Let me rephrase my question:

Can an individual that God chooses fail?

Didn't Jesus choose Judas, and weren't the chosen people of God cut off from the root of Abraham, temporarily for the sake of the Gentiles? Chosen can mean different things in scripture and has much to do with context. What appears to be failure can and will be victory with God. Because a chosen people failed to receive their own, salvation was given to the Gentiles.
God's sovereignty and omniscience are unquestionable, but we don't understand it, being ignorant of such power to stand inside of eternity. God's decisions about us or others may not appear as just sometimes, but with His power of omniscience, He knows and is just, as He proclaims Himself to be in the scriptures.

De 32:4  He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.

Isa 45:21  Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.

Zep 3:5  The just LORD is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.

All right.  If.. technically a Jew is any person who is one of the heart, what does it mean to be "one of the heart"?  (and) What are the fundamental differences between the heart of the Jew and the heart of a pious non-Jew?  

Ah, I see that I didn't post this verse. Perhaps posting it will help. The heart generally is speaking about the spiritual man whose spirit and mind is set on God - to please Him.
Physical man is born of flesh. Spiritual man is born of God. Being born a Jew by flesh does not make a person one of God's chosen, but being born again, spiritually does.
Reading the whole chapter where these verses come from will better help put them into context and the problem Paul was talking about.
Perhaps reading the verses from two paraphrases will help, also:

Romans 2:28 (LIV) For you are not real Jews just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the Jewish initiation ceremony of circumcision.
29 No, a real Jew is anyone whose heart is right with God. For God is not actually looking for for those who cut their bodies in actual body circumcision, but He is looking for those with changed hearts and minds. Whoever has that kind of change in his life will get praise from God, even if not from you.

Romans 2:28 (AMP) For he is not a [real] Jew who is only one outwardly {and} publicly, nor is [true] circumcision something external and physical. 29  But he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and [true] circumcision is of the heart, a spiritual and not a literal [matter]. His praise is not from men but from God.

Raphu, if being Jewish is a matter of the heart, then what is elemental in this heartfeltness?

Please elaborate on your comment "elemental heartfeltness". I'm not sure I understand what your asking?
Do you see from my earlier post that God chose more than just the one tribe of Israel, Judah, being the one from which that name Jew comes from, and that the promise was for all people related to Abraham and those that chose to sojourn with his seed? Jacob in blessing the his son which became these tribes blessed each with specific words, and Ephraim and Judah had special priviledges from this blessing - Ephraims being the double portion of the firstborn, even though adopted and not the oldest son of Joseph.

Hope you don't mind me interjecting a few thoughts  

First of all, true salvation is a heart issue - one in which a person pursue's a life of righteousness, having their minds renewed and transformed by the working power of the Holy Spirit.  If a person continues to abuse another person, what kind of fruit is being shown?  Jesus said that a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit.  Something to think about.

Practically speaking, if a woman is in an abusive situation, whether her husband is a "christian" or not - she not only has the right, but an obligation to separate herself from that.  Subjecting oneself to destruction whether it be physical, mental, spiritual, or emotional is not what the Bible teaches.  We are called to "withdraw" from that kind of person.  

1 Tim 6:3 If anyone teaches otherwise, and does not consent to wholesome words (those of our Lord Jesus Christ), and to the doctrine according to godliness,
4 he is proud, knowing nothing. He is sick concerning doubts and arguments, from which comes envy, strife, evil speakings, evil suspicions,
5 meddling, of men whose minds have been corrupted and deprived of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness. Withdraw from such.
 
Most communities have safe houses for abused women.  The  church is not equipped for this unforturnately and offer little help or resolution - all too often women are brushed off and the behavior excused so they are left at the mercy of the world's system, or worse yet - "guilted" into staying in a relationship that will destroy them every way possible.

Amen....

Is not Jesus the Living Sabbath that we rest from our works inside of?

In Christ we have a better covenant. Hebrews compares the old covenant and the better covenant and what we have through Christ and His fulfillment of the law. The comparison in chapter four is between old and new which is the case throughout Hebrews in showing us what we have in Christ.

Hebrews 8:6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.
Hebrews 8:7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
Hebrews 8:8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:

Go back and read Heb. 4:10 again and see that the comparison is made of the rest we enter into in Christ and through he better covenant to the old rest that God took from His works. The work is finished in Him so the verses in Col.2:16, Paul wrote, were given to those that kept on requiring works of the old law, including circumcision and observing the sabbath day. What do you think these verses mean? Our labor, now is to have faith in the work He did for us.

