Response is shared with a writer who is angry that refusing divine gifts will be punished by hell fire, and more on the complaint that teachings about sin from the Gospel of Jesus Christ are not “logical”. A “Yahoo! Answers” writer using the ID “Kagos” (Level 2 with 601 points, a member since May 19, 2012) posted the following:
Doesn’t God punishing people for politely declining his blessings defeat the point of them being gifts?
“You’re going to be happy and have an amazing life AND YOU’RE GOING TO LIKE IT!. Don’t you ******* dare tell me you don’t want what I have to give you, or that you could make yourself an even better life than what I have planned. Everyone else who did that is now burning in a pit of flame in which they can never have the merciful death for which they beg. Now just accept my free, no strings attached gifts and give me your soul in return.”
I’m sorry, but that just doesn’t sound like anything a loving father would do. :S
THE BATTLE AXE: The Gospel not Logical? (09/16/2012)—The aspects of human experience that dominate our thinking and understanding are primarily appetite (such as hunger, thirst, sexual cravings), sensation (such as hearing, smelling, seeing, tasting), and desire (such operations of mind as fantasy, imagination, projection, recall). Our human awareness and consciousness must be changed to recognize things that are totally spiritual in their nature and substance. GOD must establish a complete reconfiguration of our inner being, and so we say, a person must be “born again.” This is not accomplished by human intellect and thought. In fact, it is spoken of as “non-sense”; and proceeds within us by the person of GOD being present as imparted, indwelling spirit. In its simplest statement, the Gospel declares the release of mankind from sin as a continuing aspect of human existence through the death and resurrection of GOD incarnate (i.e., in the flesh as a human). This rebirth requires spirit substance that itself makes up the Divine Being (e.g., faith, holiness, righteousness, truth, wisdom, wrath against sin). We speak of the Holy Spirit (also called the Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, the Spirit of Prophecy) as having been given to mankind to acknowledge and confirm the work of Jesus in the earth, on behalf of both GOD and man. This peculiar aspect from the full person of GOD, the Holy Spirit, now operates upon and within those who seek right relationship with GOD through Jesus Christ.
THE GOLDEN ARROW: And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? (Luke 11: 9-13, King James Version)
THE DOUBLE DAGGER: By Grace (09/04/2012); About Conversion (09/03/2012); Girdle 44: The Good Seed (12/31/2011); Girdle 40: The Clift In The Rock (12/27/2011); Girdle 1: Be Ready (11/16/2011); About Promises (02/16/2011); Turn From Sin? (02/15/2011)
Because you are thinking “after the flesh” instead of “after the spirit,” it is difficult (and apparently painful) for you to grasp the sacred meaning, and process of GOD. You are still using ideas from carnal, material and social reality to speak about things that are entirely spiritual in their nature and substance. Once you achieve the emotional and mental control that is part of being born again, and “growing up again” to become spiritually mature, you will see that the language of “gifts from GOD” is merely a device to assist those who are underdeveloped, and immature. GOD must commune with men at their level as created beings and living creatures. To speak of “gifts” is only useful to begin ones spiritual learning in the same way “mama” and “dada” are used, and with growth are discarded. Similarly, memorizing ABCs is a great achievement for a small child, yet one still cannot read and write until they learn to combine and recombine letters of the alphabet.
Your anger, condemnation, distrust, fear, frustration, and pain are not from GOD–they are aspects of your expression as someone caught in the human predicament. As a result, you do not appear to have the Holy Spirit from GOD that is necessary to convince you of this. Where you truly want to achieve a correct relationship with GOD as your Creator, your Savior, your Father, you will have to approach him in prayer showing humility and respect. You will have to ask for his guidance, even claiming all the benefit from the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
There is far more to be said, correctly applied, and spiritually apprehended. (For example, “death,” “joy” “punishment” and “eternal life” are terms that have special meaning to mature believers that is hidden from those who are beginners. As men on the earth, in human communication, we are forced to use “bananas for watermelons,” so to speak. Putting aside all differences (size, shape, weight), the two are exactly the same: both are green (at first), both are fruit, both have exactly the same function of bearing seed. Similarly, putting the flesh aside, we use breath, utterance and words to convey divine spirit.) Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to your faith.
THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC
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