His Pastures

Discuss your walk and aspects of the kingdom of God here with fellow brothers in the Lord.
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jarrod
Posts: 294
Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2008 8:49 pm

His Pastures

Post by jarrod » Fri Sep 14, 2012 2:10 pm

Thinking about the topic of the Kingdom, and that we are slaves to that which we obey-- sin/self or the Lord.

I am a slave of the Lord and that is a fantastic place to be. I like the imagery of being His sheep and He our Shepherd. His pasture is large, green and filled with quiet waters. We are _free_ within His pastures to be His flock and to follow His voice. His sheep _will_ hear His voice and we can trust He is a good Shepherd.

My point is that I don't believe anyone is completely free. Freedom has boundaries similarly to truth having a boundary. There is a boundary for truth: it either is or it isn't. Freedom has a boundary also -- within the boundaries of the Kingdom we are free to enjoy and be filled, but outside of it is where the "freedom" stops. I don't know if that makes sense, but I pray we see the _peace_ within His gates and never stray.

Jarod

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Candlepower
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Location: Missouri

Re: His Pastures

Post by Candlepower » Fri Sep 14, 2012 9:03 pm

jarrod wrote:I don't believe anyone is completely free. Freedom has boundaries similarly to truth having a boundary.
I agree with this. Scripture clearly reveals that people have a degree of freedom, and that that freedom is genuine, not a mirage or a facade. Some theologians cannot tolerate such a concept; they feel it is an insult to God's sovereignty, an attack on His deity. But the fact is that God made this arrangement Himself, so it cannot logically be seen as a reduction of His sovereignty. Instead, it is an exercise of His sovereignty. God sovereignly decreed that we have genuine freedom. Because of this arrangement, we can actually be held accountable for our sins, because we are actually responsible.

There is no conflict between man's genuine freedom and God's genuine sovereignty. God sovereignly created man's free will. When a theologian claims that God's sovereignty is exercised differently from how Scripture describes it, that theologian is attempting to put God in a theologian's box.

By granting us a limited freedom, God did not diminish His.

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jarrod
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Re: His Pastures

Post by jarrod » Fri Sep 14, 2012 9:26 pm

Candlepower wrote:God sovereignly decreed that we have genuine freedom. Because of this arrangement, we can actually be held accountable for our sins, because we are actually responsible.
That is a really good point-- our freedom means we can be held accountable for our sins because we are allowed to cross the 'boundary' so to speak. This makes me feel even more thankful for God being our Father and protecting us when we come to Him. (Psalm 91!)
Candlepower wrote:There is no conflict between man's genuine freedom and God's genuine sovereignty. God sovereignly created man's free will. When a theologian claims that God's sovereignty is exercised differently from how Scripture describes it, that theologian is attempting to put God in a theologian's box.
I agree with the first part of your paragraph. There doesn't have to be a conflict between God giving us an ability to be autonomous, make choices, and reason, and the fact that God is all knowing and sovereign. I see them working in harmony.

I wouldn't say theologians are trying to put God in their own box if they interpret something differently. I agree that I may have a conviction about certain things, but someone may be seeing something that I don't.
Candlepower wrote:By granting us a limited freedom, God did not diminish His.
I agree with this. If we can see that the world and the insecurity that its religions offer compare nothing to the Glory and Lovingkindness of the Lord, then I believe having that freedom and submitting it to Him would be all-the-more special to our Father. I see Him always reaching out through His church (empowered by His Spirit) as His representatives. I am just saddened by my lack of previous commitment to His purposes because of that.

Praise God that, "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning"

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