Last week we saw that God wants us to understand the causes...God wants us to be modelers. We found out that God considers the causes to be doctrine. God can predict the future because He knows the causes (doctrine) and where people ACTUALLY stand in relation to the sound doctrine.
This week we will continue the discussion by looking at how we currently don't have the apostles' doctrine! We have tradition! Jesus said His doctrine was not His own, but His Father's. The Bible records that the leaders wanted to destroy Jesus because of His doctrine:
"And the scribes and the chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine." (Mark 11:18)
In several places the Bible records people recognized Jesus taught a different/new doctrine than the leaders of that time. (Mark 1:27, 4:2, 12:38)
"And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught. And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes." (Mark 1:22)
"And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power." (Luke 4:32)
Jesus taught as someone who knew WHY He was right. It appears the leaders of that time couldn't explain why they were right. In fact, I would go so far as to say the Pharisees were incompetent! Before you get too upset to think clearly, consider this: if the Pharisees were competent, would they have crucified Jesus?
The goal was for Jesus to be killed without just cause. God had to put Jesus on the earth during a time when people would kill him unjustly. Would competent leadership kill Jesus unjustly? Actually, this brings up a bigger question:
Who were the Pharisees?
God's Plan was to speak to individuals. The first eight books of the Bible show a God who wants to speak and lead people as individuals, but people want to hear from another person. So God spoke through the patriarch before the Law was given. Then God spoke through one person to the group. Notice there is NO formal government. God is leading the people with His doctrine (Law).
In the ninth book of the Bible, this changes. 1 Samuel 8 shows God wants to lead the people as individuals, but the people want a king JUST LIKE THE OTHER NATIONS (verse 20). It was NEVER God's Will to lead the people through an earthly king! (Thinking God WANTED us to have "kings" is traditional and does NOT occur in the Bible.)
Notice what is happening...God is allowing a FORMAL government, however He wants the king to use His doctrine (Law) to lead the people. This is God's definition of a good king. So the Law is still on top, a king is under it, and the people are under the king.
The next six books of the Bible document that there were ONLY three good kings: David, Josiah, and Hezekiah. Every other king led the people by their own doctrine. So God is not on top. The king is. God is actually leading individuals during this time (under the king), but He wants Israel to realize their hypocrisy. God continues to warn Israel that if they aren't going to have a godly king, God may as well remove their hypocrisy by giving them to a heathen king.
The rest of the Old Testament then documents Israel going into captivity under a heathen king. There is no hypocrisy. Israel is now being led by a FORMAL heathen government and can choose as individuals to be led by God's doctrine (Law).
The prophets (Daniel, Ezekiel, etc.) state there will come a time when Israel COMPLETELY rejects God on an individual basis and their temple will be used by the FORMAL heathen government. This happens during the "silent" period of the Bible after Alexander the Great. The temple is turned into a gymnasium! The process of rejection is complete!
Alexander the Great's conquering of Israel leads to Jewish people learning Greek. (Hence, the New Testament is written in Greek.) Eventually Rome takes over Israel with one of the Herod's building the temple. Notice, the temple has been built by a heathen government...the government needs someone to run the temple. The Pharisees form a political alliance with the Roman government and the government gives them the authority to be religious leaders! (Remember, Jesus said to beware the leaven of Herod and the Pharisees!)
The Pharisees were a religious group that made a political alliance with the government of the world's ONLY superpower.
This does NOT make them God's representative!
When a person realizes this, the gospels explode with a whole new dimension. The Pharisees were a political group that posed as a religious group. They were hypocrites! They ruled by their own doctrine AND told everyone it was God's doctrine. Jesus repeatedly points this out...yet we think the Pharisees were God's representatives!
The Pharisees couldn't explain WHY they were right. They intimidated people and argued AGAINST understanding! Beware of ANYONE who argues FOR our INABILITY to understand God. Jesus repeatedly encouraged people to think so they could personally understand WHY the Pharisees were wrong EVEN THOUGH the Pharisees were in the majority!
Paul is adamant that Jesus' followers continue in the doctrine Jesus gave. Paul also mentions tradition, but it is tradition that he taught which would have been God's tradition and not man-made traditions.
"Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle." (2 Thessalonians 2:15)
"Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us." (2 Thessalonians 3:6)
Acts documents that the apostles' continued in this doctrine (Acts 5:28, 13:12, 17:19).
Paul explains the importance of following this doctrine:
"But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you." (Romans 6:17)
The doctrine is profitable:
"Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?" (I Corinthians 14:6)
Those who teach this doctrine are worthy of double honor:
"Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine." (I Timothy 5:17)
Being nourished in good doctrine leads to being a good minister of Jesus Christ:
"If thou put the brethren in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained." (I Timothy 4:6)
This good doctrine needs to be continued in so that salvation is eventually attained:
"Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee." (I Timothy 4:16)
"Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour, that the name of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed." (I Timothy 6:1)
However, people are going to try to distract us from sound doctrine:
"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive;" (Ephesians 4:14)
"As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went unto Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do." (I Timothy 1:3-4)
"But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and muderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust." (I Timothy 1:8-11)
"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them." (Romans 16:17)
"Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines: for it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein." (Hebrews 13:9)
We need to know our doctrine. It needs to be sound; free from contradiction. What are some of the doctrine we currently have that would make us Pharisees?
GRACE
Paul said that it is a good thing the heart be established with "grace". The most important AND most misunderstood doctrine involves salvation.
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
Our salvation depends on "faith" and "grace".
I have covered FAITH in previous posts.
I have also covered GRACE, however I'm going to spend today doing an overview as it relates to the Pharisees...
The current definition of GRACE is "unmerited favor". This definition was given to us by Martin Luther roughly 500 years ago. This definition did NOT exist during the time of the apostles. This doctrine of GRACE is NOT God's doctrine, it is man-made tradition...and therefore contradictory.
The apostles' doctrine of GRACE can be attained through the definition of the Greek word "charis". With the exception of one verse (James 1:11), every time the word "grace" occurs in the King James version of the New Testament, the word is "charis".
CHARIS, 5485 "the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life"
This is the ONLY non-contradictory definition that fits all the verses containing "charis"!
It is sad to argue this point with modern day Pharisees...the lengths they will go to in order to hold to tradition!
1. Newer versions of the Bible of the Bible interpret "charis" into other words in some passages in order to remove the contradictions! Even these people realize "unmerited favor" doesn't fit every use of "charis". Realize ALL of the usages of "charis" were done in a very narrow window of time...during the time the New Testament was written. The word DIDN'T change meanings during this time. Also, they had ALL the other Greek words to choose from...if they wanted to say "favor", they didn't need to use "charis".
2. People argue that words have several meanings and are not precise enough tools...and they do this with words (hypocritically like a Pharisee). We've covered this arguments contradictions in the post called the Importance of WORDS.
3. People redefine "grace" from "unmerited favor" to "the giving of a value without expecting a return". THIS is the non-contradictory definition of LOVE from Jesus' mouth! LOVE is a GREAT DOCTRINE but now the person can't define LOVE. Love is certainly an EFFECT of GRACE, but to panic and wreck the doctrine of LOVE in order to maintain the tradition of GRACE is UNSOUND DOCTRINE.
4. The majority says GRACE is "unmerited favor". Paul wrote that we all should hold to sound (non-contradictory) doctrine and that at the end there will be people who try to sway us with unsound doctrine. In fact, he said people will HEAP teachers to themselves to support their tradition-based doctrine. "Unmerited favor" is NOT a doctrine Paul taught, so this is not a doctrine Paul was writing about. Second, being in the majority is more likely to result in unsound doctrine.
Besides, "unmerited favor" violates justice! Why is it that people are ONLY for one way justice? If something bad happens that the person didn't cause, EVERYONE believes they deserve to be compensated. However when something good happens that the person didn't cause, MOST people don't think the person OUGHT to pay...like "unmerited favor"...a man-made idea that completely violates justice and results in contradictory (unsound) doctrine.
Let's look at the Ephesians verses that opened this section and answer the following questions:
1. Do you deserve credit for your salvation? If your answer is "yes" then that is WORKS. The verse said salvation is NOT of WORKS, so you don't deserve credit for your salvation...it is a gift from God.
2. Are you responsible for your salvation? If your answer is "no" then this is "unmerited favor" (and sovereignty and predestination...man-made doctrines created by John Calvin!). Martin Luther was so convinced we were not responsible for our actions that he thought it was okay for a married man to have affairs...after all, God made men to have a high sex drive AND THERE IS NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT. This unsound doctrine results in God deciding who goes to heaven and who goes to hell...ALL completely against the will of the individual. Currently, people who don't like THAT result are saying EVERYONE has grace AND NO ONE can resist it...so NO ONE goes to hell! Do you want to embrace THIS man-made doctrine (tradition) over God's doctrine?
The answer is that we don't get credit for our salvation but we are responsible for it. The ONLY non-contradictory explanation is CHARIS!
God works through us and our ONLY responsibility is to humble ourselves and choose to allow God to work through us!
I've had someone explain it like medicine. The medicine cures us. However we are responsible for choosing to take the medicine. When we choose to take the medicine how ridiculous would it sound to claim, "I healed myself!" No, the medicine healed you.
There are several passages that can ONLY be CHARIS. I've covered them more here:
Luke 2:40
Titus 2:11-12
Hebrews 4:16
Grace and Works
My Grace is Sufficient (This one is the ONLY non-contradictory explanation for Pauls' thorn in the flesh. EVERY sermon on this topic is currently contradictory.)
Looking back at the Ephesians passage, Paul is ACTUALLY telling us how EVERYONE who will be in heaven got there! EVERYONE who makes it to heaven did so because they let God influence their heart through faith. This removes the contradictory answers we currently give to "How did people get saved BEFORE Jesus?" They chose to let God influence their heart and allow Him to work through them.
Salvation is dependent on RIGHTEOUSNESS. Whenever salvation is mentioned in the Bible, righteousness is the requirement. Some people think salvation is dependent on lack of sin. EVERY human (except Jesus) who makes it to heaven will have sinned. Clearly, that is a contradictory explanation for the doctrine of salvation that only leads to more man-made explanations of Jesus' sacrifice. Unfortunately, it also leads to people thinking THEY can stop sinning...which only wears them out once they do sin AND actually takes them further from the doctrine of GRACE!
In fact, there are tradition-minded people who think GRACE covers every sin! Jesus said there is no repentance for blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. James says: "But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble." (James 4:6)
Grace is unable to overcome the sin of PRIDE. This is because GRACE is "charis" and God CANNOT influence the heart of a person who isn't humble enough to follow God's influence instead of their flesh. What other explanation is there? Why do these modern day Pharisees focus so much on sin and make GRACE the abstract reason we go to heaven?
The Pharisees had this SAME doctrine of sin! They created their own traditions and taught them as commandments from God. They focused people on removing sin in order to control them and keep them frustrated. Jesus was focused on righteousness!
Let's close this section with a verse that will bring this all together:
"For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:20)
Righteousness has two sources: God and ourselves.
The Bible says OUR righteousness is as filthy rags. (Isaiah 64:6)
Therefore the ONLY righteousness that gains us salvation is God's righteousness...CHARIS.
Reread the passage from Matthew...the Pharisees shall NOT enter the kingdom. Otherwise, Jesus would have said except our righteousness meets or exceeds. Why would we need MORE righteousness if the righteousness of the Pharisees was enough?
ALL we need is righteousness from God...and even the littlest bit is MORE than ALL the righteousness from the Pharisees. A robber hung on the cross next to Jesus...his one act of letting God flow through him EXCEEDED the righteousness of the Pharisees.
OMNIPOTENCE
The Bible mentions "omnipotent" one time...
"And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth." (Revelation 19:6)
The word omnipotent is pantokrator 3841 and means "the all-ruling".
1. Some people have turned the definition of "omnipotent" into "God can do anything". Most theologians realize the inherent contradictions besides the scriptural contradictions. The inherent contradictions are that God's ability to have certain excellent qualities result in Him NOT being able to have the opposite quality. For example, God is eternal...He cannot cease to exist. The scriptural contradictions include:
"Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed." (James 1:13-14)
"That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:" (Hebrews 6:19)
2. I'm reading a book from Moody Bible on doctrine. They define "omnipotence" as God's ability to bring about anything that He wills. Clearly this isn't a fact!
Jesus tells us to pray that God's Will is done on earth as it is in heaven. If God is able to make His Will happen on earth, why do we have to pray for it?
God's Will is that all men are saved...this doesn't happen.
3. This is where some people introduce the traditional concept of God having competing wills. Whether they are called "greater wills" or "passive wills", this still leads to God's inability to bring about one or more of His Wills. Why is this a credible explanation of God being able to do EVERYTHING He wills?
