[HarleyD]

FK: "We are not partners with God and we are not cooperators with God. He literally owns us and we are His slaves. This is a good thing."

Absolutely correct FK. I might add the verse:

Eze 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Our Father is very clear that all souls are His. This, of course, raises an interesting question when He states,

"You are not your own ; you were bought at a price." (1 Cor 6:19-20)

If all souls are the Lord's to begin with, why were we "bought" and from whom were we bought? I believe the answer lies in your statement:

God had every chance in the world to condemn this kind of slavery, but He never does. Jesus never condemns it while He was here either. Paul had a golden opportunity to do it in Philemon, but passed. ...

God doesn't condemn us. We condemn ourselves. He has stated what it will take to be holy and only He can pay that price. He pays His price for our redemption and redeems us. I especially like the verse:

Act 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

It is only the church of God which He purchased with His blood. What is rolled up in all of this is 1) original sin, 2) election, 3) perseverance. Three petals of the TULIP.

[Forest Keeper]

God doesn't condemn us. We condemn ourselves. He has stated what it will take to be holy and only He can pay that price. He pays His price for our redemption and redeems us.

Excellent analysis, Harley. His justice must be satisfied, it cannot be cheated. I love your quote from Acts. I'm definitely going to have to remember to include that in the future.

[kosta50]

Eze 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine

And whose "son" is He talking about?

That verse and others, such as "for the Father is greater than I" (John 14:28) or "and God is the head of Christ" (1Cor 11:13), raise serious Trinitarian questions, imo.

[kosta50]

Eze 18:4 Behold, all souls are ...

And Eze 18: 5-9 claims one who is righteous by works shall live. God's words, quoted, no less.

"5. So a man who is righteous and practices justice and righteousness,
6. And does not eat [offerings of meals] on the mountains, and does not lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel; neither defiles his fellow man's wife nor approaches a woman in her period of separation,
7. And wrongs no man; what has been pledged for a debt he returns; [he] has committed no robbery, gives his bread to the hungry, and clothes the naked with garments,
8. Does not lend on interest, nor does he take any increase on a loan, keeps his hand back from wrong, executes true judgment between man and man,
9. Has walked in My statutes, and has kept My ordinances to deal truly-he is a righteous man; he shall surely live, says the Lord God" [Tanach, Yechezkiel - Chapter 18]

Are we to believe now that this was not true because +Paul says none is righteous?