Eternal life as the END of a process

@FMF

Just my penny's worth.

Not worth it. I'd like that penny back.

@philokalia said
I'd like to point out that these two posts FMF just made are some of the longest writings you'll see from here over the whole course of a year.

And what are they?

Attempts to discourage and mock the efforts of a long time Christian poster.

Not actual debate content.

Your efforts here are largely to be a drain, while Sonship is a fountain.

Show me one post, sentence or phrase from Sonship's fountain, that tells people how critical it is to do good works and to live righteously in order to get eternal life in the Kingdom of God.

Something like what Jesus did:
Eg. Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
(Matthew 5:3-8 KJV)

Rather than do that, the man has twisted all the teachings of Christ, encouraging those who listen to him to disobey the commandments,

@fmf said
You could surely be reaching more. However, we know that you THINK you are reaching maybe hundreds of people here with your 'teaching'. As you once said [and then repeated at least once], you believe that hundreds of people on this website may face eternal torment in burning flames because they have been exposed to the stuff that I post.

That makes you, how you see yourself, ...[text shortened]... p in that way. You could declare yourself "a winner" if you did that, too.

Just my penny's worth.

Lots of good advice and honest comments in there.
Will surely fall on deaf ears though.

@philokalia said
It is commonly said that we cannot actually overcome our evil desires without the grace of God coming to us.

How can someone attain the grace of God to overcome the passions of the mind without praying to God, as we are instructed to do by Christ Himself?

Who said ... we cannot actually overcome our evil desires without the grace of God coming to us.

Bible references please. Keep your references to church fathers.

If you do find such a bible reference, is your point that only Christians have the grace of God coming to them?

@philokalia said
I'd like to point out that these two posts FMF just made are some of the longest writings you'll see from here over the whole course of a year.

What untrue nonsense. But I see what you are trying to do.

@philokalia said
these two posts FMF just made are some of the longest writings you'll see from here over the whole course of a year. And what are they?

sonship asked "Should I continue laboring on these verses? Or none of ya'll were really interested anyway? This does require some work."

My reply suggested:

- It might provoke more interest on a Christian website

- he might consider posting it on a blog

- if he wants to have a ministry for his theology he should go for it

- mostly, the people who do engage him at RHP mostly just upset him - and aside from that he draws little response

- for all the effort he puts in, he probably deserves better

- he could look at online venues where he might reach far more people

- he could use RHP to share stories about walking the Christian walk with people with diverse beliefs [and be a "fountain" - as you put it - suited to this non-Christian message board]

- he could conceivably reach hundreds and hundreds of people elsewhere on the internet instead of thinking he is saving hundreds and hundreds of people here from people like me

@Philokalia

Thankyou Philokalia, Your encouragement will be a goal for me to try to live up to without distraction or falling short.

I gave four examples. I could find more. But without finding all of them I think a point is made.

Eternal life is not spoken of always a a ticket like item saying "Admit One". Rather it is something that is a seed like gift which grows, encreases, enlarges, even "swallow[s] up" eventually as a climax.

There is in many places a movement towards this life. Or thought one is saved he is exhorted to "lay hold" of the eternal life. Go after it. Enjoy it to a deeper and deeper degree.

ie. 5.)

"But you, O man of God, flee these things ... lay hold on the eternal life to which you were called ..." (See 1 Tim. 6:12)

Reach out for the eternal life, "lay hold" on it - says Paul to one long time a redeemed Christian brother.

6.)

I like also Paul's word that the Christians are headed towards the swallowing up by eternal life.

" ... in that we shall not be found unclothed, but clothed upon, that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life." (2 Cor. 5:4)

Here we see the divine life in the inside of the believer but also seemingly outside to SWALLOW UP the saved in life.

Clothed upon and swallowed up are word pictures of something coming upon or working from without to consume.

7.)

What comes to mind now like the swallowing up climax of Second Corinthians is the gushing up into eternal life of John's gospel, chapter 4.

"But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall by no means thirst forever, but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a spring [or fountain] of water welling up into eternal life." (John 4:14)

This is a word picture of Jesus about eternal life being installed in a person as a spring. Yet it will gush up, well up into eternal life.

Then from with the fountain of divine life is gushing up to flood and from without it is swallowing up the saved.

@Rajk999

Who said ... we cannot actually overcome our evil desires without the grace of God coming to us.

Bible references please. Keep your references to church fathers.

If you do find such a bible reference, is your point that only Christians have the grace of God coming to them?

Look at Paul's experience and teaching first -

Compare:

" ... it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me; " (Gal 2:20)

" ... not I but the grace of God which is in me." (1 Cor. 15:10)

Christ living in him is the grace of God in him.
He pioneered living by Christ - living by the empowerment of the grace of God.