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God doesnt 'create' evil and i never asserted he did ; God does however allow Satan to tempt us as he did with Job and many others to test our commitment / faith / character building , etc...just as the book of James indicates. The originator of Evil is Satan, but God even uses that to our ultimate benefit.
Well, I'm glad to see that. Could you explain your perception of creation/reconciliation, etc so I could maybe grasp it a little better?
Well, I'm glad to see that. Could you explain your perception of creation/reconciliation, etc so I could maybe grasp it a little better?
Yes, ill try. Gods character is one of pure total infinite love, righteousness, morality , and goodness ; he has everything that we human beings have and are capable of..except for the dark traits to our personality. Therefore, God wont create any form of evil , deception, or immorality because it is simply not part of his nature . God created everything very very good when he fashioned the Creation including the Garden and his first two prized reflections (Adam and Eve) . As part of his love, God endowed Adam and Even with freewill choice because the greatest example of love is when the love is freely returned by a person...just as our earthly Parents hope thier children will decide to do . The World at the time was perfect in design, engineering, harmony, and without any indication whatsoever of evil , sin, or even bloodshed. It was a perfect Creation. When Adam and Eve volitionally chose to rebel against God by disobeying him for thier own alleged benefit , sin (rebellion against God) entered the world making it no longer perfect ; the direct results of sin entering the world thru Adam and Eve have been a chaotic upset in Nature in addition to all of mankind inheriting Adam and Eves sin , plus, the willful rebellion we have all demonstrated ,individually, toward God and his loving moral and protective mandates . We have ALL sinned against God and have fallen far short of being reconciled to him --- left in this condition, we are permanently estranged from God . But God in his love for mankind, developed a plan whereby all of us could be totally restored and reconciled back to God and to share all of eternity in his very presence (Heaven) . This reconciliation demanded a blood sacrifice be used of a pure and innocent nature ... the spotless , pure, undefiled, sinless, holy (by nature) Son of God named Jesus to make us justified in Gods holy sight...an exchange of Jesus' pure righteousness for our many sins of unrighteousness and purposed choice of rebellion in its many forms. This is whats called 'The Good News Gospel of Jesus Christ' because when a person entrusts all his many sins to the finished atoning work of Jesus dying on the cross , his sins (past , present, and future) are all forgiven . This undeserved forgiveness and reconciliation to God is based on recieving unto oneself Gods free undeserved gift found in Christ ...and by nothing we ourselves could possibly do to merit it. This free gift in Christ is recieved by simple faith...believing that Christs death was totally sufficient to pay for all your sins, and as a result of believing fully in that, you have become whats termed 'Born Again' in Gods eyes. To get this , you simply make a conscious decision to place ALL your sins on Christ for his shed blood to cover them completely , tell God you are very sorry for your sins, and ask him to help you turn from any present sin in your life because you desire to live for him now.l From this point forward, God (with your cooperation) will change your heart, desires, motives, perspectives, etc... so you can serve God and others in a very useful and productive way. I made this personal choice in 1986 for myself and my life has been completely changed by submitting to Gods leadership in my own life.
What i have described above is Gods will for all of mankind thruout the ages , and the ball is now in our court . Being permanently reconciled to God carries with it no greater joy, hope, and peace on our behalf. And, THIS is the essence of the Christian Faith . Regards.
Yes, ill try. Gods character is one of pure total infinite love, righteousness, morality , and goodness ; he has everything that we human beings have and are capable of..except for the dark traits to our personality. Therefore, God wont create any form of evil , deception, or immorality because it is simply not part of his nature . God created everything very very good when he fashioned the Creation including the Garden and his first two prized reflections (Adam and Eve) . As part of his love, God endowed Adam and Even with freewill choice because the greatest example of love is when the love is freely returned by a person...just as our earthly Parents hope thier children will decide to do . The World at the time was perfect in design, engineering, harmony, and without any indication whatsoever of evil , sin, or even bloodshed. It was a perfect Creation. When Adam and Eve volitionally chose to rebel against God by disobeying him for thier own alleged benefit , sin (rebellion against God) entered the world making it no longer perfect ; the direct results of sin entering the world thru Adam and Eve have been a chaotic upset in Nature in addition to all of mankind inheriting Adam and Eves sin , plus, the willful rebellion we have all demonstrated ,individually, toward God and his loving moral and protective mandates . We have ALL sinned against God and have fallen far short of being reconciled to him --- left in this condition, we are permanently estranged from God . But God in his love for mankind, developed a plan whereby all of us could be totally restored and reconciled back to God and to share all of eternity in his very presence (Heaven) . This reconciliation demanded a blood sacrifice be used of a pure and innocent nature ... the spotless , pure, undefiled, sinless, holy (by nature) Son of God named Jesus to make us justified in Gods holy sight...an exchange of Jesus' pure righteousness for our many sins of unrighteousness and purposed choice of rebellion in its many forms. This is whats called 'The Good News Gospel of Jesus Christ' because when a person entrusts all his many sins to the finished atoning work of Jesus dying on the cross , his sins (past , present, and future) are all forgiven . This undeserved forgiveness and reconciliation to God is based on recieving unto oneself Gods free undeserved gift found in Christ ...and by nothing we ourselves could possibly do to merit it. This free gift in Christ is recieved by simple faith...believing that Christs death was totally sufficient to pay for all your sins, and as a result of believing fully in that, you have become whats termed 'Born Again' in Gods eyes. To get this , you simply make a conscious decision to place ALL your sins on Christ for his shed blood to cover them completely , tell God you are very sorry for your sins, and ask him to help you turn from any present sin in your life because you desire to live for him now.l From this point forward, God (with your cooperation) will change your heart, desires, motives, perspectives, etc... so you can serve God and others in a very useful and productive way. I made this personal choice in 1986 for myself and my life has been completely changed by submitting to Gods leadership in my own life.