Heb. 4:11 ¶ Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

He is our rest and we are also hidden in Him (Col. 3:3,4). He is the Lord of the Sabbath because He is out sabbath rest. Sabbath means rest and the rest we have in Him and His work through the cross is what we are to boast of - not our vain works of obedience to a day which are like filthy rags compared to His work and sacrifice on the cross. Why go back and believe that our works would be superior to the work of God through His Son's final and once for all work at the cross. To believe Him and honor Him with our faith - that He did accomplish this work, is more precious to Him than gold, whereas those that seek to honor Him with the law must perform all of it to not be guilty breaking it all.

Galatians 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

Heb 4:7 - Again he limiteth a certain day,.... Since the seventh day of the creation was a day of rest which God entered into, and not man; and since the land of Canaan was a typical rest, which the unbelieving Israelites did not enter into, because of unbelief; and yet there must be persons, and there must be a time for them to enter into the true rest which God has left a promise of; therefore he has limited, fixed, and appointed a certain day, the Gospel dispensation, for believers to enter into it:

Heb 4:7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, Today, after so long a time; as it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
Heb 4:8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
Heb 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Heb 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.

My Bible is KJV and has Joshua in 4:8 as the comparison and 4:7 has the saying of David in Ps. 95 about the not hardening of heart.
Heb 4:4-7 -

He spake in a certain place. In Gen_2:2. There it is stated that "God rested on the seventh day from all his works." The Sabbath rest was therefore established long before Israel was denied entrance into the rest. Hence it is not the rest.

In this place again. In Psa_95:11, which declares that Israel should not enter into God's rest. Though Israel had kept the rest of the Sabbath, they had not entered into God's rest, as this language shows. The rest of the Sabbath is not then the promised rest, nor is Canaan below, from which nearly all Israel was once excluded, because David exhorts the people, though in Canaan, to enter into the rest.

Seeing . . . that some must enter. Since God has a rest for his people, and it is not made in vain, there must be some who enter therein. Those to whom it was first offered entered not because of their unbelief. Hence it remaineth to all who, like Joshua and Caleb, have faith.

Again he limiteth a certain day. The thought is that there is a day of opportunity. If that day is passed by, the opportunity is gone. The word of the Lord is, To-day if, etc.

Heb 4:8-11 -

For if Jesus. "Joshua" in the Revision. Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew word Joshua. Joshua led Israel over the Jordan into Canaan, but that did not give them complete rest. If that had been true, David would not have exhorted them to seek to enter into rest. Five hundred years after they entered Canaan this exhortation is given in the 95th Psalm.

There remaineth therefore a rest. Since God has a rest for his people, and neither the Sabbath nor Canaan is the rest, these being only types of that rest, a rest remaineth to the people of God.

For he that is entered into his rest. When God rested on the Sabbath, the type of the true rest, his works ceased. So when our rest comes, weary toil, trials and sufferings will be over.

Let us labor therefore. Since this glorious rest, the heavenly rest, remains for faithful believers, we should seek to enter upon it, and especially take heed that we do not come short through unbelieving disobedience as did Israel.

Our rest is in Jesus. Let us not fall short through unbelief and lack of faith.

There is the only thing I don't like about man holding God's power of election in their imagination. I understand election as far as I think a man should understand it - with utter humility. It can be used as Job's friends as an eliteist way of judging others as non-elect or as sinners if one is not careful, and then a person is not believing all things in love, as 1 Corinthians 13 tells us to do - giving the benefit of the doubt to others, thinking what is possibly the best about them with mercy until they are proven and known wrong.

Beyond lives lived perfectly before God, there are those who make the mistakes and have to go to the Lord for the grace of forgiveness after making a total mess of their lives. People who are proud of God's provision may be eventually humbled because pride goes before a fall, even if it is pride in God's provision - like the Pharisees pride. We are to walk humbly, love mercy and do justly before the Lord. Even David complained of how the wicked prospered all the rime and worn their pride like a neckless while he got caught and paid a price in correction for every sin he did. So just because one looks prosperous does not reveal anything about them spiritually to man.

