Kat
that was very well written, IMO. truely we need it proven to ourselves, individually, and to the all of humanity, collectively, just how evil evil is. We all need to learn, see and understand, in ways that will leave permanent deep lessons, unforgetable lessons, esperiential lessons, that we will NEVER want to be evil again. At this time in Gods working with us there is nothing more important than this that God wants to deeply deeply forever teach and internalize in us. And it is so important that it must be EXPERIENCED, not just given in theory.
The wages have to be REAL. The pain has to be REAL. The effort has to be REAL. The consequences have to be REAL. Not part way. Not just half way. No full throttle, full bore. The depth of evil and height of goodness MUST be experienced to be learned.
We must also LEARN to LOVE righteousness and HATE HATE wickedness. HATE it. So here we are born, our very start in life, into loving sin, loving wickedness, because it so resonates with our inner beast, our selfish carnal nature. IT TAKES A LOT FOR US TO ABANDON THIS INNER SELFISH SOMETIMES SECRET LOVE OF WICKEDNESS. Secret because we love it so much we hardly bring it to our conscious mind and admit it to ourselves that we don't want to change, we want to persist in this way. So the temperature of the fire of consequence that we must feel, the flames, must hurt, to get out attention, and to make us ponder and weigh...
So along the way, the HIGHER things, mercy, forgiveness, grace, sacrifice, courage, fidelity, perseverance, patience, kindness, long suffering, and on and on, all these virtues, can be understood... and FINALLY DESIRED, MORE than selfishness. More than sin. More than getting our own way. More than being our own god. Making our own rules and doing what we want to do. Being our own judge and standard.
We must admit that us sinful beings DO NOT deserve immortality. The wages truly are death. When we are good and ready, when God has decided the workmanship in Christ Jesus is complete, we can be given immortality, as He gives us His Divine nature. Then yes, we can live forever. No one in the unthanktful, murderous, lying, carnal, backbiting, jealous, envious, stealing, hateful, prideful, arrogant, self serving state of carnality deserves or is entitled to anything but to the shortest probationary physical existence followed by DEATH. Thank God that through Jesus we can be rescued from the body of sin, this carnal nature, and learn to love the things and ways of God, FAR MORE than the lusts of the flesh and the pride of life, and then, through Christ, forgiven and sanctified and renewed, be remade into His glorious ways.
It has to hurt. It has to be very very real. And the beauty of all the virtues, and the beauty and greatness of unselfish pure love can be CONTRASTED with overwhelming victory over the self love of the carnal beast. There is nothing about the carnal beast that is praiseworthy, or needs to be retained. It is apt and correct that any carnal beast must feel pain and suffering commensurate with what the carnal beast is. I do not find it hard to understand at all. I just find that the pain of it is and can be, mind blowing, to be one who wants to be earthly, carnal, and selfish. So be it. Let God pour out His wrath to change us.