ReligionDiscuss General Theology, Religions and Denominations, God's Attributes, Predestination and Free Will, Dispensationalism, Eschatology, Philosophy, Origins, Archaeology, Science, World History and other such topics.
The great preacher Charles Spurgeon wrote, "All True religion is the work of God... If there is anything good or excellent found in his Church, it, too, is entirely God's work..." Let me place a somewhat Wesleyan spin on this (my tradition)—"All good is the work of God... if there is anything good or excellent found, it is entirely God's work."
Can every good thing be attributed to God--in and out of His Church?
The great preacher Charles Spurgeon wrote, "All True religion is the work of God... If there is anything good or excellent found in his Church, it, too, is entirely God's work..." Let me place a somewhat Wesleyan spin on this (my tradition)—"All good is the work of God... if there is anything good or excellent found, it is entirely God's work."
Can every good thing be attributed to God--in and out of His Church?
C. S Lewis would agree. In the final book of the Chronicles of Narnia he has the Calormine prince, who has all his life worshiped a false god, but worshiped in purity, honesty and goodness, be judged worthy of Heaven because no good act can be attributed to the evil god nor evil act attributed to the true God.
While it is certainly true that the good we do can be attributed to God yet there is a scense in which it is our own. This is particularly true of good that is also art. One of the things humans can do for God that He can't do for Himself, is to help in the decoration of creation. One of things God can't do is create the work of another artist. If God creates a work of art, even one exactly in the style of a human artist, say El Greco, it is not an "El Greco". It might be a better painting but it is a "God" not an "El Greco".
Slogan/motto:
II Timothy 2:15, Psalms 6:5, I John 3:1-2, Romans 5:1 I John 4:18, I Timothy 2:4-5, II Corinthians 9:8,11, III John 2
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May 6th, 2012, 06:29 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cracked
The great preacher Charles Spurgeon wrote, "All True religion is the work of God... If there is anything good or excellent found in his Church, it, too, is entirely God's work..." Let me place a somewhat Wesleyan spin on this (my tradition)—"All good is the work of God... if there is anything good or excellent found, it is entirely God's work."
Can every good thing be attributed to God--in and out of His Church?
Yes, all that which is good comes from God.
all that which is evil originates from our adversary, the devil
"And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers." Acts 2:42
"For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks?" Psalm 6:5
Slogan/motto:
Call me Anna, Velociraptor, excuse my manner, I'm having such a bad day. Woke this morning, with expectations of gaining nothing; I've learnt to trust my instincts.
Future Of The Left
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May 6th, 2012, 12:58 PM
Quote:
Originally Posted by oatmeal
Yes, all that which is good comes from God.
all that which is evil originates from our adversary, the devil
Who god created...ergo all evil comes from god too.
Anything therefore that is not good, is not of divine creation or nature. All that 'appears' as evil is an abstraction, inversion, privation, distortion, corruption of 'good'.
Goodness is intrinsic to divine creation and all that is truly real.
The infinitely good GOD is the primary cause of all creation. He created it all good.
Evil arose from secondary causes after the creation.
Yes--evil is parasitic and aberrant in that sense. Evil has no power to create, only corrupt.
It would seem that most people who've posted here are in agreement--all good is God's good. If we claim that some good is from humanity, then we disassociate the Source of Love from love expressed. Can that be? If all good is God's, then certainly all love is His, for it flows from Him and cannot come from evil. Good and love--wherever they are found--are born of Him. Therefore, would it be wrong to state that when love (true love, not desire or passion, etc.) is expressed it is the in breaking of God into a fallen world?
What can that tell us about His work in and through creation?
May 6th, 2012, 02:18 PM
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