Psalms 73:2 But as for me, I came so close to the edge of the cliff! My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone.
3 For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness.
4 They seem to live such a painless life; their bodies are so healthy and strong.
5 They aren't troubled like other people or plagued with problems like everyone else.
6 They wear pride like a jeweled necklace, and their clothing is woven of cruelty.
7 These fat cats have everything their hearts could ever wish for!
8 They scoff and speak only evil; in their pride they seek to crush others.
9 They boast against the very heavens, and their words strut throughout the earth.
10 And so the people are dismayed and confused, drinking in all their words.

I think election in man's imagination can easily detract from a person's humility and because a life is smooth or harsh in another person's life can only be interpreted by God, as Jobs life tells us. The most wise men were all wrong about Job except for the youngest fellow, Elihu, who upheld God's sovereignty in the correct manner - speaking of God's awsome power as Ruler and Creator, hunbly, instead of accusing Job of sins.

Micah 6:8  He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
 God bless...

Shylynne,
I explained in this thread or another thread about the free will issue. It was a long explanation and i don't want to re-write. The upshot of it is; "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him." "You did not choose me, I chose you." "We are slaves to whatever masters us." "Yet i tell you not one of them (sparrows) falls to the ground without the will of my Father." "God hardens whom He wants to harden and has mercy on whom He wants to have mercy." Now you tell me, who is that Master of the universe? God or us?

God hardens the heart already proud and set against Him and uses that evil to bring about good for those that love Him. God knows the wicked from their birth and can use them to bring about His glory and will. All things work together for good, to those that love God and are the called, according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

Yes, God is master and we are not. He is love and perfect in His justice and mercy.

Psalms 58:3  The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.

I also agree. I lived with an unbelieving spouse. I told him that his physical abouse was unacceptable so he divorced me. I am now married to a born again Christian and marriage has been bliss!

Hello Heidi, praise God for His provision for a way out for you! The Lord made your decision easy if the unbeliever left you. If you don't mind sharing, what would you have done if the unbelieveing huband insisted on no divorce and that he was a Christian despite his abusive behavior? So many other of these circumstances seem to not be as easily resolved, but go on in desperation.

Hmmm.   Some INTERESTING responses.


MalkyEl, mine is RSV, so it could be arguable as to which it is, their hair, or their beard.

But only that, Nehemiah beat them.  Hmmm.


Raphu?  A bit of sarcasm there--*...not the response we see today...* ??

Comparatively, we see the path our complacency has led to today.  Drastic times call for drastic measures?  But pulling out people's hair?  And beating them.  Hmmm.  I guess that would get a church into the newspapers.


JN--yep, context important, sorry for my laziness.  But I certainly don't see it as in the first person.  I mean, he's doing this to other people.

Of course, under Jewish law, measures were extreme--stoning--even for just picking up a stick, on Sabbath.

No sarcasm, at all. I loathe sarcasm in most of the so-called comedy of our time.
Most Christians today believe that they must stay with unbeliever spouses no matter what, except for adultry, but I don't believe that. A marriage put together by God is the only valid marriage, and Nehemiah conidered marriage to unbelievers as invalid and demanded that the Jewish men leave them immediately - no ceremony of divorce - not a valid marriage. Today, many people go against the will of God and marry unbelievers or make hasty judgments as young people and then feel bound by clergy to remain in horrible ungodly circumstances. In my opinion, and backed by the scriptures in 1 Corinthians concerning the unbeliever spouse, I don't believe Christians should remain bound to an unbeliever unless the unbeliever wants to stay and is not abusive. So many times I see that God did not put together a marriage, but people make mistakes by marrying unbelievers. "What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder", implies that God first put this together and the two were following closely the will of God concerning their union. I guess it would be a personal judgment call for a wife who was being beaten by an unbeliever husband whether or not he was "pleased to dwell with her". Should the wife then be willing to yield herself to sadism if that pleased her husband? I don't think so. Nehemiah seemed to think these men should leave immediately, and busted heads.

1 Corinthians 7:13  And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him.
1 Corinthians 7:14  For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.
1 Corinthians 7:15  But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.

sorry if i made some misunderstanding justme. what i mean with "GOD loves you all" are refer to you and all fellow friends in Jesus Christ, whom i believe are the "chosen people" of GOD. HIS love for us (HIS children) are exclusive and private. Yes, HE also love all people in the world (this time i mean alllllll the people that includes the people outside christianity) but, it's better that we call it generosity. GOD gives rain to everybody in the world, doesnt matter if you are some saints or the most crooked man in the world. But, the gift of salvation are only to a few people. please correct me, if i have any thought that against the Bible. and by the way, i fell that  our discussions has change from sin to predestination.GBU

I guess I don't understand ?? When speaking of the chosen, it indirectly speaks of predestination, but I don't believe that the gift of salvation is closed off to any man because God knows the chosen by His omniscience. Each person remains responsible for the life and choices they make.
God bless....

