{"id":6641,"date":"2016-04-03T21:39:38","date_gmt":"2016-04-03T15:39:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/intelligent-torvalds.74-208-171-134.plesk.page\/?p=6641"},"modified":"2019-07-08T00:30:55","modified_gmt":"2019-07-07T18:30:55","slug":"condemnation-or-judgment-part-12","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/?p=6641","title":{"rendered":"Condemnation or Judgment? – Part 12"},"content":{"rendered":"

I am considering a pastor\u2019s advice<\/a> offered in another blog<\/a> as an example of confusing directions<\/a><\/em> and as a case in point: If wicked<\/a> <\/em>(r\u00e2sh\u00e2\u02bd<\/a><\/em>, \u05dc\u05e8\u05e9\u05e2) sinners <\/em>(ra\u02bd<\/a><\/em>, \u05e8\u05e2) are those who refuse to stop trusting<\/a> in human beings<\/em>, whether others or themselves, we all qualify.\u00a0 And this journey to discover just who these sinners are was prompted by my bias<\/a> that\u2014He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked<\/em>[1]<\/sup><\/a> (r\u00e2sh\u00e2\u02bd<\/em>, \u05e8\u05e9\u05e2)\u2014prophesies Jesus\u2019 return to earth to preach the Gospel effectively (as opposed to executing people<\/a> for a thousand years).<\/p>\n

The pastor\u2019s advice was essentially a to-do list: refuse, consider the consequences, focus on God and ignore the lies of the enemy, avoid\/run, and accountability.\u00a0 I considered the first two in the previous essay<\/a> and will pick up again here.<\/p>\n

Focus on God and ignore the lies of the enemy<\/strong><\/em>
\n Find fulfillment in your first love and ignore the enemy\u2019s temptation towards the satisfaction of the flesh.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I have no quarrel with this if it is by the Holy Spirit.\u00a0 This should be item number one on the list.\u00a0 I, however, found a way to attempt this in the flesh.\u00a0 My Dad could calculate how much I cost him to the penny, even a scuff mark on the floor.\u00a0 I had already cost Jesus his life.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t want to cost Him anything more.\u00a0 I thought my emotions in response to his sacrifice should motivate me to live a sinless life.\u00a0 (I don\u2019t think I even considered righteousness at the time or anything beyond not sinning.)\u00a0 So, I didn\u2019t believe Paul\u2019s words in the sixth chapter of Romans were true, but merely hyperbole to affect my emotions, to motivate ME to action, not something I should believe to be saved<\/a> (Romans 6:3, 4 NET):<\/p>\n

Or do you not know that as many as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?\u00a0 Therefore we have been buried with him through baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may live a new life.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That new life<\/em> (\u1f10\u03bd \u03ba\u03b1\u03b9\u03bd\u03cc\u03c4\u03b7\u03c4\u03b9 \u03b6\u03c9\u1fc6\u03c2 \u03c0\u03b5\u03c1\u03b9\u03c0\u03b1\u03c4\u03ae\u03c3\u03c9\u03bc\u03b5\u03bd; walk in newness of life<\/em> [ESV]) is here and now: Now this is eternal life \u2013 that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent<\/em>.[2]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death<\/em>,[3]<\/sup><\/a> Paul continued; that is if we believe that we have been buried with him through baptism into death<\/em>, then and only then we will certainly also be united in the likeness of his resurrection<\/em>.[4]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

We know that our old man was crucified with him so that the body of sin would no longer dominate us, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin<\/em>.[5]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 Should I deny this because of my behavior?\u00a0 No, I believe until it changes my behavior.\u00a0 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him<\/em>.[6]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 Paul continued (Romans 6:11-14 NET):<\/p>\n

So you too consider yourselves dead to sin<\/a>, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.<\/p>\n

