traveller Posted November 22, 2005 Group: Royal Member Followers: 5 Topic Count: 827 Topics Per Day: 0.10 Content Count: 12,101 Content Per Day: 1.50 Reputation: 249 Days Won: 3 Joined: 04/01/2002 Status: Offline Share Posted November 22, 2005 as one who works daily with mentally handicapped adults,i personally believe they are here to show God's mercy and grace.i searched a long time to find out why(?) i have one man in my group that when i put on a praise and worship c.d. he praises God.theses people are so special. to see one who's arms are on backwards learn to do a task,to teach one to say your name,to see one that has been kicked out of several workshops because they are to hyper and you can teach them to stay on one task for 30 minutes,makes your heart soar.to watch them be so proud of themselves and smile at you,will melt the hardest of hearts.most that i work with are normal until they get to a certain level.most have the minds of 3/4 yrs old but just have adult bodies.my 2 grandchildren are in the daycare here they are normal,but they do not see the others as handicapped,its amazing to watch a normal child *help* the others to do simple things.. i also know of the horrible birth defects,there isn't much i haven't seen. i truely believe they are here to help us grow spiritally,and also to be helper for Jesus..oits sorta like washing Jesus's feet when you can help them Greetings Cag, It takes a very special person to do what you do day in and day out. Thank you so much for your story and for being there to help these children of God to have a fulfilling life. Blessings, Dad Ernie Amen to what DE said! I want to thank you as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amazingrace Posted November 22, 2005 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 16 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 340 Content Per Day: 0.05 Reputation: 2 Days Won: 0 Joined: 06/06/2004 Status: Offline Share Posted November 22, 2005 All great answers so far. At birth, the flesh may have defects BUT the spirit is perfect and pure. Since the flesh is dust and will return to the ground from where it came AND the spirit will return to the FATHER, which do you think GOD sees when HE looks at the child? The defective flesh, a product of a sin-filled world, OR the sweet spirit of an innocent child? Dear Wayne B, grace and peace to you. "BUT the spirit is perfect and pure" is a nice idea, but it is not biblically accurate. Even babies who have not yet sinned are born with the sin nature. It is not until the moment of regeneration through faith in our Lord Jesus, that our spirit achieves the imputed perfection of Christ. Everyone is born with at least one "birth defect"... and it is a spiritual one... it is the sin nature. A child's innocence is temporary, lasting only until the first time s/he commits an act of disobedience. Yes, there is at least during the first year or so, an innocence, but it does not last. Think about it... how many children have to be taught to be naughty? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WayneB Posted November 22, 2005 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 4 Topic Count: 232 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 7,261 Content Per Day: 0.96 Reputation: 79 Days Won: 0 Joined: 08/30/2003 Status: Offline Birthday: 12/19/1959 Share Posted November 22, 2005 All great answers so far. At birth, the flesh may have defects BUT the spirit is perfect and pure. Since the flesh is dust and will return to the ground from where it came AND the spirit will return to the FATHER, which do you think GOD sees when HE looks at the child? The defective flesh, a product of a sin-filled world, OR the sweet spirit of an innocent child? Dear Wayne B, grace and peace to you. "BUT the spirit is perfect and pure" is a nice idea, but it is not biblically accurate. Even babies who have not yet sinned are born with the sin nature. It is not until the moment of regeneration through faith in our Lord Jesus, that our spirit achieves the imputed perfection of Christ. Everyone is born with at least one "birth defect"... and it is a spiritual one... it is the sin nature. A child's innocence is temporary, lasting only until the first time s/he commits an act of disobedience. Yes, there is at least during the first year or so, an innocence, but it does not last. Think about it... how many children have to be taught to be naughty? Agreed. I mispoke. Maybe a better way of putting it is that the spirit has the "potential" of being perfect and pure whereas the flesh does not. Regardless, I didn't mean to get into a theological debate but rather point out that God sees more in each of us than we see. He sees the innocence of the child in their spirit whereas we see and focus on the flesh. That's all. Well done and thanks for the kind and gentle correction. May the Lord Bless you richly, Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricH Posted November 22, 2005 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 