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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# | |||
361 | salvation and sanctification | Eph 2:10 | Reformer Joe | 22373 | ||
Here is how the Westmisnter Larger Catchism explains it: Q. 77. Wherein do justification and sanctification differ? A. Although sanctification be inseparably joined with justification, yet they differ, in that God in justification imputeth the righteousness of Christ; in sanctification of his Spirit infuseth grace, and enableth to the exercise thereof; in the former, sin is pardoned; in the other, it is subdued: the one doth equally free all believers from the revenging wrath of God, and that perfectly in this life, that they never fall into condemnation the other is neither equal in all, nor in this life perfect in any, but growing up to perfection. In other words, justification is a declaration of righteousness, where Christ's righteousness is put to our account once and for all. This is what peopel commonly mean when they say that they are "saved." Sanctification begins at salvation (sanctification means "being set apart") and is the process by which God makes us more like Christ in practice. Of course, this process is not instantaneous and continues throughout the life of the believer. Both are works of God, and one is not sanctified without first being justified. Nor is anyone truly justified who under ordinary circumstances does not eventually exhibit the fruits of sanctification. The two go hand in hand, but are different things. Sanctification will be complete once we stand before Christ. |
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362 | DOES GOD HEAR PRAYRS OF UNBELIEVING JEW | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 22232 | ||
"He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." --John 3:18 Does God hear their prayers? He hears everything. However, He hears the prayers of an utterly sinful, unforgiven group of people who have no right to stand before Him by any stretch of the imagination. How do you think a holy God is going to take such presumption? --Joe! |
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363 | Are new worship songs scripturally OK? | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 22212 | ||
Bud: My problem isn't the newness or oldness of the songs, but there are three aspects of "contemporary praise and worship" that I feel are biblically questionable at best: 1. The "man-centeredness" of many of the songs. Whereas most of the traditional hymns written before 1900 are focused on, singing praises of His attributes and adoring Him for who He is, modern songs tend to convey some version of "Do this for me, Jesus" or "Bless me more." Both are self-centered and reveal little theological truth. 2. Many of these songs are not just theologically shallow; they misrepresent God. In days past, the minister of the church exercised alot more discernment over what was sung. One of the most offensive songs I have heard in recent years is "Heavenly Father, I Appreciate You." Appreciate Him?!? The infinitely holy Lord of hosts? I appreciate my neighbor who loans me his lawn mower. I revere and stand in awe and praise the name of our infinitely majestic God. 3. The music is more than just a backdrop to the praises to God; the music in many ways is an incarnation of the message. In other words, is a song of adoration really that adoring if it is put to a heavy-metal, 150-mile-an-hour beat? No, I am not against guitars and drums, but I do hold that an inappropriate style of music that doesn't fit the spirit of the message serves to distract the worshipers from praising God with their whole hearts and minds. This is a huge issue that falls into the discernment category. Are we worshiping God in spirit and in truth? Are we honoring God and giving Him the glory that He deserves? Or are we seeking to entertain ourselves and get emotionally worked up and keep up with the secular entertainment industry? Important questions that congregations should work through. --Joe! |
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364 | Reasons for Rejecting our Witness | John 1:7 | Reformer Joe | 22034 | ||
Nolan: "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness," --Romans 1:18 "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, who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation." --Romans 2:5-8 The unrepentant heart of the unrighteous keeps one from embracing Christ. Everything else (pseudo-intellectual arguments, "bad experiences with Christians," etc.) may be real events in their lives, but ultimately the fact is they willfully reject him. I have spoken to many skeptics, and many times I have asked a question along these lines: "If I could rationally clear up every intellectual difficulty you have with Christianity, would you become a Christian." In most cases the answer is no. One guy even put it like this: "No way, because I don't feel like I should have to serve ANYBODY." Why does one reject Christ? Because they love themselves and the world: "Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." --1 John 2:15 This isn't to say, of course, that a Christian can't do a lousy job of presenting the truth in love If the message is not communicated well, then the hearing doesn't happen on the part of the unregenerate person. --Joe! |
