Romans 7-8
This passage had confused me for a long time. I mean, surely Paul didn't have to be told it was wrong to kill to know that it wasn't right. But to covet? Is that really a crime? No. There are no criminal cases regarding most of the 613 commandments. So, what the heck is he talking about??
I can't prove it but I really think that Paul isn't so much speaking of "legality" as much as he is talking about Heavens Rules. Kinda like when you walk into the Heavenly Swimming Pool area to do a few hundred laps those rules would be posted. (Not that there would be a need but just go with me here.) No running on deck. No glass containers. No coveting. Honor your parents. No diving. No murdering. Ya know, something like that.
That thought made me laugh a little bit, but it's on track to what the Law is. A lot of them didn't need to be written down to know they are wrong. But, God is thorough and complete. He gave the list of ALL things happening on Earth that don't in heaven. It gives an idea of how far gone we had fallen. Some of you may have never thought of until you realized them. Then you say "Really? That's not okay? You don't say?" Like to not harvest your entire crop but to leave some for the poor. To not neuter your dog. To never live in Egypt. Don't cross dress.
Some of those make sense to us and some don't. Some we know are wrong without having to read them. Others, we don't. I understand that in my head but I just couldn't really 'get' it. Ya know? Then, today at work it all became clear. I was making dinner for our residents with the interns. She was chopping lettuce for salads and what popped into my head was that she should really tear the lettuce by hand instead of chopping it with a knife. It makes it brown slower so it's much more appetizing but she had never been taught that. She asked where I learned it and I was embarrassed to tell her that it was from an episode of the Cosby Show from like 1986. Sondra Huxtable was giving her dad a hard time about cutting lettuce because it has feelings and we don't want to hurt it. So, her reasoning was off a bit (A WHOLE LOT) but it worked. I had no idea that there could even be a difference until someone said there could be a right and wrong way.
Could that be what Paul meant? That we do things that aren't the best way but it never crosses your mind until someone points it out? I think so. Thanks Sondra!
I can't prove it but I really think that Paul isn't so much speaking of "legality" as much as he is talking about Heavens Rules. Kinda like when you walk into the Heavenly Swimming Pool area to do a few hundred laps those rules would be posted. (Not that there would be a need but just go with me here.) No running on deck. No glass containers. No coveting. Honor your parents. No diving. No murdering. Ya know, something like that.
That thought made me laugh a little bit, but it's on track to what the Law is. A lot of them didn't need to be written down to know they are wrong. But, God is thorough and complete. He gave the list of ALL things happening on Earth that don't in heaven. It gives an idea of how far gone we had fallen. Some of you may have never thought of until you realized them. Then you say "Really? That's not okay? You don't say?" Like to not harvest your entire crop but to leave some for the poor. To not neuter your dog. To never live in Egypt. Don't cross dress.
Some of those make sense to us and some don't. Some we know are wrong without having to read them. Others, we don't. I understand that in my head but I just couldn't really 'get' it. Ya know? Then, today at work it all became clear. I was making dinner for our residents with the interns. She was chopping lettuce for salads and what popped into my head was that she should really tear the lettuce by hand instead of chopping it with a knife. It makes it brown slower so it's much more appetizing but she had never been taught that. She asked where I learned it and I was embarrassed to tell her that it was from an episode of the Cosby Show from like 1986. Sondra Huxtable was giving her dad a hard time about cutting lettuce because it has feelings and we don't want to hurt it. So, her reasoning was off a bit (A WHOLE LOT) but it worked. I had no idea that there could even be a difference until someone said there could be a right and wrong way.
Could that be what Paul meant? That we do things that aren't the best way but it never crosses your mind until someone points it out? I think so. Thanks Sondra!