Accepting the human condition while embracing divine provisions for judgment and eternal life are topics, today, along with more on complaining against leaders and those who serve as spiritual guides. The “Yahoo! Answers” writer using ID “Anonimus” (Level 1 with 182 points, a member since August 21, 2011) posted the following:
Christians, I'm confused about this, can you help me?
These two bible passages seem to contradict each other. I'm also having a hard time with only Christians going to heaven.:
Romans 2:9-16
9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11 For God does not show favoritism.
12 All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14 (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.) 16 This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.
Hebrews 11:6
6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
THE BATTLE AXE: My Sheep Hear My Voice (03/08/2013)—While the men and women of the church must proclaim truths that do not change, they themselves must change. All must learn, grow and be continually replenished until the final completion of their mortality. Both maturation in emotional, intellectual, mental, physical, and social aspects, and spiritual perfection must be completed within the framework of experience over time. Given all employ such human tools as discovery, imitation, practice, risk-taking, trial and error learning, until his appearing, clergy and laity will come short of the high standard in Christ (see Romans 3: 19-27 and Ephesians 4: 1-32, KJV). The legitimate processes for censure of elders and officers within the church body are marked by continuing pursuit of the sacred mission to provide spiritual benefits such as certainty, faith, growth, healing, instruction, nourishment, and strength. The spirit for censure is never self-justification, self-righteousness, or self-promotion. The chastisement, correction and humbling of those within the church hierarchy should come naturally as every single member shows the Lord to be present in power through their own lives as believers. Where there is a genuine desire to provide correction and supply missing spiritual guidance, errors and dissatisfaction with the performance of church leaders must be expressed displaying balance, dutifulness, humility, respect, and thoroughness. The duty of the believer is not to talk about another churchman; it is to talk to him sharing from ones own endowment of the holy. Those in rebellion against divine authority and seeking to corrupt the legitimate sacred process of the church typically do so making diabolical and unholy attacks characterized by envy, exaggeration, insults, levity, malice, prejudice, racism, sexism, tasteless humor, presumption, profanity, sarcasm, selfishness, slander, and spite. Extreme, final and irreversible action may be urged on the basis of bias, false witness, fear, gossip, half-truths, lies, rumors, speculations, and undocumented charges. To advocate carefully hearing and reflecting upon the defense and explanations of those accused usually result in others also being berated, condemned and slandered as accessories, dupes, as those in complicity and consenting to conspiracy, or even as those who are criminal, weak, unbelieving, unmanly, and ungodly. Even so, subversive agents, counterfeit believers, and instruments of the Adversary are easily recognized because they do not seek agreement, closure, consensus, resolutions of problems, or the production of godly fruit. Their efforts center upon venting anger, confrontation, denying power to others, destruction, and revenge. The ministry of Jesus demonstrated that challenging the clergy and leadership of the worship community can be even more delicate than correcting parental authority and those committed as loved ones and caretakers. Believers are cautioned to discern those sent by GOD whom to challenge is to challenge GOD himself. Apply again the counsel from Scripture: Matthew 18: 15-17, 2nd Thessalonians 3: 11-15, 1st Timothy 5: 17-22, Jude 8-23, King James Version.
THE GOLDEN ARROW: For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts. (Malachi 4: 1-3, KJV)
THE DOUBLE DAGGER: No Contradictions? (01/15/2013); Why A “Spokesperson?” (01/14/2013); Confusion 2013 (01/13/2013); And This Was Good News (12/01/2012); Contradictions? (09/21/2012); Reading Only The Red Part (11/19/2012); How to Have Conviction (11/24/2012); A Text for Our Lives Today (11/25/2012); Believing Everything? (11/23/2012); According to the Eternal Purpose (11/20/2012)
All who come to Christ for salvation “have a hard time”, until they come into full maturity and acceptance of GOD. Apart from Christ, human self-will is not correctly directed to acknowledge divinity, denies authority to the will of GOD, and repeatedly opposes the multitude of spiritual laws that generate divine order. There are a myriad of fixed, non-negotiable, and unalterable conditions for human existence, for covenant with GOD, for divine judgment, for redemption, sanctification and salvation. Saying this another way, “We can’t separate the wet from the water! It’s not that we don’t like the rain, we just hate that it gets us soaked. Eventually, all our efforts to deny, ignore and change the established aspects of sacred reality result in damnation, disappointment, embarrassment, humiliation, loss, and pain.”
Self-will in created beings and living creatures respond to sin—an influence opposing the existence of divine law, of divine person, and of all that has been created by GOD. Sin first became known among the holy angels who challenged the need for divine law. Awareness in the created cannot detect sin apart from the law, for sin does not exist as any carnal, material or spirit substance. Because human consciousness is dominated by the flesh (i.e., appetite such as hunger, thirst, cravings for sexual contact; sensation such as hearing, seeing, touching, and mental functions such as fantasy, imagination and thought) divine truth and sacred content again must be imparted to those in the earth that will enable resistance to sin, and prepare mankind for the full transformation demanded by eternal life. The very aspects of GOD must exist within those who will continue as companions to GOD, and as a permanent part of divine experience. Included are incorruptibility, faith, holiness, love and immortality.
The contradictions found within the holy writings usually appear as a product of our own human error, and spiritual immaturity. The scriptures are suitable as a precise human tool for revealing things that are totally divine in the same way that bananas may be used in place of watermelons: ignoring their differences in size, shape, thickness and weight, they are exactly the same! Both are green (at least, at first), both are fruit, and both taste pretty good as snack items. More to the point: these fruit function to convey life by distributing and protecting nourishment, refreshment and seed.
There is far more to be said, correctly applied, and spiritually apprehended. (For example, judgment is imperative and non-negotiable because judgment pertains to divine existence, not merely to likes, dislikes, preferences and whims. More than simply a relationship with GOD (wherein men could be his equal) must come into view. All will be examined for the content of GOD as an aspect of their being. Thus, there are many peculiar expressions and ideas for Christian belief. Included are “born again,” “raised from the dead,” “dead to sin, yet alive to God,” “the imparted, indwelling spirit,” “the Comforter,” “the Spirit of Truth” and “filled with the Holy Ghost.”) 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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