On being a Saint

[Pearl]

Wasn't God's sabbath intended as a day of rest from labour. These days we all know the importance of rest and what they call the work/life balance. What about those who don't work and so are at rest every day? What about those whose days off work come midweek? What about mothers or fathers who care for children 24/7? I think it is important to rest in the Lord at all times not just a specified day of the week.

 

[marks]

Wasn't God's sabbath intended as a day of rest from labour. These days we all know the importance of rest and what they call the work/life balance. What about those who don't work and so are at rest every day? What about those whose days off work come midweek? What about mothers or fathers who care for children 24/7? I think it is important to rest in the Lord at all times not just a specified day of the week.

Fully agreed.

In fact, I see where Scripture teaches in a variety of ways that the Sabbath is not for Gentiles, and not for Christians. The True Sabbath is resting in the finished work of Christ.

To those who want to have the discussion, I'm happy to do so. I wonder that it will go very far once it starts to show how untenable the position is.

I like where Jesus talked about being Lord of the Sabbath, and basically saying that since the Sabbath was made for man, therefore Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath, because Jesus takes care of us.

Much love!

 

[marks]

The New Covenant has a sign. Do you know what it is? Let's see how well you know your Bible?

On this part . . . I'm not into playing "Bible Quiz" for the sake of proving myself. But more to the point, I don't want to swerve from the "sin unto death" discussion until that's settled.

Much love!

 

[CoreIssue]

The law was changed.

What we now have is better than the law.

(Hebrews 7.12; Hebrews 7.19)

Hebrews is the covenant to the houses of Israel and Judah in the future.

We are under the covenant blood given by Christ at the Last Supper.

We are not Israel or Judah.

Today any of Israel or Judah who belong to God church.

 

[CoreIssue]

Actually, I'm not being sarcastic. I'm being serious. And if that's so, am I the false witness? And does this change your response?

Exodus 35:2
Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the Lord: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death.

Is this not a "sin unto death", as you've specified?

Let's stay with this topic a moment, before moving on to others.

You've specified sins which are against the 10 commandments (the Sabbath is part of that) and that were punishable by death in the OT, and the Sabbath was one of those.

So breaking the Sabbath is against the 10 commandments, and is punishable by death. So does that not make it one of the "sins unto death" by your definition?

If not, we can re-look at your definition. Otherwise, we stand with this, correct?

Last Saturday, knowing it was Saturday, I did chores. I worked. A man was killed for just picking up sticks on the Sabbath. I dare say I do a lot more work on Saturday's than that!

Thoughts?

Much love!
Mark

The only unforgivable sin is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.

Those who were so into other sins stop listening to the Holy Spirit, so they commit blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.

 

[marks]

The saints do not become so by inherited blood...but by their own blood they have spilled for the Lord.

I just noticed this . . . We're saved not by Jesus' shed blood, but by the shedding of our own blood?

Our blood is better not only of bulls and goats, but better than the blood of Jesus Himself?

That seems heretical to me. I suggest caution.

Much love!
mark

 

[aspen]

I just noticed this . . . We're saved not by Jesus' shed blood, but by the shedding of our own blood?

Our blood is better not only of bulls and goats, but better than the blood of Jesus Himself?

That seems heretical to me. I suggest caution.

Much love!
mark

Sometimes we look for heresy at the expense of living. Caution is sometimes warranted - I agree, but not when it causes us to bury our treasure

 

[marks]

Sometimes we look for heresy at the expense of living. Caution is sometimes warranted - I agree, but not when it causes us to bury our treasure

Took me a couple times through to understand maybe what you are saying here, I think I get it. Sometimes a caution is the treasure.

Living, to me, is living in Jesus. And we can't just pick our own way, in this case self-reliance. That is antithetical to faith.

Much love!

 

[aspen]

Took me a couple times through to understand maybe what you are saying here, I think I get it. Sometimes a caution is the treasure.

Living, to me, is living in Jesus. And we can't just pick our own way, in this case self-reliance. That is antithetical to faith.

Much love!

Living is the treasure - in the case of shedding our blood, it is an imitation of Christ. I think worrying about whether or not our blood or His blood is saving us might be actually inhibiting the power of martyrdom. Peter’s willingness to leap before analyzing, debating, determining whether his actions were heretical was often a good quality - I agree, not always.

 

[marks]

Living is the treasure - in the case of shedding our blood, it is an imitation of Christ. I think worrying about whether or not our blood or His blood is saving us might be actually inhibiting the power of martyrdom. Peter’s willingness to leap before analyzing, debating, determining whether his actions were heretical was often a good quality - I agree, not always.

In this case I was responding to episkopos' assertion that it isn't Jesus blood that makes us holy, that it is our own shed blood.

I don't denigrate or minimize martyrdom, just the same, we are made holy - become saints - by Jesus' blood, not by our own. We don't "save ourselves".

