tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34075051.post3369538202878811456..comments2023-06-18T10:11:36.565-06:00Comments on Ralph Harris: "If You Don't Forgive Others, God Won't Forgive You" -- REALLY?Ralphhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13191358912351995744noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34075051.post-8792980559603859972011-11-30T20:49:07.572-07:002011-11-30T20:49:07.572-07:00Andy--Well said! And thank you.
Lion Heart--It is ...Andy--Well said! And thank you.<br />Lion Heart--It is difficult to hear Former Covenant teaching in and at the church, which I love so much. Thank you.<br />Jacque--I'm not sure what you mean, but maybe that's what you want. I hope you will consider what I have written.<br />Melita--Man! Good stuff, woman! I'm encouraged.Ralphhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13191358912351995744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34075051.post-34485978083001727302011-11-30T20:48:50.071-07:002011-11-30T20:48:50.071-07:00Ralph, this is the truth the world and the majorit...Ralph, this is the truth the world and the majority of churches need to hear! I am SO glad I live in the advent of the age of true Grace. It breaks my heart that the Adversary has blinded so many to the truth. Yet, it is the nature of sin that causes us to believe that obeying the law is achievable. <br />The only time Jesus ever preached the New Covenant Gospel is when He said things like "I have come that they might have life, and have it more abundantly." and "No-one come to the Father except through me.". Everything else must be interpreted in light of the New Covenant through Paul's teachings. Him being the apostle and minister of grace to the Gentiles. The law of sin and death will always struggle against this. But the change is here and we are entering a move of His Grace unlike anything that has been before and the gates of Hell will not be able to hold it back! I'M SO EXCITED!!!Melita Magpie Mickannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34075051.post-2711902047888343222011-11-30T20:48:14.059-07:002011-11-30T20:48:14.059-07:00I don't know, I just looked it up and wondered...I don't know, I just looked it up and wondered because of the dividing point made. :) Just seeing, hey, I know you believe in Jesus and that's all that mattersJacqueline Belfiore Favrenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34075051.post-75318212377876603702011-11-30T20:47:52.031-07:002011-11-30T20:47:52.031-07:00you said < Not everything Jesus said is to be a...you said < Not everything Jesus said is to be applied to you personally, because everything changed at the cross> In a nutshell, this covers a whole lot of the 'confusion' over what Jesus meant when he said a lot of things.<br /> What infuritates me is that this lie (of you must forgive to be forgiven) is perpetuated by those who are paid to know better! >:-(Lion Heartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34075051.post-45445322255335820822011-11-30T20:47:02.621-07:002011-11-30T20:47:02.621-07:00Jesus has made believers perfect by one offering: ...Jesus has made believers perfect by one offering: Himself (Hebrews 10:14). It is a hard truth to swallow, but we are truly saved by grace through faith. For this to be true, EVERYTHING had to be accomplished by Jesus, and applied to us at the moment of faith. This includes our once for all forgiveness, and "perfection". Interpreting the Matthew 6 passage out of context breeds a "grace through faith and..." mentality which is not the gospel, no matter which way we bend it. Really love this post Ralph! I am going to re-post it on my page...Andy Nelsonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34075051.post-62921747891176312532011-11-29T16:52:49.556-07:002011-11-29T16:52:49.556-07:00Jacque, are you referring to my comments or to Ste...Jacque, are you referring to my comments or to Steve's article? And it would be helpful to know what you think Calvinism is, because I don't know why you would ask the question. To my knowledge, neither Steve nor I are Calvinist Christians. But what do you think?Ralphhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13191358912351995744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34075051.post-87574782593154146362011-11-29T16:52:24.808-07:002011-11-29T16:52:24.808-07:00thanks for sharing! Good reminder.thanks for sharing! Good reminder.Elaine Fitzpatrick Sneednoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34075051.post-13772052913898052812011-11-29T16:52:01.202-07:002011-11-29T16:52:01.202-07:00Is this Calvinism?Is this Calvinism?Jacqueline Belfiore Favrenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34075051.post-40879381059226000962011-11-29T09:09:12.051-07:002011-11-29T09:09:12.051-07:00I think some of us do not see Jesus’ death on the ...I think some of us do not see Jesus’ death on the cross as history’s dividing line of change concerning man’s relationship with God. Prior to His death, everything I have mentioned was required—and much more. Sell all your possessions and give them to the poor, forgive others really, really well because we will only receive from God the measure of forgiveness we give others. Still true? How are we doing with that? Why don’t we see a good number of people with gouged-out eyes in our congregations, who are being faithful to Jesus’ commands? Why aren’t there more people missing their right hands attending our churches? I think it’s because we’ve watered-down Jesus’ words. But I’m not doing that.