Bad/Evil thoughts and the devil's influence.

[HappySoul]

We all have evil thoughts from time to time, but where do they come from? Do they come from sin itself which we are all vulnerable to? I know there's a story in the bible where God allowed Satan to overhear a conversation he had with Job because the devil can't hear our thoughts. If the devil can't hear our thoughts, why do we think such bad thoughts when they seem to come out of nowhere? Even when these thoughts are no more than just thoughts and not actual feelings. For instance if someone had a thought of harming another, but knows in their heart that they would never do such a thing, why do they even enter our minds? It's far different if you have a thought of harming someone and actually have a feeling you might want to do it. That's when thoughts become feelings and dangerously real. I just don't understand bad thoughts when they're not wanted. Can someone help me with this. thanks.

 

[paganmystic]

We can start by saying that we are carnal, that is to say we are of flesh and have desires that pertain to the flesh, and unpure. Jesus told us that when we sin, we sin in thought, word and deed. That is also being human.

Since the beginning, Adam & Eve made the conscience choice to know good and evil rather than eteral life in the Garden of Eden. Having given us the ability to choose God the Father left us with the ability to choose him through our Lord and Saviour vs our earthly values and riches. As a result we have the thoughts of the flesh that yes, includes lust, greed, selfishness and even thoughts of visiting harm on others. As long as, we pray in repentance for such thoughts Jesus through the Spirit will release us from them, but as long as we have choice those thoughts will always be an option for us.

Yes, these thoughts are based in evil, simply because again doing evil is as much one of our choices as doing good. I hope this helps. As for being a Christian with our lifestyle set to live as the Gospel outlines our choices are simple, based on compassion and love our choices will usually be good. We also have the extra resources via the Spirit to guide us.

Be warned though, because we cannot dictate the beliefs of our family and friends we can accept Satan's influence through them. Going along with them, many become lost as a result of these diversions but our redemption is also assured by praying in repentance to the Lord, a sincere heart, will always be a good heart, more over if those transgressions were against others we need to make apologies for them, and even in this day and age a sincere apology is still held in good faith, these things we are able to discern if we are one with the Spirit.

Thank you very much HappySoul. This topic needs to be addressed by everyone who calls them self a Christian. It gives us a sense of priority with our thoughts and our faith.

 

[Iceman]

Interestingly enough the Bible doesn't tell us the source of evil.
Certainly we have the knowledge of good and evil story with adam and eve. But that's not where evil comes from is it? That's just knowledge of it.

Fortunately even though the Bible is ultimately silent on where evil comes from, it has a lot to say about dealing with evil.

Struggling with evil is a completely natural part of life. The Psalmist frequently cries out to God at how hard, unjust and wrong life can be at times.

This goes to show how faith is not purely emotive. It is not just the feeling you get, but also the concious choices you make, and your conviction of truth.

Every human person struggles with their dark side. Some wonderful insights to humanity are Levinas and Buber. Both Nazi prisoners who despite all the darkness around them, chose to struggle to be in the light.

Dealing with evil is a choice and a struggle to be sure, but that doesn't mean demonise it and make it into more than it is.

 

[Davy]

To Paganmystic:

I agree with you that by fare, the vast majority of wicked thoughts that pop inside our head come from our sinful fallen nature, and what we choose to fill our minds with, and also the influence of those around us. But it is interesting to note, the Bible does show, Satan can plant wicked thoughts and desires into our mind and hearts. The account of Ananias and his wife Sapphira in Acts 5:1-5, (NLT): "There was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest. Then Peter said, "Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself." This clearly shows Satan can be instrumental in planting wicked thoughts and desires.

With this in mind, it is vital to learn to love righteousness and strive to dismiss wicked thoughts. Like the old saying: You cannot stop a bird from landing on your head, but you can stop it from nesting there. Satan did not make Ananias and Sapphira sin against God, they could have chosen to reject such thoughts and desires as soon as they came into their mind and heart. Perhaps that is why Satan was so successful with them, because they liked those thoughts and desires, the public adoration and being the center of attention that they hoped their gift would bring them. Satan has had plenty of time to learn how to use our own sinful desires against us.

 

[paganmystic]

Thank you Davy ... blessed you are.