4. Eventually people get so frustrated they will assert that the ONLY way for this contradictory doctrine to exist is for contradictions to exist...so they conclude we can't understand or aren't supposed to understand this concept. The truly desperate will try to conclude that the concept is unable to be defined!
5. A more accurate explanation is God is able to do anything that is in accord with His Nature. His Nature is Right and Just. This ALWAYS results in Long Term creation. So, God is able to create in the Long Term and unable to destroy in the Long Term.
However, did you notice that ALL of this explanation for how God can be omnipotent ACTUALLY turned into a discussion for how God can be "all-powerful"? Man's tradition CHANGED the meaning of "omnipotent" from God's doctrine ("the all-ruling") to the unsound doctrine of "all powerful"!!!! (Shouldn't the list of contradictions have told us this was NOT God's doctrine but man's unsound doctrine?)
God is certainly the most powerful Being, but to define "all powerful" you would first have to define "power". I will do this in a later post (or in the comments if people can't wait). However, the word "omnipotent" in the Bible did NOT mean "all powerful"...it meant "all-ruling". In fact, the word "pantokrator" has an additional clarification to the definition of "the all-ruling":
"i.e. God (as absolute and universal sovereign)"
This leads to the doctrine we will cover tomorrow: sovereignty.
SOVEREIGNTY
The word "sovereignty" does NOT occur in the King James Bible.
Newer translations of the Bible use the words "sovereign" or "sovereignty" in place of the Greek words for "kingdom" or "realm".
The definition of "sovereignty" is the exclusive right over a region, person, or oneself. Basically, the "sovereign" answers to no one.
God is definitely "sovereign". God answers to no one. One main difference between man and God is that God is ALWAYS Right and Just...man is not. God being sovereign has NOTHING to do with being Right and Just. God is sovereign (answers to no one) AND He is Right and Just. THAT ought to be comforting to us.
The problem is that some people see the benefit of "sovereign" as a way to MAKE their decisions Right and Just. Basically, some people think it would be great to not have to answer to anyone because you could be wrong and get away with it. "Whatever is, is right." They wouldn't have to resolve their contradictions and unsound doctrine. Then they project this perspective onto God. One of these people is John Calvin.
According to the New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, Calvinism is a theological system and an approach to the Christian life that emphasizes the rule of God over all things.
This systematic theology sounds consistent with the Bible.
However, the doctrine of sovereignty according to Calvinism is:
"Man is unable to follow God and that only by divine intervention in which God must change their unwilling heart can man be turned from rebellion to willing obedience."
"In this view, all people are entirely at the mercy of God, who would be just in condemning all people for their sins but who has chosen to be merciful to some. One person is saved while another is condemned, not because of a foreseen willingness, faith, or any other virtue in the first person, but because God sovereignly chose to have mercy on him."
This man-made doctrine contradicts the Bible.
God cannot overcome the will of the individual...NO MATTER how it is rationalized.
What is just about God creating a being that has NO CHOICE but to spend eternity in torment?
A lot of "Calvinists" today realize this isn't right, so they claim to be a different type of Calvinist. Being a hyper-Calvinist results in this contradiction. Being ANYTHING less than a hyper-Calvinist results in MORE contradictions. One of the ways modern-day Calvinists have tried to remove this main contradiction is to turn the definition of "free will" into "desire". They will say they still believe in "free will". However, they will say God will make you desire the right choice...so you COULD choose the wrong option, BUT you don't have the desire to do it.
The non-contradictory definition of "free will" is "the ability to choose apart from your nature". Every other definition is contradictory. For instance, if man's nature is virtueless and God makes the person not desire to make virtueless choices any more, why does the person EVER sin again?
This unsound doctrine PROVES Calvinists don't understand GRACE. Their goal is to guard against the individual having ANY virtue. They don't want anyone to be able to say they are better than anyone else. What is GRACE? GRACE ONLY works if the individual humbles themselves. GRACE requires you to be less than everyone else. From the medicine analogy of GRACE: Is there ANY virtue in taking the medicine instead of "toughing it out"? Do you see the danger in CHOOSING to embrace this man-made doctrine?
Besides, what is the danger in believing GRACE is "Charis"...that it is man's responsibility to choose to take the medicine? If the REAL answer is "sovereignty" then there is nothing we could have done about it anyway. However, if the answer is not Calvinism, these people are making the Word of God of NONE effect by their tradition. They are actively discouraging people from CHOOSING to hear God's voice. IF they do make it to heaven, the Calvinist will find out there are people who DIDN'T make it to heaven BECAUSE of them. THAT is the REAL danger in following tradition.
Besides, I have heard Calvinists preach that believing the individual has NO virtue prevents the individual from seeing themselves as better than everyone else. If the Calvinist REALLY believed this, then the Calvinist WOULDN'T see ANYONE as better than anyone else...yet every one of these preachers will mention someone who is better than them during their sermon: their wife, Calvin, Edwards, Spurgeon, a teacher, etc. (Why does John Piper talk about his wife's virtues? Why don't these pastors publicly tell us about their wife's total depravity and lack of virtue?)
This relatively new traditional doctrine of sovereignty takes the responsibility off us to pray and evangelize...it justifies us and puts the responsibility on God.
I have heard Matt Chandler preach and his response to these two questions are:
Question: Why do Calvinists pray?
Matt Chandler: Why do you pray?
Question: Why do Calvinists evangelize?
Matt Chandler: Maybe God is allowing you to come along while He plays.
Ducking a question by posing a question is NOT an answer. Answering a question with a "maybe" is NOT an answer. Why do hundreds of people sit silently and accept this? Why does Matt chandler consider ANYONE else wrong when THEY don't have an answer?
People take "God is all-ruling" to mean "God ALWAYS gets His way".
The danger in this is to then believe that "whatever is, is right"...and not do anything.
Clearly, the way things are is NOT right...and it's not because we are doing God's "other" will instead of the "original" will. THAT still admits God CAN'T do something...He can't do both His Wills! THEN the answer will eventually end up: we can't understand or aren't supposed to understand.
This doctrine is unsound and full of contradictions.
The apostles did not have this doctrine.
PREDESTINATION
One of the central doctrine for Calvinism is "predestination". This is the belief that BEFORE creation, God knew what would happen with every individual. From what we've seen so far, it is easy to see why this doctrine is necessary. If God can make ANYTHING happen AND He decides who is going to heaven and who is going to hell, then He would have done this from before the beginning...BECAUSE everything that happens is according to His plan. "Whatever is, is right."
However, once again, this is NOT a doctrine the apostles had. This is a man-made doctrine and was created relatively recently.
The word "predestination" is in the New Testament ONLY.
PROORIZO 4309 "to limit in advance" from 4253 and 3724
4253 PRO "fore", "in front of", "prior"
3724 HORIZO "to mark out or bound"
Clearly from the word and its roots point to a limiting in advance, NOT a guarantee of attainment. We are all "limited in advance". For example, males are predestined NOT to bear children. Every example of predestination will involve someone from being prevented from attaining something. No one is "predestined" to achieve something because THAT takes making right choices, discipline, hard work, patience, etc. The things we are predestined from are things that NO amount of work, discipline, patience, choices, etc. can help us attain.
Let's look at the passages dealing with "predestination".
ROMANS 8:28-31
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?"
One of the things I was MOST disappointed in when listening to "Calvinist" preachers is how they quote one verse and give an interpretation that contradicts the verses coming before or after the quoted verse. It seems to me that "Calvinist" preachers would rather COMPLETELY read and quote other Calvinist preachers than COMPLETELY read and quote the Bible. (In one of Piper's messages he actually said his life goal was to COMPLETELY understand Edwards!) One technique that "Calvinist" preachers use is to not define key doctrine associated with their "critical" verse.
This "critical" passage begins with a oft-quoted verse. Look at the first sentence again and see what it REALLY says. In order to understand that passage you need to define "love" and "good". We have seen that "good" means "to create". So this passage says that God can take ALL things and make them "good"...that it creates SOMETHING...that it is profitable.
For instance, if I had a situation that was going to result in creating 100 "value units" and I CHOOSE to do the wrong thing, then I may actually end up DESTROYING value...I could actually end up "NOT GOOD". However, this verse says that God would still be able to make the situation "good"...that it would generate AT LEAST 1 "value unit". Notice, this passage DOESN'T say that God will make it get the 100 "value units"...that option is long gone and I was the one who CAUSED THAT to happen...NOT God.
However, the key way God is able to make the situation create depends on ME! The sentence says "to them that love God". What is the definition of "love"? A "Calvinist" shouldn't be allowed near this passage until they define "love". We saw that those who "love" God are those who CHOOSE take direction from Him (GRACE). Notice how this sentence ACTUALLY talks about OUR ABILITY to CHOOSE and how we are to take comfort in the fact that God will still help us as long as WE CHOOSE to let Him guide our actions.
NOW the "Calvinist" wants to attack the mention of "predestinate", but notice the sentence begins with "For". This sentence is the reason WHY the first sentence is true. Again, a "Calvinist" shouldn't go near this sentence until he explains the previous sentence in a non-contradictory fashion.
The MAIN technique "Calvinists" use to interpret scripture is to work backwards from the point they want to make. We've called this "comparative" thinking. The "Calvinist" wants "predestination" to be a fact, so he takes an open-ended verse and puts the conclusion on it and works backwards. We saw this with John 6:44. Jesus says no man can come to Him unless the Father draws him. The "Calvinist" considers it a fact that God is "all-powerful" and His Will is ALWAYS accomplished. Then he interprets that scripture as "God MUST ONLY draw the people that eventually go to heaven because no one can resist God". WRONG! We saw this unsound doctrine is full of contradictions. ACTUALLY, the Father draws EVERYONE and it is the individual's fault if they CHOOSE not to respond.
Now look at the Romans passage again. It is easy to see the "Calvinist" does the same trick with this passage. They assume people can't choose to reject God, so they conclude God ONLY "predestinates" the ones He decided were going to heaven.
However, God's Will is that ALL go to heaven. If this is His Will, wouldn't he "predestinate" ALL of us. How would he limit ALL of us in advance? We are ALL limited in advance in that we CANNOT attain heaven, we CANNOT love, we CANNOT create BY OURSELVES. God KNOWS this. THEREFORE God would: give EVERYONE a way to attain heaven, love EVERYONE, and give EVERYONE the choice of letting Him create through them.
Look at the verse again and notice what comes BEFORE predestinate...FOREKNOW. The FIRST question you OUGHT to ask is: Did God foreknow EVERYONE?
"The "Calvinist" wants to jump over THAT question and begin with predestinate. God foreknew EVERYONE...and whom He did foreknow (EVERYONE), he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that he MIGHT be the firstborn among many brethren! Again, notice the qualifier "MIGHT". This sentence is non-contradictory when we realize God foreknew EVERYONE and we CHOOSE whether we MIGHT go to heaven. The rest of this verse continues from the premise (MOREOVER) this applies to EVERYONE.
To me, the PROOF the "Calvinist" is biased is how they interpret the last sentence in this passage. WHO can be against us? If you read the rest of the chapter, it ends talking about what can separate us from God's love. AGAIN, the KEY to interpreting this passage is understanding LOVE. Don't let a "Calvinist" explain this passage WITHOUT giving a non-contradictory definition of LOVE.
The passage ends by listing all the things that CAN'T separate us from God's love. The ONLY entity that is missing from the list is YOU. YOU are the ONLY thing that can separate yourself from God's love. Think about it...God foreknows EVERYONE, therefore we know that He gave everyone a way they MIGHT make it to heaven, so it would have to be up to the individual. We know it is God's Will that EVERYONE is saved. We also know not everyone makes it to heaven. We know it can't be God's fault. Then Paul concludes this doctrine by listing everything EXCEPT the individual as able to separate us from God's love. EVERY OTHER explanation of this passage has contradictions and is based on unsound doctrine that the apostles' didn't have.
EPHESIANS 1:4-12
"According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us into the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ."
This passage shares some similar doctrine with the Romans passage: love, will, purpose...However, the MAIN difference in this passage is that it deals with the doctrine of GRACE! In fact, it clarifies the EFFECTS of grace as wisdom, knowing the mystery of His Will, and the good pleasure. This passage contradicts the "can't know" or "aren't supposed to know" doctrine. This passage says we KNOW the mystery of His Will! ANYONE who can't explain the mystery of His Will or fights for God's Will being a mystery is actually confessing they are NOT one of the "elect".
If you read this passage with the understanding that God called EVERYONE, the importance of the doctrine of GRACE becomes apparent. Again, don't allow ANYONE to teach you on this passage without getting a non-contradictory definition for GRACE ("charis").
CONCLUSION
Some people who believe in "predestination" conclude that everything has already happened and we are just walking through it like robots...we have been pre-programmed. I dealt with this belief in the God is Outside of Time post. The thought being that God can go ahead in time and see what has already happened. There are too many examples of God saying something that didn't happen. (Actually, for a "Calvinist" they would only need one verse, because they base whole doctrine on one verse.) A "Calvinist" would have to conclude from the passage on Hezekiah that God was wrong or lying.