<br /><br />Either Jesus meant what He said—the literal view—or He didn’t. Perhaps He was exaggerating to make a point. But that would make us wonder when He was being literal and when he was using hyperbole to make a point. Was He then serious about heaven and hell and sin and judgment, or was He exaggerating to induce us to obey? I can’t go with Him exaggerating, especially when so much is on the line for us. “Ha! Only kidding about that stuff, my children!”<br /><br />If we take Him at His word—and I do—then He meant what He said. <br /><br />This brings us to the cross. Pre-cross, and Jesus spoke tough truth to those in the covenant with God—to the Jews. The Gentiles (that’s most of us) were not in the covenant. To the Gentiles, Jesus spoke post-cross truth, or of a covenant that was yet to come. Jesus was not going to include them in the first covenant; He would complete and finish that one (John 19:30). He was going to make an entirely new covenant in which two, chosen Jew and excluded Gentile (who, pre-cross, were “separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.” Eph 2:12) would be made one in Christ, who is the author and keeper of the New Covenant—post-cross. In Christ, Jew and Gentile (that includes everyone) would receive all things: every good gift, perfect righteousness, holiness and redemption (His! 1 Cor 1:30), eternal forgiveness (“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Heb 8:12; Heb 10:17; and Heb 10:14 “For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.”), a new creation (2 Cor 5:17), a new heart (Ezekiel 11:19 ”I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.”), the Holy Spirit Himself (John 16:7), and be seated with Him in the heavenly realms—secure citizens already (Eph 2:6). In fact, He has made us His very home (John 14:23).<br /><br />In this New Covenant of the born again, we have been justified (Rom 4:25), we have peace with God right now (Rom 5:1), we are in union with Him (Rom 6:5; Phil 2:1), we share in His nature (2 Peter 1:4), and enjoy a blood-bought closeness that the Jews of the former covenant could only imagine (Heb 7:18-19). Not only are we able to enter the Holy of Holies, something the Jews of the pre-cross wouldn’t have dared, we have become the New Covenant Holy of Holies—the perfect dwelling place of God (Col 1:27)—and are encouraged to approach the throne of grace with perfect confidence in Him (Heb 4:16), post-cross.<br /><br />It is, I believe, vital that we pay attention to whom Jesus was speaking, Jew or Gentile, and to what event had or had not yet taken place—the cross. To one, Jesus spoke pre-cross and first covenant, and to the other, Jesus spoke post-cross and new covenant. I’m in the latter group, and I am overwhelmed with gratitude.<br /><br />If we don’t make that distinction, we will misunderstand who we are, and, in confusion, we’ll attempt to apply the former covenant (with all its rules and regulations inducing us to failure and sin, 1 Cor 15:56) to ourselves—when God isn’t and never did. That’s living by shadow, while the reality is true and better—by far.Ralphhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13191358912351995744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34075051.post-53382979729457712432011-11-29T09:06:58.274-07:002011-11-29T09:06:58.274-07:00Thanks for posting the article Ralph! I've com...Thanks for posting the article Ralph! I've come to understand that there is a difference between the old and new covenant. All Scripture is written FOR us, but not all is written TO us....what a revelation that was! Great Post, thanks!!Michael Zenkernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34075051.post-31711486624698430412011-11-29T09:06:36.308-07:002011-11-29T09:06:36.308-07:00Well I would, of course, disagree & say that I...Well I would, of course, disagree & say that I believe that you are taking the Lord's words OUT of context & misinterpreting them & therefore misrepresenting Him. But, because this is fb & you're my brother (!), I'll go away now.Brent Harrisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34075051.post-91499072614077279432011-11-29T09:06:07.138-07:002011-11-29T09:06:07.138-07:00Well, I respect that. But if you are at all implyi...Well, I respect that. But if you are at all implying that I am dismissing the "invaluable words of Jesus", I disagree. I am putting them in their proper context so that we can better see His purpose. Failure to do that has allowed undue fear and anxious striving to burden people for too long.Ralphhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13191358912351995744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34075051.post-8519086263985167582011-11-29T09:05:52.953-07:002011-11-29T09:05:52.953-07:00I'll simply state that I do not believe that J...I'll simply state that I do not believe that Jesus taught in a "pre-New Covenant" manner. I have too often seen this teaching used to dismiss much of the invaluable words of Jesus.Brent Harrisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34075051.post-48288020806066498292011-11-29T09:05:17.337-07:002011-11-29T09:05:17.337-07:00Praise the Lord we are in unity of the spirit..man...Praise the Lord we are in unity of the spirit..man do we need this right now...HallelujahGeorge Lisa Millernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34075051.post-72752865697295125002011-11-29T09:04:39.753-07:002011-11-29T09:04:39.753-07:00And