Christ is not the minister of sin, yet ...

[skyblue888]

God makes His sun shine on the good and on the bad alike. He makes the rain fall on the good and on the bad. Christ said, "I am the life."

Notice this amazing declaration from one who had received heavenly illumination:

"Not only is He the Originator of all but He is the life of everything that lives. It is His life that we receive in the sunshine, in the pure, sweet air, and in the food which builds up our bodies and sustains our strength. It is by His life that we exist, hour by hour, moment by moment. Except as perverted by sin, all His gifts tend to life, to health and joy." Education, p.197,198.

Therefore, "All created beings live by the will and power of God. They are recipients of the life of the Son of God." 1 S.M.301.

You have to agree with me that this is very little understood, let alone appreciated, even by those of us who profess to believe present truth. Even the rebellious live by the will and power of God for it is God through Christ by the Spirit who makes the heart to beat just as He makes the grass to grow, by His will and power. Yet He does not force anyone to exercise the faith that relies wholly upon the merits of the blood shed for us upon Calvary's cross in order to receive all the blessings of the Covenant of Grace made even before the foundation of the world when the Father promised His Son that He would receive all who should come to Him trusting wholly His divine and all-sufficent merits.

Some have asked: Does that mean that God empowers the evil deeds that men do?

Christ is the life of everything that lives. Even the atheist lives by the will and power of God, by the life of the Son of God for, "In Christ all things hold together." Col.1:17. "In Him we live and move and have our being." Acts 17:28.

Of course, God does not directly empower anyone to do evil but it is possible for any man to pervert the powers given him of God through Christ. Many are perverting the gifts of God without knowing it.

Another fair question to ask is: Do Lucifer and his evil angels have life in themselves apart from Jesus Christ? How could they live without the life of the Son of God? Christ is the life of everything that lives. No created being, good or evil, can live without Christ.

"In Him we live and move and have our being." Acts 17:28.

Another fair question is, Is Christ then the minister of sin?

No He is not the minister of sin. How could He be? But He says, "You have made Me to serve with your sins. You have wearied Me with your iniquities." Isaiah 43:24. (King James)

Christ bears all things and that means all things. He bears us with all our sinfulness and infirmities and sins for "In Him all things hold together." (Col.1:17)

This is part of the larger picture of the cross of Christ. His sufferings from the very first inception of sin are very little understood.

It is Christ who causes the blood to circulate. When we sin He does not stop making the heart to beat. Remember, He is the life of everything that lives. We enjoy the sin but it is disgusting to Him and yet He stays there and waits and waits bearing the curse of sin in us.

Here is a stupendous truth:

"The heaviest burden that we bear is the burden of sin. If we were left to bear this burden, it would crush us." D.A.328,329.

If we were left to bear it, we would immediately be crushed and die. Therefore, "Wherever there is sin, there is the Saviour," bearing it. See Education, p.113.

Wherever there is any curse, there is Christ, by His Spirit, bearing it, for no one or no thing in the universe can bear the curse and still live, except Him.

Your feedback, please, Thank you.

sky

"All created beings live by the will and power of God. They are recipients of the life of the Son of God." 1 S.M.301.

[Dr. Rich]

Not so fast with this. Humans have the freedom of choice as do the angels. This choice may not be by the will of Jesus or God. God will NEVER force anyone to do something that he has a free choice to do or not. This is one of the main reasons why Paul did not meet Jesus on the road to Damascas, as God would NEVER force one againts his will to do or not do something. (I am talking about evil people, not those who already made the choice to be God's servant.)

This is another reason why the words of the author of Romans 13 are error, because God does not set up the rulers in the world today. The ruler of this world right now is Satan.

It is a wrong understanding to believe that Christ is in control of ones life when He isn't. God did not help Cain, but told him that HE HIMSELF must over come sin. Has that changed? Nope!

This is the reason why many will be caught off guard when Jesus comes mistakenly believing that Jesus was controlling their lives, but Jesus will say to them that He neve knew them.

