I don't believe in the god of chance. Sorry. The god who only becomes "effective" upon "our" performances.
Me either.
I believe in the God who gives everybody the chance to be reborn of His seed.
Without that rebirth, Jesus says..."no man will see the kingdom of God". (John 3:3)
God IS The Father of us all. No amount of chance or disbelief is capable of changing that fact.
God was not my Father while I still served the devil and sin.
I had to repent of sin, and get reborn for that honor.
It is written..."Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
10 In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother." (1 John 3:9-10)
Nor do God's children turn into devils as you've proposed. Or turn back into children of God again. What a mess.
That was not my proposition.
Children of men, turn into children of the devil when they commit their first sin.
They can become the children of God, though, if they will turn from darkness and unto the light.
It is written..."9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:9,7)
Again, this is not a "you must do something" in order for God to make it so, situation.
I disagree, as those who walk in the flesh need the grace of God, and His delivery system, to escape the life they once lived in the "flesh".
It is a choice the righteous have made whole heartedly.
Man shall live, emphasis, live, by every Word of God. It's not capable of being wiped away by the choices of anyone. It's a One Way Street. A One Sided Deal.
I'm not sure what you are referring to either time you say "it's" ?
What gets wiped away ?
What deal do you refer to ?
Same drill. Jesus said evil comes from within in the forms of illegal evil thoughts that defile us all.
The only ones defiled by evil thoughts, are the ones who give in to them.
They are called temptations, and the reborn have been enabled to resist them. (James 4:7)
This isn't optional based on our performances.
I disagree.
If righteousness were not a choice we could make, all men would perish.
It's a hard line God Stated Fact. Paul elaborates on this quite succinctly in Romans 7 showing that he still "did evil," Romans 7:19, had "evil present" with him, Romans 7:21
Are you unaware of Roman 8:2's delivery from the "law of sin" ?
Rom 8:2..." For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."
Rom 7 is Paul's present-historical tense lament, and from his preconversion life.
and that his flesh still served the "law of sin," Romans 7:25,
Are you unaware of of 7:5's statement that Paul was no longer in the "flesh" ?
It is written..."5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death."
All the later allusions to life in the "flesh", are memories from the past, as a Pharisee and trying, unsuccessfully, to please God with Law keeping.
had a devil in his own flesh, 2 Cor. 12:7,
You may have misread it, as it actually says "a thorn" in him...a reminder of his own infirmities.
still had temptation "is his flesh," Gal. 4:14,
Unfortunately, your intention to discredit Paul has led you to exclude the comment from Gal 4:14 from its context.
It is written..."13 "Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.
14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus." (Gal 4:13-14)
Paul had some medical or disfigurement problem that the Corinthians were able to see past.
Thanks be to God.
and was the chief of sinners, present tense "I am," after salvation, 1 Tim. 1:15
He was the worst of those Jesus came to save.
That doesn't mean he continued to persecute the church...does it ?
Paul was far far far from a "self promoter" of good decisions justifying himself. Quite the opposite. If anything he drives a condemnation stake through himself to put the matters to rest.
Sorry to see you with such low esteem for one Jesus chose to take the message of freedom to both Jews an Gentiles.
One can't preach a message he doesn't manifest with one's life.
In order to even step into being a legitimate disciple of Jesus we hate our own lives because of the same facts. Luke 14:26. And there is ample cause to do so. And we also hate the evil present in others.
Do you hate yourself enough to crucify the old you, with the affections and lusts " (Gal 5:24)
Many have.
We tend to get brainwashed by various God always and only loves us stories. I don't believe any of them.
Me either, as Jesus died for the sins of the world, leaving us in control of our own destiny.
How much more loving can our Savior get ?
There is an extreme reason to actually FEAR God, because of the fact of evil present within us. Particularly if we lie about the fact.
If that fear can't prod one to serve God instead of serve sin, his fear was not real
Heb. 10:22 also shows us we have an evil conscience. There is no getting around this kind of stuff unless we are simply blinded by the fact of it. And when we come away from prayer, it's still there. What we are washed by is simple "honesty." No liar can speak the fact of it, because it's TRUE.
Heb 10:22 shows that the evil conscience has been purged.
It is written..."22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water." (Heb 10:22)
That "sprinkling" and that "washing" were effective for me to be washed of all that I despised from my past...like Paul was in Rom 7.
The "love your neighbors" commands? Uh, yeah. That's pretty much gone at this point, having been reduced to lip service and burying what they really present, which is "believe like me or burn alive forever." (or be eternally annihilated, not much different.) None of that is "love your neighbors."
The lack of belief, and obedience, will condemn many.
Some do believe, and obey.
No one is ever sinless in this present life.
I disagree, as if nobody ever really repented of sin, both John the Baptist, and Jesus Himself, were a waste of time.
On the contrary, they were both highly successful in their missions to earth.
That Seat was Reserved for Jesus Himself. No one else sits there.
It is written..."It is enough for the disciple that he be
as his master, and the servant
as his lord." (Matt 10:25)
I pity those who buy into those various delusions of self justifications following twisted tails.
Me too, but thankfully God has provided the blood of His only begotten Son to justify us, at its application when we are baptized into Him, and into His death.
But nevertheless, however Jesus is proclaimed, HE DOES AND WILL come through, regardless.
He will indeed keep His promises.
Like, for instance..."22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them,
I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (Matt 7:22-23)
