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"GIVEN" to you... by God "WHAT do you POSSESS that was NOT GIVEN to you?" A tablet from the on-going INTERNET BOOK, "The Doctor's Terrific Tablets" ( http://www.terrific-tabs.com ) by John N. Todd III, M. D. (link)
This "tablet" interrelates closely with God's "INDIVIDUATION" (link); and TOLERANCE, Understanding, and Forgiving (link) "Doctored".... 5/00; 5/01; 8/01; 9/01; 10/01; 1/02; 2/02; 5/02; 6/02; 8/02; 9/02; 2/03; 4/03; 8/03; 12/03; 1/04; 2/04; 3/04; 6/04; 7/04; 9/04; 12/04; 6/05; 9/05; 10/05; 1/07; 2/7/07 Click HERE to go to "FRONT PAGE" of "The Doctor's Terrific Tablets" Click HERE for ALPHABETICAl INDEX of this entire WEBSITE CLICK HERE to EMAIL your thoughts to the author This "tablet" should be easy to "swallow". It makes so much sense! Even if a person is an atheist, and believes only in creational chaos, and chance and "luck" and superstition, and Father "Big Bang" -- he would have to "accept" the initial remarks that I will state here. The "atheist" may give no credence to Biblical truths -- but even the atheist would have to agree that he did not create himself; and that he himself had nothing at all to do with his own physical and intellectual and psychological attributes. All of us human-animals are "given" (we are "born with") our own individual physical, and mental, and emotional characteristics -- those attributes over which we had no control whatsoever. Note the following truths, from God's Bible:
The Earth, and all its creatures are made by God. Everything about you and me was given to us by God. We did not create ourselves. We did not select our parents. We had nothing to do with the "genes" we received. We did not choose the color of our skin, nor our "race", nor the nation in which we were born. We had nothing to do with our physical size and "shape", nor our general appearance, nor our facial features -- either good or bad. You and I had nothing whatsoever to say about the gender we would be assigned .... whether male or female. We did not design our personalities. We had no part in generating our intellect, or our "I.Q.". We ourselves had absolutely nothing to do with how quickly we learn; and we had nothing to do with our special gifts -- like musical talent, or deductive reasoning, or artistic ability, or athletic skill and quickness. All of these "attributes" were given to us by God -- for God's own reasons -- "reasons" that are in accordance with the molding and shaping and building of God's own creations.... individually.... for His purposes. What person will claim that he, himself, had any voice at all in choosing his genetic make-up, or anything about his pre-natal existence -- or that he had any part whatsoever in the formation of his personality and "habits", during the early years of his life? As infants and young children, we had no part in selecting the qualities of our parents, either helpful, and kind, and gentle, and supportive -- or the very opposite. We had no "say" in the circumstances that developed around us -- such as injuries, or illnesses, or controversies, or personal battles; and we had no part in choosing our teachers, or our neighbors, or our neighborhood. We had no part in determining how rich, or poor, our families would be. We did not decide what toys or games we would possess -- or which "sports" we would be taught. All of our "internal" attributes -- our inherent and intrinsic "selves" -- were given to us; and all of the early-in-life "external" events and circumstances were "given" to us (or imposed upon us) -- unrelated to any choice of our own. God's people (linked) are also "given" (by God) a sincere "faith" in God -- that is, a genuine "belief" in the truth about God. No human-being can force himself to "believe" in God. Pretending a "faith" does not generate "true belief" (faith) in God. No human "rationality" or scientific study can cause an individual to develop an earnest spiritual belief. Faith (link) comes from God, and is granted as a gift, to individuals of God's choosing -- for reasons that we humans cannot know. (As JOHN CALVIN says, in Chapter 8 of "The Institutes Of Christian Religion", "Since God has chosen to reserve the treasure of true wisdom for His children, it is not surprising that there is so much ignorance and stupidity in the majority of men. In this majority, I include even those specially chosen -- until they are grafted into the body of the church.... If, at any time, we are troubled at the small number of those who believe, let us remember that no one can understand the mysteries of God, except those to whom it is GIVEN.") And, according to God's Bible, righteousness itself -- that is, righteousness (link) in the eyes of God -- is likewise a gift.... imputed to God's people, by God.
