Scripture reference I used to support covetousness is idolatry. Covetousness I believe has the idea of worship of something, honoring it above God, idolizing something. [[Eph 5:5/KJV]] For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Good News! Repentance from sin, faith toward God, love for Him and obedience to Him draws Him to us. It is preparing the way for the Lord.
Matt 3:1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea 2 and saying, " Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’"
Matt 4:17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”
John 14:23 Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching . My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” Obedience draws the Father and the Son to you.
I have 6 sons and 3 daughters. Some are following the Lord and some aren’t. There are two sons that still live at home, they are 19 (my youngest) and 24. Since they have repented they have become the most respectful, obedient and loving sons. They will do what I tell them without argument. One was so careful to follow my advice that his mother told me to tell him it was advice, not a command. I told him to go a certain speed on a certain road at night because there are a lot of deer. One night he was taking his mother into town and was going the speed I had suggested. His mother asked why he was going so slow, he said, “because dad said so”. He would not speed up because he did not want to disobey me. She asked me to tell him it was a suggestion and not a direct command. This same attitude is carried over in so many things. There are times when he asks me what I want him to do, I give him instruction, the Word of God and tell him what I believe is a wise way to go and then tell him to do what he thinks is best. He then acts in a proper and caring way.
The older son had worked at a lumber yard for five years; he was doing well and was appreciated by his employer and the other employees. He asked me if he could work for me in my business, I told him I would consider it. I am getting up in years and will eventually have to quit my line of work. I determined I couldn’t handle the expense of an employee at this moment so now was not a good time. He sought the Lord about it and came to me and told me he would be willing to work for a year for free, so he could learn the business and take it over when I had to quit. I felt bad and told him I couldn’t do that. He came back to me and told me he really wanted to, so I agreed. He is an excellent employee, doing all I ask of him and a whole lot more. Never complains and takes on more responsibility than I would require of him.
Now, their attitude, submission, obedience and affection they have toward me their father, draws out of me affection for them. It causes me to want to bless them, to honor them, respect them, and listen to them. By their pure heart it prepares the way for their father to have a close and intimate relationship with them. With these two sons i could say,“These are my sons in whom i am well pleased.”
This is not the case with some of my children. Some do not love God and their affections for this world separates them from Him and me. Do I still love them? Yes. But because of their rebellion they cut off the intimate and loving relationship that is available to them if they would only repent. So, by their love of this world, we are separated. If I tell or ask them to do something they either don’t or reluctantly do it. The relationship of those who love and obey me compared to those who don’t is completely opposite.
The point of this is to show what repentance, faith, love and obedience does to father’s affections. These things draw the blessings and fellowship of the father to the children. This is the case with the Father. As we humble ourselves and turn to Him and seek for His will in all things, the Father is waiting and willing to reveal Himself to us. With repentance, faith and obedience prompted by love, we prepare the way of the Lord, we draw the Father and Son to us, and then they come and live in use. We become the dwelling place of God.
So for those who don’t love God, He would say, “Repent and love me and I will come and abide in you. My peace I will give you. My yoke is easy and my burden is light and my Spirit and eternal life is my gift to you.”
I always say what I mean. The Times standard of written English specifies minimal - short - sentences.
Pick just one. And none of those are in the above. One that actually says what the gospel is. What we have to believe or be damned. Only one of the three does. In completely metaphoric terms of course. Let’s see if you can identify it.
More than enough of the Gospel has been presented in this thread for a humble and contright person to understand it.
What’s contrition got to do with the good news?
Enough of the Gospel has been preached in this thread that a fool could receive understanding and come to repentance and faith. Even the angels would praise God for the knowledge that has been preached here. I by the Spirit of God and the scriptures have proclaimed the Gospel, now it is up to those who have read it, to believe it.
What good news is that?
Matt 13:3,4,18,19
You need to get rid of your birds.
The sparrow hawk got Porgy and Bess. I fancy an African Grey.
What do those proof texts say about your interpretation of the gospel?
Missed this. Some freedom eh? I wasn’t free in any way to help her. I once costed what it would take to manage such a broken person, addressing all their issues as if they were a rock star. I ran the figure past a think tank and they laughed in derision. Until one of them said I was right.
And it still wouldn’t work.
Love will.
If i thought you had any true interest in knowing what Jesus did through the cross, i would elaborate, but since the truth of it has been laid out clearly in the previous post, I am led to believe you don’t have a true interest. Therefore I am done interacting with you.
That’s the second time you’ve said that. You can’t not. Shalom Cody. You have no way of knowing what I know by revealing your knowing.
I don’t agree with many of Martin’s conclusions, but I don’t think it’s fair to say he has no true interest in knowing what Jesus did through the cross. It’s his true interest that has led him to his conclusions, even if we disagree with them.
In my beginning posts and the others there are multiple scriptures declaring the different aspects of the Gospel. What Jesus accomplished through the cross. How it takes us having faith, trust in it for it to become affective in us. The condemnation that comes to those who don’t trust what Jesus did. There has been plenty of explanation and scripture to lay out what the Gospel is and does.
That’s good news? Trust or be condemned? What’s bad news?
For those who have confessed Jesus as their Lord and have the desire to obey Him, I would encourage you to reread my initial posts and then read Romans and Hebrews with the intent to understand more of what the cross and resurrection acomplished for those who believe. Also, either on the computer or books do a search on the terms, in Him, cross and in Christ. In so doing, I believe your understanding of what God acomplished through the cross of Jesus will greatly increase and your power over temptation will also. Through the cross we died to sin and we have no other Lord than Jesus. Sin and Satan are no longer our masters. May God bless you in your search to know Jesus more.
(Also, take note what part faith, trust take part in it.)
The vaccine for Covid 19 is good news. IF you take the vaccine you will be more immune to the spread of this virus. To say this is not good news just because those who don’t take the vaccine will not get the benefit, is just nonsense.
This is not to support the Gnostic gospel of salvation by works of the mind such as believing certain things, but simply to point out the illogic saying something is not good news just because it is conditional.
There is no conditionality in Christ.
Your analogy fails.
All are ‘vaccinated’ whether they know it or not. The faithfulness of Christ is 100% effective for the herd.
The vaccine isn’t conditional either. Doesn’t change the fact that the vaccine doesn’t work if you don’t get the vaccine.
To be sure we can reject the Calvinist idea of limited atonement to say that Christ died for all. But that doesn’t mean we have to accept notions of a control freak God who assaults people, forcing His way on everyone whether they want it or not. Some people prefer to keep their sins and their misery calling it happiness, and I at least believe God gives them what they want.
Hell is our heart’s desire not a torture chamber or a fiery furnace. Heaven is God’s desire for us, freely chosen by those who want it. Thus we have a choice of two roads: the comfortable one of moral degradation and the painful one which goes under the surgeon’s knife. This is the overwhelming lesson of life as well as the Bible. The only difference is that in this case the doctor works for free.
This is a Christian forum. People here have read the Bible, probably even the atheists. The education level here is pretty high, with many scientists and scholars who do their research on the topic they speak about. That is why they also support evolution, because if you do your research on that topic the evidence is overwhelming – far more so than there is for the Bible or Christianity.