{"id":6674,"date":"2023-10-24T21:53:14","date_gmt":"2023-10-24T19:53:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/predication.net\/?p=6674"},"modified":"2023-10-24T21:55:07","modified_gmt":"2023-10-24T19:55:07","slug":"6674","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/predication.net\/?p=6674","title":{"rendered":"The Church includes people, both good and bad."},"content":{"rendered":"
One of the paradoxes of Christianity is that many Christians still need to live as faithful followers of Christ. This tension of “good” and “bad” members found in the Church is foretold by Christ in Matthew 13:24-30. * Mt 5:13-16: “You are the salt of the earth. If the salt is lost, what will they salt it with? It is no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled on by men.”* Mt 13:1 – 9: “On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat by the sea. And when he came to Jesus, he went down to the sea, sat on a table, and sat in the middle of the sea. Great multitudes were gathered around him. Therefore, he got into a boat and sat the whole multitude on the shore. He told them many in parables: The sower went out to sow. As he sowed, some grain fell by the wayside; birds came and devoured it. Others fell on the rocky ground where they had not much earthed, and immediately they sprang up, for they were not deep in the earth; but when the sun rose, they burned, and because they had no root, they withered away. Again, others fell into the thorns, but the thorns grew up and choked them. Other grains fell into the good ground and brought forth a crop: One a hundredfold, another sixty-fold, and another Thirty-fold. He that hath ears, let him hear.'” \nOther quotes \nMM3, 24-50 Mt 7:15-2 3 \nMJc3,19 Mt 26:69-75 \nJn 6:70 Lk 22:54-62 \nMMO, 1- 4 ;er32, 22 – 25 \nSome Christians, as in the case of St. Peter, having denied Christ three times, fell into grave sin and do things that arouse Public outrage but are ultimately restored by God’s forgiveness and grace. Others persist in their iniquity and give the Church a bad name for their evil deeds. This fact of sinful men and women who are members of God’s covenant people is also seen everywhere in the Old Testament. Once again, we are confronted that God’s grace is more powerful than our sin. St. Paul wrote to Timothy: “If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself” (2 Tim 2, 13).<\/h2>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"