Next, I will speak about "good" and "perfect" in relation to God and to creation.
You have said along the lines that to be good means to be perfect and complete without fault (in an ontological sense). And
you said that everything is either perfect of flawed.
God alone is completely perfect and flawless, without any need to improve or become more good and holy. He cannot do evil nor
conceive it in His Being. He is pure from all taint of corruption and eternally remains so. He does not change to become more or
less holy, ever. But God being this way ontologically does not necessitate that everything He creates is ontologically this way or
also or else they, too, would be God or a separate god. Christianity never affirms this about what He created.
You have said along the lines that for Adam and Eve to be sinless they would necessarily be eternally holy like God is. But I say
that God created Adam and Eve sinless, in a pure state that could change by their own volition. God had a purpose for creating
them this way and His purpose is truly perfect, holy, and eternal. I read what Elliux2 wrote about the definitions of "good" from the KJV dictionary and I will say that the 3rd definition that "good" means "complete and sufficiently perfect in its kind and having the physical qualities best adapted to its design and use..." best fits my view of how God created the universe to be. It is complete, nothing more needs to be added. Each part and object of creation is sufficiently perfect in its kind (rock, force, angel, human) and use (or purpose). All that God created is made of substance that does not possess any "spark of divinity" or essence of God in itself. Rocks, water, etc. are created as inanimate objects, without life. Angels, humans, animals are created as animate objects (alive) God does not "birth" His Spirit in any of His creation. He abides by His Spirin the souls and spirits he created in angels and humans who follow Him.
You and Richard may already know this but just to add this little bit to the conversation on the wheat and the tares. A tare is a plant named bearded darnel plant (Lolium temulentum) it is wheat's evil twin, and it is poisonous, and in small amounts, it is intoxicating. It cannot be identified until the head with the grains appears which is purple. Only at the harvest, they can be known when the angels are sent to sort them out.
Your prayer request is a beautiful prayer within itself. In the Name of Jesus Christ, I pray in agreement with your prayer request. God's Will be done. Amen.
AA,
I noticed your request did not contain petition to God for specific material things, indicating you are seeking His Will and not your own; leaving room for Him. What you leave as vacant, God will fill. And where He is, there must Truth abide! Your faith joyously
stirs my soul.
Peace
GOD IS
PS
I read your post once more before I submitted this reply. What a blessing. Tears of joy. Thank you . And thank you Father for Your Perfect Love and blessings we are about to receive.
Richard, I 99.9% agree with you, with a few nuances While I agree that a true believer won't become an atheist, agnostic, Muslim, etc. the Bible assures us that "If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself." ( 2 Tim. 2:13). Solomon is an example of someone whose heart was turned from the Lord late in in life, to the point where he worshipped the false gods of the pagan women he took to wife. Salvation is a one and done - "Believe on the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved" ( Acts 16:13), "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." ( Rom. 10:9). Jesus said "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." ( John 3:3); born again, once. When we are saved, our spirit is sanctified; bearing fruit depends on whether we walk in the spirit or in the flesh.
I agree 100% that God is the one who preserves us, we are to be confident that "he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." ( Phil. 1:6), and we are "kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." ( 1 Pet. 1:5). Our faith saves us (obviously by what Jesus has done for us); the power of God keeps us saved, if we truly believe ( Acts 8:37).
I also agree - not all the wheat and tares are evident, which is why the Lord said to leave them and let them grow together. However, I can assure you, there are many tares that look like wheat, and some wheat that look like tares. True believers can become backslidden, and in some cases, severely backslidden to the point where their life produces no fruit, being saved, "yet as so by fire" ( 1 Cor. 3:15). But, any "believer" who completely abandons the faith simply demonstrates that they were never saved to begin with ( 1 Jn. 2:19).
I'm going from memory here. I anticipate and welcome someone with better understanding will satisfy your inquiry on this interesting topic.
I believe Melchizedek is mentioned in just one book of the New Testament; Hebrews. He was King of Salem which means King of Peace, and King of righteousness. He is first mentioned in, I think Genesis. He had no known lineage, nor record of His beginning or end. I believe it is accepted in Orthodox Christian thinking , that He was Jesus, the High Priest (not high on drugs). Even Abraham (I think) tithed to Him.
