On being a Saint
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The higher one goes in the Lord, the more you have to leave behind.
That works for natural human relational things as well as natural human things regarding ourselves. If we still indulge our own ideas, opinions, thoughts...etc, then we are not yet in the presence of God. Quite the opposite.
That works for natural human relational things as well as natural human things regarding ourselves. If we still indulge our own ideas, opinions, thoughts...etc, then we are not yet in the presence of God. Quite the opposite.
I disagree that the Sabbath Rest is no longer law. It is true that we no longer follow the letter of the law but rather the spirit of the law - the law is spiritual and good.
I think I break the Sabbath rest law, not if I do or don't go to a church building on a certain day, but rather when I worry instead of trust.
CoreIssue
Well-Known Member
The unforgivable sin is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. When you stop listening or reject what the Holy Spirit is saying you can never be saved.
The issue here is which sins result in God removing someone from this earth immediately. Which sins do not.
1 John 5:16-17 New International Version (NIV)
16 If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.
The issue here is which sins result in God removing someone from this earth immediately. Which sins do not.
1 John 5:16-17 New International Version (NIV)
16 If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.
I take your general point about worry; and of course activities in Acts 2.42 should be pursued with joy.
As regards the law system with its sabbath (before the Resurrection, the fulfillment of the feast of firstfruits (1 Corinthians 15.20), the law was changed (Hebrews 7.12) and what we now have is better than the law (Hebrews 7.19).
I think the law has changed only as in HOW we are obedient to it. Not outwardly, but inwardly. I do not think it is done away with.
I do think those quotes from Hebrews are clear, anyway.
1stCenturyLady
Well-Known Member
I agree with you, and you don't understand me. God's rest is not confined to a day of the week, like it was to teach us that there IS a rest in God. Jesus gives us rest, everyday.
Hi stunnedbygrace, I missed this before . . .
I believe we've been born to the Lawgiver, and now, we don't define our lives by His Law, we define life by God Himself. We don't try to attain the righteousness that comes in keeping the Law, instead, we attain to the righteousness of Jesus Himself.
We've been given Jesus' righteousness, and we are instructed to put it on ourselves and wear it, wear Him, put on Christ, not put on the Mosaic covenant, bu tput on the new man.
Living to keep the Law instead of living Christ is like going shopping with half a chopped penny instead of bringing Beto's AMEX card.
Which is the higher standard?
Thou shalt not murder.
I tell you, hatred is as murder.
Love your enemies.
?
Much love! - to you my friend!
Mark
The challenge of the one called to be a saint is to grow downward as well as upward. IOW we must also increase in humility as we grow in the knowledge of the Lord and of His ways.
I remember asking a young man to draw me a tree on a whiteboard (he was learning) ...when he finished I remarked that he had only drawn half a tree...the visible part. No roots. The full tree is as big underground as above....so the picture is incomplete by only showing the part that is above ground.
So we have to grow both upwards and downwards in order to stay upright in our conduct.
I remember asking a young man to draw me a tree on a whiteboard (he was learning) ...when he finished I remarked that he had only drawn half a tree...the visible part. No roots. The full tree is as big underground as above....so the picture is incomplete by only showing the part that is above ground.
So we have to grow both upwards and downwards in order to stay upright in our conduct.
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I'm only working now to get you to be more tight and concise. As a question, the answer is only more, or less. Without getting into all the machinations of HOW it comes about and happens, is it making things MORE demanding or LESS demanding to tell someone they must not ever physically take a life or to tell them they must not ever have anger in their heart? Its easy to see that its more demanding. He was basically saying, the Pharisees don't murder, but your righteousness must exceed theirs. The Pharisees are very religious and they don't sleep with anyone but their wives, but your righteousness must exceed theirs.
CoreIssue
Well-Known Member
Forgive me core but is that a complete and well constructed sentence? I don't know what you are trying to say...
Are you? How nice!
The demand of the law becomes greater, in that it regulates both thought and action, as opposed to what they all thought, only action.
Yet love was in the law the whole while.
Jesus pointed out what they should have already known. God commanded them to love others, which means not hating them.
Love is higher still, in that it doesn't stop with what we are not to do - don't hate - but we come to "do love".
The commandment was, do not steal. The internal part is, don't want to enrich yourself at another's expense. But love says, don't just not steal, but give from what you earn to others. In fact, work so you are able to give to others.
Living after the Spirit is greater than living after the Law.
Much love!
mark
Wow, I sure didn't mean you to take offense at that...you successfully conveyed that what I said ruffled you there.
Jesus made the law fully impossible for men to do in their own strength because He was going to give His followers the power to do it by grace in the power of the Lord.
When it comes to OUR part in righteousness... it is to admit that we can't do it in our weakness. So then OUR righteousness calls out to God's righteousness for help. When we recognize our need and cry out to Him...salvation comes by a filling of the Spirit. In this way His will is done on earth as it is in heaven.
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Yes! Even the disciples said it was impossible. I get this pic in my head of all these jaws down by their sandals and them sputtering, but You are asking from us what is impossible...
Wow, I sure didn't mean you to take offense at that...you successfully conveyed that what I said ruffled you there.
Hi stunnedbygrace,
I'm sorry, that wasn't offence, not at all! I was simply metacommunicating to your metacommunication.
You may want to re-think your conclusion of me.
Didn't know what else to say and wanting to be friendly.
Much love!
But faith DOES the impossible. Throwing mountains and trees into the sea. Raising the dead, healing the sick, casting out demons AND...walking in the presence of God. :)
marksman
My eldest granddaughter showing the result of her
There are 61 verses in the New Testament that include the word saint. In every case, the Greek word used is the same. it is HAGIOS and that means an awful thing, sacred which means physically pure, morally blameless or religious and ceremonially consecrated, one saint. In all of scripture, it appears 229 times.
One gets the idea that a saint is one that stands out from the rest. The bit I like is the awful thing, as it denotes that saints are to be approached with caution as one does not know what could happen in their presence. Just imagine if people talked about you as the "awful thing?" Would you consider that as an honour or as something that is derogatory such as "he is such an awful person."
If I was to do a play on words I could turn that into an "awesome thing." Are you, am I an awesome thing for God? Today, I do get the impression that the requirement is not sainthood, but one that follows the rule to the letter and does things our way. I remember at a church I started attending, I definitely did not do things their way. In a prayer meeting, someone asked for prayer for her husband who could not seem to get rid of sickness he was experiencing.
The Lord spoke to me and said pray over a cloth and put it under his pillow. I told the lady that and gave her my handkerchief and we prayed over it. She put it under his pillow and a few days later he was well.
The following Sunday I was approached by one of the pastors who said I was out of order because it was the pastor's job to do that.
