rikuoamero wrote:
Which is following the footsteps of Jesus as closely as possible. What exactly does this mean? I presume you don't chase out moneylenders/merchants from churches,
Um yes exactly what I mean. You will find no merchants or banks in a Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses. I'm not responsible for what happens in other people's religions or churches. Just like Jesus didn't go into the temples of the Roman gods and try to straighten them out. Yet I am responsible for what happens in my congregation. It doesn't have to be whips to accomplish this either.
suggest that adulterous women be struck first by sinless people or get yourself nailed to a piece of wood.
I am guessing you are referring to John 8:7 about the woman. Are you aware that John 8:1-11 is widely accepted as not from John? This is why it is important to study the Bible. Otherwise one can quote something that is not from actually in Jesus' footsteps.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_and ... n_adultery
However, if we were still under the Mosaic Law then yes I'd follow it just as Jesus did. Yet Jesus ended that law so Christians are not under law to enforce Justice. That has been given to the world's governments. (Romans 13:1)
I would indeed allow myself to be nailed to a piece of wood and yes even die for following Jesus' footsteps. There is no greater thing I could give for my God than giving my life to save my follow man. This doesn't mean killing in war as other have perverted this sacrifice. As Jesus killed no one in war while on Earth.
Obviously there are things that Jesus reportedly did that you yourself think or feel no inclination to do, so why say the above? It would be a different matter if you had said you try to emulate Jesus generally, but no. You said "as closely as possible", which obviously isn't true.
You are putting words in people's mouths. What do you know of me? Nothing! Just because you couldn't endure doesn't mean no one else can.
All true Christians I know of strive to follow Jesus footsteps as closely as possible. Yet since we are imperfect and this world is not setup to help follow Jesus' footsteps, no one can do it perfectly.
Doing this has never failed to produce a happy and secure life.
Except for when it has. You have made the claim that emulating Jesus never fails to produce a happy and secure life. I only have to provide ONE example where that isn't the case and the above claim falls apart.
My example is myself. As a child, I tried to emulate Jesus. As a result, my life was not happy and not secure.
As a child? How about as an adult? Matt. 24:13 - “He who
endures to the end will be saved.� Just because you stopped enduing doesn't mean following Jesus' footsteps doesn't lead to a better life. The ones I have seen, including myself, have endured trials and came on the other side better than when the trial began. I even have a video about one example of endurance.
https://tv.jw.org/#en/mediaitems/VODInt ... 07_1_VIDEO
Job is another example. It's not the life of following Jesus that makes things difficult. It is those that oppose that life choice that make life difficult.
Like many others perhaps a life style was forced on you as a child. How are you even sure without enduring, that the life style given to you was the correct one? Or was it the right one but you wanted to follow your own course? Either way, you stopped enduring and without endurance to follow Jesus footsteps there is no path to happiness or even life either. There is only one way. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:6
Satan and wicked people rule for now. They are the cause for any suffering. However, these times will come to an end. "And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.� - Rev 21:4
Until that time, "We are hard-pressed in every way, but not cramped beyond movement; we are perplexed, but not absolutely with no way out; we are persecuted, but not abandoned; we are knocked down, but not destroyed." - 2 Cor 4:8, 9.
“God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, but along with the temptation he will also make the way out in order for you to be able to endure it.� - 1 Corinthians 10:13
If you have stopped enduring then I have nothing else for you.
Illustration: A person buys an all-you-can-eat buffet meal. He pays and then goes and sits down at a table with his receipt. He has the receipt showing that he can eat as much as he wants but will simply holding on to that receipt feed him? No. He needs to get up and actually go get his food.
"Ask and ye shall receive".
Once received then what? James tells us...
“Become doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves with false reasoning.�—JAMES 1:22.
