Brother Chris wrote:
I looked down as I passed by and saw that he was mostly face down, lying on the ground. I continued to look at him as I went by and was checking the time on my phone and didn't really think too much of it. Besides, I was down there to walk and pray.And then I suddenly caught myself and asked 'what are you doing!?'
So anyway, as I kept thinking and began to feel like the priest and the levite from Luke 10, and as I walked along I noticed an older woman on the phone and I suspected that she might be calling someone about the man as she was looking that way.
_________________Jeff Marshalek
Yeah so..I think I was just thinking. I know that prayers of humility and repentance can be accepted by God.But, alms are also accepted by God.It's odd I mean I always thought that all their righteous works were as filthy rags.It also seems that other Centurions were honored.Or Paul said I was given mercy because I did these things in ignorance.I mean we often think of some gang banger just going for evil on purpose and then God melting his heart in love and bringing him to repentance or something.But, here it was not as if Paul was just being evil on purpose but he said he received mercy because he did it in ignorance.So can those who do evil on purpose receive mercy as well. Could Paul have received mercy had he on purpose killed Christians. hmm. Well maybe I would guess so. I mean the goodness of God leads men to repentance and we are to do good works to our enemies to put hot coals on their heads and love our enemies and even turn our enemies to our friends.In Pauls case maybe not though maybe he would have been as Judas who just went too far (if hypothetically he killed knowingly). I don't know maybe it has to be judged on a case by case basis and only God knows.Was Paul still to blame? I don't know maybe. I would guess so since the other Pharisees were often rebuked. But, maybe he was different then the other Pharisees maybe especially being seen in that he ultimately became a Christian.So Cornelius' prayer and alms were honored hmm. Well maybe I can say that for certain people their righteous acts are as filthy rags because they are done with wrong motive (I will have to look at the context again). Maybe Cornelius' works were different because they were done in humility and sincerity. Maybe he didn't do them to try to earn his way to God but to love God. Maybe he didn't do his works in false beliefs but in incomplete ones namely not yet being told of the Gospel. I think it was Apollus who was taken aside by Aquila and Priscilla and told the fullness of the Gospel whereas before He only knew the baptism of John?The last thing I think I will bring up in this post. Is something Billy Graham said. There is a video floating around of when he was speaking to Robert Schuller Pastor of the Crystal Cathedral. He is deemed as a heretic in it. In that he says that many who have not heard the Gospel around the world and are in false religions like Hinduism or Islam but are truly sincerely seeking God but just have not yet had the truth are in fact saved. So he says that to those who are ignorant but sincere no matter what religion they are in are saved.Now can I agree with with this. Well this would be really hard to receive. I mean does not Jesus promise to reveal Himself to those who truly seek him. Or can they not receive dreams and visions or other Divine interventions. Or if they were seeking the truth would they then not know that Islam and others were false. I mean did not those biblically who were ignorant at least believe the true God of Israel and other things and probably also reject many false religious thing amongst the Pharisees and whatnot as Jesus did. I do bring this up though as it comes up in the context of the topic. hmm...
Hi anonymity,Since I had participated in this discussion I wanted to respond to something that you mentioned if I could? "I do bring this up though as it comes up in the context of the topic."I believe that whatever ways and reasons God has dealt with people in time and in their lives and in bringing grace to them and us, are His own(Deut 29:29) and that we are called(and are called upon to tell others) to put no confidence in our selves or anything that we have done for hope in this life and in the next, but in Christ and Christ alone.And this is the life and message and hope that we have to give to others.
_________________Christopher Joel Dandrow
Or Paul said I was given mercy because I did these things in ignorance.
Hi anonymity,I enjoyed your musings. You asked
Was Paul still to blame?
Maybe he didn't do his works in false beliefs but in incomplete ones namely not yet being told of the Gospel.