> General Discussions
fairness
Deborah-Leigh:
Hello Sean,
To compare ourselves to each other or to others in the millennium, is very dangerous. Why do it? Why is it so important to anyone to know why God gives more to others? Or has predestined some for the millennium and others not? If we really want to know why we see God as unfair then look at this.
The parable of the worker in the vineyard Mat 20 tells us that some workers worked the whole day and others only a hour and they all got the same payment. To this Jesus said vs 15. Am I not permitted to do what I choose with what is mine? Or do you begrudge my being generous? Is your eye evil because I do good?
If we compare ourselves with others, envy can set in and envy can disqualify us from our reward. Envy is not of the Spirit of Christ. It is pride and envy that will cause us to see unfairness or comparisons before God reveals to us His wisdom and His plan. Paul understood this plainly. He knew not to make comparisons.
2 Cor 10 : 12 Not that we have the audacity to venture to class or even to compare ourselves with some who exalt and furnish testimonials for themselves: However, when they measure themselves with themselves and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding and behave unwisely.
Our comparison should be of Christ and Him alone and not someone else. If we are experiencing God as being unfair this should signal that God is at best, working in us to develop patience in our realization that we are not understanding God, and trust in Him as we realize that we fail to see His Wisdom. It is wise to see that if we give up and accept in our mind that God is unfair, this error sets us up for a major fall and chastisement. Rather accept that you do not see or know and are waiting on God to show you what you need to know and understand. Receive the encouragement from others who do see and do understand and are willing to encourage you through spending time and effort to edify and lift you up. Ray spends 80 hours per week in making available the truths of God. What we do is also precious in the sight of God as it is prepared by Him that we should walk in good works as He gives us the experience of reaching out to help and support each other as we see our need for encouragement, edification or exhortation. You see, our few hours spent in Bible Truths may even be more valuable to God than Ray’s 80 hours. What is important is, we do not know. Only God does.
In John 21 : 22 consider this…. it only when Peter sees John and takes his eyes off Christ, then his questions of comparison arise. Peter is having an intimate conversation with Christ one on one. As soon as Peter saw John, his mind went into the wrong direction because then, instead of his focus on Jesus, his focus went to the relationship with Jesus and John that had nothing to do with him. When challenged by Peter about the relationship Christ had with John, Jesus answered, “ If I want him to stay till I come, what is that to you. What concern is it of yours. You follow me. “ Jesus repeated the question, “what concern is it of yours” twice to emphasise His point.
What is it to us if God gave one talent to a person and five to another? If we are humble enough this will not bother us at all. If not, we will have an issue with the appearance of being short changed or marginalized and put down while others are exalted. If we have this as our understanding of God then we are on dangerous ground and may even become like the steward who eventually said he had heard that God was not fair so he in fear, hid his talent. The result was not too pleasant for that steward. It is easy to slip into disagreement and then get into the high ground of thinking that God is not fair and that we are more fair than God. It is tempting and it is pitted full of error, pride and arrogance.
Luke 14 : 11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
For me this means that some of us are led to become so abased that just to be called son or daughter will be enough for us to celebrate the better place that our brothers and sisters are predestined to receive. So what if Ray gets to sit with Jesus on His Throne and I am at the back of the crowd or up a tree because I am too short in spiritual stature?. As long as I am in! so what if I be the least in His Kingdom as long as it is HIS Kingdom I am in. So what if I am not in the New Millennium (I would like to be and ask God to be in accord with His will not mine.) I know this for sure that those who will be chosen to reign with Christ will have gone through things that would make me plough into the ditch of life’s pity party and give up way before they do and so good for them. I will trust God and His will and will not ask in my understanding for what I want but for what God wants which is to line me up to His will for me not mine. I cannot trust me. I can trust God.
Right now it is good enough to know that I will not be lost neither will I perish forever and I will be saved. As He gives me to submit to His Sovereignty He causes me to be thankful for the little I know so far that is entrusted to my care. I do not want what I know so far to be taken from me so I am sharing what I see with you as have others in this Forum. Just imagine where we would be if Ray had decided not to share freely what God has shown to him! …but that is comparing in a positive way to the joy of the Lord and not to the questioning Gods faithfulness of lack of it.! God may withhold understanding on this issue because he may be preparing you in patience, submission and abasement into knowing that there is nothing you can do to figure God out. His Spirit alone is what makes anyone understand anything.
God alone can show that there is no place for pride of place in His Kingdom. God as revealed in the LOF, also the beast within and the Myths of Free will teachings and insights that He may open up your mind with new understanding in the area you are questioning and seeking clarity on. I can assure that God sees your efforts, knows your heart and mind and He alone will show you what He needs you to know and not necessarily when you need to know it. Now that may sound very unfair. I really hope it doesn’t though….
Peace to you
Arcturus :)
Chris R:
Hello,
Rom 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Why all the heartache?..disease, poverty, murder, hate, lusts, greed, war, rape, to name just a few?
Why not just create man oblivious to these things?.... why not just create man a spiritual being in the first place?....BECAUSE... there is a reason for these things...It is this contrast that is "creating" us in the very image of God. To know Good from Evil.
Futher along we will all understand , as we are all taught Righteousness.
This is WHY we wait for the manifistations of the sons of God....TO TEACH US!
For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time not worthy with the glory which shall be Revealed IN us For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. Rom 8:18-19
Peace
Chris R
Kat:
Hi Sean,
I have come up with this analogy that may help you, but see what you think.
Lets say I love hats, so I am a hat collector.
And I have collected many of a vast array of hats, of different kinds and styles and colors.
Now lets say I wear a hat everyday.
I have everyday hats and hats for special occassions. I have hats that are comfortable, that I wear frequently and others I don't wear at all.
I know you can see what I am getting at :)
None of these hats are responsible for how they were made or what they look like or what purpose they serve.
It is not up to them at all, which one I choose to wear for any given occassion.
And they can not make themselves into something different than they are, so some of them get used a lot and serve a very useful purpose, but others are not used at all, but I still like them all the same.
If I went on a trip I would take the ones that work best for me on the trip, the other would be left behind, but I would not forget about them, and I would return to them also.
Those not taken with me are still a valued part of my collection, but not needed at that time.
Well what do you think of my analogy ;D
Of course it is not exactly a fitting analogy, but if you see what I mean, it is not a question of fairness.
This came into my head, so I decided to share it with you.
mercy, peace, and love
Kat
rrammfcitktturjsp:
Gena,
I have to second your POV[point of view] on this thread. I was being compelled to post a similar remark becuase this premise of this thread was unsettling to me.
I am glad that you can stand up for your beliefs and do it in a loving manner. Kudos to you. I thought that my POV would not have stood for much since I have just one little star LOL. [Again those dang stars haunt me LOL].
Sincerely,
Anne C. McGuire
jerry:
Who says god has to be fair in our eyes anyway,like the parable says,cant the land owner do what he wants with his own money,so if God has created us for a certain perpose in the heavnly kingdom it is very fair,someone always has to be first and somone always has to be last,would it be fair to put a persom in a position they wernt created for?but then again maybe the last truely are first and the first last,I trust that God knows what He's doing with his property..............jerry
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