Quote:
Originally Posted by Aquila
Yes. From the divine perspective you would indeed be an astronaut. lol
Let's look at various perspectives of reality. I know it sounds strange but consider this... you are a living being on a satelite (earth) spinning through space. Also, God being transcendent of time, sees what His eternal intention is for you... and sees you as that very thing right now in time. Perhaps in eternity you will take His glory throughout creation in your glorified body. For example, Paul said that we are "seated" (present tense) with Christ in Heavenly places. I look around, I don't see myself seated with Christ in Heavenly places. But I know that I am, I have reckoned it so by faith. The Bible says that I am the "righteousness of God", therefore while I see the principle of sin in my fallen flesh, and even experience failure to govern it at times, I know that with regards to my spirit (which is one with Christ in the Holy Spirit) I am sinless, pure, and holy.... Justified, standing just before God, as though I never sinned. Why? Jesus became sin for me, that I might become the righteousness of God. He who knew no sin, took my sin and my very identity upon Himself in His Passion, that I (being a totally depraved human being) might take upon myself His righteousness and identity. I was crucified with Christ. I was buried with Christ. I am risen with Christ. And I am presently seated with Christ. That means, through Christ (or in Christ), I am dead to the Law. I've already served my punishment for my sin (past, present, future) in Christ. There is no law against me now. I live as one risen from the dead. This is my new identity in Christ. And I reckon it so by faith. The moment I try to please God by obeying the Law, I've fallen from grace. Why? Because I'm human and I'm bound to sin. And once I have, I have broken the whole Law in breaking one law. And even if I obeyed the Law perfectly for only a day... I've only attained the "righteousness of the Law", not the righteousness of Christ (who is holier than the law). If I live by the Law I robe myself in my works... if I reckon Christ's righteousness as being imputed to me by faith... I robe myself in Christ's righteousness, and thereby I am sinless and clothed in God's own holiness which goes infinitely beyond the holiness aquired by the Law. And when I fail and do sin, as Paul said, it is not I who sins, but sin that dwells within my fallen flesh. With my outward man I find myself obeying the law of sin (due to the fallen nature of my flesh), but according to the inward man I obey the Law of God via Christ Jesus. I must now walk after the Spirit, reckoning these truths by faith, or I will be overcome by a sense of condemnation. To be disappointed in self... is to have trusted in self. If I'm overcome with condemnation I clearly got my eyes off Christ and His work on the cross.
Remember, the human perspective is limited to time and space. The divine perspective is not. We must see ourselves as God sees us... not as we see ourselves or according to our behaviors or those standards that religion regulates through various laws, customs, and traditions.
Apostolics are largely legalistic. We focus on works. Therefore we've failed to learn how to appropriate these various truths of our identity in Christ by faith. We face the danger of living in a little world of our own little laws... that can never please God. This will either create in us a hardened legalism... or a burned out apathy. In both cases, there is a failure to be conformed into the very image and likeness of Christ Jesus.
Now, I'm not to live by "standards" or "rules". Now I am to allow self to die daily, that Christ be formed in me. Throughout our lives the Holy Spirit is forming and fashioning us into the image and likeness of Christ as we surrender self with each passing day. The ultimate end... being in the image of Christ, glorified, and in fellowship with God. I have no standard... I have an example. I have no things to do... I have somone to be. This is the glory of grace.
In sports they say, "Keep your eyes on the ball. Be the ball." In the Christian arena we are to, "Keep your eyes on Jesus. Be Jesus."
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I may understand what you are saying even better than you do!
And here is what you are saying: There is
reality and there is your (and/or God's)
perception, and they are not the same. You are saying that God is perceiving certain things that are not real (i.e., not the same as reality), and expecting you to believe His perception is correct, regardless of what the reality is.
In fact, this concept is fundamental to the Christian doctrine of imputed righteousness. You are
not righteous, but God
sees you as righteous. If God
says you are an astronaut, you must
believe you are an astronaut, even if you are not.
Now, about the thread: is it wrong for a Christian to sue? If you say (again) that you are not to live by standards and rules, and you have no things to
do, but you have someone to
be, will that someone ever sue? Would your
example ever sue?