Results 41 - 60 of 70
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Results from: Answers On or After: Thu 12/31/70 Author: rabban Ordered by Verse |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
41 | ... | John 16:28 | rabban | 191471 | ||
I presume I am unidentified responder, although as far as I am aware my name is clearly shown (see heading). In John 16.27 Jesus speaks of the disciples as believing that He had come from the Father, and in John 16.28 He says that He had come from the Father. Then in 16.30 in reply to this the disciples declared, 'By this we believe that you came from God.' It is surely quite clear that the Father is being described by the disciples as God. The terms are indeed often interchangeable, although clearly having a different emphasis. I am not sure why you should equate the Father in the New Testament with Jesus. That application only occurs in Isaiah 9.6 where the idea is that He is Father to His people in the same way as David would have been seen as being. As has also been pointed out John 5.18 clearly parallels the Father with God. Where then is the difficulty? I am also not quite sure what you mean by the difference in spelling. Are not 'God' and 'Father' usually spelled differently? It does not appear to me that there is a difference in definition. Just an indication that the disciples were still hesitant about speaking of 'the Father' in the way that Jesus did. They possibly recognised even at this stage the huge difference between themselvess and Jesus. Your other two 'questions' do not appear to be questions at all, so I am not sure what their purpose is. Are you just playing games?. |
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42 | ... | John 16:31 | rabban | 191408 | ||
Jesus made clear throughout the Gospels that He was fulfilling the Old Testament Scriptures. See e.g. Matthew 5.17; Matthew 11.4-5 compare Isaiah 35.5-6. Thus He would have been disappointed had they NOT believed that He was sent as an emissary of the God of the Old Testament, Who was the God of Judaism. And no, John 16.31 says simply 'arti pisteuete', that is, 'Do you now believe?' There is nothing in the Greek that suggests 'that'. And it would be inconsistent with the whole context. The very point is the contrast of their present confidence with their future failure. |
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43 | ... | John 16:31 | rabban | 191472 | ||
May I gently suggest that there is no 'alternate rendering'. The Greek is in fact quite clear. It is 'do you then (or 'now' - arti can be either and it makes little difference) believe?'It is their faith that is in question, not what they have been saying. | ||||||
44 | Acts 10:39 "Tree or cross"? | Acts 10:39 | rabban | 192052 | ||
Nestles Greek text gives 'tree' and suggests no alternative in the apparatus. In view of the fact that the wording reflects Deuteronomy 21.22 in LXX 'tree' is the correct text. It reflects the fact that Jesus bore our curse (Galatians 3.13). 'Cross' is presumably a translator's rendering of tree. |
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45 | Refer to Romans 11:28-29 | Romans | rabban | 191627 | ||
Sadly the Jews in 1st and 2nd century became very bitter against the Christian church. Paul as Saul represented the Jewish leaders as a persecutor of the hellenistic part of the church in Jerusalem. The whole people turned on the Christians in Acts 12. Paul was oonstantly dogged by Jewish enemies (Acts 13.50; 14.5, 19) and was in the end delivered to the Romans by them. Later on James the Lord's brother was martyred by the Jews in Jerusalem. After the destruction of Jerusalem the Rabbis began the restoration of Judaism which had been shaken to the core, and this too caused friction with Christians. When Christianity became a proscribed religion the Jews were the main informants against Christians giving them up to torture and death (compare Revelation 2.9; etc.). This continued on into the second century. Unfortunately the later church, which had become apathetic and was partly paganised by Constantine, turned against the Jews which resulted in the shameful anti-Semitism that followed. However there is hope for the Jews for it may well be that the Scriptures indicate that towards the end there will be a great turning to Jesus Christ among them (much depends on interpretation). There can be no restoration of the Jews without it. Best wishes |
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46 | God the Father as Provider or Saviour? | Rom 8:32 | rabban | 192056 | ||
