Lost - 1 god - Please Help

Originally posted by Suzianne
We're talking about God, here. How could the image not be exact? Another word for image might be "reflection", since the material he has to work with is not as pure as his own. It's hard to get the properties of an ethereal being into a physical one, but hey, he's God; if anyone can do it, he can.

I'm genuinely interested to find out what qualities christians think god and man have in common.

Originally posted by robbie carrobie
yes the real meat was in the quotation that I cited.

Oh, of course.

Merely because it was YOU citing it. Well, that makes all the difference.

But then, the JWs don't often slack from tooting their own horn at the expense of scripture.

Look, I've already said you miss half of the meat of the Bible as it is anyways, simply because you insist that a man-made twisting of the dogma is right and good, when nothing is further from the truth. And you say you're not ashamed of God's Word.

God can only hope that his little mini-flock of prodigal sons come home in time. But from what I see of you guys here, I really don't think that's gonna happen. Way, WAY too much pride.

Originally posted by OdBod
I'm genuinely interested to find out what qualities christians think god and man have in common.

Only every quality that man came with. Not including the infirmities that Satan has saddled us with, of course. We are not our own creature, we were crafted by God. And then tainted by Satan.

Originally posted by Suzianne
Only every quality that man came with. Not including the infirmities that Satan has saddled us with, of course. We are not our own creature, we were crafted by God. And then tainted by Satan.

Can you give me some of the qualities that man came with?

Originally posted by Suzianne
But surely man was made in the image of God?

the context was that mans 'heart' is part made from emotions and is non physical. my point is that emotions are physical.

Originally posted by stellspalfie
the context was that mans 'heart' is part made from emotions and is non physical. my point is that emotions are physical.

I think maybe you're confusing emotions with the expression of those emotions.

God can be sad and sorry that something was happening, but Jesus wept.

Originally posted by Suzianne
If someone borrowed money from you, and promised to pay you back next Thursday, and Thursday came and here he was, to pay you back as he promised, would you then consider the money to be a "prize" that you had somehow "won"?

if you were a child and your mum says 'if you are a good girl you get to stay up late tonight'....is she offering you a prize for being good?

Originally posted by Suzianne
I think maybe you're confusing emotions with the expression of those emotions.

nope, emotions are physical....and heres me thinking you were on board with modern science.

Originally posted by stellspalfie
if you were a child and your mum says 'if you are a good girl you get to stay up late tonight'....is she offering you a prize for being good?

But that serves my point.

In that instance, your mum is presenting it as a prize to be won through your own actions. In the instance of eternal life, it's clear that it cannot be won through any action of ours, but through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It is a promise, and it is intended and presented as such.

Originally posted by stellspalfie
nope, emotions are physical....and heres me thinking you were on board with modern science.

If you are talking about how "we" humans feel emotion in our brains, and that this causes certain other physical processes, like crying, or laughing, then you're right. As a man, you can have no other perception of how emotion can be felt. God has no body and yet can feel emotion as keenly, perhaps even more keenly, as man does. In fact, our emotions are but a "reflection" or "image" of those emotions perceived by God. How wonderful that he elected to give us these, don't you think?

Originally posted by OdBod
Can you give me some of the qualities that man came with?

Kindness, love, jealousy, anger.

This is only the tip of the iceberg.

Originally posted by Suzianne
But that serves my point.

In that instance, your mum is presenting it as a prize to be won through your own actions. In the instance of eternal life, it's clear that it cannot be won through any action of ours, but through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. It is a promise, and it is intended and presented as such.

i disagree.

to achieve eternal life we have to follow a set of rules. it is a reward for good behaviour. if we make god cross then we dont get to stay up late.

Originally posted by stellspalfie
i disagree.

to achieve eternal life we have to follow a set of rules. it is a reward for good behaviour. if we make god cross then we dont get to stay up late.

You're only perceiving it this way as a result of your own biases.

Originally posted by Suzianne
If you are talking about how "we" humans feel emotion in our brains, and that this causes certain other physical processes, like crying, or laughing, then you're right. As a man, you can have no other perception of how emotion can be felt. God has no body and yet can feel emotion as keenly, perhaps even more keenly, as man does. In fact, our emotions are ...[text shortened]... ose emotions perceived by God. How wonderful that he elected to give us these, don't you think?

i agree that emotions can be wonderful. working in mental health i see how horrible emotions can also be. its a shame god lets these people suffer the way he does. maybe god is suffering from his own mental health issues. it would explain a lot.

Originally posted by stellspalfie

If God removed the prize of eternity, everybody dies and is gone forever. Would you still love and pray to God

Hypotheticals are fun and imaginative.
They are like fun puzzles for the mind.

What is more important to me is what IS .
I am not that concerned with what nifty hypotheticals we can concoct.

I praise God for what He is, not just for what He does for me.
I praise God for Himself.

Read my keyboard -
Christ is supremely precious in what He IS.
Christ is precious to me not just for what He can do for me.
Christ is preciousness Himself.
Nothing can compete with Him as far as I am concerned.

Can you read aloud a chapter of, say, the Gospel of Luke each morning, and not realize that this Person, God become a man, Jesus Christ is valuable and precious.

I leave you with a hymn: There's Nothing Like My God.

"My God, my Portion, and my Love,
My everlasting All,
I've none but Thee in heav'n above,
Or on this earthly ball.
Or on this earthly ball.


What empty things are all the skies,
And this inferior clod!
There's nothing here deserves my joys,
There's nothing like my God.
There's nothing like my God.

To Thee I owe my wealth , and friends,
And health and safe abode;
Thanks to Thy name for meaner things,
But they are not my God.
But they are not my God.

How vain a toy is glittering wealth,
If once compared to Thee!
Or what's my safety, or my health,
Or all my friends to me.
Or all my friends to me.


Were I possessor of the earth,
And called the stars my own,
Without Thy graces and Thyself,
I were a wretch undone.
I were a wretch undone.

Let others stretch their arms like seas,
And grasp in all the shore;
Grant me the visits of Thy grace,
And I desire no more,
And I desire no more. "

[Hymn # 600, Living Stream Ministry - Hymns ]