Jump to content
IGNORED

A Worthy Attitude


Pekoudah

Recommended Posts


  • Group:  Advanced Member
  • Followers:  4
  • Topic Count:  27
  • Topics Per Day:  0.02
  • Content Count:  302
  • Content Per Day:  0.17
  • Reputation:   624
  • Days Won:  1
  • Joined:  05/04/2019
  • Status:  Offline

I think it is easy for we humans to draw the wrong conclusions when God acts with either mercy or judgment towards us or others. We tend to be unable to see from His perspective.  (That is before the Holy Spirit indwells us).

Being born into existence in this world is fully unconditional. We don't merit natural life any more than we merit an eternal life. But survival IS conditional in both.

Even a child understands that natural life has conditions even after an unmerited birth into the world. The mind of a child can grasp that seeming inconsistency.

Then there is a religious indoctrination that takes the common sense of a natural life...and fails to apply that same principle to the higher form of life which is in Christ. For these going backwards appears as advancement. Such is the way of indoctrination.

We know that God is merciful. He will pardon a murderer. But if that person calculates that since God is willing to forgive 70 times 7 then one can potentially kill another 489 people without danger of  retribution or punishment. This is how we tend to "legalize" mercy or forgiveness. Of course there are they that believe that God's mercy is unlimited...as in...I can kill all the people in the world...and yet God will forgive me for it.

So we can become legalistic in our understanding of mercy and grace. We can turn God into an object that serves us...and more so than even as we do to fellow mortals. We often think nothing of treating God far worse than we would a friend. Do we slap a Christian friend to watch him turn the other cheek? Can we use God as a dumping ground for our sins? To do this is to take on something evil...an unworthy attitude. Before we were forgiven by God we were all sinners....but to take on this new hypocrisy and iniquity of an easy attitude towards sin in the face of God's goodness by calculating JUST HOW forgiven we really are...makes us unworthy of His forgiveness. Redemption puts us in a new position...but not the position that many think. We are meant to change our attitude...not exploit God's willingness to forgive further sins. Grace makes us MORE responsible for sin not less. To whom much is given, more is required.

Do we claim Jesus as our personal dumping ground for our sin? Is that the purpose of Jesus' coming into the world...so that we would choose Him to suffer for us? But this is to steal away God's purpose in order to have God serve man. We do this so often. Should men seek to exploit God's mercy for their own purposes. Is this not a great evil to do so?

God doesn't redeem us or forgive us because He approves of our behaviour. Quite the opposite. He forgives us in order to change our attitude. God does not forgive us so that we would have more security. He doesn't forgive us in order to serve us and our will. He forgives us so that we might serve Him and His will. God forgives us that we might learn to BE worthy of His efforts towards us. We prove whether we are in truth redeemable or not by our attitude AFTER He has forgiven us.

God redeems us away from our sins and into His life. No one remains forgiven as they re-embark on the very things that caused the need for forgiveness in the first place. Jesus said...Go and sin no more lest something worse happen to you.

Salvation is always conditional. God is sovereign...we are not. God decides on whom He will have mercy. God is not ours to use.

Nobody deserves forgiveness but once forgiven there is a righteousness that says we should maintain that forgiveness by now learning or accommodating that same forgiveness towards others. And this is NOT an option. Forgiveness is NOT unconditional....although it is unmerited. There is a huge difference between the two. A child understands this...but adults can be persuaded by religious indoctrination to abandon all reason.

Once forgiven always forgiven? OFAF?

Notice the parable of the unforgiving servant

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+18%3A21-35&version=KJV

 

Amos 9:10  All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us.

Notice it is the sinners of God's people...the ones that were already forgiven. But their attitude is a continuing unrighteousness. So then they are judged by God (Who is both merciful AND just) for their attitude towards the favour they had once received. It was not fruitful in them. They remained sinful in their attitude.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Pekoudah
  • This is Worthy 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Group:  Royal Member
  • Followers:  5
  • Topic Count:  17
  • Topics Per Day:  0.01
  • Content Count:  3,272
  • Content Per Day:  1.73
  • Reputation:   1,677
  • Days Won:  0
  • Joined:  01/27/2019
  • Status:  Offline

3 minutes ago, Pekoudah said:

I think it is easy for we humans to draw the wrong conclusions when God acts with either mercy or judgment towards us or others. We tend to be unable to see from His perspective.  (That is before the Holy Spirit indwells us).

 

We know that God is merciful. He will pardon a murderer. But if that person calculates that since God is willing to forgive 70 times 7 then one can potentially kill another 489 people without danger of  retribution or punishment. This is how we tend to "legalize" mercy or forgiveness. Of course there are they that believe that God's mercy is unlimited...as in...I can kill all the people in the world...and yet God will forgive me for it.

 

In this life it is not possible to tell whether God has punished someone for an act or rewarded them.

That is the mistake Job's comfortors made, thinking they could see God's punishing Job.

God is merciful, but that mercy is conditional on repentance. A murder who doesn't repent is not forgiven.

Most nonchristian believe they have to be 'good' and are trying to earn there salvation.