Thank goodness for our prayers to lift these evil things to the Lord. Many of my friends have found new strength in their faith understanding this. When we raise these issues in prayer, to the Lord he does remove them.. then the Spirit, which we have or should have in us gives us the Knowledge Jesus left for us to learn on those particular ways. After praying if we open the Bible we will open to what we need to know to further protect ourselves and place the words we need in our heart when we discuss these issues with others... in effect teaching them as well. Otherwise known as witnessing to the Lord.

Your brother in Christ

 

[spirit1st]

demons speak to everyone in there mind! The battle field is our flesh mind !

Jesus also speaks to our minds!

We can rebuke the demons and tell them to get going and take there dumb thoughts with them, in the name of JESUS CHRIST ! They must go , but they will try again!

We must fill our mind with GODS LIVING WORDS!

And try our best to protect our minds from evil stuff!
music and movies and T.V. and others who talk evil!

 

[El Hombre viejo]

Interestingly enough the Bible doesn't tell us the source of evil.
Certainly we have the knowledge of good and evil story with adam and eve. But that's not where evil comes from is it? That's just knowledge of it.

Fortunately even though the Bible is ultimately silent on where evil comes from, it has a lot to say about dealing with evil.

Struggling with evil is a completely natural part of life. The Psalmist frequently cries out to God at how hard, unjust and wrong life can be at times.

This goes to show how faith is not purely emotive. It is not just the feeling you get, but also the concious choices you make, and your conviction of truth.

Every human person struggles with their dark side. Some wonderful insights to humanity are Levinas and Buber. Both Nazi prisoners who despite all the darkness around them, chose to struggle to be in the light.

Dealing with evil is a choice and a struggle to be sure, but that doesn't mean demonise it and make it into more than it is.

Iceman....Since all good things come from above, doesn't it follow that all evil things come from the evil one?

James 1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
God is Life, Love, Healing, Prosperity, Blessing, Salvation etc. All good things.
Who invented sin. The first sin was pride. Who invented it? He is the source of evil. Read the Bible and you'll see it. It is there.

1. Matthew 13:19
   When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
   http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+13:18-20&version=KJV
   
2. Matthew 13:38
   The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;
   http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+13:37-39&version=KJV
   
3. 1 John 2:13
   I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.
   http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1 John+2:12-14&version=KJV
4. 1 John 2:14
   I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.
   1 John 2:13-15 (in Context) 1 John 2 (Whole Chapter)
5. 1 John 3:12
   Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.
   http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1 John+3:11-13&version=KJV
6. 1 John 5:18
   We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
   http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1 John+5:17-19&version=KJV

 

[El Hombre viejo]

demons speak to everyone in there mind! The battle field is our flesh mind !

Jesus also speaks to our minds!

We can rebuke the demons and tell them to get going and take there dumb thoughts with them, in the name of JESUS CHRIST ! They must go , but they will try again!

We must fill our mind with GODS LIVING WORDS!

And try our best to protect our minds from evil stuff!
music and movies and T.V. and others who talk evil!

Good stuff spirit1st And Jesus said "Take no thought (put into you ears by those demons) saying".... Instead tell them where to go.
I love to see this kind of talk my friend

 

[Iceman]

There is a video on youtube I would love to link you to.

I am however not yet able to post links.

If you go to youtube however and search for "Wright, Evil" You should get a video of NT Wright and Keith Ward talking about the problem of evil.

Iceman....Since all good things come from above, doesn't it follow that all evil things come from the evil one?

No I don't believe it does follow. I think there is a fundamental flaw there.

Take for granted that the Evil one is the source of evil in our reality. Where does the evil one come from? If he has come from God, and is evil, then God must be the source of evil. This cannot be true as God is good. Secondly if God did not create the evil one, but he exists then he must be equal to God. This is evidenced by the fact that evil still exists. This cannot be true because God by Christian definition is greater.

The alternative is that he suddenly became evil. This is plausible at a first glance. But if he suddenly became evil, 1) did evil exist prior to his turning? (that is, if he knew about evil to be able to turn evil, then it must have existed for him to know about it prior to being evil.) 2) why hasn't God dealt with him? Is God unable, or unwilling to deal with evil? 3) Does this make him equal to God?

This sort of resembles the modern problem of evil. That is:

1. God exists.
2. God is omnipotent, omniscient, and perfectly good.
3. A perfectly good being would want to prevent all evils.
4. An omniscient being knows every way in which evils can come into existence.
5. An omnipotent being, who knows every way in which an evil can come into existence, has the power to prevent that evil from coming into existence.
6. A being who knows every way in which an evil can come into existence, who is able to prevent that evil from coming into existence, and who wants to do so, would prevent the existence of that evil.
7. If there exists an omnipotent, omniscient, and perfectly good being, then no evil exists.
8. Evil exists (logical contradiction).

