I've not read those articles, as yet, and haven't read any other postings to OP, as yet either. Think, I've seen that Jonathan Edwards guy mentioned here in CC, but don't quote me on that!...lol
" Each one according to THEIR (NOT yours, not corporately, not your pastor's) faith!" Don't know about you, or y'all, but this aligns with your accusatory "tone", that larger containers, or acquiring, or earning, a larger container is a bad, evil, dark, wicked, something not to be desired, nor striven to grow to, or for. If every believer was this way? Why would the Father deem it necessary, to put forth this next, "up and coming" earth and heaven age, and not go straight to the Great White Throne Judgement?
The "parable of the talents" also comes to mind. The "parable of the Mustard Seed", also comes to mind. Would not a kind and gracious Heavenly Father, "see" that one of His children who has grown "out" of the "pot" they were initially "germinated" in, and "transplant" it into a larger "pot", so that one's growing may continue?
What I see in this "accusation:"......
"They are throwing in this "capacity" idea that each saint will have a fullness of joy but in larger or smaller capacities. According to them, the amount of rewards we get determines our capacity of joy, happiness, and relationship with God.".....If this is true, then, it bespeaks of a vanity! Which is not a good thing! Yet, this "fullness of joy", yada, yada, is just as full in a smaller pot, as it is in a larger pot. Methinks, where you are either confused, or attempting to confuse, is in this "fusing" the definition of the word "capacity" with the definition of the word "RESPONSIBILITY!"
" Each one according to THEIR (NOT yours, not corporately, not your pastor's) faith!" Don't know about you, or y'all, but this aligns with your accusatory "tone", that larger containers, or acquiring, or earning, a larger container is a bad, evil, dark, wicked, something not to be desired, nor striven to grow to, or for. If every believer was this way? Why would the Father deem it necessary, to put forth this next, "up and coming" earth and heaven age, and not go straight to the Great White Throne Judgement?
The "parable of the talents" also comes to mind. The "parable of the Mustard Seed", also comes to mind. Would not a kind and gracious Heavenly Father, "see" that one of His children who has grown "out" of the "pot" they were initially "germinated" in, and "transplant" it into a larger "pot", so that one's growing may continue?
What I see in this "accusation:"......
"They are throwing in this "capacity" idea that each saint will have a fullness of joy but in larger or smaller capacities. According to them, the amount of rewards we get determines our capacity of joy, happiness, and relationship with God.".....If this is true, then, it bespeaks of a vanity! Which is not a good thing! Yet, this "fullness of joy", yada, yada, is just as full in a smaller pot, as it is in a larger pot. Methinks, where you are either confused, or attempting to confuse, is in this "fusing" the definition of the word "capacity" with the definition of the word "RESPONSIBILITY!"
Honestly, I'm not trying to sound like an idiot but I can't really make out what you're trying to tell me. I do not think it's wicked to serve God harder to achieve more rewards. I will try to explain my point better... I might not explain this too well lol.
Here is my point for the post:
All Christians will be judged at the judgment seat of Christ. God speaks of rewarding men according to their deeds whether good or bad. Apparently (at least I think) some of these rewards will be crowns. The point these articles (and some I didn't list) were trying to make is that each crown contains a certain amount (capacity) of God's love/intimacy/friendship/etc.. So the overall power of your relationship with God for eternity will be contingent on how many crowns (or rewards) you get at the judgment.
They acknowledge Psalm 16:11 and say that each saint will have a fullness of joy. God's love is joy itself. So they like to say that even though we will all be "full", in reality some saints will have more of a fullness of God's love. One saint will be truly happier than the other because they have a larger container of God's love.
They like to use verses like Daniel 12:2-3 and 1 Corinthians 15:41 to say that some saints will shine brighter (have more glory & feel more of God) than other saints because of the certain amount of crowns they have.
However, I now believe this to be false (I was worried for a couple days that it was true). Matthew 13:43 says that in the kingdom of God we'll all shine forth as the sun and Philippians 3:21 says that our bodies will be fashioned unto Christ's glorious body. We are all one in Christ, so how can one person shine brighter than the other? That doctrine is stupid.
Anyway, what I was mainly asking is does God's love & intimacy toward you exceed the amount of rewards you get? God commands us that we love him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. So how can he expect that from us but not give us his FULL heart. How can he dispense more love to one child over the other? The bible says that God is no respecter of persons.
I think he loves a backslidden child just as much as the child that serves him faithfully. But God is fair, so since that backslider was unfaithful/did not live for God as they should have, God will take away rewards from him but STILL love him with all His heart, mind, soul, & strength. I don't think that any child of His can earn His heart no matter how hard or little they worked for Him. God loves each child with all his heart. If He didn't, he would be a hypocrite to tell us to love Him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.
I hope you understand what I was trying to say now.
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