Actually, the God wants us all to model post shows how God can accurately predict the future: God knows the CAUSES...the EFFECTS have to follow. The CAUSES are doctrine.
I have heard "Calvinists" say, "Where the Bible is silent, we should be silent."
The Bible is silent on "sovereignty".
The Bible is silent on God being "all-powerful".
The Bible is silent on people lacking choice.
MOST importantly, the apostles did NOT have these man-made unsound doctrine. These relatively new traditional doctrine make the Word and Will of God of NONE EFFECT.
Next Post
Monday, February 25, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
The CAUSE is Doctrine
The Bible says DOCTRINE is the CAUSE of desirable EFFECTS.
(Every week I cover a topic by adding to it daily from Monday to Friday. I made the conclusion to this topic a separate entry because I will be linking back to this portion in the future. If you want to read HOW we got to this conclusion, click here.)
"In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you." (Titus 2:7)
Doctrine is the CAUSE of good works (profitable behavior). Here are all of the passages from the Old Testament that speak of doctrine:
"My doctrine shall drop as rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: Because I will publish the name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he." (Deuteronomy 32:2-4) The first mention of doctrine involves modeling God: just and right is He.
"For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes." (Job 11:4) Job's proof he was pure was that his doctrine was pure...how could he deserve punishment if his doctrine is pure? We will be covering Job in depth in two weeks...
"Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not the law." (Proverbs 4:1-2) Doctrine is linked to understanding...understanding is modeling.
"Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts." (Isaiah 28:9) This discussion is NOT for those who are newborns or babies in their ability to THINK...that is, the ability to use the four God-given principles.
"They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine." (Isaiah 29:24) Again, understanding and doctrine are linked...and people who don't have this err and murmur.
"But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities." (Jeremiah 10:8) Bad doctrine leads to undesirable and unprofitable behavior.
John Piper tries to make emotions and behavior a CAUSE. He wants you to do them intentionally. The Bible is saying you don't have to focus on behavior and emotions. Behavior and emotions are not the CAUSE. The Bible is saying focus on doctrine and the behavior and emotions HAVE TO result.
Causality says that the CAUSE and the EFFECT are one. The CAUSE is half and the EFFECT is the unavoidable other half. Doctrine is the CAUSE and the EFFECT is behavior and emotions. This is undeniable. However, someone may SAY he believes in God's doctrine, yet he doesn't exhibit desirable behavior and emotions. When this occurs, this person is DOUBLY wrong. First of all, he may SAY he believes in God's doctrine, however he actually BELIEVES in a different doctrine. What you believe in your heart is what ACTUALLY comes out. Secondly, he is a hypocrite because he is SAYING one thing and BELIEVING another.
The reality is we ALL model. God wants us to model. God wants us to understand the CAUSES and predict the future.
Jesus spoke about modeling:
"Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:" (Mark 13:28)
"The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?" (Matthew 16:1-3)
Jesus is showing that we ALREADY model in every day life...we see EFFECTS and we understand the CAUSES AND we predict the future! Furthermore, Jesus is saying we OUGHT to model spiritual things as well!...EVEN GOD!
Notice, this last passage is the beginning of the passage that is in the previous post that set up this discussion:
"And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? Do ye yet not understand neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." (Matthew 16:5-12)
Jesus is saying the leaven we OUGHT to be aware of is the DOCTRINE of the Pharisees! There are two kinds of doctrine. God's doctrine is profitable and RESULTS in righteousness and good works through causality.
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
"Preaching the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables." (2 Timothy 4:2-4)
God's doctrine is referred to as "sound". This means God's doctrine is without contradiction. Then there is man's doctrine which is contradictory and based on tradition. In the last passage we saw there will come a time when people will not endure sound doctrine and ACTIVELY go looking for teachers who reinforce their unsound doctrine. What is the unsound doctrine?
"But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." (Matthew 15:9)
"Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." (Mark 7:7)
These passages say that tradition makes the Word of God (doctrine) of none effect...it is not profitable.
"Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition." (Matthew 15:6)
"Making the word of God of none of effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye." (Mark 7:13)
Remember, Jesus ALSO called this "leaven".
"Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." (Matthew 16:12)
"Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod." (Mark 8:15)
"Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?" (1 Corinthians 5:6)
"A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." (Galatians 5:9)
We need to watch out for even the LITTLEST leaven because it will spread to EVERYTHING we believe. Luke records a more specific explanation of the leaven:
"In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy." (Luke 12:1)
Holding to man-made tradition AND saying you are holding to God's doctrine is hypocrisy...and it is proven by actions. We OUGHT to examine our doctrine closely and see if there is ANY man-made tradition. But first, we OUGHT to know our doctrine.
"But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience..." (2 Timothy 3:10)
Do we fully know our doctrine well enough to explain it to others?
Do we fully know our manner of life well enough to explain it to others?
Do we fully know our purpose well enough to explain it to others?
What is YOUR doctrine? What is your worldview? Jesus said His doctrine was not His but the Father's.
"Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." (John 7:16-17)
Later, John wrote:
"Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds." (2 John 9-12)
CONCLUSION
We need to know God's doctrine.
We need to believe God's doctrine.
We need to make sure there is no man-made tradition in our doctrine.
This requires thinking like someone who has been weaned off of breast milk.
Next week we will cover doctrines that affect all of us. These doctrine contain man-made tradition and are contrary to the Word of God (God's doctrine).
Next Post
(Every week I cover a topic by adding to it daily from Monday to Friday. I made the conclusion to this topic a separate entry because I will be linking back to this portion in the future. If you want to read HOW we got to this conclusion, click here.)
"In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you." (Titus 2:7)
Doctrine is the CAUSE of good works (profitable behavior). Here are all of the passages from the Old Testament that speak of doctrine:
"My doctrine shall drop as rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: Because I will publish the name of the Lord: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he." (Deuteronomy 32:2-4) The first mention of doctrine involves modeling God: just and right is He.
"For thou hast said, My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in thine eyes." (Job 11:4) Job's proof he was pure was that his doctrine was pure...how could he deserve punishment if his doctrine is pure? We will be covering Job in depth in two weeks...
"Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not the law." (Proverbs 4:1-2) Doctrine is linked to understanding...understanding is modeling.
"Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts." (Isaiah 28:9) This discussion is NOT for those who are newborns or babies in their ability to THINK...that is, the ability to use the four God-given principles.
"They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine." (Isaiah 29:24) Again, understanding and doctrine are linked...and people who don't have this err and murmur.
"But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities." (Jeremiah 10:8) Bad doctrine leads to undesirable and unprofitable behavior.
John Piper tries to make emotions and behavior a CAUSE. He wants you to do them intentionally. The Bible is saying you don't have to focus on behavior and emotions. Behavior and emotions are not the CAUSE. The Bible is saying focus on doctrine and the behavior and emotions HAVE TO result.
Causality says that the CAUSE and the EFFECT are one. The CAUSE is half and the EFFECT is the unavoidable other half. Doctrine is the CAUSE and the EFFECT is behavior and emotions. This is undeniable. However, someone may SAY he believes in God's doctrine, yet he doesn't exhibit desirable behavior and emotions. When this occurs, this person is DOUBLY wrong. First of all, he may SAY he believes in God's doctrine, however he actually BELIEVES in a different doctrine. What you believe in your heart is what ACTUALLY comes out. Secondly, he is a hypocrite because he is SAYING one thing and BELIEVING another.
The reality is we ALL model. God wants us to model. God wants us to understand the CAUSES and predict the future.
Jesus spoke about modeling:
"Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:" (Mark 13:28)
"The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and tempting desired him that he would shew them a sign from heaven. He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the sky is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to day: for the sky is red and lowering. O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky; but can ye not discern the signs of the times?" (Matthew 16:1-3)
Jesus is showing that we ALREADY model in every day life...we see EFFECTS and we understand the CAUSES AND we predict the future! Furthermore, Jesus is saying we OUGHT to model spiritual things as well!...EVEN GOD!
Notice, this last passage is the beginning of the passage that is in the previous post that set up this discussion:
"And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? Do ye yet not understand neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." (Matthew 16:5-12)
Jesus is saying the leaven we OUGHT to be aware of is the DOCTRINE of the Pharisees! There are two kinds of doctrine. God's doctrine is profitable and RESULTS in righteousness and good works through causality.
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
"Preaching the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables." (2 Timothy 4:2-4)
God's doctrine is referred to as "sound". This means God's doctrine is without contradiction. Then there is man's doctrine which is contradictory and based on tradition. In the last passage we saw there will come a time when people will not endure sound doctrine and ACTIVELY go looking for teachers who reinforce their unsound doctrine. What is the unsound doctrine?
"But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." (Matthew 15:9)
"Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." (Mark 7:7)
These passages say that tradition makes the Word of God (doctrine) of none effect...it is not profitable.
"Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition." (Matthew 15:6)
"Making the word of God of none of effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye." (Mark 7:13)
Remember, Jesus ALSO called this "leaven".
"Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." (Matthew 16:12)
"Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod." (Mark 8:15)
"Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?" (1 Corinthians 5:6)
"A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump." (Galatians 5:9)
We need to watch out for even the LITTLEST leaven because it will spread to EVERYTHING we believe. Luke records a more specific explanation of the leaven:
"In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began to say unto his disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy." (Luke 12:1)
Holding to man-made tradition AND saying you are holding to God's doctrine is hypocrisy...and it is proven by actions. We OUGHT to examine our doctrine closely and see if there is ANY man-made tradition. But first, we OUGHT to know our doctrine.
"But thou hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, charity, patience..." (2 Timothy 3:10)
Do we fully know our doctrine well enough to explain it to others?
Do we fully know our manner of life well enough to explain it to others?
Do we fully know our purpose well enough to explain it to others?
What is YOUR doctrine? What is your worldview? Jesus said His doctrine was not His but the Father's.
"Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." (John 7:16-17)
Later, John wrote:
"Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds." (2 John 9-12)
CONCLUSION
We need to know God's doctrine.
We need to believe God's doctrine.
We need to make sure there is no man-made tradition in our doctrine.
This requires thinking like someone who has been weaned off of breast milk.
Next week we will cover doctrines that affect all of us. These doctrine contain man-made tradition and are contrary to the Word of God (God's doctrine).
Next Post
Monday, February 18, 2008
God Wants You to Be a Modeler
GOD A MODELER
A lot of people have gotten hung up on the word "Modeling". They act like this is unnatural and something man is doing apart from God.
When these people say this, they are showing their ignorance and, possibly, their hypocrisy!
This week from Monday through Friday, I will be adding to this post. Each day I will show how we model EVERY DAY! In fact, I will challenge those who say this is a man-made command to STOP MODELING...that is, to stop doing the actions that help them model. Furthermore, I will show how God COMMANDS you to model AND He speaks to you in terms of modeling phrases.
(I don't mean to be hard on these people. Like the Pharisees, I don't believe it is bad that these people are wrong. I'm the FIRST to forgive people and FORGET their errors when they confess and repent. Once they admit they were wrong. It's not a coincidence that the people who are MOST critical of others are the ones who find it most difficult to say, "I am wrong." Unfortunately, most people don't learn even when they are confronted with the error of their ways. However, once these people are shown they are pursuing man-made traditions INSTEAD of God's Word, they have a critical and intentional decision to make: man-made tradition OR the Word of God? THAT is when people condemn themselves. Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathaea were Pharisees who chose to reject tradition and embrace Jesus' doctrine...so it is possible for us! After all, we begin as Pharisees because we are brought up and surrounded by tradition.)
What is a model?
Model-An explanation for observed effects
(Notice: A Worldview is a model. People who speak of "worldviews" are talking about models!)
Modeling at its core involves understanding CAUSES that result in observed EFFECTS.
The MAIN benefit of Modeling is that it gives you the ability to intentionally achieve desired EFFECTS.
One of the reasons God gave us His Word is to help us understand the CAUSES that lead to the EFFECTS God desires.
God wants you to UNDERSTAND. God wants you to be a modeler!
On Tuesday, we will see the first sign that we are ALL modelers.
THINKING
Before we go into this topic, I want to reiterate the difference between people and animals. Animals think. However, animals don't know that they think. Animals cannot be intentional with their thoughts. Animals can't daydream about their past. They can't imagine a future. Their brains NATURALLY work towards getting them their desires as quick as possible with NO THOUGHT to the Long Term.
People are ABLE to think LONG TERM. They are able to intentionally use their brain to think in ways that benefit them in the Long Term, however this requires doing the opposite of what they desire in the short term.
Animals and people who think short term do this by thinking comparatively, living with contradictions, focusing on EFFECTS, and pursuing comfort. This is fleshly thinking and occurs NATURALLY for animals and humans.