Even the modern definition of the problem of evil I feel is lacking to truly be able to define what the problem really is.

No there are some issues that need to be worked out. Satan is the tempter. A deciever. Not a deity capable of feats like God. So therefore God and the Devil are not at opposite ends fighting over earth.

Also Sin is not the same as evil. Sin is a human failing, and cannot explain non-human evil (whether it be demonic, natural or other). It cannot even explain all human evil. Even Paul's Sin as a principality and power cannot explain how it is that evil exists. All we can really every say I think is that God is the answer to evil. Jesus is the answer to evil.

Evil is an immense topic and even trying to deal with it here I feel like I am not doing it justice. I feel like I don't have the words to be able to express even the fundamental problem. I don't think any one person is capable of coming up with a satisfactory definition or solution to the problem. Especially on a medium like the internet.

However, to the origional topic. Saying that humans aren't responsible for evil thoughts is nothing but a cop out. A way of not taking responsibility for our darker side. Is that not the very definition of pride? To think that we are not at fault?

No, all humans are capable of darkness without demonic aid. We all struggle with the darker side of our humanity. Often trying to fight it causes those thoughts to grow even stronger. One of the best methods I know for combating my own evil is to go "Yes I am capable of that evil, but I choose not to be like that."

 

[jiggyfly]

Interestingly enough the Bible doesn't tell us the source of evil.
Certainly we have the knowledge of good and evil story with adam and eve. But that's not where evil comes from is it? That's just knowledge of it.

Fortunately even though the Bible is ultimately silent on where evil comes from, it has a lot to say about dealing with evil.

Struggling with evil is a completely natural part of life. The Psalmist frequently cries out to God at how hard, unjust and wrong life can be at times.

This goes to show how faith is not purely emotive. It is not just the feeling you get, but also the concious choices you make, and your conviction of truth.

Every human person struggles with their dark side. Some wonderful insights to humanity are Levinas and Buber. Both Nazi prisoners who despite all the darkness around them, chose to struggle to be in the light.

Dealing with evil is a choice and a struggle to be sure, but that doesn't mean demonise it and make it into more than it is.

Don't the scriptures declare that God created everything?

 

[paganmystic]

jiggyfly is right. God created everything. So many people choose to over complicated such fundimental bottom line truths, what I am not sure about is, if that is our own insecurities or not, but does re-enforce the fundimental truth, not only about evil and sin and good. Adam refused to accept his responsibility in a decision he made. That refusal first lead him to blame Eve, then to blame God for a choice he had made, to the point of being obnoxious about it.

We know God is all knowing and omni-potent, we also know that God created the Archangel Lucifer, who would rebel against his authority. God could have made Lucifer simply not exist. He didn't. That set up the greatest gift, and torment we have always had. Adam and Eve chose to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil rather than the Tree of Life.

The freedom of choice must have been a tough one for God. But it doesn't remove the fact that we do have the freedom of choice and with it comes blessings and regret. We have to understand the same, all people have always understood and why this gift is so precious. We have to choose God of our own free will. If God would have just simply cancelled Lucifer he would have cancelled our choice.

There is an old expression that has not lost any of its potency, If you love something let it go; if it comes back it is yours if it doesn't it never was. It set up the story of The Prodigal Son and that same story Jesus also incorporated into the N.T.

Simply stated God wants us to choose him, we can't do it honestly and freely if he stacked the deck against evil. That is why every choice we make has a down side, when we make an "oops" we have redemption through repentance, read the Lord's Prayer, it does set all that up for us. Clearly. We have build in intercessions in the prayer, to both seek redemption and to bless those around us, we have a part to seek help as well as to seek help for others. We have a section in it to thank God for what we have, and to pray for guidance for things we are not sure about.

May you all be blessed in all you do ... your brother in Christ.

 

[El Hombre viejo]

There is a video on youtube I would love to link you to.

I am however not yet able to post links.

If you go to youtube however and search for "Wright, Evil" You should get a video of NT Wright and Keith Ward talking about the problem of evil.

No I don't believe it does follow. I think there is a fundamental flaw there.