Thank you Heidi for your explanation. if Jesus Christ had died for the sin of the world, then why does HE still needs our willing to receive HIM as our Saviour? if it's right then HIS death will be a half success and half failure, because only people who willing to receive Jesus Christ as HIS Saviour will be saved. So it goes this way, Jesus Christ had died for your sin( it makes you clean), but you don't wanna receive HIM as your Saviour, so you remain unsaved. Aren't this a vanity? Sorry if my word are little rude. If Jesus Christ had died only for HIS chosen people, than HIS death is 100 % success,because HE will draw all HIS chosen people (by HOLY SPIRIT calls) to receive HIM in faith as their GOD and Saviour.
GOD loves you all.

Yes, God will not lose any that come through Jesus to Him.

Joh 10:29  My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

Joh 6:37  All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

Because Jesus died for the sins of all mankind does not mean that all men will respond to the call of the Holy Spirit. Not all that are called are chosen, but as many as want to taste the free gift, He bids them to come and sojourn with His people.

Mat 22:14  For many are called, but few are chosen.

Rev 22:17  And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

Ony God stands outside of time and sees those that will come to Him and has the power and right to speak of His chosen. We do not have this power to see begining to end, but He is well able to speak of His elect and know who they are even when they were in their mother's womb.

Psalms 22:10  I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly.

Like Bob Tilton? "Toyota corolla and thus saith God, you need to send ME a $1,000 seed."

aw

2 Peter 2:1 But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach their destructive heresies about God and even turn against their Master who bought them. Theirs will be a swift and terrible end. 2 Many will follow their evil teaching and shameful immorality. And because of them, Christ and his true way will be slandered. 3 In their greed they will make up clever lies to get hold of your money. But God condemned them long ago, and their destruction is on the way. 4 For God did not spare even the angels when they sinned; he threw them into hell, in gloomy caves and darkness until the judgment day.

Weren't Gentiles "grafted" onto the tree of Abraham by Jesus?  If Gentiles are now a part of the same tree as the Jew, how can there be a distinction between the two and their "ages"?

And also, doesn't the word "gentile" mean "far from God"?  I believe that this term is no longer applicable these days.  Things have certainly changed since the days of pagan rituals and polytheism.    

Ya-son, if Christian "gentiles" are spiritual sons of Abraham, what is the distinction between Jew and "gentile"?  Race?  Blood?    

How many times have we sinned and been "far from God"? God can graft back in the natural branches that have been cut off and can cut off the the grafted in branches again, as He has said by the inspired scriptures in Romans 11:17-24.
This comes back to the question, "Who is Israel?" and why we need to know. God's covenant promise to Abraham was that his seed would be like the stars in the sky, "multitudes of Gentiles" - hamon goyim, and that the fulness of Gentiles would come in through the house of Ephraim (Israel) when the two houses [Judah and Israel (Ephraim)] were split and then went into captivity. Ephraim's 10 tribes never came back but were absorbed into the Gentile nations and became "loammi" - not my people (Hosea 1:9). The house of Judah came back and preserved the law and returned to Jerusalem to be destroyed again in 70AD and to return again in 1948. Ephraim became as "sons of the living God" and was hidden to be reborn as having "firstborn" rights as the Church. Both houses and all the companions of both houses will reunite and be saved as God's chosen. So technically a Jew is any person who is one of the heart.(Romans 2:28-29) Ephraim is the Church, the firstborn of God and the fulness of Gentiles spoken of throughout the Bible.

Hosea 1:9  Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.
10  Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.


Genesis 17:5  Neither shall thy name <08034> any more be called <07121> (8735) Abram <087>, but thy name <08034> shall be Abraham <085>; for a father <01> of many <01995> nations <01471> have I made thee <05414> (8804).

