Isn't Suffering A Bad Way For God To Show Love?

 

God never promised heaven on earth—a bed of roses or easy life. Earth is a trial or staging area for eternity—a test. We are preparing for our rewards. At the Bema or Judgment Seat of Christ, we will see the glory of God and be rewarded and enter into the joy of the LORD. (cf. 1 Cor. 3:15). We only grow in character through adversity, not the good times. Jesus was honest enough to warn us that following Him would entail suffering and He didn't even make Himself immune or exempt from it. But our crosses pale in comparison to His. As a test of faith, we must take up our crosses and follow Him. (cf. Luke 9:23).

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him out of them all.” (cf. Psalm 34:19). “Through many tribulations, we enter the kingdom of God.” (cf. Acts 14:22). He doesn’t expect anything of us that He didn't endure. “In the world, you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (cf. John 16: 33). An easy faith is no faith at all; only where it is difficult is it worthy.

Life isn't all pain and suffering, I think that’s an exaggeration, but contains trials and tribulations: Job said, “When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” (cf. Job 23:10). Life is not extremely difficult, if we walk with Christ, but supposed to be victorious over the world and Satan and experience a “more abundant life,” (cf. John 10;10). We must learn to walk in faith. “The just shall live by faith.” (cf. Romans 1:17).

“We walk by faith, not by sight.” (cf. 2 Cor. 5:7). Jesus came to give us a “more abundant life and if this is in your experience, you are doing something wrong and shouldn't blame God for your suffering. Much suffering is due to divine discipline and one‘s sin and disobedience or lack of faith. “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten, be zealous therefore and repent,” (cf. Rev. 3:19). “Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I keep Your Word” (cf. Psalm 119:67).  Soli Deo Gloria! 

What's Wrong With Eating Of The Tree of Good and Evil?

 You mean: “The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.” That’s important to point out. It was simply wrong to disobey. There wasn't anything inherently wrong with the tree or its fruit nor even the knowledge that it would impart. God may have intended to let them eat of it at some future point after they passed His test of obedience and love just when children grow up when don't become evil automatically. The forbidden fruit merely represented a test of obedience love can not be forced but not have some test of faithfulness or obedience and loyalty.

Adam and Eve obviously were innocent in that they were unaware that there was an evil alternative to good and its threat to peace with God. They were as children before the age of accountability for their evil in God’s eyes. They had to decide which side they would be on—for or against God. The fruit wasn’t obviously a proverbial apple but something that did delight to the eyes and had natural appeal or temptation.

Their sin of eating of it was the prototype sin that represented all sins to some sense of the word in this sense: spring God’s grace, contradicting His truths, rejecting His authority, disputing His wisdom, repudiating His justice, and resisting His grace. What Adam and Eve sought was their own will, delight, plans, and wisdom while rejecting God’s; and we do the same today when we do our own thing and do things our way instead of God’s way according to God’s will or even seeking it—we still think we know better or more than our Maker. A believer actively seeks God’s will and submits to it

What Are Your Experiences With The Holy Spirit?

 What are your experiences of the Holy Spirit?

The following examples are what I’ve realized through my walk with Christ just as the Bible says and can personally vouch for. The Spirit has several ministries that we experience. Primarily, He is the inspiration of Scripture and we can feel inspired to compose or write poetry, songs, stories, music, sermons, all to glorify God similarity though not to the degree of the inspiration of Scripture.

Upon reading the Bible the Spirit opens the eyes of our hearts to wonderful things in the Word and to see Jesus in the words; this may also apply to have many kinds of illumination or enlightenment to us and give us insight into spiritual matters that the carnal mind cannot know.

The Spirit convicts us of sin and leads us to repent as we become aware of and able to confess and be restored. The Spirit doesn't condemn nor accuse but shows us our sin..

The Spirit intercedes and translates sour feeble prayers into words God can know and we cannot. We pray in the power of the Spirit!

The Spirit is the One who opens and closes doors to minister the gospel.

And especially we are led by the Spirit to walk with Christ by faith. The more we grow in Christ, the more we can realize this as real.

The fruit of the Spirit is evident in our lives by obedience and confession and we grow these fruit—they are not automatic. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Spirit.

The function of the Spirit is especially to fill us and to control our actions. But to charismatics, who point out and stress that the purpose of the Spirit, the purpose is to grant spiritual gifts severally as He will. Fruits are automatic and given, not grown like fruit.

