Bittersweet Refinements: Chapter XXI

Chapter XXI

Law and Disorder

For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one {point,} he has become guilty of all. [James 2:10 NAS]

No, it is not at all true that we are really nothing more than puppets on our Heavenly Father’s string.  For how could we be found guilty of breaking His Law if it was not by our own actions that it was broken [Colossians 3:25]?

Nonetheless, it would not be all that far-fetched to think of the reality of our situation in this world as having been given enough rope to hang ourselves [Romans 7:14-25].  That is, at least not from our own very limited ground-based points of view [Colossians 3:2].  For our Heavenly Father could have created us just as invulnerable to the temptations of sin as He absolutely is [James 1:13-15].

On the other hand, it would be better if we did not think in such a way as that, of course.  For it is written: For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God {did:} sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and {as an offering} for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. [Romans 8:3-4 NAS]

Is this to say that our Heavenly Father’s Law failed to meet its objective?  MAY IT NEVER BE!  For it is also written: So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men.  For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.  The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. [Romans 5:18-21 NAS]

In other words, we (as in regards to all of mankind) have been in need of a Savior ever since sin entered into this world through the disobedience of Adam in the Garden of Eden [Genesis 3:1-15], but before the Law was given through Moses [John 1:17], sin was not generally taken into account as being unlawful by mankind [Romans 5:12-14].  Therefore, the Law was given in order to make it easier for us to see just how desperately in need of a Savior we naturally are [1 Timothy 1:8-11].

Yes, much of that certainly appears to support the notion that we are all born into sin, but be assured that to believe in such a way as this is to miss the point.  For being physically born into a world full of sin is not the same as to be born sinful [Ezekiel 18:20]!

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Bittersweet Refinements: Chapter XX

The following is a rewritten chapter from Bittersweet Refinements.  If you would like to read the entire book, from start to finish and in the proper order, please go [here].

Chapter XX

Command and Control

For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he

may have mercy on them all. [Romans 11:32 NIV]

I like to refer to them as being “eye-poppers.”  For when I “find” [Isaiah 65:1-2] such a verse, it feels like my eyes are about to pop out of their sockets.

Romans 11:32 is such a verse.  For it serves as written confirmation of the absolute truth of the matter truly being that we are not nearly as free to do as we like as what we have been so strongly encouraged to believe [Proverbs 16:33].

Alas, is it not any wonder that seldom a sermon is heard that is based upon the verse?  For hearing it preached that our Heavenly Father is the reason why none of us can really be good in and of ourselves is not something that far too many want to hear [2 Timothy 4:2-4].

Yes, many would argue that the main reason why there are not that many sermons based upon Romans 11:32 is because it represents old news.  For it is already well established that all are born into sin [Romans 3:23], and it has been widely taught that Romans 11:32 speaks to that.

Ah, but for that to be true, Ezekiel 18:20 would have to be false.  For it is written: The soul who sins is the one who will die. The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will the father share the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous man will be credited to him, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him. [Ezekiel 18:20 NIV]

No, this is not to deny that all have sinned.  For it is also written: There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins. [Ecclesiastes 7:20 NIV]

Nonetheless, let it be widely known and well understood that what Romans 11:32 is really addressing is something much more personal.  For it is the same today as it was during the days of the Prophet Ezekiel: For every living soul belongs to me, the father as well as the son--both alike belong to me. The soul who sins is the one who will die. [Ezekiel 18:4 NIV]

Yes, since none of us would purposely subject ourselves to all that our Heavenly Father truly has [Romans 8:20], it is naturally inconceivable that the Creator of us all would.  For who from amongst us would allow something that they had created for their own good pleasure [Philippians 2:13] to continue to fail to meet their expectations if there was anything that they could do about it?  After all, would it not be preferable to just destroy it and start all over rather than leave it as a reminder of a miserable failure?  That is, unless it did not mean all that much to them in the first-place, of course.

