If God ever took His grace off all people, believers or not believers, wouldn't we all be sinners? Less or more sinners, but definitely all sinners. And if we stand justified infront of God because of His grace and not because of our own justice and works what makes us think that we have the right to throw stones to our brethern and "kill" them? But one may say, "Hey I have never done what that brother has done". Yes but we have done other bad things, and if God ever took His grace off us, then we should had been stoned as well. Were those people who were ready to stone that woman accused of fornication unfaithful as well? No, but they realized that they were all sinners, no matter their specific sins, so they should had been condemned to be stoned as well. So they threw the stones away and left. When we realize that we stand in front of God through His grace only and not due to our good character, then our appetite to throw stones and kill our brethern stops. Because we know it is God's grace that guards us all, nothing for me to boast, nothing for me to judge. Because in doing so, I judge and condemn myself as well.
When we really understand that then we should turn our attention to ourselves, not to others. We are here to "cure" ourselves, let us leave others to God who had brought them here as well and saved them. He has plans for everybody. He acts ike an earthly father. He talks to his children, he teaches them, sometimes he gives them a price to get them going, other times he gives them some slaps, even some very strong slaps if needed. He knows what to do with any of us. It is only HIS task to change any one of us. The only thing that belongs to us is to help God with his work in our brethren's souls. How? By praying and crying for our brethern.
It is called humility. A humble person always justifies their brethren, they never judge them. Because they realize the worthlessness of themselves and recognize the power and grace of God in their lives.
Jesus did not come to those who are "well" but to those who need a "physician". Our sinfulness no one can cure for themselves, nor can any sinner, cure any other sinner. Only the Lord of all can do this work of changing us from enemies of God to children of God, from being hopeless, to being saved, from being full of false beliefs to knowing the truth that is in Jesus.
The Spirit uses each believer to help other believers. He works in and through us to bring about Christ-likeness and to corrects believers when we error.
Those who think they are "well" are Pharisees and corrupt in all of their being, as all persons are, but are deceived in thinking they are holy and blameless.
When we own that we are sinners by our own fault and choice, we realize we need to be "healed" and restored to God through Christ, confessing our sin and trusting He will forgive us because He bought us by His blood, that gives life to the dead.
Have a good evening (though it is day in your side of the world).
I think that we all become Pharisees quite often. Aren't we Pharisees when we point out our brother's fault and judge them?Even gossip them? Why do we do that? Because we forget that we all do mistakes, maybe not the same but different mistakes. And if God were strict with us He would had already sent us to hell. So we feel free to judge others. But who's given us the right to judge that other person when at the same time we are in the same position of being under judgement? All that has to do with humility. A humble person always justifies their brother and judge strictly themselves. A prideful person always justifies themselves and judge strictly the others. And when I judge my brother and put the guilt on them (if something happened between us) and not on me, then this means that I dont repent. I always consider that the fault is the other person's fault, not mine. And I forget that I stand infront of God through His grace, not due to my good character. So does my brother.
And this is lack of love as well.. We can all see our brothers' fault, can't we? But if we put the lens of judgement in our eyes instead of the lens of love, then we actually see the mistake but with the intention to judge. In the opposite case we see again the same mistake but with the intention to help. So it is a matter of heart.
"Father forgive them because they don't know what they do", Jesus said on the cross. Question: Didn't they actually know what they were doing to Jesus? Of course they knew. They were nailing an innocent person on the cross. So why did Jesus say that? Because He wanted to justify His enemies, not judge them. This is what love is. And this is what humility is. God humbled Himself, He put Himself in a position lower than His creation. Why? Because He wanted to attract us through His love, not through fear and strict justice. These are Jesus' footprints for us to follow. Humble christians attract the grace of God. as well as love from their brothers and God.
If God ever took His grace off all people, believers or not believers, wouldn't we all be sinners? Less or more sinners, but definitely all sinners. And if we stand justified infront of God because of His grace and not because of our own justice and works what makes us think that we have the right to throw stones to our brethern and "kill" them? But one may say, "Hey I have never done what that brother has done". Yes but we have done other bad things, and if God ever took His grace off us, then we should had been stoned as well. Were those people who were ready to stone that woman accused of fornication unfaithful as well? No, but they realized that they were all sinners, no matter their specific sins, so they should had been condemned to be stoned as well. So they threw the stones away and left. When we realize that we stand in front of God through His grace only and not due to our good character, then our appetite to throw stones and kill our brethern stops. Because we know it is God's grace that guards us all, nothing for me to boast, nothing for me to judge. Because in doing so, I judge and condemn myself as well.
When we really understand that then we should turn our attention to ourselves, not to others. We are here to "cure" ourselves, let us leave others to God who had brought them here as well and saved them. He has plans for everybody. He acts ike an earthly father. He talks to his children, he teaches them, sometimes he gives them a price to get them going, other times he gives them some slaps, even some very strong slaps if needed. He knows what to do with any of us. It is only HIS task to change any one of us. The only thing that belongs to us is to help God with his work in our brethren's souls. How? By praying and crying for our brethern.
It is called humility. A humble person always justifies their brethren, they never judge them. Because they realize the worthlessness of themselves and recognize the power and grace of God in their lives.
Jesus did not come to those who are "well" but to those who need a "physician". Our sinfulness no one can cure for themselves, nor can any sinner, cure any other sinner. Only the Lord of all can do this work of changing us from enemies of God to children of God, from being hopeless, to being saved, from being full of false beliefs to knowing the truth that is in Jesus.
The Spirit uses each believer to help other believers. He works in and through us to bring about Christ-likeness and to corrects believers when we error.
Those who think they are "well" are Pharisees and corrupt in all of their being, as all persons are, but are deceived in thinking they are holy and blameless.
When we own that we are sinners by our own fault and choice, we realize we need to be "healed" and restored to God through Christ, confessing our sin and trusting He will forgive us because He bought us by His blood, that gives life to the dead.
Have a good evening (though it is day in your side of the world).
I think that we all become Pharisees quite often. Aren't we Pharisees when we point out our brother's fault and judge them?Even gossip them? Why do we do that? Because we forget that we all do mistakes, maybe not the same but different mistakes. And if God were strict with us He would had already sent us to hell. So we feel free to judge others. But who's given us the right to judge that other person when at the same time we are in the same position of being under judgement? All that has to do with humility. A humble person always justifies their brother and judge strictly themselves. A prideful person always justifies themselves and judge strictly the others. And when I judge my brother and put the guilt on them (if something happened between us) and not on me, then this means that I dont repent. I always consider that the fault is the other person's fault, not mine. And I forget that I stand infront of God through His grace, not due to my good character. So does my brother.
And this is lack of love as well.. We can all see our brothers' fault, can't we? But if we put the lens of judgement in our eyes instead of the lens of love, then we actually see the mistake but with the intention to judge. In the opposite case we see again the same mistake but with the intention to help. So it is a matter of heart.
"Father forgive them because they don't know what they do", Jesus said on the cross. Question: Didn't they actually know what they were doing to Jesus? Of course they knew. They were nailing an innocent person on the cross. So why did Jesus say that? Because He wanted to justify His enemies, not judge them. This is what love is. And this is what humility is. God humbled Himself, He put Himself in a position lower than His creation. Why? Because He wanted to attract us through His love, not through fear and strict justice. These are Jesus' footprints for us to follow. Humble christians attract the grace of God. as well as love from their brothers and God.
Thank you for the thoughtful reply.
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