Good points from the unbelievers.
As for forgiveness, it is tied up with God's own blood; and more on our level .... the belief in it. We spent an awful lot of time unquestionably believing men, to our own demise. So, it may seem dangerous to unquestionably believe God. Yet, this is what causes success, happiness and victory in life.
After six years of being saved, I have found these words to be absolutely true (something that can only be proven through personal experience) :
Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV)
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil ...
Furthermore, God places in large part the working out of our destiny in the jurisdiction of our own belief and subsequent confessions of faith, either in God or something else:
Prov. 18: 21
Death and life are in the power of the tongue:
As for the comments regarding "trembling" and other such reccomendations of God; it is funny that this is brought up since I have recently been thinking a lot about this.
My approach to Christianity was of a practical nature at first. I came to the conclusion that everyone I had ever met was a liar. I was lied to during my formative years about God killing everyone in 1975. I was lied to about the generation of 1914. I was lied to about the blood/organ prohibitions of God. I caught my professors in lies at university. Most of the great people we studied about were great liars. I have also found out that much of the global warming nonsense was a lie promoted through the peer review (redaction process) of many scientists. I have learned that acid rain was mostly a lie, as was y2k, the coming of a mini ice age, the extent of AIDS, Darwinism etc.
I have spent much of my life "trembling" at the words of men. God on the other hand, spoke the worlds into existence. He breathes life as he speaks. The immutable character and magnificence of those words that are untainted by sin and duplicity are something to marvel at, and yes, to tremble at the infinite power attached to them.
No doubt about it, God isn't shy about wanting to be worshipped. If a person really wants to know what turns God ON, it is worship based on BELIEF. He really, really gets a lot of pleasure from it. And why shouldn't he? He is absolutely unique, a one-of-a-kind. He is the repository of all possible knowledge that could ever be known in all of eternity. Since God cannot relate to us through knowledge (none is his equal or superior) he relates to us through emotion.
In relationship marketing people are skillfully taught to take the time to identify the prospects hot buttons, to find out what makes them tick so to speak ..... then to speak their language back to them. It is very effective in creating long-term relationships.
Why do we resist giving God the same respect we give others? It just doesn't make sense.
I want something from God and I'm not shy about it either. People should approach God honestly and ask him to supply whatever is lacking to get the relationship going. This is the faith the size of a mustard seed that Jesus said could eventually move mountains.
If you have no faith, then ask God for it. God can make that small faithful request into a mountain. Your personality doesn't need to be extinguished to walk with God, you just need to agree to be # 2 in the relationship.
Let them shout for joy, and be glad, that favour my righteous cause: yea, let them say continually, Let the LORD be magnified, which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant. -Ps 35: 27.
