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Listener Feedback & Answers:

Dominion and Prayer Inconsistent?
Q. Location-Colorado: ..I admire you for often stressing that God gives us dominion in our world! But then at other times you talk about praying to God to ask for things that are already in our own dominion. To me this is not consistent. God gave us dominion in this world and He respects it. He told us His way. Once one lifts away the manufactured Hegelian debate that (you) describe as "The Matrix" God's answers are right there in plain sight for all to see. It is not God's fault that there are too many fast food places, that our government is corrupt or that someone has cancer. All of these problems need to be addressed by US taking control of our own dominion.

A. Thanks for making your single reservation with my teaching so perfectly clear to follow. I wish everyone would do that! Being a human being, I'm probably not 100% consistent, which is to say I agree you are probably right that I sometimes pray for things that I could solve myself. In those cases I should take dominion over those things myself. Why don't I? Why don't other people? A lot of reasons, all of which could fit under the heading of what we often call "human weakness" i.e., sin. I know. It sounds like a cop-out. And yet, human weakness (sin) is universal. Paul wrote of its effects on the well-intentioned person:

"18 For I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwells no good. For to will is present to me, but to work out the good I do not find. 19 For what good I desire, I do not do. But the evil I do not desire, this I do. 20 But if I do what I do not desire, it is no longer I working it out, but the sin dwelling in me. 21 I find then the law, when I desire to do the right, that evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the Law of God according to the inward man; 23 but I see another law in my members having warred against the law of my mind, and taking me captive by the law of sin being in my members." Romans 7

Here is how I relate this to your comments above. Your comments are from the point of view of exact justice. Ultimately each person must accept the results of their behavior. I can't argue that this claim is not morally right. It is exactly right. Yet, if that is the standard then all of us are doomed, because we all fall short of perfection.

While perfect justice is fair I find in real life that I cannot measure up to that standard. So, besides needing justice from God, I more especially need His mercy and grace. Y'shua died in my place so that the price is paid for my sin. On that basis I can receive grace for problems I have caused, even while I am growing in obedience to His Word. With His grace making up the difference between my impaired obedience level on the one hand and perfection on the other I am empowered to keep growing in obedience by His Spirit. It is a process of growth. In the meantime, I am invited to seek His help with every issue, including health problems, because I have benefit of the perfect sacrifice. "But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed." Isa 53:5

The answer to the inconsistency between perfect justice and undeserved mercy is the sacrifice of Y'shua Messiah for us.

Silence in Heaven for Half an Hour?

Shalom in Messiah,

Eliyahu ben David
www.tsiyon.org

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