As incredible as the game was, looking back, something bothers me. Ohio State was up 2 touchdowns with 10 or so minutes left in the game. At that point the game should be over right? At home. All the momentum. Better team. How could they lose? Ohio State had the belief that they had won. They did not believe they were going to win.
There is a difference here. They had a Greek mindset, they believed in victory. They should have been taking on a Hebrew mindset and believed ON victory. Believing in something is just agreeing that that something is. Basically the Bucks believed that their victory already existed. If they would have been believing on victory, I think that the game would have been played differently. This is because believing on something is more than a thought. It is a lifestyle, and a lifestyle of action. Of course, it has been proven to many times that I actually know very little about football, so it's possible that I'm way off base with all this, but it's how I perceive what was happening during the 4th quarter. Luckily for Ohio State, and our fair city, the Bucks were able to pull off the victory anyway.
I don't think that the outcome of the Ohio State vs. Iowa game is very reflective of eternity. Recently I was talking with a couple of different friends about John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life." When I first read this passage, I had a Greek mindset, and interpreted it that way. Of course I believe in Jesus, so I'm good. I have my salvation and I'll go on my merry little way with that in mind. Wrong. My initial interpretation is not how God wants it to hit our hearts. The meaning of the word "believes" in this verse should be thought of the way that the Hebrews used the word - believing ON God. Clearly Satan and other demons believe in God and Jesus, at least in the Greek sense of the word. If anything, they probably believe IN Him MORE than any of us because they have directly encountered Him. However, they don't believe ON Him at all, and that is why they don't have salvation. It's what sets us apart when we accept Christ as our savior. It is the acceptance and resulting lifestyle that constitutes believing on Jesus. It is important, especially for me, to remember that both of those items matter in our salvation. It's not a one time event, but a constant way of life. Not a destination, but a journey.
To truly believe ON Jesus, we have to change our lifestyle to live in the way that He calls us to. We have everything to lose, but Everything to gain when we do this. Basically losing everything that is temporary for everything that is eternal. Seems worth it to me. I need to stop thinking that I am saved by the Son of God, and start LIVING like I am.
Peace and blessings,
Adam
I like the deep thinking Adam and the comparison between Greek and Hebrew schools of thought. The way you made it relevant to a real life situation (Buckeyes) shows that you're writing is maturing quite nice. Keep it up my friend..and remember that the goal of learning is increased love for God and others.
ReplyDeleteKary Oberbrunner