GOD AND CHRIST AS SAVIOUR AND REDEEMER. The Old Testament points clearly to God as the Saviour and Redeemer. Job can declare, ‘I know that my Redeemer lives, and that he will stand at last upon the earth’ (Job 19.25), and the psalmist can speak of ‘the Lord’ as ‘my rock and my Redeemer’ (Psalm 19.14). Thus he can boldly declare, ‘they remembered that God was their rock, and the Most High God their Redeemer’ (Psalm 78.35), while in Psalm 106.21 we are told of a contrary occasion when, ‘they forgot God their Saviour’. Isaiah reminds God’s people that ‘your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel’ (Isaiah 41.14), and God Himself declares ‘I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour’ (Isaiah 43.3) or alternately, ‘your Redeemer, the Holy one of Israel’ (Isaiah 43.14 compare 47.4), so that He can add ‘beside Me there is no Saviour’ (Isaiah 43.11). Both words are combined in Isaiah 49.26, ‘I the Lord am your Saviour and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob’ (compare also 60.16). Jeremiah declares, ‘Oh hope of Israel, their Saviour in time of trouble’ (Jeremiah 14.8), while in 50.34 he adds, ‘their Redeemer is strong, the Lord of Hosts is His name’, while God declares through Hosea, ‘beside Me there is no Saviour’ (Hosea 13.4). God is therefore constant as Saviour and Redeemer. This passes over into the New Testament where Mary can declare, ‘my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour’ (Luke 1.47), and God is often declared to be our Saviour. Paul is ‘an apostle of Jesus Christ, by commandment of God our Saviour’ (1 Timothy 1.1) and he can speak of what is ‘good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour’ ( 1 Timothy 2.3). Indeed ‘the living God is the Saviour of all men, especially of those who believe’ (1 Timothy 4.10). Again Paul can say that the word is ‘committed to me (Paul) according to the commandment of God our Saviour’ (Titus 1.3). So that we are told to ‘adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things’ (Titus 2.10), for ‘when the kindness and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared --- He saved us’ (Titus 3.4-5). And again Jude addresses his paean of praise to ‘the only God, our Saviour’ (Jude 1.25). Thus in the New Testament also God is both God and Saviour. This all makes it very significant, then, that Jesus Christ is regularly called our Saviour, and even ‘our God and Saviour’. The angels tell us, ‘unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour who is Christ the Lord’ (Luke 2.11), and the woman of Samaria declares Him to be ‘Christ, the Saviour of the world’ (John 4.42). Indeed ‘Him has God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour’ (Acts 5.31). He has ‘brought unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus’ (Acts 13.23). So Christ is ‘the head of the church, and He is the Saviour of the body’ (Ephesians 5.23). Thus we ‘wait for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ’ (Philippians 3.20). For God’s purpose in Christ is revealed by ‘the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ’ (2 Timothy 1.10) and Paul can speak of ‘God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour’ (Titus 1.4). But he finalises the union when he says that we are looking for ‘the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ’ (Titus 2.13). It is to Him, says Paul, that we owe the blessing of ‘the renewing of the Holy Spirit which He poured out upon us richly, through Jesus Christ our Saviour’ (Titus 3.5-6). And John agrees, for he says, ‘the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world’ (1 John 4.14). Peter can speak even more definitely of those who have ‘obtained like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1.1), and of those who have had ministered to them an abundant entrance into ‘the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ’ (2 Peter 1.11) (note that the Greek construction in 1.1 (‘God and Saviour’) and 1.11 (‘Lord and Saviour’) is the same so that if ‘Lord’ refers to Jesus so must ‘God’). So Peter tells us to remember the commandment of ‘the Lord and Saviour’ (2 Peter 3.2) and that we are to ‘grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ’ (2 Peter 3.18). To Peter Jesus is both ‘Lord and Saviour’ and ‘God and Saviour’. And in Acts 20.28 Paul can speak of ‘the church of God which He (God) purchased with His own blood’ in a context where the whole stress is on God. Thus the ‘God and Saviour’ of the Old Testament has become the ‘God and Saviour’ of the New Testament as revealed in Jesus Christ, Who is Himself ‘God and Saviour’. |
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47 | FYI - About Duplicate Posts | Rom 12:10 | rabban | 192019 | ||
Thanks Cheri :-))) | ||||||
48 | explain 1cor 2:1-16 by ea verse | 1 Corinthians | rabban | 191696 | ||
Hi, To give a commentary on a full chapter in the New Testament would take much longer than the usual posting. If you have a particular problem please share it with us. For more detailed treatment you could get the JFB commentary. You could download this from ESword along with the basic text of ESword. Go to www.e-sword.net If you are really struggling with the chapter after that (or cannot download) please contact me on my email address given in my 'user information', and I will do what I can to help. In Him |
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49 | How do I let go and still love??? | 1 Cor 7:17 | rabban | 191731 | ||
