Results 301 - 320 of 500
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Results from: Answers On or After: Thu 12/31/70 Author: Reformer Joe Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
301 | New International Version | John 10:33 | Reformer Joe | 31674 | ||
Assertions to Jesus deity: "I and the Father are one." --John 10:30 "looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus" --Titus 2:13 '"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty"...When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, "Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades." --Revelation 1:8,17-18 'Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am."' --John 8:58 'Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"' --John 20:28 There's plenty more, as the doctrine of the Trinity is built by putting together revelation from the entire biblical text. I would recommend _The Forgotten Trinity_ by James R. White, as the exposition of this doctrine far exceeds the 5000 words I have here. --Joe! |
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302 | Adam and Eve, no fall from grace? | Gen 2:16 | Reformer Joe | 31530 | ||
What did Adam and Eve fall from? The Westminster Shorter Catechism addresses this: "Q10. How did God create man? A. God created man male and female, after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures." This is the estate from which humanity fell. We no longer fear God, which is the beginning of knowledge (Proverbs 1:7). We are obviously no longer righteous (Romans 3:10). Nor are we holy. All of this we collectively lost as a people when our first parents sinned. I do not want to speak for Lionstrong, but I think he was referring to saving grace when he said that Adam and Eve did not need it. Our very lives, as you have correctly stated (and the Reformers certainly agreed) are unmerited gifts from God. Adam and Eve, pre-Fall, simply did not have any need for the special grace God extends to sinners in spite of their unrighteousness, because there WAS no unrighteousness before the fatal bite of fruit. --Joe! |
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303 | Is God's elect the only ones to be saved | 2 Cor 4:3 | Reformer Joe | 31528 | ||
Welcome to the Forum. You will find ad nauseam debate regarding election (much of it perpetrated by yours truly) by typing "Christ" and "elect" in the Quick Search box to your right. Happy reading! --Joe! |
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304 | How do I refute evolutions finer points? | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 31225 | ||
Vanagon: While there is indeed good information refuting neo-Darwinism, it is pretty much beyond the scope of this forum. Email me off-list (see my profile) and I will be happy to discuss these issues with you. Incidentally, natural selection ("survival of the fittest") is both observable in nature and not contrary to the Scriptures. One can very reasonably say that stronger animals survive in situations where weaker animals do not, without jumping to the outlandish conclusion that human beings came into existence by such a process. --Joe! |
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305 | How was books in KJV compiled? | OT general | Reformer Joe | 30992 | ||
A very good, inexpensive resource which answers all of the questions you raise here is entitled _Can I Trust the Bible?_ by Darrell L. Bock. It is part of the Ravi Zacharias International Ministries "Critical Questions Series" and can be ordered for just a few bucks from their web site (www.rzim.org). It also contains a bibliography for further reading. Hope this helps out! --Joe! |
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306 | Any biblical answers to Mormon beliefs? | 1 John 4:1 | Reformer Joe | 30991 | ||
Shelley: In addition to the good resources mentioned by others here, I would like to recommend two excellent, recent books that can serve as guides to understanding Mormon beliefs and also as tools for evangelism. They are _Mormonism 101_ by Bill McKeever and _The Gospel According to Joseph Smith_ by Ethan Harris. Both provide thorough analysis of the teachings (past and present) of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the biblical response to those teachings. You should be able to order both of them from your local Christian bookstore or any of the major Internet retailers. I heartily recommend both! Also, if you would like more Mormon-specific resources for evangelism, I would recommend contacting Watchman Fellowship (www.watchman.org), a Christian counter-cult evangelism ministry. James Walker, the president, is a former fourth-generation Mormon who has spent the last quarter-century evangelizing LDS members and other cultists. In addition to the great resources they have in print, they have a friendly staff who would be more than happy to chat with you one-on-one and give you tip and advice. Please keep us posted on your situation, and be in prayer! God constantly is bringing individuals out of cults into the true church. And He employs people like you to be His instruments quite often! --Joe! |
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307 | Where is the cry of the Jew found in DEU | Deuteronomy | Reformer Joe | 30484 | ||
"Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!" --Deuteronomy 6:4 --Joe! |
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308 | Predestination | Rom 8:29 | Reformer Joe | 30483 | ||
Beth: Welcome to the forum! There has already been a lot said regarding predestination on the forum (some think perhaps too much). I would recommend that you do Quick Search using the words "predestined" or "elect" to view some of these answers. To briefly address your post, while I hold that predestination is a biblical doctrine (see Ephesians 1 and Romans 9 for more on that), notice that the verse you cited says that the elect are not just predestined for Heaven, but predestined to be conformed to the image of Christ. Therefore, everything else in the Bible still holds true. Only those who are in Christ and being conformed by the Holy Spirit to the image of Christ are those who are predestined. In other words, the group of believers in the gospel is the same as the group of the elect. The fact that one is a follower of Christ is evidence that he has been chosen. Hope this helps! --Joe! |
