EGW Desire of Ages big picture

[GayatfootofCross]

8 hours ago, Sauliga said:

 

. God is love, it is his nature

Yes thank you for saying that, Sauliga.

His very Being!

 

I accept that LOVE with all my heart.

It is the only thing that drives me and been healing me in the most beautiful ways.

GOD/Love is patient,
GOD/Love is kind.
GOD/Love does not envy,
GOD/Love does not boast,
GOD/Love is not proud.
GOD/Love does not dishonor others,
GOD/Love does not insist on His own way,
GOD/Love is not easily angered,
GOD/Love keeps no record of wrongs.
GOD/Love does not delight in evil but
GOD/Love rejoices with the truth.
GOD/Love always protects,
GOD/Love always trusts,
GOD/Love always hopes,
GOD/Love always perseveres,
GOD/Love never fails.

We find these are the fruits of His children.

Reflecting GOD.

as i said ..Follow the fruit!

 

[Sauliga]

4 hours ago, GayatfootofCross said:

Hello. The truth is Jesus( The Way The Truth and the Light) and He said " By their fruit you shall know them" !   HE   is    serious!

Rejoice!

And Welcome to the forum!

The truth is certainly Jesus. Follow him. The fruit is the manifestation of trust in him

[GayatfootofCross]

1 minute ago, Sauliga said:

The truth is certainly Jesus. Follow him. The fruit is the manifestation of trust in him

yes

[Sauliga]

1 minute ago, GayatfootofCross said:

yes

Amen. But the point I was trying to make is that some so called followers of Christ would be bearing fruits that the not authentic..."as having a form of Godliness" Following such may not be a good idea..

 

[GayatfootofCross]

22 minutes ago, Sauliga said:

Amen. But the point I was trying to make is that some so called followers of Christ would be bearing fruits that the not authentic..."as having a form of Godliness" Following such may not be a good idea..

 

Understood.

My impression of the "form of godliness" was what the Pharisees had.

and of course others

( lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

³ Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

⁴ Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

⁵ Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.)

 

I dont know how love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control can be faked. That is why Paul says to look for them and Jesus said we will know them by their fruits..

But online we only have kindness and gentleness to convey and maybe a lil self control.

Finding people online who don't judge and insult and go by their own evil surmisings of others and express them is a breath of fresh air in today's social media world.

And when it is found online in a christian forum ..you can relax and form relationships that help to get to know them better.

[Sauliga]

1 minute ago, GayatfootofCross said:

Understood.

My impression of the "form of godliness" was what the Pharisees had.

and of course others

( lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

³ Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

⁴ Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

⁵ Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.)

 

I dont know how love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control can be faked. That is why Paul says to look for them and Jesus said we will know them by their fruits..

But online we only have kindness and gentleness to convey and maybe a lil self control.

Finding people online who don't judge and insult and go by their own evil surmisings of others and express them is a breath of fresh air in today's social media world.

And when it is found ..you can relax and form relationships that help to get to know them better.

Amen

[ucantblost]

well i'm recovered. I've been bed/couch bound for about 7 days with a slamdunk flu!  my family thinks our 3year old gave it, but he was not that sick at all, just a fever and sniffles. ANd you wouldnt know it from is activity level. I was knocked out. So, to continue , in response to wonderer about if i think EGW should have said it differently, i think she put it down like she understood it. "By coming to this earth Christ was to REVEAL GOD to man AND TO ANGELS.''  That statement is so inviting to me, WHAT about God needed to be revealed to the Angels? But, then she goes on to list Gods characteristics of mercy, gracious, longsuffering, goodness, truth, but then adds ''our little world is the lesson book of the universe. The mystery of redeeming love is is the theme into which angels desire to look.''  So, in this one page, she presents the idea that if Christ had not become a human, on earth, the entire universe of angels, both loyal to God and loyal to Lucifer would have been in the dark concerning Gods character. And that darkness would keep them in a state of wonderment about God, not sure who was right Lucifer or Jesus. Remember the other Statemnt about ''the angels would never be safe against apostasy without Jesus death on the cross."  So, these couple of statements , to begin with, have opened my mind to the reality that the death of Christ was a necessity for the protection the cosmos against apostasy. And that concept opens the window , for me, that everyone even before their creation/birth  was in danger of apostasy. Before Lucifer began to respond to the Pride that developed in his mind which led to challenging of Gods government etc. the entire cosmos of angels and created beings were in danger of rebellion and apostasy. This is the bigger picture i've been shown. Before Lucifer sinned, before Adam sinned, THE CROSS was an absolute must. I need to take a rest, getting dizzzzzzy.  God bless .