Take for granted that the Evil one is the source of evil in our reality. Where does the evil one come from? If he has come from God, and is evil, then God must be the source of evil. This cannot be true as God is good. Secondly if God did not create the evil one, but he exists then he must be equal to God. This is evidenced by the fact that evil still exists. This cannot be true because God by Christian definition is greater.

The alternative is that he suddenly became evil. This is plausible at a first glance. But if he suddenly became evil, 1) did evil exist prior to his turning? (that is, if he knew about evil to be able to turn evil, then it must have existed for him to know about it prior to being evil.) 2) why hasn't God dealt with him? Is God unable, or unwilling to deal with evil? 3) Does this make him equal to God?

This sort of resembles the modern problem of evil. That is:

1. God exists.
2. God is omnipotent, omniscient, and perfectly good.
3. A perfectly good being would want to prevent all evils.
4. An omniscient being knows every way in which evils can come into existence.
5. An omnipotent being, who knows every way in which an evil can come into existence, has the power to prevent that evil from coming into existence.
6. A being who knows every way in which an evil can come into existence, who is able to prevent that evil from coming into existence, and who wants to do so, would prevent the existence of that evil.
7. If there exists an omnipotent, omniscient, and perfectly good being, then no evil exists.
8. Evil exists (logical contradiction).

Even the modern definition of the problem of evil I feel is lacking to truly be able to define what the problem really is.

No there are some issues that need to be worked out. Satan is the tempter. A deciever. Not a deity capable of feats like God. So therefore God and the Devil are not at opposite ends fighting over earth.

Also Sin is not the same as evil. Sin is a human failing, and cannot explain non-human evil (whether it be demonic, natural or other). It cannot even explain all human evil. Even Paul's Sin as a principality and power cannot explain how it is that evil exists. All we can really every say I think is that God is the answer to evil. Jesus is the answer to evil.

Evil is an immense topic and even trying to deal with it here I feel like I am not doing it justice. I feel like I don't have the words to be able to express even the fundamental problem. I don't think any one person is capable of coming up with a satisfactory definition or solution to the problem. Especially on a medium like the internet.

However, to the origional topic. Saying that humans aren't responsible for evil thoughts is nothing but a cop out. A way of not taking responsibility for our darker side. Is that not the very definition of pride? To think that we are not at fault?

No, all humans are capable of darkness without demonic aid. We all struggle with the darker side of our humanity. Often trying to fight it causes those thoughts to grow even stronger. One of the best methods I know for combating my own evil is to go "Yes I am capable of that evil, but I choose not to be like that."

N T Wright...A major player in a strife ridden church and he does not believe Heaven exists.....
"Wright: There are several important respects in which it's unsupported by the New Testament. First, the timing. In the Bible we are told that you die, and enter an intermediate state. St. Paul is very clear that Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead already, but that nobody else has yet. Secondly, our physical state. The New Testament says that when Christ does return, the dead will experience a whole new life: not just our soul, but our bodies. And finally, the location. At no point do the resurrection narratives in the four Gospels say, "Jesus has been raised, therefore we are all going to heaven." It says that Christ is coming here, to join together the heavens and the Earth in an act of new creation."

So When you die you are not with the Lord? You are in an intermediate state? That's not what the Word says. 2 Corinthians 5:8

The location? He's talking about when the Earth itself is cleansed and recreated. I opine that it happens during the White throne judgment.
What else is he mistaken about?

I have no doubt the man is a Christian. He says he is and I will not judge, but... he's wrong on these two points and a leader in a strife ridden church, which says there are MAJOR problems in leadership.

I would not take his or anyone else's word on what the Word says.
Let the Word be the authority on the Word.

 

[Iceman]

N T Wright...A major player in a strife ridden church and he does not believe Heaven exists.....

What do the problems within the Anglican church have to do with it? To my knowledge there are no churches in the world that don't have their own problems and issues. Also Wright does believe in heaven, but he has a more advanced eschatology than the average nominal Christian. But then so does anyone who has ever studied theology. To quote Wright "Heaven is important, but it's not the end of the world"

So When you die you are not with the Lord? You are in an intermediate state? That's not what the Word says. 2 Corinthians 5:8

That's not what he is saying at all. See the thing is the moden heaven hell dichotomy isn't actually Christian in origin. It is Greek. It is a Greek philosophy that Christianity adopted. What Wright is talking about is a far more Jewish eschatology.

ation? He's talking about when the Earth itself is cleansed and recreated. I opine that it happens during the White throne judgment.
What else is he mistaken about?

