Posts Tagged ‘Principle’
Ernie Fitzpatrick asked:
Why would God create something for destruction, let alone eternal destruction? Why would God create anything that’s less than perfect? Why would God say that man was created in his image and then say that it’s evil? Why would God say mankind (can you say ALL?) that he created is GOOD and then interpret that as the moment we come into the world we’re full of SIN because of something a metaphorical (as in not historical-literal) man did in an allegorical garden setting some eons ago?
What IF God didn’t do some of the stuff that humanhood has attributed to Him? And why is it that much of Christianity (less and less each decade thankfully) speaks of unmerited GRACE as the character of God, and then turn around and say that we have to EARN his favor, or something? How’s that work? Once we comprehend that we are “accepted in Christ”, we must grant that fact to all others as well.
Can I be “accepted” any way other than by GRACE?
Michele O’Donnell puts it well in her book, “When The Wolf Is At The Door” by writing “We don’t have anything to do with being accepted in Christ. But, this drives people crazy who think they had something to do with becoming the Holy Sons of God. They like to see themselves as separate and apart from others who didn’t do whatever they think they did to earn this state of being. It is the ‘we/they’ doctrine.”
Isn’t the principle, the encouragement, and the promise that, “I will pour out my Spirit upon ALL mankind.” I know it’s difficult when one tries to balance the Scriptures when one verse says God is ALL in ALL and that Jesus came to save ALL mankind and then we have other verses that say unless one does x and y, it’s not going to happen. So, where do you want to land?
Do you want FREE GRACE for ALL or do you want GRACE only for those that “DO” certain things in which case isn’t the definition of grace now no longer grace but “conditional grace”? I wonder where one came up with that concept? Could it be the “reward-punishment/ sin management” church preaching?
But the GOOD NEWS is that you don’t have to embrace anything but God is LOVE!
That’s where I’m camping out. God’s LOVE is JUSTICE! God’s JUSTICE isn’t man’s justice, much like God’s ways are not our ways. When will we step back from the precipice of imperialism and haughtiness and SEE that God doesn’t just love US (whomever you put in the “us” category), but ALL!
Why would God create something for destruction, let alone eternal destruction? Why would God create anything that’s less than perfect? Why would God say that man was created in his image and then say that it’s evil? Why would God say mankind (can you say ALL?) that he created is GOOD and then interpret that as the moment we come into the world we’re full of SIN because of something a metaphorical (as in not historical-literal) man did in an allegorical garden setting some eons ago?
What IF God didn’t do some of the stuff that humanhood has attributed to Him? And why is it that much of Christianity (less and less each decade thankfully) speaks of unmerited GRACE as the character of God, and then turn around and say that we have to EARN his favor, or something? How’s that work? Once we comprehend that we are “accepted in Christ”, we must grant that fact to all others as well.
Can I be “accepted” any way other than by GRACE?
Michele O’Donnell puts it well in her book, “When The Wolf Is At The Door” by writing “We don’t have anything to do with being accepted in Christ. But, this drives people crazy who think they had something to do with becoming the Holy Sons of God. They like to see themselves as separate and apart from others who didn’t do whatever they think they did to earn this state of being. It is the ‘we/they’ doctrine.”
Isn’t the principle, the encouragement, and the promise that, “I will pour out my Spirit upon ALL mankind.” I know it’s difficult when one tries to balance the Scriptures when one verse says God is ALL in ALL and that Jesus came to save ALL mankind and then we have other verses that say unless one does x and y, it’s not going to happen. So, where do you want to land?
Do you want FREE GRACE for ALL or do you want GRACE only for those that “DO” certain things in which case isn’t the definition of grace now no longer grace but “conditional grace”? I wonder where one came up with that concept? Could it be the “reward-punishment/ sin management” church preaching?
But the GOOD NEWS is that you don’t have to embrace anything but God is LOVE!
That’s where I’m camping out. God’s LOVE is JUSTICE! God’s JUSTICE isn’t man’s justice, much like God’s ways are not our ways. When will we step back from the precipice of imperialism and haughtiness and SEE that God doesn’t just love US (whomever you put in the “us” category), but ALL!