Results 4721 - 4740 of 4923
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Results from: Answers On or After: Thu 12/31/70 Author: DocTrinsograce Ordered by Verse |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
4721 | Any thoughts of the anti-christ being .. | 1 John | DocTrinsograce | 215659 | ||
Hi, HollieRose... Welcome to the forum! The apostle John is the only one to use the expression -- three times in his first epistle and once in his second. According to John, anyone that denies Jesus as Lord (His nature, origin, and sovereignty) is antichrist. Consequently, a clone could be an antichrist. By definition, a clone would still be a descendant of Adam, and an inheritor of his fallen nature. It is for fallen men -- all fallen men -- that the free offer of the gospel is made. In Him, Doc |
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4722 | Must a Christian attend church? | 1 John | DocTrinsograce | 237021 | ||
Hi, Ph... Welcome to the forum! The first epistle of John provides a number of characteristics of a true believer: they will grow in love for God (1 John 4:16), they will grow in love of the brethren (1 John 4:20), they will grow in love for the word (1 John 2:5), they will grow in love for righteousness (1 John 2:5). How would these things be increasing outside of the church? In Him, Doc |
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4723 | Are you saved if you speak in tongues. | 1 John | DocTrinsograce | 238014 | ||
Hi, Purch... Welcome to the forum! No, not at all. Following are some of the evidence of regeneration (a saved life): 1. The first evidence of regeneration in a believer is sorrow over sin. I read once that sin is spelled with "I" in the middle. The Holy Spirit works in us a knowledge and deep sorrow for our sin. This is the kind of sorrow that that is accompanied by repentance (2 Corinthians 7:10), a turning, and an abhoring of sin. In the past, a desire to be delivered from these sins did not seem as great, but now we see them in God's eyes. Isaiah 6:5 "Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." Luke 5:8 "When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord." Psalm 51:3-4 "I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest." 2. Along with the knowledge of sin, there is must be a knowledge that it is Jesus Christ who alone can take away and deliver one from their sin. It is knowledge that it is only Jesus and His finished work on the cross that can remove sins. Not our works, not our own will, not the works of any other person, nor declaration of a church or a priest, none of these things effect our standing before a Holy God. "Nothing but the blood of Jesus." 2 Corinthians 5:21 "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." 3. The third evidence of regeneration is a desire to live a holy life. We acknowledge that there is still much sin in us, but we now desire to put these things off, and live gratefully unto our God to His glory. Philippians 3:13-14 "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." 4. The fourth evidence of regeneration, is a fruitful life. A life filled with good works. These works do not serve any function to bring about righteousness nor do they play a part in our salvation. However, their presence demonstrates that we belong to and abide in Christ. John 15:8 "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples." 5. The final evidence of regeneration is love for the brethren. John 13:35 "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." Jonathan Edwards wrote a great work on question, "How to Know if you are a Real Christian." You can read it in full at: http://www.puritansermons.com/sermons/edwards1.htm In Him, Doc |
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4724 | Can a true believer be enslaved to sin? | 1 John | DocTrinsograce | 238771 | ||
Hi, Bill... Welcome to the forum! The following sermon may be helpful to you: http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/no-one-born-of-god-makes-a-practice-of-sinning In Him, Doc |
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4725 | how can we avoid loving the world? | 1 John | DocTrinsograce | 242038 | ||
Hi, lilhaute... Welcome to the forum! That is a very good question. Every true Christian will be characterized by an increasing love for God, the Word, and the brethren; and an increasing hatred for sin. The apostle John asserts this very clearly in his first epistle. It is my experience that the more clearly I see God, the more dearly I love Him, and the more nearly I walk with Him. The Scripture does appear to bear this out: the more love we have of Christ, the less love we have of the world. So rather than focus on decreasing your love of the world, focus on increasing your love of God. Confess to Him that you want to love only that which is truly worthy of love, our Lord Himself. Ask Him for the grace to do this. Then seek Him out in the Scriptures. In Him, Doc |
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4726 | ... | 1 John | DocTrinsograce | 242073 | ||
Hi, MIRA... Are you a Jehovah's Witness? Our Lord Jesus Christ said, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." (Matthew 28:18) Don't you want to be a part of what is God's own? In Him, Doc |
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4727 | which "we" have heard, which "we" have | 1 John | DocTrinsograce | 242501 | ||
Hi, Crystal... Welcome to the forum! That's a good question. The authority of the apostles is that they were eye witnesses to the facts of the gospel, chosen by our Lord Jesus as the doctrinal foundations of the church. John was countering gnostic heresies that asserted a variety of false teaching. For example, some taught that Christ did not have a physical body like the normal human being. They said that sometimes when He walked on the beach, He didn't leave foot prints. Some asserted that when people went to touch Him they sometimes had their hands pass right through Him. The beloved apostle John is setting the record straight: we heard Him, we saw Him, we touched Him, etc. See how often John asserts these things just in the first chapter. As Paul put it, these things were not “done in a corner” (Acts 26:26b); meaning, that all the facts of the gospel were done out in the open witnessed by many. I hope that helps you understand this first epistle of John. By the way, if this is a homework question, then tell your teacher you did not use the tools that they are teaching you to use. Also ask your teacher to forgive me for aiding and abetting you. In Him, Doc |
