Human Imperfection, Teboho Kibe [read a book .txt] 📗

described by verses such as John14:2, 3; 1Thessalonians 4:13-17 and Revelation 20:6. The earthly resurrection is best described by verses such as Luke 23:42,43;John 5:28,29; Hebrews 11:8-10,35 and Revelation 20:12,13 .

 

Also to note that even the apostles of Jesus later knew of such varied hopes, we see this in Acts 2:34; 3:21; Hebrews 2:5;11:39,40; 2Peter 3:13 and Revelation 21:1. So, it’s only the remnant of 144 000 anointed Christians who have the heavenly resurrection hope, deducing from Luke 12:32 and Revelation 14:1,3. Jesus himself showed such difference in eternal hopes or sheep identity in Matthew 19:28( i.e. reference to future earthly paradise) Luke 22:28-30(the heavenly hope); John 10:16(i.e. the two groups under one shepherd, heavenly and earthly hopes).

 

I know it sounds very taboo and complicated, in-fact, if you can give yourself enough time and effort, you’ll see a lot of co-ordinating or matching scriptural geometry in this or these. It’s very interesting! Instead of supporting the same point with the same verse all the time, I tried to use other verses even though the ones I used formerly could also support the same point. So this is true scripture engineering or geometry. Just read the verses in all directions and see the amazing one thought, you’ll be surprized to find that there is actually one long link between all of them, one common thought. Try it you’ll see. A lot of phrases employed actually mean the same thing, e.g. the “re-creation” in Matthew 19:28, the “Paradise” of Luke 23:43, “times of restoration” of Acts3:21, “inhabited earth to come” of Hebrews 2:5 and “new earth” of 2Peter 3:13 and Revelation 21:1! Irrespective of the Bible translation you may be using, you’ll find the same or similar phrases or paraphrases of these. The same analogy can be used to identify those who have a heavenly hope of resurrection. You can spot verses that have diverse yet same classification of such. Now friend, you do the remaining scriptural Maths.

 

I can quote endlessly but I chose some few verses so that you can train yourself to see how God’s purpose about the earth will be unfolded. You need to examine the scriptures carefully so that you can exhume the best meaning possible. Scripture explains scripture just like how each colour when placed next to another colour brings out the best contrast or colour identity possible. Caution though, most scriptural clarity is actually brought by the intervention of God’s holy spirit, cause the Bible is actually a product of his mouth or thoughts. So, a very humble prayer must or should pave the way before one could open the Bible. Still, if clarity is not reached, a humble request to a discerning friend should be made, friends who are well equipped to handle the word of God aright.2Timothy 2:15. Happily many communities world-wide are blessed to have such loving friends at their disposal, and they come humbly knocking at your door and ask to conduct a free weekly Bible study with you, in a day and time chosen by you. So, let these gentle servants of Jehovah soothe you to eternal life in accurate understanding. They like and enjoy witnessing about Him. Malachi3:16 and 1Timothy 2:3-4.

Did you notice how Paul at Romans 8:20 further shows how imperfection will be undone in all obedient mankind? Okay, maybe I’ll return to this later, but there is some deep wealth of information and quite fascinating if not interesting study and details you can derive from the analysis of such a verse and others that closely related to it. But, for now I’d like us to venture into something not quite lateral from our book’s topic. What is it, okay, let’s propel it friends.

Well, friends, you may not have seen it, but I went to Wikipedia and browsed some information on human imperfection and found the likes of The Birth Mark, Gadamer and so forth. Well, some of the information I’ve seen there is quite interesting, and somehow relates to what I’ve started in this book. Somewhere I was surprized to see the similar line of thought that those commentators related. I was never influenced by anyone nor copied any of these in my approach in writing this book. I just find them as I go along writing this book. But, I must say, some commentators are really good observers in what others may write, even though personally I don’t like to read the criticism parts, cause I believe that it is only Satan who’s on the campaign and mandate of questioning other people’s motives, as if nothing pure can spontaneously come out of us. No one deserves harsh criticism, unless if he or she was initially ill inclined at first or from the word go.

Anyway, any contributing sources are most welcome to me, but I would like to give a taste, a feel, that is imbue and unique to me inasmuch as my finger-prints are a duplicate of no other. This is what makes life to be interesting, I so believe. Otherwise, such word as “character” and “personality” would be useless, even though we shouldn’t use these for self-glory, but to add to the rainbow of human society or neighbourliness.

Now, friend, you know I’ve been asking myself some of the questions about the first two kids of Adam and Eve, namely Cain and Abel even as Flavius Josephus, in his book, Antiquities of the Jews, chapter 2, speaks of these. My questions concerning these sons would be: In preparing the sacrifices, were both of them concerned about lasting outcomes? Did they want to take it as a once-off matter that would not need to be repeated? Did it ring to them that God might require something greater with the progression of time? Was each one’s offering valued in comparison with the other, or did the onus rest on the manner in which the offering was dished out?

