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GospelS

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God’s love is immeasurable and never ending. It takes eternity to understand how much He loves. He gave us eternal life so we can continue to experience His rich love for us.
 
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St_Worm2

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God’s love is immeasurable and never ending. It takes eternity to understand how much He loves. He gave us eternal life so we can continue to experience His rich love for us.
Hello GospelS, I agree! The Bible also tells us that His love, for those of us who are (or who will be) His, is ~from~ everlasting as well IOW, in a very real sense, His love for us had no beginning in eternity past because He has ALWAYS loved us, and He always will, now, and forevermore

Jeremiah 31
3 The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying,
“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.”

Because of Scriptures like this one, Pastor Charles Spurgeon closed one of his evening devotionals with this final thought, "Everlasting love shall be the pillow for my head this night." ~Morning and Evening, Feb 27th, Evening.

God bless you!

--David

 
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SANTOSO

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Is it okay to know that you are loved by God and not understand how much? And if so, how do you accept that love?
Dear one,
Have you not heard this :
It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the glory of kings is to search things out. -Proverbs 25:2

So it is for our glory that we seek how much He loves us.

This is what we have heard how He loves us :
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, -Matthew 13:45

who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. -Matthew 13:46

When the Lord said AGAIN, He is saying that this parable of the pearl is related with the parable of the hidden treasure.

As It is written in the parable of hidden treasure in Matthew 13:44

“Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”

Similarly, it is written in the parable of the pearl :

“went and sold all that he had and bought it”.

We can understand when the Lord relate to us both parables that the Son of Man was the merchant who went and sold all that he had and bought the pearl.

In bible, we can understand that the merchant is rendered as a traveller who travel about with their merchandise from place to place and carried on their trade.

This is what we have heard regarding the travel of the Son of Man:

No one has ascended into heaven except he who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. -John 3:13

This merchant is said in search of fine pearls.

What can be considered as “fine” ?

Let us first understand how pearls was formed.

Natural Pearls form when an irritant - usually a parasite and not the proverbial grain of sand - works its way into an oyster, mussel, or clam. As a defense mechanism, a fluid is used to coat the irritant. Layer upon layer of this coating, called 'nacre', is deposited until a lustrous pearl is formed.

So makes fine pearl is this coating is laid layer by layer called ‘nacre’.

Since we understand from the parable of hidden treasure, we know the Lord have spoken the treasure as those who obey His voice, keep His commandments and who fear Him.

Likewise, in the parable of the pearl, we can deduce the Lord speaking about those that is layered by layer with pearl qualities.

The expression that is in resemblance with fine quality. This is what we have heard:

Let us rejoice and exult and give Him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His Bride has made herself ready; -Revelation 19:7

it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure"' for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. -Revelation 19:8

So, the fine pearls can considered like the layer upon layer of righteous deeds of the saints that was granted to clothe the Bride.

In other words, again, the kingdom of heaven is like the Son of Man in search of righteous deeds of the saints,

who, on finding the Bride, went and gave all that He had and bought Her out of slavery of sin with His blood.

For this is what we have heard:

Who can find a capable wife? Her value is far beyond that of pearls.-Proverbs 31:10 CJB

Thus, the merchant was the Son of Man have travelled from heaven to earth on finding one pearl of great value, that is the Bride of Christ.

Through this parable, our Lord conveys to us how much He loves us.
 
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disciple Clint

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Is it okay to know that you are loved by God and not understand how much? And if so, how do you accept that love?
We were made in the image of God so loving and accepting love are part of our nature.
 
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Back from Heaven

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Is it okay to know that you are loved by God and not understand how much?
If it wasn't ok, we would all be in trouble for two reasons:
  1. God's Love is unfathomable. We can experience it (to some extent) but we cannot understand it
  2. God's Love is absolute and unbounded. Us humans being limited, we cannot fully comprehend God's Love
 
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4UallPraise

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Is it okay to know that you are loved by God and not understand how much? And if so, how do you accept that love?


First it’s a mistake to think that wheat and tares being in the church together doesn’t mean that we have both the teaching of each within the bible. Because all that’s needed for the benefit to grow is there.

The texts of the tares (texts of terror) do not talk about God’s love, they talk about oppression.

The correct reading to be able accept God’s love is to know the difference. Texts that tell you are less than a child of God are how tares interpret what was meant for your good.

They are those who stand in front of the door, refusing to go in, but allowing none others to pass.

Study to show yourself that you are approved.
 
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SANTOSO

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Dear one,
Though we may not fully comprehend the love of God, what is the breadth and length and height and depth ! We are not left without STRENGTH to grasp the love of God.

