[metmom]

Tozer ping

[metmom]

Previous threads

Man: The Dwelling Place of God - Chapter 1
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/3242797/posts

The Call of Christ - Chapter 2
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/3244492/posts

What We Think of Ourselves is Important - Chapter 3
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/3246397/posts

The Once-born and the Twice-born - Chapter 4
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/3247452/posts

On the Origin and Nature of Things - Chapter 5
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/3250352/posts

[smalltownslick]

This was pretty hard to read, too.

[Deagle]

Is this one of those thread that most are not supposed to reply to? If so, I apologize (again).

[ImNotLying]

*

[LearsFool]

Not only does God address His words of truth to those who are able to receive them, He actually conceals their meaning from those who are not.

Ain't that the truth. Why just yesterday I saw a comment in which the poster cited a verse and the proceeded to ignore the clear statement of that verse:

The verse quoted states clearly that "baptism...saves you". But the poster wondered, "If water baptism saved, it would have been...far more clearly stated."

God doesn't force anyone to believe His Word. For those who have no use for truth, there are plenty of alternatives.

[.45 Long Colt]

"The parables of Christ were the exact opposite of the modern "illustration," which is meant to give light; the parables were "dark sayings" and Christ asserted that He sometimes used them so that His disciples could understand and His enemies could not. (See Matthew 13:10-17.)"

Christ explained the purpose of parables in Mark 4:10-12.

10 And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, 12 so that “they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.”

The full implications of that passage really troubled me when I was a younger man and still believed in free will theology. It couldn't be reconciled with the idea that God loves all the same way. That passage was among those from the Gospels that shoved me to the Doctrines of Grace and Reformed Theology. However, I had read that passage countless times before it dawned on me it contradicted what I believed. In other words, only when the Lord was ready for me to "see" it's meaning was it revealed. I believe the whole Bible works the same way. Men must be given ears to hear and eyes to see or they will never understand the Bible.

[Elsie]

#1 they find ENGLISH ‘difficult’!

[Zionist Conspirator]

Because they don’t read Hebrew?

[RnMomof7]

The Bible is not addressed to just anybody. Its message is directed to a chosen few.

1 Cor.18For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. "…

1Cor s. 14But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. 15But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one.…

2 Corinthians 4:3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.

[Iscool]

Exactly right on the money...

Not only does God address His words of truth to those who are able to receive them, He actually conceals their meaning from those who are not.

The natural man must know in order to believe; the spiritual man must believe in order to know.

These are salient truths...And this is why Catholics need someone to interpret for them...But sadly, the ones who interpret are in no better shape than they are...