Originally posted by Shallow Blue"None of us are good enough, but all of us are accepted."
Yes, we do. And yet...
That's the beauty of Christianity. It doesn't condemn you because you fall short of perfect, because you're a sinner. Because we're all sinners, and thanks to Christ, that's not the end. None of us are good enough, but all of us are accepted.
Compare this to Jehovaism or Mormonism, where it's "one strike and you're out". How is that merciful? What does that have to do with God?
I agree with the first half of that statement. Care to explain what you mean by the second half?
Originally posted by twhitehead
The danger of such a claim, is I can now turn it around and state that it is your mind that is damaged causing you to 'discern the divine glory of Christ'. And you cannot give any rational argument to defend yourself. Its merely one mad mans claim against another's. Welcome to the asylum.
You are saying that this and that and some other possibility to argue is possible to you. Some of us are interested in the truth more than what this, that, or some other possible different point could be made.
We are all mental cases since the fall of Adam.
Compared to Jesus Christ, not one of us is without the need for healing of our thinking.
Some of us recognize that the most sober and healthy thinking man was Jesus. He could tell us why He came, why He was alive. I have known many intelligent people who could not.
If I asked you to gather up your good reasoning ability and tell us why you lived, I suspect that you could not answer except with more questions .. mostly questions with subtle leading innuendos.
So I happily turn my mind over to Christ for healing.
In the mean time it is important to realize that the MOST intelligent being probably ever created corrupted his wisdom to become the most pernicious evil being.
The anointed cherub who became Satan was said to have been perfect in his ways from the day he was created. He was glorious, closest to God, splendid in beauty, and powerful in authority. But he corrupted his own high wisdom.
"You were the anointed cherub who covers ...; indeed I set you, so that you were upon the holy mountain of God ... You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, until unrighteousness was found in you. ... Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; YOU CORRUPTED YOUR WISDOM by reason of your brighteness..." (See Ezek. 28:14-17)
No being created had more intelligence.
No being created had more powers of logic and reasoning.
But he corrupted his wisdom.
It is possible for a intelligent person to corrupt his wisdom in rebellion because he hates his Creator.
In order for the mind to be normal it has to have some enlightenment from the Holy Spirit of God.
A stubborn mind that refuses to guided by the Spirit of God can be dangerous. G.H. Pember wrote:
" ... intellect is not merely fallible, but the most dangerous of all gifts, unless it be guided by the Spirit of God. For it can call evil good, and good evil: it can put darkness for light and light for darkness; bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter."
God's thoughts are higher than our thoughts. But His guidance can elevate our thoughts higher. Our whole life then can rise and be more transcendent because we allow the Holy Spirit of God to lift up our thinking. We can be then less dangerous to ourselves and others. And we can become more like Jesus Christ.
First here in Isaiah 55:8 God tells us that His thoughts are higher.
"Let the wicked forsake his way, And the evildoer, his THOUGHTS; And let him return to Jehovah, and He will have compassion on him: And to our God, for He will pardon abundantly.
For My thoughts are not your thoughts.
And your ways are not My ways, declares Jehovah.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So My ways are higher than your ways,
And My thoughts higher than your thoughts." (Isa. 55:7-9)
People are often in so much personal trouble merely because their thoughts are not high enough to see things better. It would be a great benefit to them to have God lift up their way of thinking higher.
Jesus "OPENED THEIR MIND" of His disciples to understand the most import things about the word of God to mankind. After His resurrection, the disciples were still in unbelief, depression, despondency, dejection and terrible disappointment.
We would have to say their minds were still dull and darkened. They only went by what they saw. It is so interesting that Jesus did not just present empirical evidence of His resurrection and leave it at that.
He "opened their MIND" to understand that the word of God had made promises that they could trust to not fail.
"Then He opened their mind to understand the Scriptures; And He said to them, Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise up from the dead on the third day." (Luke 24:45,46)
For Jesus to open their minds was also for Him to heal their damaged minds from the unbelief which sin has inflicted upon man.
The mind of fallen man is damaged.
Now some people use an expression about the HEART and the HEAD.
They give the impression that the MIND is not a part of the HEART.
Actually in the Bible the HEART includes the MIND too.
Reasoning is a function of the mind. But Jesus said that reasonings were in the HEART -
Matthew 9:4,5 - "And Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, Why are you thinking evil things in your heart?"
You see? Thier thinking and their reasoning were taking place in their heart. So it is not really accurate to give the impression that the HEAD and the HEART are different.
Now concerning the need for healing in the mind, God says that the HEART is desperately wicked and only God can know it.
Jeremiah 17:9 - " The heart is deceitful above all things, And it is incurable; Who can know it?
I, Jehovah, search the heart and test the inward parts, even to give to each one according to his ways,
According to the fruit of his deeds." (Recovery Version)
The HEART of fallen man incurable, apart from God's salvation.
Other translations show the HEART where also the thinking and reasoning occur is so deeply flawed that only God can know it.
English Standard Version
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
New American Standard Bible
"The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?
King James Bible
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The heart is more deceitful than anything else, and incurable--who can understand it?
Originally posted by sonshipWell you won't be able to find it. After all, you are self admittedly mad. All your ridiculous claims are just the ramblings of a mad man. I on the other hand am quite sane. You cannot dispute it as anything you say I can dismiss as utter madness.
Some of us are interested in the truth more than what this, that, or some other possible different point could be made.
The rest of your post was just nonsense. You tried to give rational reasons for your beliefs, but that's not allowed, you already threw out rationality in your OP. You cannot think right because of Thors henchmen who have scrambled your brains.
Sorry but the claim that everyone else but you is mad is just ridiculous and deserves to be ridiculed.
Originally posted by sonshipWell, let Jesus come down and open MY mind. Humans telling me about supernatural things, forget it.
Jesus [b]"OPENED THEIR MIND" of His disciples to understand the most import things about the word of God to mankind. After His resurrection, the disciples were still in unbelief, depression, despondency, dejection and terrible disappointment.
We would have to say their minds were still dull and darkened. They only went by what they saw. It is so in ...[text shortened]... was also for Him to heal their damaged minds from the unbelief which sin has inflicted upon man.[/b]