[Gibs]

Dr. Rich, Sky just made it clear we all are alive and remain living and I add, until the results of sin takes it toll, some perish quicker and sometimes the evil ones live long. All life is from Jesus Christ, from the lowest form to what was the highest, Satan.

Here is the account of Paul's encounter and Jesus didn't make him do anything, Paul was rudely awakened to what he had been doing and realized he had been persecuting His looked for Messiah,

Ac 9:3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:

Ac 9:4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?

Ac 9:5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

Ac 9:6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.

Ac 9:7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.

It would be great if Jesus would speak to you the same and convict you not to be pesecuting Paul whom He called.

I care not to keep hashing over this with you Dr. Rich as you can see I will not be changed and it don't appear you will be either.

Let the comments be on Sky's topic as this is not realized by all I am sure.

1Jo 4:4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

[miz3]

All things live when God says they live. We are also sustained moment to moment by His power as well.

Does it then follow that when something dies (ceases to live/exist) that God decides that as well since it would mean that God would have to remove the Life from the one who has so received it?

What does the Bible say about this?

[Gibs]

Ec 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

Is not the spirit the life?

Ge 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

1Jo 4:4 ¶ Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

[skyblue888]

spirit or Spirit?

[Gordon1]

Skyblue - spirit (7307-ruwach or 4151-pneuma) is rendered with upper or lower case S.

But without consistency to estabish Deity. Context does this.

[skyblue888]

Chose certaine, there is no such thing as the "spirit" of God as opposed to the "Spirit" of God.

[skyblue888]

From another forum, someone said, So you're saying God's presence is in everything, but yet He isnt everything?

Laura

__________

That's right Laura, there is a vast difference between the teaching of the Bible that God's presence is in everything (Jer.23:23: Rom.1:20; Col.1:17; Acts.17:28; Ps.137:9) and the pantheistic theory that everything is God.

In Selected Messages, Vol.1,42, we are told that as one passage of scripture explains another, so one statement from the Testimonies explains another.

"The Testimonies themselves will be the key that will explain the messages given, as scrïpture is explained by scrïpture."

Notice the following statements.

"Those who judge of God from His handiwork, and not from the suppositions of great men see His presence in everything."

In other words they see or discern, with the eyes of the understanding, the unseen, mighty Intelligence that is working in and through all.

"The heart not yet hardened by contact with evil is quick to recognize in nature the Presence that pervades all created things." Education,100.

In Ministry of Healing, p.416, we read, "Nature in her work testifies of the intelligent presence and active Agency of a Being who moves in all things according to His will."

These statements plainly show the relation that exists between nature and nature's God. Nature is not God and never was God, but through His Spirit, His immediate Agency, God is present everywhere, working in and through all, moving in all things according to His will.

Notice these words from the book Education, p.14:

"Whatever line of investigation we pursue, with a sincere purpose to arrive at truth, we are brought in touch with the unseen, mighty Intelligence that is working in and through all. The mind of man is brought into communion with the mind of God, the finite with the Infinite. The effect of such communion on body and mind and soul is beyond estimate."

If there is any doubt still, please compare these two statements:

"The only key to the mysteries that surround us is to acknowledge in them all the presence and power of God." D.A.606.

"The divine Spirit that the world's Redeemer promised to send is the presence and power of God." E.G. White, Signs of the Times, Nov.23, 1891.

Here is a practical example of what this means from Testimonies, Vol.8,326:

"Fathers and mothers, teach your children of the wonderful working power of God. His power is manifest in every plant, in every tree that bears fruit. Take the children into the garden and explain to them how He causes the seed to grow. The farmer plows his land and sows the seed, but he cannot make the seed grow. He must depend upon God to do that which no human power can do. The Lord puts His own Spirit into the seed, causing it to spring into life. Under His care the germ breaks through the case enclosing it and springs up to develop and bear fruit."

Now please go over all the other statements that are quoted in this post and you should be able to see, with the help of the Holy Spirit, who is the Teacher of God's people, the true relation between nature and nature's God.

Back to you and God bless,

sky