always the consequence of violating the laws H...And always the consequence of violating the laws He spoke of in Matt 5 was judgment and hell. Isn’t that interesting? What was it that was given entirely over to Jesus? Wasn’t it judgment? It was! (John 5:22) And didn’t He make sons and rescue from hell those who receive Him? He did! (John 1:12-13; Rom 5:9-11) But He hadn’t until He died. And that’s why what follows the Gospels is so important.Ralphhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13191358912351995744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34075051.post-88074063014438183682011-11-29T09:04:22.493-07:002011-11-29T09:04:22.493-07:00Win, you don’t think Jesus spoke or taught in a “p...Win, you don’t think Jesus spoke or taught in a “pre-New Covenant” manner? I think He did.<br /><br />Jesus was born under the law (pre-New Covenant) that He might redeem those under the law (Gal 4:4-5). He spoke to those born under law so that they would not miss how exacting the law was. The Former Covenant did not end until Jesus’ death on the cross, neither did the New Covenant arrive until Jesus’ death (Heb 9:16-17). Throughout the four Gospels, God’s new way had not yet come. Much of what Jesus spoke clarified the exacting requirements of the Law (pre-New Covenant) so that they wouldn’t miss what was soon to come—the free gift of righteousness and life. Call it “pre-New Covenant” teaching if you like, because that’s what He did.<br /><br />Matthew 5:20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.<br /><br />Matthew 5: 21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.<br /><br />Matt 5:27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.<br /><br />Matt 5:29 If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.<br /><br />Matt 5:30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.<br /><br />Think what these verses mean: unless your personal righteousness is better than the best perfectionist you know, you’re toast. Have you gotten angry with someone? You’re not making it. Have you ever called a politician a “fool”? Hell is calling you. Ever had a lustful thought? You’re an adulterer, and we know what happens to them. Have you ever looked at something or someone covetously, enviously, jealously, or longingly? If you want to make sure of heaven, rip your eye out. Have you ever used your hand in theft or to hurt someone or to convey a hypocritical stance (“Hey, man! I love you!”)? Better cut it off.<br /><br />Jesus’ hearers were not to take the Law lightly, and neither should we. While most of us are not Jewish, meaning that the law does not apply to us (See Rom 2:14 and Eph 2:11-13), still the Law must be upheld in that it is perfect (Rom 3:31). Anyone who watered (or now waters) it down was certain to miss the gift of God that was soon to be offered. Even today when people pay scant attention to the perfect and exact requirements of the Law, they fail to perceive the severity of the former covenant and often then miss the grandeur of the New Covenant gift. Jesus’ ministry was to make clear that the law could never be obeyed. The apostle Paul understood (see Rom 7). Some of them (and some of us) sadly continue on in a burdensome personal crusade of, “I’m trying hard to please God! I’m doing the best I can!” According to Jesus, that will never be enough. And it wasn’t supposed to be.<br /><br />Jesus raised the standard as high as it should actually be, making their attempt (and ours) to keep the law ridiculous. Jesus then kept it and fulfilled it perfectly, and gave us all of the benefits. The gospel (which follows the Gospels) makes it clear that He now offers us His perfect righteousness as a gift in the place of what we might otherwise earn—filthy rags.<br /><br />I hope this helps.Ralphhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13191358912351995744noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34075051.post-15024561769549512322011-11-29T09:02:39.681-07:002011-11-29T09:02:39.681-07:00I have an issue with his point that Jesus was teac...I have an issue with his point that Jesus was teaching a pre-New Covenant idea. You don't see Him doing that anywhere else in His teaching. It sounds like this guy goes too far to prove his point. I'll post more about this but need to check a couple of things before I do.Win Jackson Houwennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34075051.post-36849975228044529882011-11-29T09:02:18.971-07:002011-11-29T09:02:18.971-07:0052 Lies is a great book! Thanks for posting this ...52 Lies is a great book! Thanks for posting this portion...Jeremy Whitenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34075051.post-71125378985009646712011-11-29T09:01:52.001-07:002011-11-29T09:01:52.001-07:00Now there's a paradyme shift!! Nice.Now there's a paradyme shift!! Nice.Rich Buonocorenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34075051.post-52287751031636927252011-11-29T09:01:32.555-07:002011-11-29T09:01:32.555-07:00Spot on...thanks for the share Ralph Harris, I'...Spot on...thanks for the share Ralph Harris, I'm going to put it on my blog too.Dave Geislernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34075051.post-18807520770352973102011-11-29T09:01:01.415-07:002011-11-29T09:01:01.415-07:00Well. Nervously disagreeing, here. Although I DO s...Well. Nervously disagreeing, here. Although I DO see your point and your line of logic.Lori Carrollnoreply@blogger.com