freelight's cosmic cafe

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freelight

Eclectic Theosophist
Have you considered "sowing and reaping" from a biblical perspective?


Indeed. Its the same principle as 'karma' yet understood or contextualized in a different way in eastern religious philosophies or traditions. What do you find that differentiates the principle of 'sowing and reaping' from a biblical perspective than the more liberal eastern or even new-age understandings of 'karma'? I see it still as a universal law, yet understood in a different nuance among different schools. Its basically the law of cause & effect.
 
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theophilus

Well-known member
Hey freelight,
I think there's a question, above, in there somewhere but I am missing it.
I went home last night and though about "sowing and reaping."
One of the contemporary Pastor-teachers I listen to summarized the principle this way, "We reap what we sow, more than we sow and later then we sow it."
I understand "karma" such that if a person runs around doing bad things to other people, bad things are going to happen to that person and vice versa.
In a classic sowing/reaping passage Paul says (in Gal. 6:2-10) ~ 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. 5 For each one will bear his own load. 6 The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him. 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. 10 So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.
Anything anyone does outside the faith is sowing to the flesh. It doesn't matter if one thinks they are doing good or doing not so good, it is still "to the flesh." There is nothing they can do that is of eternal consequence but damn themselves. ALL of us start out in life this way. We are dead in our trespasses and sins. Dead is dead.
If one belongs to God then we have work we are supposed to do here; kingdom work. This is sowing to the Spirit. Those who sow to the Spirit will reap life, more abundantly here (John 10:10b) and eternally after our physical deaths.
Essentially karma sounds like one will do what one will do and whatever happens, happens.
In an endeavor to understand for myself, several years ago I decided to “try” sowing and reaping to the Spirit. I took an OT command to give of my first-fruits to the Lord and decided I would prove the scripture above. Understand that in my heart of hearts I am a cheap-o: I will fix something before I will buy a new one. I HATE spending money if I don’t absolutely have to. SO, being a cheap-o, I would throw a couple of dollars into the offering plate at church and pat myself on the back for doing my duty.
When I decided to give a biblical tithe I didn’t think I could live off the rest of my paycheck. But I gave anyway. I did fine…and even had a little money left over. A year later I decided to increase that tithe KNOWING I couldn’t afford the hit. Two years later I did the same thing. Currently I have more than enough to live on (as a cheap-o) of course, but something else has changed. I have MORE. More money, more money to give. I don’t know how that works when God is doing the Math but it does. I have more time to give. I have more love to give. I have more comfort to give. It occurs to me that I am enjoying the blessings of obedience and have proven to myself (God knows) that sowing and reaping is a fundamental law of God’s universe. It is, in a temporal way, cause and effect. In a spiritual way it’s obedience and the rewards are great.
I guess I throw karma into the same pot as “good luck” or “coincidence.” I don’t believe in those things, either, because the King of the universe governs my life.
Karma is a false hope for the hopeless (in Kingdom economy).
There are many roads that people believe lead to God. The road that matters eternally is the one where belief in Jesus as the Son of God and obedience to His commands are pre-eminent.
And, I pray for you. I pray you will rise above your “theosophy” and give your life and you “free choice” to the God Who really does love you and longs to give you His very best.
Your friend,
Teryl
 

freelight

Eclectic Theosophist
Sowing and reaping on all levels of creation........

Sowing and reaping on all levels of creation........

Hey freelight,
I think there's a question, above, in there somewhere but I am missing it.
I went home last night and though about "sowing and reaping."
One of the contemporary Pastor-teachers I listen to summarized the principle this way, "We reap what we sow, more than we sow and later then we sow it."
I understand "karma" such that if a person runs around doing bad things to other people, bad things are going to happen to that person and vice versa.
In a classic sowing/reaping passage Paul says (in Gal. 6:2-10) ~ 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another. 5 For each one will bear his own load. 6 The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him. 7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. 10 So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.
Anything anyone does outside the faith is sowing to the flesh. It doesn't matter if one thinks they are doing good or doing not so good, it is still "to the flesh." There is nothing they can do that is of eternal consequence but damn themselves. ALL of us start out in life this way. We are dead in our trespasses and sins. Dead is dead.
If one belongs to God then we have work we are supposed to do here; kingdom work. This is sowing to the Spirit. Those who sow to the Spirit will reap life, more abundantly here (John 10:10b) and eternally after our physical deaths.
Essentially karma sounds like one will do what one will do and whatever happens, happens.
In an endeavor to understand for myself, several years ago I decided to “try” sowing and reaping to the Spirit. I took an OT command to give of my first-fruits to the Lord and decided I would prove the scripture above. Understand that in my heart of hearts I am a cheap-o: I will fix something before I will buy a new one. I HATE spending money if I don’t absolutely have to. SO, being a cheap-o, I would throw a couple of dollars into the offering plate at church and pat myself on the back for doing my duty.
When I decided to give a biblical tithe I didn’t think I could live off the rest of my paycheck. But I gave anyway. I did fine…and even had a little money left over. A year later I decided to increase that tithe KNOWING I couldn’t afford the hit. Two years later I did the same thing. Currently I have more than enough to live on (as a cheap-o) of course, but something else has changed. I have MORE. More money, more money to give. I don’t know how that works when God is doing the Math but it does. I have more time to give. I have more love to give. I have more comfort to give. It occurs to me that I am enjoying the blessings of obedience and have proven to myself (God knows) that sowing and reaping is a fundamental law of God’s universe. It is, in a temporal way, cause and effect. In a spiritual way it’s obedience and the rewards are great.
I guess I throw karma into the same pot as “good luck” or “coincidence.” I don’t believe in those things, either, because the King of the universe governs my life.
Karma is a false hope for the hopeless (in Kingdom economy).
There are many roads that people believe lead to God. The road that matters eternally is the one where belief in Jesus as the Son of God and obedience to His commands are pre-eminent.
And, I pray for you. I pray you will rise above your “theosophy” and give your life and you “free choice” to the God Who really does love you and longs to give you His very best.
Your friend,
Teryl