[JoeMo]

If I undestand Sauliga's explanation of universalism, I THINK he (or she) means that Christ made salvation available to all men - no that Jesus already saved all men. If that's the case, another way of saying it is "the wonder of the gospel is not that we can now take Jesus in our hearts; but that he has already taken us into His heart".

[GayatfootofCross]

1 hour ago, The Wanderer said:

I was not sure if the posts concerned were about "Universalism" I guess we have to wait until the source gives us an explanation. I do know that "Universalism" is different things to different people, much like "Adventism" is to some.

In my posts, I was trying to flesh it out a little and include the wider context of the page from DA that has been mentioned. It did seem as though the OP was taking a critical stance, or an antagonistic approach to the way that page was written. I actually dont know yet what to conclude in this topic. 

We all see things differently.

 

[ucantblost]

i came across this picture of God and the Pharaoh in the Egypt exodus event. In PP239  Speaking of Pharoaoh she states this: "Though this haughty tyrant had by his crimes forfeited the merccy of God, yet his life had been preserved that through his stubbornnessthe Lord might manifest his wonders in the land of Egypt. ......He could have placed upon the throne a more merciful king, who would not have dared to withstand the mighty manifestations of divine power. But in that case the Lords purposes would not have been accomplished. "  The BIGGER PICTURE ?  God allowed, or even assisted in, the suffering of His chosen people, when He could have prevented all of it. But, ''in that case the Lords purposes would not have been accomplished."   Isnt this enlightening? much like the words of Jesus to Judas ''it's for this hour i came to this earth.''   God works in very very very mysterious ways. I would imagine the children of isarel were telling Moses to 'shut up!'    everytime he opened his mouth to Pharaoh the king made life more unbearable for them. And the whole time it's was Gods 'plan'. All part of a much grander plan than man was able to comprehend. 

[ucantblost]

It seemed to tie in with Jesus' final words to Judas ''it's for this hour i came into the world''. With the actions of God in the desert, purposely making sure the bad Pharaoh  was in charge so that 'his purposes' could be accomplished,  i see a 'big picture'  that looks as tho 'suffering' by Gods followers and by God Himself is a necessity for the salvation of the cosmos, and that cosmos includes every single creature. Ok, here is another interesting picture. In DA p. 57;  ''Having undertaken our redemption, He will spare nothing, however dear, which is necessary to the completion of His work. No truth essential to our salvation is withheld, no miracle of mercy is neglected, no DIVINE AGENCY is left unemployed. Favor is heaped upon favor, gift upon gift. The whole treasure of heaven is open to those He seeks to save."  What God brought to my attention was ''He will spare nothing...which is necessary to the completion of His work''(of saving man). ANd then one of those things He didnt spare would be ''no divine agency''.  So, God 'spared no divine agency that would have been necessary to accomplish mans salvation''. NO DIVINE AGENCY?   Then God brought my mind to Matthew 11:  ^'''Then Jesus began to denounce the towns in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. ²¹ “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.²² But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. ²³ And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted to the heavens? No, you will go down to Hades.^[e] For if the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. ²⁴ But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.”  So, Jesus makes it very clear that if the inhabitants of Sodom had seen the miricles done in Capernaum, THEY WOULD HAVE ALSO (repented in sackcloth and ashes) REMAINED TO THIS DAY".   So, why , if God has 'spared nothing....no divine agency' didnt Jesus become a human in Sodoms day and do His miricles in that city to save them? since thats all they were lacking to repent?  But according to Jesus He was not there and that is why they did not ''remain'' to the present time. EGW said clearly ''GOd has spared nothing...no DIVINE AGENCY...needed to save mankind''.  This tells me that one day, for both statements to be true, the Sodomites (and everyone for that matter) and the Tyre and sidonites, WILL SEE JESUS and watch the great panorama of Jesus' doing His miricles, and THEN they will all repent,,,from the heart. BIG PICTURE! salvation for all.  peace and love.

