things which belong to God

[keepitsimple]

Does anyone know a Bible reference to this idea? Or does anyone want to discuss it?

There are some things which belong to God, and some which we can do.
Some things come from God - some we have to do ourselves.

[sky]

Originally Posted by keepitsimple

Does anyone know a Bible reference to this idea? Or does anyone want to discuss it?

There are some things which belong to God, and some which we can do.
Some things come from God - some we have to do ourselves.

Mysteries/Unknown things belong to God and what we realize ourselves belongs to us.

Originally Posted by sky123

Mysteries/Unknown things belong to God and what we realize ourselves belongs to us.

Which is Deuteronomy 29:29

[sky]

Originally Posted by Molearner

Which is Deuteronomy 29:29

Thanks Mo, just had a look and it's something similar. I'm not sure about ' and to our sons forever ', I'll think about this or maybe just let it reveal itself
Thanks...

Originally Posted by keepitsimple

Does anyone know a Bible reference to this idea? Or does anyone want to discuss it?

There are some things which belong to God, and some which we can do.
Some things come from God - some we have to do ourselves.

Also, Mark 12:17
…16So they brought it, and He asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they answered. 17Then Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” And they marveled at Him.

[inavalan]

Originally Posted by ketzer

Also, Mark 12:17
…16 So they brought it, and He asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they answered.

17 Then Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” And they marveled at Him.

I thought that this is about taxes, to state and to church, googled it:

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants
(Matthew 21:33-46; Luke 20:9-18)

1 Then Jesus began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a wine vat, and built a watchtower. Then he rented it out to some tenants and went away on a journey.

2 At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard.

3 But they seized the servant, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.

4 Then he sent them another servant, and they struck him over the head and treated him shamefully.

5 He sent still another, and this one they killed.

He sent many others; some they beat and others they killed.

6 Finally, having one beloved son, he sent him to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

7 But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’

8 So they seized the son, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.

9 What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants, and will give the vineyard to others.

10 Have you never read this Scripture:

‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.

11 This is from the Lord,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’ ?”

12 At this, the leaders sought to arrest Jesus, for they knew that He had spoken this parable against them. But fearing the crowd, they left Him and went away.

Paying Taxes to Caesar
(Matthew 22:15-22; Luke 20:19-26)

13 Later, they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to catch Jesus in His words.

14 “Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are honest and seek favor from no one. Indeed, You are impartial and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay them or not?”

15 But Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and said, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denariusc to inspect.”

16 So they brought it, and He asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

“Caesar’s,” they answered.

17 Then Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

And they marveled at Him.

[keepitsimple]

Originally Posted by sky123

Mysteries/Unknown things belong to God and what we realize ourselves belongs to us.

Thanks Sky and Mo,
Deuteronomy 29, 29 : "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law."

It seems that they only belong to us after God has revealed them. And then they are only ours to follow.

I need time to let ideas form and settle, but what i'm thinking is like some forms of psychological therapy which can clear the way - from traumatic pasts - from hates and fears. (or is that all only with Gods Grace?)

or if we want a tree to grow, first we have to plant the acorn, - then it's up to God.

[keepitsimple]

Originally Posted by ketzer

Also, Mark 12:17
…16So they brought it, and He asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they answered. 17Then Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” And they marveled at Him.

thanks for Mark 12 Matthew 22:15-22; Luke 20:19-26
Paying Taxes to Caesar separates the material and divine world, and i find it a very clever way for Jesus to avoid conflict, but feel he made more a debate point, rather than expressing the deepest truth.

Maybe i'm wrong, then the strength of the early church has something to do with poverty and total reliance on God. Christianity started on the basis of a division between the material world and the church.

I'd expect ideas on how or if the two sides are both necessary - more in the O.T. or maybe Islam.

I'm thinking about if we want wheat fields to grow, first WE have to plant the seeds, (and i reckon this wasn't revealed by God, but observing nature) - after the seeds are planted, then it's up to God.

[Morpheus]

Well, the thought came that if you have to ask the question, you may not know the scripture in Revelation, 5:4-10.

Originally Posted by keepitsimple

thanks for Mark 12 Matthew 22:15-22; Luke 20:19-26
Paying Taxes to Caesar separates the material and divine world, and i find it a very clever way for Jesus to avoid conflict, but feel he made more a debate point, rather than expressing the deepest truth.

Maybe i'm wrong, then the strength of the early church has something to do with poverty and total reliance on God. Christianity started on the basis of a division between the material world and the church.

I'd expect ideas on how or if the two sides are both necessary - more in the O.T. or maybe Islam.

I'm thinking about if we want wheat fields to grow, first WE have to plant the seeds, (and i reckon this wasn't revealed by God, but observing nature) - after the seeds are planted, then it's up to God.

That was more or less my take on it also. What belongs to the physical life experience, vs what belongs to the larger non-physical divine ‘realm’. What I find interesting is that the trap the story was putting Jesus into is the same trap we all face during life. On the one hand the very structure of the life experience is a food web where organisms must struggle to survive. Competition for survival is built into the physical life experience. Yet, we also struggle against this competition and eat or be eaten world to answer God’s call to practice love for one another and compassion for all. Love your neighbor as yourself, turn the other cheek, be kind to your enemies and good to those who persecute you. How does one satisfy both? How kind would one be to an enemy who breaks into one’s home at midnight intending to harm one's children?

I see in the Luke quote an acknowledgment from Jesus that sometimes we have to go along with the way the world is to survive, but that does not mean we give up on our higher spiritual goals. This follows along with a central theme of Jesus that what you do is less important than your intentions in doing it. It is ok to pay taxes to Rome rather than die for your principles, but spiritually, your heart stays with God and justice rather than with Ceasar and the power of rome. This is reminiscent of the advice Krishna gives to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita when he feels he cannot go to war against his own kin even though they are in the wrong. Do you duty in life but keep your mind on God, and realize that you do not control the outcome. Life will keep placing these sorts of good vs evil dilemmas in front of us, whatever we end up doing, our state of mind when and why we do them is what is important. It is not ok to fight to seize your neighbor’s belongings to enrich yourself, but sometimes it is ok to fight to protect the weak and innocent.

Pay your taxes to Caesar, but keep your mind on God. Or in the most general sense, live the physical life you are engaged in, but always try to keep in mind the deeper spiritual purpose and meaning behind it. Whatever one does, they should seek to do so for the right reasons, not selfish reasons. Do what you must in life, but do so with good intentions and even if it does not turn out good that is OK, the result, the fruit of our actions, is not in our control, but our intentions for those actions are. I.e. give your intentions to God. The body must do what it has to do to survive in life, but your heart and mind should belong to God.