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...or overcoming.

pretty loaded day... those animal cracker celebrations tip the scale...

See: http://spectrummagazine.org/article/2017/04/16/border-angels-celebrate-easter-hiding-water-migrants

In Romans 7, Paul is speaking of this conundrum. He WANTS to change His ways [repent] - but finds it impossible. Why would this be true, IF (as Samie contends) Paul was already "in Christ" and "saved" the moment he was born? CJB Romans 7:15 "I don't understand my own behavior - I don't do what I want to do; instead, I do the very thing I hate! 16 Now if I am doing what I don't want to do, I am agreeing that the Torah is good. 17 But now it is no longer "the real me" doing it, but the sin housed inside me. 18 For I know that there is nothing good housed inside me - that is, inside my old nature. I can want what is good, but I can't do it! 19 For I don't do the good I want; instead, the evil that I don't want is what I do! 20 But if I am doing what "the real me" doesn't want, it is no longer "the real me" doing it but the sin housed inside me. 21 So I find it to be the rule, a kind of perverse "torah," that although I want to do what is good, evil is right there with me! 22 For in my inner self I completely agree with God's Torah; 23 but in my various parts, I see a different "torah," one that battles with the Torah in my mind and makes me a prisoner of sin's "torah," which is operating in my various parts." Do we repent [change our ways] FIRST? Or do we believe in Christ FIRST, and THEN - Christ changes us? I believe the latter. Those who logically come to see that evil is NOT good, also come to a place of great frustration BECAUSE they cannot BE GOOD. They may try many different "remedies" - which then fail them. IF they come to know Christ, ONLY THEN do they find the transformation and "goodness" that they seek for themselves. IMO - Those who believe we must "be good" (repent) in order to be "forgiven" are looking at this from a legal perspective. Jesus paid a price (presumably to God, or to "the Law") so that humans could "be forgiven" by God. Those who believe we cannot "be good" until we ARE "forgiven", are ALSO looking at things from a legal perspective. Jesus paid a price, therefore God has "forgiven" all sins. Samie says men CANNOT BELIEVE until they are FIRST "forgiven", therefore God must have forgiven, because men can believe. IMO: God has not treated mankind as He could justly and legally have done. He could have left us to stew in our own hatreds until we slowly died and passed out of existence. Rather He has treated us as a loving father who just wants to win us back to a trusting, respectful relationship. He did this because He loves us - yes. But He did this BECAUSE we were deceived - by the Evil One. It was NOT OUR FAULT that we were born into a war zone, between super spirit powers. Does this mean that God the Father HAS FORGIVEN us? What does it MEAN - to "forgive" ? Oxford University says it means "to excuse" and "to stop feeling angry towards someone who has wronged you". Strong's equates the word "forgive" with the word "pardon". No "punishment" or "revenge" will be exacted upon the one who wronged another, or broke the law BY the one wronged. First: God never "felt" angry towards us - just hurt. Second: We all experience the "punishment" demanded by God's Law - death. God WANTS to give us "life", but only His indwelling spirit can do THAT, and we must open the door to THAT. IMO: Believing is OUR PART. Believing is our RESPONSE to God's pleading spirit. Christ's suffering death is the EVIDENCE God uses to convince us that He loves us, and we can "return home". God will NOT do the believing FOR US. This is the crunch point - the linchpin - in the whole process. This is the opening of the heart to the spirit of Christ. Christ will NOT pry open the door!!! He just knocks. I am looking at things from a trust perspective. Jesus paid a price (did what it took) so that men (hearing about the price He paid) could believe in God, and trust Him. THEN they will open their hearts. And THEN they can be healed. This still leaves men the FREE-WILL option NOT to believe, NOT to open their hearts, and NOT to be healed/empowered. So I do NOT believe the forgiveness comes BEFORE the believing. Forgiveness IS healing, and we cannot be healed UNTIL we open our heart to the Spirit of Life. Matthew 9:2 Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you." (Mat 9:2 NKJ) Matthew 9:5 "For which is easier, to say,`Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say,`Arise and walk '? 6 "But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"-- then He said to the paralytic, "Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house."