What i have described above is Gods will for all of mankind thruout the ages , and the ball is now in our court . Being permanently reconciled to God carries with it no greater joy, hope, and peace on our behalf. And, THIS is the essence of the Christian Faith . Regards.
We obviously see things very differently. But thank you very much for the explanation. Peace and joy
Yes, ill try. Gods character is one of pure total infinite love, righteousness, morality , and goodness ; he has everything that we human beings have and are capable of..except for the dark traits to our personality. Therefore, God wont create any form of evil , deception, or immorality because it is simply not part of his nature . God created everything very very good when he fashioned the Creation including the Garden and his first two prized reflections (Adam and Eve) . As part of his love, God endowed Adam and Even with freewill choice because the greatest example of love is when the love is freely returned by a person...just as our earthly Parents hope thier children will decide to do . The World at the time was perfect in design, engineering, harmony, and without any indication whatsoever of evil , sin, or even bloodshed. It was a perfect Creation. When Adam and Eve volitionally chose to rebel against God by disobeying him for thier own alleged benefit , sin (rebellion against God) entered the world making it no longer perfect ; the direct results of sin entering the world thru Adam and Eve have been a chaotic upset in Nature in addition to all of mankind inheriting Adam and Eves sin , plus, the willful rebellion we have all demonstrated ,individually, toward God and his loving moral and protective mandates . We have ALL sinned against God and have fallen far short of being reconciled to him --- left in this condition, we are permanently estranged from God . But God in his love for mankind, developed a plan whereby all of us could be totally restored and reconciled back to God and to share all of eternity in his very presence (Heaven) . This reconciliation demanded a blood sacrifice be used of a pure and innocent nature ... the spotless , pure, undefiled, sinless, holy (by nature) Son of God named Jesus to make us justified in Gods holy sight...an exchange of Jesus' pure righteousness for our many sins of unrighteousness and purposed choice of rebellion in its many forms. This is whats called 'The Good News Gospel of Jesus Christ' because when a person entrusts all his many sins to the finished atoning work of Jesus dying on the cross , his sins (past , present, and future) are all forgiven . This undeserved forgiveness and reconciliation to God is based on recieving unto oneself Gods free undeserved gift found in Christ ...and by nothing we ourselves could possibly do to merit it. This free gift in Christ is recieved by simple faith...believing that Christs death was totally sufficient to pay for all your sins, and as a result of believing fully in that, you have become whats termed 'Born Again' in Gods eyes. To get this , you simply make a conscious decision to place ALL your sins on Christ for his shed blood to cover them completely , tell God you are very sorry for your sins, and ask him to help you turn from any present sin in your life because you desire to live for him now.l From this point forward, God (with your cooperation) will change your heart, desires, motives, perspectives, etc... so you can serve God and others in a very useful and productive way. I made this personal choice in 1986 for myself and my life has been completely changed by submitting to Gods leadership in my own life.
What i have described above is Gods will for all of mankind thruout the ages , and the ball is now in our court . Being permanently reconciled to God carries with it no greater joy, hope, and peace on our behalf. And, THIS is the essence of the Christian Faith . Regards.
Looking at it from that angle, not that this is how you see it, but I then think of the cells in my body and all the digestion, circulation process, etc., I am not aware of it, have very little to no control over it, it just happens. The only time I'm concerned with it is when it's not functioning properly and causes me distress. Are you suggesting that God never planned us, that it is just happening and He doesn't control it at all, that He is only interested in us insomuch that we are growing as a result of Him growing? If so, then it seems to me that much of what the Scriptures tell us would not apply and in fact, be incorrect. I see in the scriptures that He planned everything from the beginning, has a purpose for all things, that it will be well when He has accomplished HIs purpose and that we will continue on as individuals, though all a part of each other and Him. I do agree that when He finishes us, to be what His intention has been all along, that there may be much more, so much more, than just resting in our perfection. It IS difficult to wrap our minds around God being ALL in ALL, but I still picture it differently than it seems you do. Not that anyone has it all figured out.
