As I study the New Testament I would just like to share my thoughts and comments:
1-17-13
I find a great source of hope in my life with the fact that
people don’t have to be members of the church or necessarily be taught the
gospel in order to be good people. This is made quite evident with the story of
Cornelius found in Acts 10. He was not a proselyte but simply a God fearing
man. He gave alms to the poor and served his fellow man. I think often times I
assume that if people aren’t members of the church then they have an excuse to
act cruelty or harshly to their fellow brethren. However this story just goes to show that
even without having the fullness of the gospel, there is hope for the natural
state of mankind. Throughout my academic studies questions would arise with
regards to if man was born naturally evil, good, or if it was his environment
that determined his moral compass. Knowing that we are all children of our
Heavenly Father and that we have already displayed a vast amount of faith and
righteousness with our decision to follow our fathers plan to come to this
earth, it was always hard for me to think that we were born with a disposition
for evil. Now the natural tendencies of man are an enemy unto God sure, however
I’ve now come to the realization that we have the strength and capacity as
human beings to put off this natural man and still be exemplary Disciples of
Christ, even if we know almost nothing about the particulars of the gospel.
Cornelius’s faith and willingness to learn from Paul about the gospel is astounding
and a testament to the hope that is possible in humanity.
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