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From: jah@philabs.UUCP (Julie Harazduk)
Newsgroups: net.religion.christian
Subject: Re: Re: Assumed evil in non-christians and assumed good in christians
Message-ID: <394@philabs.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 25-Jul-85 16:18:42 EDT
Article-I.D.: philabs.394
Posted: Thu Jul 25 16:18:42 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 26-Jul-85 03:55:47 EDT
References: <20@ssc-vax.UUCP> <247@ihnet.UUCP> <1275@uwmacc.UUCP> <621@mcnc.mcnc.UUCP>
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Organization: Philips Labs, Briarcliff Manor, NY
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> In article <1275@uwmacc.UUCP> dubois@uwmacc.UUCP (Paul DuBois) writes:
> >
> >If Christians *are* more moral than non-Christians, it is *exactly*
> >because of the power of the Holy Spirit.
> >If Christians are *not* more moral than non-Christians, it is
> >*exactly* because they are grieving the Holy Spirit by resisting Him.
> 
> ...and suppose, as I suspect, you folks ain't any better or worse than
> the rest of us?  What then?
> 
> -- 
> 
> 						Byron C. Howes
> 				      ...!{decvax,akgua}!mcnc!ecsvax!bch

I'd have to say you were right!  Having the Holy Spirit does not make us
better or worse than anybody at all, it's just the potential power and
the use of this power makes life more bearable.  We're reconciled to God
because we believe that Christ's death reconciles us, as the Bible says. 
The price has been paid for all the times we messed up and made the wrong
choice.  We should live by Christ's example, but if we could actually do
it, there would be no need for Christ's death and resurrection.

None of us has arrived.  We're just reaching, "pressing on" as Apostle
Paul would say.  The strange fact is that God's ways go contrary to what
we would believe.  We must get weak to get strong, we must die to are old
nature to truly live, we must let go to gain, we must give to receive...
the more we lean on God the more we can stand in life's hardest moments.

That doesn't make us better in any way except maybe a little humbler, a
little more willing to conceed to people's frailties, faults...., and a
little more uncomprimising when it comes to God's truth.  At least, that's
the way it should be.

Julie Harazduk
...!{decvax|inhp4}!philabs!jah

....Christ in us, the Hope of Glory.....