Does God care more for himself than he cares for us?

[Bruce-Leiter]

This is a question that doesnt get defined in Genesis. It says let us make man in our image and likeness, but then it define how. So it has become a philosophical question to the believer as to wha that means.

When I first started pondering this I thought, huh. God must be a Bi-Ped with two arms and two legs. But over time I hear it tossed around some and have to believe that, it's more than that. Or maybe not even that, who knows? But what else could it be?

Ding! And I got it. I think, lol. It's not that He is a Pi-Ped with two arms & legs but of a deeper nature. One nature where we are...in Christ. And what did He say? emulate me, do as I do. Take on my nature, my character and define yourselves thusly. We shall be able to do all that Christ ever did on earth and more, it says so in scripture.

SO I think being created in His image and likeness means to take on the character of Jesus. Then that which we cant see, (the spiritual) is that we begin to look like Christ. And let your light so shine!

Maybe I'm right and maybe I'm not?

I suggest that you look to the Bible, especially Paul's letters, for the support for your view, which is basically accurate:

1Co_15:49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the
image of the man of heaven.
2Co_3:18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
2Co_4:4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Col_1:15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
Col_3:10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

You are right!

 

[Bruce-Leiter]

John Calvinism is spiritual cancer.
The cure is to get away from it, for the rest of your life.
There is no other cure.
Its like any other addiction....You just have to "say NO", and stay there.

Behold, why are you still harping on Calvinism? Can't you find some doctrines that are truly unbiblical to criticize instead of imagining false doctrines that Calvinism doesn't have?

 

[Johann]

Behold, why are you still harping on Calvinism? Can't you find some doctrines that are truly unbiblical to criticize instead of imagining false doctrines that Calvinism doesn't have?

Welcome to the Forum, @Bruce-Leiter! Shalom to you and your family, brother.

You may have observed a strong resistance to anything related to "Calvinism" here. Stay steadfast in Christ Jesus!

J.

 

[Bruce-Leiter]

Welcome to the Forum, @Bruce-Leiter! Shalom to you and your family, brother.

You may have observed a strong resistance to anything related to "Calvinism" here. Stay steadfast in Christ Jesus!

J.

That's okay. All people have a right to their opinions, but I also have the same right. That's why I was shocked that certain topics are off-limits.

 

[St. SteVen]

New topic.

What does the hell doctrine say about the character of God?

What sort of monster would create such a thing? The most sadist tyrant imaginable. How does it work and what is the purpose? There is no purpose other than eternal torment on the grandest scale. We have all experienced a burn at some point in our lives. Maybe we touched the stove. We...

www.christianityboard.com

[

 

[St. SteVen]

New topic.

What does the hell doctrine say about the character of God?

[

 

[Bruce-Leiter]

New topic.

What does the hell doctrine say about the character of God?

[

It says that God is the perfectly-just Judge who must rightly punish sin, either our sins laid on Jesus on the cross through faith in him or our unrepentant sins.

 

[St. SteVen]

Three pillars of redemption

- God is under no obligation to punish human sinfulness.

- Jesus died to pay the death penalty of sin for all humankind.

- God is loving, kind, gracious and merciful toward those created in his own image.

[

 

[Bruce-Leiter]

Do you think that he is also the just Judge of all humans unless Jesus saves some? That''s one of the reasons Jesus came to release true believers from God the Father's judgment against them (called "justification").
Psa_82:8 Arise, O God, judge the earth; for you shall inherit all the nations!
Psa_94:2 Rise up, O judge of the earth; repay to the proud what they deserve!
Psa_96:10 Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns! Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity.”
Psa_96:13 before the LORD, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness.
Psa_98:9 before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.

 

[amigo de christo]

Three pillars of redemption

- God is under no obligation to punish human sinfulness.

- Jesus died to pay the death penalty of sin for all humankind.

- God is loving, kind, gracious and merciful toward those created in his own image.

[

You been decieved my friend . God is under no obligation to punish human sinfulness .
THINK again . IT KNOWS HE HAS TO DESTROY
ITS WHY HE SENT THE SON so that all who do believe WILL NOT PERISH .
GOD aint gonna deny HIS OWN RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT . But because HE DOES LOVE
and does desire the death of none , WELL HE SENT CHRIST
so that all who do beleive would not get the HELL WE ALL EARNED DUDE .
figure it out . You been so engrossed with false love interfaith its led to another image
of GOD , one that denies HIS OWN RIGHTEOUS JUDMGENT
and has made the path to him SO SIN ACCEPTING and made the path BROAD .
ONLY SATAN Would do that . cause he desires the death of all . yet those who love their sin
sure seem to love satans version that overlooks their sin and promises them salvation no matter what they beleive .
YOU been decived and have loved to have it so .
DO with this message as you please . But if i didnt love you i would not have warned you .
BIBLE time friend and better hurry up too .