Still today, the Spirit speaks expressly to us by the Word and even through other believers about signs of the times in fulfilling prophecy for example.

All of the above activities of the Spirit are because He baptizes all believers in Christ and bestows these gifts and whereby we are regenerated or born again.   Soli Deo Gloria! 

Does God Have A Physical Location?

 God is metaphysical, not physical, with no dimensions for dimension simply a limit or definition. He is truly extra-dimensional in a sense. Dimensions have to do with the time-space continuum of which He created and is over and superior to and not subject to. He is above and beyond, truly transcendent to our physical cosmos, yet immanent or near us. “Do not I fill the heaven and the earth?”(cf. Jer. 23:24) and omnipresent or present everywhere fully at once known as His immensity. “Am I only a God nearby,” … “and no ta god far away?” (cf. Jer. 23:23).

He has no stellar or galactic address that we can go visit Him. No one can see Him even in heaven for spirit can not be seen. He dwells in the third heaven with the saints and angels. God is not far from every one of us and in Him, we live and move and have our being (cf. Acts 17:27–28). Then we see that God has no specific whereabouts or spiritual waiting and visiting room.

Most of all, God is spirit (cf. John 4:24) and cannot be put into a box or limited by us. The maxim that the finite cannot grasp the infinite holds true for HIm. “Canst thou by searching find out God?” (cf. Job 11:7). God can be found spiritually but not located., but He dwells within the souls of His children. it is said that Christianity is about the God who is there, as Francis Schaeffer said, “He is there and He is not silent.”

Job asked; “O that I knew where I might find Him.” (cf. Job 23:3). David asked: “Where should I go from Your Spirit? Where should I flee from Your presence?” (cf. Psalm 139:7). We can only find HIm if we search with all our heart (cf. Isaiah 55:6; Jer. 29:23). He dwells in the high and holy place and inhabits eternity (cf. Isaiah 57:15). “Behold, You are a God who hides Yourself…” (cf. Isaiah 45:15). When we find God, it’s a spiritual renewal awareness, an awakening of our spirit, not in knowing His physical address or heavenly GPS.   Soli Deo Gloria! 

What About The Tri-unity Of God?

 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!" (cf. Deut. 6:4).  [One as in union or cluster of grapes from the Hebrew Echad.]  GOD IS ONE!  (Cf. Gal. 3:20; Romans 3:30). 

My comprehension and I do not think anyone can fully do so. “Canst thou by searching find out God.” (cf. Job 11:7). We cannot put God in a box or define Him, the point is to know Him. I am not going to prove the Trinity but show my understanding of it. I offer this as food for thought and mediation.

Christian creeds settle this issue centuries ago. The triune God is three persons in one being or essence; i.e., God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. This has been described as the tripersonality or three-in-oneness of God. The three members all deserve inclusion in the Godhead equally as being fully God because the Bible clearly shows they all possess the divine nature and all the attributes like an eternity in existence, holiness, efficacious free will, omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence. Only God has these traits.

They have one will but apparently different job descriptions or activities; they cooperate as One. Creation was from the Father, through the Son, by the Spirit. Salvation was proposed and authored by the Father, accomplished, secured, and carried out by the Son, and applied by the Spirit. 

There can be no conflict of will or interest in the Trinity. Jesus said that the Father is in Him and He is in the Father that they are One. A marriage can be a union or partnership and be One in a sense too: they are one. Subordination of Jesus did not mean inferiority any more than a wife to her husband.

To say that God is a threesome as a Trinity [or unity] and yet One as in there is one God is not a contradiction. The law of noncontradiction states that A cannot be A and non-A at the same time in the same sense or manner. In one sense, God is One, in another sense, He is a threesome. or unity. If I say, there is one God and there isn’t one God, that is a contradiction that cannot be reconciled. I like to think of The Three Muskateers: “All for one and one for all.” It’s not that the Father is the stern One, the Son the nice One, and the Spirit the mysterious One; they are all Christlike, fully and truly deity.

It's almost impossible to imagine an analogy; they all fall short.  God is not three persons who together make up one God nor three ways one God expresses himself as a father, husband, and brother. The Bible clearly teaches one Godhead as in Colossians 2:9. “All the fullness of the deity [Godhead] dwells in Christ in bodily form.” 