Well all the eschatological imagery of Isiah and Revelation is that the earth itself is cleansed. I've never heard of the "White Throne Judgement" and I suspect that is a colloquealism. But in theological terms it is called the Parousia. Or the second coming. Jesus return heralds a cosmological resurrection. Wright is quite accurate to say that. It is a long held belief in the Christian church that it's about life after, life after death. Why the early church expected an immediate parousia, is because it was never taught that only one person would be resurrected. All prophesies about resurrection were for the people of God. That Jesus has gone first was completely unexpected. But the fact that the parousia has not happened cannot allow for Christianity to adopt a greek dualism, where the spirit is more important than body. Resurrection implies a physicality.

I have no doubt the man is a Christian. He says he is and I will not judge, but... he's wrong on these two points and a leader in a strife ridden church, which says there are MAJOR problems in leadership.

That's fallicious reasoning. It's a way of not having to engage with anything he says. Wright is a theologian...theologians are beyond denominational classifications. To study theology you don't look at what denomination the author of a commentary is from, you look at the depth of understanding. I am neither Lutheran nor Anglican. But I like Wright, Bonhoeffer and Barth.

I would not take his or anyone else's word on what the Word says.
Let the Word be the authority on the Word.

That's a very odd statement. You've just denounced the need for ordained members of the church globally. Saying that you are quite capable of interpreting the scripture on your own. What about even basic theological questions like did the beatitudes happen on a hill or a plain? Were there gentiles present at the beatitudes? ect ect.

Never the less, someone's eschatology isn't the same as addressing the problem of evil. Evil is something that people usually oversimplify. A fact that causes exclusivity within the church, as people then mark themselves as not having to engage with the deeper critiques of Christianity that come from outside the church.

Everything that is said theologically, is just that...logical. Christianities opponents are quite right to point out where we fall down. It's just unfortunate that most criticisms are aimed at uninformed and a poor cultural Christianity over an informed, theological and orthodox Christianity.

 

[El Hombre viejo]

What do the problems within the Anglican church have to do with it? To my knowledge there are no churches in the world that don't have their own problems and issues. Also Wright does believe in heaven, but he has a more advanced eschatology than the average nominal Christian. But then so does anyone who has ever studied theology. To quote Wright "Heaven is important, but it's not the end of the world"



That's not what he is saying at all. See the thing is the moden heaven hell dichotomy isn't actually Christian in origin. It is Greek. It is a Greek philosophy that Christianity adopted. What Wright is talking about is a far more Jewish eschatology.



Well all the eschatological imagery of Isiah and Revelation is that the earth itself is cleansed. I've never heard of the "White Throne Judgement" and I suspect that is a colloquealism. But in theological terms it is called the Parousia. Or the second coming. Jesus return heralds a cosmological resurrection. Wright is quite accurate to say that. It is a long held belief in the Christian church that it's about life after, life after death. Why the early church expected an immediate parousia, is because it was never taught that only one person would be resurrected. All prophesies about resurrection were for the people of God. That Jesus has gone first was completely unexpected. But the fact that the parousia has not happened cannot allow for Christianity to adopt a greek dualism, where the spirit is more important than body. Resurrection implies a physicality.



That's fallicious reasoning. It's a way of not having to engage with anything he says. Wright is a theologian...theologians are beyond denominational classifications. To study theology you don't look at what denomination the author of a commentary is from, you look at the depth of understanding. I am neither Lutheran nor Anglican. But I like Wright, Bonhoeffer and Barth.



That's a very odd statement. You've just denounced the need for ordained members of the church globally. Saying that you are quite capable of interpreting the scripture on your own. What about even basic theological questions like did the beatitudes happen on a hill or a plain? Were there gentiles present at the beatitudes? ect ect.

Never the less, someone's eschatology isn't the same as addressing the problem of evil. Evil is something that people usually oversimplify. A fact that causes exclusivity within the church, as people then mark themselves as not having to engage with the deeper critiques of Christianity that come from outside the church.

Everything that is said theologically, is just that...logical. Christianities opponents are quite right to point out where we fall down. It's just unfortunate that most criticisms are aimed at uninformed and a poor cultural Christianity over an informed, theological and orthodox Christianity.

If you say so Iceman. I won't argue with you. What the man says contradicts the Word.

