> General Discussions
Image of Christ
hillsbororiver:
--- Quote from: LittleBear on May 25, 2007, 08:10:29 AM ---
I'm just wondering, is it the actual money, beauty, social status that are the abominations in the sight of God, or is it the worship of them that is abominable to God?
--- End quote ---
Hi Ursula,
It is the worship of these idols of wealth, beauty & social status that is an abomination, anything that we love more than doing His will is a stumbling block and a dead end to spiritual growth in our journey. There is no moral superiority in being poor in and of itself, there are poor, ugly & homeless people out there just as wicked as the most selfish of the rich, beautiful & famous.
His Peace to you,
Joe
LittleBear:
Hi Joe,
That is a good point. I'm reminded of the rich young ruler who did not follow Jesus but stayed with his wealth instead. He had a choice to make, either give away all his riches, which were an idol in his heart, or give it up and follow the Lord. We all have that choice at various times in our lives; it may not be riches, but it will be SOMETHING that we so love that it becomes a stumbling block in our spiritual growth if we don't let it go.
This walk with God just gets more and more exciting!
Ursula
YellowStone:
Hi Ursula,
Thanks for a very insightful post. :)
(Your text in blue)
I would like to comment on the similar parallels between Christs life as a man, and our own. :)
It seems to me that Jesus came into the world stripped of all the things that are esteemed among men. I don't know if he was rich or not, but I wouldn't think so because wealth is revered in the world.
Not so dissimilar to how we came into the world; small, defenseless and naked. How many today are rich in the world? Wealth in material objects is itself not a sin; however, as Joe said, the love of such over God is. :)
Now we are learning that he did not have physical beauty and he suffered during his life. He was a perfect man living among fleshly, carnal, men. And he alone sought the things of His Father.
Did we really learn this? Are we confusing physical beauty with spiritual beauty? There is not one word in the Greek Scriptures that mention that Christ was ugly, deformed or handicapped. We are NOT told that the world scorned him because of His physical appearance, so to assume such is mere speculation.
However, we do know very well that the self-rightous scorned Jesus, because of the Spirit of Truth he was speaking. Surely, the indignant, so called "spirit of the world" leaders found Christs True Spiritual message UGLY and DEFORMED :)
1Cr 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
I will admit that I am very careful of whom I reveal the Spirit of Truth to; I hide the words and do not reveal them. Not so much because of fear for ridicule, but because I know that the "spirit of the world" would find the Truth ugly and would not see or understand.
Jhn 14:17 [Even] the Spirit of Truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
It is my belief that this fullfills spiritually, the following from Isaiah :)
Isa 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were [our] faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. :)
This is not saying that they hid their faces from Christ, but rather their hearts. :)
That too would have made him lonely and unpopular. He can certainly relate to our sufferings! This totally humbles me, because he went through this life and suffering, without complaining.
He was very unpopular with the "spirit of the world" leaders. His Truth, is still hated and despised by the same today, perhaps even more so? :)
Luk 6:22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you [from their company], and shall reproach [you], and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.
He is a true example for all of us when we go through afflictions because he went through all of them Himself, and He did it perfectly.
Is not the entire message of the Gospel of Christ for our TRUE Spiritual growth. I believe that the scorn, hatred and suffering was not because of his physical condition, because the world cannot hate its own.
Jhn 7:7 The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.
Jhn 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
Christ suffered for our Spiritual afflictions; were they not then and all the more so in the "spiritual world" today; cancerous, malnourished, half starved, ugly, deformed, crippled and all but dead? I think so! :D
Well this is at least how I see it.
Your brother in Christ,
Darren
hillsbororiver:
Hi Darren,
Where is it written that there were actually spiritual leaders during the time of Jesus?
He was the only One who was "spiritual." Everyone else was carnal! There were church/synagogue/religious leaders for sure, they worshipped the positions of worldly power, physical strengths, beauty and riches, they could see nothing else.
That is why they rejected Him, they were blind to the spiritual and focused on the physical.
Give us Barabbas!
His Peace to you,
Joe
YellowStone:
--- Quote from: hillsbororiver on May 25, 2007, 09:23:06 AM ---Hi Darren,
Where is it written that there were actually spiritual leaders during the time of Jesus?
He was the only One who was "spiritual." Everyone else was carnal! There were church/synagogue/religious leaders for sure, they worshipped the positions of worldly power, physical strengths, beauty and riches, they could see nothing else.
That is why they rejected Him, they were blind to the spiritual and focused on the physical.
Give us Barabbas!
His Peace to you,
Joe
--- End quote ---
Hi Joe,
I think you might have missed the words:
the indignant worldly, spiritual leaders
"spiritual world"
spiritual leaders of the world
This is in direct accordance to the words of Paul, regarding the "spirit of the world."
1Cr 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Do not the so called righteous leaders assume that they have a handle on all "spiritual" matters, yet is the the Spirit of Truth that has granted them such knowledge, or the carnal spirit of the world? :)
Thanks Joe,
Darren
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version