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365 | Witnessing: What is your style? | John 1:7 | Reformer Joe | 22032 | ||
This is just about the same way that the book "How to Become a Contagious Christian" characterizes the different syles: confrontational, invitational, intellectual, and testimonial. They add another couple, evangelism through serving and one other that doesn't pop into my head at this moment I am most comfortable with the intellectual approach, putting the Christian worldview out there in the public square as the standard of truth. I do employ the serving side as well in my missionary work with the homeless as well. The testimonial comes into play sometimes as well, but only subsidiary to the intellectual approach. Probably all of my contact with Mormons which leaves me a little cold to the testimonial approach, actually... --Joe! |
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366 | Huge Impact? | Romans | Reformer Joe | 22027 | ||
Charis: What I mean is simply this: what we think about when we think about God impacts the entire way our spritual life operates. A very good example is the World Trade Center incident. How does one respond to someone who says, "Where was God on the morning of September 11? How can a loving, holy, all-powerful God let something like this happen?" I have heard some very well-meaning Christians give some very unbiblical answers which deny God's omniscience and sovereignty and power to keep Satan in check. All of these errors are based on bad theology. Therefore, one's theology is what one reveals when talking about God. It also impacts our life. Our worship and service to God are completely different is we hold that God is primarily here for us, rather than the biblical truth that WE exist for HIS glory. The former leads to selfishness and Christian laziness; the latter tends to lend itself to God-centered worship and a yielding and (dare I say?) obedience toward Christ. All theology truly held will define our attitudes toward God and our actions as believers. That includes whether one has a Calvinist view or an Arminian one. Again the differeences aren't salvific, but they are important ones. Whenever we talk about sinful man's ability or inability to do good or follow Christ, or the extent and character of God's sovereignty, we are touching on issues over which we will (respectfully, I hope) disagree. --Joe! |
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367 | Is it faith or is it mornal? | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 21862 | ||
Questions are wonderful, because they lead to answers. It also means that you are actually THINKING about your faith. :) Here are some answers: 1. Christians should look forward to the Second Coming, which is the culmination of history when sin and death are finally conquered once and for all, and we begin our eternity in glory. See 1 Corinthians 5 and Philippians 3:20-21 for an understanding of why His Second Coming is our home-going. 2. The answer to this question seems to be the same as the one for #1. 3. Not all Christians believe in a pre-tribulational Rapture in which people get "left behind." 4. No boredom in heaven: 1 Corinthians 2:9, 1 Peter 1:3-5 5. Not the sinful ones, which is part of the blessing itself. Read 1 Corinthians 15 for an indication of what our resurrected selves will be like. Romans 7 also gives a great picture of how we we shall be set free from our earthly bodies of sin and death. Notice Paul's excitement at the prospect. 6. Satan is going to be taken care of once and for all at the end of time (Revelation 20:10) --Joe! |
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368 | meaning of Life | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 21643 | ||
To glorify God and enjoy Him forever. --Joe! |
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369 | Which country is God's Nation | Rom 1:18 | Reformer Joe | 21469 | ||
Johnny: I don't think you read those Jeremiah verses. I was not referring specifically of God's commands for Israel to go to war. I was also pointing out God raising up armies AGAINST rebellious Israel...armies that do not acknowledge the one true God but who are used as His instrument of judgment nonetheless. Whether Jesus specifically commanded anyone to go to war or not is not the issue. The question you raised is whether God decrees that bad things happen for His purposes and whether we can frustrate God's sovereign plan for anything with our actions. And the biblical answers are "yes" and "no," in that order. --Joe! |
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370 | How long should a person be expelled ? | 1 Corinthians | Reformer Joe | 21262 | ||