Who knows the depth of God ? Yes, the Spirit of God. Likewise, the one who knows the love of God is The Spirit of God.

As we have heard:
But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love Him"' -1 Corinthians 2:9
THESE THINGS God has REVEALED TO US THROUGH THE SPIRIT. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. -1 Corinthians 2:10

Would God not reveal to us through His Spirit— His love ? This is what we have heard:

that according to the riches of His glory He ( God the Father ) may grant you to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in your inner being ( heart) , -Ephesians 3:16
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith'that you, being rooted and grounded in love, -Ephesians 3:17

We understand that we need to pray like apostle Paul have prayed that our Heavenly Father may grant us to be to be strengthen in our hearts through His Spirit so that our hearts can be rooted and grounded in the love of Christ.

So it is through the Holy Spirit, we are strengthened in the love of Christ.
So it is through the Holy Spirit, we are revealed the love of God.
 
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St_Worm2

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Hello 4UallPraise, could you point out some of the Biblical verses/passages that you are referring to above (the "texts of the tares/texts of terror")?

Thanks

--David
p.s. - so that we'll have it for the discussion if needed, here's the principle text about this topic from the Lord Jesus.

Tares Among Wheat

Matthew 13

24 Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.
25 But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away.
26 But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also.
27 The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’
28 And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’
29 But he said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them.
30 ‘Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.”

The Tares Explained

36 Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”
37 And He said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man,
38 and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one;
39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels.
40 So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age.
41 The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness,
42 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
43 Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

.
 
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4UallPraise

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Rightly dividing/handling the word makes it wheat or tares. “15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth.” something that every Christian minister must do if one would make full proof of one’s ministry, and if one would be clear of the blood of one’s hearers at the last great day.

The Word of God is the sword of truth that cuts between soul and spirit but if neither the soul nor the spirit is being touched by the explanation then it’s just done in vanity.
If divided rightly then the sword will expose the motive and kill the offensive explanation by removing the flesh that does offend while appealing to the higher ground that points to the highest benefit the Word can bring.

Rightly dividing the word means knowing your audience too.
The unbeliever needs Christ to save so their portion is to hear about what the unsaved need to hear.
That word is not beneficial to the saved because their portion is the saving of one's soul
just as that message is too soon for someone unsaved (resulting in the terror of an unsaved person ruling over the saved possibly but certainly leaving all involved unsaved because the word was misused to detriment)

An unsaved person needs to hear about their need of Christ, but a saved person needs to know how to be preserved body, soul and spirit at the coming of the Lord Jesus. Rightly dividing the word is knowing one’s audience in order to place the divided word in it’s proper place.

The unsaved being preached to as a saved person is presenting text that does not apply and results in an unsaved sinner believing that they are saved.
As a saved person cannot gain from a message for tares for believing it applied to the saved still is taking away from the word of God, wrongly applying it.
Things of vital importance should not be served with secondary, nor the practical from the speculative. And all served in season from both the old and new.

Iow, the tares need a certain type of message given to them, the soul needs another application and the spirit needs direct Holy Spirit teaching to be edifying to any one of those cases.

The hearer should not be in doubt as to their position in Christ or outside of Christ, in which they stand.


1 Peter 2:11
Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

Proverbs 10:16
The labour of the righteous tends to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin.

1 Corinthians 9:20-23
And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;

Romans 13:11-14
And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed

Philippians 2
Therefore if you have any encouragement in Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being united in spirit and purpose. 5Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: therefore, continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. 13For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.
 
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St_Worm2

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What I was actually interested in was Biblical references (you know, Book/Chapter/Verse). IOW, what are some of the passages or verses in the Bible that you refer to as "the texts of tares" and/or "texts of terror"

Thanks!

--David
 
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4UallPraise

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What I was actually interested in was Biblical references (you know, Book/Chapter/Verse). IOW, what are some of the passages or verses in the Bible that you refer to as "the texts of tares" and/or "texts of terror"

Thanks!

--David
I did full reference to the text that my original post was quoting. Most are obvious to those of understanding and oblivious to those without. But not a subject for this thread.

Edit: the previous post to this is still full disclosure of those texts imo. If it were the destruction of nations or a judge sacrificing their daughter as texts of terrors/tares , it remains: the historical, the mind of Christ (virtue), the view that the Father has on the subject about all people involved. Not all obvious at first glance but a reasonable study will produce enough evidence, in gleaning the jewels found laying about in regard to other scripture (comparing scripture to scripture to get info), to acquire the tools oneself, while adding another nuance to one’s voice.

Edit: imo any good 3 point sermon swould include all aspects of the word so a full comprehension is at least available to the hearing whether seeing is accessed now or later.
 
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