Do not fear

[Mark Dohle]

Do not fear

God's love is vulnerable,
more so than any human love,
do not fear, but deepen trust,
you are precious in his eyes-Br.MD​

 

[Eyes to See]

Quite to the contrary God's love is tempered by his other cardinal attributes, wisdom, justice, and might.

God's justice does not allow God to be permissive and tolerate wickedness. He does not allow sentimentalism and emotions to overrule his Holiness and his just righteousness. He himself says:

"Jehovah was passing before him and declaring: “Jehovah, Jehovah, a God merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and abundant in loyal love and truth, showing loyal love to thousands, pardoning error and transgression and sin, but he will by no means leave the guilty unpunished."-Exodus 34:6-7.

 

[pearl]

God's justice does not allow God to be permissive and tolerate wickedness. He does not allow sentimentalism and emotions to overrule his Holiness and his just righteousness. He himself says:

You left out His willingness to forgive the contrite heart.
"As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our sins from us."

 

[Eyes to See]

You left out His willingness to forgive the contrite heart.
"As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our sins from us."

Actually quoted Jehovah talking about his willingness to forgive. I think you knew that as well because you cut that out of the copy of my post.

 

[Mark Dohle]

Quite to the contrary God's love is tempered by his other cardinal attributes, wisdom, justice, and might.

God's justice does not allow God to be permissive and tolerate wickedness. He does not allow sentimentalism and emotions to overrule his Holiness and his just righteousness. He himself says:

"Jehovah was passing before him and declaring: “Jehovah, Jehovah, a God merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and abundant in loyal love and truth, showing loyal love to thousands, pardoning error and transgression and sin, but he will by no means leave the guilty unpunished."-Exodus 34:6-7.

When Jesus told us how many times we should forgive someone who offends us, he was also showing us God's mercy. Of course to ask for mercy, it must be genuine. So there is no limit to God's mercy. We often judge from a very shallow level, yet God sees us to our very depths, hence is mercy and compassion.

As a species, we have very little compassion, though we are called to the death of our tendency to want mercy for ourselves, justice for all those with whom we do not like, or understand, or are just angry at. God's justice is always correct, while man's, well, I am very happy that I will not be judged by man.

The story or parable of the Prodigal iDpm s mostly about how the Father relates to the son even when he is away. The father waits, is not angry, and only wants the son to return. This also tells us something about the Father's love for each human being.

When I stand before God, the judgment is God's accepting my choice, my free choice, and I now being in a state where I have to see all the truth about myself, will agree. Hell is a place for people who create themselves apart from God's love/grace. There is no confusion or begging, it is truth, and I will have to admit to it, and will do so freely. Once we die, the unconscious becomes conscious.

We can judge an action, but the soul, well, that is between God and his beloved child.

We gravitate towards what we understand. lack of mercy, anger that is out of control, the desire to cause suffering is placed on God, and easy to understand, though I believe false. To try to understand God's love is much more difficult.

We (I) am the problem, not God.

Peace
Mark

 

[Eyes to See]

When Jesus told us how many times we should forgive someone who offends us, he was also showing us God's mercy. Of course to ask for mercy, it must be genuine. So there is no limit to God's mercy. We often judge from a very shallow level, yet God sees us to our very depths, hence is mercy and compassion.

As a species, we have very little compassion, though we are called to the death of our tendency to want mercy for ourselves, justice for all those with whom we do not like, or understand, or are just angry at. God's justice is always correct, while man's, well, I am very happy that I will not be judged by man.

The story or parable of the Prodigal iDpm s mostly about how the Father relates to the son even when he is away. The father waits, is not angry, and only wants the son to return. This also tells us something about the Father's love for each human being.

When I stand before God, the judgment is God's accepting my choice, my free choice, and I now being in a state where I have to see all the truth about myself, will agree. Hell is a place for people who create themselves apart from God's love/grace. There is no confusion or begging, it is truth, and I will have to admit to it, and will do so freely. Once we die, the unconscious becomes conscious.

We can judge an action, but the soul, well, that is between God and his beloved child.

We gravitate towards what we understand. lack of mercy, anger that is out of control, the desire to cause suffering is placed on God, and easy to understand, though I believe false. To try to understand God's love is much more difficult.

We (I) am the problem, not God.

Peace
Mark

Agreed. There is no one who knows better the mercy and undeserved kindness of God. I am glad you see that our repentance must be genuine. And we will receive mercy in the measure we give it. Jesus said to pray to God to forgive us our sins the way we have forgiven our debtors.

I just didn't like the use in the OP of the word vulnerable. God's love does not make him vulnerable. It makes it sound like he is sentimental, and judges based off emotion. He does take pity. But all qualities he displays in perfection. Even his anger and his fury which can be extreme and great he uses to the proper degree, unlike us imperfect humans.

 

[Mark Dohle]

Agreed. There is no one who knows better the mercy and undeserved kindness of God. I am glad you see that our repentance must be genuine. And we will receive mercy in the measure we give it. Jesus said to pray to God to forgive us our sins the way we have forgiven our debtors.

I just didn't like the use in the OP of the word vulnerable. God's love does not make him vulnerable. It makes it sound like he is sentimental, and judges based off emotion. He does take pity. But all qualities he displays in perfection. Even his anger and his fury which can be extreme and great he uses to the proper degree, unlike us imperfect humans.

To be vulnerable does not represent weakness but inner strength. Language, words are diffiuclt. Here is something I responded to on another page where I post:

Christ was on earth, he could not protect himself from the suffering, woundedness, as well as hatred of others.
As humans, well speaking for myself, when angry at someone, or if someone is filled with suffering, I may in order to protect myself use 'labels' to make them less than me. Jesus could not do that, He is free to love. I believe in the revelation of Jesus, He shows us the same vulnerability of the Father as well, to love is to invite suffering when the beloved suffers. There is a reason Jesus used the parable of the Prodigal Son to show us the love of the Father. To give us a glimmer of God's love.​