OT vs NOW

[Bravus]

Anyone who thinks everyone in heaven will be just like them is bound for disappointment.

[Woody]

Anyone who thinks everyone in heaven will be just like them is bound for disappointment.

Yeah. Who wants to be around a bunch of robots.

[phkrause]

Anyone who thinks everyone in heaven will be just like them is bound for disappointment.

Excellent point Bravus.

[CoAspen]

I can understand why some would say we have more responsibility today because of 'greater' understanding. But is it really true! Adam and Eve walked and talked with God. Abraham seems to have had a more direct 'contact' with God than us. I think we can find that those of the OT has as much a chance of 'understanding' as we do today. Disciples of Christ had 3 direct years with Christ, were they less responsible? The Bible says knowledge increases, but doesn't seem to say anything about that making any difference. What about the labors hired at the last minute vs those that worked all day? Treated the same with the same expectations.

I say everyone has the same responsibility regardless of the era.

[Woody]

thanks CoA ... and what would that responsibility be?

To accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour?

(which doesn't take a Rocket Scientist)

[John317]

Well then, I guess what Jesus prayed for (unity) as found in John 17 is impossible, huh John317 and Sky? Perhaps your type of heaven will have many different churches and denominations, each with their own belief...

It isn't necessary for everyone to agree on every detail. People come to the bible from various backgrounds and experiences, as well as with different motives and different preconceptions. The Holy Spirit doesn't over-rule people's wills and prejudices.

I am sue that even in heaven people will have different opinions and quite different personalities, but those differences won't keep people from loving each other.

I believe God does want Seventh-day Adventists to be united on fundamental teachings of the Bible, but there is room for growth and for diversity in viewpoints on many of the details.

There will be many many people from different denominations, including millionns of people who had been Roman Catholic and no doubt many also who had been Jehovah's Witnesses. I'm sure all of us will need to go to school there.

[CoAspen]

thanks CoA ... and what would that responsibility be?

To accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour?

(which doesn't take a Rocket Scientist)

Yep...best I can figure out!

[james423]

[quote name='John317 Any teacher of English knows this. If you give 30 students a poem or a story and ask them to write about what they believe the poem or the story is saying' date=' you will get almost as many different interpretaions as there are students.

[/quote']

Depends on the story.

James Brenneman

English teacher for 43 years

[John317]

Sure. I'm not saying that everything students say about a story or poem will be different, but I am saying it is not usual to have many different and conflicting interpretaions among the students about what they are reading. This is brought out particularly in the various critical approaches to literature, such as Reader Response.

[skyblue888]

Please let us not overlook the following statements:

"If you would gather everything that is good and holy and noble and lovely in man and then present the subject to the angels of God as acting a part in the salvation of the human soul or in merit, the proposition would be rejected as treason." F.W.24.

"In His divine arrangement, through unmerited favor, the Lord has ordained that good works shall be rewarded. We are accepted through Christ's merits alone; and the acts of of mercy, the deeds of charity, which we perform, are the fruits of faith; and they become a blessing to us, for men are to be rewarded according to their works. It is the fragrance of the merit of Christ that makes our good works acceptable to God, and it is grace that enables us to do the works for which He rewards us. Our works, in and of themselves have no merit. When we have done all that is possible for us to do, we are to count ourselves as unprofitable servants. We deserve no thanks from God. We have only done what it was our duty to do, and our works could not have been performed in the strength of our own sinful nature. The Lord has bidden us to draw night to Him and He will draw night to us; and drawning nigh to Him, we recieve the grace by which to do those works which will be rewarded at His hands." RH Jan 29,1895.

To my understanding, these two statements clarify once and for all the issue as to the relation between faith, merits, grace, works, and reward. Everything is there. Nothing is missing. All bases are covered. Works are the fruit of faith; faith lays right hold of the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour and thus grace is given to enable weak finite mortals to do the works for which God will reward them, as though they had done these very works themselves, but these good works do not play a part in the salvation of the soul! Only the merits of Christ will avail in our behalf.

So then, Who will be those who will walk through the everlasting gates? It will be those who, to this question, What right have you to the City? will answer, We have no right to the City whatsoever. We deserve no thanks from God. We are unprofitable servants. (Luke 17:10), we could not have done these good works in the strength of our own sinful natures. It was Christ, through His grace, who did everything; He accomplished everything, and if we walk through these gates, it will be solely on account of His all-sufficient merits which it is our priviliege to claim.

Then the Father will say, "Enter in, good and faithful servants. To you the gates are wide opened. And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, is given unto you." See Daniel 7:27.

sky

[skyblue888]

"John, while in vision, saw a company clothed in white robes... They were seen in the Temple of God. This will be the result for all who will lay hold of the merits of Christ and wash their robes in His blood." E.G. White, Our Father Cares, p.339.

"Lay hold by faith of the merits of Christ and the soul-cleansing blood will be applied." Faith and Works, p.94.

These two statements, put side by side, tell of the whole plan of salvation. By laying hold of the merits of Christ, daily, the Holy Spirit brings the righteousness of Christ into the life of the believing sinner and the soul is cleansed from sin and enabled to live the life of holiness. The virtue of the merits of Christ's blood is applied to his heart and he is greatly blessed. Appropriating the merits of Christ by faith insures both our title and fitness to Heaven.

"Although we have no merit in ourselves, in the great goodness and love of God we are rewarded as if the merit were our own. When we have done all the good we can possibly do, we are still unprofitable servants. We have done only what was our duty. What we have accomplished has been wrought solely through the grace of Christ, and no reward is due to us from God on the ground of our merit. But through the merit of our Savior, every promise that God has made will be fulfilled, and every man will be rewarded according to his deeds." RH, June 27, 1893 parg.15

sky

*How do we lay hold of the merits of Christ? By claiming them for "Jesus was treated as we deserve that we might be treated as He deserves." D.A.25.

That is living faith.