Today, focus is on accord, conformity, and oneness without sameness. Ministry of oneself and the gifts from GOD to others must come into view. Divine disfavor that results from human errors such as denial of holy matrimony, divorce, enmity, hate, and unrestrained lust can be avoided. Sinners are challenged to enter into an agreement (we also say, commitment, covenant, testament of blood) with divinity that establishes them in a relationship of repentance and turning away from sin. In addition to refusing to further transgress divine law (i.e., commit sin), those who become born-again are to strive to be like Jesus Christ, “the way, the truth, and the life.” Not only are his deeds and works to be copied or repeated, the precepts, principles, values and the sacred Spirit shown in his life and ministry also are to appear within our own lives. As much as possible, believers should conform to divine standards as seen within the church, and show themselves to be a new creation through Jesus Christ by their lifestyle and regular living routines. With this in view, conforming to Christ and behaving with the integrity of new men and women before GOD should even be seen in the healthy romantic relationships and innocent sexual behavior of a developing believer. What begins as an necessary exploration of ones own body and feelings must mature to become affirmation, giving, restraint, and full sharing. There is never a place for bitterness, exaggerated pride, nastiness, resentment, selfishness, and violence. One of the fighters at “Yahoo! Answers (Malaysia)” using the ID “Anonymous” (no profile information appears) posted the following:
Should we hate what God hates or can we feel our own way about it, all while being a good Christian?
THE GOLDEN ARROW: And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth. For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously. Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment? (Malachi 2: 15-17, King James Version, KJV)
THE DOUBLE DAGGER: The Extravagance of Love? (04/02/2017); Believers Are To Love (12/07/2016); Become Like Jesus Christ? (10/27/2016); Does GOD Hate Jews? (10/03/2016); Bad GOD, Good GOD? (01/03/2016); We Call Him Jealous? (10/25/2015); How To Measure Spiritual Progress? (04/19/2015); Divine Love Seen As Hate? (01/29/2015); Two Different Testaments? (01/05/2013); The Place for Eternal Life? (01/06/2013)
“Anonymous”, among mature Christian believers, sinners are to become as much like Christ as possible (before the end of the world as we now know it.) The process of GOD for cleansing, healing, and recovering the Creation from sin is understood as having multiple levels of divine action and works. GOD must make divinity knowable, known, and “visible” to created beings and living creatures (we say, there must be revelation); the separation of the living and the divine must be reduced; divinity must appear using familiar forms and material (i.e., there must be Incarnation); there must be fixed standards that express the heart and mind of divinity (we say, there must be “sacred knowledge” as well as divine law); and there must be willing responses by the living to the things from GOD. While GOD is to be respected as a sovereign who is immutable and unchanging, and who can not be influenced or manipulated, without describing emotions and sentiment, the holy writings indicate that there can be sorrow and weeping in heaven that are temporal (i.e., that occur over a measurable period). Just as there may be rejoicing for those who return to GOD through Jesus Christ, there can be sorrowing in response to seeing damage and loss in the lives of those in communion with heaven through the divine ministries. To seek to know GOD, then, includes sharing a full range of life experience with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit that includes death, error, rejection, rejoicing, suffering, and eternal life. Through rebirth (we say, being “born again, and growing up again”), the living receive inseparable aspects of spirit content from the makeup of GOD, and it is possible for them to endure as children and heirs of GOD. Included are balance, faith, holiness, longsuffering, lovingkindness, wisdom, and wrath against sin. Conforming to divine standards instead of carnal, material, secular, and social standards requires permanent changes within ones awareness and self-will. Consider the following:
(1.) Romans 12: 1-9, King James Version (KJV): 1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. 9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
(2.) Romans 8: 28-30, KJV: 28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.
There is far more to be said, correctly applied, and spiritually apprehended. (For example, (3.) Philippians 3: 7-14, KJV: 7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; 11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. 12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.) 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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