All three members are called “YHWH,” Yahweh, or in English, I AM, a title and name that Jesus assumed. Matt. 28:19 says to baptize in the name [singular] of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are all rightly addressed as Lord and God. We pray to the Father, in the name of the Son, and in the power of the Spirit (cf. Eph. 2:18).   The Father calls the Son “God” in Hebrews 1:8. Paul refers to the Spirit as Lord in 2 Cor. 3:17. 

In Defense Of Truth

 "Truth forever on the scaffold; wrong forever on the throne."  (James Russell Lowell, 1844, The Present Crisis). 

PART I

Notice what kind of Savior we have.  Jesus didn't just say that He would tell the truth, or that He had discovered it, or that He knew it, but that He was the truth itself.  This is important because He also said, "You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free."  He's speaking of Himself and the fact that truth is not unknowable but can be found in Him, all we need to know of it.  Jesus never footnoted His sayings or appealed to some authority figure as one would say, "So and so Rabbi says....." But He said, audaciously: "But I say unto you...." No man ever spoke like this man! (cf. Mark 1:22: Matt. 7:29).  He didn't speak like the scribes and Pharisees! 

We believe in the God of truth and Jesus as the epitome, personification, or embodiment of truth itself.  Everything we need to know of truth can be found in Jesus; "For the truth is in Jesus." A sign of a true believer is a love for the truth itself: "... They perish because they did not accept a love of the truth and so be saved," (cf. 2 Thess 2;10).  Sometimes the truth hurts and can be difficult to accept or admit to others.  But we must not only believe it and admit it but be willing to stand up for it at any cost: " They were not valiant for the truth! (cf. Jer. 9:3).  We must be willing to show and declare our Chrisitan colors and not only that but be able to defend the truth and know why we believe it.

It can be defended in the open marketplace of ideas and on the public square if we do not concede this territory to Secularism..... "Lies and not faithfulness prevail in the land ... they do not take Me into account...." (cf. Jer. 9:3, HCSB). We must be willing to acknowledge our God publically and not be ashamed of our Lord even when it costs and when it's risky. This may involve speaking up for the truth and expressing our point of view openly. 

When we realize how much damage lies from the father of lies can do and how destructive they are we will wage war for the truth and be engaged in truth-finding missions and do our homework to make sure of our convictions When we have a foundation of true and orthodox doctrine, we can readily discern truth from error and fiction or theory.  Certain half-truths will not ring true!  We will also grow less tolerant of error, heresy, and discord, especially among brethren.   We must heed the advice of Polonius in Hamlet: "To thy own self be true!"  If we are dishonest with ourselves, we may not even be living in reality and lose touch with society and be in our own world. 

Jesus called His Father the "only true God."  This should be indicative of our relationship with God as one who knows us and the truth about us; we can not hide our clay of feet or flaws from God who sees us for who we really are and even knows us better than we do ourselves.  Lies about others, our world, and God can wreak havoc on the social and spiritual order of things and we have no right to destroy God's foundations. "When the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do? (cf. Psalm 11:3).

Instead, we are to rejoice in the truth and let honesty be our policy ("Speak nothing but the truth," --2 Chron. 18:15) to discern the spirit of truth and not succumb to the spirit of error.  A true sign of an unbeliever is that he rejects the truth or that he suppresses it (cf. Romans 2;8)  They exchanged the truth of God for a lie (cf. Romans 1:25).  It may be a challenge to speak up and make our voice and opinion count at times.  

But we must have the attitude:   Let the chips fall where they may, I'm on the side of the God of truth.  And similarly, when the chips are down, we are not to give up on the truth and its power to accomplish God's will. If we are not honest with God, who can we expect Him to be on our side and defend us?  We must not become lax in our treatment of truth and in our commitment to it and lacking in nor wavering from its free expression.  

PART II
By definition, truth is that which corresponds with reality (The correspondence theory of truth articulated by John Locke), or more directly that which God decrees or is concordant with Him.

"I do not write to you because you do not know the truth, but because you do know it and because no lie comes from the truth" (1 John 2:21, NIV).
"All truth is God's truth." (Augustine) and "All truth meets at the top."(cf. Aquinas).



There comes a time in our testimony that we must stand up for the truth and be counted as a test of our faithfulness. Jesus is the epitome of truth and all truth is God's truth, Jesus revealed Himself as its ultimate source. The trouble with truth is that no one person has a monopoly on it and we all need each other to arrive at truth per se (not abstract, but personified in Christ)--no one's cornered the market. What's wrong with cults is that they have just enough truth to be dangerous; they have an element of truth and inoculate people from the real thing, because of having error mixed with the truth so as to deceive. There's no such thing as pure evil--it's just a perversion or distortion of truth and good.