 

I think that it is only in this vein of such questions can the lack of proper execution on the part of Cain can be exhumed. Cain did not think of any lasting benefits, but he was self centred and treated the sacrifice as a once-off duty that ought to free him from further expected duties of Godly devotion, hence his sacrifice was inferior or lacked proper, pure motivation and will. Abel on the other hand displayed genuine humility and accepted an utter loss, and left nothing to himself and continued to open a way for further requirements that God may impose or set upon him.

Unfortunately, or realistically, that’s the exact situation you and I find ourselves in, that is, in this age or today, or since our perceptive powers started to mature. Each day we wake up to prove our inclination, whether it is self-centred or expending. Will we choose to use our lives like Abel or like Cain? Human imperfection and its consequences are best seen in these first two sons of Adam and Eve. Also, note that Cain was not charged for denying God’s existence, but for lacking a genuine drive and attachment to God as one deserving dictating or directing our steps in the pure worship of him. Similarly, God does not accept any half-hearted service all in the name that at least we acknowledge his being. There is a big difference between zero and 1. 0, 5 cannot be 1 neither can 1 be 0, 5. So, where would you put Cain? Or, where do you want to be?

In a relative sense, 1 is a perfect number, but in no way can zero or 0,5 be perfect numbers. So, what type of numbers are they? You do your Maths, but, as you know, allegorically speaking, we want to avoid the sting and snare of all sorts of villainy, procured in spontaneous misdemeanour, in the guise and guile of human imperfection.

So, like Abel we know that our lasting future is involved in our execution, and we do not want such pending benefits to forfeit us, instead, we want to humble ourselves and present spotless, unblemished sacrifices or fruitage to God even though we are imperfect, because we would have attuned our motives, desire and will to God’s approval and satisfaction. If Abel, though imperfect, managed to please God to the full, presenting a top-notch sacrifice, what can make us fail today? Interestingly, the very sacrifice of Abel reflected in a greater sense how God himself would bring out the very best of himself by presenting to us the perfect life of his dearest son, Jesus Christ. This display of great affection is an ultimate to human imperfection, cause Christ carried away the sin of the world, and by means of him all will inherit perfect bodily health and function during his earthly millennial rule as testified in John 1:29 and Matthew 6:10. This carrying away of the sin of the world was also foreshadowed by the scape-goat or the goat for Azazel mentioned at Leviticus 16:8 and 10.

But what if someone argues over our sense of right and wrong as is the case of Cain and Abel or just in general. Well, another avenue that can be considered with regard to God’s righteousness and justice involves an internal sense that we have. The Bible says that man was made in God’s image. (Gen. 1:27) That does not mean His bodily form, for He is spirit and we are flesh. Rather, as Colossians 3:10 shows, this “image” involves personality or qualities. God created Adam with qualities that He himself has, including love, justice, righteousness and wisdom. Though we are imperfect and far removed from perfect Adam, most humans reflect to some extent these godly qualities, even as humans earth wide manifest a degree of conscience or moral sense. (Rom. 2:14, 15) This being so, our own sense of justice and righteousness should be reason for us to have confidence in God’s having and manifesting these qualities, but in a way far superior to us humans.

As an illustration of the response of this “sense,” consider the reaction on the part of many people—perhaps our own reaction, also—to the teaching of hellfire. Especially in the past, many churches taught that the souls of the wicked are tormented forever in hell. The Bible does not uphold such an idea, for it states that the dead are unconscious and that most of the dead will yet live again by means of a resurrection. (Eccl. 9:5, 10; Ezek. 18:4; John 5:28, 29; 11:11-14) But even without knowing what the Bible says, many persons are repelled by the hellfire doctrine. They cannot accept it even if their own church teaches it. It ‘goes against their grain.’ They cannot believe that a God of love, justice and righteousness would take someone who was bad for, say, sixty years and torment him with excruciating suffering forever. And many persons have been relieved to learn that their sense of justice and righteousness is borne out by God’s Word.

The very fact that we humans, who only imperfectly reflect the “image” of God, have a compelling desire to see done what is righteous and just, should increase our assurance that Jehovah himself is guided by such qualities.

On the other hand, the fact that we are admittedly imperfect should recommend that we take care that this “sense” does not get distorted and lead us to incorrect conclusions. If someone’s sense of what is righteous and just became exaggerated by imperfection, it might be like a man looking through a wavy pane of glass. Much as he wants to see clearly what is on the other side, the image reaching his eyes is affected by the imperfect glass.

That a similar thing might develop with regard to our view of the righteousness and justice of God’s dealings can be recognized in what some persons have come to believe. Moved by their own sense of compassion, righteousness and justice, and convinced that if they feel this way God must surely feel even more this way, they have taught the doctrine of universal salvation. They