paul visited Athens. In the midst of all the Grecian idols was an altar inscribed "To the Unknown God" (Acts 17:23). The Greeks thought that they were covering all their religious "bets" by setting up an alter to all gods known and unknown. St. Paul said to them then, "Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious" (Acts 17:22). "Covering your religious bets" is the is the foundation for today’s "spiritual movement."
"(God) who has saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time." (2 Timothy 1:9)
Occam hit the nail on the head. It is the simple truth that leads to true spirituality. Think about it, the three persons of the Trinity knew you, loved you, and called you into the Most Royal Family...not because of your good works, but because of God's purpose and grace given to you in Christ Jesus - before the beginning of time!
God’s plan for reconciliation by nature is "pluritas non est ponenda sine necessitate.” His plan doesn’t get much simpler than that.
"But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility." (Ephesians 2:13-16 NIV)
Be Simplistic,
Bishop Ian
