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[Crooked Teeth]

I'm sorry if this is a stupid question but I'm struggling truth be told. It seems to me that what Jesus is, we are supposed to be also. I don't just mean like just nice to people and whatnot but actually part of Gods family like sons and daughters, just like Jesus is. It makes me think that just as Jesus is God's son, so are we. This must be why he says that the least of those in his kingdom will be greater than the messenger John The Baptist. I guess like the guests are more important than the mailman who delivers the invitation right? The bible talks about good and bad people existing together and God doesn't just rip out the bad ones cos in doing so the good ones might get uprooted also right? But at the end , the harvest which I'm guessing is judgement right, its safe to rip out the weeds cos the good wheat gets uprooted then anyway to be put in a barn? I'm guessing the good wheat that is gathered is God's kids right? Us? People who looked for God cos they had had enough of the world and such? The lowly in spirit? Am I getting this right or is it blasphemy to suggest God loves us like he loves Jesus cos we are the same i.e. God's kids?

[jimwalton]

Not a stupid question. It's good to ask and to talk. Thanks.

You're right that we are supposed to be like Jesus (Romans 8.29). We are supposed to be sons and daughters of God (John 1.12), but not like Jesus, and not like Jesus is. Jesus has a unique status and relationship with God (only begotten son, John 1.14, 18; 3.16, 18; 1 Jn. 4.9). You'll notice in the Gospels that Jesus never says "Our Father" (except in the prayer where he is teaching people what they should say). It's always "my father" as distinct from "your father," or "my father and your father" (Jn. 20.17). So your concept of Jesus being God's son just as we are isn't accurate. He's a member of the Trinity, the "only begotten Son", whereas we are adopted as children (Romans 8.15, 23; Gal. 4.5).

> This must be why he says that the least of those in his kingdom will be greater than the messenger John The Baptist.

You're in Luke 7.28. The idea is that as great as John was as a prophet (the last of the Old Testament line of prophets, technically "before Christ"), even as the forerunner of Christ (John was also the first prophet of the new era), anyone who comes to Jesus (the age of the Church), no matter what their social and economic status, enjoys the complete blessings of the new age of salvation Jesus was ushering in.

> I guess like the guests are more important than the mailman who delivers the invitation right?

That's very clever. That's the idea, all right.

> The bible talks about good and bad people existing together and God doesn't just rip out the bad ones cos in doing so the good ones might get uprooted also right?

Correct. That's in Matthew 13.24-30, 36-43.

> But at the end , the harvest which I'm guessing is judgement right, its safe to rip out the weeds cos the good wheat gets uprooted then anyway to be put in a barn?

Right again.

> I'm guessing the good wheat that is gathered is God's kids right? Us? People who looked for God cos they had had enough of the world and such? The lowly in spirit?

Mostly correct. It's not just people who looked for God and the lowly in Spirit, but people who renounced their sin and their sin nature and took on the nature of Christ (Romans 6.11-14; 8.1-4). Being united with God has nothing to do with being good or being humble (Eph. 2.8-9), but everything to do with having the nature of Christ in you.

> Am I getting this right or is it blasphemy to suggest God loves us like he loves Jesus cos we are the same i.e. God's kids?

It's not blasphemy to explore the truth. God does love us very much (John 3.16; Romans 8.29-39). The same as He loves Jesus? I'm not sure the Bible ever tells us that. But we are not the same as children of God like Jesus is the Son of God. Those are completely different categories of status and relationship.

[Crooked Teeth]

Right, thank you for your plain speaking. I'm trying to figure out my place in it is all. I'd be happy to be called an arm hair in the body, you know? I just want to belong, you know. Obviously, Jesus is God, right?, but it just seems he cared so much about people he did become like us and showed what it was like to be connected up to the invisible God right? Like we can be too? That's the Holy spirit thing right? I'm sorry if I'm not saying it right. These thoughts are nothing like my day to day, you know?

[jimwalton]

Glad to talk. I agree that it's better to an arm hair in the Body of Christ than to miss the kingdom (Prov. 12.9; 16.19). I want to belong, too, and I'll pay any price and make any sacrifice to get it.

Yes, Jesus is God, and you're also right that "he cared so much about people he did become like us and showed what it was like to be connected up to the invisible God" (Philippians 2.5-13; Heb. 4.14-16; 12.1-3). But we still never forget that His connection to God is always different from ours. We are supposed to be connected, all right, but we can never be the "radiance of [God's] glory and the exact representation of His being" (Heb. 1.3).

> That's the Holy spirit thing right?

The Holy Spirit is the one who indwells us (Romans 8.11), reveals God to us (Jn. 14.26; 16.13), and helps us become more like Christ (Romans 8.1-17). But Jesus is always in a distinct category.

> These thoughts are nothing like my day to day you know?

No, whaddaya mean?

[Crooked Teeth]

What I'm struggling with is the difference between God and man I guess. I mean it's easy to look at the world and universe and say wow God is amazing right? But Jesus don't talk much about that stuff. If I look at the simplest thing Jesus says it's 'love your neighbour as yourself'. Anyone can get that. But ain't God seeing us as his neighbour? I mean we look like him and if the Holy spirit is as you say then we think like him too right? Now I ain't so stupid as to think we ain't just creatures. But seems like God is pleased to bestow everything on us, like didn't even spare his own son right? And I been puzzling about what we must all be to receive all this stuff with nothing to give back? What on earth are we?

When I say these thoughts are nothing like my day to day, I mean my day to day life ya know? I have a lot of chores and school and whatnot and I most don't have to think beyond that. The thoughts I have about what I been reading in the bible are about something more and its hard to think on. Like we been asleep or some such. I can't really describe too well what I'm saying but it's like there's something underneath everything, like hidden, like one of them prize cards you buy and I only really figured out you gotta scratch away at it to see what's hidden you know? I know I ain't explaining so well so again I'm sorry. Trying you know?

[jimwalton]

It's great that you're trying to understand. I wish everyone were so honestly curious and open to learning.

> What I'm struggling with is the difference between God and man I guess.

The difference between God and man is almost unexplainable. It's why God is called *holy*: completely other. He has no body (no gender, no physicality), he is all-powerful, all-knowing, everywhere at the same time, completely righteous (never does anything wrong), completely just (always knows what a person deserves and how to treat a person), pure love, pure truth, eternal, and a hundred other things. To think that the universe is a speck on his "finger" is to think too small of Him. He is majestic, full of splendor, and glorious.

We humans are amazing mortals with an immense capacity for love, knowledge, and skill while at the same having the same wide capacity for evil, cruelty, and stupidity. We are separated from God both by nature and behavior, and we need help to be what we were created to be. Well, we need more than help, we need to be redeemed and remade (2 Cor. 5.17).

Jesus didn't talk much about this stuff. His focus was mostly the kingdom of God and salvation. Most of what He taught was about how to participate in the kingdom of God, as opposed to "love each other."

> But ain't God seeing us as his neighbour?

No, not really. We are supposed to see our fellow human beings as our "neighbor" (Lk. 10.25-37). Right now, if we are separated from God, he sees us as enemies (James 4.4), but He wants to adopt us as His children (Jn. 1.12; Romans 5.6-10; 8.14-21).

> I mean we look like him

We don't. God has no physicality. He has no body, no appearance.

> and if the Holy spirit is as you say then we think like him too right?

We are supposed to learn to think like him (Rom. 12.2), but most of us don't. We're too human (Rom. 7.15-24).

> But seems like God is pleased to bestow everything on us, like didn't even spare his own son right?

He wants to, but we are the ones who have to open that door and invite Him to do so (Ephesians 4.14-24).

> And I been puzzling about what we must all be to receive all this stuff with nothing to give back? What on earth are we?

We have to have open hands and humility to receive what God wants to give us (Matthew 18.3-4). We have to repent of our sins (Matthew 4.17; 1 Jn. 1.9; Acts 2.38, and many others), deny ourselves and follow the ways of Jesus (Luke 9.23-25). We have to put off our sin nature and receive into ourselves the nature of Jesus (Romans 6.11; 13.14).

[Crooked Teeth]

But does it change your life though? How does it change your life? You now have Jesus nature right or some way on I suppose being a Christian and all who knows about it all and has put off their sin nature as you say. Do you see differently like in your mind and does it change how you really perceive things you know? I still feel hella dumb for asking but it's important to me you know?

[jimwalton]

> But does it change your life though?

Oh, yes! Profoundly and immensely.

> How does it change your life?

My values, priorities, attitudes, and behavior are all constructed to conform to the reality and truth that God is real, that Jesus is God, and I have given my life to him. I specifically treat people the way God would want me to (despite how I want to treat them). I be nice to people who have been rotten to me and who try to put me down. I tolerate those who disagree with me. I don't retaliate against people. I look to the Bible to see what my values should be, and I make those my values (honesty, integrity, responsibility, compassion, etc.). I don't lie, cheat, steal, have sex with women who aren't my wife, or be dishonest in any way. I check pride and greed when they rise in me. I control my anger, and I don't lash out at people, even when I want to. I conform my priorities in life to what I think would please God and honor Him.

I value research, evidence, science, reason, and logic. (But that's probably no different from what I would have done anyway. Certainly my faith doesn't take them away or make me ignore them or devalue them.)

All in all I have learned to think differently. I put my head in a different place, knowing God as I do. It affects the way I respond to suffering, success, achievement and failure, friends and attacks.

> I still feel hella dumb for asking but it's important to me you know?

Don't feel dumb. These are good questions, and I'm glad to answer.

[Crooked Teeth]

Do you get persecuted for being a Christian like the bible says, like if you follow Jesus? I dunno if that was just like in those days because of how things were? I know you read about Christians getting persecuted in some places with different religion and whatnot but if it's a spiritual war like the bible says, do you get attacked for being on God's side or is it different these days for places that are supposed to be civilised? Is it still a spiritual war now and how is it fought you know? I ask cos I find that a bit scary you know? Like we are chess pieces or whatnot you know and these powers fight it out over us? If that's true how come no one sees that you know?

[jimwalton]

> Do you get persecuted for being a Christian like the bible says, like if you follow Jesus?

A lot of people around the world are being persecuted (physically tortured, imprisoned, and even killed). Here in the United States there's none of that, but there is a lot of intellectual persecution (if you're a Christian you're an idiot, a homophobe, a bigot, a hater, etc.) I have a whole list of evidences (news articles from the Internet): people losing their jobs, students being bullied on campus, Christian groups thrown off of college campuses, refused admission to certain schools, etc. There's quite a bit of intellectual persecution here in the US. Even on this forum, there is a lot of verbal abuse of Christians.