People go by what rings true for them personally for basically four reasons: it's true because it's believable or they believe it; it's true because their fellowship or group believes it; it's true because they want to believe it, and it's true because they have a vested interest in it. This is due to our bias and everyone has a bias; there's no such thing as perfect objectivity outside God. We all need to examine our motives and check facts because our faith is fact-based and our God is fact-based.

We must not dodge the "no-truth-premise" by insisting truth is only relative either. This is a "self-refuting statement" and cannot possibly be true or it contradicts itself--is that statement relative too? To the Postmodern, truth is but a "short-term contract." But Christians are hungry for the truth and love the truth; it's the rejection and hatred of truth that marks the unbeliever (cf. Rom. 2:8; 2 Thess. 2:10). One sure sign of a believer is his devotion to truth. Remember, Jesus promised the truth will set us free from this confusion (cf. John 8:32). There is Truth with a capital T! Truth, according to the Bible, is absolute, universal, and objective, meaning it applies to all, all the time, everywhere, and is true regardless of whether believed or not!

It is said that we cannot know the truth, and this would be true had not Jesus revealed it, the trouble is not in knowing truth, but that we have rebelled from it and are seeking rationalization to justify ourselves. Differing worldviews all posit certain "truths" and make truth claims that only their truths are true--they are all unified that Christianity is a lie. "No lie is of the truth," according to 1 John 2:21. However, there is a reliable truth that we all can put faith in.

The catchphrase of Postmodernism that something "may be true for you but not me" is also fallacious; is that statement true for everyone? Some people refuse to accept truth in essence because they think it gives others power over them, and they claim no one's in a position to know what's true for them. People claim that our Christian claims are irrelevant, but God's truth marches on and is vindicated. Why do they all despise our truth? We all act like there's truth, because there is truth! All Christians ought to devote themselves to the pursuit of truth with a passion. We all ought to be known as lie detectors and purveyors of truth!

As Christians, we are ambassadors for truth because we belong to the truth" (cf. 1 John 3:19) for Christ came to bear witness of the truth, and grace and truth came through Him, being full of grace and truth (cf. John 1:7), and all who hear Him are of the truth. And the church is known as the "pillar and ground of truth (cf. 1 Tim. 3:15). When they insist that it's merely our interpretation, we insist that truth is absolute and universal and can be communicated. Zechariah 8:19 exhorts us: "... Therefore love truth and peace.'" Soli Deo Gloria!

Why Do So Many People Demand Proof For God?

 They cannot disprove God but disbelieve despite that! This is important. They assume that God can be proved (or disproved) when the Bible doesn't attempt to do it but to make Him known. The Bible assumes God from verse one. The Bible says that God’s existence has enough proof in creation to point to faith and that no one has an excuse. (cf. Romans 1:18–21; Psalm 19:1). God is spirit. The question of God is metaphysical and cannot be proved by physical evidence. God’s existence doesn’t fit scientific parameters; He is not subject to laboratory conditions.

Many people believe in things that cannot be proved. What they are trying to do is equate God’s existence to scientific scrutiny. But there is scientific evidence but not proof. The laws of evidence are different for law, history, science, and philosophy. God doesn't wish to be proved but to accept by faith. He will not force faith. Faith is what pleases Him, not human wisdom (“For the world by wisdom knew not God.”—1 Cor. 1:21). It is logical that not believing or denying some premise doesn't make it untrue any more than believing it makes it true.

There can be no default position. Not being able to prove God doesn't mean that the antithesis is true, there is no God. Today many people will not believe anything that cannot be proved scientifically and use science for non-scientific endeavors or issues, harnessing science where it doesn’t apply—called “scientism.” You don’t have to know all the answers to believe in God. And faith doesn't mean you do, atheists don’t know all the answers either. The principle stands: “Lack of evidence is not evidence of lack.”

Addendum:

Science rules out God from the get-go and disbelieves in the supernatural as a possible answer in their live pool of options. They are naturalists believing everything has a natural explanation. But anyone who thinks Christianity and science contradict understands neither—there can be no final conflict in God’s universe. Augustine wisely said, “All truth is God’s truth.” The Bible has proved time and again to be ahead of science in its truths.  The Bible has proved time and again to be ahead of science in its truths with dozens of scientific facts stated before discovered by science with no scientific absurdities.