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309 | Christian Response To Eastern Thought? | Is 55:11 | Reformer Joe | 29953 | ||
Try this: http://www.equip.org/free/DF450.htm And also try this: The Bible. As someone who has spent many years studying the cults, I can tell you that knowing God's Word and speaking God's Word and applying the truths of Christian theology in evangelizing cultists is the most effective way to do it. Why? Because the Holy Spirit works primarily through the proclamation of His Scripture. Rather than scouring their doctrines inside and out (which is probably worthwhile, but your friend may not know as intimately as it seems), converse with him and meet what he says head on with God's truth. Let us know if there is any other advice/encouragement/prayer that we can give you. --Joe! |
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310 | Why do we try to do something for God? | James 2:17 | Reformer Joe | 29917 | ||
Bygraceyearesaved (that's quite a mouthful!): Because looking at that whole section of Scripture, we are indeed saved by grace through faith, and both of those are the gift of God. Then we are told that we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus FOR GOOD WORKS, which God has prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Therefore, the grace, the faith, and the God-honoring works are all gifts of God. It is like a domino effect. God's grace leads to true saving faith which results in works. Likewise, if the God-honoring works are completely absent, that could be a sign of a lack of true saving faith and absence of God's saving grace in that individual's life The fact is that we exist for God's glorification, so everything we as believers do should ultimately be "for God." That is not to say that God "needs" us to do something or that he is incomplete if we do not serve Him. However, that is precisely the end for which God created everything including us. And, that is the reason that God saved us. Yes, we have blessings here and an inheritance to come, but God did all of that for us ultimately so that HE would be glorified through our lives. It is our chief end to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. And it is the grace of God which enables fallen humanity to accomplish that at all. --Joe! |
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311 | The Purpose of Hell? | Rom 9:20 | Reformer Joe | 29799 | ||
I do... Why did God create hell? For the same reason He has done everything else: to glorify Himself, to make his attributes known. In the case of hell, the existence of it glorifies the justice of God. You and I, despite the fact that we are part of God's creation, have willingly committed cosmic treason against our Creator, when he himself has made it clear that we are to glorify Him (which is only the most appropriate thing to do since He is infinitely holy). Therefore, the Bible has a good description for us: "But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God" --Romans 2:5 God's wrath is real and it is directed at all of those who by their unrighteousness have declared themselves His enemies. And who falls into that category? 'as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE."' --Romans 3:10-12 Well, that would include all of us among those who are completely DESERVING of hell. There will be no one in hell who does not know that s/he belongs there. I think it is only sensible to fear God's wrath, for it is holy, perfect, all-powerful, and comletely unrelenting once released (and don't forget deserved by all). "It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God." --Hebrews 10:31 I think you have the concept of "punishment" mixed up with "rehabilitation." Hell is for condemnation of God's enemies, which include all who "suppress the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18)." All of this is absolutely horrifying news for the human race...if that were the whole story. But while God demonstrates his justice by the existence of Hell, he also profoundly demonstrated his mercy by sending Jesus Christ to take upon Himself the just punishment of all those who will trust in Him. For those who trust not in themselves, but in Christ's sinless life (thereby not deserving punishment), death on a Cross (meeting the demands of God's justice on behalf of their sins), and resurrection from the dead (demonstrating that God's justice had been satified toward them) are promised eternal life in Heaven. Despite the fact that I deserve to go to hell for each and every violation of God's perfect moral will, Christ Jesus paid for each and every one of my violations of God's perfect moral will 2000 years ago. Therefore, as Romans 8:1 tells me, there is no condemnation for me. God's unwavering justice and retribution for my sinfulness has been met in Christ, and God's mercy has been demonstrated toward me as well. And in all of this, God is glorified, just as glorified as He is when he sends the wicked and unrepentant to eternal damnation for rebellion against an infinitely prefect Creator. Hell is by no means a place of learning and applying a lesson. It is final judgment. As of right now, where do you stand if you were to meet your final judgment now? Knowing that your rebellion against God deserves full and eternal condemnation, are you trusting in the only way out God provided? "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." --Acts 4:12 If you have a Bible, I would suggest that you look at the first three chapters of the New Testament book of Romans to see more clearly the extent of our rebellion against God, and God's gracious provision of a way out when that is the last thing we deserved. Then read the first chater of 1 Peter to see what God promises those who are followers of Jesus Christ. Salvation is more than sparing us from God's just wrath; He went much further than that, adopting and promising an inheritance to all those who will trust in Christ for forgiveness. And remember, this is nothing anyone ever earned: Christ earned it for us. "But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." --Titus 3:4-7 Hope this clears up the miconceptions you had! --Joe! |
