The Tale of Two Men

BEAUTIFUL!

Thank you so much Dr. Youssef. I have been trying to get this message across to some harsh Christians on TH, but space restrictions make it very difficult. You did a beautiful job and touched my heart in the process!

I agree. That has always been one of the most blessed passages in the scripture for me.

I think this column is a subtle dig at Obama, not Romney. Obama is the one who is self-righteous and unrepentant. He is warning Americans not to fall again for the lies of a man who thinks he is god.

He, being Youssef.

AMEN, ANNFAN6! Obama said he was going to focus on jobs, and what did he give us? He gave us Obamacare. After the 2010 elections, he promised he was going to focus on jobs, (again.) And what did he give us? A penny-ante payroll tax cut, which didn't create any, ANY, ANY, JOBS! He's waged war on the oil and gas industry, he's thrown money into the black hole of "green energy," and his broken promises are legion.

This is a funny column because I gather the idea is that Gingrich is preferable to Romney because we al know that Gingrich is a sinner and so he is favored by Jesus. Of course Gingrich has also done much more of looking down on the sins of others.

Youssef has managed to turn morality on the head here and is trying to make the case that Gingrich is better just because he has sinned more and sinned more openly (or more accurately in a way that guaranteed he would be caught).

Gingrich is one of those lucky souls who always feels contrite about his sins at times when it does not require him to actually do anything about it.

You are a consummate fool, Lon. The biggest idiot on TH, bar none.

No candidate is mentioned in the column, and could just as easily been written about Herman Cain only a few short weeks ago, or anyone else who's made mistakes.

Youssef doesn't write "funny" columns - he writes about truth, something that is anethema to you. Youssef is asking Americans to show discernment in who they vote for, which is clearly out of your league to even comprehend, being the slow thinking Obama worshipper that you are.

Come on annfan6!Are you seriously trying to say Lon is a bigger idiot than Bibiganoush?I don't know about that.It would be a pretty close contest!

For me , the Gospel of Thomas says "it" best. . To paraphrase . . . . Christ asks Peter ' Who do you say I am . . . Peter gives a "consensus' answer.

Christ asks another mainline disciple (?) . . ' who do you say I am '? . .Another "consensus" answer is is uttered.

Lastly, Christ asks Thomas " Who do you say I am ' ?. Thomas . . .rejecting all the above says ' I cannot
say who you are ' !!

Aparrently pleased with Thomas' response . .He takes Thomas aside to whisper more dialogue.

When Thomas returns to Peter and company . . .and is questioned by Peter to reveal what he was
told by Christ in private . . . . . . he says he cannot . . . .lest his fellow disciples would stone him to death
Point being:

that Christ did not correct the less than perfect answers . . . .. but further advanced the apparent
most promising answer . . . .and for the very safety of Thomas a bit more privacy was required.

And further. . . . no theologian nor pundit can speak for Christ

There is no gospel of Thomas - that's completely fraudulent.

Jimmylynn- your post at 5:50 am mentioned the passage in Luke 18 (concerning the 'rich young ruler). You claimed Christ 'diminished His own perfecture and stature in r elation to God' when He told the young ruler 'Why do you call Me good? None is good, save one, that is God.'
Jimmy, I would like you to consider the passage this way: rather than 'diminishing Himself', or claiming that He (Christ) was NOT 'good' (remember, others called Him 'Good Master' and He didn't correct them!), I believe what Christ was doing was ASKING the young man to 'consider' deeply within himself, exactly WHOM he was addressing- GOD in the flesh! Christ was asking the young man to fully consider the implications of the 'title' he had given Christ!

The young man came to Christ on the basis of his 'good works'- just like the Pharisee in his prayer in the Temple came to God on the basis of his 'good works'. Christ was attempting to 're-direct' the young man's attention to fully consider that Christ IS 'good' and He IS God, and the ONLY 'good work that God will 'accept' is to follow Christ and receive HIS righteousness! We are saved only by God's grace and Christ's blood. Jesus invited the young man to 'receive' God's righteousness, by asking him to 'sell all' and follow Him. The young man had asked Jesus what he needed to do to be saved, and Jesus told him! Unfortunately, the young man was not willing. His riches were more important to him than a relationship with God...

Yes that was a point that Christ was stressing....God should be your greatest love. I think Jesus made that point but then went on to make an even more astounding revelation. One that even perplexed and amazed his disciples. Men's failures, weaknesses, and reluctance to give all to God creates an impossibilty for men to enter into heaven. The Disciples were perplexed because if this were true then no one would be deserving to enter heaven.....no one could be "saved". Jesus then revealed the real "truth" of man's hope for eternal life with God. God's mercy was that revelation. God can do the impossible.....and make a way for man to enter heaven because man does not have it within himself to do so.

