Posted on 02/23/2016 8:17:35 AM PST by Salvation
Monsignor Pope Ping!
>>>They say, “God made me this way” and speak of sins and sinful desires as a gift from God.<<<
That sort of thing always saddens me...
Thank you!!
An enemy of the cross denies that the blood of the Lamb is all that is needed to atone for our sins. It is by grace alone that we are saved, and not by anything we have done or can do.
Of course, the Lamb is Jesus. If I have to explain further.
Worth reading and re-reading.
“It is one thing to choose to live our values in a personal way, but it is quite another to stand opposed (as we must) to the excesses and errors of the world and to seek to snatch others from its illusions and false promises. Marketers, industrialists, politicians, advocacy groups, ideologues, and the like all depend on a widespread “buy-in” in order for their products, projects, and schemes to advance. If we are not easily manipulated by the fears, anxieties, and guilt that the world uses to separate us from our love and loyalty to God, and our basic sense of truth, we are “off-message.” We must, therefore, be silenced, either by pressure to conform or through shame. And if these do not work, then persecution: the cross.”
I nominate him for Pope! How he survives in DC is a mystery, though.
Pope Pope.
It kind of has a ring to it.
He really nails it here.
That's a bit hard to compass when Dennis Prager, a Jew, led the fight to have the Cross retained on the City Of Los Angeles' Official Seal.
(Which was removed notwithstanding.)
Jesus DID say to love our enemies. :o)
To find out, one ought to go to the Koine Greek, not the Vulgate Latin, or the English dictionary. Here are two definitions:
Strong's Number G2190
εχθρος
echthros
ekh-thros'
Strong's Definition:
From a primary word εχθω echthoh (to hate); hateful (passively odious, or actively hostile); usually as a noun, an adversary (especially Satan): - enemy, foe.
Thayer's definition:
1) hated, odious, hateful
2) hostile, hating, and opposing another
. . 2a) used of men as at enmity with God by their sin
. . . . 2a1) opposing (God) in the mind
. . . . 2a2) a man that is hostile
. . . . 2a3) a certain enemy
. . . . 2a4) the hostile one
. . . . 2a5) the devil who is the most bitter enemy of the divine government
Part of Speech: adjective
========
Second, what does the word "cross" imply? Are we just describing a literal object, or is it the symbolic meaning that is in view in this passage?
The word "stauros" here, a stake, is translated "cross" because it refers to the components of the Roman torture instrument consisting of an assembly of two wooden timbers: the upright part (Latin "stipes"); and the horizontal part to which the wrists are fastened (Latin "patibulum"), as derived from Roman historical records of crucifixion as a punishment against rebelliousness to authority. The cross torture instrument, which apart from its use, is just a material object, but symbolically use of the word comprises the entire system of instituting a death of extreme physical torment. Moreover, in the Bible, it additionally conjures the scenario of the physical, psychical, and spiritual anguish sustained by Jesus at the hand of The Righteous Creator God as a substitute as well as a sacrifice in the place of humans not submitting to His absolute ownership and rule; and at the hand of men for presuming Himself to be God.
In this passage, Paul uses the word "cross" as a metonymy for everything that the concept implies relative to Biblical Christian doctrine of sin, salvation, and sanctification. From this point of view, enemies of it (the "cross" metaphor) includes the following parties (which are also enemies of the truly regenerated believer-disciple-priest-bondslave of The Christ):
(1) Satan, the Devil, Sin personified, and the liar and enemy of everything God stands for
(2) Satan's demons, the spirits of fallen angels, who can roam in the world and invest the actual physical body of a human, psychosomatically overcoming the human's control of thought and function
(3) The κοσμοο, the "kosmos," the world system of people, their possessions, government, economy, passions, and false religions
(4) The self and one's flesh with its lusts, psychology, imaginations, and illnesses
(5) Fellow humans who classify themselves as "Christians" but whose doctrine, behavior, and church-affiliation may not actually be governed by the Holy Spirit
The above article only addresses the fifth category here, but does not define it very well.
By the definition that the salvation of the theologically and actually depraved worldling from his god and his occupations, to serve The God and His Kingdom as a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, is accomplished by satisfying the single specification of total persistent unreserved irreversible commitment of one's trust in The Faith and faithfulness of Jesus The Christ and the power of His Shed Blood to cover and wash away sins, as received by the hearer through faithful, precise transmission of the Gospel as contained in the Holy Scriptures alone without additions, subtractions, emendations or embroidery, then persons fitting in Category Five above, but misusing the Bible in application are also enemies of the Cross, of Christ, and His Church and churches.