Until true repentance is shown. We see all over the New Testament that Biblical church discipline of the unrepentant, open sinner is disfellowship: "This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme." --1 Timothy 1:18-20 "If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of that person and do not associate with him, so that he will be put to shame. Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother." --2 Thessalonians 3:14 However, there also seem to be circumstances in which the so-called "brother" is not really a brother at all and should be considered and outsider: "They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us." --1 John 2:19 It is very interesting to me that Paul refers to the individual in question as a "so-called" brother. From 2 Corinthians 5:10-11 it seems very clear to me that the over-arching goal of this type of discipline is doctinal purity in the church and purity of practice. It isn't simply that these people are preaching and practicing these things; they are preaching and practicing these things and at the same time proclaiming themselves to be of the household of faith. Whether they are false brethren or temporarily unrepentant, such activity has no place in the midst of those set apart for God's glory. So my understanding is that a person openly and unashamedly committing a God-dishonoring sin should be expelled from fellowship until they repent of their heresy/sin, and then restored. "Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted." --Galatians 6:1 Lastly, there are the very words of our Lord Jesus Christ on the procedure for confronting this sin: "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector." --Matthew 18:15-17 How many churches stand up and glorify God by actually obeying Christ in this regard? We should, because as Jesus added, "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst." And, yes, this is talking about church discipline, not prayer! --Joe! |
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371 | Muselim Religious | Titus 3:5 | Reformer Joe | 21180 | ||
What does the Muslim religion give that Christianity doesn't? 1. False confidence in one's own righteousness. Unregenerate people will always embrace a belief system that tells us we can be good enough to earn a right standing with God. 2. A god who is transcendent but not imminent, so that Allah does not invade our day-to-day lives. 3. A god who is not a father to his followers, unlike the familial relationship that exists between our holy, heavenly Father and those who are of the Christian faith. What can we do to counter this trend? I say that we need to speak the truth more, get a clear handle on the great theological truths of Christianity and proclaim them with our voices and with our lives. The Holy Spirit works through the proclamation of His Word. We as ambassadors of Christ need to do more proclaiming. --Joe! |
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372 | Where are muslims in the Bible? | Ex 20:3 | Reformer Joe | 21094 | ||
No one does, because it doesn't exist. --Joe! |
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373 | GOD'S COVENANT THAT MAN COULD DO GOOD OR | Gen 2:17 | Reformer Joe | 21068 | ||
See the verse above and the one that precedes it. --Joe! |
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374 | God repented | Rom 1:18 | Reformer Joe | 20890 | ||
Johnny: You wrote: "What I mean Joe, is If I am going to eat steak in my breakfast and not beacon, because I want beacon and not because God who plan that I am going to eat steak and not beacon. This is my stand." Have your steak...your decision, and God's decree to let you have your steak. You wrote: "If I am not mistaken (correct me if I am wrong) Your believed is from the beginning everything that will happened to anyone because it was God's plan. Meaning if in this year 2001 when someone become a prostitute becuase it the plan of God to them. And there is no single happened to anyone outside God's plan." You are mixing up what happens to us (like getting hit by a stray baseball) with decisions we make (e.g. whether or not we become prostitutes). What happens to us beyond our control is God's sovereign plan. What we do that opposes God's moral will (that is, sinning) is not something that God WANTS us to do, but in his sovereignty He allows us to do it, and has already factored in our sinning into His sovereign plan. He doesn't morally desire for someone to become a prostitute, but He knows that such a decision will be made before the prostitute does and has decreed that it will happen. God's decree is not merely what He morally wishes for us to do, but also what he allows us to do. If we purpose in our hearts that we will sin, God in his sovereignty will control how and when that sin is expressed and will limit the effects of that sin according to His decree. In the case of Noah, we see from a human perspective that God was grieved at what he saw. Are we then to conclude that he didn't know that the world was going to get that bad? There is a whole branch of really bad theology out there called open theism, which basically says that God doesn't know the future. Assuming that you believe God knew the world would get