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To: HarleyD
The FORMAL articulation of our thought on the matter is that without the infused virtues of faith, hope, and charity (ordinarily associated with baptism, but not in any sort of temporally rigid way) there are some things about God one just can't get. In the old days, for example, nobody taught the Trinity to the unbaptized.

And I think this is fine:I believe this is designed like this simply so that we have to come back to the Father to refresh ourselves. If we think of Love as a verb (say, Loving), it is simply not able to BE and to be static. We derivative critters can be no more than conduits which means an in-flow AND an out-flow are required.

1,440 posted on 01/10/2010 5:09:20 PM PST by Mad Dawg (Oh Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.)
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To: Mad Dawg
"...there are some things about God one just can't get. In the old days, for example, nobody taught the Trinity to the unbaptized."

The Trinity was always there in the Old Testament. God's Spirit moving across the water. The man who told Joshua that He was the commander of God's army and Joshua worshiped(Joshua 5). The fiery furnance. The passing of God before Moses. On and on. All the Jews ever did was focus on God is one. They never went any further in their understanding of the nature of God for whatever reason (probably there was, at one time, geniune fear of God). The only thing the New Testament people did with the Trinity was to look at the Old Testament (and Christ) and come to a more fuller understanding of the nature of God based upon the scriptures.

We derivative critters can be no more than conduits which means an in-flow AND an out-flow are required.

Yes. He is the vine. We are the branches. We cannot do any good works without Him. And He promises that we will bear fruit to varying degrees.

This is one of the most blessed and powerful truths. If we throw ten bucks into an offering plate, it is simply because God has put it upon our hearts to put that ten bucks in. If someone gives a hundred bucks, it is simply because God laid it upon their heart. Perhaps their faith is stronger. Perhaps they have another reason-pure or not. It all comes from God. Whatever good works we achieve is not because we have grown in our faith but because He is gracious to allow us to do His good works.

If you understand this truth, then you'll understand that it doesn't matter what you do or who you are, God loves you just the way you are. And He may have you lead hundreds to His Son or you may hide in a cave like the 7,000 men who hid from Ahab (and who God said He hid). It doesn't matter. God is in control to bring about our good works which He has promised us-whatever they are. We just don't see them most of the time.

1,462 posted on 01/10/2010 6:15:26 PM PST by HarleyD
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To: Mad Dawg; HarleyD
[...] If we think of Love as a verb (say, Loving), it is simply not able to BE and to be static. We derivative critters can be no more than conduits which means an in-flow AND an out-flow are required.

This is extremely wise. And I would submit that the very same can be said about faith, hope, and charity: They too, should be considered as verbs. IMHO, these are the action involved in any work - not the work itself.

In the electrical sense of "conduit", The voltage and amperage are supplied by the Source. Without being "plugged in", there is nothing in the conduit - And the ability of the conduit, it's capacity, is directly related to ohms (resistance).

1,513 posted on 01/10/2010 8:17:36 PM PST by roamer_1 (Globalism is just Socialism in a business suit)
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