DM spoke of having a bias 'to justify Abraham and David'. Galatians 2:15-21 'We are Jews by birth, not 'Gentile sinners.' But we know that a person is not declared 'righteous' by works of the Jewish law, but THROUGH THE FAITHFULNESS OF JESUS THE MESSIAH.
That is why we too believed in the Messiah, Jesus:so that we might be declared 'righteous' ON THE BASIS ON THE MESSIAH'S FAITHFULNESS, and not on the basis of works of the Jewis law........... I HAVE BEEN CRUCIFIED WITH THE MESSIAH . I am, however, alive--but it isn't me, IT'S THE MESSIAH WHO LIVES IN ME. And the life I do still live in the flesh, I live WITHIN THE FAITHFULNESS OF THE SON OF GOD, who loves me and gave himself for me. Let's keep the focus where it ought to be. Subject: Re: [TruthTalk] Unilateral covenant sorry -- the proof read version > Jonathan wrote: > > In fact, it is Abimelech who is declared righteous (God > > says, "I know you did this in the integrity of your heart") > > in this situation, not Abraham. I repeat, Abraham was > > not righteous in this narrative. > > Sorry, Jonathan. I don't buy it. While you certainly are correct in > noticing a bias I have to justify Abraham and David, your bias to find > Abraham a sinner in this case appears to me to be working overtime. > > Look at the text: > > Genesis 20:3-7 > (3) But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, > thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a > man's wife. > (4) But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay > also a righteous nation? > (5) Said he not unto me, She is my sister? and she, even she herself said, > He is my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands > have I done this. > (6) And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in > the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against > me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her. > (7) Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he > shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know > thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine. > > Abimelech is the one who declared himself righteous. God told Abimelech to > repent. God was going to kill him for doing something that he did not know > he was doing. God had mercy upon him because of his ignorance. He gave him > a chance to repent. When he says that he did it in the integrity of his > heart, this does not mean that Abimelech was righteous, but that he was > ignorant of the facts and therefore not sinning presumptuously and in > rebellion. Abimelech still had some repentance to work out. The anger of > God was against Abimelech, not Abraham. This fact appears to elude your > attention, perhaps because of your bias to find Abraham to be a sinner. > > God never told Abraham to repent. God told Abimelech to repent. > Furthermore, he told Abimelech that his fate was in the hands of Abraham. > He told Abimelech to ask Abraham to pray for him. Perhaps this is why > Abimelech was so nice to Abraham after this. > > For the record, I do recognize that Abraham and David were both sinners in > need of a Savior. It is not my intention to try and make them "perfect." > If John had simply said that Abraham had sinned by saying that Sarah was his > sister, I might have let it go at that. When he ascribes an evil motive to > Abraham's heart, that Abraham was willing to let men sleep with his wife so > that they would not kill him, that is an entirely different matter. Perhaps > my knowledge of the customs of that day regarding adultery, marriage > arrangements, etc. influences my perspective, but even lacking such > knowledge, a person should be careful in ascribing such evil motives to > anyone when the text does not plainly say it. What he did to Abraham is the > same thing many of you do to my posts. Some will misunderstand what I write > and read between the lines, ascribing evil motivations. We should beware of > what the Bible calls, "evil surmisings." > > Peace be with you. > David Miller. > > > ---------- > "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org > > If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be subscribed. ---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be subscribed.
