04/06/18 IT WILL MAKE YOU A BLASPHEMER
WOW, this is such a BIG SUBJECT, but I want to make it a quick easy read, 'cause someone might benefit.
IF YOUR NOT GOING TO BE A CHRISTIAN, at least be Civil, Courteous, Cordial and Considerate. Even sinners do that.
I am not saying that human ability alone can cause a person to manifest these positive traits. I am saying that many of those who are without Christ choose to reject being uncivil, rude, unfriendly, inconsiderate. They may not know it, but they are lost, but living by God's grace.
God bestows His unmerited favor, COMMON GRACE on everyone.
Common Grace does not give anyone eternal life, but it makes the present life livable and it is the window through which people can see the nature of God. Without Common Grace the world would be filled with nothing but evil. In fact, there would not be a world, because the evil of man, when left unrestrained brings total decay and disruption.
This is why all babies, the preborn, new born and the infant (who have inherited corrupted, sinful natures from Adam, through their human fathers) are not cut off from God. Christ in His atonement has provided grace for all children to be acceptable to God. No one goes to hell because of another person's sins, but no one is inherently acceptable to God. Being acceptable to God requires mercy and grace.
This is why anyone can have commendable traits and socially acceptable behavior. Without God imparting His common grace sin would run rampant and unchecked. The world would be filled with hate, anger, greed, violence, impurity, and there would be no kindness, charity, law, order. There would be no Civility, Courtesy, Cordiality or Consideration. There would be nothing good in a world without God's Common Grace.
That is why good things happen to bad people. It is God's Common Grace that causes the sun to shine on the just and the unjust and causes the rain to fall on the righteous and the unrighteous. The world does not deserve the patience, kindness, mercy, love, blessings of God, but God bestows them on everyone because God is good.
God has at least two purposes for His Common Grace.
1. God does not want the wickedness of man to take over this world.
2 God has a plan for the world and it could not be accomplished if man was left to his own evil desires and ways.
However, when a person knows truth and turns from truth, God allows that person to be filled with iniquity until that person is fully confirmed in evil. Sometimes the evil is obviously anti-social (unrestrained violence, abuse, oppression) and sometimes the evil is seen as admirable (pride, self sufficiency). In any case, the self centered evil confirms the rebel in his wicked way.
This principle is seen in Psalm 1, where the lost person moves from simply being someone without the likeness, the nature of God; this "ungodly" (unlike God) person becomes determined to have his own way and will, and therefore he lives a life of open sin; which may ultimately result in openly mocking, scoffing, ridiculing, SPEAKING AGAINST (BLASPHEMING) God, His word, His salvation, His people.
When people do not take counsel to turn back from their self oriented rejection of God, they stand the chance of drifting so far that God will never reach them.
To turn from Saving Grace (the grace that miraculously transforms a sinner into a Christian), and then to cast off Common Grace (including Civility, Cordiality, Courtesy, Considerateness) is to set your course for total separation from God.
I have ministered to people who turned from Christ, and then watched as they miraculously came into a living and loving relationship with God by becoming humble and repenting.
I have ministered to people who turned from Christ and then rejected Biblical, Spiritual counsel and then moved so far from God that they never came back.
Choose your course in life carefully.
Your course will either bring you closer to God and His people or carry you away.
Your course will either fill you with love, kindness, mercy, grace, humility and other traits of God or it will make you cold, hard, cynical, judgmental, bigoted. IT WILL MAKE YOU A BLASPHEMER.