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires, and do not present your members to sin as instruments to be used for unrighteousness, but present<\/a> yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead and your members to God as instruments to be used for righteousness. \u00a0For sin will have no mastery over you, because you are not under law but under grace.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/a>But if I attempt to find fulfillment in laws or rules or procedures, even the pastor\u2019s to-do list, I have fallen away from grace<\/a><\/em> and committed a super<\/a><\/em>\u03c0\u03bf\u03c1\u03bd\u03b5\u03af\u03b1. \u00a0And that is essentially the context of the concept first <\/em>[e.g., foremost <\/em>as opposed to first <\/em>in temporal order] love<\/em>: But I have this against you<\/em>, Jesus said to the church at Ephesus, You have departed from your first love!<\/em>[7]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

[Addendum 8\/16\/16: The words translated you<\/em> and your<\/em> are singular. \u00a0Though the letters were intended to be read by the churches the content is addressed primarily to the angel<\/em> of each individual church. \u00a0I found a pdf<\/a> online with color codes highlighting when the pronouns and verbs are singular and plural. \u00a0The commentary to the right of this pdf assumes that angel<\/em> meant human pastor<\/em>, which I also assumed until very recently<\/a>. \u00a0I haven’t thought through the implications yet of angel<\/em> as a higher order being in this particular context. \u00a0I don’t know whether a plural church might be addressed with singular pronouns and verbs. \u00a0My understanding of the message to\/about the church in Ephesus which follows was predicated on a false assumption that the pronouns and verbs were plural.]<\/p>\n

I know your works as well as your labor and steadfast endurance<\/em>, He had said previously, and that you cannot tolerate evil. \u00a0You have even put to the test those who refer to themselves as apostles (but are not), and have discovered that they are false. \u00a0I am also aware that you have persisted steadfastly, endured much for the sake of my name, and have not grown weary<\/em>.[8]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

The Ephesian church was a successful church.\u00a0 Am I wrong to imagine that they had developed offices and procedures, filled with officers operating under strict protocols? \u00a0That they had constructed this self-sustaining church with their own hands<\/a><\/em>?\u00a0 But what happens<\/a> when the love which is the fulfillment <\/em>(\u03c0\u03bb\u03ae\u03c1\u03c9\u03bc\u03b1<\/a>) of the law<\/em>[9]<\/sup><\/a> becomes an office, a ministry, a subdivision of the Church rather than the fruit of the Spirit empowering every individual believer?\u00a0 Therefore, remember from what high state you have fallen and repent<\/em>, Jesus continued.\u00a0 Do the deeds you did at the first <\/em>[e.g., first <\/em>in temporal order since knowing Christ]; if not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place \u2013 that is, if you do not repent<\/em>.[10]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 In other words, their first <\/em>(\u03c0\u03c1\u1ff6\u03c4\u03b1, a form of \u03c0\u03c1\u1ff6\u03c4\u03bf\u03c2<\/a>) deeds when they were more faithful and less successfully sophisticated were their foremost <\/em>(\u03c0\u03c1\u03ce\u03c4\u03b7\u03bd, another form of \u03c0\u03c1\u1ff6\u03c4\u03bf\u03c2) in Jesus\u2019 eyes.<\/p>\n

What was that high state<\/em>?\u00a0 I take Paul\u2019s prayer as my starting point (Ephesians 3:14-19 NET):<\/p>\n

I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on the earth is named. \u00a0I pray that according to the wealth of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit (\u03c0\u03bd\u03b5\u03cd\u03bc\u03b1\u03c4\u03bf\u03c2, a form of \u03c0\u03bd\u03b5\u1fe6\u03bc\u03b1<\/a>)<\/em> in the inner person, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, so that, because you have been rooted and grounded in love, you may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and thus to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled up (\u03c0\u03bb\u03b7\u03c1\u03c9\u03b8\u1fc6\u03c4\u03b5, another form of \u03c0\u03bb\u03b7\u03c1\u03cc\u03c9<\/a>)<\/em> to all the fullness (\u03c0\u03bb\u03ae\u03c1\u03c9\u03bc\u03b1)<\/em> of God.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I don\u2019t have much to say about ignoring \u201cthe enemy\u2019s temptation toward the satisfaction of the flesh.\u201d\u00a0 Satan is finite.\u00a0 I doubt that many of us merit his personal attention.\u00a0 I was confronted by what I assume was a demon once.\u00a0 I don\u2019t recall what it said.\u00a0 I said something like, \u201cJesus wouldn\u2019t like it if I did that.\u201d \u00a0It growled and left.\u00a0 No, I wasn\u2019t frightened in the moment, but the memory of it bothered me for weeks.\u00a0 That\u2019s probably why I don\u2019t remember what it said.<\/p>\n