However, religious efforts that insist on the stipulations for salvation being necessary:
(1) a reward of strenuously seeking after God;
(2) a second chance at re-qualifying after one's physical death;
(3) improving ones chances for reclamation by completing works of supererogation that add to Jesus' work on the cross, to His death, His bodily resurrection, and His appearance in Heaven as a High Priest to offer His Blood as the sole and only purchase price of redemption of humans one by one from the righteous wrath of God;
then such efforts must be classified as false religious attempts to blind lost humans from the true facts of salvation, and organizations thus conducting themselves are a part of Enemy Class 3, false worldly religions dominated by Satanic principles, serving the god of this world, and which are to be shunned by the saved humans who have been justified by the imputed Righteousness of Christ, and who are being continually sanctified by continuing discipleship under the leading of the Holy Ghost.
Truly saved and indoctrinated followers of The Christ will discern the signs of false religions (Enemy Class 3) and/or false doctrine (Enemy Class 5), they will identify such practices, separate from and come apart from such efforts, "touching not the unclean thing," crucifying the flesh, and clinging only to the Christ of the Cross. These are the only Friends of Jesus, and enemies of Satan and all his machinations.
If this offend any religious organization or effort posting here, that is too bad.
This is the truth, and Jesus is the only Way to friendship with God. There is no other mediator between.
=======
Nothing Between
Nothing between my soul and the Savior,
Naught of this world's delusive dream;
I have renounced all sinful pleasure,
Jesus is mine, there's nothing between.
Nothing between, like worldly pleasure,
Habits of life, though harmless they seem,
Must not from Him my heart e'er sever,
He is my all; there's nothing between.
Nothing between, like pride or station,
Self or friends shall not intervene,
Tho' it may cost me much tribulation,
I am resolved; there's nothing between.
Nothing between, e'en many hard trials,
Tho' the whole world against me convene;
Watching with prayer and much self-denial
Triumph at last! There's nothing between!
Chorus:
Nothing between my soul and the Savior,
So that His Blessed Face may be seen;
Nothing preventing the least of His favor,
Keep the Way clear! Let nothing between!
=====
Who does Paul himself say those enemies in the "Christian"-denominated arena are?
"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord,
and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters,
saith the Lord Almighty.
Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves
from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God"
(2 Cor. 6:17-7:1).
Above all, my dear FRiends, come to God away from false so-called "Christian" religions and their idols, especially from the 'MYSTERY BABYLON' of Revelation 17:. Please!
"And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues" (Rev. 18:4 AV).
Amen. So be it.
It means persons who refuse to crucify the flesh with its passions; who resist dying to sin; who rebel against living for God.
All of us should battle against those tendencies every day.
**It means persons who refuse to crucify the flesh with its passions; who resist dying to sin; who rebel against living for God.
All of us should battle against those tendencies every day.**
Amen!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/3400726/posts?page=12#12
I am judging that some of this is copy and paste, yet I see no source.
What is the source of that part?
That is the battleground of Lent when the struggle is most intense (hence one reason for this particular Epistle during Lent) but it continues year ‘round.
This spiritual song is most certainly in the public domain. The words of it are not 'copy-and-paste,' merely copy. I typed the words in myself, thus no credit need be given. For history of the author and song, see:
http://wordwisehymns.com/2010/07/26/today-in-1933-charles-albert-tindley-died/
You will find this link very instructive. Pastor Tindley was born free to an enslaved father in 1851, 165 years ago, and died in 1933.
The remainder is from my head and heart alone, written today, save the Holy Scripture passages, duly credited; and placed in my soul by 45 years of Bible study since true salvation on May 24, 1971, with prior tillage of rocky soul, having been born as the son of a poor Methodist college couple, my father ordained and serving 45 years as active pastor until 1981, retired then and passed on to Glory on July 8, 2001.
Respectfully rendered.
FR username: imardmd1
Published here as being under the topics given, and not to be inconsistent with any of them. If you don't understand any of the English, Greek, or Latin words, I can provide references. The assembly into thoughts or concepts are mine, and if you choose to repeat without change or comment on them, please give due credit.
With respect --
"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord,
and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters,
saith the Lord Almighty.
Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves
from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God"
(2 Cor. 6:17-7:1).
Thank you.
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