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I hear that phrase quite often in the Christian community. If you could please indulge my curiosity, what exactly does that mean to you?
godspeed,
freedom
At the cross. The creation. The life that he's already given us. Contentment with where we are at in life. So many of us can't experience more of God, because we always are placing more of something before him in pursuing a relationship with him. This thing we put in front of him is ourself. He did not put anything in front of himself when he came here. His sacrafice was entirely for us, not for him. Creation in itself is demonstrative of his great Love in that, even though perfect Love existed within the Trinity - God decided to have more children to share his Love with. Ideally, I know that God does indeed Love all his creation, and it does grieve him greatly when his children reject him. But perhaps in perfect love in itself is the allowance of choice - even if it means rejection.
At the cross. The creation. The life that he's already given us. Contentment with where we are at in life. So many of us can't experience more of God, because we always are placing more of something before him in pursuing a relationship with him. This thing we put in front of him is ourself. He did not put anything in front of himself when he came here. His sacrafice was entirely for us, not for him. Creation in itself is demonstrative of his great Love in that, even though perfect Love existed within the Trinity - God decided to have more children to share his Love with. Ideally, I know that God does indeed Love all his creation, and it does grieve him greatly when his children reject him. But perhaps in perfect love in itself is the allowance of choice - even if it means rejection.
In Christ,
Stephen
When i read that quote, contentment rings of stagnation. Believing that is not what you really mean, what do you mean by contentment. How is one content in Seeking God?
I find one reference to contentment in God, in Titus. It is based on worldly asperations, goods, and things.....
When i read that quote, contentment rings of stagnation. Believing that is not what you really mean, what do you mean by contentment. How is one content in Seeking God?
godspeed,
freedom
It takes time I think to get contentment. Actually, In Ecclesiaste's it mentions that having a sense of contentment in this life is actually a gift in itself from God. Perhaps there really is no true contentment on this world for some until they are with God in entirety. Perhaps that's a good thing. Saving your heart for God, as oppossed to using it up on oneself and this life. Christ gave up perfect Love to be here with us, perhaps giving up a bit of our contentment in this earth - to share in his sufferrings is something we can also do for him to demonstrate our Love for him, as well as our appreciationg for his sacrafice.
It takes time I think to get contentment. Actually, In Ecclesiaste's it mentions that having a sense of contentment in this life is actually a gift in itself from God. Perhaps there really is no true contentment on this world for some until they are with God in entirety. Perhaps that's a good thing. Saving your heart for God, as oppossed to using it up on oneself and this life. Christ gave up perfect Love to be here with us, perhaps giving up a bit of our contentment in this earth - to share in his sufferrings is something we can also do for him to demonstrate our Love for him, as well as our appreciationg for his sacrafice.
In Christ,
Stephen
Okay, i'm seeing it. So how do you share in His suffering? And once you appreciate fully in his sacrafice, what does that look like? How is a person that fully appreciates Christ?
Okay, i'm seeing it. So how do you share in His suffering? And once you appreciate fully in his sacrafice, what does that look like? How is a person that fully appreciates Christ?
godspeed,
freedom
When I get there I'll tell you. I'm a work in progress. I accept the sacrafice, I know God's Loving. I know I love God. I know I love my fellow man - but theres always something missing while I'm here. That's why I made the reference to Ecclesiastes. I know I won't be complete until I'm with God. I can't be happy without being with God in entirety. I can have a semblance of happiness, but it's all just a passing vanity a chasing after the wind. At this point in my life, I'd rather pass away and be with Christ, but hey - I gotta stay here for the short time the Lord has alloted to me. To be quite honest, I don't even know in entirely if I'll get to see God and be with God forever, but hey what's Love without choice or risk I guess.
When I get there I'll tell you. I'm a work in progress. I accept the sacrafice, I know God's Loving. I know I love God. I know I love my fellow man - but theres always something missing while I'm here. That's why I made the reference to Ecclesiastes. I know I won't be complete until I'm with God. I can't be happy without being with God in entirety. I can have a semblance of happiness, but it's all just a passing vanity a chasing after the wind. At this point in my life, I'd rather pass away and be with Christ, but hey - I gotta stay here for the short time the Lord has alloted to me. To be quite honest, I don't even know in entirely if I'll get to see God and be with God forever, but hey what's Love without choice or risk I guess.
In Christ,
Stephen
In Hebrews it speaks of those that saw the kingdom afar off. I take it as a warning.
Christ said the kingdom was at hand. It is within you.
I speak a lot about seeking, because we are never there till we are.
On Earth as it is in Heaven. The contentment i was sensing from you turned out to be fairly accurate.
We are to overcome. There is no can't in overcoming. When we think we are finished, we stop growing. That is not Christ (Annointing) there is so much we are to become and do. But it takes us seeking 1st the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness, until we reach that righteousness, even here on earth, we have not completed our Faith.
In Hebrews it speaks of those that saw the kingdom afar off. I take it as a warning.
Christ said the kingdom was at hand. It is within you.
I speak a lot about seeking, because we are never there till we are.
On Earth as it is in Heaven. The contentment i was sensing from you turned out to be fairly accurate.
We are to overcome. There is no can't in overcoming. When we think we are finished, we stop growing. That is not Christ (Annointing) there is so much we are to become and do. But it takes us seeking 1st the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness, until we reach that righteousness, even here on earth, we have not completed our Faith.
godspeed,
freedom
I will overcome with Christ. My heart belongs to him. And my contentment is centered around him, not myself or what I can do. I cannot not do anything on my own. If I look to glorify myself then I am already a lost cause. I become dead to him as the rest of this world is dead. I no longer look to myself anymore. I look to God. It is no longer I who lives, it is Christ who lives through me and within me. I'm still surrounded by the sinful flesh, but Christ will come and remove it from me at some point and the new man of God will rise and live with Christ for eternity.
I will overcome with Christ. My heart belongs to him. And my contentment is centered around him, not myself or what I can do. I cannot not do anything on my own. If I look to glorify myself then I am already a lost cause. I become dead to him as the rest of this world is dead. I no longer look to myself anymore. I look to God. It is no longer I who lives, it is Christ who lives through me and within me. I'm still surrounded by the sinful flesh, but Christ will come and remove it from me at some point and the new man of God will rise and live with Christ for eternity.
Grace,
Stephen
I am not saying that we do it on our own. Ofcourse Christ is our guide.
Even Jesus said, I can do nothing but what I see the Father do.
But He still got up and went to work.
Fortunately He took God with Him.
He spent the first years of His life, preparing through asking, seeking, and knocking. It takes our co-operation to do the work of God.
I am not saying that we do it on our own. Ofcourse Christ is our guide.
Even Jesus said, I can do nothing but what I see the Father do.
But He still got up and went to work.
Fortunately He took God with Him.
He spent the first years of His life, preparing through asking, seeking, and knocking. It takes our co-operation to do the work of God.
godspeed,
freedom
I never discounted that one should go about doing work. But the difference of opinion that we have is who's doing the work for us. It's Christ doing all of the work, not ourselves. Christ is the one who does the knocking, not us - and it is him or specifically, the Holy Spirit which does the asking for us.
Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Complete dependance in God is really what's necessary in achieving the oneness you speak of freedom. Our self will can only get us so far, but God's Will - or specifically Love - can only guide us to the final destination we seek.
In Christ,
Stephen
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