People who think Long Term do this by thinking contrastively, removing contradictions, focusing on CAUSES, and pursuing growth.
This is Long Term thinking. It is God's way of thinking. EVERYTHING about this way of thinking runs OPPOSITE to how humans think. The goal of "Modeling God" is to show you HOW to think like God according to the Bible.
The internet is allowing us to have MORE information. However, if we don't know HOW to think, we are going to agree with whatever reinforces our flawed beliefs.
How many pastors and teachers are teaching you HOW to think?
How many pastors and teachers are teaching you WHAT to think?
God, Jesus, and the Bible are different from EVERY OTHER religious book BECAUSE it teaches you HOW to think. Be careful with people who encourage you not to INTENTIONALLY think by telling you we can't know or aren't supposed to know. This is encouraging you to worship a God you can't describe...which is the definition of IDOLATRY.
God wants us to think.
God wants us to know and understand who He is...why have we let leaders demonize thinking?
1. ASKING WHY
The first way people act as modelers is when they ask "Why?". When people ask WHY?, they are trying to determine the CAUSE. This is good! The opposite of this is not asking because you want to believe it is a CAUSE that benefits you. EVERY TIME a person asks WHY?, they are PROVING they want to model. The Bible is written COMPLETELY from CAUSE to EFFECT. First of all, there are some very famous WHY's in the Bible:
"And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46)
"And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest, thou me?" (Acts 9:4)
John Piper preaches emotions as a CAUSE. He says: God tells us to have certain emotions, so we should just have them. ACTUALLY, the Bible realizes emotions are an EFFECT of a CAUSE:
"But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread?" (I Kings 21:5)
"Wherefore the kings said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid." (Nehemiah 2:2)
"Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God." (Psalm 42:11)
The Bible does speak about things being "causeless", however this is actually translated as "without a JUST cause":
"I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out." (Job 29:16)
"And they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings; and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord God." (Ezekiel 14:23)
"And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?" (I Samuel 17:29)
Believing that things are causeless is believing in randomness. THAT is another way to show people are modelers. Next time someone asks you WHY? just tell them "no reason, it was random". Asking WHY implies there must be a reason:
"As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come." (Proverbs 26:2)
"And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the Lord." (Genesis 25:22)
"And Joab answered, The Lord make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but my lord the king are they not all my lord's servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?" (I Chronicles 21:3)
The Bible (especially Proverbs) blatantly tells us there are CAUSES and the EFFECTS can be both good and bad:
"Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge." (Proverbs 19:27)
"The rich man is wise in his own conceit; but the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out." (Proverbs 28:10)
The causes can be overwhelming in quantity and/or not immediately obvious qualitatively. This has led people to fight for why we can't know or aren't supposed to know the causes. Yet, these same people will demand from others an acceptable answer to WHY? While this is hypocritical, this isn't the most damaging misapplication of modeling. We will see the most damaging misapplication of modeling tomorrow (Wednesday).
We can know the causes. We OUGHT to know the causes:
"Then called Esther for Hatach, one of the king's chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend unto her, and gave him a commandment to Mordecai, to know what it was, and why it was." (Esther 4:5)
"I have heard the check of my reproach, and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer." (Job 20:3)
Let's summarize this with an example from Jesus:
"And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? Do ye yet not understand neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." (Matthew 16:5-12)
The disciples immediately REASONED among themselves in a short-term fashion. They were focused on fleshly concerns for their comfort. They were comparative. They were looking immediately at effects. They were living with a contradiction.
Jesus FIRST asks WHY?...He is focused on the CAUSE.
Jesus' question asks why they reasoned among themselves ABOUT the bread. Joyce Meyer changed the Bible to make the point that Jesus didn't want them to reason at all! (And no one seems to care that "Battlefield of the Mind" changes the Bible to encourage people NOT to think when the actual Biblical passage shows Jesus is focused on teaching HOW to think!) Jesus is ACTUALLY asking WHY they were comparative and REASONED about the wrong thing.
Jesus then points out the contradiction in their reasoning process. Why are they concerned about bread for 13 people when they personally saw Jesus feed thousands? Jesus even links this short-term thought process to a lack of faith.
Jesus is teaching the disciples HOW to think!
The disciples did think, but it was short-term.
Jesus takes them through the God-given principles to show them HOW to think Long Term like God.
Over the years, I have learned that MY first thoughts are fleshly. My immediate thoughts are concerned about comfort, proving my point, and living with contradictions...especially when I'm in a rush. The key is to take a moment and ask WHY? and then think the way Jesus taught the disciples.
2. PROJECTION
Have you ever had someone tell you what they believed were your intentions and/or thoughts? When someone does this to you as a statement of fact, this is called "projection". People do it ALL the time.
People see an action (EFFECT) from you and they model the causes...they determine in their mind your thoughts and intentions they believe resulted in the observed actions. More often than not, the model is wrong. When the model is wrong, it leads these people to wrong conclusions and wrong predictions in other areas.
The reasons the causes are incorrectly identified are the "modeler" doesn't have enough of the right information AND they aren't objective.
They don't have enough of the right information because they didn't ask questions. Asking WHY? would improve their accuracy.
They aren't objective because THEY looked at the information in a biased way...from THEIR perspective! They PROJECTED their own bias ONTO another person...this is why it is called "projection". People who project onto us are ACTUALLY telling us more about THEM than what they are learning about us.
"And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considereth not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." (Matthew 7:3-4)
People who point out problems in others are ACTUALLY telling us about them...they are experts at seeing the mote because they are familiar with their beam.
There are four types of sentences people can utter: statement, question, opinion, and conditional.
Statements are when a person claims something as fact. Example: "You are a hypocrite." If this statement is WRONG, then justice says the person who made the statement will be judged. Be careful when you make statements. Today's post deals with incorrect statements known as "projections". Projection brings judgment.
Questions are the safest. They are an attempt to gain information. We talked about asking WHY? yesterday. I have counseled people who want to say something mean (or make a projection) to somehow pushed it through a question. "Do you think saying you don't model and actually modeling is hypocritical?" This does A LOT less damage!
Opinions are personal...they are directed inward. "I feel like you are being hypocritical." This statement can't be wrong...THAT is how the person feels. EVERY response OUGHT to focus on the person expressing the opinion.
Conditional sentences are "IF/THEN". "If you say one thing and do the opposite, you are a hypocrite."
Notice that TRUTH can only be uttered with statements..."a fact that creates". The reason we want to make statements is that we want to speak truth...yet being incorrect brings judgment. Speaking incorrect, unprofitable ("idle) words is a cause for judgment.
"But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." (Matthew 12:36)
In the TRUTH post, we saw how the Bible says in the enemy there is no truth at all. The enemy doesn't speak truth. Look more closely at how the enemy speaks. In the Bible there are no examples of the enemy speaking opinion. Everything else is:
Statement - "Ye shall not surely die:" (Genesis 3:4)
Question - "Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" (Genesis 3:1)
Conditional - "If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread." (Matthew 4:3)
Even though a question and/or conditional statement can POINT to a truth, the sentence itself is not truth. Questions and conditional sentences are softer ways to talk to people WITHOUT judgment. You are not making a judgment with these types of sentences, so you are not opening yourself up to justice. Listen very carefully to what people say to you. If they say anything other than a statement and you take it as a statement...you have projected and judgment is on you.
I personally like to make statements and watch peoples' responses...they are telling me ABOUT THEM. For instance, the first sentence of "Modeling God" is: Imagine you are invited to a party where you will be able to participate in any sensual pleasure you desire for as long as you want." People have a problem with that sentence being in a book about God. Why?
"Sensual pleasures" are pleasures derived from the senses: hugging your grandkids, eating a great meal, watching TV, etc. What pleasures do we experience APART from our senses? The question was open. People who think this means something sexual (sensuous) are REALLY telling us ABOUT THEM!
There is another problem with projection other than just being judged for being wrong in the moment. Projection leads to an inability to predict the future correctly. This is the main conflict people inflict on themselves. This is also universal.
I don't intend to ruin TV shows and movies for you, but the majority of story plots revolve around this conflict.
PLOT MODEL: A guy projects incorrect causes on a woman. He then predicts what will happen next incorrectly...and hilarity ensues.
Again, this universal desire to project intentions on others is proof we all model and have the desire to model.
3. PREDICTION
The third proof people model is prediction...people constantly attempt to predict the future. Whether it is a wager with friends, pontificating on television, or saying, "I told you so", people are constantly trying to figure out WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT.
This is modeling!
Notice: The ability to predict future events depends on correctly identifying the CAUSES. This means, in order to predict the future you HAVE to understand the past.
Most people are too impatient. They do not take the time to accurately figure out the past. They don't take time to examine themselves and their past situations.
One of the biggest benefits to reading "Modeling God" is finding out who you ARE. When people find out who they ARE, they instantly understand why past events happened. This is because they have determined an accurate model. Who they ARE is a CAUSE and the observed EFFECTS (actions) now make sense.
You CANNOT predict the future if you don't have an accurate model for the past.
Some people think God accurately predicts the future because the future has already happened and God is Outside of Time. These people don't understand what makes God Right is that He has all the information AND He is objective...God knows the CAUSES.
God can accurately predict the future because He knows the CAUSES that brought about the past.
4. INTENTIONAL LIVING
The MAIN benefit of modeling is to be able to intentionally achieve desired EFFECTS. If you know the CAUSES, then you are able to achieve the desired EFFECTS. If you know the model, you are responsible for the results. People tell us how to get intentional results, especially when we are having problems. ANYONE who says "modeling" is wrong needs to stop asking WHY?, projecting on others, predicting the future, and being intentional...otherwise they are a hypocrite.
If they tell others God doesn't want us to model, they are in VERY dangerous territory!
One of the reasons the Bible has been given to us is to tell us the CAUSES so that we can intentionally achieve the desired EFFECTS. People who tell us God didn't want us to model Him or ourselves are saying God DIDN'T want us to understand Him or ourselves more!
In the Next Post, we will see what the CAUSES are...
Next Post
A lot of people have gotten hung up on the word "Modeling". They act like this is unnatural and something man is doing apart from God.
When these people say this, they are showing their ignorance and, possibly, their hypocrisy!
This week from Monday through Friday, I will be adding to this post. Each day I will show how we model EVERY DAY! In fact, I will challenge those who say this is a man-made command to STOP MODELING...that is, to stop doing the actions that help them model. Furthermore, I will show how God COMMANDS you to model AND He speaks to you in terms of modeling phrases.
(I don't mean to be hard on these people. Like the Pharisees, I don't believe it is bad that these people are wrong. I'm the FIRST to forgive people and FORGET their errors when they confess and repent. Once they admit they were wrong. It's not a coincidence that the people who are MOST critical of others are the ones who find it most difficult to say, "I am wrong." Unfortunately, most people don't learn even when they are confronted with the error of their ways. However, once these people are shown they are pursuing man-made traditions INSTEAD of God's Word, they have a critical and intentional decision to make: man-made tradition OR the Word of God? THAT is when people condemn themselves. Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathaea were Pharisees who chose to reject tradition and embrace Jesus' doctrine...so it is possible for us! After all, we begin as Pharisees because we are brought up and surrounded by tradition.)
What is a model?
Model-An explanation for observed effects
(Notice: A Worldview is a model. People who speak of "worldviews" are talking about models!)
Modeling at its core involves understanding CAUSES that result in observed EFFECTS.
The MAIN benefit of Modeling is that it gives you the ability to intentionally achieve desired EFFECTS.
One of the reasons God gave us His Word is to help us understand the CAUSES that lead to the EFFECTS God desires.
God wants you to UNDERSTAND. God wants you to be a modeler!
On Tuesday, we will see the first sign that we are ALL modelers.
THINKING
Before we go into this topic, I want to reiterate the difference between people and animals. Animals think. However, animals don't know that they think. Animals cannot be intentional with their thoughts. Animals can't daydream about their past. They can't imagine a future. Their brains NATURALLY work towards getting them their desires as quick as possible with NO THOUGHT to the Long Term.
People are ABLE to think LONG TERM. They are able to intentionally use their brain to think in ways that benefit them in the Long Term, however this requires doing the opposite of what they desire in the short term.
Animals and people who think short term do this by thinking comparatively, living with contradictions, focusing on EFFECTS, and pursuing comfort. This is fleshly thinking and occurs NATURALLY for animals and humans.
People who think Long Term do this by thinking contrastively, removing contradictions, focusing on CAUSES, and pursuing growth.
This is Long Term thinking. It is God's way of thinking. EVERYTHING about this way of thinking runs OPPOSITE to how humans think. The goal of "Modeling God" is to show you HOW to think like God according to the Bible.
The internet is allowing us to have MORE information. However, if we don't know HOW to think, we are going to agree with whatever reinforces our flawed beliefs.
How many pastors and teachers are teaching you HOW to think?