Here is the Strongs of many nations in vs. five:

01995 Nwmh hamown haw-mone’ or Nmh hamon (#Eze 5:7) haw-mone’

from 01993; TWOT-505a; n m

AV-multitude 62, noise 4, tumult 4, abundance 3, many 3, store 2, company 1, multiplied 1, riches 1, rumbling 1, sounding 1; 83

1) (Qal) murmur, roar, crowd, abundance, tumult, sound
1a) sound, murmur, rush, roar
1b) tumult, confusion
1c) crowd, multitude
1d) great number, abundance
1e) abundance, wealth
*******
01471 ywg gowy go’-ee rarely (shortened) yg goy go’-ee

apparently from the same root as 01465; TWOT-326e

AV-nation 374, heathen 143, Gentiles 30, people 11; 558

n m
1) nation, people
1a) nation, people
1a1) usually of non-Hebrew people
1a2) of descendants of Abraham
1a3) of Israel
1b) of swarm of locusts, other animals (fig.)

n pr m 1c) Goyim? =" nations"

Studying the covenant in Genesis 17:1-6 I found that a "hamon goyim"(many nations), in verse four is a promise to make Abraham a father of "multitudes of Gentiles", specifically, a people who would cause a tumultuous commotion, or great noise (about Abraham's God), throughout the world. Their heirs would be exceedingly fruitful. This has been done through Ephraim and the Church which is to reunite with the remnant of the house of Judah before the end comes.

Ephraim and the ten lost tribes accomplished this and became the fulness of Gentiles spoken of in Romans 11:25-26 - "For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery - so that you will not be wise in your own estimation - a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in: and thus all Israel will be saved...." Notice that ALL Israel will be saved in the end, which does go back to Ezekial 37 and the uniting of the two sticks or dead branches that had been cut off but now to be brought to life by His Spirit. Both houses and their companions saved.

Ezekial 37:16  Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions:17  And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.

Romans 2:28 (LIV) For you are not real Jews just because you were born of Jewish parents or because you have gone through the Jewish initiation ceremony of circumcision.29 No, a real Jew is anyone whose heart is right with God. For God is not actually looking for for those who cut their bodies in actual body circumcision, but He is looking for those with changed hearts and minds. Whoever has that kind of change in his life will get praise from God, even if not from you.

Jesus spoke of other "sheep which are not of this fold; I must bring them in also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd." And "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (John 10:16; Matthew 15:24)

Matthew 15:24  But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

John 10:16  And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

Hebrews 8:6 But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. 7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. 8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:

That link I gave for the book by Batya Wooten goes into detail about who Israel is and why we need to know, as I posted earlier. She is a Messianic jew.
http://www.aarons-advocates.org/BACONT.html
God bless.

All people are saved by their faith in God. Righteousness was imputed to Abraham for His faith in God, but even Abraham is saved by Jesus Christ who undoubtedly he rejoiced upon the revelation of Him. Whatever obedience is done because of faith in God will be judged according to the love and mercy of God and He will make all things right according to His perfect will.
I wonder about how much our perception of eternal events is distorted by living in time, as we do look through a glass darkly and tend to think in linear time-line terms. When we go to the Lord, I understand that we will know as we are known, and be like Him. Those that have know God and loved Him will probably know Jesus with no problems as they have trusted Him as Father and Spirit before eternity. IMHO

Romans 4:1 Abraham was, humanly speaking, the founder of our Jewish nation. What were his experiences concerning this question of being saved by faith? 2 Was it because of his good deeds that God accepted him? If so, he would have had something to boast about. But from God's point of view Abraham had no basis at all for pride. 3 For the Scriptures tell us, "Abraham believed God, so God declared him to be righteous." 4 When people work, their wages are not a gift. Workers earn what they receive. 5 But people are declared righteous because of their faith, not because of their work. 6 King David spoke of this, describing the happiness of an undeserving sinner who is declared to be righteous: 7 "Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven,whose sins are put out of sight. 8 Yes, what joy for thosewhose sin is no longer counted against them by the Lord." 9 Now then, is this blessing only for the Jews, or is it for Gentiles, too? Well, what about Abraham? We have been saying he was declared righteous by God because of his faith.

As long as we beware the leaven of the Pharisees and not let argument prevail over love and mercy and justice, okay. Love covers a multitude of sins, and sometimes it is small things that seperate brothers and sisters. When we get to heaven, I'll bet there will be so many surprises of people being there that we may have thought at one time or another as not real Christians. So many times I notice graceless behaviour within the body and without, when we have received grace abounding in our own lives.
We all know the story of the Pharisees and their "straining of knats while swallowing camels", and that Jesus called them vipers and dead inside while appearing as white-washed on the outside. Appearances deceive and only the Lord sees the heart. We are to believe the best of those that may have slight error in law, but the right spirit shown by the fruit in their lives and extend to them the love and mercy we are supposed to have even for enemies.