Tidbits

[Barry]

The ego involved in the construction of a "our sin is greater than God's will" paradigm has no glorification of God within it.

"god" then becomes a construct (a spirit) of our own ego image ("believe not every spirit") with a view of self (independent ego) glorification.

This is the point. We need our sin as we need to self define.
Make an end of transgressions and the power to self define is taken away.

Put away sin and the independent ego has no tools to construct in his own image his own "god" out of.

Take away sin and you must learn to love. For then there is nothing else to construct a paradigm out of.

Take away sin and "evil" loses it's attraction. When the inner soul is satisfied it needs no further validation ("lust").

This is why so many "believers" speak of others doing "evil" things but yet with the hidden inner feeling of desiring to be able to do some of those things that they so boldly condemn. An attempt to condemn their own inner feelings to hate in others what one hates in one's self.

The benefits of belief are then circumvented.
The benefits of fulfillment are then circumvented.

And so "belief" becomes the new "work" one does to save one's self instead of belief being the tool of God to heal us from ourselves.

Barry

[Paige]

Wow, Barry. I'll be thinking about this a lot, as your points are very profound, IMO.

[davo]

And so "belief" becomes the new "work" one does to save one's self instead of belief being the tool of God to heal us from ourselves.Never a truer word spoken Barry – absolutely true.

"Belief in Christ" IS a "work" – it is a righteous and powerful work, but a work nonetheless; and we know that any "work" can be made to become a "qualifying law" unto itself. Jesus said: "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." Jn 6:29. Some try to explain this away along party lines by saying this "work of God" means the predestined machinations of God, but one just has to read the context of the preceding verse to see that that is a total fabrication.

Belief is powerful in that belief "establishes" and brings "assurance" in relation to that wherein we place our trust – now ultimately, ONLY faith in Christ is that which will bring true peace, the fruit of believing – for every "believing" bears its fruit – toxic believing bears toxic fruit or righteous believing bears righteous fruit.

So believing, which is usually reflected in one's "confessing" brings a salvation in life, a salvation that is about finding the stability and assurance of life, this life in Christ. Or as Jehoshaphat and Isaiah said:

2Chron 20:20 …[b]Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established…

Isa 7:9 …If you will not believe, surely you shall not be established.