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4728 | Grace? | 1 John 1:7 | DocTrinsograce | 132650 | ||
There are differing views on this subject represented in the forum. Broadly speaking there are people who believe (1) that a believer loses his salvation after sinning, (2) that a believer must pay in some way for sins committed after salvation, and (3) all sins, past, present, and future are covered at salvation. I find that number 3 seems to more clearly represent the message of God's redemption. However, I also feel strongly that anyone who commits sin regularly and repeatedly ought to question his salvation. If he is saved, he should be afraid, for the Lord chastens (i.e., spanks) those He loves (Hebrews 12). This has probably been discussed on the forum before. I expect that it has the potential of stirring up a lot of disagreement. |
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4729 | Can God forgive all sin? | 1 John 1:7 | DocTrinsograce | 143852 | ||
The atonement of Christ is sufficient to forgive all sin. However, if a man dies without salvation, he will not be forgiven, but will suffer the wrath of God. I cannot say as to the ultimate disposition of the soul of "Son of Sam." In Him, Doc |
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4730 | can i be forgiven for adultery | 1 John 1:7 | DocTrinsograce | 171236 | ||
Hi, Carolyna... Yes and no. God can forgive you. Those hurt by your sin will find it impossible unless they are believers. As believers, they can and will extend forgiveness as God gives them grace to do so. Might I suggest that you take the free course on moral purity found at the following site: http://www.settingcaptivesfree.com/ We will be praying for you. In Him, Doc |
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4731 | how to show need to gather | 1 John 1:7 | DocTrinsograce | 179511 | ||
Dear IIW, The Bible is rife with the clear command that God has chosen the church as the means by which to work in the life of individuals. Our sovereign Lord is free to use whatever means please Him. However, we do not share that freedom! A person who shuns corporate worship and fellowship does so without recourse to the Scriptures. Nor can they claim direction of the Holy Spirit, since He will not lead men apart from the Word of God. Individualism of the sort touted today is known in Scripture only as a form of idolatry. Consequently, answering your question is difficult there being so many Scriptures from which to choose! Do we point people to John 14 through 17, Matthew 23, Ephesians, James, the first epistle of John, etc. etc.? Here's a passage that has been much on my mind lately: Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion." (Hebrews 3:12-15 ESV) In a nutshell: An "evil, unbelieving heart" results from hardening "by the deceitfulness of sin" causing us to "fall away" from God. The writer of Hebrews in this passage assures us that the remedy for such a thing is daily exhortation of the brethren. To do otherwise is placing faith in ourselves, repudiating the clear dictates of the Word of God. The "caution" this fellow is exercising will not serve him well. He is disconnecting himself from the vary means that God would use to develop the wisdom he'd need to be cautious in the first place. On the contrary, his unwillingness and lack of desire to submit to the Lord in corporate fellowship in a local congregation would be more in keeping with the character of a lost person than a saved person. In the face of such rebellion -- no matter what it is called -- don't be too hasty to assume that the eternal disposition of this person's soul is heaven. God saves people unto Himself, not unto themselves. Furthermore, as Dr. Azurdia put it, "How can one profess love for the Savior and simultaneously despise the people for whom He gave His life?" You might find the discussion on the nature of the church by Dr. Mark Dever helpful. He has a very good book -- and web site -- discussing nine marks of a Biblical church. Of particular pertinence to your question is the discussion of church membership in: http://marks.9marks.org/Mark6/LessonA/Slide1of1 In Him, Doc |
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4732 | Is this possible? | 1 John 1:8 | DocTrinsograce | 174127 | ||
Dear Bliss, I'd say no. I'd also question what your friend intended by "accepting" Christ. If a person does not believe they have sin, not only are they self deceived, they also have no need for a Savior. In Him, Doc |
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4733 | Is sinless perfection possible on earth? | 1 John 1:8 | DocTrinsograce | 228594 | ||
Dear Ed, John Wesley introduced the notion of sinless perfectionism -- also known as Wesleyan perfectionism, moral perfectionism, or entire sanctification. Later, Charles Finney picked up the teaching, and more recently, Charles Parham. Wesley writes, "The habitual disposition of the soul which, in the sacred writings, is termed holiness; and which directly implies being cleansed from sin, 'from all filthiness both of flesh and spirit'; and, by consequence, being endued with those virtues which were in Christ Jesus; being so 'renewed in the image of our mind,' as to be 'perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect'." He refers to it as the "deliverance from inward as well as from outward sin" and that ""a Christian is so far perfect as not to commit sin" (from "A Plain Account of Christian Perfectionism"). I am not so certain, but I have heard that Pelagius also taught it, but if he did so, I doubt that he did so as thoroughly as Wesley. (Finney and Wesley were not given to learned writing.) Regardless, most of the modern denominations that were given rise by or through Arminian Methodism affirm it in one recognizable form or another. The logic of sinless perfectionism necessarily