The Severity of God?

[Sam91]

What Does the Bible Say About Our Speech?

These are useful. I am off to peruse them properly <3

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

of worldly wisdom and smugness

smugness...it is possible. If I had worldly wisdom, I'd be in a far better position financially than I am now. I hate debating and avoid them on CF. I have some training and knowledge in Counselling and Psychology. I think this is God given and I am grateful for it. God gives me some insight into people and situations I believe though I could be totally delusional.
One thing I will say.As I am Catholic, I don't base all truth and authority on the Bible alone

 

[Sam91]

Wow! You know what? God is amazing. If you see on my blog I was supposed to find a list of bible verses about speech for my child. I promised her. I conpletely forgot and there is me doing it just now. Must remember to complete this promise for her tomorrow.

 

[Saint Beloved]

I'm the opposite because I fear it and I don't know why.
Everyone else can look up all these teachings and traditions and discern them but I can't so I go on the Bible and God alone. I get strong pulls or repellings from things and I have to trust that it's God doing it.

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

There is indeed a place for humility,

I'd go further and say it is the foundation of our relationship with God.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I'd go further and say it is the foundation of our relationship with God.

And I think you would be right ...

 

[Saint Beloved]

Tips for being tactful?
No one ever taught me to be tactful.

 

[Godlovesmetwo]

Tips for being tactful?
No one ever taught me to be tactful.

Don't use me as a role-model for a start.

 

[Sam91]

Tips for being tactful?
No one ever taught me to be tactful.

James 3:1-18 and
Trying to think of the other person as possibly having a load of stress on thier plate and not wanting to tip them into a meltdown situation.

 

[yakshasa]

A member asked me in a post what and how God shows His severity can you please explain for the benefit of us all?

[VERSE=Romans 11:22,KJV_APOCRYPHA]Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.[/VERSE]

I have never responded before, so I'm not sure if I am doing this in the right place. I am responding to the severity question... As I understand it the fallen angels spoken of are "kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day". Yet, even in this state they are able to interact with the creation (and, in the case of Satan, ascend to Heaven, at least when summoned). After the day of judgement however, they will be completely cut off from the presence and glory of God and his creation. I can only imagine what torment this would be for beings who once stood in his presence. Some say this utter loss of contact with their Creator is the true definition of Hell. Apparently the author of Romans is of the -I suspect personal - opinion that this fate can also await unrepentant or recalcitrant humans. How then do we reconcile this with the notion that "He is not willing that any should perish, but that ALL should repent" and have eternal life?

 

[dqhall]

A member asked me in a post what and how God shows His severity can you please explain for the benefit of us all?

[VERSE=Romans 11:22,KJV_APOCRYPHA]Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.[/VERSE]

Jesus was on the Mt. of Olives before Passover and saw a fig tree in the distance. It should have been producing figs as other fig trees produce figs about the time of Passover. These unripe figs were a source of sustenance for the poor. He walked closer to the tree to search for fruit on it and found none. He cursed the fig tree. It withered and died. Jesus did not curse productive fig trees. Mathew 21:18-22

 

[LadyCrosstalk]

A member asked me in a post what and how God shows His severity can you please explain for the benefit of us all?

[VERSE=Romans 11:22,KJV_APOCRYPHA]Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.[/VERSE]

I can't think of a better way to illustrate the severity of God than through the preaching of these five preachers--some of the greatest preachers of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. It is called "Wake up Church!" and it will make you shiver:

They are, in order:

1) David Wilkerson

2) Keith Daniel

3) Carter Conlon (who took over at Times Square Church from David Wilkerson when Wilkerson died)

4) A young Jim Cymbala

5) The great Leonard Ravenhill--he's particularly good at expounding on the severity of God.

 

[LadyCrosstalk]

It depends on what exactly you are asking.

Much of the "severity" of God as understood by many denominations is of rather late innovation.

God is love, God desires all men to be saved, God wants to heal and restore us from the effects of sin, God will do all He can toward this goal, though He will not subject our wills if we actively reject Him.

However ... we do run the risk of being misunderstood by saying only this. There IS a certain severity of God - towards sin. And for any who might truly choose sin and involve themselves so deeply that they BECOME something connected to it rather than God ... well ...

And I suspect that at the end, God is going to be brutally honest with us each one, letting us see certain truths, so that even if we are "saved" I think we might have some very great regrets. But God will also wipe those tears away.

If you are looking for heaven/hell, the Orthodox have a rather different understanding than the Dante-esque one put forth by many others.

Yes--I agree, we must always be conscious of one day having to stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. Those who are truly in Christ will not ever be condemned for committed sin because the Blood of Jesus covers that. But we will likely have some sorrow over all of the missed opportunities to display the holiness which we have been called to display. (2 Corinthians 5:10)

 

[LadyCrosstalk]

I'd go further and say it is the foundation of our relationship with God.

Yes, the Bible tells us that He gives grace to the humble.

 

[LadyCrosstalk]

I have never responded before, so I'm not sure if I am doing this in the right place. I am responding to the severity question... As I understand it the fallen angels spoken of are "kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day". Yet, even in this state they are able to interact with the creation (and, in the case of Satan, ascend to Heaven, at least when summoned). After the day of judgement however, they will be completely cut off from the presence and glory of God and his creation. I can only imagine what torment this would be for beings who once stood in his presence. Some say this utter loss of contact with their Creator is the true definition of Hell. Apparently the author of Romans is of the -I suspect personal - opinion that this fate can also await unrepentant or recalcitrant humans. How then do we reconcile this with the notion that "He is not willing that any should perish, but that ALL should repent" and have eternal life?

I think that those who are truly repentant have no reason to fear. But true repentance comes from a heart which humbly asks God to help him or her to avoid the same sin in the future. Just being regretful over the earthly consequences of one's sin, is not true repentance. In true repentance, you HATE the sin. Too many Christians hate the results of sin (divorce, expulsion from school, even jail, etc.) but, say to themselves, "I really enjoyed that sin." This is part of Satan's deception because he wants us to love to sin. Open, flagrant sin destroys our witness as individual Christians and as the Church.

 

[ViaCrucis]

The Puritan's had a real sense of God fearing and piety that I haven't been exposed to and am almost envious about.

They also imprisoned people who celebrated Christmas, burned people at the stake when they were accused of being witches, and branded women accused of being adulterers.

Personally, I wouldn't look to the Puritans as an example of godly fear or piety.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Saint Beloved]

They also imprisoned people who celebrated Christmas, burned people at the stake when they were accused of being witches, and branded women accused of being adulterers.

Personally, I wouldn't look to the Puritans as an example of godly fear or piety.

-CryptoLutheran

You're right they were human and corruptable like any of us. We all have bloodshed in our history. I try to find the glowing grain of wisdom in the coal dust of wickedness.

 

[ViaCrucis]

Yes, the Bible tells us that He gives grace to the humble.

And to the not-so-humble. Otherwise no one could be saved.

"But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful." - Luke 6:35-36

-CryptoLutheran

 

[Jakil]

And to the not-so-humble. Otherwise no one could be saved.

"But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful." - Luke 6:35-36

-CryptoLutheran

But they that are saved are not much.

Romans 9:27: Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:

 

[LadyCrosstalk]

They also imprisoned people who celebrated Christmas, burned people at the stake when they were accused of being witches, and branded women accused of being adulterers.

Personally, I wouldn't look to the Puritans as an example of godly fear or piety.

-CryptoLutheran

Actually, Puritans were, in the main, with few exceptions, very fine Christians. They have been maligned. They developed a system of Biblical counseling that was second to none.