So submit to God<\/em>, James wrote.\u00a0 But resist the devil and he will flee from you<\/em>.[11]<\/sup><\/a> \u00a0I\u2019ve never found resisting the devil<\/em> particularly helpful since temptation usually comes from my own desires: But each one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires<\/em>.[12]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 Though I didn\u2019t always think so<\/a>, I now assume that the sin in my flesh (Romans 7:15-20<\/a>) and the evil ideas, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander that come out of my heart<\/a> function apart from the inspiration or activation of demons, evil spirits or devils.\u00a0 Believing the Gospel is far more fruitful as it pertains to sin and righteousness. \u00a0Perhaps I am being very slow and dense.\u00a0 Believing the Gospel is probably the best way to submit to God<\/em> which is in turn the most powerful way to resist the devil <\/em>relative to any frontal assault I might mount on my own.<\/p>\n

Nathan\u2019s response to David, however, has been particularly helpful with sexual temptation (2 Samuel 12:1-4 NET):<\/p>\n

So the Lord (<\/em>ye<\/sup>h\u00f4v\u00e2h<\/a>, \u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05d4)<\/em> sent Nathan to David. \u00a0When he came to David, Nathan said, \u201cThere were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor (Table<\/a>)<\/em>. \u00a0The rich man had a great many flocks and herds (Table<\/a>)<\/em>. \u00a0But the poor man had nothing except for a little lamb he had acquired. \u00a0He raised it, and it grew up alongside him and his children. \u00a0It used to eat his food, drink from his cup, and sleep in his arms. \u00a0It was just like a daughter to him (Table<\/a>)<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen a traveler arrived at the rich man\u2019s home, he did not want to use one of his own sheep or cattle to feed the traveler who had come to visit him. \u00a0Instead, he took the poor man\u2019s lamb and cooked it for the man who had come to visit him (Table<\/a>)<\/em>.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Here there is no mention of resisting the devil<\/em> or the \u201clies of the enemy.\u201d\u00a0 After David committed adultery with Uriah\u2019s wife<\/a>, Nathan as ye<\/sup>h\u00f4v\u00e2h\u2019s<\/em> prophet pictured sexual desire as a hungry traveler who should be shown hospitality with that which is one\u2019s own as opposed to that belonging to another.<\/p>\n

Avoid\/Run<\/strong><\/em>
\n Keep yourself out of a\u00a0situation that may cause you to fall.\u00a0If tempted, run while it\u2019s still light.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

<\/a>Flee sexual immorality<\/em> (\u03c0\u03bf\u03c1\u03bd\u03b5\u03af\u03b1\u03bd, a form of \u03c0\u03bf\u03c1\u03bd\u03b5\u03af\u03b1<\/a>),[13]<\/sup><\/a> Paul wrote the Corinthians.\u00a0 I\u2019ve written elsewhere<\/a> what I think about \u03c0\u03bf\u03c1\u03bd\u03b5\u03af\u03b1, that it can mean adultery<\/a>.\u00a0 I think the \u201csin of premarital sex,\u201d however, has more to do with middle-class values than ye<\/sup>h\u00f4v\u00e2h\u2019s<\/em> law.\u00a0 It is unfortunate, to say the least, that the meaning of \u03c0\u03bf\u03c1\u03bd\u03b5\u03af\u03b1 was stretched to free young men primarily (when they repent of their \u201csins of premarital sex\u201d) from their marital obligations to pursue their educations and higher earning potentials.<\/p>\n

