Looking inside yourself

 

If you look inside yourself:

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            It may seem as if:
                                   you
                                   are looking inwards
                                   at your heart/spirit.

 

            But actually it’s:
                                   your heart/spirit
                                   looking outwards
                                   at your soul.

 

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            If you then hate what you see 

            and so are disconcerted: 

                       then it may be that
                       your heart/spirit is noticing, and hating,
                       your soul’s bad points,
 
                       possible evidence, though not proof,
                       that your heart/spirit is good.

 

            But if you like what you see

            and so are reassured:

                       then it may be that
                       your heart/spirit is noticing, and liking,
                       your soul’s good points,

                       possible evidence, though not proof,
                       that your heart/spirit is bad.

 

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BIBLE SCRIPTURES THAT SUPPORT
THE SOUL BEING OPPOSITE TO
THE HEART/SPIRIT.

 

 

Inside bad.  Outside good.

            Matt c6 v1-4:
            Take heed that ye do not your alms before men,
            to be seen of them:
            otherwise ye have no reward
            of your Father which is in heaven.
            Therefore when thou doest thine alms,
            do not sound a trumpet before thee,
            as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets,
            that they may have glory of men.
            Verily I say unto you,
            They have their reward.

Inside good.  Outside bad.

            But when thou doest alms,
            let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:
            that thine alms may be in secret:
            and thy Father which seeth in secret
            himself shall reward thee openly.   KJV

 

 

Inside bad.  Outside good.

            Matt c6 v5
            And when thou prayest,
            thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are:
            for they love to pray standing in the synagogues
            and in the corners of the streets,
            that they may be seen of men.
            Verily I say unto you,
            They have their reward.   KJV

 

 

Inside bad.  Outside good.

            Matt c6 v16-18:
            Moreover when ye fast,
            be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance:
            for they disfigure their faces,
            that they may appear unto men to fast.
            Verily I say unto you,
            They have their reward.

Inside good.  Outside bad.

            But thou, when thou fastest,
            anoint thine head, and wash thy face;
            that thou appear not unto men to fast,
            but unto thy Father which is in secret:
            and thy Father, which seeth in secret,
            shall reward thee openly.   KJV

 

 

            Luke c15 v11-32:   my abbreviation
            God is like a father who loved his two sons.

Inside good.  Outside bad

            One son asked for his inheritance in advance
            but then wasted it all on wild, immoral, living.
            Hungry, he returned home to apologise deeply.
            But his father’s very warm welcome
            drowned out his apologising.

Inside bad.  Outside good.

            The other son, though his inheritance was still intact,
            was angry at his father’s welcome for his brother.
            His father tried to reassure him:
            told him that he loved them both, equally, unconditionally.
            But the son wouldn’t have it, didn’t understand such love,
            saw only that he should be loved, not his brother.
            His isolation from his father & brother
            had become vivid.   my abbreviation

 

 

            Luke c18 v10-14:
            Two men went up into the temple to pray;
            the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

Inside bad.  Outside good.

            The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself,
                  God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are,
                  extortioners, unjust, adulterers,
                  or even as this publican.
                  I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

Inside good.  Outside bad.

            And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up
            so much as his eyes unto heaven,
            but smote upon his breast, saying,
                  God be merciful to me a sinner.
            I tell you, this man went down to his house justified
            rather than the other:
            for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased;
            and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.   KJV

 

 

            Matt c13 v12  (Matt c25 v29  Mark c4 v25  Luke c8 v18 & c19 v26):
Inside good.  Outside bad.

            For whosoever hath,
            to him shall be given,
            and he shall have more abundance:

Inside bad.  Outside good.

            but whosoever hath not,
            from him shall be taken away
            even that he hath.   KJV

 

 

Inside good.  Outside bad.

