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Hippy Dippy Good News

ZenMonkey

ZenMonkey

St. James VII
I thought I'd share the good news as I understand the Gospel message. Although many may disagree with the sentiments made in the following posts, they represent truth as I understand God's truth and nature.


Part I


We will go through many rebirth's here on earth. We will undergo many cycles of sin and death until we are prepared for the kingdom. Hell is simply what we experience on earth because of evil. The punishment we face for sin is death, growing old, and the effects of sinful acts [evil]. However, there will always be hope for us. Likewise, God's love will always be awaiting our acceptance in life, no matter how evil a person may be.


God has a plan for his creation. God has a plan for all humanity. God created humans with a sin nature, knowing full well that we would honor our sin nature and fall from grace. The wisdom in this, is that God likewise knew we would one day rise in triumph over our sin nature through love. God created us with a sin nature so that we would mature and grow wiser through the many trials and tribulations that it thrusts upon us. It's how we grow in knowledge and understanding.


It had to be this way. Otherwise, there is no true freedom to be who and what WE want to be. We have a choice to sin or not to sin, to pursue evil or righteousness. We are free agents and as free agents we get to choose. Life is a great teacher, and although it is sometimes painful, life enables us to mature, to build character, to further develop as individuals and as a people.


We may be free to sin to our hearts desire, but there are consequences for our sins. Even so, God’s plan entails universal reconciliation of all things in heaven and on earth. One day humanity will grow tired of sin and will seek after righteousness. All things in heaven and on earth will one day be united through love. One day all things will be reconciled in love.
 
ZenMonkey

ZenMonkey

St. James VII
Part II


Life involves trial, tribulation, sin, pain, sorrow, and suffering. All of which leads us to want for something better. Life also involves love, which leads us to comfort and joy. Humanity as a body will wise up one day, and come to desire love above sin and evil. Sin leads to pain, suffering, and death. Love leads to comfort, joy, and life.


We are in effect being refined and made pure by life and love, which is the baptism of Christ. We are being baptized by spirit and by life’s trials and tribulations, “fire”. Jesus stands as the refiner. The more we are faithful to God’s will, the more perfect we become and more prepared we are for the kingdom.


Jesus said that he came to send fire on the earth, Luke 12:49-50 – “I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled. I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!” Jesus was likewise baptized by life’s trials. He was faithful to the very end. We all go through the same process of being made perfect and/or complete by the trials we face in life.


The earth will be around for millions if not billions of years to come. God's will shall be done. Everything in life leads us to God's will for us. Everything! Even sin, which leads to pain, suffering , and death. All these things can instill in us a desire for something better. The Lord does not delay his coming, either. He's here with us as the love of God. Every man, woman, and child has God's love within themselves. His love can and one day will lead every individual to life in the kingdom.


Things will work themselves out for humanity. The good news is the message of reconciliation. The good news is that ALL people will one day know life in abundance. The only thing necessary to know life, is to walk in love, whereby we become faithful to God's will for us.
 
ZenMonkey

ZenMonkey

St. James VII
Part III


God subjected all things under Christ's authority. Jesus came to save the lost. If there are any truly wicked people on earth then wouldn't he leave the rest of those who are under his grace to find the ones who are not? He didn't come to destroy the world, but to save it after all. Likewise, the Lord is not willing that any perish, but that all come to repentance. Repentance comes by and through love. I know there are wicked people in this world, but it is the wicked that Jesus came to heal. He did not come to destroy them, but to give them life.


If any man is condemned, then it is a condemnation of our own making/choosing. If a person rejects love, then how can a person know the peace, comfort, joy, and life therein? Jesus condemns no man. None! We do it to ourselves. Jesus came to heal the sick, to save the sinful, to find the lost, and to give life to all in the world. That's the good news. We can accept and walk in God's love, which leads to life, or not.


Jesus wasn't concerned about how we viewed him as much as he was concerned about how we live our lives. To deny the son is akin to denying and rejecting love. In other words, if a person who claims Christ rejects what Christ lived and died for, which was love, then that person will likewise be rejected. It's a natural thing that happens and it's of our own doing. We simply cannot continue in love if we reject, deny, and resist it. We cannot hope to know life when we resist the Spirit of life.


God's Spirit has been poured out upon all men, Joel 2:27-29. What we do with God's love is up to us. We can embrace, nurture, and walk in this amazing Spirit, or we can deny, reject, and fall away from the power therein. We only condemn ourselves by resisting.


Certainly God's love has been extended to ALL people. It's up to us what we do with the love we all have within ourselves. We can throw this love away and walk in the darkness of the heart, or we can unfold this love and know the light of life, even as Christ did. How we view God is of little concern also. Knowing life and love is enough. God is life. God is love. Love life and love love.


James 1:2-4 - "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing."


Hippy Dippy Good News (if I do say so myself). :slap: :rainbow:
 
ZenMonkey

ZenMonkey

St. James VII
buddy+jesus.jpg



Who's your buddy? :bow:
 
ZenMonkey

ZenMonkey

St. James VII
A hand full of the early Christian church fathers believed in rebirth also. St. Justin Martyr (100–165 A.D.) expressly stated that the soul inhabits more than one human body. Origen (185–254 A.D.), who was considered by St. Jerome as “the greatest teacher of the Church after the Apostles,” defended the idea that the soul exists before the body, fundamental to the concept of rebirth. Another Church Father, St. Gregory, Bishop of Nyssa (257–332 A.D.), wrote: “It is absolutely necessary that the soul should be healed and purified, and if this does not take place during its life on earth it must be accomplished in future lives. The soul is immaterial and invisible in nature, it at one time puts off one body and exchanges it for a second.” St. Gregory also wrote: “Every soul comes into this world strengthened by the victories or weakened by the defeats of its previous life.”


Too bad the concept was deemed heresy. It's the only doctrine that truly makes sense to me. Universal reconciliation and many lives to undergo healing and purification seems appropriate if God is just, merciful, loving, holy, righteous, and good.
 
Windwalker

Windwalker

Veteran Member
Premium Member
ZenMonkey said:
Too bad the concept was deemed heresy. It's the only doctrine that truly makes sense to me. Universal reconciliation and many lives to undergo healing and purification seems appropriate if God is just, merciful, loving, holy, righteous, and good.
Click to expand...
The church deems many things heresy, and many people heretics. They diminish themselves more often than they should in worshiping convenient beliefs.
 
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