You are a living testimony to the love and mercy of the God of all creation , there is no better example to give to your children . Thank God every day and continue to give your family the benefit of your experience and salvation , through your faith in Christ and obedience to God . May He continue to bless you all abundantly and bring you ever closer to Him .
For me , love is when someone else's health , happiness and wellbeing mean more to you than your own . When I look at the people that I truly love , I know I would give anything to ensure their health, happiness and wellbeing , even down to my own life if necessary . In all honesty there aren't a lot of people that I feel that way about . We can thank God for His love towards us in that He gave His only begotten precious Son to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins , and we can thank Jesus that he put ALL of our health , happiness and wellbeing , before his own . He did that for millions of people , I only feel that way about a handful . Thanks be to God for his awesome love and thanks be to God for Jesus love .
I wouldn't let that sort of thing worry you too much. God knows your heart and your journey to His Kingdom can be a bumpy one but you can be sure , if you are His , then He has you in the palm of His hand and you are His forever . He is One Lord and He will keep you , nothing can stop His love for you , stay strong in Him and don't allow any doubts to creep in and cause you to fear or feel insecure in His redemption of you . You are His and He is yours , be assured ! And be happy .
Messianic and prophetic in nature; Psalm 68 is full of references to the destruction of the armies of the earth and the restoration of Israel and God's Covenant people along with the world at large eventually coming to worship the true and living God.
2 Thessalonians 1:8 discuss the Lord returning in vengeance with flaming fire; and this verse is hardly isolated in the scriptures; as we see finally occurring in Revelation 19. That pretty much sums up the first 2 verses of this Psalm.
The rest of the first half of the Psalm through verse 17 focuses on the deliverance of God; with the personal view of families (widows and fatherless) being represented in verse 5 and 6; where captives are also said to be released. These verses and their themes are repeated in Isaiah 42 as well as Isaiah 49. Taken literally; it would seem that there will be a final Exodus in volving children especially; which occurs during the Tribulation for slave purposes which will end abruptly at the return of the Lord. There will clearly be many widows of those who survive until the Millennium which will have children returned in some cases by royalty; who will basically bow down in the dust and act as foster parents. Verse 18 seems to bolser this idea with worship of the Lord in the Temple which finally fulfills its role to be "a place of prayer for all nations" ( Isaiah 56:7 also quoted by Jesus in the N.T. Gospels). Even MORE support is given in verses 29-32 for this concept.
These verses and many others sadly are often taken as symbolic language which takes much of the impact out of the passages. There needs; of course to be some latitude when we observe symbolism within a text of literal descriptions as to interpretation but hopefully the joy and awe of God's Providence won't be unnecessarily watered down because it seems to go against some sort of specific doctrinal stance. Let us be as Bereans searching the Scriptures daily and dividing rightly.
words translation ( bow' ) using the Strongs Exhaustive Concordance & comparison in this site, the same word is used for each scripture= meaning to come. If read within the meanings; points to Jesus in Matthew 1,
Alex1939...Alexis M...May i give ya my view of Isaiah 60:22...A lil one shall become a 1000 and small one a strong nation...I the lord will hasten it in its time...This is the multiplication of Christ Jesus via his seed the word sown in humanity...The Sower and his seed...The Children of Promise...An Israel of God is that strong nation... Gal 6:16...There has to be an Israel of God via the seed of Jesus...I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven... Gen 22:16...Which are spirits the H.G many ...The Children of Promise that are gonna be as the stars of heaven in multitudes...Thats y he has to know us...That he might sow his incorruptible seed in our hearts...That Christ might be formed in us...Its gonna start with a lil one...one lil one is gonna be multiplied as the stars of heaven...Just as Jesus was just a lil one but he was multiplied and became as the stars of heaven... a number no man cd number John saw,simply b/c of his seed the words of the book that he wrote with his own blood...That New Covenant...I will know them all from the least to the greatest...This (Know them all is an intimacy) that is gona result in a birth of Christ in everybody...Isaiah speaks of a knowledge ( an intimacy ) that is gona cover the earth as the waters cover the seas...In Isaiah 11:9...Thats y he has to know us...Thats y the Woman is giving birth...And that y we must be bornagain of his incorruptible seed...Thus Christ will truly be multiplied as the stars of heaven in humanity....They don't call him the bridegroom for nothin....He has a seed to sow in humanity...Thus our new heart and new spirit..Thus the babes and sucklings...The Israel of God...ok lemme go...Jeremiah saw all men in travail and birth pains...a time of Jacobs trouble that heavenly Jacob the H.G... Jeremiah 30:6 ..
