Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

God's Goodness and Severity

****Rom.11:22 See then the goodness and severity of God. Toward those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness; otherwise you also will be cut off. 11:23 They also, if they don't continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 11:24 For if you were cut out of that which is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how much more will these, which are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

God plants, he waters, and according to Paul here he says God cultivates and prunes his tree, not trees, but tree coming from one seed planted by God's own hand in the Garden of Eden. We find a judgment of God on his first branch, Adam, the breaking off of him from the tree of life, his wife being one with him before God was broke off with Adam for disobedience. This severity of God leads to righteousness for many through God's goodness towards us; Christ became the last Adam adopting us as the Father of our new life in him.

1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

1 Corinthians 15:45 So also it is written, "The first man, Adam, became a living soul."{Genesis 2:7} The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

God cultivated his tree found in Israel for thousand's of years, he personally discipline and judged that great nation by his righteousness written into their every law. God's law effects faith in Him, how? By causing each person in Israel to atone for their sins to remain righteous before God, that is, in right standing with God by the remission of sin paid for by innocent life, life of an animal not created to live under moral righteous law of God. A beast not breaking God's laws.

Romans 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those whose sins weren't like Adam's disobedience, who is a foreshadowing of him who was to come.

Psalms 73:22 I was so senseless and ignorant. I was a brute beast before you.

Ecclesiastes 12:7 and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.

Ecclesiastes 3:21 Who knows the spirit of man, whether it goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, whether it goes downward to the earth?"

The power of animals life, from a beast of the field gave each member of Israel the truth of their fallen flesh inherited through birth by connection to Adam. God judged their flesh as not being innocent. However, a mere beast of the fields life blood was innocent, not a compliment for the haughty! Christ the last Adam would free them, from what? The laws judgment of their flesh not innocent before God.

Romans 9:8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as a seed.

Romans 8:13 For if you live after the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

How did God deal with the flesh? He didn't love it, he didn't reform it, he killed it, so the spirit might live. In other words, the flesh from Adam was locked up in disobedience to God, it could not become obedient to God. The life of a beast was more righteous than our fallen flesh, which life temporarily freed the spirit from the sins of the flesh. God destroyed the hostility of our sinful flesh, by putting it to death in Christ, and making us alive to him in the Spirit.

Ephesians 2:15 having abolished in the flesh the hostility, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man of the two, making peace.

Romans 8:7 because the mind of the flesh is hostile towards God; for it is not subject to God's law, neither indeed can it be.

God was serve on our sins coming from our flesh, but kind to our spirit coming from Christ. God's tree was not flesh, but the push of the law was to shut the mouth of bragging in the flesh through the severity of the laws judgments towards the flesh. Thousand's of years of God's cultivation did not teach Israel the truth of their real condition in the flesh.

Romans 8:8 Those who are in the flesh can't please God.

1 Corinthians 1:26 For you see your calling, brothers, that not many are wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, and not many noble;

1 Corinthians 1:29 that no flesh should boast before God.

Branches were broken off in God's severity to the flesh, Israel was more concerned with self-rightness than true righteousness of God. In other words, without sacrifice for sins of the fallen flesh under God's righteous law Israel could not be right, in right standing before God, they like Adam would be cut off from the God because of sin, God cannot associate with sin!

1 Corinthians 5:5 are to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

1 Corinthians 15:50 Now I say this, brothers,{The word for "brothers" here and where context allows may also be correctly translated "brothers and sisters" or "siblings."} that flesh and blood can't inherit the Kingdom of God; neither does corruption inherit incorruption.

Israels rejection of Christ our righteousness was a self-inflicted wound, a server breaking off of association with God, they were accounted dead to God without blood. Moreover, putting faith in the power of blood gave them right standing with God a (spirit life freed from the corruption of their flesh) a spiritual life with God. Their flesh was dead, as Adam's disobedience flesh was cut off by God. Reconciliation and peace came from God's gift of life too Israel (spirit life), not found in their flesh, the gift of kindness and mercy was outside of themselves, outside of their own righteousness, rightness was provided by God making them a spiritual nation waiting on Spirit and truth by understanding the condition of their own fallen flesh rejected by God as evil.

Romans 7:18 For I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwells no good thing. For desire is present with me, but I don't find it doing that which is good.

Romans 7:25 I thank God through Jesus Christ, our Lord! So then with the mind, I myself serve God's law, but with the flesh, the sin's law.

Galatians 4:29 But as then, he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now.

Galatians 5:17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, that you may not do the things that you desire.

The condition of disobedience was the same condition of disobedience Adam was locked into without forgiveness of his sin, dead too God because of the sins of the flesh by the judgment of God's righteous law. Now in this context, what would happen to an Israelite if they turned to Christ righteous blood? They would no longer be locked up in disobedience in their fallen flesh before God. They would be put to death in the flesh, and made alive in Christ freeing them from all judgment of death (spirit), that is, that which dwelt in flesh of all people since Adam (sin). The holy root stock steaming from one righteousness, the Christ, would cause life in the spirit to dwell in the person.