We can pay for our own sins with our own blood, but then we're dead.

If we allow Jesus to pay for our sins with His blood, then even if we die, we still live.

But to the comment about "worrying whether or not our blood our His blood is saving us", I think that's a rather important question. Do we save ourselves? I'm looking to Jesus, and anyone not looking the same direction, I think they need to start.

Much love!
mark

 

[aspen]

In this case I was responding to episkopos' assertion that it isn't Jesus blood that makes us holy, that it is our own shed blood.

I don't denigrate or minimize martyrdom, just the same, we are made holy - become saints - by Jesus' blood, not by our own. We don't "save ourselves".

We can pay for our own sins with our own blood, but then we're dead.

If we allow Jesus to pay for our sins with His blood, then even if we die, we still live.

But to the comment about "worrying whether or not our blood our His blood is saving us", I think that's a rather important question. Do we save ourselves? I'm looking to Jesus, and anyone not looking the same direction, I think they need to start.

Much love!
mark

Oh ok, I get it - thanks for explaining.
Yeah, you made a good and necessary point.

I guess, I am just coming from a different angle - people who preach a paralyzed gospel, which promotes a state of perpetual low grade anxiety about ‘doing it wrong’ when it comes to living out their relationship with Christ.

I now realize that you were not saying this. I appreciate your post.

 

[marks]

people who preach a paralyzed gospel, which promotes a state of perpetual low grade anxiety about ‘doing it wrong’ when it comes to living out their relationship with Christ.

Good description of even this idea that God starts us on our race, but then we have to finish it from our selves. A paralyzed gospel, or life in Christ? There's a good question!

Much love brother!
mark

 

[marks]

@aspen,

btw . . . what are you holding in your avatar? It looks like an owl, is it?

Much love!

 

[aspen]

@aspen,

btw . . . what are you holding in your avatar? It looks like an owl, is it?

Much love!

Yes! It is a baby screech owl - I volunteer at a raptor center

 

[marks]

Yes! It is a baby screech owl - I volunteer at a raptor center

How cool is that! I volunteer at an old folks home . . . I'll bet it's kinda the same!

 

[aspen]

How cool is that! I volunteer at an old folks home . . . I'll bet it's kinda the same!

Ha

 

[marks]

which promotes a state of perpetual low grade anxiety about ‘doing it wrong’ when it comes to living out their relationship with Christ.

You know, I keep coming back to this . . . this is good wording. So important!

God has us in the palm of His hand, and He's not letting us go anywhere! That's liberty in love!

Much of the same!

Mark

 

[1stCenturyLady]

Is this not a "sin unto death", as you've specified?

Of course, but only if you lived under the Old Covenant. Do you understand covenant rules? Maybe not. Or maybe you do, and are just trying to trap me like the Pharisees. ROFL Watch it, your heart is showing. And you can say your sarcasm doesn't stink, but we all know better.

The Sabbath pointed forward to God's Rest. Who is God's rest?

Exodus 33:14
And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

The LAWS of God are eternal and written on our hearts, thus 1 John 3:4 still applies to mankind. But signs change/evolve. When the covenant it is connected to is fulfilled, instead of in the "flesh," they become spiritual. Circumcision of the flesh, became circumcision of the heart when the Seed was revealed in Jesus. Resting physically one day a week, became a permanent abiding and trust in Jesus every moment of every day. The old Commandments of the Father, the Ten Commandments were fulfilled in Christ. We are no longer under these laws IF we have been given the Holy Spirit, which may only be obtained through true repentance unto Jesus who takes away our sin, and doesn't just cover them up as some ignorantly believe. Those in Christ are under His commandments which go deeper than the surface commandments, or bottom line commandments of the Father that were only put in place to guard us until Jesus came. Then the first four commandments of the Father became believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and the last six became love your neighbor as yourself. 1 John 3:23. Thus murder was brought down the the heart and was broken with only hate. And adultery, became just lust after another's spouse.

John 15:10
10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.

Commandments 1-4 = Jesus
Commandments 6-10 = Love

 

[1stCenturyLady]

Yes! It is a baby screech owl - I volunteer at a raptor center

I volunteer at a wildlife rehabilitation center! We get everything except skunks and bats (rabies). I've got generations of raccoons at home, starting with one female about 10 years or more ago. In July they will start bringing me their babies! Some years the babies become so tame, I can pet them as they eat out of my hand.

 

[Waiting on him]

This is how I feel. Even though I have walked with the Lord in the light in Zion for long periods and have had many spiritual encounters with the Lord...I'm still not at that place where I can enter into the Spirit ...in the midst of the fire...so as to remain there permanently. The promise given to me by the Lord was that I would walk in that place before I die. So I press on towards the high calling of Christ. (take a look at my signature on the bottom)

I know that just the other day you said you had walked in Zion one time for 20 seconds?