Sinful housework - Page 22

Aquila · #**211** 12-23-2013, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abiding Now

Pray that I can become as spiritual as you.

I added to the original post. Please review. Maybe you'll see more clearly what I'm trying to explain.

Aquila · #**212** 12-23-2013, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Abiding Now

Pray that I can become as spiritual as you.

Personally, I think you've caught this. Now, plumb it's depths.

Those who cling to religion reveal that they are either haven't received this understanding... or... they are afraid of it. They are afraid to let go of the religion that is so comfortable. They refuse to let go of a religion that is...so... measurable with human standards of measurement. Because love cannot be seen or measured. Love is supernatural, it's origin being in God. A harlot can pour more love on Christ's feet in 20 seconds than a religionist can with 50 years of religious devotion through the traditions and commandments of men. Love cannot be measured, graded, or critiqued by human eyes. Therefore, it is terrifying to those who insist on keeping score.

Abiding Now · #**213** 12-23-2013, 11:10 AM

Deu_4:7 For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon him for?

Deu_4:24 For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.

Deu_4:31 (For the LORD thy God is a merciful God

he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.

Deu_6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:

Deu_6:15 (For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth,

Deu_10:17 For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward:

2Ch_30:9 For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him.

Job_36:5 Behold, God is mighty, and despiseth not any: he is mighty in strength and wisdom.

Job_37:22 Fair weather cometh out of the north: with God is terrible majesty.

Psa_7:11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.

Psa_47:7 For God is the King of all the earth: sing ye praises with understanding.

Pro_30:5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.

Joh_3:33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.

Joh_4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Act_10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

Co_3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

1Co_10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

2Co_1:18 But as God is true, our word toward you was not yea and nay.

Gal_3:20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.

Heb_12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.

1Jn_1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

ANNNNNNNNNND oh Yes!

1Jn_4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

n david · #**214** 12-23-2013, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aquila

Again, the Bible says that "God is love". Now, God is holy. But holiness isn't some metaphysical state of purity. Holiness simply means, separate. Distinct from everything else. God is holy. God is holy regarding His love, which is infinite. God is holy with regards to His omniscience. God is holy with regards to His omnipotence. God is holy with regards to His oneness. God is holy. But God isn't holiness. God is love.

You keep changing words from "Holy" to "Holiness," which IMO changes the meaning from an absolute to an attribute. God is Holy - an absolute. He is holy in justice. He is holy in love. He is altogether holy. Through that, His holiness is shown. Partly semantics, but I believe there to be a difference with you substituting an attribute for the absolute.

Quote:

“Holiness” is derived from the same root word in both the Hebrew and the Greek; “holy, hallowed, holiness, consecrate, saint, sanctify, and sanctification.” While the basic idea of the word is the same, there really is some variant in the meaning of the word “Holy.”

Source Link

God said "I AM Holy." Seven times in the Bible it's written that God is holy. Only twice do you find where it's written He is love.

RC Sproul said it well:

Quote:

“On a handful of occasions the Bible repeats something to the third degree. To mention something three times is to elevate it to the superlative degree, to attach to it emphasis of super importance…Only once in sacred Scripture is an attribute of God elevated to the third degree. Only once is a characteristic of God mentioned three times in succession. The Bible says that God is holy, holy, holy. Not that He is merely holy, or even holy, holy. He is holy, holy, holy. The Bible never says that God is love, love, love, or mercy, mercy, mercy, or wrath, wrath, wrath, or justice, justice, justice. It does say that He is holy, holy, holy, the whole earth is full of His glory.”21

Source Link

Aquila · #**215** 12-23-2013, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by n david

You keep changing words from "Holy" to "Holiness," which IMO changes the meaning from an absolute to an attribute. God is Holy - an absolute. He is holy in justice. He is holy in love. He is altogether holy. Through that, His holiness is shown. Partly semantics, but I believe there to be a difference with you substituting an attribute for the absolute.

Source Link

God said "I AM Holy." Seven times in the Bible it's written that God is holy. Only twice do you find where it's written He is love.

RC Sproul said it well:

Source Link

To say that God is holy is like saying that God is loving. Both are absolutely true. However, while God is both holy and loving, God is not holiness. Scripture states that God is love. Living love. It is that living love (who is personified in the very eternal being of God) that is holy.