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me. That life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.

2Cor.3:7 But if the service of death, written engraved on stones, came with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look steadfastly on the face of Moses for the glory of his face; which was passing away: 3:8 won't service of the Spirit be with much more glory? 3:9 For if the service of condemnation has glory, the service of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. 3:10 For most certainly that which has been made glorious has not been made glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory that surpasses. 3:11 For if that which passes away was with glory, much more that which remains is in glory. 3:12 Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness of speech, 3:13 and not as Moses, who put a veil on his face, that the children of Israel wouldn't look steadfastly on the end of that which was passing away.
3:14 But their minds were hardened, for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains, because in Christ it passes away. 3:15 But to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 3:16 But whenever one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

Was Israel dead eternally for rejecting Christ? No! They were locked up by choice into death of the flesh, trying to free themselves through applying the rule of law which judged the flesh as dead to God. The medicine they were drinking was poison it killed them to God's righteousness in the spirit.

Romans 9:30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who didn't follow after righteousness, attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith;

Romans 9:32 Why? Because they didn't seek it by faith, but as it were by works of the law. They stumbled over the stumbling stone;

Here was God's goodness towards the Gentles, if they accepted Christ, the sins of their flesh would be abolished, which was originally held out to all Israel first and foremost. But if they were to think by self-rightness the trick of Devil they could earn their way, or that they had earned their way into payment from God by good deeds, they would remain as did most of Israel locked up in disobedience and judgment of their flesh, dead to the Spirit and truth of God. Freedom did not come to the fallen flesh by the laws punishing their sins, such self-righteous scubbing did not remove sins of their flesh it only magnified their sins.

Rom.7:4 Therefore, my brothers, you also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you would be joined to another, to him who was raised from the dead, that we might bring forth fruit to God. 7:5 For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were through the law, worked in our members to bring forth fruit to death.

Freedom came from innocent life that purchased us from death by the laws judgment of our sinful flesh. Lawlessness, is sin, all sin is lawless from the blood of Christ, sin must be stop, we cannot stop sin in us. Sin must be accounted for and bought by God's mercy towards us. He must pay the price of redemption from his judgment by blood of innocent victim. Israel outside of Christ is lawless, and we outside of Christ are just as lawless to God, all sin not purchasing (killed) by Christ righteous blood is still accounted as lawless to God.

2 Thessalonians 2:7 For the mystery of lawlessness already works. Only there is one who restrains now, until he is taken out of the way.

1 John 3:4 Everyone who sins also commits lawlessness. Sin is lawlessness.

One place is found for life, not religion, not Israel, not by self-righteousness, not by heritage, God is not partial, if we have faith in Christ Jesus we are saved from the death of sin, and made alive too God in spirit. All Israel will be saved, not by some religion numbers, or people in their flesh called Israel, but the full number of those God has chosen by faith to be called Israel by Spirit and truth, in Christ Jesus. Many would teach, by rules of flesh that God must accept the sins of flesh believing in a physical nation Israel righteousness due to a promise made to Abraham.

1 John 3:5 You know that he was revealed to take away our sins, and in him is no sin.

1 John 3:6 Whoever remains in him doesn't sin. Whoever sins hasn't seen him, neither knows him.

1 John 3:9 Whoever is born of God doesn't commit sin, because his seed remains in him; and he can't sin, because he is born of God.

Christ stated those accepting him as life as their righteousness, would lose family, friends, mothers, fathers, and brothes; their fleshly connection to this world, but he promised us that we would received many spiritual brothers and sisters, fathers, and mothers if we accepted him as God's Son made alive in the Spirit. "Who are my mothers and brothers, those that do the will of God!" If nothing good dwells in ones flesh and it being dead to God, how could a person boast in physical flesh of Israel?

Mark 10:29 Jesus said, "Most certainly I tell you, there is no one who has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or land, for my sake, and for the sake of the Good News.

Rom.8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don't walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.{NU omits "who don't walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit"} 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death.

Why would God turn a blind eye and start being partial in his judgments of sin, instead for worldly wisdom that the fleshly thinks of in self-importance which is found in all the nations of our earth?

Proverbs 18:5 To be partial to the faces of the wicked is not good, nor to deprive the innocent of justice.

Matthew 22:16 They sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are honest, and teach the way of God in truth, no matter who you teach, for you aren't partial to anyone.

Luke.18:9 He spoke also this parable to certain people who were convinced of their own righteousness, and who despised all others. 18:10 "Two men went up into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector. 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this: 'God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortioners, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 18:12 I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.' 18:13 But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn't even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."

See also: www.nu-truth.com