Hello, John and Doves,
Rather than waste my time, let me
be admittedly snarky and say...
It is written,
"And if anyone causes one of these little ones who
believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to
be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied
around his neck."
It is written,
"For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I
have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed
thee, though thou hast not known me."
"And I will
bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an
inheritor of my mountains: and mine
elect shall inherit it, and my servants
shall dwell there."
Clearly,
Israel is forever the elect of God.
Really, can God lie?
"Certainly not! Indeed, let God be true but
every man a liar. As it is written:
"That You may be justified in Your words, And may
overcome when You are judged." [fn]
"If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."
I would
never laugh while my brother had just
fallen off his chair at the wonderment of his own
misguided hubris that prefigured the fall.
After all, I know full well,
"Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit
before a fall." Proverbs
16:18
Again, I know that,
"Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in
heaven." Psalm
119:89
"I have other sheep that are not of this sheep
pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to
my voice, and there shall be one flock and one
shepherd."
Mike C.