The concept of an unearned un deserved gift is alien.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Group:  Diamond Member
  • Followers:  0
  • Topic Count:  69
  • Topics Per Day:  0.03
  • Content Count:  1,625
  • Content Per Day:  0.80
  • Reputation:   2,033
  • Days Won:  1
  • Joined:  09/10/2018
  • Status:  Offline

Shalom @Pekoudah

An excellent post.

18 minutes ago, Pekoudah said:

Grace makes us MORE responsible for sin not less. To whom much is given, more is required.

Amen.

We also shouldn't forget another principal in the Bible.  If one continues within their sin, assuming God will forgive them when they are ready to repent, they might never get the opportunity.  In such scenarios, God can choose to blind such people or harden their hearts to ensure their wicked scheme is not successful!

These days, there seems to be a severe lack of the fear of Yahweh.  There's little reverence when there are discussions about the wonderful gift of salvation and the undeserved grace He shows us.  Many speak in ways they wouldn't dare to if the Lord Jesus was a moderator on this forum.  

37 minutes ago, Pekoudah said:

Do we claim Jesus as our personal dumping ground for our sin? Is that the purpose of Jesus' coming into the world...so that we would choose Him to suffer for us? But this is to steal away God's purpose in order to have God serve man. We do this so often. Should men seek to exploit God's mercy for their own purposes. Is this not a great evil to do so?

You'll probably get a lot of aggression for the above, but I thought it was inspired.  I know that this is how a lot of non-believers see how Christians are - hypocrites who just dump there responsibilities "at the cross" and carry on as they are, singing about grace.

Great post Pekoudah.

Love & Shalom

  • Thumbs Up 1
  • This is Worthy 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Group:  Advanced Member
  • Followers:  4
  • Topic Count:  27
  • Topics Per Day:  0.02
  • Content Count:  302
  • Content Per Day:  0.17
  • Reputation:   624
  • Days Won:  1
  • Joined:  05/04/2019
  • Status:  Offline

16 minutes ago, Sonshine☀️ said:
Oh Pekoudah … Please stick to the TRUTH.  This is what our Father says:

Psalm 139:13-16

13 For you formed my inward parts;
    you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.[a]
Wonderful are your works;
    my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
    the days that were formed for me,
    when as yet there was none of them.

God's goodness is not in question...but our attitude to His goodness is. That's what worthiness is about. He gives grace to the humble ....which is an ATTITUDE. He doesn't give grace to a noun but to an adjective. So He doesn't give grace to a person with good doctrine or a believer in Him. We can be very prideful in all of these things...whom God will also resist.

 

The truth is that none of us merit being born in this world or born of the Spirit. How we receive that gift will determine what we become.

Nobody is special to God based on their mere existence. We are all special and unique. But that doesn't make us worthy of God. Nobody receives more favour than another without also taking on the deeper responsibility for it.  God does not respect persons. It's about how we hold things.

 

A Christian should have a perfect humility and an attitude that says...I'm just an unworthy servant of a Great Master.

 

There will be many surprises when God judges His own house. It is a fearful thing to be rebuked by God.

  • This is Worthy 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Group:  Advanced Member
  • Followers:  4
  • Topic Count:  27
  • Topics Per Day:  0.02
  • Content Count:  302
  • Content Per Day:  0.17
  • Reputation:   624
  • Days Won:  1
  • Joined:  05/04/2019
  • Status:  Offline

1 hour ago, Tzephanyahu said:

Shalom @Pekoudah

An excellent post.

Amen.

We also shouldn't forget another principal in the Bible.  If one continues within their sin, assuming God will forgive them when they are ready to repent, they might never get the opportunity.  In such scenarios, God can choose to blind such people or harden their hearts to ensure their wicked scheme is not successful!

These days, there seems to be a severe lack of the fear of Yahweh.  There's little reverence when there are discussions about the wonderful gift of salvation and the undeserved grace He shows us.  Many speak in ways they wouldn't dare to if the Lord Jesus was a moderator on this forum.  

You'll probably get a lot of aggression for the above, but I thought it was inspired.  I know that this is how a lot of non-believers see how Christians are - hypocrites who just dump there responsibilities "at the cross" and carry on as they are, singing about grace.

Great post Pekoudah.

Love & Shalom

Too true. Bless you brother. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Group:  Non-Trinitarian
  • Followers:  3
  • Topic Count:  7
  • Topics Per Day:  0.00
  • Content Count:  160
  • Content Per Day:  0.09
  • Reputation:   191
  • Days Won:  0
  • Joined:  05/09/2019
  • Status:  Offline

4 hours ago, Pekoudah said:

We know that God is merciful. He will pardon a murderer. But if that person calculates that since God is willing to forgive 70 times 7 then one can potentially kill another 489 people without danger of  retribution or punishment. This is how we tend to "legalize" mercy or forgiveness. Of course there are they that believe that God's mercy is unlimited...as in...I can kill all the people in the world...and yet God will forgive me for it.