that bad, when did he know that? From eternity past. Could God have prevented the world from getting that bad? Absolutely. Why didn't He? That's a good question, but the fact remains that He always knew the world would become extremely wicked and that He would take the action that He did. Johnny, if we have a God who is really changing His mind based on what people do, then He either doesn't know the future actions of men or He isn't a very decisive and all-wise God. The nature of human beings when they are born is to rebel against God in everything that they do. God changes the hearts of some and lets others suffer their just condemnation. Left to our own natural selves, sinners will do things that displease God, but He allows them to do so within certain boundaries and uses their sinful intent for His glory. And that is God's decree. --Joe! |
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375 | How can I help without scaring her away? | Mark 2:17 | Reformer Joe | 20755 | ||
Vicalan: Give her the verse above and point out to her that the very reason Jesus came to earth was to die for the sins of bad people. Point out to her from Romans 3:10-18 that we all start out as bad people. Use Romans 3:23-24 to show her about God's free gift, as well as passages like Ephesians 2:8-9 and Titus 3:5. Stress that God's forgiveness comes IN SPITE OF our sinfulness rather than because of our goodness (Romans 5:6-8 are good verses here). Share these verses with her. Discuss them with her. Let her read them herself. Never underestimate how God can use His Bible to impact the lives of the hurting. It seems that your friend already has a pretty good awareness of her sin; without denying her sinfulness, point out the love and mercy of God toward all those who put their trust in Christ's death and resurrection as payment for their own sins. What an opportunity you have to speak the truth of God to someone who really needs to hear it! Please let us know how it goes. --Joe! |
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376 | Who dose not belive in the TERM Trinity? | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 20727 | ||
Not me... --Joe! |
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377 | Workout your own salvation | Rom 1:18 | Reformer Joe | 20664 | ||
Before I go on answering another list of questions, tell me how I misused Scripture before. Let's stick to one set of issues before going off in another direction. --Joe! |
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378 | God's plan | Rom 1:18 | Reformer Joe | 20646 | ||
"It was mentioned that Satan entered into Judas Iscariot,if it is God's plan, do you mean God coordinated Satan to entered Judas so he can betray Jesus Christ? Please explain this." Satan was all too happy to participate in the murder of Jesus Christ. God allowed Satan to do what he wanted with Judas so that His purpose would be served. Go read Job 1-2. Who brings the destruction on Job? Who brings Job to Satan's attention? Who must Satan get the "go-ahead" from in order to cause Job's calamity? Look at verse 2:10. Whom did Job recognize as the ultimate source of his distress? Satan's purpose is to cause as much distress for the creation of God as he possibly can. However, he cannot act without the permission of a sovereign God who ultimately rules over all. Again, Judas never BECAME bad. We all start out that way. If you want justice, Johnny, we all go to Hell, because none of us deserve to have a holy God take on flesh, live a sinless life among a sinful creation and die for those who will trust in him. You wrote: "If all things happened because it was God’s plan, you have to accept that God is happy with the wars and terrorist attack because his plan happened." God can decree something and at the same time not be happy with it. Let me ask you a few questions: 1. Did God not know from eternity past that the terrorism would take place? 2. Did he not allow every part of the plan to succeed just as it did? 3. Wasn't he powerful enough to stop it at any time? 4. Assuming that agree that God had always known about September 11 and saw every step of the plan taking place and and knew every thought in the mind of those terrorists, and that he was powerful enough to stop it, how can you conclude that the attack WASN'T part of His decree? For a more thorough analysis of that idea, I want to point you to a good article which tells the Biblical truth behind the question you ask: http://www.desiringgod.org/Online_Library/OnlineArticles/FreshWords/2001/091701.htm God decreed a much more evil act than Judas' betrayal or the World Trade Center tragedy. He decreed that His own perfect, blameless Son would die for crimes of spitiual treason that He didn't commit. If God hadn't decreed that, oh what trouble we would be in! --Joe! |
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379 | God's Plan? | Rom 1:18 | Reformer Joe | 20639 | ||
