What does God do for the Christian.

Originally posted by eagles54
Yeah, I'll be the first to admit I'm a real piece of work. 😉

However, I have never seen evidence that my very nature is evil.

To the contrary, through the practice of meditation, I can begin to understand the reasons behind my own so-called evil behavior directly and without fail. We all act so d@mn badly because we believe the self to be an exist ...[text shortened]... led to believe, but rather confused from beginningless time because of the love of 'self.'

Ok, I see where you're coming from now.

Now what exactly is the difference between having an 'evil nature' and exercising 'evil behavior'. It seems like a semantic juggling act to me.

If our minds are so unblemished, how do we come to the point of 'ego-clinging'? I love that phrase by the way. It seems like the perfect modern description of what God calls rebellion. Each man doing only and exactly what he himself wants to do, as long as it's not what God would want, that is.

So, you're saying that if only we could just fully know that our mind's nature was good, then we could stop acting so badly? That we are caused to do wrong merely by some unreal, dreamlike misunderstanding? I'm afraid to admit it, but I don't have the capacity to take that leap of faith. There is no evidence for this theory, no sense to it, no revelation to that effect, and neither is there any hope in it for that matter. Furthermore Eags, it seems that if I were led to believe in this idea and focused my efforts on learning to trust that my nature is not evil, that then I would be following the path of deceit.
It seems the harder thing to admit is that my nature is evil. (This is also the first step in becoming a Christian: the recognizing of the need for forgiveness.) Why would I have a hard time liking to believe that I am only fooled into thinking I'm bad? The truth hurts, but when it is coupled with God's gift of redemption, it sets the spirit free!

I do hate to see a good chess player like yourself lead down the wrong path, and wasting his time with blunderous openings, only to find out in the end that he is being pinned, forked and scewered in some dark squared corner!

2 Corinthians 6:2
I tell you, now (in the middlegame) is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.

Ok, so I added a little bit here....

Originally posted by saffa73
2 close friends killed in terrible car accidents.

I am very sorry that you lost your friends so tragically.
Life is hard.

I wasn't debating that. I was replying to the thread topic. ' what does God do for Christians'

Originally posted by saffa73
I wasn't debating that. I was replying to the thread topic. ' what does God do for Christians'

No offense. I think we all agree that life is hard. It's the second half of the phrase that we struggle with. But I am convinced of it, even though I am familiar with the first half, that while 'Life is hard...God is good!'

Your friends died, both of my parents have died, millions die every day, but God did not kill them.

Yes, he did. He is the greatest power there is supposedly. If he did not kill them, then surely he could have prevented it.

Originally posted by saffa73
Yes, he did. He is the greatest power there is supposedly. If he did not kill them, then surely he could have prevented it.

Saffa, would you consider a doctor evil if he killed a child so that child's disease wouldn't affect others, but then brought the child back to life in a better place than the child had left?

The question is irrelevant, if the child is dead then it cannot be brought back to life.

Also, the doctor is not on trial here.

Originally posted by Darfius
Saffa, would you consider a doctor evil if he killed a child so that child's disease wouldn't affect others, but then brought the child back to life in a better place than the child had left?

Would you call a doctor evil if (s)he had the cure to the child's disease, but instead chose to kill the child? How about if the doctor was the one who created the disease in the first place?

Originally posted by telerion
Would you call a doctor evil if (s)he had the cure to the child's disease, but instead chose to kill the child? How about if the doctor was the one who created the disease in the first place?

I know where you are going.

God is the doctor.

The child is my friend.

But unlike the child, my friend is not diseased!

Originally posted by saffa73
The question is irrelevant, if the child is dead then it cannot be brought back to life.

So you condemn a God you do not think exists? I would understand if you said 'He doesn't exist, because if He did, this child never would have died.' or 'He does exist, but I hate Him.' but you're saying 'He doesn't exist, but I still hate Him.'

When did I say that God doesn not exist???

Originally posted by saffa73
Yes, he did. He is the greatest power there is supposedly. If he did not kill them, then surely he could have prevented it.

I suppose He could have. But where would we be if God prevented every bad thing from happening?

Realize that to do that means to take every choice away from every person.

Perhaps your friends were killed by drunk drivers. Sure, he would not have been allowed to drink too much, but he would not be free to repent either. None of us would be free to love or to hate, to be sad or happy. God would have had to create Adam and Eve and then tie them to the tree forever, instead of actually giving them a real life.

So, he took a chance, gave them real life, and we as a race (the human race) took the ball and ran the wrong way. Before we ran quite off the cliff, God placed a narrow bridge in front of us (the cross) and said 'Come this way. Only this bridge will bring you back to me'.

Now it's up to each of us. God has released us from what could be a tyrannical power and given us each the greatest power there truly is: the power of the free will. The only power that can overcome the second greatest power which is the power of sin to enslave us.

Originally posted by telerion
Would you call a doctor evil if (s)he had the cure to the child's disease, but instead chose to kill the child? How about if the doctor was the one who created the disease in the first place?

The cure is available to all, and if the child took the cure, he/she wouldn't be afraid of death at all, since it's just the mode of transportation to the field trip!

And most assuredly the doctor did not create the disease, but rather did not keep the entire world quarantined. He thought it would be inhumane.

And if they were your friends...or family?