No, that is not something that applies to our Heavenly Father.  For it is written: “Therefore, O house of Israel, I will judge you, each one according to his ways, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall.  Rid yourselves of all the offenses you have committed, and get a new heart and a new spirit. Why will you die, O house of Israel?  For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!” [Ezekiel 18:30-32 NIV]

Neither should it be assumed that it must be that there is nothing that He can do about our inherent unrighteousness.  For it is also written: “If he snatches away, who can stop him?  Who can say to him, ‘What are you doing?’” [Job 9:12 NIV]

Yes, there are many who would point to a discussion between our Heavenly Father and Moses as being an indication of why we are still around.  For it is written: "I have seen these people," the LORD said to Moses, "and they are a stiff-necked people.  Now leave me alone so that my anger may burn against them and that I may destroy them. Then I will make you into a great nation."  But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God. "O LORD," he said, "why should your anger burn against your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?  Why should the Egyptians say, `It was with evil intent that he brought them out, to kill them in the mountains and to wipe them off the face of the earth'? Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people.  Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: `I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever.' "  Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened. [Exodus 32:9-14 NIV]

Be assured that they do have a point.  For it is because of the promise given to us all that we have hope [Galatians 3:26-29].

Nonetheless, do not take too much stock in the premise that it is because of our Heavenly Father not wanting to appear unrighteous in the eyes of His enemies that is the real reason for why we still exist.  For both the deceiver and the deceived are His to do with as He likes [Job 12:16].

Yes, it is the very definition of bittersweet, but unless we are willing to conclude that our Heavenly Father must not be all that He actually says that He absolutely is, it must be accepted that even our sinfulness is by design [Colossians 1:16-17].  For who could do anything against His will if He truly is all-powerful [Psalms 33:6-11]?  Moreover, would He not know all about the deed to be done even before it came to mind if He is truly all-knowing [Psalms 94:11], and would He not actually be there at the very moment that it came to pass if He is truly always-present [Psalms 139:1-16]?

No, this is not to say that we were created to sin.  For the absolute truth of the matter truly is that we were created without the ability not to sin [Proverbs 20:9].

Yes, there is a big difference between the two, but what does it really matter if it cannot be accepted that our Heavenly Father truly is perfect in all of His most awesome ways [Psalms 18:30-32]?  For it may very well be that the Apostle Paul really was out of his mind [2 Corinthians 11:16-29] to place into writing the rest of the story to Romans 11:32: Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!  "Who has known the mind of the Lord?  Or who has been his counselor?"  "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?"  For from him and through him and to him are all things.  To him be the glory forever!  Amen. [Romans 11:33-36 NIV]

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Bittersweet Refinements: Chapter XIX

The following is a rewritten chapter from Bittersweet Refinements.  If you would like to read the entire book, from start to finish and in the proper order, please go [here].

Chapter XIX

The Freedom to Choose

And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. [Joshua 24:15 AMP]

Yes, we do have a certain amount of what is commonly referred to as being “freewill.”  For we could not be of any true and lasting value unto our Heavenly Father without it [Ephesians 5:22-32].

It is, however, extremely limited.  In fact, it is only in regards to the choice that we are given to make about wanting to fully accept our Heavenly Father as truly being our own Heavenly Father that we can be confident of there not being any divine intervention involved [John 1:12-13].

No, this is not to say that we are all on our own in this.  For no one can come to our Heavenly Father except through His only begotten Son [John 14:6], and no one can come to His only begotten Son unless our Heavenly Father draws them [John 6:44].

Yes, it would appear that not all are given a choice in the matter.  That is, of course, unless you are of the opinion that all who fail to reach their own age of accountability before their own time as a part of this world comes to an end, such as aborted babies, never really counted in the first place.

No, it has not been revealed to me just exactly how it will work in our Heavenly Father’s Kingdom Of Heaven.  For that is on a strictly need to know basis [2 Corinthians 12:4], and I obviously do not need to know—albeit only at this time [John 20:29].  For if I did need to know, it would have been already revealed to me [2 Peter 1:3].

Anyway, what I do know is that it will be as it should be in the end [Romans 8:18-21].  For no one will be forced to spend all of eternity with our Heavenly Father in His Kingdom Of Heaven as an heir to all that is His in glory against their will [John 6:66-67].

Yes, there are many who insist that none of us are given any choice in the matter at all.  This is, of course, a result of unbridled Calvinism in the extreme.

No, it is not that they do not have any Scriptures to point to.  For it is written: The Lord has made everything [to accommodate itself and contribute] to its own end {and} His own purpose--even the wicked [are fitted for their role] for the day of calamity {and} evil. [Proverbs 16:4 AMP]

The ninth chapter of Romans appears to make it all the more clear that our Heavenly Father creates some for glory and all of the rest for destruction, but I would think that most (if not all) would want to believe that the parts that appear to be saying such are meant to be rhetorical in nature.  For who in their right-mind [1 Corinthians 2:6-16] would want to spend all of eternity with someone so cruel?  After all, what would there be to prevent Him from changing His mind about even the elect [Matthew 24:21-31] somewhere down the line if so many of us are of no concern to Him [Job 34:12-15]?

