The cross as a mirror for believers and an assurance of divine love are topics, today. While water baptism, and many other sacred practices of the church are important for building confidence, skill, and strength for ones commitment and sacred knowledge, focus must be upon becoming able to discern within, and apply ones own spirit content to, such features as events, messages, persons, and purposes. Focusing upon the humanity of the Savior upon the cross, believers are to become fully aware of the communion of Creator and the created, and realize the limits and possibilities for their own character, makeup and substance. The divine process used imparts strength and calls forth life by exalting mercy in place of sacrifice. The way of the Lord is not to coerce, intimidate, and threaten believers into submission; rather, it is one of encouraging acceptance and new relationship because of voluntary exchange, forgiveness, and mutual sharing of love. Thus, the only acceptable offerings and sacrifices are those made with respect, and out of love. In the same way, bad behavior or a child’s unwillingness to agree with his parents does not annul a lawful adoption, slowness to acquire sacred knowledge, to display permanent change, and to eliminate all sin in ones life does not immediately end a believer’s new life with GOD through his Son. Consider again the following Scriptures, and the presentation below:
2nd Corinthians 3: 18, King James Version (KJV): 18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
James 1: 23-25, KJV: 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
Acts 19: 2-6, KJV: 2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. 3 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. 4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. 5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
1st John 4: 9-15, KJV: 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
1st Corinthians 13: 8-13, KJV: 8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. 13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
A writer at “Yahoo! Answers (New Zealand) using the ID “Kayden” (Level 1 with 80 points, a member since April 13, 2016) posted the following:
Does God love me even when I m not baptised yet?
I m not baptised yet. But after growing knowledge of Jesus sacrifice to humanity, I wanted to show my respects back for his sacrifice. I love the LORD. But does he love me even when I m not baptised yet?
THE GOLDEN ARROW: Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. (Romans 6: 3-12, KJV)
THE DOUBLE DAGGER: Love From The Cross? (04/08/2016); Belief, Content And Works? (02/12/2016); To Express the Fullness of GOD? (07/09/2015); Making Sin Appear as Sinful? (06/07/2015); Going to Church Before Baptism? (05/05/2015); Made in the Image of GOD? (10/09/2014); All Who Read Convert? (10/10/2014); The Image of GOD? (10/10/2013); Embodied Afterlife? (10/11/2013)
“Kayden”, mature Christian believers are to trust that answers are continuing to flow to us across time and space through operations of the Holy Spirit: blood and truth from the cross are reaching to here and now. Many things concerning divine love for you and others upon the earth, that otherwise would be hidden and invisible, are being openly displayed and revealed to mankind through divinity appearing in the flesh as Jesus Christ. The holy writings report the active presence of divinity within thousands of events, using thousands of lives, over the course of thousands of years. We are allowed to see and hear from GOD’s point of view, so to speak, that includes feelings, human intent, motive, purpose, and thoughts. Even so, it remains difficult for created beings and living creatures to escape the finite frameworks of time and space to comprehend all that GOD intends we know and understand. We have been given divine law, covenant, priesthood, and systems for offerings, prayers, and sacrifices. However, these have not been enough. Thus, the Son of GOD dying upon the cross has been provided for atonement, a new testament in his blood, and establishment of his disciples and followers as a new, divine Creation.
The living must come to know GOD by receiving and regularly using spirit content from the makeup of GOD (divine DNA, so to speak). So this will be understandable, we continue to say, “You must be born again.” In water baptism, the inborn spirit dies, is buried, and a forms of “adoption” and “resurrection” occur, and the believer is reborn from divine seed that is spirit. Once born again, alive in Christ, and through the Son, within the Father, a believer must “grow up again” and become mature by meeting the same life challenges (“growing pains”) as everyone else upon the earth. A believer makes every reasonable effort to perform those things known to be acceptable to GOD from the Scriptures (e.g., childbearing, church attendance, marriage, tithing), yet, we rely completely upon what Christ is accomplishing on our behalf.
In the same way we were physically born as infants to our parents, having no decision-making input to the process for our development and continuing connection (we say, relationship), we are limited and may not control the fixed and pre-determined aspects of living as those chosen and embraced through the grace of GOD. Even so, a divine commitment is now in place that is not based merely upon our appearance, ethnicity, flaws, errors, physical characteristics (eye color, hair, weight, etc.), and sin. With this in view, ceremony, ritual, and tradition are often helpful, yet, what we see in the mirror of Christ upon the cross is more significant. The most crucial factors are not the temporal elements of human attitudes, behavior, or feelings that come and go. Inseparable spirit content is being deposited within us through sacred knowledge (the Scriptures) and practices (we say, sacraments such as confession, penance) that is to be built up, and should appear such as faith, forbearance, forgiveness, holiness, humility, longsuffering, love, meekness, wisdom, and wrath against sin. Mature believers should discern and recognize that an aspect of themselves dies upon the cross in Jesus Christ, and eternal possibilities are now their inheritance from GOD. Consider the following points shared using language from the Bible:
(1.) Romans 5: 7-9, King James Version (KJV): 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
(2.) Romans 3: 21-26, KJV: 21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
There is far more to be said, understood, and spiritually apprehended. (For example, (3.) Ephesians 5: 25-29, KJV: 25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church;) Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to your faith.
THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC
Washington, DC
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