1 John 1 was the apostle addressing as yet the unconverted where he shares with them what he knew to be true. Why has this not been taught more wide-spread? Confusion stems from twisted truths and I believe if the twisted truth of 1 John 1:9 being written for the converted was put right then many would be set free from sin consciousness as the gospel was intended to do.
Generation as described biblically: Please read = Genesis 7:1, Ecclesiastes 1:4, Lamentations 5:19, Daniel 4:3, Matthew 1,
In comparison to your example of Noah- Exodus 20:1-5, Exodus 34:7, Numbers 14:18, Deuteronomy 2:14, Judges 2:10, 2Kings 10:30, 2Kings 15:12, Hebrews 3, Luke 1:50, Psalms 102:18, John 17,
Prophetic about Jesus & other generations- Proverbs 30:12,13,14, Isaiah 53:8, Matthew 11,
Part 4
When God created angels and man, He made them alive by His power to create life, but this is not the every-existing, limitless
life of God. It is life that is limited and dependent upon God's power to continue this existence. It is creaturely life, not divine
life. It is subject to time and space and change. These are not aspects of Divine Life.
When God created animals, he gave them a fleshly life without a spirit and soul. Animals are strictly flesh and bones and
material, although they have a mind and will and instincts and the ability to learn and grow. They are mortal.
Humans have a fleshly, mortal body with a mind, along with a soul, and a spirit. You stated that "flesh gives birth to flesh" and
"spirit gives birth to spirit", most likely referencing 1 Corinthians 15 in which it says that all flesh is not the same (vs. 39)
speaking of human flesh, animal, bird, and fish. And Paul also says that there are celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies. Humans
have terrestrial bodies made of matter (dust), angels have celestial bodies, made of spiritual substance (we don't know about
that) and Christ's resurrected body is another type of body, totally unique from all others, but like what humans will have in the
resurrection (without the divinity).Our terrestrial bodies will be changed to be like His resurrected celestial human body,
composed of incorruptible, immortal substance. (Jesus had flesh and bones when He appeared to Thomas). So, in this chapter
Paul is contrasting the natural Adamic body we all possess first to the Christlike celestial/spiritual body that Jesus possesses
after He died and was resurrected. I don't think that this chapter speaks to your idea that we are either fleshly or spirt, not
both.
In this earthly life, as with Adam, we have a natural body, a soul, and spirit. Adam's personhood was (soul, spirit, and body)
were created good, according to the plan and purpose of God's perfect will.
Part 3
Next, I will speak about "good" and "perfect" in relation to God and to creation.
You have said along the lines that to be good means to be perfect and complete without fault (in an ontological sense). And
you said that everything is either perfect of flawed.
God alone is completely perfect and flawless, without any need to improve or become more good and holy. He cannot do evil nor
conceive it in His Being. He is pure from all taint of corruption and eternally remains so. He does not change to become more or
less holy, ever. But God being this way ontologically does not necessitate that everything He creates is ontologically this way or
also or else they, too, would be God or a separate god. Christianity never affirms this about what He created.
You have said along the lines that for Adam and Eve to be sinless they would necessarily be eternally holy like God is. But I say
that God created Adam and Eve sinless, in a pure state that could change by their own volition. God had a purpose for creating
them this way and His purpose is truly perfect, holy, and eternal. I read what Elliux2 wrote about the definitions of "good" from the KJV dictionary and I will say that the 3rd definition that "good" means "complete and sufficiently perfect in its kind and having the physical qualities best adapted to its design and use..." best fits my view of how God created the universe to be. It is complete, nothing more needs to be added. Each part and object of creation is sufficiently perfect in its kind (rock, force, angel, human) and use (or purpose). All that God created is made of substance that does not possess any "spark of divinity" or essence of God in itself. Rocks, water, etc. are created as inanimate objects, without life. Angels, humans, animals are created as animate objects (alive) God does not "birth" His Spirit in any of His creation. He abides by His Spirin the souls and spirits he created in angels and humans who follow Him.
