We are not necessarily guilty before God, for being stupid or ignorant, but we are guilty for being disobedient and rebellious to His commands.
Weaknesses and infirmities are not necessarily condemning, but deliberate resistance to Divine directives are condemning.
Just think how much better our world would be, how much better our society would be, how much better our family would be, and how much better we would be individually, if all willfully wicked actions and words were eliminated from our lives. It would still take grace and patience and mercy to live with the frailties of one another, but the evil dispositions that wreak havoc would be gone.
OK, so we won't see this in our lifetime, at least on a social level. But we can see it in our own personal lives. This is what it means to be a Christian. We live in the love and power and grace of God, doing to other people what we want them to do to us, regardless of how they may treat us.
Ephesians 4:1-3
(1) I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
(2) With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
(3) Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Colossians 3:8-17
(8) But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
(9) Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
(10) And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
(11) Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
(12) Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
(13) Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
(14) And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
(15) And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
(16) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
(17) And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
Just think how much better our world would be, how much better our society would be, how much better our family would be, and how much better we would be individually, if all willfully wicked actions and words were eliminated from our lives. It would still take grace and patience and mercy to live with the frailties of one another, but the evil dispositions that wreak havoc would be gone.
OK, so we won't see this in our lifetime, at least on a social level. But we can see it in our own personal lives. This is what it means to be a Christian. We live in the love and power and grace of God, doing to other people what we want them to do to us, regardless of how they may treat us.
Ephesians 4:1-3
(1) I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
(2) With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
(3) Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Colossians 3:8-17
(8) But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
(9) Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
(10) And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
(11) Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
(12) Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
(13) Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
(14) And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
(15) And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
(16) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
(17) And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
