The repeated "if" of Romans 8 bothers me

[thinktank]

Continue the good fight, nobody said it would be easy.

Excuse me?  COME UNTO ME, I WILL GIVE YOU REST, MY YOKE IS EASY AND MY BURDEN IS LIGHT . . .

Rather than fighting the fight, let us enter into the Rest.  Grace is what reveals truth to us, enter into the grace.  The only "fight" that exists is the one between our ears.  Much of Paul's fight was against those who kept dogging him from city to city.  He didn't fight to understand God's nature in him, that came by God revealing it to him.  I don't think Deena is trying to fight religious aggressors as much as she's got a lot of inward questions, a lot of "what about"s going on that the Spirit has answers to, but the head still wrestles.

I'd merely say . .let it go.  God brought you here, he'll take you there.  Just continue being hungry, willing and looking.  The battle isn't yours to fight anymore.  Let him turn your weaponry into plowshares.  Become a planter of his truths, let him plant his truths in your field where they'll grow, mature and you're understanding will be harvested with a great surplus of the abundant life he promised all of us.  It's manifesting his "rest"in you, knowing that by his Grace, in Him you live and move and, oh yeah, have your being.  He isn't going to make you be something your not, he's merely revealing to you that the "real" you hasn't even sprouted yet.  The real you is still maturing in Him.  So . . .you can continue being the you that you are now while your living and moving "in" Him.

There's a time and a season for everything. The lord leads me as I discerned the things that needed to be said.

Paul said to contend for the faith, even if that means resting in his peace.

So delete the excuse me part and the contending with me, and your advice is well.

[micah7:9]

I contend we, I, have again misunderstood what Paul was teaching. We, I, have been putting the understanding of "fight" as I have been given to understand the word, into the understanding of
Eph 6:11  put on the whole armour of God, for your being able to stand against the wiles of the devil,
Eph 6:12  because we have not the wrestling with blood and flesh, but with the principalities, with the authorities, with the world-rulers of the darkness of this age, with the spiritual things of the evil in the heavenly places;
Now this is just me, again, I have just looked at this now, and I believe that Nathan raises a better understanding, I reason that I have seen Eph.6:11-11 as "fighting," as how "I" have understood fight;  but I see now, that I have misunderstood that word when used by Paul

FIGHT G73 agōn ; properly a place of assembly (as if led), that is, (by implication) a contest (held there); figuratively an effort or anxiety: - conflict, contention, fight, race.

From G71 agō  A primary verb;  properly to lead; by implication to bring, drive, (reflexively) go, (specifically) pass (time), or (figuratively) induce: - be, bring (forth), carry, (let) go, keep, lead away, be open.

Dont know if the words are what I tried to say> :sigh: :HeartThrob:

[Nathan]

The lord leads me as I discerned the things that needed to be said

That can be said of all of us, yes?

So delete the excuse me part and the contending with me, and your advice is well.

Without the "excuse me" wouldn't it come off as "more" confrontational??  As far as contending with you, not sure how to respond to that one either.  My response was "in" contention to yours, the perception was from one of pursuing rest, not sucking it up and fighing on . . . no condemnation, just different direction.

[micah7:9]

The lord leads me as I discerned the things that needed to be said

That can be said of all of us, yes?

So delete the excuse me part and the contending with me, and your advice is well.

Without the "excuse me" wouldn't it come off as "more" confrontational??  As far as contending with you, not sure how to respond to that one either.  My response was "in" contention to yours, the perception was from one of pursuing rest, not sucking it up and fighing on . . . no condemnation, just different direction.

:sigh: I just dont see where you come from. So my best bet is to just not respond to your posts. No offence to you, its an offence to me. :HeartThrob:

[thinktank]

The lord leads me as I discerned the things that needed to be said

That can be said of all of us, yes?

So delete the excuse me part and the contending with me, and your advice is well.

Without the "excuse me" wouldn't it come off as "more" confrontational??  As far as contending with you, not sure how to respond to that one either.  My response was "in" contention to yours, the perception was from one of pursuing rest, not sucking it up and fighing on . . . no condemnation, just different direction.

Ah, I thought the "excuse me part " was being confrontational, as if to say that what I said was poppycock, not scriptural. I did find it confrontational because I found it odd that you dispute my advice but yet also give the same advice, talking about wrestling, fighting, struggling, pursuing, and here's a quote quote " Just continue being hungry, willing and looking", but tied in with other things, it just seems confrontational to me, where it seems if I say it, it is incorrect, but if you say the same thing it is correct?.
Peace.

[Nathan]

 :dontknow: