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Quote by Philip Yancey

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Disappointment with God: Three Questions No One Asks Aloud

This book delves into the profound and often unspoken questions that arise when individuals confront their faith and the existence of God. It examines the intricacies of theological thought and the human experience of faith, providing a thoughtful analysis of the challenges and complexities that can lead to disappointment in religious beliefs. more

Author

Philip Yancey
Philip Yancey

Philip Yancey (born 1949) is one of the most influential contemporary Christian authors in the United States. He is widely known for his profound explorations of faith, suffering, and grace, blending personal experience, theological reflection, and literary narrative. His bestselling books, including Where Is God When It Hurts?, What's So Amazing About Grace?, and The Jesus I Never Knew, have sold over 15 million copies worldwide and been translated into dozens of languages. Yancey served as an editor for Christianity Today and has written for numerous publications. His honest, thoughtful, and accessible writing style has deeply impacted millions of readers, inviting both believers and skeptics to engage with the complexities of faith. more

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“If we insist on visible proofs from God, we may well prepare the way for a permanent state of disappointment. True faith does not so much attempt to manipulate God to do our will as it does to position us to do his will. As I searched through the Bible for models of great faith, I was struck by how few saints experienced anything like Job's dramatic encounter with God. The rest responded to the hiddenness not by demanding that he show himself, but by going ahead and believing him though he stayed hidden.”

“I say this with care, but I wonder if a fierce, insistent desire for a miracle - even a physical healing - sometimes betrays a lack of faith rather than an abundance of it. When yearning for a miraculous resolution to a problem, do we make our loyalty to God contingent on whether he reveals himself yet again in the seen world?”

“God's favorites, especially God's favorites, are not immune from the bewildering times when God seems silent. Where there is no longer any opportunity for doubt, there is no longer any opportunity for faith either. Faith demands uncertainty, confusion. The Bible includes many proofs of God's concern - some quite spectacular - but no guarantess. A guarantee would, after all, preclude faith.”

“The very fact that faith looks to a power beyond itself means that it is continually subject to loss of control. So if you're looking to get control of all your problems, forget Christianity. If you're looking for success, happiness, or freedom from pain, forget Christ. The way of Christ is the cross, and the cross spells weakness, poverty, failure, death.”

“Take away material prosperity; take away emotional highs; take away miracles and healing; take away fellowship with other believers; take away church; take away all opportunity for service; take away assurance of salvation; take away the peace and joy of the Holy Spirit... Yes! Take it all, all, far, far away. And what is left? Tragically, for many believers there would be nothing left. For does our faith really go that deep? Or do we, in the final analysis, have a cross-less Christianity?”