is given rise by the theology of Semi-Pelagianism. All sin is seriously problematic for any theological position. As Wesley articulated the notion he was met with quite a bit of resistance. The crux of the matter is how we define the word sin. That eventually became obvious to Wesley himself, so he qualified perfectionism by redefining sin as "a willful transgression of a known law of God." That definition may sound okay, but it was a significant departure from how the church had understood sin. Millard Erickson provides a very good distillation of the Biblically orthodox definition: "Sin is any lack of conformity, active or passive, to the moral law of God. This may be a matter of act [specific deeds], of thought, or of inner disposition or state [nature]." (Psalm 51, for example, renders up each component of sin very well, but I will leave that exercise for another time.) I believe it is clear how the definition of sin would be an essential ingredient to answering your question, "Can we in fact live sinless lives?" (sic) If we use Wesley's definition, I think the answer would be yes. I would even venture to suggest that Paul achieved such sinless perfectionism: "as to the righteousness which is in the Law, found blameless" (Philippians 3:6b). That is an amazing statement when you think about it. Nevertheless, such righteousness was indisputable for many Pharisees. However, these are not even saved people. So, now add the clarifications by the Lord Jesus Christ (see especially the Sermon on the Mount), then the Pharisees fail. Indeed, based on the first three chapters of Romans, we all fail. Sin, in the orthodox sense, is universal, ubiquitous, and endemic to man. So the answer to your question would be no. Sanctification, clearly, can increase as a believer grows in Christ. But entire sanctification must necessarily wait until we are entirely separated from this "body of sin." Lord, come quickly! We might discuss further what it means to be "freed from the bondage of sin" etc. However, I will leave that, as well, for another discussion. Thank you for the question. I hope my post is helpful to your effort to come to terms with sinless perfectionism. In Him, Doc |
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4734 | Do we still call ourselves sinners? | 1 John 1:9 | DocTrinsograce | 192613 | ||
Hi, tron... All men are sinners in the sense that they sin. Part of the blessing and benefit of salvation is that we will eventually be made perfect. Nevertheless, in this life, believers struggle with sin (1 Corinthians 10:13). The lost will sometimes regret what they do (2 Corinthians 7:10), but on the whole they have accommodated themselves to their fallen nature. In Him, Doc |
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4735 | do you have to name each sin? | 1 John 1:9 | DocTrinsograce | 242168 | ||
Hi, river... Welcome to the forum! Every sin must be forgiven (Romans 6:23) by God through Christ, but not every sin must be confessed to God. When we just confess the sins of which we are aware, that will take us plenty of time. However, there are many sins for which our dull consciences and Biblically ignorant minds fail to recognize. Often we are left, therefore, only with blanket prayer requests: ones in which we ask God to forgive our many sins and search us to make us aware of sin. (See Psalm 139:23). In Him, Doc |
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4736 | why did Jesus die? | 1 John 2:2 | DocTrinsograce | 234853 | ||
Hi, Cody... Welcome to the forum! Here is a good article that you might find helpful: http://www.genevaninstitute.org/2010/11/the-meaning-of-propitiation/ Also, see post #234832. In Him, Doc |
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4737 | Lust of flesh, lust of eye, pride of lif | 1 John 2:15 | DocTrinsograce | 138570 | ||
Good answers, one and all! Don't forget one more place: You can associate each of these catagories of sin with each temptation of Jesus. In Him, Doc |
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4738 | You might be a carnal christian if--- | 1 John 2:15 | DocTrinsograce | 173661 | ||
Dear JAL, Another term for "carnal" is simply lost. Our time might be better spent knowing what the wheat looks like rather than the tares. Our Savior spends considerable time describing such a person in passages like John 15. The added advantage of looking at the Gospel of John is that it helps us understand the message that he conveys in his epistles. In Him, Doc |
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4739 | When will the Antichrist come ? | 1 John 2:18 | DocTrinsograce | 241678 | ||
Hi, Tracy... The only explicit references to the antichrist is in the first and second Epistles of John. He tells us that an antichrist is anyone who denies that Jesus is Christ, deceivers that deny both the Father and the Son (1 John 2:22; 2 John 1:7). Furthermore, John tells us that "even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour" (1 John 2:18). Consequently, since antichrists appeared then and have appeared even in our own day, we may rightly conclude that these things occur prior to the Second Coming. Beyond that, Scripture is silent. There are many prophecy mongers and the like, though, that promulgate a view of some kind of special antichrist -- co-opting the word with a capital A. That opinion, though, is predicated on a dispensational hermeneutic of the church, unknown to Biblical orthodoxy. In Him, Doc |
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4740 | Not need teachers? In what way? | 1 John 2:27 | DocTrinsograce | 203906 | ||
Hi, Thomas... The Holy Spirit still uses means. If you take passages like these ones out of the context of the whole teaching of Christ and the apostles, you're bound to end up confused! John 14:26 is talking about all the Christ said to the apostles (see verse 23). 1 John 2:20 is talking about the perseverance of the saints. I keep telling people to read Ephesians 4:11-18. The whole thrust of that passage is telling us that Christ gifted the church *what* (v11)? For the purpose of *what* (v12-13)? So that we won't be *what* (v14)? In Him, Doc |
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