... can't please God

[poptart]

Some say they don't believe in God, but in a corner of their mind, they think He may exist.
And they sometimes try to soothe their mind from the possibility of judgement by thinking or saying, "Yeah, well I'm a good person. I don't steal, or hurt anyone. I am nice to people. I never did... such and such... I'll be ok."


Paul, speaking to believers in Jesus Christ, said...

Romans 8:8-9
[8] So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
[9] But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.


Nuts and bolts, non-believers are from the corrupt seed of Adam.
There is no good in them and they are only of the flesh.
Romans 3:10 -- there is none righteous.
They are satan's.

The believer has been born again by the incorruptible seed (1 Peter 1:23) promised in Genesis 3:15.
Not an offspring of Adam.
They are God's Temple and their future is eternally secure.


Be where you need to be.

[Shlomart Ben Yisrael]

Paul

:paul:

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

Nuts and bolts, non-believers are from the corrupt seed of Adam.
There is no good in them and they are only of the flesh.

So let me get this straight.

Lying, cheating, criminal who believes in God = good
Kind, charitable, law-abiding person who does not believe in God = bad

Nice belief system ya got there.

[Jay in Phoenix]

So let me get this straight.

Lying, cheating, criminal who believes in God = good
Kind, charitable, law-abiding person who does not believe in God = bad

Nice belief system ya got there.

Yes, it's okay to be a killer, a thief, an adulterer, an idolator, so long as you believe in God and say, "Whoops, my bad and sorry, I repent.", you're saved.
But if you have giving, kind and loving, peaceful person, who even considers alternative beliefs, you're screwed.

Of course it doesn't matter that at least half of every Biblical quote is simply metaphor and not literal truth. But hey, interpreting Biblical text to fit ones own personal or political perspective has been dogmatic status quo since the beginning, so who cares about reality.

[poptart]

Kind, charitable, law-abiding person

Luke 18:19
none is good, save one, that is, God.

But if you have giving, kind and loving, peaceful person, who even considers alternative beliefs, you're screwed.

You can consider many things in your mind.
I do.

A person must meet God, though.
It is essential.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

none is good, save one, that is, God.

God sounds like a real asshole.

Your religion is disgusting.

[MgoBlue-LightSpecial]

We're still cool though...right?

[poptart]

God sounds like a real asshole.

Back in the day, I would look at Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John, and read things Jesus said, and I would think to myself, "This guy talks like a smart-ass."

But the Church my parents made me go to never could explain the Gospel to me.


God created man in His image -- as a spiritual being.
Adam thought he could go away from God and live just fine, or even better.
He made that choice.
Satan captured and ruined his spirit.

"That's Adam, not me, poptart!"

You are an offspring of Adam, and you have done the exact same thing.


Man can not live apart from his Creator.
Certain and eternal failure.


We're cool.

[Jay in Phoenix]

You can consider many things in your mind.
I do.

A person must meet God, though.
It is essential.

This is understood pops. In Galatians it says:

4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever[c] you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

If anyone has ever experience that internal strife, thinking "why did I make this choice, or why did I do wrong or sin", which most of us have at one point, this is the Spirit in turmoil with the flesh. It also represents that we know we have done wrong, understand it is wrong and are conflicted, which is the Spirit winning out of the flesh. This is a huge first step toward salvation.

But there is something else to be considered here.

Galatians continues:

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Sometimes you provoke people through religious or faith based conceit. You act as though you are judge. You condemn through words people who disagree with you. You are using the Word to do this, but it is your opinion expressed through and twisting those words to sometimes fit your personal perspective.

Let the Word speak for itself. Let people embrace it or ignore it as they see fit. Spread the Word without opinion and let it fall where it may.

Embrace understanding and forgiveness. I know you do, it just doesn't often show.

[poptart]

John 1:1,14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.


John 8:23-24
[23] And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.
[24] I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.