Part 2
Some people believe that God is an energy or force or the basic unit of existence. This is often termed Monism. It is believed in
religions such as Hindu, Brahmanism, New Age, who call this energy "kai". This is pagan thinking and not embraced by
Christianity over the centuries.
Some People believe that God is All and All is God. Which means that all that exists is God. This is called Pantheism. This pagan
belief admits that a rock is God, the sky is God, spirits are God, people are God, an atom is God. It also admits that God is the
Universe and that He does not exist outside of it as being separate. Therefore, He is dependent on the universe and creation to
exist and changes as time transpires and creation goes through constant changes. (atoms are always moving within themselves,
so any movement in them is a series of changes, such as becoming positively of negatively charged.)
Pantheism also admits that God is a part of all things. Christianity has never supported this pantheistic view of God and
creation. Many Christians mix this view from New Age thinking into their Christian beliefs forming a syncretic viewpoint which is
aberrational.
Some people believe that God's divinity permeates every part of creation but still remains distinct. So, this means that God is
not the Universe and the Universe is not God, as pantheists believe. But since they believe that God is the Spirit of the Universe,
therefore a part of it, and permeates all parts of creation, but is still somehow distinct from it, this viewpoint means that God
is thus dependent on the Universe to exist. This belief is called Panentheism and is somewhat of an "halfway" compromise
between pantheism and the true Christian view of God. Like Monism and Pantheism, Panentheism is not a valid Christian view of
who and What God is. These three viewpoints, along with the view that God is just an impersonal "Force", are all pagan views of
God-Who and What He is.
Inn your reply to me and to Richard you have brought up a multitude of concepts, so I am trying to decide how to respond.
I guess the best place to begin is, indeed, as you imply, with Who and What we believe God to be.
Aside from the things you mentioned that we agree on, I would like to address a few other things in this post.
I believe that there is only One God and that His essential Being/Self is not communicable, which means that He cannot part out
His essence to anyone else. He alone possesses this divine nature. He is absolutely unique as a Being. There is no one like Him
because there is and never has been, nor will there ever be any other divine beings "birthed" by Him, emanated from this
nature, nor created as an extension of this nature.
I believe that there is God- and then there is everything else that He created, whether
spiritual beings, corporeal beings, physical matter (organic and inorganic), inanimate things like forces, light, sound waves,
motion, space, and time. Therefore, I believe that God is completely separate from His creation and not mixed into it. This is
called the transcendence of God, often termed that He is wholly other than creation.
I believe that God is also imminent in creation by His omnipresence. In this sense He is everywhere present and in everything.
But in saying this I will clarify that thought God by His imminence, inhabits all of creation, I will say that He is not a part of
creation, mixing His Self with what He created ontologically, making creation part creation and part od's essence (or divine).
God is not One with His creation. He is One within His One Being three distinct Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But He is
not One with creation nor creatures in this sense. God is not One with a rock, water, a worm, angels, or people. Nothing within
creation has even a spark of divinity, because Divinity belongs solely to God, Who is eternally self-existent, holy, perfect.
You and Richard may already know this but just to add this little bit to the conversation on the wheat and the tares. A tare is a plant named bearded darnel plant (Lolium temulentum) it is wheat's evil twin, and it is poisonous, and in small amounts, it is intoxicating. It cannot be identified until the head with the grains appears which is purple. Only at the harvest, they can be known when the angels are sent to sort them out.
God bless,
RLW
Your prayer request is a beautiful prayer within itself. In the Name of Jesus Christ, I pray in agreement with your prayer request. God's Will be done. Amen.
AA,
I noticed your request did not contain petition to God for specific material things, indicating you are seeking His Will and not your own; leaving room for Him. What you leave as vacant, God will fill. And where He is, there must Truth abide! Your faith joyously
stirs my soul.
Peace
GOD IS
PS
I read your post once more before I submitted this reply. What a blessing. Tears of joy. Thank you . And thank you Father for Your Perfect Love and blessings we are about to receive.
I agree 100% that God is the one who preserves us, we are to be confident that "he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." ( Phil. 1:6), and we are "kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." ( 1 Pet. 1:5). Our faith saves us (obviously by what Jesus has done for us); the power of God keeps us saved, if we truly believe ( Acts 8:37).
