I asked this question before, but I found out more to it...

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Oriental
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Joined: Sun Sep 03, 2006 8:14 pm
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Location: Hong Kong

Re: The two laws at work in our Minds.

Post by Oriental »

Turgonian wrote: I don't think it has to do with the 'mortal nature'. Sinful desires originate in the spirit. 'Flesh' (sarx) is used as a metaphor for human weakness in general.
Philippians 3:3
For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh--

I concur with you about the weakness point. "Flesh" is generally the weakness of the mortal man who dies eventually, in contrast to eternal life that God gifts to us. I think I should've elaborated with abundance of words otherwise misunderstanding might arise.

John 4:13-15
Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again,
14 but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
15 The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water."

Does the "Jesus talks with a Samaritan Woman" give more vivid account?

I have a hard time to see why sinful desires originate in the spirit.

Roman 3:3-5
And so he condemned sin in sinful man,
4 in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.

Obvioulsy spirit and sinful nature or desire are antagonistic.

Turgonian wrote:
Worshipping them often leads to sexual perversity, sacrifice of children and other abhorrent practices.
I think now a day even if there is no sexual perversity, sacrifice of children and other abhorrent practices, there is grave problem of idolatry.

Turgonian wrote:
Oriental wrote:If God loved men to such unlimited extent, He would've understood men's anxiety and feeling of helplessness, and their need for reliance.
Which only He can fill. And His not being whimsical is the one great thing that sets Him apart from the pagan gods. It means that when people worship the true God, they do not need to be afraid of the numinous anymore.
It is just the term that you are arguing about, but not the content of my that you are answering. plus I was talking about the nature of God, not the topic about "fear of God" or "reverence".
Turgonian wrote: God never appeared as a snake. The devil did.
Again, tt is just the term that you are arguing about, but not the content of my that you are answering.

Turgonian wrote:
Oriental wrote:Why not? It is simply a change of images, from an invisible God to a divine snake-form creature.
An invisible God is not an image. One should constantly be reminded that God transcends everything on earth. Besides, an 'image' in the ancient world served as 'a focal point for the presence and power of a deity'
Colossians 1:15
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

John 1:1-2
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.


Isn't it better for us to quote biblical passage than website opinion?
Turgonian wrote:
Oriental wrote:The whimiscal, arbitrary lawly discipline is the very form God used to show His jealousy as stipulated in the Ten Commandments.
I hope I've been able to show you why that isn't true.
I guess what I said is too metaphoric for you to apprehend. Let it go while I am not that eloquent.
Turgonian wrote:
Oriental wrote:I think now a day, since Cruxificion God's grace has been more abundant than before so we hardly talk about God's wrath any longer; it doesn't mean that God is of absolute mercywhich I have heard of for thousands of times arguably doubtful to me.
He showers mercy only on those who believe in Him, that's correct -- and probably a number of people who never had the chance of hearing about the true God.
I'm afraid the meaning of my expression has been distorted a little bit.

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