It is very important that we should understand just how Jesus did treat [the sinner]. It is easy to draw the wrong lesson altogether and to gain the impression that Jesus forgave lightly and easily, as if the sin did not matter. [In truth, however, He did not effectively] abandon judgment and say, "Don't worry; it's quite all right." [He never pretended that sin had no consequence, or that it did no harm. Rather, in both mercy and justice,] what He did was, as it were, to defer sentence. He said, "I am not going to pass a final judgment now [for I do not wish to lose you to sin; therefore,] go and prove that you can do better. [Yes,] you have sinned; [but] go and sin no more, and I'll help you all the time. At the end of [your efforts] we will, [together,] see how you have lived." [Always,] Jesus' attitude to the sinner involved [a] second chance. It is as if Jesus said to [each hurting soul]: "I know you have made a mess of things; but life is not finished yet; I am giving you another chance, the chance to redeem yourself, [for that is what I truly wish for you]." ...In Jesus there is the gospel of the second chance. He was always intensely interested, not only in what a person had been, but also in what a person could be. He did not say that what they had done did not matter– broken laws and broken hearts always matter– but He was sure that every man has a future as well as a past, [and He strove to lovingly yet firmly draw every sin-wounded soul into that healing hope with Him.] He did not say: "It's all right; don't worry; just go on as you are doing." He said: "It's all wrong, [but it can change]; go out and fight; change your life from top to bottom; go, and sin no more." Here was no easy forgiveness; here was a challenge which pointed a sinner to heights of goodness of which [they] had never dreamed, [while graciously giving, in Himself, the vital strength & encouragement to reach those lofty realities]. Jesus confronts the bad life with the challenge of the good, [and so flings wide the doors of hope. By all this we see that] the amazing, heart-uplifting thing about Him was His belief in men and women. When He was confronted with someone who had gone wrong, He did not say: "You are a wretched and a hopeless creature." He said: "Go, and sin no more." He believed that with His help the sinner has it in him to become the saint. His method was not to blast men with the knowledge-- which they already possessed-- that they were miserable sinners, but to inspire them with the unglimpsed discovery that they were potential saints.
William Barclay
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Normal heaven officials lending spiritual power to each other
Hua Cheng and Xie Lian lending spiritual power to each other
He Xuan lending spiritual power to Shi Qingxuan
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turning on anon not to send hate, but to send odysseus hate which is always right
i apologise for the fact that you like odysseus but he sucks. he cheats on his wife, who deserves so much better (i am penelope girlboss truther) and he spends a whole year just vibing with circe and then complains about how long it takes him to get home. admittedly his men also suck, but the majority of his problems stem from how much he sucks - bro is hubristically yelling at some guy who admittedly did eat his friends but doesnt deserve the hate. im a polyphemus apologist. also has a hell of a grudge against that guy in the trojan war who literally didnt do anything. cant remember that guys name something like themocles or themistocles???? that might bbe some persian guy tho or possibly thersites. anyway friendly reminder that he cut that guys head off for literally no reason (they were literally on the same side) also odysseus litrally flashed nausicaa. hes a problem. sorry for my wrong opinions
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Lord, help me to see what work you need me to do in this fallen world, [especially when its brokenness causes me pain and sorrow. I know all mankind hurts along with me, and that You likewise know our pain]. If my suffering is meant to show me how to [help You] repair and restore [some aspect of Creation], lead and guide me in doing that. Help me [to use this experience to grow in empathy and humility, so that I can better understand, comfort, and] work to bless others who are suffering, too. Amen.
Theology of Work Project
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Scarian request: grian tracing over scar’s face scars while they’re laying in bed together
this looked better in my head sorry
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If you die,
I die.
But if I die,
eat properly,
get enough sleep.
Meet new people.
Live a happy life.
And when you think of me occasionally,
Remember that I will love you,
for eternity.
Via~ fluffy_floppy_friday (on Tiktok)
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popping in randomly after almost an entire month just to talk non stop about the tsaritsa again everyone sit down.
specifically just thinking about the implications of tsaritsa's ideals originally being about love + the abandonment of those ideals to complete her goal of, presumably, destroying Celestia or whatever she's cooking up. to the point even her people don't love her and I probably don't even remember a time her ideals were of love. now it's all just ice and snow and cold.
which makes romantic fics w her even funnier because she's purposely removed this part of herself and suddenly reader walks into teyvat like they own the place (they do) and I can only imagine her reaction. angry, probably. because why you? what are you doing to her that's caused her hundreds of years of strict adherence to rejecting "love" both from others and to others to just. collapse. absolute shattering of her world and you probably don't even know it bc if nothing else she's good at hiding it. a lot of denial. tries to pick you apart and see what's makes you so different.
and oh she just hates it. she loathes it.
basically one sided enemies to lover trope because she can't stand you for a while but if you stick around she starts warming up to you and it makes it WORSE. so much worse. tries to distance herself but your just everywhere and it gets on her nerves because why does she love you? she isn't capable of love, not anymore. she thought she was.
g-d forbid one of the harbingers or PIERRO notices she'd never live it down. might even consider the implications of just killing you (she doesnt). worse if you know about it and act like a brat she will lose her damn mind
just the tsaritsa being an absolutely horrible mess internally.
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