How many pastors and teachers are teaching you WHAT to think?
God, Jesus, and the Bible are different from EVERY OTHER religious book BECAUSE it teaches you HOW to think. Be careful with people who encourage you not to INTENTIONALLY think by telling you we can't know or aren't supposed to know. This is encouraging you to worship a God you can't describe...which is the definition of IDOLATRY.
God wants us to think.
God wants us to know and understand who He is...why have we let leaders demonize thinking?
1. ASKING WHY
The first way people act as modelers is when they ask "Why?". When people ask WHY?, they are trying to determine the CAUSE. This is good! The opposite of this is not asking because you want to believe it is a CAUSE that benefits you. EVERY TIME a person asks WHY?, they are PROVING they want to model. The Bible is written COMPLETELY from CAUSE to EFFECT. First of all, there are some very famous WHY's in the Bible:
"And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46)
"And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest, thou me?" (Acts 9:4)
John Piper preaches emotions as a CAUSE. He says: God tells us to have certain emotions, so we should just have them. ACTUALLY, the Bible realizes emotions are an EFFECT of a CAUSE:
"But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread?" (I Kings 21:5)
"Wherefore the kings said unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing else but sorrow of heart. Then I was very sore afraid." (Nehemiah 2:2)
"Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God." (Psalm 42:11)
The Bible does speak about things being "causeless", however this is actually translated as "without a JUST cause":
"I was a father to the poor: and the cause which I knew not I searched out." (Job 29:16)
"And they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings; and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord God." (Ezekiel 14:23)
"And David said, What have I now done? Is there not a cause?" (I Samuel 17:29)
Believing that things are causeless is believing in randomness. THAT is another way to show people are modelers. Next time someone asks you WHY? just tell them "no reason, it was random". Asking WHY implies there must be a reason:
"As the bird by wandering, as the swallow by flying, so the curse causeless shall not come." (Proverbs 26:2)
"And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to enquire of the Lord." (Genesis 25:22)
"And Joab answered, The Lord make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but my lord the king are they not all my lord's servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?" (I Chronicles 21:3)
The Bible (especially Proverbs) blatantly tells us there are CAUSES and the EFFECTS can be both good and bad:
"Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge." (Proverbs 19:27)
"The rich man is wise in his own conceit; but the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out." (Proverbs 28:10)
The causes can be overwhelming in quantity and/or not immediately obvious qualitatively. This has led people to fight for why we can't know or aren't supposed to know the causes. Yet, these same people will demand from others an acceptable answer to WHY? While this is hypocritical, this isn't the most damaging misapplication of modeling. We will see the most damaging misapplication of modeling tomorrow (Wednesday).
We can know the causes. We OUGHT to know the causes:
"Then called Esther for Hatach, one of the king's chamberlains, whom he had appointed to attend unto her, and gave him a commandment to Mordecai, to know what it was, and why it was." (Esther 4:5)
"I have heard the check of my reproach, and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer." (Job 20:3)
Let's summarize this with an example from Jesus:
"And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have taken no bread. Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have brought no bread? Do ye yet not understand neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up? How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees." (Matthew 16:5-12)
The disciples immediately REASONED among themselves in a short-term fashion. They were focused on fleshly concerns for their comfort. They were comparative. They were looking immediately at effects. They were living with a contradiction.
Jesus FIRST asks WHY?...He is focused on the CAUSE.
Jesus' question asks why they reasoned among themselves ABOUT the bread. Joyce Meyer changed the Bible to make the point that Jesus didn't want them to reason at all! (And no one seems to care that "Battlefield of the Mind" changes the Bible to encourage people NOT to think when the actual Biblical passage shows Jesus is focused on teaching HOW to think!) Jesus is ACTUALLY asking WHY they were comparative and REASONED about the wrong thing.
Jesus then points out the contradiction in their reasoning process. Why are they concerned about bread for 13 people when they personally saw Jesus feed thousands? Jesus even links this short-term thought process to a lack of faith.
Jesus is teaching the disciples HOW to think!
The disciples did think, but it was short-term.
Jesus takes them through the God-given principles to show them HOW to think Long Term like God.
Over the years, I have learned that MY first thoughts are fleshly. My immediate thoughts are concerned about comfort, proving my point, and living with contradictions...especially when I'm in a rush. The key is to take a moment and ask WHY? and then think the way Jesus taught the disciples.
2. PROJECTION
Have you ever had someone tell you what they believed were your intentions and/or thoughts? When someone does this to you as a statement of fact, this is called "projection". People do it ALL the time.
People see an action (EFFECT) from you and they model the causes...they determine in their mind your thoughts and intentions they believe resulted in the observed actions. More often than not, the model is wrong. When the model is wrong, it leads these people to wrong conclusions and wrong predictions in other areas.
The reasons the causes are incorrectly identified are the "modeler" doesn't have enough of the right information AND they aren't objective.
They don't have enough of the right information because they didn't ask questions. Asking WHY? would improve their accuracy.
They aren't objective because THEY looked at the information in a biased way...from THEIR perspective! They PROJECTED their own bias ONTO another person...this is why it is called "projection". People who project onto us are ACTUALLY telling us more about THEM than what they are learning about us.
"And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considereth not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." (Matthew 7:3-4)
People who point out problems in others are ACTUALLY telling us about them...they are experts at seeing the mote because they are familiar with their beam.
There are four types of sentences people can utter: statement, question, opinion, and conditional.
Statements are when a person claims something as fact. Example: "You are a hypocrite." If this statement is WRONG, then justice says the person who made the statement will be judged. Be careful when you make statements. Today's post deals with incorrect statements known as "projections". Projection brings judgment.
Questions are the safest. They are an attempt to gain information. We talked about asking WHY? yesterday. I have counseled people who want to say something mean (or make a projection) to somehow pushed it through a question. "Do you think saying you don't model and actually modeling is hypocritical?" This does A LOT less damage!
Opinions are personal...they are directed inward. "I feel like you are being hypocritical." This statement can't be wrong...THAT is how the person feels. EVERY response OUGHT to focus on the person expressing the opinion.
Conditional sentences are "IF/THEN". "If you say one thing and do the opposite, you are a hypocrite."
Notice that TRUTH can only be uttered with statements..."a fact that creates". The reason we want to make statements is that we want to speak truth...yet being incorrect brings judgment. Speaking incorrect, unprofitable ("idle) words is a cause for judgment.
"But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." (Matthew 12:36)
In the TRUTH post, we saw how the Bible says in the enemy there is no truth at all. The enemy doesn't speak truth. Look more closely at how the enemy speaks. In the Bible there are no examples of the enemy speaking opinion. Everything else is:
Statement - "Ye shall not surely die:" (Genesis 3:4)
Question - "Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" (Genesis 3:1)
Conditional - "If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread." (Matthew 4:3)
Even though a question and/or conditional statement can POINT to a truth, the sentence itself is not truth. Questions and conditional sentences are softer ways to talk to people WITHOUT judgment. You are not making a judgment with these types of sentences, so you are not opening yourself up to justice. Listen very carefully to what people say to you. If they say anything other than a statement and you take it as a statement...you have projected and judgment is on you.
I personally like to make statements and watch peoples' responses...they are telling me ABOUT THEM. For instance, the first sentence of "Modeling God" is: Imagine you are invited to a party where you will be able to participate in any sensual pleasure you desire for as long as you want." People have a problem with that sentence being in a book about God. Why?
"Sensual pleasures" are pleasures derived from the senses: hugging your grandkids, eating a great meal, watching TV, etc. What pleasures do we experience APART from our senses? The question was open. People who think this means something sexual (sensuous) are REALLY telling us ABOUT THEM!
There is another problem with projection other than just being judged for being wrong in the moment. Projection leads to an inability to predict the future correctly. This is the main conflict people inflict on themselves. This is also universal.
I don't intend to ruin TV shows and movies for you, but the majority of story plots revolve around this conflict.
PLOT MODEL: A guy projects incorrect causes on a woman. He then predicts what will happen next incorrectly...and hilarity ensues.
Again, this universal desire to project intentions on others is proof we all model and have the desire to model.
3. PREDICTION
The third proof people model is prediction...people constantly attempt to predict the future. Whether it is a wager with friends, pontificating on television, or saying, "I told you so", people are constantly trying to figure out WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT.
This is modeling!
Notice: The ability to predict future events depends on correctly identifying the CAUSES. This means, in order to predict the future you HAVE to understand the past.
Most people are too impatient. They do not take the time to accurately figure out the past. They don't take time to examine themselves and their past situations.
One of the biggest benefits to reading "Modeling God" is finding out who you ARE. When people find out who they ARE, they instantly understand why past events happened. This is because they have determined an accurate model. Who they ARE is a CAUSE and the observed EFFECTS (actions) now make sense.
You CANNOT predict the future if you don't have an accurate model for the past.
Some people think God accurately predicts the future because the future has already happened and God is Outside of Time. These people don't understand what makes God Right is that He has all the information AND He is objective...God knows the CAUSES.
God can accurately predict the future because He knows the CAUSES that brought about the past.
4. INTENTIONAL LIVING
The MAIN benefit of modeling is to be able to intentionally achieve desired EFFECTS. If you know the CAUSES, then you are able to achieve the desired EFFECTS. If you know the model, you are responsible for the results. People tell us how to get intentional results, especially when we are having problems. ANYONE who says "modeling" is wrong needs to stop asking WHY?, projecting on others, predicting the future, and being intentional...otherwise they are a hypocrite.
If they tell others God doesn't want us to model, they are in VERY dangerous territory!
One of the reasons the Bible has been given to us is to tell us the CAUSES so that we can intentionally achieve the desired EFFECTS. People who tell us God didn't want us to model Him or ourselves are saying God DIDN'T want us to understand Him or ourselves more!
In the Next Post, we will see what the CAUSES are...
Next Post
Monday, February 11, 2008
Love Implications
For this final week of the LOVE discussion we will look at some implications that aren't immediately obvious...
(Click on love to go to the first post in this series which gives the non-contradictory definition of love.)
For instance, it seems like everyone wants to be loved; however, if people love me it is either because:
1. They know they owe me and are trying to get back to even (JUST), or
2. They are focused on giving in order to build Long Term value through justice (RIGHT).
Either way, I gain a short-term value when people love me and lose a Long Term value.
People who are ONLY focused on being loved are really hoping for a short-term value and little to no Long Term value.
People who are ONLY focused on loving others are giving up a short-term value in hopes of receiving a Long Term value.
Our flesh WANTS short-term immediate value!
God WANTS us to focus on Long Term value!
Jesus focused ONLY on loving others and didn't get offended and equal out His own justice when people didn't love Him, because it was their loss and His gain.
PEOPLE vs. THINGS
We are supposed to love people and use things. This means that we are supposed to give a value to people and get a value from things. Many people get this quite confused when they focus on getting a value from people and give their time, energy, and focus to things.
Remember, LOVE is social and moral. It requires interacting with individuals and is focused on Long Term profitability. EVERY interaction results in an an exchange of value.
THE WHY OF LOVE
One of the analogies used by John Piper and other sovereignty people for God's love to us is a husband's love toward their wife. The analogy goes something like this: I buy my wife roses on our anniversary and say, "I love you". When my wife asks me why I love her and bought roses, what would she say if I said, "Because I have to."? I don't love my wife out of compulsion. Love is an emotion. I love her because...I love her. God also loves us because he loves us. Is that circular reasoning? Yes, but love is circular. And since God loves us for no reason, we can't lose our salvation.
I hope you can see how flawed that analogy is, but just to complete the thought, here are some key points.
A husband's love for his wife IS for a reason! Would John Piper love his wife and buy roses for her if she attacked him with a knife every Saturday morning?
We've seen that love is not an emotion when it used in the Bible. IF Piper believes it is an emotion and it is causeless, there are so many contradictions with that line of thinking, I'm more worried for Piper EVERY TIME he gets emotional for a cause.
The REAL flaw in the analogy is that the husband is NOT God to his wife.
The wife can initiate love back to the husband...we can not initiate love back to God without God.
From the I John 4 discussion, we saw that God FIRST loved us.
The ONLY reason we are able to love is because of God.
We also saw that our love OUGHT to be an effect of this love!
"Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another."
Finally, why would God NEED a reason to stop loving us IF He loved us in the first place for NO REASON?
Why would God loving us for no reason mean we can't lose our salvation?
This line of reasoning DOESN'T make me less worried...it makes me worried God could just as easily stop loving us for no reason.
I LOVE YOU
One of the implications of this discussion is, "WHY would Jesus or God the Father say, "I love you" to a human?" Does the Bible record God or Jesus saying, "I love you" TO a human?
For instance, Peter states "I love thee" TO Jesus:
"So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs." (John 21:15)
Jesus talks to others about God loving Him:
"Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again." (John 10:17)
(Notice, there is a REASON God loves Jesus!)
Jesus talks to others about loving God:
"But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do." (John 14:31)
Jesus talks about us loving Him:
"If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15)
About the closest we get is in Revelation where Jesus talks about how He relates to those He loves:
"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent." (Revelation 3:19)
Jesus also talks about how He WILL love those who love Him:
"He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." (John 14:21)
(Again, notice this is love for a REASON.)
LOVED is different than LOVE. To state to someone that you have LOVED them is to point out a value that has been given.
John points out that Jesus loved three people:
"Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus." (John 11:5)
Jesus states that He has LOVED us:
"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." (John 13:34)
Jesus states this also in connection with God having LOVED Him:
"As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love." (John 15:9)
Finally, the most famous verse talks about God having LOVED the world:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
People who state that God and/or Jesus have told them: "I love you" ought to be cautious.
It makes sense for God and Jesus to say, "I have loved you" BECAUSE they have. However, there is no Biblical basis for God or Jesus directly telling ANY human, "I love you." After all, what would it mean in a non-contradictory manner?
LOVE IN THE LAW?
One of the biggest questions people have with the Bible is: Why is God different in the Old Testament vs. the New Testament?
My first question is to ask: HOW is God different in the Old Testament vs. the New Testament?
The first example is the difference between the punishing nature of the Law (an eye for an eye) and the LOVE Jesus speaks of (love your enemy). When this question is posed, it ACTUALLY shows how little people know about the Law. Here are a few verses from the Law...notice anything?
"If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again." (Exodus 23:4)
"If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shall surely help with him." (Exodus 23:5)
"Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked." (Exodus 23:7)
"Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the Lord." (Leviticus 19:18)
So, from the Old Testament we see that God will NOT justify the wicked (justice will even everything out), we OUGHT to help our enemy, and we shalt love our NEIGHBOR as our self.
Notice that these verses are EXACTLY what Jesus quoted.
So, this ISN'T a question of whether Jesus contradicts the Law...He DOESN'T!
(If a pastor or theologian says Jesus contradicted the Law, they are PROVING they don't know their Bible as well as they thought! And now you know it more than them!)
This is REALLY a question of whether the Law contradicts itself!
The Old Testament Law was given to Israel.
It gave rules for two things: community and corporate worship.
The Law was talking to people WITHIN a community.
The goal was to equal out justice HERE, so that people of the same community wouldn't have to pay THERE (after this existence).
Notice, the verses most people quote about the Law (an eye for an eye) ONLY discuss how to HELP a person in community who has TAKEN a value. Equaling out justice NOW is actually best for ALL of us in the Long Term. Jesus told us not to owe any man...He ALSO wants ALL of us to willingly go through "judgment" NOW so that it will be easier for us in the Long Term.
Paul and Jesus are very adamant that the Law is good and doesn't contradict itself.
"For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." (Matthew 5:18)
"Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?" (John 7:16-19) This passage is referencing grace.
"What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet." (Romans 7:7)
"Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good." (Romans 7:11)
"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Romans 8:3-4)
"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth." (Romans 10:4)
"Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law." (Romans 13:8)
"Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." (Romans 13:10)
How can these verses be non-contradictory within the Law?
The ONLY explanation for the "punishment" verses of the Old Testament is that it was to HELP the neighbor (the person in community) to avoid judgment after this existence.
OTHERWISE, the Law would contradict itself!!!!!!
Now let's look at Jesus...
Jesus said ALL of that was just quoted. He told people to make sure they paid back what they owed so they wouldn't get judged.
But here is a KEY point that I made in the post on CULTS: The way to handle someone who has hurt you depends on whether they are in community or not!
Jesus said to love our enemies SO THAT God gives us a reward.
Basically we are to get Long Term rich off of our enemies.
Jesus said in Matthew 18 to CONFRONT your brother (believer...person in community) if they are wrong!
You will spend eternity with this person and you are trying to HELP them NOW so they don't have to pay THERE!
This is the same as the "punishment" verses!
FURTHERMORE: Notice, if the person won't even hear you, then you treat them like they are NOT in community. Again, the word is "hear", not "agree". If they hear and still don't agree, you let them go and let justice take over because they are making a willful decision.
Jesus ACTUALLY went one more step than the Law because the Law didn't deal with people outside of community.
The ACTUAL question is: How does Jesus relate to the Law?
Answer: He fulfilled the Law.
Ultimately, the question is: HOW did Jesus fulfill the Law?
Tomorrow, we will conclude this four week study on LOVE with a very important answer.
JESUS FULFILLED THE LAW
Jesus set His example to us WHILE He was living under the Law!
Before Jesus was crucified, He lived under the Law.
The examples people quote to us about how to be like Jesus ALL occur while He is living under the Law.
Paul is very adamant that the Law is NOT bad...it points out what is bad in us.
I also believe Jesus FULFILLED the Law...but WHAT does that mean?
For instance, I DON'T believe it means Jesus did everything the Law specifically stated to do.
(For example, I don't believe He stoned a witch.)
NOTICE: The Law is stated in terms of CAUSES and EFFECTS!
In order for Jesus to fulfill the EFFECTS, He had to do the CAUSES.
Jesus did ALL the CAUSES...and that would result in Him fulfilling ALL the Law (both CAUSES and EFFECTS).
What are the CAUSES?
"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great command. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matthew 22:37-40)
"Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." (Romans 13:10)
LOVE is the fulfilling of the Law...it is the CAUSE.
Jesus says ALL the law and the prophets hang on (are EFFECTS of) LOVING God and your neighbor!
We have seen that doing the first and great command OUGHT to be the CAUSE of doing the second command.
We have seen that we are unable to LOVE without God.
This means, we OUGHT to follow Jesus' example and the number one thing He did was let God work through Him (GRACE).
GRACE is the number one CAUSE of the Law.
"Then Jesus said unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him." (John 8:28-29)
Jesus did NOTHING of Himself...THAT was His secret...the CAUSE...grace.
The EFFECTS are that He loved everyone which is the end of the law...which fulfills the law.
SUMMARY
This four week discussion PROVES the importance of having a non-contradictory definition of LOVE.
The entire Law hangs on LOVE.
LOVE is the solution to the world's problems.
LOVE is the metric...it is the way to measure our actions and the actions of others.
I have taken a lot of abuse from people for writing "Modeling God".
I'm open to discussing ANYTHING and am available.
You would be amazed at the number of people who actively ignore parts of "Modeling God" in order to interpret one or two sentences out of context and then slander me.
What is truly mind boggling is the number of people who refuse to meet with (or write to) me AND publicly state incorrect conclusions about the book.
Jesus said we will be judged for EVERY idle and unprofitable word...
IS THIS LOVE?
Even if I was the enemy, Jesus said His followers would love their enemies.
NONE of us have an excuse for believing people who DON'T act in LOVE.
God doesn't care how popular or famous the leader is: There is NO excuse for NOT LOVING!
I feel bad for those who believe they are doing God's work AND are unwilling to demonstrate LOVE to me.
More often than not, these people do not have a definition for LOVE.
NONE of them have a non-contradictory definition for LOVE.
I hope you realize the supreme importance for being able to define LOVE in a non-contradictory manner.
"As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love." (John 15:9)
I hope you are now able to determine who is TRULY continuing In Jesus' love...
Next Post
(Click on love to go to the first post in this series which gives the non-contradictory definition of love.)
For instance, it seems like everyone wants to be loved; however, if people love me it is either because:
1. They know they owe me and are trying to get back to even (JUST), or
2. They are focused on giving in order to build Long Term value through justice (RIGHT).
Either way, I gain a short-term value when people love me and lose a Long Term value.
People who are ONLY focused on being loved are really hoping for a short-term value and little to no Long Term value.
People who are ONLY focused on loving others are giving up a short-term value in hopes of receiving a Long Term value.
Our flesh WANTS short-term immediate value!
God WANTS us to focus on Long Term value!
Jesus focused ONLY on loving others and didn't get offended and equal out His own justice when people didn't love Him, because it was their loss and His gain.
PEOPLE vs. THINGS
We are supposed to love people and use things. This means that we are supposed to give a value to people and get a value from things. Many people get this quite confused when they focus on getting a value from people and give their time, energy, and focus to things.
Remember, LOVE is social and moral. It requires interacting with individuals and is focused on Long Term profitability. EVERY interaction results in an an exchange of value.
THE WHY OF LOVE
One of the analogies used by John Piper and other sovereignty people for God's love to us is a husband's love toward their wife. The analogy goes something like this: I buy my wife roses on our anniversary and say, "I love you". When my wife asks me why I love her and bought roses, what would she say if I said, "Because I have to."? I don't love my wife out of compulsion. Love is an emotion. I love her because...I love her. God also loves us because he loves us. Is that circular reasoning? Yes, but love is circular. And since God loves us for no reason, we can't lose our salvation.
I hope you can see how flawed that analogy is, but just to complete the thought, here are some key points.
A husband's love for his wife IS for a reason! Would John Piper love his wife and buy roses for her if she attacked him with a knife every Saturday morning?
We've seen that love is not an emotion when it used in the Bible. IF Piper believes it is an emotion and it is causeless, there are so many contradictions with that line of thinking, I'm more worried for Piper EVERY TIME he gets emotional for a cause.
The REAL flaw in the analogy is that the husband is NOT God to his wife.
The wife can initiate love back to the husband...we can not initiate love back to God without God.
From the I John 4 discussion, we saw that God FIRST loved us.
The ONLY reason we are able to love is because of God.
We also saw that our love OUGHT to be an effect of this love!
"Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another."
Finally, why would God NEED a reason to stop loving us IF He loved us in the first place for NO REASON?
Why would God loving us for no reason mean we can't lose our salvation?
This line of reasoning DOESN'T make me less worried...it makes me worried God could just as easily stop loving us for no reason.
I LOVE YOU
One of the implications of this discussion is, "WHY would Jesus or God the Father say, "I love you" to a human?" Does the Bible record God or Jesus saying, "I love you" TO a human?
For instance, Peter states "I love thee" TO Jesus:
"So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs." (John 21:15)
Jesus talks to others about God loving Him:
"Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again." (John 10:17)
(Notice, there is a REASON God loves Jesus!)
Jesus talks to others about loving God:
"But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do." (John 14:31)
Jesus talks about us loving Him:
"If ye love me, keep my commandments." (John 14:15)
About the closest we get is in Revelation where Jesus talks about how He relates to those He loves:
"As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent." (Revelation 3:19)
Jesus also talks about how He WILL love those who love Him:
"He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." (John 14:21)
(Again, notice this is love for a REASON.)
LOVED is different than LOVE. To state to someone that you have LOVED them is to point out a value that has been given.
John points out that Jesus loved three people:
"Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus." (John 11:5)
Jesus states that He has LOVED us:
"A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." (John 13:34)
Jesus states this also in connection with God having LOVED Him:
"As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love." (John 15:9)
Finally, the most famous verse talks about God having LOVED the world:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
People who state that God and/or Jesus have told them: "I love you" ought to be cautious.
It makes sense for God and Jesus to say, "I have loved you" BECAUSE they have. However, there is no Biblical basis for God or Jesus directly telling ANY human, "I love you." After all, what would it mean in a non-contradictory manner?
LOVE IN THE LAW?
One of the biggest questions people have with the Bible is: Why is God different in the Old Testament vs. the New Testament?
My first question is to ask: HOW is God different in the Old Testament vs. the New Testament?
The first example is the difference between the punishing nature of the Law (an eye for an eye) and the LOVE Jesus speaks of (love your enemy). When this question is posed, it ACTUALLY shows how little people know about the Law. Here are a few verses from the Law...notice anything?
"If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again." (Exodus 23:4)
"If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shall surely help with him." (Exodus 23:5)
"Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked." (Exodus 23:7)
"Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the Lord." (Leviticus 19:18)
So, from the Old Testament we see that God will NOT justify the wicked (justice will even everything out), we OUGHT to help our enemy, and we shalt love our NEIGHBOR as our self.
Notice that these verses are EXACTLY what Jesus quoted.
So, this ISN'T a question of whether Jesus contradicts the Law...He DOESN'T!
(If a pastor or theologian says Jesus contradicted the Law, they are PROVING they don't know their Bible as well as they thought! And now you know it more than them!)
This is REALLY a question of whether the Law contradicts itself!
The Old Testament Law was given to Israel.
It gave rules for two things: community and corporate worship.
The Law was talking to people WITHIN a community.
The goal was to equal out justice HERE, so that people of the same community wouldn't have to pay THERE (after this existence).
Notice, the verses most people quote about the Law (an eye for an eye) ONLY discuss how to HELP a person in community who has TAKEN a value. Equaling out justice NOW is actually best for ALL of us in the Long Term. Jesus told us not to owe any man...He ALSO wants ALL of us to willingly go through "judgment" NOW so that it will be easier for us in the Long Term.
Paul and Jesus are very adamant that the Law is good and doesn't contradict itself.
"For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." (Matthew 5:18)
"Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?" (John 7:16-19) This passage is referencing grace.
"What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet." (Romans 7:7)
"Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good." (Romans 7:11)
"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." (Romans 8:3-4)
"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth." (Romans 10:4)
"Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law." (Romans 13:8)
"Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." (Romans 13:10)
How can these verses be non-contradictory within the Law?
The ONLY explanation for the "punishment" verses of the Old Testament is that it was to HELP the neighbor (the person in community) to avoid judgment after this existence.
OTHERWISE, the Law would contradict itself!!!!!!
Now let's look at Jesus...
Jesus said ALL of that was just quoted. He told people to make sure they paid back what they owed so they wouldn't get judged.
But here is a KEY point that I made in the post on CULTS: The way to handle someone who has hurt you depends on whether they are in community or not!
Jesus said to love our enemies SO THAT God gives us a reward.
Basically we are to get Long Term rich off of our enemies.
Jesus said in Matthew 18 to CONFRONT your brother (believer...person in community) if they are wrong!
You will spend eternity with this person and you are trying to HELP them NOW so they don't have to pay THERE!
This is the same as the "punishment" verses!
FURTHERMORE: Notice, if the person won't even hear you, then you treat them like they are NOT in community. Again, the word is "hear", not "agree". If they hear and still don't agree, you let them go and let justice take over because they are making a willful decision.
Jesus ACTUALLY went one more step than the Law because the Law didn't deal with people outside of community.
The ACTUAL question is: How does Jesus relate to the Law?
Answer: He fulfilled the Law.
Ultimately, the question is: HOW did Jesus fulfill the Law?
Tomorrow, we will conclude this four week study on LOVE with a very important answer.
JESUS FULFILLED THE LAW
Jesus set His example to us WHILE He was living under the Law!
Before Jesus was crucified, He lived under the Law.
The examples people quote to us about how to be like Jesus ALL occur while He is living under the Law.
Paul is very adamant that the Law is NOT bad...it points out what is bad in us.
I also believe Jesus FULFILLED the Law...but WHAT does that mean?
For instance, I DON'T believe it means Jesus did everything the Law specifically stated to do.
(For example, I don't believe He stoned a witch.)
NOTICE: The Law is stated in terms of CAUSES and EFFECTS!
In order for Jesus to fulfill the EFFECTS, He had to do the CAUSES.
Jesus did ALL the CAUSES...and that would result in Him fulfilling ALL the Law (both CAUSES and EFFECTS).
What are the CAUSES?
"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great command. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Matthew 22:37-40)
"Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law." (Romans 13:10)
LOVE is the fulfilling of the Law...it is the CAUSE.
Jesus says ALL the law and the prophets hang on (are EFFECTS of) LOVING God and your neighbor!
We have seen that doing the first and great command OUGHT to be the CAUSE of doing the second command.
We have seen that we are unable to LOVE without God.
This means, we OUGHT to follow Jesus' example and the number one thing He did was let God work through Him (GRACE).
GRACE is the number one CAUSE of the Law.
"Then Jesus said unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him." (John 8:28-29)
Jesus did NOTHING of Himself...THAT was His secret...the CAUSE...grace.
The EFFECTS are that He loved everyone which is the end of the law...which fulfills the law.
SUMMARY
This four week discussion PROVES the importance of having a non-contradictory definition of LOVE.
The entire Law hangs on LOVE.
LOVE is the solution to the world's problems.
LOVE is the metric...it is the way to measure our actions and the actions of others.
I have taken a lot of abuse from people for writing "Modeling God".
I'm open to discussing ANYTHING and am available.
You would be amazed at the number of people who actively ignore parts of "Modeling God" in order to interpret one or two sentences out of context and then slander me.
What is truly mind boggling is the number of people who refuse to meet with (or write to) me AND publicly state incorrect conclusions about the book.
Jesus said we will be judged for EVERY idle and unprofitable word...
IS THIS LOVE?
Even if I was the enemy, Jesus said His followers would love their enemies.
NONE of us have an excuse for believing people who DON'T act in LOVE.
God doesn't care how popular or famous the leader is: There is NO excuse for NOT LOVING!
I feel bad for those who believe they are doing God's work AND are unwilling to demonstrate LOVE to me.
More often than not, these people do not have a definition for LOVE.
NONE of them have a non-contradictory definition for LOVE.
I hope you realize the supreme importance for being able to define LOVE in a non-contradictory manner.
"As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love." (John 15:9)
I hope you are now able to determine who is TRULY continuing In Jesus' love...
Next Post
Monday, February 04, 2008
I Love You
What do you mean when you say "I love you"?
If you mean that YOU feel a certain way about someone OR you are telling them YOU give them value, then this is about YOU...this is boasting! Can the act of saying "I love you" NOT be LOVE? Clearly, the non-contradictory definition of "I love you" is something else.
Remember, love DOESN'T seek its own way.
The quickest way to determine if someone is exhibiting LOVE is to see who they are trying to justify. Is the person trying to justify themselves...prove themselves right...be contrastive on everyone else? This ISN'T love.
OR is the person trying to justify another...be contrastive on themselves...look for how the other person can be right? This is love.
We saw this last week with the verse from John about the Father "drawing" people.
We saw how the Calvinists interpret this verse.
I want to show them love...I will look for how they are right.
There are three possible ways the verse can go:
1. The Father draws ONLY the ones who end up in heaven.
2. The Father draws people who choose NOT to go to heaven.
3. The Father draws EVERYONE and people choose to go to heaven AND not to go to heaven.
The implications of #1 are that people CAN'T resist the drawing of the Father AND God is responsible for those who go to hell.
The implications of #2 are that people CAN resist the drawing of the Father AND God is responsible for some people who go to hell.
The implications of #3 are that people CAN resist the drawing of the Father AND God is NOT responsible for those who go to hell.
When someone is unable to identify ALL the possible options, they are PROVING they are focused on being right and are NOT acting in love like Jesus commanded us.
Personally, I actively reach out to people who have stated a position in order to identify and understand ALL the options before I reach a conclusion. Even if I thought the person was an enemy, Jesus Himself said to love your enemies. Failure to reach out is PROOF the person DOESN'T understand or live in love.
The people who have reached out with public and private comments to me have PROVEN their love...they are focused on understanding.
People who refuse to reach out to me, YET still draw conclusions AND communicate with others are ONLY focused on maintaining the FEELING they are right...this is comfort driven...this is the epitome of self-justification...this is not LOVE.
Tomorrow, we will cover the non-contradictory definition of "I love you"...
DEFINITION FOR "I LOVE YOU"
We saw there are two causes for LOVE...for giving a value and not expecting a return from that person. The two reasons are "Right" and "Just".
"Right" means you initiate the giving of a value in order to get a value back from God...not receiving from the person you are giving to because this is the right thing to do. The result is you are owed and Justice ensures you get what you are owed. Saying, "I love you" in this case would mean that you are pointing out you are owed...which would be boasting and, in effect, getting the value you are owed by drawing attention to yourself. Saying, "I love you" must apply to the other cause of LOVE.
The ONLY other reason you would LOVE is because of justice...because you are the debtor and you are trying to get back to even. So, LOVE is also the giving of a value and not expecting a return because you believe you owe...because you have already received a value. You are NOT initiating this exchange.
When a moral person says, "I love you," they are saying they recognize they owe a value. This is actually a humbling experience. This admission of being in debt makes the person vulnerable. This admission is made unilaterally and does not require anyone to say, "I love you" back.
In reality, this is not what most people mean. Otherwise, how can they get so offended at you so soon after saying they love you? This person experiences vulnerability because he or she wants you to respond in kind.
When most people say, "I love you," they are speaking of an emotion. The cause of confusion with the word LOVE comes from society's primary use of the word to describe an emotion. You can't control an emotion to the point of intentionally feeling a specific way all of the time. This LOVE cannot be intentional.
Tomorrow, we will see how it is possible for two people to say, "I love you" to each other...
ULTIMATE PROFITABILITY
There are two general ways to be profitable. The first way is through justice. If you give a value and don't expect a return, then justice will get you the EXACT quantity of value back that you gave. If a value is taken from you and you handle it well (suffering), then justice will get you the EXACT quantity of value back that was taken from you.
The other way to be profitable relies on uniqueness. If you value something differently than someone else, it is possible to exchange with that person and BOTH people are profitable. THIS IS AN AMAZING CONCEPT...take a moment to understand this COMPLETELY.
If I have something I value at $10 and you also value it at $10. If you give me $10 for the object, neither of us is profitable. However, if I value the object at $5 and you value it at $15, if you give me $10 for it we are BOTH profitable by $5!!!!!
The ONLY way for EVERYONE to be profitable is for people to exchange with others who value things differently!
We OUGHT to value "diversity" BECAUSE it is the ONLY way for EVERYONE to gain.
Today, you hear people say:
"We should value people IN SPITE of their diversity." OR
"We should value people who are different BECAUSE not valuing diversity is bad."
These people are PROVING the lack of understanding with these last two statements.
So, if I give you a value and don't expect a return...I am loving you. If you don't give me a value back, then I will be profitable through justice...I will get the EXACT value back through God. Your action defines you as my enemy...not my action! Notice, our response to God's love defines us as either an enemy or a friend...God is not to blame. God LOVES EVERYONE.
If you are moral, you will realize that you got a value and owe me. However, YOU determine what you owe back to me. You determine what you would have given in order to get the value I gave to you. Then you would return that value to me.
If that value is small, then I would return a small value back and this will eventually end. There is NOTHING immoral about this. We just aren't that profitable.
However, if you value what I initially gave you at a very high level because of your uniqueness, you are going to give a big value back. You may even be unable to give a value back that is equal in your eyes...but you will give a value all the same. If the value you give back is seen by me as something huge BECAUSE of my uniqueness, I will give you a big value back. I may even be unable to give a value back that is equal in my eyes.
Notice: This exchange could go on FOREVER if what each of us gives something that is seen as a greater value by the receiver.
Notice: Each of us may NEVER be able to get rid of the feeling that we owe the other because the value we are getting from each other is TREMENDOUS. We could BOTH say, "I love you" and mean it!
LOVE NEVER ENDS...LOVE NEVER FAILS.
Tomorrow, we will see how this type of LOVE is CENTRAL to the meaning of life.
LOVE GOES FOREVER
One of Paul's longest sentences contains an overview of eternity. I will put my comments in parentheses:
"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;"
(WHY did God do this?)
"For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:"
(Notice this is for the EDIFYING (profitability) of the body. How long will we need this?)
"Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:"
(Until we all together appear as a perfect person LIKE Christ! THAT is going to take a LONG time...this will occur in Heaven.)
"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive;"
(DOCTRINES are the building blocks of a belief system/worldview. The key to unity is getting doctrine right. Is our doctrine based on tradition or the Word of God? Our inability to be in unity is because WE have faulty doctrine...NOT because God wants us to be in disunity. God's doctrine is non-contradictory. Traditional doctrine can't be explained in a non-contradictory manner.)
"But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:"
(Paul is focused on the goal and one of the requirements is "speaking the truth in love".)
"From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." (Ephesians 4:11-16)
Some people say Western philosophy values the individual, while Eastern philosophy values the group.
The Bible values BOTH!
The Bible realizes it takes BOTH to have BOTH!
When every individual is doing their purpose to their fullest extent, then the whole body benefits. This long sentence ENDS with the conclusion of how the body makes INCREASE! The answer is LOVE.
When every part gives to every other part and doesn't expect ANYTHING back BECAUSE it is receiving much more than it can give (due to uniqueness), then it is LOVE and this can go on forever IF unique beings are exchanging in their uniqueness.
Does the current body of Christ ENCOURAGE uniqueness?
Does the current body of Christ try to hold everyone to the same EFFECTS and deny uniqueness?
Why do YOU think we aren't seeing God's Will come to pass on earth as it does in Heaven?
Obviously it is NOT God's fault...so it is our fault.
We are not loving each other.
Isn't it interesting that with ALL the problems in the world, there is a solution. There is a way for us to ALL get what we need...there is a way for ALL of us to be profitable...it is LOVE.
Giving a value and not expecting anything in return, whether you initiate it (Right) or do it in response to what you have been given (Just), is the ONLY way to exist for eternity!
ADULTS ONLY!!!!!
The most often quoted chapter about LOVE ends this way:
"Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." (I Corinthians 13:8-13)
Why? Because it NEVER fails...it will go on forever.
This passage ACTUALLY says the things that will cease are the "childish" things: prophecy, tongues, faith...
The perfect comes in when we get to Heaven.
In Heaven we won't need prophecy or hope...what will we hope for that we haven't received?
As for faith, we will see everything and we will be receiving so much value from each other, there won't be time to think about something that hasn't happened yet. There's no need for faith UNLESS you have a contradictory definition of FAITH.
The verse before the LOVE chapter introduces this chapter by stating: "...and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way."
LOVE is THE ADULT behavior.
LOVE is the behavior that goes against our flesh.
YOUR ability to demonstrate LOVE tells a lot about YOU!
Paul says the "childish" things WILL PASS AWAY.
The adult things WILL NOT PASS AWAY!
Looking way back to the passage that gave us our definition of LOVE (Luke 6:34), it can be read with even greater insight.
Jesus begins by saying to love our enemies.
Jesus says IF you love them which love you, what thank have ye?
Then Jesus says IF we love them which don't love us, then our reward shall be great and we will be the children of the Highest (We shall be like God, initiating the giving of a value and not expecting a return).
Notice, loving your friends DOESN'T mean you may still not owe OR you won't get ANY reward. Jesus is pointing out to people who lived under the Law (which denied uniqueness) they would have less reward than what they would have through God if they gave to their enemies. Jesus did this by asking a question.
The KEY is that when you LOVE (give first and don't expect a return) you are not in control of whether the person gives back. However, this passage from Luke 6:27-35 says that if they don't give back, THEY are stating they are your enemy. If they do give back, THEY are stating they are not your enemy. God says this passage will give you His perspective by being a child of the Highest.
Likewise, how people respond to God's LOVE is THEIR statement whether they are an enemy of God or not.
God LOVES everyone.
LOVE is the most excellent way...but it is ONLY for adults in the faith.
It is the individual's fault if they don't respond as a friend to God and end up in Heaven.
Notice, God gives us access RIGHT NOW to one adult quality that will last forever!
God CAN'T be wrong and/or unjust BECAUSE He has provided everything and our only responsibility is to choose to humble our flesh and let Him work through us in GRACE. This ability is NOTHING to brag about...humbling yourself is the opposite of bragging. Love DOESN'T boast.
Those who think that God allowing the individual the ability to choose salvation THEN gives the individual reason to brag DON'T UNDERSTAND SALVATION AND LOVE!!!!
Ask people what their definition is for LOVE and I LOVE YOU...it will tell you a lot about their worldview...it will show you their contradictions.
In fact, next week we will wrap up this discussion about LOVE with some very interesting implications resulting from these definitions that quickly point out the contradictions in the worldviews of people who can't give non-contradictory definitions.
Love Applications
If you mean that YOU feel a certain way about someone OR you are telling them YOU give them value, then this is about YOU...this is boasting! Can the act of saying "I love you" NOT be LOVE? Clearly, the non-contradictory definition of "I love you" is something else.
Remember, love DOESN'T seek its own way.
The quickest way to determine if someone is exhibiting LOVE is to see who they are trying to justify. Is the person trying to justify themselves...prove themselves right...be contrastive on everyone else? This ISN'T love.
OR is the person trying to justify another...be contrastive on themselves...look for how the other person can be right? This is love.
We saw this last week with the verse from John about the Father "drawing" people.
We saw how the Calvinists interpret this verse.
I want to show them love...I will look for how they are right.
There are three possible ways the verse can go:
1. The Father draws ONLY the ones who end up in heaven.
2. The Father draws people who choose NOT to go to heaven.
3. The Father draws EVERYONE and people choose to go to heaven AND not to go to heaven.
The implications of #1 are that people CAN'T resist the drawing of the Father AND God is responsible for those who go to hell.
The implications of #2 are that people CAN resist the drawing of the Father AND God is responsible for some people who go to hell.
The implications of #3 are that people CAN resist the drawing of the Father AND God is NOT responsible for those who go to hell.
When someone is unable to identify ALL the possible options, they are PROVING they are focused on being right and are NOT acting in love like Jesus commanded us.
Personally, I actively reach out to people who have stated a position in order to identify and understand ALL the options before I reach a conclusion. Even if I thought the person was an enemy, Jesus Himself said to love your enemies. Failure to reach out is PROOF the person DOESN'T understand or live in love.
The people who have reached out with public and private comments to me have PROVEN their love...they are focused on understanding.
People who refuse to reach out to me, YET still draw conclusions AND communicate with others are ONLY focused on maintaining the FEELING they are right...this is comfort driven...this is the epitome of self-justification...this is not LOVE.
Tomorrow, we will cover the non-contradictory definition of "I love you"...
DEFINITION FOR "I LOVE YOU"
We saw there are two causes for LOVE...for giving a value and not expecting a return from that person. The two reasons are "Right" and "Just".
"Right" means you initiate the giving of a value in order to get a value back from God...not receiving from the person you are giving to because this is the right thing to do. The result is you are owed and Justice ensures you get what you are owed. Saying, "I love you" in this case would mean that you are pointing out you are owed...which would be boasting and, in effect, getting the value you are owed by drawing attention to yourself. Saying, "I love you" must apply to the other cause of LOVE.
The ONLY other reason you would LOVE is because of justice...because you are the debtor and you are trying to get back to even. So, LOVE is also the giving of a value and not expecting a return because you believe you owe...because you have already received a value. You are NOT initiating this exchange.
When a moral person says, "I love you," they are saying they recognize they owe a value. This is actually a humbling experience. This admission of being in debt makes the person vulnerable. This admission is made unilaterally and does not require anyone to say, "I love you" back.
In reality, this is not what most people mean. Otherwise, how can they get so offended at you so soon after saying they love you? This person experiences vulnerability because he or she wants you to respond in kind.
When most people say, "I love you," they are speaking of an emotion. The cause of confusion with the word LOVE comes from society's primary use of the word to describe an emotion. You can't control an emotion to the point of intentionally feeling a specific way all of the time. This LOVE cannot be intentional.
Tomorrow, we will see how it is possible for two people to say, "I love you" to each other...
ULTIMATE PROFITABILITY
There are two general ways to be profitable. The first way is through justice. If you give a value and don't expect a return, then justice will get you the EXACT quantity of value back that you gave. If a value is taken from you and you handle it well (suffering), then justice will get you the EXACT quantity of value back that was taken from you.
The other way to be profitable relies on uniqueness. If you value something differently than someone else, it is possible to exchange with that person and BOTH people are profitable. THIS IS AN AMAZING CONCEPT...take a moment to understand this COMPLETELY.
If I have something I value at $10 and you also value it at $10. If you give me $10 for the object, neither of us is profitable. However, if I value the object at $5 and you value it at $15, if you give me $10 for it we are BOTH profitable by $5!!!!!
The ONLY way for EVERYONE to be profitable is for people to exchange with others who value things differently!
We OUGHT to value "diversity" BECAUSE it is the ONLY way for EVERYONE to gain.
Today, you hear people say:
"We should value people IN SPITE of their diversity." OR
"We should value people who are different BECAUSE not valuing diversity is bad."
These people are PROVING the lack of understanding with these last two statements.
So, if I give you a value and don't expect a return...I am loving you. If you don't give me a value back, then I will be profitable through justice...I will get the EXACT value back through God. Your action defines you as my enemy...not my action! Notice, our response to God's love defines us as either an enemy or a friend...God is not to blame. God LOVES EVERYONE.
If you are moral, you will realize that you got a value and owe me. However, YOU determine what you owe back to me. You determine what you would have given in order to get the value I gave to you. Then you would return that value to me.
If that value is small, then I would return a small value back and this will eventually end. There is NOTHING immoral about this. We just aren't that profitable.
However, if you value what I initially gave you at a very high level because of your uniqueness, you are going to give a big value back. You may even be unable to give a value back that is equal in your eyes...but you will give a value all the same. If the value you give back is seen by me as something huge BECAUSE of my uniqueness, I will give you a big value back. I may even be unable to give a value back that is equal in my eyes.
Notice: This exchange could go on FOREVER if what each of us gives something that is seen as a greater value by the receiver.
Notice: Each of us may NEVER be able to get rid of the feeling that we owe the other because the value we are getting from each other is TREMENDOUS. We could BOTH say, "I love you" and mean it!
LOVE NEVER ENDS...LOVE NEVER FAILS.
Tomorrow, we will see how this type of LOVE is CENTRAL to the meaning of life.
LOVE GOES FOREVER
One of Paul's longest sentences contains an overview of eternity. I will put my comments in parentheses:
"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;"
(WHY did God do this?)
"For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:"
(Notice this is for the EDIFYING (profitability) of the body. How long will we need this?)
"Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:"
(Until we all together appear as a perfect person LIKE Christ! THAT is going to take a LONG time...this will occur in Heaven.)
"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive;"
(DOCTRINES are the building blocks of a belief system/worldview. The key to unity is getting doctrine right. Is our doctrine based on tradition or the Word of God? Our inability to be in unity is because WE have faulty doctrine...NOT because God wants us to be in disunity. God's doctrine is non-contradictory. Traditional doctrine can't be explained in a non-contradictory manner.)
"But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:"
(Paul is focused on the goal and one of the requirements is "speaking the truth in love".)
"From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." (Ephesians 4:11-16)
Some people say Western philosophy values the individual, while Eastern philosophy values the group.
The Bible values BOTH!
The Bible realizes it takes BOTH to have BOTH!
When every individual is doing their purpose to their fullest extent, then the whole body benefits. This long sentence ENDS with the conclusion of how the body makes INCREASE! The answer is LOVE.
When every part gives to every other part and doesn't expect ANYTHING back BECAUSE it is receiving much more than it can give (due to uniqueness), then it is LOVE and this can go on forever IF unique beings are exchanging in their uniqueness.
Does the current body of Christ ENCOURAGE uniqueness?
Does the current body of Christ try to hold everyone to the same EFFECTS and deny uniqueness?
Why do YOU think we aren't seeing God's Will come to pass on earth as it does in Heaven?
Obviously it is NOT God's fault...so it is our fault.
We are not loving each other.
Isn't it interesting that with ALL the problems in the world, there is a solution. There is a way for us to ALL get what we need...there is a way for ALL of us to be profitable...it is LOVE.
Giving a value and not expecting anything in return, whether you initiate it (Right) or do it in response to what you have been given (Just), is the ONLY way to exist for eternity!
ADULTS ONLY!!!!!
The most often quoted chapter about LOVE ends this way:
"Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." (I Corinthians 13:8-13)
Why? Because it NEVER fails...it will go on forever.
This passage ACTUALLY says the things that will cease are the "childish" things: prophecy, tongues, faith...
The perfect comes in when we get to Heaven.
In Heaven we won't need prophecy or hope...what will we hope for that we haven't received?
As for faith, we will see everything and we will be receiving so much value from each other, there won't be time to think about something that hasn't happened yet. There's no need for faith UNLESS you have a contradictory definition of FAITH.
The verse before the LOVE chapter introduces this chapter by stating: "...and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way."
LOVE is THE ADULT behavior.
LOVE is the behavior that goes against our flesh.
YOUR ability to demonstrate LOVE tells a lot about YOU!
Paul says the "childish" things WILL PASS AWAY.
The adult things WILL NOT PASS AWAY!
Looking way back to the passage that gave us our definition of LOVE (Luke 6:34), it can be read with even greater insight.
Jesus begins by saying to love our enemies.
Jesus says IF you love them which love you, what thank have ye?
Then Jesus says IF we love them which don't love us, then our reward shall be great and we will be the children of the Highest (We shall be like God, initiating the giving of a value and not expecting a return).
Notice, loving your friends DOESN'T mean you may still not owe OR you won't get ANY reward. Jesus is pointing out to people who lived under the Law (which denied uniqueness) they would have less reward than what they would have through God if they gave to their enemies. Jesus did this by asking a question.
The KEY is that when you LOVE (give first and don't expect a return) you are not in control of whether the person gives back. However, this passage from Luke 6:27-35 says that if they don't give back, THEY are stating they are your enemy. If they do give back, THEY are stating they are not your enemy. God says this passage will give you His perspective by being a child of the Highest.
Likewise, how people respond to God's LOVE is THEIR statement whether they are an enemy of God or not.
God LOVES everyone.
LOVE is the most excellent way...but it is ONLY for adults in the faith.
It is the individual's fault if they don't respond as a friend to God and end up in Heaven.
Notice, God gives us access RIGHT NOW to one adult quality that will last forever!
God CAN'T be wrong and/or unjust BECAUSE He has provided everything and our only responsibility is to choose to humble our flesh and let Him work through us in GRACE. This ability is NOTHING to brag about...humbling yourself is the opposite of bragging. Love DOESN'T boast.
Those who think that God allowing the individual the ability to choose salvation THEN gives the individual reason to brag DON'T UNDERSTAND SALVATION AND LOVE!!!!
Ask people what their definition is for LOVE and I LOVE YOU...it will tell you a lot about their worldview...it will show you their contradictions.
In fact, next week we will wrap up this discussion about LOVE with some very interesting implications resulting from these definitions that quickly point out the contradictions in the worldviews of people who can't give non-contradictory definitions.
Love Applications
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