I am a DOG, not a Christian.

[kidwboro]

I've examined my deeds and my wicked desires, and have come to the valid conclusion that I am not a Christian, I am a dog.
But the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.

Consider this. In heaven you can have the the thirty-fold harvest, the sixty-fold harvest, or the hundredfold harvest.

Is your precious title of "I'm a CHRISTIAN! Look at ME! I'm a CHRISTIAN!" worth forsaking the hundredfold harvest?
Be a DOG worthy of the crumbs, and you will get the hundredfold harvest. Be a "Christian.. Look at ME! I'm a Christian!" and receive only the thirtyfold harvest -- or maybe not even that.

"For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

The woman from Canaan called herself a dog, and Jesus immediately pronounced GREAT faith over her; whereas countless number of times He says to his disciples "O ye of little faith."

Woman from Canaan who called herself a dog: GREAT FAITH
The MIGHTY DISCIPLES of Jesus Christ ("Look at ME! I'm following Jesus Christ! No one can do what I CAN DO!"): little faith

You choose.

 

[Xalith]

Might want to be careful about that mentality.

Doing something purely for the rewards it offers doesn't work. Doing it out of love and humbleness before God, however, shows love, faith and humbleness (all the things God/Jesus asks of us).

The Canaanite woman you mention, humbled herself in front of Jesus not because she was expecting rewards, but because she honestly thought this of herself. She didn't know there were rewards for doing this, which means that rewards couldn't have possibly been her motive. She said that she was a dog, because she honestly thought this.

Now, if you've some secret pride in you somewhere, and you desire rewards in Heaven, and you get on your face in front of God and proclaim yourself to be a dog, do you think you'll really get the hundred-fold reward?

Me, I don't desire rewards in Heaven. I would, of course, accept anything He chooses to give me, but I ask nothing, other than the ability to continue worshipping Him and glorifying Him in Heaven once my time on Earth is done. Anything on top of that is just gravy. He could give me just a small shack somewhere and give me pleasant things to do so I'm not bored and I'd be content.

In the end, whatever He gives us, is what we justly deserve and trying to tip the scales to get more rewards is surely bound to bite you in the rear in the end run. Yearning for rewards isn't the right way to go about it, IMO. We're supposed to be humble, not yearning for rewards.

 

[Svt4Him]

Okay, I'll agree, you are a dog.

 

[Gunny]

In my humble opinion, when we receive revelation from God's Word concerning how He thinks of His creation (us) we have a very healthy view of God, ourselves and others.

God's Word tells me the following: I am a child of the light, a child of the day, I am a child of God. Also, God's Word tells me that I am His beloved, and that we are sons and daughters of the most high called unto a royal priesthood. God's Word tells me that Jesus is my Lord, Savior, King, Master, Kinsman redeemer, Elder Brother, and that He will never leave me nor forsake me. Like Abraham, God is a friend of mine.

Revelation from God's Word does not fuel human pride but rather Godly confidence. My life is not my own and I live to please God in all that I think, say and do.

 

[BryanW92]

I've examined my deeds and my wicked desires, and have come to the valid conclusion that I am not a Christian, I am a dog.
But the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.

Consider this. In heaven you can have the the thirty-fold harvest, the sixty-fold harvest, or the hundredfold harvest.

Is your precious title of "I'm a CHRISTIAN! Look at ME! I'm a CHRISTIAN!" worth forsaking the hundredfold harvest?
Be a DOG worthy of the crumbs, and you will get the hundredfold harvest. Be a "Christian.. Look at ME! I'm a Christian!" and receive only the thirtyfold harvest -- or maybe not even that.

"For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

The woman from Canaan called herself a dog, and Jesus immediately pronounced GREAT faith over her; whereas countless number of times He says to his disciples "O ye of little faith."

Woman from Canaan who called herself a dog: GREAT FAITH
The MIGHTY DISCIPLES of Jesus Christ ("Look at ME! I'm following Jesus Christ! No one can do what I CAN DO!"): little faith

You choose.

She didn't publicly proclaim herself to be a dog in a "humblebrag". In fact, she never called herself a dog. Jesus said that children's food should not be given to dogs and she merely replied that even the dogs get scraps. She certainly didn't make her statements to get the upgraded accommodations in heaven, like its a cruise ship! A Christian should be content to merely receive the harvest and never worry about how many "fold" it is.

 

[Sketcher]

"Children and dogs" clearly referred to Jews and Gentiles. After Christ's death and resurrection, that sort of separation was done away with by Christ (see Ephesians 2:11-22 and the entire book of Galatians).

 

[Svt4Him]

It wasn't done away with. Salvation has been extended to gentiles, but when we are saved, we are grafted into the original vine.

 

[joshuanazar]

The woman didn't have great faith because she considered herself a dog, but because she believed that God's mercy could extend to her despite her not being deserving of it. Interesting Jesus only told two people that they had great faith and they both were gentiles. The Law had a serious effect on the Jews faith. But now there is no difference between gentile and Jew the Bible saying the the wall dividing the two having been torn down by Christ.

 

[Xalith]

Interesting Jesus only told two people that they had great faith and they both were gentiles.

The Gentiles had been living hundreds, maybe a thousand or more years of being told that they are heathens, unclean, and worthless in the eyes of God by the Jews.

Please note I mean absolutely no offense to Jews, but this is what went on back then. Gentiles were used to being told they were worthless, unclean heathens, so the two people Jesus encountered had already been beaten into the ground in a spiritual sense by all the religious people at the time.

At least that's my interpretation.

 

[joshuanazar]

I don't think the centurion was beaten down. His great faith wasn't based on Jesus' mercy like the woman, but on Jesus' authority. These two gentiles were from different walks of life, one a Roman officer and the other a poor woman from the Syrian coasts. The one thing that they had in common was that they both were not under the Law.

 

[LovebirdsFlying]

I'm.... really not certain what prompted this.

Nor do I get why a Christian is perceived as, "Look at ME! I'm a Christian!" It would seem that Christians should be all about, "Look at HIM! He is Lord!"

 

[Xalith]

I'm.... really not certain what prompted this.

Nor do I get why a Christian is perceived as, "Look at ME! I'm a Christian!" It would seem that Christians should be all about, "Look at HIM! He is Lord!"

Jesus warns against this very thing during His ministry on Earth, when He talks about people praying aloud to appear more spiritual and such. This is the very same type of boasting that He says not to do.

We are to profess Christ, we are to bear witness, but we are not to use it as a boast or source of pride, nor are we to feign humbleness while expecting rewards from it. No offense to the OP, but it sounds like he/she has the entirely wrong mentality about it.

 

[Kutte]

Jesus warns against this very thing during His ministry on Earth, when He talks about people praying aloud to appear more spiritual and such. This is the very same type of boasting that He says not to do.

We are to profess Christ, we are to bear witness, but we are not to use it as a boast or source of pride, nor are we to feign humbleness while expecting rewards from it. No offense to the OP, but it sounds like he/she has the entirely wrong mentality about it.

Hi Xalith

I agree. Jesus gave special instructions on how and where to pray. He disliked Prayers performed as public rituals, such as at public and sporting events because such open prayer spectacles only tend to develop into lip services. Mathew 6:5-8 Jesus also said that when wanting to pray it should be done in a closed room.

My best, Kutte