 

[Bruce-Leiter]

@amigo, why did Jesus have to die on the cross, if the Father doesn't have to punish human sins? And how do you explain Matthew 25:46 and Revelation 20:14 and 15?

 

[St. SteVen]

Does God care more for himself than he cares for us?​

The way some Christians talk about God, you would think so.

They tell us we are unacceptable to God. That it is only with great difficulty that God loves and tolerates us.

The image of a God that is disappointed with us, because we don't measure up. Shakes His head when he sees us.

An unreasonable expectation that we can never meet. Not accepted for who we are, or where we are at.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is not what I see in God. I see a loving heavenly Father.

His kids are always welcome in his lap. He's intensely interested in them.

He puts everything aside to listen to them. He glories in their presence.

Can hardly wait to see them again when they return. Delights in them.

There is a line down the center of this post.
Which side of the line are you on? Top, or bottom?

[

 

[Behold]

They tell us we are unacceptable to God.

Correct.
Life long SINNERS are "unacceptable to HOLY God".

Didnt you know @St. SteVen ?

Time you found out.

 

[Deleted member 26788]

The way some Christians talk about God, you would think so.

They tell us we are unacceptable to God. That it is only with great difficulty that God loves and tolerates us.

The image of a God that is disappointed with us, because we don't measure up. Shakes His head when he sees us.

An unreasonable expectation that we can never meet. Not accepted for who we are, or where we are at.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is not what I see in God. I see a loving heavenly Father.

His kids are always welcome in his lap. He's intensely interested in them.

He puts everything aside to listen to them. He glories in their presence.

Can hardly wait to see them again when they return. Delights in them.

There is a line down the center of this post, Which side of the line are you on? Top, or bottom?

there are many that take the stance that God is a servant of mankind. its a false notion to think that the most high God would cater to man.

 

[Bruce-Leiter]

Does God care more for himself than he cares for us?​

The way some Christians talk about God, you would think so.

They tell us we are unacceptable to God. That it is only with great difficulty that God loves and tolerates us.

The image of a God that is disappointed with us, because we don't measure up. Shakes His head when he sees us.

An unreasonable expectation that we can never meet. Not accepted for who we are, or where we are at.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is not what I see in God. I see a loving heavenly Father.

His kids are always welcome in his lap. He's intensely interested in them.

He puts everything aside to listen to them. He glories in their presence.

Can hardly wait to see them again when they return. Delights in them.

There is a line down the center of this post.
Which side of the line are you on? Top, or bottom?

[

I'm on both sides of the line, because God is BOTH a just Judge who must punish sin AND a loving Father. If he were only loving, there would be no need for Jesus to suffer and die for us to take our punishment on himself in our place.

Your first characterization of God is wrong. It isn't "with great difficulty" that he loves us. He wants to love us, but our sinful rebellion stands in the way with the result that he provides Jesus as our Substitute.

 

[St. SteVen]

Your first characterization of God is wrong. It isn't "with great difficulty" that he loves us. He wants to love us, but our sinful rebellion stands in the way with the result that he provides Jesus as our Substitute.

Thanks for your post.
But doesn't "He wants to love us, but our sinful rebellion stands in the way..."
indicate that He loves us "with great difficulty"?

[

 

[St. SteVen]

New topic:

Three pillars of redemption

Three pillars of redemption 1) God is under no obligation to punish human sinfulness. 2) Jesus died to pay the death penalty of sin for all humankind. 3) God is loving, kind, gracious and merciful toward those created in his own image.

www.christianityboard.com

[

 

[St. SteVen]

there are many that take the stance that God is a servant of mankind. its a false notion to think that the most high God would cater to man.

What do you make of these?

Philippians 2:5-7 NIV
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.

Matthew 5:44-48 NIV
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven.
He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good,
and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?
Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

[

 

[Deleted member 26788]

What do you make of these?

Philippians 2:5-7 NIV
In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.

Matthew 5:44-48 NIV
But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven.
He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good,
and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get?
Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

[

what comes to mind is

Romans 9:21​

at best we are the clay

 

[Bruce-Leiter]

Thanks for your post.
But doesn't "He wants to love us, but our sinful rebellion stands in the way..."
indicate that He loves us "with great difficulty"?

[

@St. SteVen, I don't think God does anything with "great difficulty," because that implies that he has human characteristics, when he doesn't.