Only God is good
Loyal
Why do you think God is good, if you have rejected Him?
Member
Unattainable, yes; However, I attempt to live life as Paul wrote - Philippians 3:14 - I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
I fail a lot. In fact, just when I think I have it all together, much of the time, things seem to fall apart.
Loyal
There is only one who is good, and that is God....
Mar 10:18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.
If God is the only one who good is good, then if there is going to be any good done on planet earth, it will have to be done by God himself!!
The Christian life is NOT that we ours self's become good, we are good because God who is good is our life. Listen to what Jesus Christ the Son of God said about himself.
John 5:30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.
The Son of God said he could nothing of himself!!! Every where Jesus went, he was constantly telling his disciples that it was his Father dwelling inside him that were doing the works he performed.
John 14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
Every word, and every work Jesus spoke and did was his Father living in him who was doing the works through his Son!! This is the Christian walk, and life in allowing God himself (who only is good) to do his works through us. How to get to that place where the Lord uses us for his Glory is what we are to learn through scripture.
Loyal
In and of ourselves it is an unattainable goal, but what does Jesus mean by these words?
"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." Matt 5:48
So does Jesus leave us hanging with an impossible goal?
"And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God." Luke 18:27
"Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:"
Col 1:26-27
The answer to doing the impossible is provided to us by God through His Son. Jesus did what many today say is impossible. He lived a natural life as a man without sin:
"For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." Heb 4:15
What Jesus did in a man's body, He can also do in our body through the power of the Holy Spirit, but we have to allow the Spirit to work. To so completely surrender ourselves to God in this way is not possible for us, so we have to ask and continue to ask for His help in surrendering until all of the work is done:
"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:" Matt 7:7
Member
I don't, I was asking a question that refers to what many Christians believe.
Member
They do?
Member
Do you think that good and evil are the only two options to follow in this whole universe?
Loyal
Yep, You are either being influence by good, or evil, light, or darkness. There is no gray area.
Member
I think you're deeply wrong Curtis.
If there is only good and evil in the whole universe then we are painting a very black and white picture of Life.
Member
I believe the picture is either black or white; Jesus says, either you're in or you're out, there is no lukewarm.
Acts 4:12 "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved."
God plainly states that the choice is either Heaven or Hell. that is pretty black & white to me.
Loyal
What's wrong with black and white? Knowing what the rules are is what what makes something possible. Without rules there is chaos.
Anything that's not completely 100% white.. is well... not white. (I'm talking good and evil here, not race)
Soon as we say grey is OK.. then it becomes how grey? (50 shades of grey?)
A little grey leaven's the whole loaf so to speak. A little black makes the whole thing grey. It's kind of like having "just a little bit of manure in the cake mix".
But amazingly.. some people are OK with that too.
Active
Yes we are to be "good like God".
Jesus commands it in Matt 5:48..."Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."
Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1:16..." Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."
Thankfully, God has made it possible to live as Jesus lived by allowing us to be reborn of God's seed.
Loyal
There is a GRAY area, which is really mentioned here:
"I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." Rev 3:15-16
The "hot" is the white while the "cold" is the black. The "hot" is the Light while the "cold" is the darkness. The "hot" is Life while the "cold" is death.
In the very end there will be not lukewarm and anyone who tried to walk along the fence will miss out finally and completely with God. But... for now a person can straddle that fence but as the verses I posted show clearly such a middle road is less pleasing to God than the place of those who are cold or in darkness. Why? Because every unbeliever is cold or in darkness or in death. But... those unbelievers have never really seen the Light. They still have a hope of seeing the Light and approaching it. Those who are lukewarm that GRAY area are people who have seen the Light but want to partake in what they might call the best of both worlds. It is a lie, but they are catering to the lust of the eyes and the lust of the flesh and the pride of life [see I John 2:16] which are the attractions leading people to sin. They believe they can have both and for a season God may allow it, but in the end there will only be for each person hot or cold, Light or darkness, Life or death.
If we are walking or trying to walk the gray or lukewarm pathway the warning of God is clear. He will spit us out.
"I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.
So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." Rev 3:15-16
The "hot" is the white while the "cold" is the black. The "hot" is the Light while the "cold" is the darkness. The "hot" is Life while the "cold" is death.
In the very end there will be not lukewarm and anyone who tried to walk along the fence will miss out finally and completely with God. But... for now a person can straddle that fence but as the verses I posted show clearly such a middle road is less pleasing to God than the place of those who are cold or in darkness. Why? Because every unbeliever is cold or in darkness or in death. But... those unbelievers have never really seen the Light. They still have a hope of seeing the Light and approaching it. Those who are lukewarm that GRAY area are people who have seen the Light but want to partake in what they might call the best of both worlds. It is a lie, but they are catering to the lust of the eyes and the lust of the flesh and the pride of life [see I John 2:16] which are the attractions leading people to sin. They believe they can have both and for a season God may allow it, but in the end there will only be for each person hot or cold, Light or darkness, Life or death.
If we are walking or trying to walk the gray or lukewarm pathway the warning of God is clear. He will spit us out.
Active
Ah the lukewarm christian.
This is the person whos indifferent or whos attitude is 'whatever'. Or they might say 'im actually pretty good, I dont need Him'
Bible study..oh I will come (but they dont)
Prayer group (one day...)
Church..(I'm busy sundays)
It is the foolish virgins who took no oil, the young rich ruler who couldnt give up his possessions, the person who said he would work in the vineyard but didnt go, the people who were too busy to the wedding supper, or turned up in their own clothes, the guy who hid his talent in the ground.
Its also anaias and sapphira who lied about how much they gave to the church, demetrius who thought of himself first instead of other church members, the wolves in sheeps clothing who infiltrated the church. Thinking they wont be found out cos christians are believers right...they believe anything people tell them..um NO!
God sees your heart, I mean David just cos he was King seriously did not think he could get away with adultery and murder and think God was going go overlook that.
This is the person whos indifferent or whos attitude is 'whatever'. Or they might say 'im actually pretty good, I dont need Him'
Bible study..oh I will come (but they dont)
Prayer group (one day...)
Church..(I'm busy sundays)
It is the foolish virgins who took no oil, the young rich ruler who couldnt give up his possessions, the person who said he would work in the vineyard but didnt go, the people who were too busy to the wedding supper, or turned up in their own clothes, the guy who hid his talent in the ground.
Its also anaias and sapphira who lied about how much they gave to the church, demetrius who thought of himself first instead of other church members, the wolves in sheeps clothing who infiltrated the church. Thinking they wont be found out cos christians are believers right...they believe anything people tell them..um NO!
God sees your heart, I mean David just cos he was King seriously did not think he could get away with adultery and murder and think God was going go overlook that.
Member
A
Ephesians 5:1
. . .Therefore, become imitators of God, as beloved children,
So yes.
B
Matthew 5:48
. . .You must accordingly be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Yes, but this will take time.