This makes me wonder whether I am more like the Pharisee or the Publican when I point to another wretch who I think is in worse shape than me and say, "But for the grace of God, there I go."

So true, Sword... AND...the inherent 'deceitfulness' of the human heart will 'trick' us into believing that someone else is 'in worse shape' than we are (i.e., a worse sinner) when, in truth, our own spiritual vision is so 'clouded' by our OWN sin that we cannot perceive that WE are in 'worse shape' then THEY! Judge not, lest ye be judged...

People really need to gain some semblance of just how far mankind has fallen from the perfection that God created. We need some reality of just how great God's mercy is towards us.

Christ himself tried to give us some insight into this perception when he was addressed by a ruler as "Good Master". Christ diminished his own perfection and stature in relation to God in the following scriptrure.
Luke 18:
[18] And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?
[19] And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.

Even though Christ gave us a peek at God's mercy.....he brought it home when his disciples were in wonderment about who might be able to enter heaven. Some would take this scripture and construe it as a hard narrow road to heaven, but Christ was really trying to show us that no one deserves heaven, it's an impossibility, and only God's abundant mercy makes it possible.
Luke 18:
[24] And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
[25] For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
[26] And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved?
[27] And he said, The things which are impossible with men...

[27] And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.

Another perspective is that the good works and holy lives of the most righteous among us as seen through our eyes is perceived as but only dirty rags before God. So someone like a Mother Teresa would only be acceptable because of the grace and mercy of God.

Isaiah 64:
[6] But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Fortunately for us, all candidates for public office with a (D) after their name are actually perfect people.
Just ask the Left Stream Media.
They'll tell you so.
See? Easy.

At least they think they are Bill. I think they are in denial.

The Democrat Party is the Atheist/Socialist/Communist/Utopian Party. They believe that economic materialism is the source of happiness. Their belief in materialism is a religion that is opposed to Christianity.

As long as you have the bonds of this world and exist in this earthly shell.....you will sin. Only by seeking God's mercy and accepting his plan of salvation through the Christ Jesus sacrifice can you slip this earthly realm with the "hope" that you have satisfied God's plan to redeem his fallen creation.

Just as a parent can forgive a child for stumbling and doing wrongs many times over.....God's love is the same. If a parent knows that their child loves them and seeks the parent's love in return...a parent can and will forgive the sins of their child. What a parent and God will not forgive is a definant, rebellious child that has no remorse for their failings or shows no love for the parent.

If you fall into Satan's lies, you will basically be the example that Christ gave and Mr. Youssef cites for us in his column about the Pharisee. Two men that attempt to follow God's laws. One pompus and puffed up that he no longer sins.....the other resolved to the fact that he is a sinner in God's eyes and not deserving of his forgiveness, that only through God's mercy can he be reconcilled to God and through no power or act of his own. The publican exhibits a humble, thankful attitude toward God....the Pharisee arrogance and self-righteousness.

Your sins are never erased. Everyone will stand before God in judgement. God has books that record all the sins mankind has committed. There will also be the Book of Life. You will face God for the sins you have committed. If your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life (Christ's book), then his blood will cover all the sins you stand in judgement for and your life will be spared.

Rev.20
1.[12] And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
2.[15] And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

You should repent and attempt to lead a sinless life....but that will never happen. You are by nature sinful and Satan will lay a trap for you and suggest that after you repent your sins you no longer have a need to repent because you become sinless thereafter. This is a lie by the father of lies. In the Old Testament the Israelites made periodic animal blood sacrifices to cover their sins. They followed God's Laws, but would still commit sins. Christ's blood is the ultimate blood sacrifice to cover all of mankind's sins. It does not erase your sins or prevent you from sinning, but covers the sins that God knows you will commit. If you truly love God you will attempt to follow his ways and ask his forgiveness for the sin you will commit.

Question: If you truly repent of your sins, are you still a sinner?
Answer: No, you are no longer a sinner. The critical word is "truly." How can you truly repent?
You truly repent by doing the will of the Lord Jesus Christ. Once you are doing the will of Jesus Christ, you cannot sin. Therefore, truly repentant Christians are not sinners. Sinners will not enter Heaven, and therefore, true Christians are not sinners. This was the purpose of Christ's death; to save people's souls from damnation. Christianity is not complicated, but refusing to repent is complicated.

NOT SO, God's word is plain and simple. Forgiveness of your sins has NOTHING to do with what you do, (If it was dependant on your doing the will of Jesus, you would have the same power as God)
It has ALL to do with what HE did on the cross. If not so, then the gospel of Jesus dieing on the cross, is of no consequence.
Wallace

Your argument about "power" is silly. You have power over your actions, but this does not mean that you have the same power that God has.