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Who are the People of God?
- Thread starter adam45
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- christianity
I don't want to live forever. I guess I'll have to disobey God's law. 
I couldn't resist. I know you're well aware my affinity for people from other religious telling me about me from their own perspective.
Well, yes, we think alike. That's a character trait of many on this planet. Perhaps the rulers of society should make the utterance of 'you should' a criminal act.I couldn't resist. I know you're well aware my affinity for people from other religious telling me about me from their own perspective.
Viker
Your beloved eccentric Auntie Cristal
I know you better than you know you! And I know what's best for you! Better recognize!I couldn't resist. I know you're well aware my affinity for people from other religious telling me about me from their own perspective.
Viker
Your beloved eccentric Auntie Cristal
Catholic!
What about theistic religions where gods are not divorced from nature and the universe itself? In that case the divine law is literally the nature of reality itself. This also means it can't actually be disobeyed (e.g., one cannot disobey Gravity) so it's kind of pointless to go on about it.
Aupmanyav
Be your own guru
Why Torah has it and so has Qur'an. Hindu books also mention what God likes and what he does not.
Viker
Your beloved eccentric Auntie Cristal
Exactly. Just proceed as you are.What about theistic religions where gods are not divorced from nature and the universe itself? In that case the divine law is literally the nature of reality itself. This also means it can't actually be disobeyed (e.g., one cannot disobey Gravity) so it's kind of pointless to go on about it.
PureX
Veteran Member
"God's law" is a pretty slippery concept. We humans don't know why anything exists. Including ourselves. So we invent a whole array of different ideas about it, and then these ideas guide how we go about existing. And through this process we are creating ourselves. And defining ourselves.
"God's law" is one of the many varying labels that we humans might put on why we think we exist, and how, then, we think we should behave as we do so. And I have no problem with this except that it tends to infer a superior (divine) authority that it doesn't really have. calling some idea of existential purpose or other "God's law" does not make it God's law. On the other hand, if we believe it is, then I suppose it is, for ourselves.
I think it's expecting agreement, or compliance, from the world and from other people that is the unreasonable mistake that a lot of us make. We think our idea of why existence exists, is the reality of why existence exists. And it is not. It's just an idea. One among many that we all get to choose from.
"God's law" is one of the many varying labels that we humans might put on why we think we exist, and how, then, we think we should behave as we do so. And I have no problem with this except that it tends to infer a superior (divine) authority that it doesn't really have. calling some idea of existential purpose or other "God's law" does not make it God's law. On the other hand, if we believe it is, then I suppose it is, for ourselves.
I think it's expecting agreement, or compliance, from the world and from other people that is the unreasonable mistake that a lot of us make. We think our idea of why existence exists, is the reality of why existence exists. And it is not. It's just an idea. One among many that we all get to choose from.
Sgt. Pepper
All you need is love.
You preach about keeping God's Law, but do you keep it? Before you answer, remember James 2:10, which states, "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it." And 1 John 2:4, which states, "Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person." So now the question becomes: Do you dishonor your God by breaking his law? If you fail to keep God's Law, then shouldn't you be more concerned about the plank in your own eye than the speck of dust in someone else's eye? Since you are a Christian, then I'm sure you are familiar with Galatians 5:4, which clearly states, "You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace." Surely, as a Christian, you are also familiar with the following scriptures. Do you agree or disagree with these scriptures? What do you think?
John 1:17, "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ,"
Romans 6:14, "For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace."
Romans 10:4, "Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes."
Galatians 2:15-16, "We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles 16 know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in[a] Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified." Finally, Galatians 3:11 states, "Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith."
According to Galatians 2:15-16 and Galatians 3:11 (and other scriptures), neither you nor anyone else is justified by keeping God's Law. Finally, there are 613 commandments in the Old Testament Law (God's Law). Surely you're not suggesting that people obey all of these commandments at once.
James 2:26
As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.
1 John 3:6
No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
Matthew 5:48
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Alien826
No religious beliefs
Then there are no "people of God", as I very much doubt that anyone has ever lived up to that standard.
Sgt. Pepper
All you need is love.
This doesn't answer the questions I asked you in my post.
The questions I asked you were:
You preach about keeping God's Law, but do you keep it?
Do you dishonor your God by breaking his law?
If you fail to keep God's Law, then shouldn't you be more concerned about the plank in your own eye than the speck of dust in someone else's eye?
Am I to assume that by posting these verses in response to my post, you disagree with all of the scriptures I provided regarding not being justified in the sight of God by solely obeying his law? Are you suggesting that there are contradictory scriptures in the Bible about justification by faith alone versus justification by works? Do you believe the Bible is infallible and inerrant? If so, how do you reconcile all of the scriptures I cited with the ones you posted?
According to Romans 10:8–13, whoever declares with their mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believes in their heart that God raised him from the dead will be saved. Not only that, but they are justified by the belief in their heart and the profession of their faith in Jesus, and they will not be put to shame. In fact, verse 13 plainly states, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Furthermore, Ephesians 2:8–9 clearly states, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast" (emphasis added). How do you reconcile these two scriptures about faith alone with the ones you posted? I'm including these articles for you to read, and I'd appreciate it if you would tell me what you think about them. The first is: "Is salvation by faith alone, or by faith plus works?" The second has a fairly lengthy title, so you can read it by clicking here. In conclusion to my post, I will ask you one more time: Do you believe that the Bible is infallible and inerrant? And if so, how do you reconcile the scriptures you posted with all of the ones I posted that plainly contradict justification before God by obeying his law? Will you answer?
Sgt. Pepper
All you need is love.
Or 79 books of the Bible.
Sgt. Pepper
All you need is love.
Do you no longer sin?
Are you perfect?
Before you answer, consider this:
1 John 1:8-10: "8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us."
It seems presumptuous to make declarations about who "the people of God" are before establishing that God exists at all.