366 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 10,933 Content Per Day: 1.57 Reputation: 212 Days Won: 1 Joined: 04/21/2005 Status: Offline Share Posted November 22, 2005 We are all created in our mother's womb by God..so then why are some babies born with severe birth defects? When God initially created humans they were created good, but fell into sin. When people chose to separate themselves from God, one of the things that was removed were some God's sustaining power and protection from their lives. They not only died spiritually, they began to die physically. Before people chose to separate themselves from God, God chose a process whereby future humans would be created. Rather than create them directly from nothing, God chose to use a secondary cause (human reproduction). As long as people obeyed God, and His sustaining power protected them, this process would produce good offspring. When people separated themselves from God, the reproductive process was also impacted by the removal of some of God's sustaining protection. Thus the secondary cause that God used to create people was now tarnished. This tarnishing is what brings birthdefects. God is sovereign and uses even this for His own glory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apothanein kerdos Posted November 22, 2005 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 331 Topics Per Day: 0.05 Content Count: 8,713 Content Per Day: 1.21 Reputation: 21 Days Won: 0 Joined: 07/28/2004 Status: Offline Share Posted November 22, 2005 All great answers so far. At birth, the flesh may have defects BUT the spirit is perfect and pure. Since the flesh is dust and will return to the ground from where it came AND the spirit will return to the FATHER, which do you think GOD sees when HE looks at the child? The defective flesh, a product of a sin-filled world, OR the sweet spirit of an innocent child? Dear Wayne B, grace and peace to you. "BUT the spirit is perfect and pure" is a nice idea, but it is not biblically accurate. Even babies who have not yet sinned are born with the sin nature. It is not until the moment of regeneration through faith in our Lord Jesus, that our spirit achieves the imputed perfection of Christ. Everyone is born with at least one "birth defect"... and it is a spiritual one... it is the sin nature. A child's innocence is temporary, lasting only until the first time s/he commits an act of disobedience. Yes, there is at least during the first year or so, an innocence, but it does not last. Think about it... how many children have to be taught to be naughty? Agreed. I mispoke. Maybe a better way of putting it is that the spirit has the "potential" of being perfect and pure whereas the flesh does not. Regardless, I didn't mean to get into a theological debate but rather point out that God sees more in each of us than we see. He sees the innocence of the child in their spirit whereas we see and focus on the flesh. That's all. Well done and thanks for the kind and gentle correction. May the Lord Bless you richly, Wayne Careful saying that too Remember, we will be given restored/renewed bodies someday. But I certainly understand what you are saying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WayneB Posted November 23, 2005 Group: Worthy Ministers Followers: 4 Topic Count: 232 Topics Per Day: 0.03 Content Count: 7,261 Content Per Day: 0.96 Reputation: 79 Days Won: 0 Joined: 08/30/2003 Status: Offline Birthday: 12/19/1959 Share Posted November 23, 2005 Careful saying that too Remember, we will be given restored/renewed bodies someday. But I certainly understand what you are saying. Joel, come on now. There is no need to be "careful" saying the truth here. Our flesh, as the flesh of a child born with defects, is perishable. The spirit though is eternal. Paul wrote a simple truth; "I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable." Yes, he also makes it clear that "the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed" but what form will the renewed body have? Will it look the same or like a seed, will it take a differert form as it comes to life as God designed? Funny thing... a seed must die before it sprouts to life. One thing is for certain; it will be without blemish or defect. Regardless, the flesh that currently houses your spirit is nothing more than a persishable natural body with defects. [re: 1 Cor 15] Our spirit will return to God who gave it and the perishable flesh, which is nothing more than dust, will return to the ground. [re: Ecclesiastes 12:7] Regardless, I am glad that you get my point brother. I still hold to the TRUTH that God's eyes are not focused on our corrupted FLESH but rather on our spirit. He fellowships with our spirit. It is His Spirit that testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. [re: Romans 8:16] When He sees that child with the perishable defective flesh, GOD sees the sweet eternal spirit of the child. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts