Results 241 - 260 of 500
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Results from: Answers On or After: Thu 12/31/70 Author: Reformer Joe Ordered by Verse |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
241 | IS JESUS AND GOD THE SAME PERSON? | John 1:1 | Reformer Joe | 55119 | ||
Jesus and the Father are one Being (God), but Jesus and the Father are distinct persons. Jesus, having both a divine nature and a human one, is our mediator (or "go-between") between us and the Father. The book of Hebrews, particularly in chapter 7, describes this role as one of a priest. Jesus is our Great High Priest, who by the one sacrifice He made of Himself on the cross, the just for the unjust, has provided the only possible way for sinful people (and that's all of us) to approach and have peace with an infinitely holy and just God (Romans 5:1). Babies are born sinners by nature as a result of Adam's first sin (Genesis 3). He did not only mess things up for himself, but for all of his descendents (Romans 5:19). Therefore, we are all born spiritually dead, and it takes a second birth (John 3) initiated by God to give us new life and cause us to embrace Christ as the necessary mediator that He is. When one trusts in the sufficiency of Christ's self-sacrifice on the Cross as complete payment for one's sin, the Bible says that such faith is credited as righteousness (Romans 3:23-24; Romans 4:5). One's sins are forgiven by God's kindness through one's trust in Christ's death alone as a suitable sacrifice to pay for one's sins. Hope that answers your questions! If not, feel free to follow up! --Joe! |
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242 | 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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243 | 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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244 | John 1:1.4 | John 1:14 | Reformer Joe | 70518 | ||
'1st ques.-"In the beginning the Word already existed."???' Yes He did. The Word, Jesus Christ, was not created. He has always existed. '2nd ques.-"He was with God and he was God." Who is "He"?' Jesus Christ. '3rd ques.-"..the darkness can never extinguish it."???' Jesus called Himself the Light of the World. He came to reveal God's truth regarding forgiveness of sins in Jesus Christ and established His church to continue the work, and the darkness of the world that opposes Jesus will never be able to extinguish that Light. --Joe! |
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245 | Are Christians under the Mosaic law? | John 1:17 | Reformer Joe | 19847 | ||
I was NEVER under the Mosaic Law. --Joe the Gentile! |
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246 | would this wine make a person drunk? | John 2:3 | Reformer Joe | 98941 | ||
Alternatively, you can examine a more historically-based analysis of the use of alcohol in the ancient Near and Middle East and in the church by reading "What Would Jesus Drink?" by following this link: http://www.christiancounterculture.com/cc_30812.html --Joe! |
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247 | does anyone have an answer? | John 3:16 | Reformer Joe | 75032 | ||
Jesus does! :) | ||||||
248 | predestined? | John 3:16 | Reformer Joe | 75035 | ||
Check post #351 in the quick search box | ||||||
249 | Can excommunion work? | John 4:7 | Reformer Joe | 74972 | ||
Excommunication is usually something that a church does to an unrepentant invididual. Paul describes such a reason for excommunicating in 1 Corinthians 5. Jesus says in Matthew 18 that we are not to associate with those claiming to be Christians who are living in exposed, continuous unrepentance. Restoration to fellowship comes only with repentance, and should be gentle, as Galatians 6:1 tells us. --Joe! |
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250 | National God?! | John 4:22 | Reformer Joe | 63893 | ||
You wrote: 'To the people of Israel only Jesus said "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of Israel" Matt 15:24. This text shows that he is a messenger sent by God to the people of Israel only.' If we took the verse in isolation from its context and from the rest of Scripture, such would be the case. Jesus was indeed sent to Israel, but the ramifications of his actions were to be of benefit to both Jew and Gentile. We see in Matthew 15, for example, that he heals the Gentile's daughter, right after saying what you quoted. In John 4, we see Jesus reaching out to a Samaritan woman living a life of adultery. In Matthew 8, he encounters a centurion (definitely not a Jew) and heals his servant. So, it is quite clear from Scripture that while he was sent physically to the nation of Israel, being born under the Torah, his ministry and the benefits of his substitutionary death as the spotless Passover Lamb of God were to be applied to all peoples: 'And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of ALL THE NATIONS, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."' --Matthew 28:18-20 So, salvation is of (or from) the Jews (John 4:22), but it is for all, including those who are not of the "sheep of Israel": "I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd." --John 10:16 You wrote: "How can he be God and be sent by God at the same time?!" Because He is God the Son, sent by God the Father. Read John 1. You wrote: "How can he be God and be sent to the house of Israel only?!" Like was explained above, he was sent to Israel, but for the salvation of the whole world. Isaiah speaks to this in the Tanakh as well: 'He says, "It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the nations So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.' --Isaiah 49:6 You wrote: "is God only to certain people only?! A national God?!" Well, He is a national God, but to a spiritual nation, not an ethnic group or geopolitical entity: " But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY." --1 Peter 2:9-10 "Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "Uncircumcision" by the so-called "Circumcision," which is performed in the flesh by human hands--remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." --Eph 2:11-13 Hope this helps! --Joe! |
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251 | John4:22 | John 4:22 | Reformer Joe | 64349 | ||
Salvation is from the Jews in that Jesus was a Jew, and until the New Testament, salvation was given to people among the covenant people of Israel. God chose Abraham to be the ancestor of the Messiah, and likewise chose Isaac and then Jacob to be the children of the promise. God provided the oracles of God (the Law and prophets) to the nation of Israel, and the Messiah Himself was a Jew, born under the law. That isn't to say that salvation is only FOR the Jews, however. God promises Abraham that in him ALL the families of the earth will be blessed (Genesis 12:1-3). Isaiah testifies that salvation will be for all the nations (Isaiah 49:6). So, salvation is of the Jews because our savior became a Jew. --Joe! |
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252 | does Jesus judge or not? | John 5:22 | Reformer Joe | 65904 | ||
Jesus WILL come again to judge. --Joe! |
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253 | Did God elect me? Or did I elect Him? | John 6:37 | Reformer Joe | 36109 | ||
Lots of answers to this question are in the archives. Go to the "quick search" box to your right and type in the word "elect" to find a world of opinion! --Joe! |
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254 | must we eat Jesus literally? | John 6:53 | Reformer Joe | 22738 | ||
Jesus is speaking symbolically. Christians are not carnivores. There are several different ways of looking at it in the Protestant tradition. Some see it as just a "picture" or a "memorial" like they see baptism as a picture of something else. This is the view of most "low church" (non-liturgical) Protestants. Lutherans do not hold to transubstantiation (the Catholic view that the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Christ), but rather hold to something called "consubstantiation." According to CARM (http://www.carm.org), this is "an inclusion of one substance in another where the body and blood of Christ co-exist in the elements of the Supper...The body and blood of Christ are "in, with, and under" the elements...The transformation is effected by the Word of God and not by a priest." My Reformed tradition holds that it is more than simply a symbol of something else, but that it is a means of grace, whereby our faith is "nourished by Christ," so to speak. Therefore, communion for the believer actually DOES something, but there is no change in nature of the elements themselves, nor is the body of Christ physically present. --Joe! |
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255 | Study the Word, Calvin, or Aminian??? | John 6:65 | Reformer Joe | 35193 | ||
Welcome to the forum! The reason you see such an emphasis on the doctrine of election is because it is NOT a doctrine of men, but rather a teaching of Scripture. The people who discuss the issue agree that the word "elect" is used incessantly in the NT to describe Christians and wrestle with the meaning of the term. The answer to the question has a lot to do with the character of God and how He operates in regard to salvation, as well as the nature of humanity. Rest assured that is indeed part of Bible study and not the following of purely human philosophies. --Joe! |
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256 | Jesus, all God/all Man | John 9:24 | Reformer Joe | 55109 | ||
Rextar: You wrote: "Oops! I said one question, I guess I meant three!" Happens to me all the time... :) God the Son has always been God (John 1:1-3), but then He BECAME flesh (John 1:14). Therefore, before the conception of Mary, Christ had one nature, the divine one. This divine nature has all the attributes of God and is uncreated. Christ's human nature before His resurrection was everything that ours is, with the exception of sin (Hebrews 4:15). His human nature was created, suffered, hungered, thirsted, got tired. In short, Jesus experienced in His innocence everything that we do. Therefore, the church has held that Jesus Christ took on a second nature at a specific point in history. These two natures exist together in one person, but are not mixed in any way. You can read the classical Protestant understanding of the Incarnation and the two natures of Christ in Articles 18 and 19 of the Belgic Confession. It is really a beautiful and adoring profession of what the Bible teaches about our Redeemer: http://www.reformed.org/documents/BelgicConfession.html#Article 18 --Joe! |
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257 | John:10 theres another fold, what fold? | John 10:16 | Reformer Joe | 50192 | ||
Hi, Jessica. Jesus is speaking to a Jewish audience. The "other sheep" are those of the Gentiles who will believe in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. Out of the two (Israel and the Gentiles), Jesus makes us one fold. "For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise." --Galatians 3:26-29 'Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "Uncircumcision" by the so-called "Circumcision," which is performed in the flesh by human hands--remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace' --Ephesians 2:11-15 So the Gentiles are the "other fold" which also contain His "other sheep." Hope this helps! Just out of curiosity, what motivated you to ask this question? --Joe! |
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258 | 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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259 | Thomas being sarcastic or serious? | John 11:16 | Reformer Joe | 8342 | ||
I always took it as sarcasm. Since obviously Thomas wasn't too keen on dying with Jesus any more than the other disciples who would desert Him on the eve of His death, it shows Thomas' reluctance to go back into the jaws of trouble, which is definitely where they were heading. In fact, I found myself laughing the last time I read this passage, simply because Thomas seems to be such the comical cynic. I imagine he would have made quite a good sit-com character...but he eventually made a better apostle, of course! --Joe! |
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260 | What is God's covenant with believers | John 11:25 | Reformer Joe | 82453 | ||
Chapter 7 of the Westminster Confession of Faith explains it thusly: ---------------- II. The first covenant made with man was a covenant of works, wherein life was promised to Adam; and in him to his posterity, upon condition of perfect and personal obedience. III. Man, by his fall, having made himself incapable of life by that covenant, the Lord was pleased to make a second, commonly called the covenant of grace; wherein He freely offers unto sinners life and salvation by Jesus Christ; requiring of them faith in Him, that they may be saved, and promising to give unto all those that are ordained unto eternal life His Holy Spirit, to make them willing, and able to believe. --Joe! |
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