 |
Flee from pride, as pride make us morally small; thereby preventing us from becoming proper representatives of God’s moral greatness!
|
|
|
|
Reformed Samaritanism states God’s will for each man is to commit himself with the righteousness that pleases the Creator. And even Jesus (p. b. u. h. ) is quoted preaching such belief
The gospel quotes prophet Jesus (peace and blessings be upon Him) bearing witness to the fact that, faith in him can’t by itself prevent your soul from perishing. Rather, it is sincere repentance, as well as acts of loving kindness, what will bring salvation upon you. As is written:
«I tell you, “Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish ”… Many will say to me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? (wasn’t the former a sure proof of salvation? )”, And then will I profess unto them, “ I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity”…
... I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth … Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy …
... Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me … For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment. What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? ”»- Luke 13: 3, Matthew 7: 22-23, Luke 15: 7, Matthew 5: 7, Matthew 25: 34-36, James 2: 13-14 King James Version
Flee from pride, as pride make us morally small; thereby preventing us from becoming proper representatives of God’s moral greatness!
From whence do we get the notion that “The greater a man is, the more humble his behavior becomes”? We get it from our master Moses (peace and blessings be always upon him). For though he is said to be the greatest of all prophets (“ And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses. .. ”- Deut. 34: 10), he makes little of himself, saying, “… And what are we (Moses and Aaron), that ye murmur against us? … what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord”- Exodus 16: 7-8”
The man who likes to be a show-off can never be a proper messenger of The Holy One; who is so humble, that hides himself in darkness. As is written: «And He made darkness pavilions round about Him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies… Then spake Solomon, The Lord said that He would dwell in the thick darkness… He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about Him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies»- 2 Samuel 22: 12, 1 Kings 8: 12, Psalm 18: 11
Who can teach Torah (God’s Law)? Jews? Christians? Samaritans?
Reformed Samaritanism states that, no matter if he be a Jew or a Gentile, the man who brazenly flaunts an openly immoral lifestyle has no right to expound Torah, nor teach it’s statutes and ordinances to anybody. Why? Because it has been said: «But unto the wicked God saith, “ What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth? ”»- Psalm 50: 16, KJB.
In fact, whether it be completely accurate or not, Torah’s guidance (or “interpretation”) ought to be sought only from he who (regardless of race or creed) is like an ancient Levite priest; in other words, from he whose Torah interpretation turns “angel-like” (humble and holy). As is written: “For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the Law (Torah) at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts ”- Malachi 2: 7, KJB.
In the former verse, the Hebrew word translated as “Law” is “Torah” (meaning, “instruction”, or “guidance”), while the Hebrew words translated as “messenger”, is the word “Malach” ( meaning both “angel”, and “messenger”).
Thus, the verse intimates that, if a man is like “an angel (messenger) of the Lord” (in other words, if he is humble, holy, and separated from evil), we are allowed to seek Torah from his mouth; but if he isn’t holy and humble, we are not allowed to do so.
|
|
|
God doesn’t condemn our intellectual stupidity; rather, He condemns our moral stupidity
Nowhere within Moses five books of Torah will we ever find God rebuking pharaoh’s pagan theology; nor does He ever threatens Pharaoh for the gross idolatry of claiming to be a living deity. Yet we do find God asking Pharaoh to stop enslaving [and slaughtering] innocent Hebrew people, or else face death and destruction.
And something similar could be said concerning God’s dealings with many other pagan characters (Abimelech, Balaam, Ben-hadad, Nebuchadnezzar, Darius, Cyrus, etc. )
What moral lesson is the Holy One (blessed be He) trying to teach us with the former tale? Reformed Samaritanism proposes that He wants us to know that God doesn’t hold us accountable for our “ intellectual stupidity ”. In other words, He won’t condemn us for having a defective theology. Why? Simply because God is perfectly fair; and condemning our intellectual stupidity would be a most unfair thing.
And why would it be unfair? Because our theology is the natural result of our limited understanding-- something that isn’t under our personal control, but rather under God control (thus, God can’t judge us for a limitation He himself has imposed upon us).
On the other hand, the Creator does hold us accountable for our “ moral stupidity ”. In other words, for choosing to willingly ignore the prompting of our conscience and our common sense, when they tell us deep down inside that it would be wrong to do unto our fellow beings that which we would hate if done unto ourselves (injustice, cruelty, murder, theft, fraud, cheating, betrayal, dishonor, etc).
Why it is fair for God to judge our moral stupidity? Because although we often can’t change our evil inclinations, we are always free to stand on the right side of morality. How? By calling “Good” that which the Creator, nature, common sense, and our conscience calls “Good”; And by calling “Evil” that which all of the former call “Evil”.
In fact, Hebrew Scripture hints at the idea that, even if our theology seems to be perfect, as long as we insist upon calling “Unfair” (immoral) what God had clearly declared to be “Fair” (moral), we will remain under God’s stern judgment. As is written:
“ Yet says the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not fair and just! O house of Israel, are not My ways fair and just? Are not your ways unfair and unjust? Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, says the Lord God. .. ”- Ezekiel 18: 28-30, Amplified Bible (Classic Edition)
|
|
|
“Mere knowledge causes people to be puffed up (to bear themselves loftily and be proud); but love [in other words, affection, goodwill and benevolence) edifies, builds up, and encourages one to grow to his full stature as a child of God”
|
|
|