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312 | Can we worship outside of our community? | Heb 10:25 | Reformer Joe | 29662 | ||
The Bible says only that we ARE to come together to worship, not where. I think that community worship was the norm in the NT, but there weren't automobiles, and there weren't exactly 1700 Christian churches in every major city. There are advantages, I think, to worshiping somewhat close to where one lives, but there appears to be no commandment that you do so. --Joe! |
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313 | are we saved by grace alone? | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 29370 | ||
Good question. We are indeed saved by grace alone through faith alone through Christ alone. The Bible also teaches that all of those who truly have been saved by grace alone through faith alone through Christ alone will indeed endure to the end. That in itself is a work of grace in our lives wrought by the Holy Spirit. This is what is known in Reformed theology as the perseverance (or preservation) of the saints. We are not only regenerated and justified by God, we are kept from finally falling away from the faith through the gracious work of God in our lives. In this way, we can easily say that both the passages on enduring to the end apply to believers as well as passages which say that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). Those who endure to the end ARE those who have been saved by God's grace alone though faith alone in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone! --Joe! |
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314 | How many local churches have you tried? | Heb 11:8 | Reformer Joe | 29347 | ||
I have changed my church of attendance in the last six months, for two reasons. First of all, the theology to which I now have come to embrace is very much at odds with that of the pastor and elders of the church which my wife and I used to attend. They were not issues of utmost importance (i.e. in such a way that it could be said that the members there are not Christians), so it was not a situation which my wife and I were compelled to leave at first. It was only when the direction of the church changed to take on some practices which I consider very contrary to what Scripture reveals that my wife and I decided to move on. Specifically, it was the abandonment of the concept of the church as a place for believers in favor of a "seeker-sensitive" model which dumbed down the sermons and treated the services of the church as a place where the unregenerate could feel right at home. Appeal to the sinful human's felt needs had assumed the place where sound theology and teaching should be. Drama and contemporary music and "how-to" sermons (with the merest smattering of a Scripture passage) were seen as techniques and methods to win people for Christ, rather than the unadulterated proclamation of God's Word. I addressed the situation verbally and in writing to the elders of the church, citing Scripture and including quotes from many authors who had already addressed the theological errors of this movement. I welcomed both dialogue and correction from them from the Bible if I was doctrinally wrong inanything I said. Well, when I met with the elders, they completely missed the point of my 15-page epistle to them. They saw my problems with the church's direction as a matter of personal taste rather than of theological significance. They failed to address even one of the Scripture passages I cited in support of my position. I knew it was time to go when the pastor said in no uncertain terms that he had been a minister for X number of years, and that he has come to the conclusion that simply getting up and preaching the Word of God by itself simply was not going to work with the world today. There are good reasons for finding a new church, and my previous church had just about all of them. I am happy to say that my present congregation has all of the marks of a vibrant, God-honoring, biblically-centered church, and my wife and I are more than elated to be serving God and our fellow saints, learning and growing within this fellowship. As long as we remain where we are and God in his grace grants that the church maintains its high doctrinal standards and practices, this is where we will stay. So there's my story! --Joe! |
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315 | Who else was on earth at time of Adam... | Gen 4:1 | Reformer Joe | 29340 | ||
Addressed a bazillion times...type "Cain" and "wife" into the quick search field. --Joe! |
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316 | Church attendance not required | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 29331 | ||
Sandre: Your situation brings up a very good question. If by God's sovereignty you are unable to attend church on a regular basis, then obviously he is not going to hold you accountable for it. However, I hope that you are receiving sound instruction in the Word and receiving fellowship with other believers. The church I attend has a considerable amount of elderly people who are often homebound. One of the great things about God's people is that they continue to minister to those who, because of their circumstances, are physically prevented from being in the church building every Sunday morning. Therefore, I would encourage you to find ways to continue to fellowship as much as possible within the context of a local body of believers. There are excellent resources such as tape ministries which facilitate this, and church elders at a biblically-functioning church should take the time to visit you, pray with you, and include you as much as possible in the life of the church. --Joe! |
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317 | How important is your Church? | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 29084 | ||
My answer is 10. God justifies us as individuals, but sets us apart into a body of believers. No such thing as the "Lone Ranger" Christian. The visible church is the commanded communion of saints on earth, and sanctification normally does not occur apart from that context. "For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another." --Romans 12:4-5 --Joe! |
