THE_LAW
Causation is Mental and Salvation by Grace
Causation is fundamentally mental, as demonstrated by Jesus' teaching that lust in the heart is equivalent to the act of adultery. This means all humanity is…
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CausationMentalGraceMercyMental CausationSermon on the MountSalvation by GraceUniversal Sin
Question And Answer
Well, my Dear, causation is mental. People do not realize it. He teaches that causation is mental. Listen to His words; it is the Sermon on the Mount, “You have heard it said by men of old” – He’s telling you what came down through the ages – “You have heard it said by men of old, You shall not commit adultery.” You have heard that – “But I say unto you” – this is something entirely different now. He now speaks with authority – this is the Lord speaking, “But I say unto you, Any man who looks [concupiscently] lustfully upon a woman has already committed the act of adultery in his heart with her.” He puts the whole thing on an entirely different level. It’s mental. ... Therefore all men have committed sin. There isn’t a man in this world who can tell me he is not guilty of that act, but we are told in the 11th chapter of Romans: “God has consigned all men to disobedience, that He may have mercy upon all.” God is merciful. He has consigned all men to disobedience, that He may have mercy; therefore, no one earns the Kingdom. It is Grace – Grace – Grace, and still more Grace! Our fitness for the Kingdom is the consequence, and not the condition, of this choice of ours.
Causation is fundamentally mental, as demonstrated by Jesus' teaching that lust in the heart is equivalent to the act of adultery. This means all humanity is guilty of sin, but God, in His mercy, has 'consigned all men to disobedience' so that salvation can be by grace alone, not earned through works. Fitness for the Kingdom is a consequence of this divine choice, not a precondition.