 Soli Deo Gloria! 

What Is The Significance Of The Theological Dimension?

 What you make of God is the most important aspect of your personality and worldview and it affects your whole life, well-being, and temperament. According to scholar and philosopher Dr. Mortimer Adler, “With the exception of certain mathematicians and physicists, all authors of the Great Books are represented in the chapter on God.” (cf. The Great Ideas Syntopicon).

The study of God or theology is the most important endeavor we can engage in and contains the secrets of life and its meaning, purpose, destiny, and origin. You can't live without your life making some kind of statement for or against God; you’re either light to those in darkness or part of the problem of men in darkness. The highest endeavor we can engage in is in thought.

And thoughts of God humble the mind and expand our thinking and our intellect more than any other subject matter. It boggles the mind and blows us away and leaves us a spiritual workout to broaden our thinking. Theology is the “highest science, the loftiest speculation, the mightiest philosophy,” according to Spurgeon. If there is a God, this is the most important of all academic subjects and studies to undertake. Theology has been considered a science in its own right; it’s been called the “queen of sciences.”

But our goal in knowing “about God” must not be second-hand knowledge but first-hand acquaintance and experience—know God personally in a relationship and applying our knowledge to knowledge “of God.” “Taste and see that the LORD is good” The proof of the pudding is in the eating!

NB:  Everyone has a theology and is a theologian; what kind is up to you and how you apply it of most significance.  You cannot avoid theology or the truths of Scripture. You can have a sound theology without a sound life, but not a sound life without a sound theology.  You can also have an orthodox theology without an ethical life which is called praxeology or putting into pactice what we preach.  Getting A's in theology will not profit one if not applied and made real in one's life experience.     Soli Deo Gloria! 

If God Created Time And Space, How Can He Exist Without Time Or Space?

 The Creator is greater than His creation. God must exist to create! Nothing can just happen without cause all by itself. Even science knows something existed. Because He’s eternal from everlasting to everlasting, the Father of time or time/space just doesn't exist apart from the material world of matter/energy. No one knows what the concept of time really is but God is not confined, defined, nor limited by it.

He can see the future as the present all in one moment because of this. God is immaterial and therefore doesn't need space or time as He is not part of the time-space continuum. God is spirit and that means immaterial and not having any physical limits; therefore, not time or space dimensions (God is ultra-dimensional and can enter any dimension He chooses; I AM WHO I AM WHO I AM ….. He decides the terms of His existence which are infinite and incomprehensible to us: the finite cannot grasp the infinite by definition; this can also be interpreted as I CAUSE TO BE.... (God as the First Cause or Uncaused Cause). 

Even science knows that time (the energy clock) began at creation (the Big Bang) and that something or someone must have “existed” before that due to the law of cause and effect; everything that begins to exist has a cause—the universe began and therefore was caused and most likely by God. For nothing can cause or create itself. Soli Deo Gloria! 

Do You Show Respect To Whom Respect Is Due?

"... Be humble, thinking of others better than yourselves." (cf Phil. 2:23, NLT).

"... Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love," (cf Eph. 4:2, NLT).

Respect has its limits. The Roman Empire demanded people to take a loyalty oath: "Caesar is Lord." However, Christians refused and would only admit: "Jesus is Lord." Some were martyred for this refusal and defiance of Rome. We must render to Caesar that which is Caesar's and to God that which is God's (cf. Matt. 22:21). Only God deserves our ultimate loyalty, reverence, and worship. We must draw the line somewhere. Respect is part of the Ten Commandments where we are to honor our parents and this is inclusive to mean authority figures as Peter said, to fear God and to honor the king but notice he said to honor all men (cf. 1 Pet. 2:17).

The kind of crowd we hang out with may not be God's kind of people and we should know that bad company corrupts good morals (cf. 1 Cor. 15:33). Choose your friends carefully. Show love with discernment (cf. Phil. 1:9). We don't want the unbeliever to spoil us instead of us influencing them. Now, be a good neighbor! We must love our neighbors even if they are not our friends; even the wicked people respect and love their friends and we would be no better than them.

