From the Law to Grace

Originally posted by @sonship
And if it sounds like a blog to you, that's just too bad.

I reckon you should BOTH run a blog AND contribute here. Then you could exercise your Christian blogger/soliloquist sensibilities on your blog, and then be more of a debater and 'discusser' here on this forum which is not Christian Monologues site. I am not suggesting any curtailing of your free speech whatsoever.

Originally posted by @fmf
Just ignore my posts then sonship. Let others decide for themselves if my observations and questions are relevant or a waste of time.

Sonship can also decide for himself, he doesn’t need anyone to do that for him.

Originally posted by @dj2becker
Sonship can also decide for himself, he doesn’t need anyone to do that for him.

You sound like you've run out of things to say, but you are posting nonetheless.

Originally posted by @fmf
Just ignore my posts then sonship. Let others decide for themselves if my observations and questions are relevant or a waste of time.

Others will decide whatever they want to think with or without your permission.

And I don't need you to tell me when and when not to ignore your posts. You'll just have to be irritateted with an answer when I feel like it. And you'll just have to be irritateted with me ignoring you when I feel to do that.

Originally posted by @fmf
You sound like you've run out of things to say, but you are posting nonetheless.

You said posters can decide for themselves something or other?
Okay, I decided.

Originally posted by @sonship
Others will decide whatever they want to think with or without your permission.

My point exactly. I have never once suggested that I think they need my permission, as you well know.

Originally posted by @sonship
And I don't need you to tell me when and when not to ignore your posts.

I am not going to tell you "when" and I have never suggested that you needed me to do that or that I was ever going to try.

Originally posted by @sonship
You'll just have to be irritateted with an answer when I feel like it. And you'll just have to be irritateted with me ignoring you when I feel to do that.

I welcome any contribution from you that isn't deflecting or dodging or untrue. As for you ignoring stuff, that's fine; your inability/unwillingness to address certain things ~ i.e. your silence ~ can be part of the discourse just as much as your posts.

Colossians is an excellent example of Paul bringing Christians back from the destractions of various human philosophies to Christ Himself as all they need.

"As therefore you have received the Christ, Jesus the Lord, walk in Him." (Col. 2:5)

This is an extremely important exhortation. Believers first received Jesus Christ simply by oopening up their hearts and believing Him. Something of a miracle took place. Jesus Christ came into our innermost being - our regenerated spirit.

Now Paul says - Just the same way you initially received Christ Jesus, so continue now to walk in Him. That is to live on in Him in the same way. That is believing that He can be everything one needs.

Step by step believing more and deeper into what Christ is - this is the way to go on to walk in Him.

Colossians is an excellent example of Paul bringing Christians back from the destractions of various human philosophies to Christ Himself as all they need.

Not only from philosophy does Paul call the saints from.
But he also seeks to rescue them from religion, even the religion based on the law of Moses.

For example:

"Let no one therefore judge you in eating and in drinking or in respect of a feast or of a new moon or of the Sabbath,

Which are a shadow of the things to come, but the body is of Christ." (Col. 2:16,17)

Eating, holy diet, feast days, new moons, Sabbaths ... these were all legitimate elements of the Old Testament Judaism.

Now Paul says that these were not the solid substance but shadow of the things to come. Mainly to come was God incarnate in Jesus Christ.

He is the feast.
He is the holy diet.
He is the new moon - the new beginning.
He is the REST (the Sabbath) , the satisfaction and rest in God.

This is coming from under the law of Moses into the grace of Christ.

We see in Colossians that Paul calls the saints from worldly philosophy. We see him also call the believers back from the Judaism and religion based on the law of Moses.

Now we also see him calling them back from superstitions or even asceticism. He calls them to Christ FROM self putting down practices of asceticism. These could include excessive trust in things like Yoga or body punishing practices of Hinduism or latter Christian mystics.

"Let not one defraud you by judging you unworthy of your prize, in self-chosen lowliness ..." (2:18a)

Self induce humility can distract from Christ.
Excessive discipline of the body so as to punish the body - asceticism, can defraud the believers of their prize in enjoying the grace of Christ.

Originally posted by @sonship
We see in [b]Colossians that Paul calls the saints from worldly philosophy. We see him also call the believers back from the Judaism and religion based on the law of Moses.

Now we also see him calling them back from superstitions or even asceticism. He calls them to Christ FROM self putting down practices of asceticism. These could include excessive ...[text shortened]... the body - asceticism, can defraud the believers of their prize in enjoying the grace of Christ.[/b]

You are talking to yourself again🙂

Originally posted by @sonhouse
You are talking to yourself again🙂

And why are you reading if I am ?

Sonhouse is one of those people Paul was warning Christians about when he said some would come trying to defraud believers with "empty deceit" and vain "philosophy".

So be warned seekers and Christian brothers and sisters.

" Beware that no one carries you off as spoil through his philosophy and empty deceit, according to the traditions of men, according to the elements of the world and not according to Christ. " (Col. 2:8)

Originally posted by @fmf
I welcome any contribution from you that isn't deflecting or dodging or untrue. As for you ignoring stuff, that's fine; your inability/unwillingness to address certain things ~ i.e. your silence ~ can be part of the discourse just as much as your posts.

Dodging and deflection. That’s rich coming from you.