            Luke c23 v39-43:
            The criminal on the other cross
            was worthy of crucifixion (he said so himself).
            Yet, because he believed & repented,
            he went to paradise.   my abbreviation

 

 

            Luke c7 v36-47   my abbreviation:
            Simon, a religious leader,
            had invited other religious leaders, and Jesus,
            into the open, front area, of his home.
            As they were reclining, eating & talking,

Inside good.  Outside bad.

            a prostitute came in,
            carrying expensive perfumed ointment.
            She stood behind Jesus, crying,
            washing his feet with her tears.
            Then she wiped his feet dry with her hair,
            kissed them, and put ointment on them.
            Simon thought to himself:
            “If he really were of God he wouldn’t let her do this.”
            So Jesus said: “Simon: two people owed a man money:
            one a thousand pounds, one a million pounds.
            Neither could pay.  So he kindly let them both off.
            Which one of them would love him the most?”
            Simon said: “The one he let off the most.”
            Jesus said: “Correct.  Now, you didn’t greet me
            with the customary foot-wash, kiss on the cheek,
            and oil-on-head anointing.  But this woman did, strongly.
            She perceived forgiveness, from me, for her many sins.
            Therefore she loved much.
            But those who have only a few sins to be forgiven,
            when perceiving they are forgiven, love little.”   my abbn

 

 

Inside good.  Outside bad.

            Luke c19 v1-9:
            Zacchaeus, a head publican, was rich (and unpopular),
            yet he wanted to meet Jesus.
            Jesus was coming down the road, surrounded by a crowd.
            Zacchaeus was short, so he climbed a tree, ahead of them.
            Jesus, when he got there, said:
                  “Zacchaeus, come down quickly;
                 I must stay at your house today.”
            Zacchaeus came down and greeted Jesus joyfully.
            The crowd wasn’t happy at this.
            However, Zacchaeus said:
                 “I give, now, half of all I have, to the poor
                 and, if ever I’ve cheated anyone, I’ll pay back fourfold.”
            Jesus said to him:
                 “Zacchaeus, you just got saved.”   my abbreviation

 

 

Inside good.  Outside bad.

            Luke c22 v35-38  &  v47-51  &  John c18 v10-11
            and  Acts c9 v32-43  combined:
            Peter tried to cut someone’s head off . .
               [He was probably aiming for the head or neck
               since it’s hard to cut off an ear.]

Inside good.  Outside good.

            . . and yet, after Pentecost,
             he raised the dead.   my abbreviation

 

 

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TO CONCLUDE: IT’S BEST NOT TO ASSESS YOURSELF

 

 

It’s best not to assess yourself:

            As the apostle Paul wrote:
                  1 Cor c4 v3:
                 But with me it is a very small thing
                 that I should be judged
                       of you,
                       or of man's judgment:
                 yea, I judge not mine own self.   KJV

 

 

Even if your assessment of your own heart/spirit
were both positive and correct
it could still produce a problem:

            E.G. Someone may read the Beatitudes:
,                                      Matt c5 v3-12    (Luke c6 v20-23):
,                                      Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
,                                      Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
,                                      Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
,                                      Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness:
,                                      for they shall be filled.
,                                      Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
,                                      Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
,                                      Blessed are the peacemakers:
,                                      for they shall be called the children of God.
,                                      Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake:
,                                      for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
,                                      Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you,
,                                      and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
,                                      Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven:
,                                      for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.   KJV
            and conclude, let’s say correctly:
                       that their own heart/spirit is good,
                       that they are righteous,
,                                      Perhaps again see earlier webpage:
,                                      Jesus’ use of the words ‘heart’, ‘righteous’ and ‘wicked’.


            then, seeing that they are already going to Heaven,
            don’t bother becoming a believer.
            Or wrongly think they are already a believer,
            and so miss out on becoming a believer
            & receiving God’s Spirit.

,                                      Perhaps see later section:
,                                      THE FOURTH REASON PAUL PREACHED ONLY FORGIVENESS
                                       WAS THAT GOD INTENDED HIM TO DO SO:
                                       FORGIVENESS IS BETTER FOR US. , , .

 

 

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