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318 | How does God speak to us? | Gen 1:1 | Reformer Joe | 29326 | ||
Because the Spirit speaks to us through the Word of God. --Joe! |
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319 | The Spirit and the Word: How Related? | Rom 8:11 | Reformer Joe | 29289 | ||
Then we have the gospel, which is found throughout Scripture in the Old Testament in type, promise, and prophecy, but which of course is most clearly revealed in Jesus Christ our Redeemer: "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent name than they." --Hebrews 1:1-4 Therefore, we have had Jesus, the clearest representation of God Himself as well as what it means to follow the law of God, dwelling among us. We now, since Pentecost, have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us to teach us. So we have God to tell us automatically, right? Well, consider a few things: 1. If the Holy Spirit has indwelt us all, why are there instructions for believers in the New Testament? Since all of the NT was written after Pentecost, why would God inspire so many commandments for believers if the Holy Spirit works independently of His Word? After all, God Himself lives within us, right? Obviously, God did not intend for us to rely on some "feeling" that the Holy Spirit gives us. 2. Why do the epistles refer to and quote the Old Testament so much? If we have the Holy Spirit working through us automatically, isn't all that "Old Testament" stuff for those who didn't have the Spirit of God? Apparently not. 3. If the Holy Spirit teaches us automatically, why is one of His gifts the gift of TEACHING? There is another external source of knowing and doing His will, established by God Himself. 4. The apostles clearly point out that unsound doctrine is already present in the first-century church, and time and again urge believers to hold to sound doctrine. Where do we find doctrine? The Scriptures, not in our minds. All of this centers on a pet passage of many people. Do we believe it? "You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work." --2 Timothy 3:14-17 Men of God become ADEQUATE through Scripture. Men of God become equipped for every good work through Scripture. The Holy Spirit does not need to reveal any new doctrine to us, because it is all there in Scripture. The Holy Spirit's work is to reveal the truth of Scripture to us, testify to the truth of Scripture, to work in us to will and to work to glorify Him as revealed in Scripture. The problem today with people who are looking for "more" generally rests in the fact that understanding Scripture takes work (2 Peter 3:6-17), and discipline is not something the lazy-minded like as much as a good stage show or "3 simple steps to holiness." --Joe! |
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320 | The Spirit and the Word: How Related? | Rom 8:11 | Reformer Joe | 29288 | ||
Strongly suspecting that you will agree with my point of view, here we go: "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you." --John 14:26 The role of the Holy Spirit is that of a teacher. What does he teach and bring to their remembrance? All that Jesus said to them. In other words, the Spirit is not adding to the info that Jesus gave them, but rather bringing to their remembrance something that has already been verbalized. We get more into the insight of the Teacher's work from Paul: "But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away." 2 Corinthians 3:14-15 We see a connection between turning to the Lord and a veil being lifted. But note that the veil is being lifted in connection with the reading of Moses (i.e. the Scriptures). It is only by the power of the Spirit that the eyes of the blind can see the truth. But where is the truth found? The Scriptures. Jesus says the same thing: "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth." --John 17:17 The word of God is truth. Where do we find the word of God? The Scriptures. However, there is a dynamic here which I do not think is explored enough. Do we have to have the Bible to know what God's will is? In one sense, it might surprise some to read that I say "no": "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." --Romans 1:18-20 In regard to the law of God, every man has the light of nature which demonstrates His power and His nature. This truth, however, due to our unrighteousness, is something we suppress in our darkened minds. Every human being knows on some level the duty s/he has to glorify God as humanity was created to do. Paul goes on in the next chapter: "For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified. For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them, on the day when, according to my gospel, God will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus." --Romans 2:12-16 Every human being has a moral sense, a conscience that tells them the will of God. Therefore, the Gentiles without the written law again are without excuse, because they "show the work of the Law written in their hearts." However, it is important to note here that the people Paul are referring to here are not merely the people of God, but rather ALL PEOPLE. Therefore, this is not the work of the Spirit revealing God's law in any special way to the believer, but rather the light of creation and the moral sense which God has hardwired into every human being. So, why the Scriptures, if what to do is instinctively known to us? Because in our fallen state we walk in darkness, suppressing the truth. The will of God revealed in the Scriptures is a reinforcement of the light of nature, a more thorough revelation of His will for His people. In the Decalogue we see a "spelling out" of the general will of God to love him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength; and to love our neighbor as ourselves. God in His grace gave His people this second revelation; so that despite the effects of the Fall on our hearts, we have a second, more thorough message from God specifically designed for our present state. But what about the present indwelling of the Holy Spirit? Let us take a look at that in another installment. --Joe! |
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