And, "grace", the unmerited favor of God -- is a free, unearned gift from Almighty God (see Romans 3: 24 below). Similarly, the (link) Spirit of God ("The Holy Spirit") is a gift from God, to God's people, as the scriptures quoted below reveal. Even "salvation" itself is granted or "given" by God, to those whom God has accepted. Salvation (link) is not something that can be earned, or a reward that can be conferred upon an individual by a "church", or by a minister, or by any other human; and "salvation" is not something that we humans can achieve for ourselves, by our own merit, or by any of our "deeds", or by our promises, or by the recitation of a "creed", or by being "baptized". Thus -- "faith", and "righteousness", and "grace", and the Spirit of God, and "salvation", and "justification", and "sanctification" -- are all given by God to individuals of God's choice -- and cannot be granted (given) to us humans by any other human-being, or by a denominational group of humans. (See link Chosen by God.) How do I know these facts? Because "the Bible tells me so". Note the following quotations from God's word (some of these are repeated from above): 1 Corinthians 4: 7 (NEB) "Who makes you, my friend, so important? What do you possess that was not given to you? If then you really received it all as a gift, why take the credit to yourself?" This Biblical truth tells me that God's people are individually created by God; molded by God; developed by God -- each with inherent and "built-in" attributes, that we human-individuals had no part in choosing for ourselves. Everything about each of us was "given" to us by God -- for God's own purposes. To me, this means, not that I am a puppet, nor a "robot", nor a "slave" -- but that I am a child of God, and a servant, and a "soldier" for God -- designed and shaped according to God's plan -- and not by my own plan for myself -- nor by the design of my parents -- nor by the persuading of my "friends" -- nor by the pleadings of any specific restrictive doctrinal "church". (See link God's INDIVIDUATION.) My understanding is that God trains and teaches His own "children", in much the same way that good "humanly" parents "bring up" their own children. In that analogy, are not the children of "good" parents almost totally controlled and molded and instructed in their activities, their studies, their play-time, their food-intake, their clothing, their rest, their "manners", their behavior -- and where they are allowed to go, and who their associates will be...... all according to the knowledge and skill and plan of their loving human parents? And so it is with God. We are not "robots" -- we are God's children! (Linked.) There is no reason for anyone, however "smart" or talented -- to be prideful, or boastful, as if he himself had accomplished great things, on his own -- by hard work, or by his "drive", or by his personality and ambition, or by "keeping his nose to the grindstone", or by any other self-generated effort. All of these attributes, and factors, were caused, and "given", and molded into each of God's children -- according to a plan. Within narrow limits, our actions and reactions and 'responses" are determined by what we have been "given", and to what we "are", intrinsically -- and to what has "happened" to us, during our lifetimes. Our actions and responses relate very little to our humanistic attitudes of what we have made of ourselves. There are no "self-made" humans. And, yes, God brings ("gives".... or "allows") adversity, and illness, and sadness, and disappointments. and losses, and discipline -- into the lives of His people. Everyone can clearly see that not all of God's people are handsome, and healthy, and bright, and energetic..... and "successful" (in "human" terms). The earthly circumstances that we humans frequently perceive as "bad things" are also "given" by God, just like the "good things"..... with very much the same purpose; that is, to mold and bend and teach and edify each of God's "children"..... perhaps for this world -- or, possibly, for the "life to come". But..... we must remember..... "all things" are for the plans and purposes and INTENTION of God. (See link Good and Evil from God.) The following scriptures state these very points, beautifully.... and this understanding is most important to all of God's people. Read these out loud.... and "hear" God's words: Isaiah 30: 20 (NIV) Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. 21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way -- walk in it." Isaiah 43: 2 (NRSV) When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you. When you walk through fire, you shall not be burned; and the flame shall not consume you. 3 For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior..... 5 Do not fear -- for I am with you. Finally, in completing this "tablet" (this chapter), I want to add another Biblical statement that pertains to what God has NOT "given" -- to certain individuals. That Biblical truth is this: there are those to whom God has not given "understanding" -- and faith, and righteousness, and salvation, and grace -- as detailed above, in this chapter. Our Bible states that there are those individuals whom God has "hardened", and "dulled" -- so that they cannot understand God's truth. You and I, and other human-beings -- in or out of "organized" doctrinal churches -- may never be able to explain or understand these Biblical assertions, concerning those who have been "hardened", snd "dulled".... by God. Furthermore, no human-being, in this life, will ever be able to recognize and identify, with certainty, those individuals whom God has not favored with His special gift of knowledge and understanding, and faith. These "mysteries", and their explanation, will remain (for now) with God. (See link Chosen by God.) Note the following references to this important Biblical principle: Romans 11: 7 (NIV) What Israel sought so earnestly, it did not obtain; but the elect did. The others were hardened. 8 As it is written: "God GAVE them a spirit of stupor -- eyes so that they could NOT see, and ears so that they could not hear -- to this very day." ( There is an important reminder -- indeed a Biblical "caveat" -- to the remarks in this "tablet". Note the followng scriptural quotation: Luke 12: 48 [NRSV] Jesus speaking: From everyone to whom much has been GIVEN, much will be REQUIRED (link).... and from the one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded. ) So think again about the Biblical quotations in this "tablet" -- then answer this question for yourself: What do you have -- what do you possess -- that was not given to you? What did you do to influence the color of your skin? Or your gender. Or to select your parents, or your "country of origin"? Or the color of your eyes; or your genetic make-up; or your height, or the qualities of your "intelligence"? Did you form your own personality? Did you decide when and where you would be born? And on and on and on. Indeed -- what do you possess that was not given to you? Back to the top of this "tablet" 1/17/07 |