Love is an expression of respect. As Jesus said to love our neighbors, this begs the question of who our neighbor is: Anyone in our obit or circle of influence that needs us and that we can express love to by deeds, not just empty words. The Bible exhorts us to respect those to whom it is due and honor to who it is due (cf. Rom. 13:7). It also says that honor is not becoming a fool (cf. Prov. 26:8). People can say “With all due respect,” but intend to insult them at the same time. But sometimes it's difficult to show respect, and this may be the case in such situations as in the armed forces where we respect the position even if we don't like them personally. We respect our elders for this reason too.

We must realize that what the world respects and esteems is not God's value system. When we appraise a person by his worldly accomplishments such as success, fame, power, wealth, or even just because he's achieved the American dream or has good credentials such as education, status, or reference, when we evaluate a person in these ways we are succumbing to the devil's appraisal means and not what God values such as virtue, character, hard work, loyalty, faithfulness, wisdom, being an elder, or an authority figure.

But we are never to show scorn or disdain because everyone is in God's image even if it is tarnished they have rights and dignity and worth as human beings. Learn to be civil and overlook someone's faults. Even criminals in America have rights. We must regard them that God finds pleasure in and show them worthy of our honor. We show respect in many ways including being polite, courteous, not even exploiting them, but giving people a break and the benefit of the doubt, and sometimes, it's as simple as showing gratitude and not taking advantage of them. Sometimes it is necessary to level with people or offer constructive criticism and speak the truth in love (cf. Eph. 4:15).

It can become problematic to respect and show patience with those who disagree with us, even in politics or doctrinal matters; there are gray areas and we must allow for differences of opinion or even conviction, realizing that the Great Commission is not to convert to our opinions or convictions but to Jesus--we don't preach a creed but a Person. Now, what is the difference between an opinion and a conviction? You hold opinions but convictions hold you! If you may be willing to die for it, it's probably a conviction. Respect a person's right to an opinion or conviction different from yours.

As far as doctrines go, or church dogma, there are major and minor doctrines affecting orthodox faith and then there's heresy. Don't be contentious or argumentative but patient, showing love with restraint and compassion if possible. There are doctrines that sincere believers beg to differ on. Don't major in the minors! Keep the main thing the main thing! If the issue affects salvation, it's orthodox and worth fighting for, but some disagreements are not worth the adrenaline and generate more heat than light. There were certain doctrines the Church Fathers defended and wrote apologetic books against denouncing heresy. We are to" "earnestly contend for the faith: (cf. Jude 3). Augustine quite appropriately said, "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity."

Respect shows understanding. Going hand in hand with knowing God is knowing ourselves. The Greeks of antiquity said, "Know thyself." This entails self-respect as the assumption. If we do find this out, the revelation will be that we'll realize the picture isn't a pretty one because we are all flawed creatures who have feet of clay or weaknesses that are not readily apparent.

For this reason, we must humbly judge our fellow man and say, "There but for the grace of God go I." (George Whitefield). Paul confessed similarly: "I am what I am by the grace of God." (cf. 1 Cor. 15:10). If we do judge someone, remember your sinfulness and their humanness. Give them a break! Remember: "There is, therefore, no condemnation for those who in Christ Jesus..." (cf. Romans 8:1). When we know ourselves and God, we can respect others who need God.

We are but a step from death and must acknowledge the grace God gives us that we take for granted. Our self-assessment should echo Paul's who saw himself as the chief of sinners and of John Bunyan who wrote his autobiography, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners. Reflecting on the fact that grace is getting what we do not deserve, cannot pay back, cannot earn, nor even improve upon! Only God knows the cost of our salvation that Jesus paid. None of us deserves our blessings. We are all the recipients of grace and good from God (cf. Psalm 149:5; James 1:17).

Another sign of respect and salvation is the inclination to forgive and not to be harsh in your judgments. We must forbear and forgive one another as the Lord forgave us (cf. Col 3:13). Remember that if we cannot show forgiveness and mercy to others we may not have experienced it ourselves. Once you've experienced it, you want to pass it on! Some people just need to learn a little respect!

In showing our love for our neighbor as is the second of the two greatest commandments, sometimes we must show love to the unlovely or the unloved, love can be difficult and God doesn't require a touchy-feely type of love but to demonstrate it with our deeds. Love can be tough! Anyone can tell someone they love them, but do they live it out? Don't let it be mere lip service. The Golden Rule comes to mind and this is the highest ethic ever offered; Jesus truly raised the bar and He actually lived it out. He practiced what He preached and preached what He practiced without duplicity. Soli Deo Gloria!