Life is all about growing, Scarlet. God is life. What we see as the evolution of our universe is God growing (accelerated expansion). God is consciousness and we are children of His consciousness (cells) that are supposed to reproduce Him. We have to have the essential character of God's consciousness (which is Agape Love) . . . but everything else is up to us . . . our infinite individuality and uniqueness. Life requires growth and maturity. Our species had to mature enough to be capable of agape love . . . that is what Jesus referred to . . . that the fields were ready for the harvest.
Jesus was what we are intended to be. All that we should strive to become is embodied in the life of Jesus. But the most enlightening part of it all is that Jesus was also human with our weaknesses and temptations! What is even more encouraging is that he existed almost two thousand years ago. His existence was the signal that humankind, as a species, had evolved sufficiently to acquire the mental discipline necessary to nourish an eternal soul . . . despite the dominance of our animal nature in most of the leadership and military positions . . . the ones who scourged and crucified Him
Metaphorically speaking, our species had achieved spiritual puberty - over two thousand years ago!
In a quotation from John, 4:35, Jesus reveals this glorious state of affairs to his disciples,
. . . I say to you, lift up your eyes and behold that the fields are already white for the harvest. And he who reaps receives a wage, and gathers fruit unto everlasting life, so that the sower and the reaper may rejoice together. . . I have sent you to reap that on which you have not labored.
Others have labored and you have entered into their labors.
Others had labored for untold generations to produce this crop of humans . . . using fear, promise of reward, parting seas, burning bushes, stones turned to water, snake-staffs, dream interpretation, and on, and on. Primitive methods from primitive minds. Yet they were gloriously successful as Jesus was to prove by His gentleness and compassion . . . completely alien characteristics to the dominant breed of His day. It is His very "alieness" and perfection that made Jesus stand out so brightly among his own generation.
Life is all about growing, Scarlet. God is life. What we see as the evolution of our universe is God growing (accelerated expansion). God is consciousness and we are children of His consciousness (cells) that are supposed to reproduce Him. We have to have the essential character of God's consciousness (which is Agape Love) . . . but everything else is up to us . . . our infinite individuality and uniqueness. Life requires growth and maturity. Our species had to mature enough to be capable of agape love . . . that is what Jesus referred to . . . that the fields were ready for the harvest.
Jesus was what we are intended to be. All that we should strive to become is embodied in the life of Jesus. But the most enlightening part of it all is that Jesus was also human with our weaknesses and temptations! What is even more encouraging is that he existed almost two thousand years ago. His existence was the signal that humankind, as a species, had evolved sufficiently to acquire the mental discipline necessary to nourish an eternal soul . . . despite the dominance of our animal nature in most of the leadership and military positions . . . the ones who scourged and crucified Him
Metaphorically speaking, our species had achieved spiritual puberty - over two thousand years ago!
In a quotation from John, 4:35, Jesus reveals this glorious state of affairs to his disciples,
. . . I say to you, lift up your eyes and behold that the fields are already white for the harvest. And he who reaps receives a wage, and gathers fruit unto everlasting life, so that the sower and the reaper may rejoice together. . . I have sent you to reap that on which you have not labored.
Others have labored and you have entered into their labors.
Others had labored for untold generations to produce this crop of humans . . . using fear, promise of reward, parting seas, burning bushes, stones turned to water, snake-staffs, dream interpretation, and on, and on. Primitive methods from primitive minds. Yet they were gloriously successful as Jesus was to prove by His gentleness and compassion . . . completely alien characteristics to the dominant breed of His day. It is His very "alieness" and perfection that made Jesus stand out so brightly among his own generation.
Well, Mystic, your thoughts are much more cosmically/spiritually minded than mine. I don't really delight in the projections you offer. Maybe some day. I am growiing just fine the way God is leading me..a little here, a little there. Your sphere is light years away from me..
Well, Mystic, your thoughts are much more cosmically/spiritually minded than mine. I don't really delight in the projections you offer. Maybe some day. I am growiing just fine the way God is leading me..a little here, a little there. Your sphere is light years away from me..
It is all good, sister. The key to everything is to follow Christ's commands to "love God and each other." Everything else will work itself out . . . most is just human vanity and hubris . . . including mine.
It is all good, sister. The key to everything is to follow Christ's commands to "love God and each other." Everything else will work itself out . . . most is just human vanity and hubris . . . including mine.
I agree about the love. And thanks for the light side too, lol.
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