Results 41 - 54 of 54
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Results from: Notes Author: McGracer Ordered by Verse |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
41 | Why do people try to disprove baptism? | John 3:5 | McGracer | 53484 | ||
Great post, New Creation - 2 Cor 5:17. As you have well-said, we obey BECAUSE we've been saved, not to achieve it. McGracer |
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42 | Is baptism necessary for salvation? | Acts 10:48 | McGracer | 54060 | ||
Dear Grace and Truth, This assertion, brother is simply not true. Baptism is, first and foremost, a spiritual act. Consider 1 Corinthians 12:13 - For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. We are not baptized into Christ when we are dunked in water, brother. We are baptized spiritually into Christ as soon as we believe. The water is merely a physical form that represents the spiritual truth. This is the heart of Gal 3:27 and Rom 6:3-5. These passages do not mention water whatsoever. They are speaking of spiritual truth. Jesus well explains the meaning of John 3:3,5 in verse 6. That which is born of flesh is flesh - you are first born surrounded by a sack of water. At birth, the water breaks and then you are born. That is flesh birth. That which is born of Spirit is spirit. God caused us a new spirit to be born in us at new birth and He indwells that spirit. Jesus' words had nothing whatsoever to do with being dunked in water. Dear brother, do not mistake the picture for the reality. Water baptism is a physical picture of your very real union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. As He physically died, you were spiritually dead. As He was physically buried, you were spiritually buried. As He physically rose from the dead, you have been (past tense) spiritually raised from the dead to walk in the newness of life - Rom 6:4. This is spiritual truth and H2O cannot save you. Only Christ can save you. Being spiritually baptized by the Holy Spirit into Christ is what saves you, not getting your body wet. Please don't mistake the two. One represents the other, therefore one is lesser than the other. One is reality, one is a symbol. Please don't make them equal. McGracer |
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43 | Do we overthrow the Law? | Rom 3:31 | McGracer | 53791 | ||
Kalos, Of course we don't overthrow the Law. How could we, the creations, overthrow the morality of God, the Creator? The Law is useful if we use it correctly - to show unregenerate man that he is a sinner and needs a Savior. But Christians are called to live by faith in Christ, not by faith in the Law. What is the purpose of the Law? The Law was given to make us conscious of sin - Rom 3:20; Rom 7:7,13; Gal 3:19; 1 Tim 1:8-10. The Law was given to stir up sin - Rom 7:5,7-9; 1 Cor 15:56 The Law lets us know what God's character and morality is like. In doing so, it lets us know how sinful and unlike Him we are in our unregenerate state. The Law cannot justify us, impart life to us, make us righteous, or perfect us. - Gal 2:16,21; Gal 3:11,20,21; Heb 7:19; Heb 10:1 It can't do this before salvation and it can't do it after salvation either. Instead, the Law can only bring death. - Rom 7:10; 2 Cor 3:6,7,9; Gal 3:10,21; James 2:10 The purpose of the Law is to lead us to Christ. - Gal 3:1-3,24,25 So should we still preach the Law? To sinners, yes. The Law shows them their sinfulness and their need for a Saviour, Jesus Christ. Christ was born under, taught under, and fulfilled the Law. - Gal 4:4; Matt 5:17,18; Rom 10:4 This is important to know because much of our Lord's teaching was centered in the Law. The New Covenant did not go into effect until Christ's death, so He taught under the Old Covenant to show His listeners their need for salvation by faith, apart from works. And He completely fulfilled the Law. Christ has set us free from the Law. - Rom 6:14,15; Rom 7:1-4,6,18,19,22; Rom 8:2,13; Gal 2:4,19,20; Gal 3:13,25; Gal 4:5; Gal 5:1,18 Christians have died to the Law so that they can now be married to Christ. We are no longer married to Mr. Law. We are married to Mr. Grace. The Law includes the Ten Commandments. Some would say that we are no longer under the ceremonial Law but still under the moral Law. We do not have this option. If we are going to be under the Law, we must be under all of it - ceremonial, moral, and civil. We cannot pick and choose what parts of the Law we can be under. Let's rejoice that we are under grace! McGracer |
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44 | Not subject to the Law? | Rom 3:31 | McGracer | 53828 | ||
Searcher, The Law was not abolished, Christ fulfilled it and the Christian is no longer under it. It is useful for convicting the sinner of their need for a Savior. I will post these scriptures again: Rom 6:14,15 - For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! Rom 7:4,6 - Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter. Gal 2:4 - But it was because of the false brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage. Gal 3:24,25 - Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. Gal 5:1,18 - It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. Paul makes it abundantly clear that we are no longer under the Law, does he not? McGracer |
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45 | Can we become more righteous in state? | Rom 8:34 | McGracer | 54259 | ||
Joe, You just said that we couldn't lose our state of righteousness before God. Then how does the Holy Spirit make you more righteous? McGracer |
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46 | More Righteousness? | Rom 8:34 | McGracer | 54263 | ||
Joe, This is EXACTLY what I have been trying to say. At new birth, we receive a new, righteous spirit that is joined forever to Christ's spirit in us - 1 Cor 6:17. It is our new divine nature indwelt by God Himself - 2 Pet 1:4. This is who we ARE. If the body, at any time, dies, we go immediately into our Lord's presence because of who we ARE and Christ already in us. Scripture says that our new self (the inner man)which we put on (once in the Greek) is ALREADY created in the likeness of God, righteous and holy - Eph 4:24. This is internal Christ-likeness of which we are already participants and where we simply ARE. In the meantime, as you have correctly stated, the Spirit is transforming the rest of us (thoughts and behavior, a term that the Bible calls "soul") into Christ-likeness. This is external Christ-likeness were we grow and mature. McGracer |