So we can become legalistic in our understanding of mercy and grace. We can turn God into an object that serves us...and more so than even as we do to fellow mortals. We often think nothing of treating God far worse than we would a friend. Do we slap a Christian friend to watch him turn the other cheek? Can we use God as a dumping ground for our sins? To do this is to take on something evil...an unworthy attitude. Before we were forgiven by God we were all sinners....but to take on this new hypocrisy and iniquity of an easy attitude towards sin in the face of God's goodness by calculating JUST HOW forgiven we really are...makes us unworthy of His forgiveness. Redemption puts us in a new position...but not the position that many think. We are meant to change our attitude...not exploit God's willingness to forgive further sins. Grace makes us MORE responsible for sin not less. To whom much is given, more is required.

 

Amen. Well said. So many fail to realize that God's love is absolutely conditional once we begin our journey, our discipleship with Jesus. We cannot take His mercy & grace for granted.

I was recently attracted to this website "Worthy Christians" in the first place, because that concept is so misunderstood in the majority of today's teachings, and especially the songs on "Christian" radio. I've written often on the need for followers of Jesus to be proven worthy if they are to inherit the promises of God. A great many of folks were "saved" from bondage in Egypt; they were baptized, partook of Christ and followed the Spirit (as Paul explains clearly in 1Cor 10), yet only TWO men were found worthy enough to enter the Promised Land. Did God fail to keep His promise? No, the bulk of those in the wilderness took His promise for granted, and refused to do things His way. Their disobedience separated them from God. His love and mercy did not override their disobedience, and they proved themselves unworthy. 

I've done a bit of sharing on this. Tried to post a video on the site, but at nearly an hour, I guess it was too long for this site. Entitled "WORTHY" I look into the many Bible passages and the teaching's of Jesus & the Apostles on the necessity of the saints overcoming and being proven worthy if they are to inherit the promises of God and enter into His rest. I have the video "WORTHY" on my website - To Him Who Overcomes/Videos and on Youtube as well - Kingdom of God video teachings, for any who might be interested. 

Personally, I cannot settle for a lesser Gospel than what the NT declares. God's plan & purpose is infinitely more than the bulk of the Christian religion has known. But Praise God, He is unveiling that plan in the present hour! May we be among those with "ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches." 

Amen.  

  • This is Worthy 2
  • Oy Vey! 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Group:  Advanced Member
  • Followers:  4
  • Topic Count:  27
  • Topics Per Day:  0.02
  • Content Count:  302
  • Content Per Day:  0.17
  • Reputation:   624
  • Days Won:  1
  • Joined:  05/04/2019
  • Status:  Offline

6 hours ago, naominash said:

I agree with Pekoudah's post.

I did not get to experience intimacy and closeness to God until my whole attitude had changed.

Before, I would have said that God loved me based on the fact that Jesus forgave my sins.

But now I believe God was seeking a certain response --- a heart that seeks after Him and knows that the Lord deserves our very best. 

I can only strive to have more of this attitude--- because without it, experiencing the blessing of God's favor is impossible.

It reminds me of Cain and Abel. Not all offerings to God are acceptable.

Bless you sister! :)  God gives grace to the humble. And we hate to be humble!  (That is until we surrender our agendas and pride)

 

You are so right about Cain and Abel. The church contains both. Like the grain and the pebbles in the sifting process of God. These both remain in the sieve (Amos 9:9). Or like the wheat and the chaff. We have to remain "heavy"...so as not to be taken away by winds of doctrine.

 

And in Hebrew glory (kavod) means "weight." So then the heavier we are in our solidity of faith and character the more glory we can "hold down."

 

<><

Edited by Pekoudah
  • Loved it! 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Group:  Members
  • Followers:  0
  • Topic Count:  3
  • Topics Per Day:  0.00
  • Content Count:  20
  • Content Per Day:  0.01
  • Reputation:   13
  • Days Won:  0
  • Joined:  04/10/2019
  • Status:  Offline

Grace is not receiving what we deserve. Mercy is receiving what we do not deserve.

  • Thumbs Up 1
  • Praise God! 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Group:  Advanced Member
  • Followers:  5
  • Topic Count:  12
  • Topics Per Day:  0.00
  • Content Count:  159
  • Content Per Day:  0.03
  • Reputation:   292
  • Days Won:  0
  • Joined:  03/28/2010
  • Status:  Offline

When you think about it..we are saved by grace through faith...faith is believin without seeing and if we truly believe Jesus dies for us then we will live obedient lives? I don't live an obedient life but after nearly 11 years of being saved I'm starting to see it was in the times that I sought God with all my heart and obeyed Him, those were the times I saw miracles happen, I had peace, joy and everything I needed but when I don't seek and obey Him my life isn't good...Genesis 15:6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Group:  Advanced Member
  • Followers:  5
  • Topic Count:  12
  • Topics Per Day:  0.00
  • Content Count:  159
  • Content Per Day:  0.03
  • Reputation:   292
  • Days Won:  0
  • Joined:  03/28/2010
  • Status:  Offline

Abraham showed God that He believed Him by His actions aswell

  • Thumbs Up 2
  • Praise God! 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...