Response is made to complaints that condemnation, negative criticism, and unkindness always appear as aspects when Christians share their beliefs or understandings of the holy Scriptures. Also, there is more on grace not against law. The “Yahoo! Answers” fighter using ID “Grace” (Level 2 with 309 points, a member since July 15, 2014) posted the following:
Do Xians understand how cruel and offensive it is to say that?
1) Many are called, few are chosen. (thus I am chosen for heaven and you for hell)
2) God doesn't send people to hell. People send themselves to hell (because we weren't chosen and because God refused to give us brains capable of comprehending your story line.
3) You DO believe in God, but you are in denial because of your iniquity. (Why is god too powerless to reach through the alleged denial?
THE BATTLE AXE: Grace is Not Against Law (07/23/2014)—(5.) Teaching in favor of grace, rather than the Decalogue or Jewish law as identified through the Scriptures, is being provided through a sacred priesthood, and a new testament in the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace is preferred to law as an explanatory principle for the highest relationship with GOD. Neither divine love nor sin were completely and correctly communicated to the living by the law; and so the curse (i.e., condemnation, prohibitions, and punitive sanctions) were introduced. The operations of sin have demanded that grace be further clarified and revealed so that created beings and living creatures might escape the peculiar limitations imposed by the original system of sacred laws that assumed Adam and his descendants all would be in personal relationship to divinity on the basis of direct contact, and active presence. While the law does correctly identify sin and its consequences, divine law does not eliminate, erase, or remove sin as a continuing aspect of awareness and self-will within the living. Only death and new life from GOD establish permanent release from sin; and mankind must be endowed with divine content that will prepare flesh both for resurrection from death, and for eternal existence as immortal and incorruptible. Because of sin, there now must be atonement, purification, redemption, resurrection, salvation, sanctification and many other divine operations simply spoken of as “rebirth”. See Deuteronomy 27: 26, John 3: 6-8, Galatians 3: 10-14, Titus 3: 3-7, James 2: 10-20 and 1st Peter 1: 13-23, KJV.
THE GOLDEN ARROW: Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. (Matthew 25: 24-33, KJV)
THE DOUBLE DAGGER: On Christians Being Inclusive? (07/16/2014); War and Peace? (07/17/2014); Denying Oneself (05/17/2014); From Such Turn Away (05/18/2014); Not A Matter Of Opinion? (04/24/2014); What Faith Makes Possible (04/25/2014); Spring-training? (04/11/2014); Kill the Blog Writer! (04/12/2014); Scriptures and Judging Others (03/12/2014); Faith Given By GOD (03/13/2014)
“Grace”, here are a few points to consider that can not be avoided for any belief system acknowledging GOD as righteous and holy:
(1.) The exalted status of GOD is not merely based upon the idea that the Almighty Father has supreme authority, and governs all created beings and living creatures with power to condemn, destroy, kill, resurrect, and even to grant eternal life. For ones sacred knowledge to be comprehensive and sound, divinity would also have to be described and recognized in terms of those operations having cosmic proportion that may only be carried out and performed by GOD, the full range of eternal purposes expressed through divine revelation, and a detailed description for the various aspects that make up divine person.
(2.) For the sake of their integrity as genuine persons, created beings and living creatures are established having awareness, independence, and self-will. However, given their fragility, infirmity, impurity, and vulnerability, there must be a “protective” distance from the Almighty for finite created beings and living creatures to continue in existence before GOD. Intimate relationship, and access to GOD are controlled through such divine operations as atonement, baptism (death of ones inborn spirit, rebirth from divine DNA, so to speak), communion, judgment, penance, prayer, repentance, sanctification, and worship. All living things are not the same; only certain ones are the children of GOD in terms of functions, preparation, readiness, strength, and divine substance.
(3.) Through the provisions of GOD, who is spirit, appearing in human form (we say, incarnate) as Jesus Christ, mankind may receive various inseparable aspects of sacred substance from the content and makeup of GOD. Included are boldness (some say, confidence, courage), faith, holiness, humility, joy, longsuffering, love, truthfulness, wisdom, and wrath against sin. The work of the imparted, indwelling Spirit is to establish union with GOD through the life of his Son.
There is far more to be said, correctly understood, and spiritually apprehended. (For example, (4.) Many attack the righteousness of GOD as being “cruel and offensive” on the basis of their ignorance, their immaturity, their lack of understanding, and their separation from GOD. Like small children, they whine and cry because they may not have their own way. Creation, judgment, redemption, salvation, and the various unknown operations of GOD are, in fact, absolutely non-negotiable. For those lacking the divine endowment, sacred knowledge and divine will must always be incorrectly seen as in conflict with human desire, fantasy, intellect, lust, passion, and pride. Through such devices as duty (things that must be done, like it, don’t like it), mankind is being mercifully instructed and prepared to complete the ongoing transformation wherein mortality will be ended, and changes now being introduced into life experience of believers will become final and permanent.) 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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