I also agree - not all the wheat and tares are evident, which is why the Lord said to leave them and let them grow together. However, I can assure you, there are many tares that look like wheat, and some wheat that look like tares. True believers can become backslidden, and in some cases, severely backslidden to the point where their life produces no fruit, being saved, "yet as so by fire" ( 1 Cor. 3:15). But, any "believer" who completely abandons the faith simply demonstrates that they were never saved to begin with ( 1 Jn. 2:19).
-Chris
I'm going from memory here. I anticipate and welcome someone with better understanding will satisfy your inquiry on this interesting topic.
I believe Melchizedek is mentioned in just one book of the New Testament; Hebrews. He was King of Salem which means King of Peace, and King of righteousness. He is first mentioned in, I think Genesis. He had no known lineage, nor record of His beginning or end. I believe it is accepted in Orthodox Christian thinking , that He was Jesus, the High Priest (not high on drugs). Even Abraham (I think) tithed to Him.
Peace
GOD IS
Hopefully these are helpful
Matthew 25:31-46,
Exodus 25, Romans 11,
Hopefully these are also helpful in your study
Then notice it says Ecclesiasticus 32:7-18, is in context, also saying " do not sin by proud speech"
Doesn't that point to another scripture Ecclesiastes 9:10, Deuteronomy 8:18,
it's GOD that gives us abilities
Hopefully this is helpful
I also found it's used with the HOLY Spirit in Old Testament in Isaiah 63:10, Holy: translation as ( qodesh )
with searching site word search & then referenced Strongs Exhaustive Concordance on site.
& Isaiah 11:12 as And the Spirit, of the LORD (Yhovah) transliteration (Yhvh)
Spirit (ruwach) used 3 times in same verse, prophetic of Jesus CHRIST, awesome
Amazing what GOD reveals to us when we're receptive
Messianic and prophetic in nature; Psalm 68 is full of references to the destruction of the armies of the earth and the restoration of Israel and God's Covenant people along with the world at large eventually coming to worship the true and living God.
2 Thessalonians 1:8 discuss the Lord returning in vengeance with flaming fire; and this verse is hardly isolated in the scriptures; as we see finally occurring in Revelation 19. That pretty much sums up the first 2 verses of this Psalm.
The rest of the first half of the Psalm through verse 17 focuses on the deliverance of God; with the personal view of families (widows and fatherless) being represented in verse 5 and 6; where captives are also said to be released. These verses and their themes are repeated in Isaiah 42 as well as Isaiah 49. Taken literally; it would seem that there will be a final Exodus in volving children especially; which occurs during the Tribulation for slave purposes which will end abruptly at the return of the Lord. There will clearly be many widows of those who survive until the Millennium which will have children returned in some cases by royalty; who will basically bow down in the dust and act as foster parents. Verse 18 seems to bolser this idea with worship of the Lord in the Temple which finally fulfills its role to be "a place of prayer for all nations" ( Isaiah 56:7 also quoted by Jesus in the N.T. Gospels). Even MORE support is given in verses 29-32 for this concept.
These verses and many others sadly are often taken as symbolic language which takes much of the impact out of the passages. There needs; of course to be some latitude when we observe symbolism within a text of literal descriptions as to interpretation but hopefully the joy and awe of God's Providence won't be unnecessarily watered down because it seems to go against some sort of specific doctrinal stance. Let us be as Bereans searching the Scriptures daily and dividing rightly.
Agape. Rich P.
As you read in Malachi 3:6 GOD is true to his promises, & left a remnant
words translation ( bow' ) using the Strongs Exhaustive Concordance & comparison in this site, the same word is used for each scripture= meaning to come. If read within the meanings; points to Jesus in Matthew 1,
Interesting
Leviticus 11, Deuteronomy 14,
Hopefully these are helpful in your study
Hopefully these are helpful
Hopefully these help
In comparison to your example of Noah- Exodus 20:1-5, Exodus 34:7, Numbers 14:18, Deuteronomy 2:14, Judges 2:10, 2Kings 10:30, 2Kings 15:12, Hebrews 3, Luke 1:50, Psalms 102:18, John 17,
Prophetic about Jesus & other generations- Proverbs 30:12,13,14, Isaiah 53:8, Matthew 11,
Psalms 12:6-7, Psalms 14,
Hopefully these are helpful