[ucantblost]

This is life eternal, that they might KNOW THEE the only true God.  Did Lucifer KNOW God? Obviously not, and again thats why Jesus came to earth according to DA p.1,  ''to reveal God both to man and angels''. But, EGW in DAp115 chapter ''the temptation''  says  this; "That the Son of God should come to this earth as a man filled him with amazement and with apprehension. He COULD NOT FATHOM the mystery of this great sacrifice. His selfish soul could not understand such love for the deceived race."  See that? Lucifer could not ''fathom'' such a great mystery as God becoming a man, and ''such love' for a ''decieved race''.   IF Lucifer 'knew' God, he would have  UNDERSTOOD how God could have become a sacrifice for man, but he scratched his head in wonderment, and probably thought things like ''what in the world is He doing??"  This is why Lucifer needs Jesus just as much as Adam and all of us, Lucifer needed his eyes opened to the truth, as did alll the angels and inhabitants of the cosmos. BIG PICTURE!  love peace and joy.

[ucantblost]

Here is one of my favorites from DA. chapter ''the baptism'', p112-113.while Jeuss was in the water "He pleads with the Father for the power to overcome their unbelief, to break the fetters with which Satan has enthralled them, and IN THEIR BEHALF TO CONQUER THE DESTROYER. He asks for the witness that God accepts humanity in the person of His Son."   See that??? He asks for Power to conquer the destroyer IN OUR BEHALF!  Ever given to a charity for xmas and a friend got the credit? ''in your behalf a donation......" /   I've done it and i've recieved it. I got the credit even tho my friend gave the donation. I GOT THE CREDIT!  and didnt move a finger to EARN it. So it continues; ''The Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all....And the word that was spoken to Jesus at the Jordan, 'THIS IS MY BELOVED SON, IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED' embraces HUMANITY. With all our sins and weaknesses we are not cast aside as worthless. He HATH MADE US ACCEPTED in the Beloved.''.  Amazing?   All of humanity!  'accepted as Gods BELOVED SON!!!  and remember there were 4 thousands years of dead sinners when God exclaimed this! Most of mankind was in the dirt, dead!  But, at the Jordan they all became BELOVED SONS of God !  this is so exciting to me.   what a HUGE picture this paints.

[ucantblost]

in DA p690, "Gethsemane''.,  ''Turning away Jesus sought again His retreat, and fell prostrate, overcome by the horror of the great darkness. ....He prayed not now for His disciples that their faith might not fail, but for His own tempted, agonized soul. The awful moment had come----that moment which was to DECIDE THE DESTINY OF THEO WORLD. THE FATE OF HUMANITY TREMBLED IN THE BALANCE. Christ might now refuse to drink the cup apportioned to guilty man. It was not too late. He might wipe the bloody sweat from His brow, and LEAVE MAN TO PERISH in his iniquity. He might say LET THE TRANSGRESSOR RECEIVE THE PENALTY OF HIS SIN, and I WILL GO BACK TO MY FATHER.....He sees that the transgressors of the law, IF LEFT TO THEMSELVES MUST PERISH. He sees the helplessness of man.....His decision is made. HE WILL SAVE MAN(mankind) AT ANY COST TO HIMSELF.....He left the courts of heaven...to SAVE THAT ONE LOST SHEEP, THE ONE WORLD THAT HAS FALLEN BY TRANSGRESSION.....HE WILL BECOME THE PROPITIATION OF A RACE that has willed to sin."   BIG PICTURE ! ! !   Jesus, in that garden, SAVED THE HUMAN RACE!   and remember , at this moment 4000 years of 'humanity' was in the ground, about 80 years worth was still standing. HE SAVED MANKIND!   what an unbelievable act!