Mark, You’re married IIRC, unless I’m confusing you with Mad Dawg.
Tell me, when someone gets married do they not enter a covenant relationship with each other? Or is it a business contract, more like a bill of sale?
Is your wife your wife because she cooks and cleans and pays the bills, and does the chores, or is she your wife because you love her and married her? A housekeeper can do all the chores for crying out loud. Does that make her your wife?.
Does she, or would she, cease to be your wife because she burnt the dinner or neglected to mop the floor one day? Does a husband send his wife away with a bill of divorcement because she didn’t do enough good works to earn or maintain her position as his wife?
If she were to do something like lie to you about a purchase (for whatever reason) do you kick her out of the house and divorce her until she comes crawling back? If she asks your forgiveness for said offense, do you not grant it, condition free because she’s your wife and you love her? Or does she need to feel obligated to scrub the kitchen floor with a toothbrush to *prove* to you how sorry she is?
Would that really please you? Is that what you want from your wife?
What about children? Are they not born or adopted into your family? And when they disobey, as children will, do they cease to be your children? Does that sever the relationship and you kick them out of the house? Or does it only disrupt the lines of communication but they are still your beloved children whom you love but have seen do something that hurts them? Of course you want them in right relationship with you so they can reap the benefit of being your children, BUT they are still your children, disobedience or not. All their disobedience does is interfere with their ability to experience the fulness of a relationship with you. They don’t cease to be your children.
What kind of God do Catholics serve who wouldn’t even do for us what we, as humans beings, would do for each other?
He’s going to disown us because we slip and fall and disobey sometimes? He’s going to write us out of His will, so to speak, because we’re weak and fallible? Ooops you sinned and didn’t make it to confession before you died. Too bad for you. Go to hell.
You can keep that kind of God. The one portrayed in Scripture is a loving heavenly Father full of grace and mercy, ready and willing to forgive and understanding our weaknesses and NOT ready to throw us under the bus the minute we fail, even if we don’t necessarily get around to confessing each and every transgression before we die.
So those of us who name the name of Christ in faith and by faith are secure in our position before God and secure in His promises of forgiveness and eternal life.
Too bad if you don’t like it. It’s available for anyone for the asking. You can have it too. You just have to believe God that what He said is true. That’s what He wants is simply to be trusted, to be believed that He was telling us the truth.
That pleases Him more than abasing ourselves by scrubbing that kitchen floor with a toothbrush thinking that it pleases Him.
It’s about relationship, not religion and rules and regulations.
Out until FR settles down.......
It’s about relationship, not religion and rules and regulations.
>>The two aren’t mutually exclusive. If you are married, aren’t there certain guidelines you follow to maintain peace with your spouse?
Knowing the neighborhood.......
*********Disclaimer*********
MB, I am NOT looking for personal information. I do not want you to answer those questions. They are for the purpose of making a point, not of making it personal.
God knows that I would hope that you would answer them in the honorable way and honestly that’s what I would expect out of you.
The point is for comparison and illustration only since true believers are the Bride of Christ and the adopted into His family as sons. The parallels are ones God has used for us to understand our relationship with Him, and so valid in their application.
Later......
Correct; and I'm sure that I'm somewhat taller.
Tell me, when someone gets married do they not enter a covenant relationship with each other? Or is it a business contract, more like a bill of sale?
I promised her. That is not legal. It is moral.
Does she, or would she, cease to be your wife because she burnt the dinner or neglected to mop the floor one day? Does a husband send his wife away with a bill of divorcement because she didn’t do enough good works to earn or maintain her position as his wife?
No. However, if she wants a divorce and enforces that want, then she divorces.
What about children? Are they not born or adopted into your family? And when they disobey, as children will, do they cease to be your children? Does that sever the relationship and you kick them out of the house? Or does it only disrupt the lines of communication but they are still your beloved children whom you love but have seen do something that hurts them? Of course you want them in right relationship with you so they can reap the benefit of being your children, BUT they are still your children, disobedience or not. All their disobedience does is interfere with their ability to experience the fulness of a relationship with you. They don’t cease to be your children.
But they can refuse their inheritance. You may be missing the point that we are trying to make. It is not God that is unfaithful, it is fickle man. God is not an overpowering nanny. Scripture does not say that. Neither does it say that He hijacks our souls.
It’s about relationship, not religion and rules and regulations.
It's about Almighty God, not a beer swilling buddy.