 

[JDFree]

Great thread, thanks to all! It appears that possibly the real question may be, 'what is evil'? The first sins are revealed in Genesis in Adam and Eve but obviously: Satan and his crowd fell before that. How did Satan fall? It's written Ezekiel 28:13-19 he was the most beautiful of all angels, apparently the chief musician and worship leader of the Cherubim in heaven. Blessed with superior intelligence, arrayed in a visage gorgeous to behold; could it be that somewhere he gazed upon his own reflection and was overwhelmed with his own beauty?

May we safely assume that unchanging God present in that world, Jesus, was even then of a humble appearance and demeanor? By His own Word of Scripture He was not much to look at, or anything to behold. In His unchanging Love He would be entirely willing to create an angelic being whose appearance was more beautiful to the eye, if that eye looked only at outward appearance. He did just that when born as a man.

I imagine Satan became enamored by his own beauty and position and self, 'Hey, why shouldn't I be the one receiving all the honor and glory? Just take one look and see who's more beautiful, and who does more and is more important around here!' And the die [pun] was cast, as Satan fell into worship of SELF above God. He taught others there who followed and the fall is seen in Isaiah 14:12.

All Satan did in Eden was deceitfully lay out worship of desires of self before Eve first, then Adam, and they fell in headfirst! Remember, that's how advertising works! 'Evil' was not created or caused, but occurred in beings who turned their focus from God to SELF. Therefore all evil ever occurring in any way is an outgrowth of lust and desire for Self, coming from within the being imagining it! SIN = SELF.

I do believe from personal experience that devils have the ability to influence thought to a limited degree. In a person actually possessed it is less limited. Thank our wondrous God for those word in James 4:7, "...resist the devil and he WILL FLEE FROM YOU!"

Satan and other fallen angels as devils remain to taunt and entice to form the boundaries of choice in free will. If there were nothing but the Goodness of God in existence there would be no choice. If that was so and God simply created man and blessed in His goodness from the beginning and continuously: well, there we are back at Genesis 3 but only occurring later, after man eventually became enamored of self without devil's assistance!

I'm therefore saying that regardless of Satan, other fallen devils, 'evil', 'sin' or anything else: man STILL would have fallen because man has been given the gift of 'self' and has never seen the Perfection of God Face to face to compare to. Self may be used to honor the Giver, or to honor the receiver in self. Eventually that self would still need a Savior to cleanse of sin because of free will to choose and God's blessings poured out: draw all to self in exhaltation of self, or fall on our face before the Giver and become a giver to Him? We already know very well what man normally chooses by his nature.

Life is a Gift of Perfection given from the Entity of God and is the only perfect gift we may give back to Him as our entire life, relinquishing self back to Him.

 

[RJ]

Good subject. Towards Jesus ushering in salvation, he always took the Law a step further. For example, considering the sin of adultery, he said that even if you look at another person with lust in your heart, you have committed adultry. Another, he said if you hate your brother you have committed murder or he said, love your enemy. Under those examples, if you even have a thought of harming someone, it would be the same has doing it.
God is holy, righteous, blameles and the list goes on. In his absolute perfection God is not capable of sin or evil thoughts. Jesus said that all good things come from God, and all is complete and total. The anthesis of God is the Devil, there is no good in him, therefore all bad, evil and negative thoughts come from the Devil!

 

[james1523]

As Satan is not omnipresent, then Satan cannot be everywhere at the same time, therefore I highly doubt that the temptation is actually coming from Satan, but rather the fallen self or the external environment (TV, movies, friends, family, strangers, advertising) etc. If you are as important as Jesus then I can see Satan trying to tempt you individually, but if you are not so important I don't think Satan will bother you there is enough in the world to do that already.

 

[RJ]

As Satan is not omnipresent, then Satan cannot be everywhere at the same time, therefore I highly doubt that the temptation is actually coming from Satan, but rather the fallen self or the external environment (TV, movies, friends, family, strangers, advertising) etc. If you are as important as Jesus then I can see Satan trying to tempt you individually, but if you are not so important I don't think Satan will bother you there is enough in the world to do that already.

As always our knowledge is imperfect, certainly mine is!. Agreed, our God is soverign and only he is omnipresent.1 Peter 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour”. It is true that Devil influences many people to sin, but this might not always be him directly, but instead an indirect result of his already established work in the world. I still feel that all bad is some how , at least, an indirect result of him.