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Bittersweet Refinements: Chapter XVIII

The following is a rewritten chapter from Bittersweet Refinements.  If you would like to read the entire book, from start to finish and in the proper order, please go [here].

Chapter XVIII

Contractual Obligations

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.  I and the Father are one.” [John 10:27-30 NIV]

No, there is no reason to worry about being stolen from our Heavenly Father’s pen, but this is not to say that the gate is kept closed [John 10:9].  For it would not fulfill our Heavenly Father’s purposes to force anyone to spend all of eternity with Him in His Kingdom of Heaven as an heir to all that is His in glory against their will [John 1:12-13].

Therefore, let us want to guard against taking too much for granted [1 Corinthians 10:12].  For this is surely a path that leads to destruction [Matthew 15:13-14].

A good example of taking too much for granted involves something that I have been allowed and enabled to experience up close and oh so very personally.  For I was raised to believe that once a person is saved from eternal damnation through the acceptance of Christ Jesus as truly being their own personal Lord and Savior [John 3:16] that they would remain saved from eternal damnation [Ezekiel 18:4]—no matter what [Psalms 25:3].

What I am talking about is often referred to as being once saved/always saved, and I clung to this doctrine with all of my might while I was out there sowing my wild oats.  In fact, I would often preach such to a drunken choir when there were not any fair young maidens to entertain in other ways around the bar.

Then I was changed, and it was all brought into focus for me [2 Corinthians 5:14-21].  For instead of it being like a contract that cannot be altered by either party involved, the absolute truth of the matter truly is that a child of our Heavenly Father’s family remains a member of His family for as long as they want to because of how much He has always loved them [John 8:35].

In other words, it is all about being wanted, and this is something that we can all have faith in.  For it truly is as it is written: “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.  For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.  And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all that he has given me, but raise them up at the last day.  For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” [John 6:37-40 NIV]

No, it does not help matters much that it has been so widely taught that the love of God is nothing personal.  For that promotes an image of our Heavenly Father not wanting anyone to perish [Ezekiel 18:32] as being more about keeping score than anything else.

Alas, what a dreadful thing to look forward to.  For who would want to spend all of eternity with someone who could not care less about whether they (as in regards to them as an individual) are really there or not.

Yes, it is quite natural to think that spending a relatively loveless eternity in Heaven would be better than being cast into the Lake of Fire [Revelation 20:10-15], but if you would ask someone who is spending their life in a loveless marriage, I am quite sure that they would be of the opinion that it would not be all that much better.  For if spending only twenty years in such a situation can feel like forever, just think what FOREVER AND EVER is going to feel like if the love that our Heavenly Father has for us is indeed completely devoid of passion.

Now, what about us?  For it is written: It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.  Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God.  But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned. [Hebrews 6:4-8 NIV]

Yes, the absolute truth of the matter truly is that one can lose their salvation.  For in order for our Heavenly Father to truly have the kind of relationship that He wants to have with each and every one of us, on an individual basis and without exception, we must be free to reject Him—even after the marriage vows have been exchanged [John 15:14-17].

Granted, it is correctly argued that not all who claim to have accepted Christ Jesus as truly being their own personal Lord and Savior actually have [Matthew 7:21-23], and that they did not have any salvation to lose when they appear to fall away [2 Corinthians 11:13-15].  Nonetheless, such an argument does not negate the fact that it is the same with us as it is with our Heavenly Father’s holy angels [Jude 1:6].

No, this does not have anything to do with earning our keep [Romans 11:6].  It does, however, have everything to do with us truly wanting to be one of our Heavenly Father’s children by faith [Luke 9:23-26], and most are not even close, nor have any desire to get closer, which places them in great danger of being spit out of His mouth, come Judgment Day [Revelation 3:14-22].

Come on now, all of you belligerent children be honest.  Is it not being proven to you at this very moment that your heart is still far away from Him [Isaiah 29:13]?  For you feel a great uneasiness stirring deep down in your very soul, which is not an unfamiliar feeling [John 16:8-11], and yet you continue to resist because of how contrary what our Heavenly Father actually says is absolutely true is in comparison to what you have really placed your faith in [John 3:19-21].

So, may your rebellion be brief [2 Peter 2:4-9].  For the end may be nearer than you think [2 Peter 3:8-14], but even if it isn’t, who in their right-mind would want to delay truly having a very close and personal relationship with our Heavenly Father [1 Corinthians 2:6-16]?

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