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Bonita wrote: Jesus read a lot of books too.And Jesus did not go around picking out flaws, faults and pointing his fingers at people.102:7:6 The God-knowing individual is not one who is blind to the difficulties or unmindful of the obstacles which stand in the way of finding God in the maze of superstition, tradition, and materialistic tendencies of modern times. He has encountered all these deterrents and triumphed over them, surmounted them by living faith, and attained the highlands of spiritual experience in spite of them. But it is true that many who are inwardly sure about God fear to assert such feelings of certainty because of the multiplicity and cleverness of those who assemble objections and magnify difficulties about believing in God. It requires no great depth of intellect to pick flaws, ask questions, or raise objections. But it does require brilliance of mind to answer these questions and solve these difficulties; faith certainty is the greatest technique for dealing with all such superficial contentions.
Remember the Apostle Thomas?
139:8:1 Thomas was the eighth apostle, and he was chosen by Philip. In later times he has become known as “doubting Thomas,” but his fellow apostles hardly looked upon him as a chronic doubter. True, his was a logical, skeptical type of mind, but he had a form of courageous loyalty which forbade those who knew him intimately to regard him as a trifling skeptic.And isn’t courageous loyalty one of the fruits of the divine spirit? 193:2:2And isn’t courageous loyalty one of the fruits of the divine spirit?
Yes indeed. And I think that is one of the reasons why once the soul comes into being, it grows in and of itself. Loyalty is a continuous loop where one feeds the other, ever growing. Disloyalty destroys the loop.
117:3.6 . . . he also grows as his Thought Adjuster develops new techniques for reaching down from the spiritual to the morontial soul levels; and once the soul comes into being, it begins to grow in and of itself.
Living loyally results in the transfer of dominance to the character of the personality growing within the soul. The character of a loyal personality is dominated by spiritual influences which force the self-seeking ego to take a back seat. With the ego in the back seat, the driver is free to follow the pilot’s directions without interference. Of course, during this lifetime in the flesh, the backseat driver will occasionally holler and scream for attention, but as any mature individual knows, you don’t let that kind of nonsense bother you while you’re driving. Eventually it shuts up.
The character of a loyal personality is dominated by spiritual influences which force the self-seeking ego to take a back seat. With the ego in the back seat, the driver is free to follow the pilot’s directions without interference.
The ego is very fond of self educating. It is fond of study and discussions and approving and admiring students that know less and are less studied.
3:5:9 4. Is faith — the supreme assertion of human thought — desirable? Then must the mind of man find itself in that troublesome predicament where it ever knows less than it can believe.3:5:9 4. Is faith — the supreme assertion of human thought — desirable? Then must the mind of man find itself in that troublesome predicament where it ever knows less than it can believe.
What does God say about this? Ask your TA and get back to us when you have received the answer.
184:1:6 The kindly manner in which Jesus spoke to Annas almost bewildered him. But he had already determined in his mind that Jesus must either leave Palestine or die; so he summoned up his courage and asked: “Just what is it you are trying to teach the people? What do you claim to be?” Jesus answered: “You know full well that I have spoken openly to the world. I have taught in the synagogues and many times in the temple, where all the Jews and many of the gentiles have heard me. In secret I have spoken nothing; why, then, do you ask me about my teaching? Why do you not summon those who have heard me and inquire of them? Behold, all Jerusalem has heard that which I have spoken even if you have not yourself heard these teachings.” But before Annas could make reply, the chief steward of the palace, who was standing near, struck Jesus in the face with his hand, saying, “How dare you answer the high priest with such words?” Annas spoke no words of rebuke to his steward, but Jesus addressed him, saying, “My friend, if I have spoken evil, bear witness against the evil; but if I have spoken the truth, why, then, should you smite me?”Yes.
OK. I believe that you believe this.
Apparently the mercy and endless patience afforded humans while waiting for them to choose God’s will, is designed to win our loyalty. If one continues to be disloyal, patience and mercy runs out, and the end of existence results. It is amazing how much patience and mercy our Master Michael has with disloyal persons. He is willing to do a great deal to win their loyalty. Mercy is the essence of his character. And if mercy is the justice of Supremacy, then our Michael is a perfect revelation of both.
Related quotes: 2:4.5; 6:3.2; 6:3.5; 21:5.7
It is amazing how much patience and mercy our Master Michael has with disloyal persons.
If you are amazed at Michael’s mercy then you do not know him well. And How exactly do you know of Michael’s patience and mercy? How do you know of disloyal persons?
Are YOU trying Michael’s patience?
One might wonder what mercy has to do with loyal living. We know that whatever mercy cannot rehabilitate, justice will annihilate. Our lives are essentially indebted to our creditors; but, they are divine creditors who issue mercy credits to each of us in such lavish proportions as to insure our survival. (28:6.5) This means that God knows we are imperfect and gives us plenty of opportunities to make amends. But there are some disloyal people who use up all of their coupons and try the patience of God himself (2:6.8). That’s why they call it the roll call of mercy. If all the mercy coupons are spent, no Adjuster shows up to claim the personality. Disloyalty has its price.
This means that God knows we are imperfect and gives us plenty of opportunities to make amends.
God knows His creation better than the creature knows themselves.
Without freedom there is no love. Without love there is no freedom. God is Love and we are given freewill from God.
Disloyalty has its price.
What exactly is disloyalty to Deity? Is FREEDOM disloyalty? Is freewill choice disloyalty to the Creator who gave it to us?
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