Body-Politic and the Way of Lawlessness

[ReformedDave]

Originally Posted by Felicity

I believe a person has free will and yet it seems possible for a will to be "set" or "destined" a certain way.

I find it hard to believe in a sovereign God who is not in total control. Either He is or He isn't. He knows the end from the beginning. Even before time began I - me personally - was in the mind of God and in the plan of God. I believe my destiny was set.

Can I decide to walk away from God? Yes. But I've never had any desire and no "will" to do that - never. So ..... in that sense there is no "choice". I simply love and serve God because for me there is no other choice.

We all respond to what we want to do. We have the will to do what we choose. Now the reason we choose what we do.......

[Apprehended]

Originally Posted by ReformedDave

We all respond to what we want to do. We have the will to do what we choose. Now the reason we choose what we do.......

Some of that reason couldn't be the evil that is present, could it?

[Felicity]

Originally Posted by ReformedDave

We all respond to what we want to do. We have the will to do what we choose. Now the reason we choose what we do.......

Finish that sentence Dave!! Don't leave me hanging!!

[ReformedDave]

Originally Posted by Felicity

Finish that sentence Dave!! Don't leave me hanging!!

The reason we choose what we do is that we choose according to our nature. A leopard can't, and in fact doesn't want to, change his spots.

Dave now heads back into his hole and pulls the door shut behind him........

[ReformedDave]

Originally Posted by Apprehended

Some of that reason couldn't be the evil that is present, could it?

Correct. Evil is present in the unregenerate. The fall has rendered man morally destitute.

[Felicity]

Originally Posted by ReformedDave

The reason we choose what we do is that we choose according to our nature. A leopard can't, and in fact doesn't want to, change his spots.

Dave now heads back into his hole and pulls the door shut behind him........

Well I believe that!! Come back up out of that hole!

LOL!

[OP_Carl]

Originally Posted by Apprehended

They (the Tulsa 6) have now formed a very effective "super-dooper-holiness voting caucus" within the UPCI. ... There can be no doubt...the UPCI as a political animal has a huge political quandry on its lap that will not be worked out with a few phone calls and a few letters. The level of debate within the house has now been raised several decibels which is not likely to subside within the foreseeable future. I fear that it will only grow louder.

...

It's the nature of the BEAST. Politics has its roots in the world's governments. World governments have their power derived by conquest or it is created by and has its powers conferred upon it by a greater government which gained its powers by armed revolt or violent conquest. This is the genesis of all politics. Its fruit is politics, the art of compromise accepted by ballot. The root of ecclesiastical government emerge from deep within the soil of the state by which is derives its power to exist.

...

Can you imagine Jesus telling a bunch of preachers who did everything in his name...who called him LORD by revelation, who cast out devils, prophesied in his name, did many wonderful works, obviously had the Holy Ghost and were Oneness...TO DEPART FROM HIM AS WORKERS OF INIQUITY. That blows your mind. How can it be? They were sinless but full of INIQUITY...the way of the world, outside the laws of the Divine Kingdom.

Please don't tell me how annointed are men who are fast, persuasive ecclesiastical operators of the art and science of the politic. That annointing will profit nothing when Jesus says, "Depart from me ye WORKERS of iniquity, I NEVER KNEW YOU." Just another way of saying, "You operated outside the bounds of the laws of the KING-DOM...the DOMinion of God.

Something to think about.

Your polemic indicts both the Tulsa 6 and the general board of the UPC.

The tsunami is not so evident out at sea but quickly becomes manifestly destructive when it comes home to shore, as it is sure to do in rapid and successive waves. The old mama lion may not be on her deathbed as another has claimed it to be, but certainly she has a huge toothache and a thorn in the paw as well.

Use the wounded lion as a temporary seawall.

Politics is the fruit of the tree. It is the way of the world. It is known as worldliness...but people love it. The definition of iniquity is not always sin. Sometimes it is not sin at all, but just plain old lawlessness. In otherwords, it is outside the dominion (kingdom) of God's laws. Anything that operate, has life, have its power, recognition and authority outside the laws of the Kingdom of God is INIQUITOUS. All who repent, God says that he will remember their sins AND iniquity no more. Sins and iniquity are not always the same.

The slick, cool hand of the art of politics is a bloody hand. It is the cause of far more souls lost to eternity than can possibly be saved, even with the finest oratory for the good.

Let me see if I am following this . . .

Politics isn't sin.
Politics is iniquity.
The hand of politics is bloody.
The blood on the "hands" of political players isn't necessarily sin, but iniquity

. . . even though bloody hands have been a metaphor for sin throughout the ages.

See, now I'm confused again.

[Apprehended]

Originally Posted by OP_Carl

Your polemic indicts both the Tulsa 6 and the general board of the UPC.

Use the wounded lion as a temporary seawall.


[b]
Let me see if I am following this . . .

Politics isn't sin.
Politics is iniquity.
The hand of politics is bloody.
The blood on the "hands" of political players isn't necessarily sin, but iniquity

. . . even though bloody hands have been a metaphor for sin throughout the ages.

See, now I'm confused again.[/b]

I suspect that you will probably STAY that way.