Johnny: Adam and Eve, being untainted by original sin, did have free choice. God also knew from the beginning what their choice would be, wouldn't you agree? Therefore, before even creating Adam and Eve, he had in mind His plan of redemption through Jesus Christ for their sin. God's warning for them meant that they knew what the deserved consequences of their action would be once they committed it. "Second I post the question that do you think Lucifer become God's opposer is also part of God's plan? Do you mean God created Lucifer so he will become the Devil? Please answer this!" We have two possible options here: 1. God created Lucifer, not knowing that he would rebel against Him. 2. God created Lucifer, knowing full well that he would rebel against Him. The decision was Lucifer's, but I cannot accept option 1 with an omniscient God. Can you? "If your answer is Yes! and then you have to accept that it is part of God's plan that to many souls will go to hell part of his plan. Answer this." I will let Paul answer for me: "Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath PREPARED for destruction?" --Romans 9:21-22 You wrote: "Do you think when Saul appopinted by God to become a king of Israel it God also oschestrated saul to become Bad so God can replace him and put David as a new king? What kind of God is that?" First of all, Saul didn't BECOME bad. We are all BORN bad. We do not come out of the womb morally neutral, but rather predisposed toward displeasing God in all that we do. And David was already part of the plan, yes. God revealed in Genesis that kings and the Redeemer would come out of the line of Judah. Read Genesis 49:8-10. Saul was of the tribe of Benjamin. Tell me what God's plan was. In addition, Saul was God's choice for king at that time in part to show the folly of Israel wanting a king in the first place. Read 1 Samuel 8. "Do you think it part of God's plan that kill people in flood in the time of Noah?" Whose plan was it if not God's? You wrote: "If all things happened because of God's plan all wars happen in this world God who the one oschestrated! I know war is part of Jesus prophecy in the bible, because He knows it going to happen but it is not mean that He is the one oschestrated it to happen." God does indeed orchestrate wars. God commanded Israel to wage war against the Canaanites in Joshua. Read the book of Jeremiah to see that God does indeed bring about war for His purposes. Read in particular verses like Jeremiah 16:10 and 18:8 and 18:11 amd 19:3 and 19:15 and 23:12. Who is bringing the calamity upon Judah? God. In what form? Invasion from Babylon. Does Babylon intend to serve God by invading Judah? Absolutely not, but their sinful act serves God's purposes. Finally, Johnny, with all due respect, you completely ignored evrything that I brought up in my previous post, most especially those passages from the Bible which clearly support my point. If I am wrong in my assessment of how God has revealed himsefl, please go back to thses verses that I brought up and explain to me how they are not saying what I think they are saying. In other words, what do they really mean? --Joe! |
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380 | response | Rom 1:18 | Reformer Joe | 20529 | ||
"The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps." --Proverbs 16:9 "Many plans are in a man's heart, But the counsel of the LORD will stand." --Proverbs 19:21 Declaring the end from the beginning, And from ancient times things which have not been done, Saying, 'MY PURPOSE SHALL BE ESTABLISHED, And I will accomplish all My good pleasure'" --Isaiah 46:10 "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, WHICH GOD PREPARED BEFOREHAND so that we would walk in them." --Ephesians 2:10 "As for you, you meant evil against me, but GOD MEANT IT for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive." --Genesis 50:20 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations" --Jeremiah 1:5 "Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt." --Exodus 3:10 The LORD said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your power; but I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. --Exodus 4:21 But I will harden Pharaoh's heart that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. --Exodus 7:3 [Do a Bible search for the words "harden" and "heart" and see how many times Pharoahs heart was hardened BY God or hardened, "as the LORD had said."] "So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing WHAT I DESIRE, And without SUCEEDING IN THE MATTER FOR WHICH I SENT IT." --Isaiah 55:11 "So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires." --Romans 9:18 Whatever succeeds is part of God's sovereign plan. Even our sin. The sin is ours and we are guilty of it, but it is part of God's purpose as well. "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." --Romans 8:28 I would assume that all things includes the sins of men as well. HIS purpose, not ours. Unless, of course, we share in God's purpose. Then it is our purpose as well. Even the sin we commit is part of God's decree and what we intend for evil God has already planned to use for His glory. Even two families showing up... --Joe! |
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