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‘LOVE’ has been the theme for the bulk of man’s most cherished songs; love has been the silver lining to thunderheads in man’s trying pilgrimage on earth; and ‘love’ that golden thread which stirred his hope and led him ever on thru toil and battle, to fan his dreams to live again on sunlit carpetries abloom with happiness.
* “LET US MAKE MAN IN OUR OWN IMAGE”
Utterly impossible it is to accept the above as true, without conceding that God’s ‘drive’ behind creation, and behind His begetting of the prismal wave of spirit beings, was that selfsame mystery (to man); that incalculable force we call ‘love’. If not, then are we not in His image, neither are we His children. And to this does Scripture abundantly attest; perhaps most explicitly in that favorite passage of Christendom: “For God so LOVED the world ——“. Not the earth; not the birds or cattle, nor yet man by himself. But the WORLD (‘ton kosmon’)’: that is, ALL OF manifestation therein.
We look at adult man, who, admittedly, has been corrupted by the tarnish of a society steeped in sin; but even though fallen away from the glory of the prismal image, the man who is the father of little children will, without hesitation, toil to the breaking of his body; face the jungle beasts or die in battle ——- all that those he loves may live.
If the eroded and tarnished ‘image’ of God will do that, is God less?
Down thru the misty eons of incalculable ages, LOVE arose within the Father’s heart, and drew Him into planned parenthood. We cannot believe in the goodness and ALL-wisdom of God without recognizing that – of necessity, He planned His own fatherhood. There could be no trace of irresponsible conduct on the part of an Omniscient Being. Wherefore, the conclusion is inevitable that He did not enter into fatherhood until He had first planned the future for His offspring, the ways and means for their eventual at attainment of the Parent’s stature and their entering into His own joys and glory. To this attests also the Scripture saying: ” And now, Father, glorify me in your presence: with GLORY I HAD WITH YOU BEFORE THE WORLD BEGAN” John 17:5
To postulate that God is willing, but helpless to save ‘souls’ from indescribable torment in a furnace of fire time without end, is to declare Him an irresponsible weakling. And should we say that He can (prevent it) but won’t, then have we postulated A SADISTIC MONSTER in contrast to which the devil becomes a saint. To try to justify any of such hell-frothings by claiming that God would not interfere with man’s ‘free will’, is again to declare Him much baser than the vilest human who ever lived. For, assuredly, no parent has ever placed temptation before his child so, that in the moment of the youngster’s weakness, the parent might find excuse to fall upon him and beat him ‘for ever and ever’! The deliberate placing of the temptation by the parent, makes but a sorry mockery out of the ‘free will’ argument.
We must understand that such Pit-tripe was intended by a carnal priesthood in the eras of man’s ignorance and mental immaturity, to hold in abject serfdom, thru the power of horrific FEAR, that ‘goose’ which would perpetually ‘lay their golden eggs.’
There is no such teaching to be found in the old manuscripts, but only thru a brazen distortion of both words and context.
On the other hand we must not fall into the error of childishly wresting unlawful liberties unto ourselves, on the assumption that a LOVING Father has nothing but lollypops and pink ice cream in store – even for brats.
Every wise and truly loving parent will implement sufficient CORRECTIVE TREATMENT, that the offspring will be a credit to the parents and a blessing to society.
Because of our Spirit-Father’s GREAT LOVE for His own did He cause it to be written:
“I the LORD, the First, and with the last; I AM HE” – Is 41:4
Carefully observe His words: HE was/IS THE FIRST (one), and WITH Him is to be the LAST one; or, He will be WITH the last one.
We could not wish for a bolder statement of His all-inclusive plan: that master-plan which commenced in the FIRST and includes the LAST (one). NONE were left outside His wondrous plan!
Would any normal parent do otherwise?
Therefore did He say to Israel: “And to old age I AM HE; even to boar hairs WILL I CARRY YOU: (because) I have made, and I WILL BEAR; even I WILL CARRY and WILL DELIVER YOU” – Is 46:4 Those are the tender words of a LOVING Father: HE has begotten: therefore will He uphold, CARRY and DELIVER!
“I have told you of earthly things and you believe not; HOW shall you believe if I tell you of heavenly things?” – Jhn 3:12 Thus spoke the Christ to Nicodemus, and that sad fact remains as true unto this day. The demonstrable things which pertain to this earth life are still not accepted by man. HOW then, can the masses receive instruction in the deep mysteries pertaining to the heavenly realm? Even our self appointed spiritual luminaries are so grossly carnal that they fight among themselves, taking the GOOD and BEAUTIFUL from off His table to so ferment and pollute that it is little more than toxic hog food.
Nevertheless, let us draw, close to him and slowly turn the sacred pages.
