Ronald David Bruno
Well-Known Member
You apparently are one of those people. You went off on a tangent when I suggested for you to sell everything you have, empty your bank and give it to the poor! A test of goodness that Christ gave ... "putting your money where your mouth is as the expression goes. Since it's so easy for you to be good, well go ahead and be perfect - do it.There are scriptures that throw people off
You didn't think that applied to you? "Jesus told someone to do that, not me!"
So you went off giving excuses, diversions and talking about all the apparent contradictions in the Bible ... that just.ckmflkcts everyone!
Here we go ...
Rationalize your way out of it ... that's not GOOD. You are more like the rich man than you think and have the ability to help the poor. Since it's so easy to be good, until now, it's hard, you bumped up against a wall. So you come up with a boatload of excuses and diversions ... and the Bible, it's just a literary thing you know ... LOLBe righteous...no one is righteous...be perfects as your Father in heaven...no one is perfect...no one that knows Christ, sins..."My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.".....He that commits sin is of the devil....If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness....The Bible never contradicts itself....the Bible constantly contradicts itself....I gave you the list and this is one of the reasons I gave you the list....it is a form of writing....a literary form....in other words written that way intentionally.
Do you even know what that scripture means? It means you can only worship one master: God or mammon. The rich man has to relinquish and devalue his possessions and give them away before he can get into heaven.It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God. Why?
The "eye of a needle" was a common phrase used for the entrance doorway into the city. It was shaped like an eye of a needle. It was only so high and rich people had their camels stacked and piled so high that they could not get in unless they removed all their load off the camel.
You know, people online can say anything - like they are good. Maybe they are, maybe not ... we don't really know them - so it is just talk. People like to pretend to be super-spiritual and theological giants. If they were, they would be busy actually doing something good.10 percent does not mean anything to Christians. You should financially support your church...you should participate in church activities....you should give to charity...you should give to your local food bank....10 percent does not mean anything....if you are rich...you can give 50 percent....if you are poor it may be just a penny....but the point is give that penny....it counts. There are so many ways you can support your church and support others that does not cost a penny....it counts. Give according to your means.
Your family and friends, people you grew up with who have known you for years, know if you are good. Don't answer this question to me but ask yourself: Do they think you are a good person, kind, generous, joyful, faithful, patient, peaceful etc.
Or do they think you are just a talker, you talk the talk? "By their fruit you will know them."
Don't praise yourself and pat yourself on the back, let others praise you. This reminds me of the man who prayed to God and thanked Him that he was not like all the other sinners. He had pride. And then there was a sinner who prayed, with feelings of humility and unworthiness for forgiveness.
It is easy to interpret scripture so that it cannot be applicable to you. That message was for him but it speaks to any and all people who value possessions and money over a relationship with God AND to be generous, charitable to the poor.When Christ told the young man to give up everything, that was a specific conversation, for a specific reason...for that person. Today it is not that hard to be charitable..
Yes, we know. And why do you think that is? You say you are obedient.As far as me saying it is easy to be good. It is!
But to what, loving your neighbor AS YOURSELF? So every opportunity you have to help or give to your neighbor, you do AND additionally make an extra effort to make sure they are taken care of as you do yourself??? You must be the pride of your community, so loving and thoughtful ... Don't answer that, nobody here can verify if it was true. That is just a question for you.
But tell me Grailhunter, if you are in fact that good to your family, your neighbors, community, that must take lots of time out of your day right? I know good people like that, (servants), who spend all day long doing those things. But you have written 7000 elaborate posts, (some very lengthy), in just in a little over two years, not to mention the reading through tens of thousands more. That takes time.
My question is, for such a one who finds it easy to be good, where do you find time to do good deeds?
Oh, oh, oh, I get it, it just hit me. You are not really talking about being good to others, just not doing bad to others like in the scriptures you posted describing the sins. It is good to avoid sinning. But loving your neighbor as yourself is the next level of doing good.
It is easy if you are on your computer all day and not around people, not to sin against them. You are isolated. Avoiding sin is righteous behavior, but it is not loving your neighbor as yourself just because you think you did not hurt them. Maybe they are hurt because you ignored them.
Don't get me wrong, I am not the most generous nor am I filled with brotherly love, because it is not easy. But I never claimed that being good was easy. Actually I need to be more loving to my neighbor ... it's laziness and selfishness. Without God, we can do nothing good.
And to bring up a few more points you'be been pressing.
Why is it not easy to be good?
SIN
Goodness is actually holiness imparted by God. It is an attribute of God. To be holy can only happen when you have a personal relationship with Jesus. He is Holy because He is set apart from sin.
So the Holy Spirit sanctifies us (sets us apart from sin). We cannot make ourselves holy, only God can -gradually. SO NO ONE CAN TAKE THE CREDIT FOR BEING GOOD. We cooperate and obey to avoid sin but the good works - He prepares for us and in His strength we do them.
Yes we have moments of perfection. When He prepares us to do a good deed, help someone at the right moment and we provide that help. That is doing His will and for that moment, it was perfect. The prophets acted perfectly when God inspired them to write His Word down, word for word! Thay was perfect for that moment when they were filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit. When He moves us to do something, minister, witness and it is accomplished, that's perfection because it is God working in us.