I expect Jesus to speak to us as He spoke to other religious people (Mark 7:6-9 NET):<\/p>\n

\u201cIsaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites [e.g., actors<\/a>]<\/em>, as it is written: \u2018This people honors me with their lips,<\/strong> but their heart<\/strong> is far from me<\/strong>. \u00a0They worship me in vain,<\/strong> teaching as doctrine the commandments of men<\/strong>.\u2019 \u00a0Having no regard for the command<\/a> of God, you hold fast to human tradition.\u201d \u00a0He also said to them, \u201cYou neatly reject the commandment<\/a> of God in order to set up your tradition.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Be that as it may if temptation is external to the one being tempted, leaving is good advice.\u00a0 If you find that you only lust in your heart during or after your visit to a strip club, stop going to strip clubs.\u00a0 I think that coincides well with flee <\/em>\u03c0\u03bf\u03c1\u03bd\u03b5\u03af\u03b1\u03bd if Paul meant sexualized pagan worship: Don\u2019t go to church there.<\/p>\n

I won\u2019t eat at Hooter\u2019s<\/a>, not because I lust after the young waitresses.\u00a0 I stared a nude woman dead in the eyes when I needed to talk to her on set.\u00a0 But put a clothed woman in front of me with great cleavage and my eyes wander away from hers, even away from her lips (and I do a lot more lip reading as I age).\u00a0 Well, they don\u2019t mind, a friend told me.\u00a0 I do.\u00a0 An old man like me staring at young women\u2019s cleavage is embarrassing and not worth the effort it takes not to do it.\u00a0 I get my chicken wings to go (and, yes, I tip my waitress).<\/p>\n

Music was the big thing for me.\u00a0 I consider myself a recovering musician.\u00a0 For years I played nothing but hymns and tried to compose a non-sensual music.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t know how to do that so I wrote music to accompany Scripture.\u00a0 The only thing that changed was the calendar-age of the women I gave goose bumps when I played.\u00a0 Eventually I gave it up and have been relieved not to have music in my head all the time.\u00a0 This is not to say that playing or composing music is inherently evil.\u00a0 I am considering only my hyper-sensual relationship to music.\u00a0 Frank Zappa<\/a> described<\/a> it best.\u00a0 Who knows, maybe it was his relationship<\/a>, too.<\/p>\n

I would like to highlight two rather obvious limits to flee<\/em>ing and to the meaning of \u03c0\u03bf\u03c1\u03bd\u03b5\u03af\u03b1.\u00a0 If anyone thinks he is acting inappropriately toward his virgin, if she is past the bloom of youth and it seems necessary, he should do what he wishes; he does not sin. \u00a0Let them marry<\/em>.[14]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 The Greek word translated thinks he is acting inappropriately<\/em> is \u1f00\u03c3\u03c7\u03b7\u03bc\u03bf\u03bd\u03b5\u1fd6\u03bd (a form of \u1f00\u03c3\u03c7\u03b7\u03bc\u03bf\u03bd\u03ad\u03c9<\/a>).\u00a0 To what manner of inappropriateness does \u1f00\u03c3\u03c7\u03b7\u03bc\u03bf\u03bd\u03b5\u1fd6\u03bd refer?\u00a0 It comes from \u1f00\u03c3\u03c7\u03ae\u03bc\u03c9\u03bd<\/a>, which Paul used obliquely for the penis or vagina a little later in this letter: and those members we consider less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our unpresentable members<\/em> (\u1f00\u03c3\u03c7\u03ae\u03bc\u03bf\u03bd\u03b1, a form of \u1f00\u03c3\u03c7\u03ae\u03bc\u03c9\u03bd) are clothed with dignity<\/em>\u2026[15]<\/sup><\/a><\/p>\n