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47 | Can we become more righteous in state? | Rom 8:34 | McGracer | 54266 | ||
Joe, Again, I agree. We become more like Christ in our thoughts, attitudes, and actions. This is the realm of the soul (mind, emotions, and will). Most certainly there is sanctification going on there. My point, in case you haven't caught it, is that there is a distinction between soul and spirit and, while Christ indwells my spirit and is joined to it, my soul still has a long way to go. And this body will never get there (I have a new one waiting for me). Well, you probably don't agree with all this Christian psychology stuff but it has been an interesting conversation with you, bro. I'll drop this subject as others feel I've said too much already. Maybe we'll "tangle" again later. Be blessed, bro. Grace and peace to you. McGracer |
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48 | Is the Law abolished or not? | Eph 2:15 | McGracer | 57738 | ||
Packer, Are you saying that He first fulfilled it and then abolished it? I.e. that His life fulfilled it but that His death abolished it? Could you clarify your post, please? These two scriptures do seem to contradict each other and I'd like to find out how other believers have reconciled them. Sincerely, McGracer |
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49 | Is the Law abolished or not? | Eph 2:15 | McGracer | 57742 | ||
Packer, I am thankful that we are no longer under the curse of the Law. There is no condemnation for those in Christ. But I would like to know if these two scriptures contradict each other. One says that Christ came to fulfill the Law, the other says that He abolished it at His crucifixion. Are these in conflict? McGracer |
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50 | Is the Law abolished or not? | Eph 2:15 | McGracer | 57751 | ||
Packer, Okay, I think I understand your answer better now. Thanks. McGracer |
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51 | Is the Law abolished or not? | Eph 2:15 | McGracer | 57776 | ||
Dear kalos, I do have my own thoughts and ideas on how these two verses might reconcile, but the point of my asking a question to the forum is not so that I can answer it. :) If I want to know ONLY what I think about a question, it would be a waste of time for me to post a question. Do you have an answer to this question, kalos, or is it your policy to tell posters to answer their own questions? McGracer |
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52 | Is the Law abolished or not? | Eph 2:15 | McGracer | 57795 | ||
Dear Ray, Thanks for your answer(s). The sermon on the mount sure did make it more difficult. The Law said "Don't commit adultery." Jesus said "Don't even lust." The Law said, "Don't kill." Jesus said, "Don't even hate." The New Testament commands bury me even quicker than the Law does. "Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. Love your neighbor as yourself" "Be as perfect as your heavenly Father." Who can possibly keep these commands 24-7? We can try, but does trying cut it? I don't see anywhere where Jesus said, "Try! God will accept your best effort." He commanded, "Do! The Father demands perfection." James says something similar in James 2:10. I like what you said about seeking HIS righteousness instead of our own. An interesting challenge indeed. Thanks. McGracer |
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53 | Is the Law abolished or not? | Eph 2:15 | McGracer | 57842 | ||
Dear Johnny, Thanks for your response. I do believe that He did fulfill the Law despite the things He did that seemed to go against how the Pharisees defined keeping the Law. The Law reflects the moral character of God and Christ, being God, could not have broken it. You wrote: Jesus Christ gave us the two commandments to love God with all thy heart, soul, strenght and love our nieghboors as thyself! if we observe this two commandments there is no single teaching of law we are going to disobey. I agree. If we observe these two commandments, we will keep the Law. The problem lies with the fact (I believe) that we can NEVER completely observe them. I have been a Christian for 30 years and I honestly admit that I have NEVER been able to love God with ALL of my heart, soul, and mind or to love my neighbor as completely as I do myself. Sure, I try. I make some progress in some areas. But the fact is that I have NEVER been able to do it PERFECTLY - 24/7. So why would God give the Law or Jesus issue to more "impossible" commands that He knows that we cannot keep? If I lived a perfectly moral life (which I admit I can't) and sinned only ONE time before I died, according to James 2:10, I would be guilty of breaking the WHOLE Law and I would die and go to hell. So why would God keep us under the Mosaic Law or the two new commandments if He knows that 1) we cannot keep them and 2) the wages of sin is death? I agree with your last statement: "So if we follow the example of Christ of observing the commandments we are not abolishing the law but fulfilling it with a deep meaning." I just find that I cannot consistently do it. McGracer |
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54 | What commandments to keep? | 1 John 2:4 | McGracer | 53782 | ||
Reasnerm, Yes, we are to leadly godly lives. And though it may look like the Law, it is grace. Paul wrote to Titus in 2:11,12, "For the GRACE of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age." It is God's GRACE, not the Law, that teaches us to "just say no." :) Just because the Christian is no longer under the Mosaic law does not leave Him without a moral compass. The Person of Jesus Christ is in us and as we abide in Him, He will morally take us to where the Law cannot. The Law says not to murder, Christ in us can love even our enemies. The Law says not to commit adultery. Christ in us can love our wives as He does the church. The Law says not to steal. Christ in us teaches us to give to those who have need. Some Christians hear that they are no longer under the Law and they think that they will go sin up a storm. While I don't deny that we CAN sin, I firmly believe the the Holy Spirit in us will grow us to where we WON'T WANT TO sin. We are now lead internally by God Himself instead of externally by a list of rules. Grace and peace to you. McGracer |
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