Thanks for sharing,....I know theres different views on the whole tithing principle, or if the 10% thing is to be followed to the "t" for NT believers, as some hold much of the OT laws no longer apply. I do believe in 'giving' there is a natural 'return', so that naturally a loving person develops a habit of giving, for its own sake really, and the law of supply takes care of itself. If there is a special significance for that being at least 10%, as if this is a spiritual law as well, I do not know.

I'm considering 'karma' philosophically as it relates to the whole phenomenal world, the inter-relations of 'cause' and 'effect',...and this must have its place as far as 'actions' and their 'consequences' go, - this applies within the template of a theology where souls are 'judged according to their works'(karma). Remember 'karma' means 'action' or 'doing'....so that certainly, 'karma' is integral to the whole deterimining of how one experiences 'suffering' or 'rewards' for their 'actions'. One is ever reaping what they sow, since what is 'sown' directly influences what is reaped by those particular actions, which will be 'harvested' in one form or another and at some point in time. As long as the earth exists, there is 'seedtime and harvest' (Gen. 8:22) (as long as there exists any realm of conditional existence,....our actions affect our experience or 'conditions' it).
 

theophilus

Well-known member
Matt. 6:19-21

Friend [MENTION=1746]freelight[/MENTION], this is where you need to be sowing and it is from here that you will reap. I pray you will let go of yourself, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and come to Him in faith and humility.

I'm glad you're on these boards...you give me more prayer fodder and I lift you up to the Lord.

Know that you are loved and that I (and others I know) are praying for you.

Your friend and fellow traveler,

Teryl
 

freelight

Eclectic Theosophist
~*~*~

Could God forgive without the Crucifixion, or even without a 'blood-sacrifice'? Couldn't Love just forgive when a sincere soul asks for forgiveness and does what is required to receive it? See here :)
 

Zeke

Well-known member
~*~*~

Could God forgive without the Crucifixion, or even without a 'blood-sacrifice'? Couldn't Love just forgive when a sincere soul asks for forgiveness and does what is required to receive it? See here :)

Being forgiven seems like an oxymoron once the reconnect with the eternal self is established, all prior infractions being part of the training that preceded the rebirth/awakening. Crucifixion being perverted into a exoteric phenom that presents carnal/perishable symbology as spirit, the Blood and water are symbolic/type for their counter part in the spiritual kingdom the traditionalist wrongly apply to actual historic events, who will violently protect their perversions/pre-school of the spiritual realm.
 

Zeke

Well-known member
Still seems weird one can have a religious section then whine and cry about people posting their religious ideas, Or when other views are mocked and made light of, which is the reason it was included, not for actual debate. But when someone lives in Denver (Knight)and deny Chem-trials (Been there) then I don't have much respect for them or their forum.
 

freelight

Eclectic Theosophist
Return HOME

Return HOME

Being forgiven seems like an oxymoron once the reconnect with the eternal self is established, all prior infractions being part of the training that preceded the rebirth/awakening. Crucifixion being perverted into a exoteric phenom that presents carnal/perishable symbology as spirit, the Blood and water are symbolic/type for their counter part in the spiritual kingdom the traditionalist wrongly apply to actual historic events, who will violently protect their perversions/pre-school of the spiritual realm.

:)

Yes,....once the soul is re-connected/re-united to Source,...the 'forgiveness' is inclusive to the act of love itself, re-turning to its own true nature/essence.

View attachment 24048


Here is a photo I took of a Mariposa lily on Pilot Butte in Bend, OR. I have little poem I wrote to accompany this here.
 

freelight

Eclectic Theosophist
Outshine!

Outshine!

Still seems weird one can have a religious section then whine and cry about people posting their religious ideas, Or when other views are mocked and made light of, which is the reason it was included, not for actual debate. But when someone lives in Denver (Knight)and deny Chem-trials (Been there) then I don't have much respect for them or their forum.

Its a wild wild world :) - best to shine them on, and hold your ground by maintaining your point of view and ethic to engage in respectful, constructive and creative dialogue, since in the end, what will hold as being 'true' will be the 'value' and 'meaning' we intuit and discover while being free and open to explore and research true religious concepts and ideals, those principles which inspire and empower us towards what is good, true and beautiful.

Hold to your truth, and remain open to grow, progress and expand your horizons. One way is thru 'logos', as we engage in 'dialogue' here, so consider the great opportunity to be a true 'artist' with your 'word', articulating and crafting sacred language and speech. On this forum, this is all we have to 'communicate'. One is known by his 'words',...and so this is an open canvas revealing the hearts and souls of those posting. These very 'words' are the one's judging and determining our course.
 

Grosnick Marowbe

New member
Hall of Fame
Still seems weird one can have a religious section then whine and cry about people posting their religious ideas, Or when other views are mocked and made light of, which is the reason it was included, not for actual debate. But when someone lives in Denver (Knight)and deny Chem-trials (Been there) then I don't have much respect for them or their forum.

Oh oh "Zeke the Geek" is back and looking for trouble with Knight.
 
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