com7fy8
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- May 22, 2013
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I think of Ephesians 4:31-32 >I could go and find countless examples of God being angry or God's servants being rightly angry.
And I submit that abuse is one situation at which it is reasonable both for Christians to be angry and to extrapolate God's anger from God's known attitudes.
"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:31-32)
This comes right after our Apostle Paul says, "do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God". So, I see how the Holy Spirit does feel and react about how we relate. The Holy Spirit is grieved by our "bitterness", among other anti-love things. And abuse can be at least partly because of bitterness in the personality of the abuser.
But, Paidiske . . . even if an abuser is not stopped from abusing, the woman who is abused can do well not to allow herself to be overcome by "bitterness".
Yes, there is a culture of enabling men to abuse women, but also there is a culture of grooming women to stay like victims and to accept becoming bitter; so I think the abused person, also, can be grieving to the Holy Spirit; what do you think?
And even though there might not be an effective cultural way to stop the abuse, victims can become strong in Jesus so they can not be under the spiritual and emotional power of abusers >
"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." (Romans 12:21)
Jesus says we all in Jesus will be attacked and hated and killed by evil people; and Jesus feeds us how to deal with this, so evil can not have power over us . . . in us, I think this means, mainly
So, yes, Jesus Christ's gospel says,
But this comes, first, with how in us we have the almighty power of Jesus to make us deeply free, even with "rest for your souls" (Matthew 11:28-30) while cultural surroundings may still be against us.To release the captives, to free the oppressed, to bring the Lord's favour... that looks to me like a raising up of those who have been made less than equal; an affording them the dignity of being also in the image of God and having a place in the kingdom of God.
We need to not depend on getting this evil world to change for us, but depend on how our Heavenly Father is able to change us . . . to correct us > Hebrews 12:4-11. Then we are above this world's victim and predator kingdom . . . not being either personality
Mainly, Jesus makes us free from "the power of Satan" > Acts 26:18 > and Satan's evil spirit > Ephesians 2:2 < which can make abusers but also victims bitter; but then with God we can be creative so we get free from how this evil world would try to use us. You might consider how God with Joseph used his horrible situation, not only in order to help himself, but to save many lives > Genesis 37-50 < when God somehow in some practical way delivers us, He has His all-loving result, because He is all-loving.Did Jesus let the those (truly) oppressed by Rome physically free from Roman rule?
But this worked first and mainly because of Joseph being faithful to God, not first and mainly because of social and cultural things being in his favor.
It has been both. Paul and Peter were both delivered from prison . . . but how God did it . . . not in some one-size-fits-all social program way which might be at the mercy of secular people who are worldly. I consider we need how God uses each of us Christians to help people - - - so they have our love example >Did Jesus release everyone who was imprisioned (captives)? Or, was He referring to we who are captives to sin and satan?
"nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock." (1 Peter 5:3)
very good point, of course > we have "the unsearchable riches" of Jesus > Ephesians 3:8; and Paul says we have "every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ" (in Ephesians 1:3).Did Jesus bring good news to the financially poor, e.g., there is a pot of gold under that tree. Or, is He referring to the riches of knowing Him and His redemptive work to the spiritually bankrupt?
And this includes how God's perfect love "casts out fear; because fear involves torment" (in 1 John 4:18). So, this is good . . . so much more good than only cultural equality can bring > if we help people's circumstances but they still are in ego with their ability and weakness to fear and have personality "torment" of fear, we have not truly helped them. Plus, Jesus does say that if we seek God's kingdom and His righteousness "first", He will take care of us > Matthew 6:33. And I understand that this means our Father will do with us all we need culturally and materially . . . however He pleases.
So - - -
But there is what is needed by each individual "first" > Matthew 6:33. Or else, if one is continuing in one's ego >Christians who live and work to make the kingdom of God a reality will seek to reform oppressive rule, to reduce poverty and alleviate ill health, and so on and so forth. The gospel is social as well as spiritual.
"God resists the proud" (in James 4:6, and in 1 Peter 5:5).
There are people who are in trouble because God is resisting them in their ego. So, trying to help them while they are not being humble can be "hard" >
"Good understanding gains favor,
.But the way of the unfaithful is hard."
. . . . . . . . . .. . (Proverbs 13:15)
So . . . I now think of this question, @Paidiske, if you please >
The Bible appears to be saying that people in trouble could be there because God is resisting them. Do you believe this can be the case for certain people, if not all? And if you do, does your training include that you need to evaluate each case of abuse, in order to find out if the woman has helped to bring it on by living only or mainly for her own self? Are there cases of abuse, in which the abused woman has been helping it to happen because of her disobeying God and because God is resisting her?
Do we not need, also, then, to obey how our Father guides and cares for us?
Also, I have noticed how a number of people do not make sure with God about whom they belong with, in marriage. And then they get so upset when they find out who they have married.
So, do you think prevention is better, if possible . . . by having women learn how to make sure with our Heavenly Father, about whom we marry?
And, of course, men need to be brought up to know how to love. This would need the input of their mothers. Why have women not been bringing up their boys to know how to love . . . in the first place? Prevention would help. How much to you find that mothers need to learn how to bring up boys so they don't abuse? In some number of cases, the mother has the main contact and involvement with children.
I am not sure that social programs with legal controls is the real solution, then, but first is so needed the spiritual upbringing. Or else, programs can be only trying to control people while their nature keeps on being able to abuse or to go along with it. Ones controlled might only find other ways to hurt themselves and others, at least by simply not really loving other people.
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