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THE SALVATION THRESHOLD:
On God's Grace & Redemption
Is there a point where a person becomes morally irredeemable?
Or is there some transcendent mechanism, perhaps more numinous, which is allowed within the life circumstance & heart of even the most degenerate & hardened amongst us?
In a word: Can ANYBODY receive salvation at any time, no matter how far they may have strayed or fallen or how egregiously they may have transgressed?
Or is there a “salvation threshold” that an individual can breach, whereby they have become completely incapable of the humility necessary for true repentance & sanctification?
Is there a threshold that can be breached where a person can become so morally desensitized where they have become irredeemable?
Earnest theologians & philosophers are often reluctant to condemn anyone currently still living, as irredeemable from a soteriological perspective.
The main reason for this is that it is, in a sense, placing a boundary upon God's grace & God's sovereignty & God's providence.
In other words: Can't God do anything that He feels the need to do in order to fulfill His plan, both collectively for humanity & individually?
This, for true believers & followers, is an apt, Yes! He can & He does.
Of course, God can't impose upon the teleological necessity of “free will.”
Nevertheless, in some circumstances, we have to concede that even some of the most evil individuals can still exercise their prodigality & repent & turn back.
Will this be a rare instance? Yes.
Is it completely impossible? No.
Moreover, the humility required for such an undertaking could most likely only be primed through the workings of prevenient grace, aggressively prescribed.
That is to say, it would almost literally take a “miracle” or some kind of Divine Intervention to truly soften the heart & open the mind of a morally impoverished or bankrupt individual.
And herein, I suppose, is where the human intellect & perspective reaches its limits. It is spoken in Judeo-Christian Scripture that God looks at the “inner man” when discerning one's state of virtue or turpitude.
Perhaps this is why that same Scripture warns mere mortals against making any kind of rash or final judgment upon any naturalistic or humanistic affairs.
Or, spoken plainly: We are not God.
In the end, we must also concede that God's wisdom, dispensed to us through the special revelation of His Word, is superior.
Furthermore, we must concede that His commands are both sound & foolproof.
Thus, if He tells us to await His final judgment of all things in Heaven & Earth, then we should do so.
This of course, does not mean that human evil should remain unchecked or unaccounted for.
It means that we should take up each our own cross of sanctification & allow God to guide us during times of persecution & conflict with other people.
It also means that we should indeed continue to pray for those who position themselves as our “enemies”, & that repayment of evil in the form of good is a much more efficacious strategy when attempting to influence one another towards truth & righteousness.
For even the most reprobate mind is not more powerful than a disciple equipped with the right spirit within them.
And even the most hardened of hearts may still soften at the touch of grace, painstakingly applied.
1 Corinthians 1: 4-8
(The Message)
Don’t imagine us leaders to be something we aren’t. We are servants of Christ, not his masters. We are guides into God’s divine secrets, not security guards posted to protect them. The requirements for a good guide are reliability and accurate knowledge. It matters very little to me what you think of me, even less where I rank in popular opinion. I don’t even rank myself. Comparisons in these matters are pointless. I’m not aware of anything that would disqualify me from being a good guide for you, but that doesn’t mean much. The Master makes that judgment. So don’t get ahead of the Master and jump to conclusions with your judgments before all the evidence is in. When he comes, he will bring out in the open and place in evidence all kinds of things we never even dreamed of—inner motives and purposes and prayers. Only then will any one of us get to hear the “Well done!” of God. All I’m doing right now, friends, is showing how these things pertain to Apollos and me so that you will learn restraint and not rush into making judgments without knowing all the facts. It’s important to look at things from God’s point of view. I would rather not see you inflating or deflating reputations based on mere hearsay. For who do you know that really knows you, knows your heart? And even if they did, is there anything they would discover in you that you could take credit for? Isn’t everything you have and everything you are sheer gifts from God? So what’s the point of all this comparing and competing? You already have all you need. You already have more access to God than you can handle. Without bringing either Apollos or me into it, you’re sitting on top of the world—at least God’s world—and we’re right there, sitting alongside you!
Acts 3:19
"Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord."
James 5:16
Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Luke 5: 31-32
And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
James 5:15
And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
Jeremiah 3:23
Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the LORD our God.
Luke 15:7
I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
Isaiah 53:5
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Psalm 51:13
Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.
Proverbs 28:13
Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.
Isaiah 55: 6-7
Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
Jeremiah 26:3
It may be they will listen, and every one turn from his evil way, that I may relent of the disaster that I intend to do to them because of their evil deeds.
Ezekiel 18:21-23
But if a wicked person turns away from all his sins that he has committed and keeps all my statutes and does what is just and right, he shall surely live; he shall not die. None of the transgressions that he has committed shall be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done he shall live. Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord God, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?
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What we discretely refer to as ’Science’ vs. ’Spirituality’, or ’Physics’ vs. ’Metaphysics’, are not mutually exclusive systems. In fact, the very same phenomena observed by physicists and the like, are also referred to in the Scriptures. From the Book of ...
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"Odes To The Greats: A Philosophy Lesson In Verse: The Socratic & Hellenistic Eras (N)
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