Aquila · #**216** 12-23-2013, 12:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by n david

God said "I AM Holy." Seven times in the Bible it's written that God is holy. Only twice do you find where it's written He is love.

God describes Himself as being "holy". God also describes Himself as being "just". Is God holiness personified or justice personified? Neither. Scripture speaks ontologically that God is love. God is love personified. Now, He is definitely both holy and just. But the very essence of His substance is love. Thus we can conclude that any action God takes in relation to His being holy or in relation to Him being just is... predicated upon love. If He were holiness, every action would be predicated upon that... not love. If he were justice, every action would demand pure justice without exception. But since God IS love... all actions wherein various attributes come into play can be said to be rooted in the very essence of His substance... love.

As a result, even the most fearsome of judgment is an expression of God's love... for He is love. Being love, it can be no other way.

Aquila · #**217** 12-23-2013, 12:45 PM

It wasn't God's holiness that sent God's only begotten Son. It was because God so loved. It wasn't God's holiness that caused the martyrs to sing in the flames. It was God's love.

We've nearly made an idol out of our conceptualization of what it means to be "holy".

Notice, we often view God as being so "holy" that we lose the very reality that God is love itself. Then we move into the realm of seeing God as pagans see their gods. An angry God whose holiness to be appeased. No... God is love. That is why God bore our sins and atoned for them Himself. He appeased Himself, through Himself, and by Himself. Why? Because He can do none else. He is love. And He expresses the very essence of that nature towards us through His grace. Through the cross.

Aquila · #**218** 12-23-2013, 12:50 PM

Consider this...

1 John 4:19
We love because he first loved us.

Looking upon us in all our vile wretchedness, God loved us. Holiness wouldn't be able to do that. However, love would overcome the attribute of holiness to love and save the un-loveable.

We also look at this as though it is a moment in time. God first loved us way back in eternity. While this is true... it is true in every moment. When we awaken and contemplate Him, He first loved us. On our way to work, when we draw our thoughts towards Him, He first loved us. When we confess our sins and faults, He first loved us. He is first loving us every second of our existence. Why? He can do none else. He is love itself.

n david · #**219** 12-23-2013, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aquila

To say that God is holy is like saying that God is loving. Both are absolutely true. However, while God is both holy and loving, God is not holiness. Scripture states that God is love. Living love. It is that living love (who is personified in the very eternal being of God) that is holy.

There you go again.

Holiness is the product of being holy, it is not the same. God is holy.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aquila

God describes Himself as being "holy". God also describes Himself as being "just". Is God holiness personified or justice personified? Neither. Scripture speaks ontologically that God is love. God is love personified. Now, He is definitely both holy and just. But the very essence of His substance is love. Thus we can conclude that any action God takes in relation to His being holy or in relation to Him being just is... predicated upon love. If He were holiness, every action would be predicated upon that... not love. If he were justice, every action would demand pure justice without exception. But since God IS love... all actions wherein various attributes come into play can be said to be rooted in the very essence of His substance... love.

As a result, even the most fearsome of judgment is an expression of God's love... for He is love. Being love, it can be no other way.

We'll have to agree to disagree. I believe God's absolute nature is what it says over and over in the Bible, that He is holy. You believe that God is love. You ignore several scriptures which state "I AM holy," yet cling to 1 John 4:8 where it says "God is love."

BTW, nowhere in scripture does God say "I am love," but it is written, "I am holy."

Aquila · #**220** 12-23-2013, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by n david

There you go again.

Holiness is the product of being holy, it is not the same. God is holy.

We'll have to agree to disagree. I believe God's absolute nature is what it says over and over in the Bible, that He is holy. You believe that God is love. You ignore several scriptures which state "I AM holy," yet cling to 1 John 4:8 where it says "God is love."

BTW, nowhere in scripture does God say "I am love," but it is written, "I am holy."

Nope. You don't get it. lol

Saying, "I am holy", is like saying, "I am loving." It speaks of an attribute. Now, if God said, "I am holiness", then it would be like saying, "I am love." Love is loving. Holiness is holy. Thus, the Word states that God is holy... but it doesn't say that the very essence of God's substance is "holiness". It states that the very essence of God's substance is love. God IS love.