Marakesh ð“…¦ on Nostr: Just like you would die for your children, God, in effect, did the same for His. Now ...
Just like you would die for your children, God, in effect, did the same for His. Now because He is God and not man, He had to make special arrangements by coming in human form, and because He is a triune being, He could be put to death and yet still maintain control of the cosmos.
> "That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them..."
(2 Corinthians 5:19; now, that was Paul, and you don't like Paul, but the man did have some revelation!)
It is natural for one to prefer the well-being of one's grandmother or kin or themself over that of others, but I would have to say it is immoral by comparison because Jesus shows us a higher morality. He said to love your neighbor like you love yourself. More than that, love even your enemies!
> "For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the random Africans (I'm paraphrasing for you) do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what are you doing out of the ordinary?, Don’t even the random Africans do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:46–48).
But the human heart is wicked and has to be remade so that our love can go beyond what is natural and the amazing love of God goes beyond the natural. By dying for you and for me, Jesus did, in effect, sacrifice Himself for some random stranger. YOU are like the random African Jesus DID die for. Even though we are all by virtue of creation God's children, we are separated from Him, strangers to Him, and hostile toward Him until we make peace with Him through Jesus Christ. And when He creates a new heart within you, then you can love others, and even your enemies, like you love yourself, and even more than you love yourself.
> "That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them..."
(2 Corinthians 5:19; now, that was Paul, and you don't like Paul, but the man did have some revelation!)
It is natural for one to prefer the well-being of one's grandmother or kin or themself over that of others, but I would have to say it is immoral by comparison because Jesus shows us a higher morality. He said to love your neighbor like you love yourself. More than that, love even your enemies!
> "For if you love those who love you, what reward will you have? Don’t even the random Africans (I'm paraphrasing for you) do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what are you doing out of the ordinary?, Don’t even the random Africans do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:46–48).
But the human heart is wicked and has to be remade so that our love can go beyond what is natural and the amazing love of God goes beyond the natural. By dying for you and for me, Jesus did, in effect, sacrifice Himself for some random stranger. YOU are like the random African Jesus DID die for. Even though we are all by virtue of creation God's children, we are separated from Him, strangers to Him, and hostile toward Him until we make peace with Him through Jesus Christ. And when He creates a new heart within you, then you can love others, and even your enemies, like you love yourself, and even more than you love yourself.