Love, by the way, does not act inappropriately: It is not rude<\/em> (\u1f00\u03c3\u03c7\u03b7\u03bc\u03bf\u03bd\u03b5\u1fd6, another form of \u1f00\u03c3\u03c7\u03b7\u03bc\u03bf\u03bd\u03ad\u03c9).[16]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 So we have behavior between a man and his woman that is not sin: Let them marry<\/em>.\u00a0 And it is not love either.\u00a0 Again<\/a>, I will make my appeal for fuck<\/em> and fucking<\/em>.\u00a0 They are very evocative words in the English language, distinguished and distinguishable from love<\/em>, if we abandon our religious pretensions in favor of accurate verbal communication.<\/p>\n

Therefore they were seeking again to seize Him, and He eluded their grasp<\/em>.[17]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0 I remember vividly the moment I stared at this verse and realized it wasn\u2019t describing some otherworldly event.\u00a0 Jesus hiked up his skirt, hoofed it and outran the old men who wanted to stone Him.\u00a0 And I imagine young John was huffing it out right beside Him.\u00a0 As they lost their pursuers around a corner, leaned against a wall to catch their breath and laughed together, the Son of God became human to me.<\/p>\n

Perhaps Simon<\/a> the Pharisee<\/a> expected Jesus to hike up his skirt and hoof it, if He were a prophet<\/a><\/em>. \u00a0Had Jesus fled from Mary<\/a> we would have a very different story to consider<\/a>.\u00a0 Maybe it would be more to our liking; that\u2019s difficult to say.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll conclude this in another essay.<\/p>\n

Condemnation or Judgment? – Part 13<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Back to The Angels Will Gather<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Back to Paul’s Religious Mind Revisited – Part 1<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a>[1]<\/sup> Isaiah 11:4b (NIV)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[2]<\/sup> John 17:3 (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[3]<\/sup> Romans 6:5a (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[4]<\/sup> Romans 6:5b (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[5]<\/sup> Romans 6:6 (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[6]<\/sup> Romans 6:8 (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[7]<\/sup> Revelation 2:4 (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[8]<\/sup> Revelation 2:2, 3 (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[9]<\/sup> Romans 13:10b (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[10]<\/sup> Revelation 2:5 (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[11]<\/sup> James 4:7 (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[12]<\/sup> James 1:14 (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[13]<\/sup> 1 Corinthians 6:18a (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[14]<\/sup> 1 Corinthians 7:36 (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[15]<\/sup> 1 Corinthians 12:23 (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[16]<\/sup> 1 Corinthians 13:5a (NET)<\/p>\n

<\/a>[17]<\/sup> John 10:39 (NASB)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I am considering a pastor\u2019s advice offered in another blog as an example of confusing directions and as a case in point: If wicked (r\u00e2sh\u00e2\u02bd, \u05dc\u05e8\u05e9\u05e2) sinners (ra\u02bd, \u05e8\u05e2) are those who refuse to stop trusting in human beings, whether … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1945,2719],"tags":[3229,990,2589,989,3227,2331,3147,3174,3226,3225,3230,222,3228,3223,3222,3224,1046,3221,2362,534,778,756],"class_list":["post-6641","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-condemnation-or-judgment","category-section-three","tag-1-corinthians-1223","tag-1-corinthians-135","tag-1-corinthians-618","tag-1-corinthians-736","tag-2-samuel-121-4","tag-ephesians-314-19","tag-isaiah-114","tag-isaiah-222","tag-james-114","tag-james-47","tag-john-1039","tag-john-173","tag-mark-76-9","tag-revelation-22-3","tag-revelation-24","tag-revelation-25","tag-romans-1310","tag-romans-611-14","tag-romans-63-4","tag-romans-65","tag-romans-66","tag-romans-68"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6641","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6641"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6641\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12619,"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6641\/revisions\/12619"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6641"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6641"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/religiousmind.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6641"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}