You have received two good answers to consider. However, the only thing that I would add is how important it is to consider the child. Sadly it sounds as though the child will grow up without a dad. However hurt you may feel the child and its needs must not be forgotten. Indeed if you are a Christian (and in fact even if you are not) the needs of the child have to take priority in your thinking. I believe this is something that you recognise which is why you have mentioned it. It will also take your mind off thinking of your own grief. The child is the product of your relationship and had no responsibility for it. At least you did have a choice in the matter. There is no way of preventing some hurt to the child, but at least you can ensure that it knows its father. I am sure that you will do so. This does of course make a complete break difficult. So much depends on your circumstances. But certainly I would second the importance of obtaining Christian counselling from someone qualified and who knows your full situation. With regard to the deep feelings it can only be said that such an experience is common to many people. To begin with it often feels as though life is not worth living. But please be assured that you will feel differently in a year's time when the ache has dulled. In some ways it is similar to a bereavement. Meanwhile you must recognise that God appreciates you (and I am sure many others do too). And you must learn to let your hurting turn you towards God. That way your bitter experience will finally turn out to be a blessing - for everyone except to some extent the child. |
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50 | Is it okay for women to teach men, such | 1 Cor 11:5 | rabban | 191558 | ||
Titus 2.3-5 might be seen as giving the impression that a woman's ministry was to women (Titus 2.3-5). However 1 Timothy 5.4 lays a responsibility on women to teach their grandchildren, and they would be both boys and girls. That the ministry is not wider is to be explained by the restrictions on women in those days. They were not free to come and go as they pleased. But it seems to me that 1 Corinthians 11.5 is speaking of a woman 'prophesying' in the public assembly. That is why she has to wear her covering. Thus it is clear that public ministry by women to both men and women was anticipated. What she had not to do was take overall authority in teaching and oversight(1 Tim 2.12). We must also keep in mind women like Priscilla (Prisca), Deborah, Huldah and Anna. This is clearly a very brief treatment but should answer the question. |
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51 | explain 1 corinthians chapter 12 | 1 Cor 12:1 | rabban | 191240 | ||
The chapter is about spiritual gifts and the emphasis is on the fact that although there are many gifts, of which 1 Corinthians 12.8-10 names nine, they come from one Holy Spirit, and are intended to bless the body of Christ. The chapter then centres on the fact that there is only one body of Christ which is composed of Jesus Christ Himself ('so also is Christ' - verse 12)and all who have been inundated into Him by the one Spirit, and have thus begin to drink of one Spirit (verse 13). This is in fact what makes a person a Christian. Paul then expands on this in order to explain that all of us have a part to play in that body, some outwardly more important and some outwardly less important but all essential. And we are to remember that if one member suffers then all suffer together. If one member is lacking then the whole body suffers. The chapter finishes of by outlining some of God's gifts including the Apostles themselves, the band of prophets, teachers and miracle workers, followed by a variety of gifts none of which will be experienced by all. Further gifta are outlined in Romans 12.3-9. But the real emphasis of the chapter is on the building up of the whole body of Christ (Jesus and His people) |
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52 | why suffer in pain | 2 Cor 4:17 | rabban | 191425 | ||
May I say first that I understand fully how you feel. I have a loved one who has suffered continually over the last sixteen years until my heart is almost broken, so I do not speak lightly. But I recognise that pain is the common lot of man (Romans 8.22). And it is of great benefit. It is because they are without pain that many lepers lose parts of their body. But should God interfere especially on behalf of Christians? Would it indeed be just? And besides God uses pain. For many a non-Christian the pain helps them to think of eternity. 'When God's judgments are on the earth the people learn righteouseness.' And on the Christian it can have a sanctifying influence 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.' (2 Corinthians 12.9; Psalm 25.18; Romans 5.2-5). Through the way in which a Christian bears pain a testimony can go out to the world. It was the blood of the martyrs which was the seed of the church. And who knows what good effect pain at the end may have on a person's preparedness to go to the other side? (1 Peter 1.6-7). In all this we have to trust in the love of the One Who Himself died in excruciating pain for us, and would take nothing to alleviate His own pain. He knows and He suffers with us and He understands and He cares. |
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53 | mathew 25 v 30 | Phil 1:23 | rabban | 191248 | ||
When a man dies the body goes into the grave and 'sleeps'. The soul/spirit 'returns to the God Who gave it' (Ecclesiastes 12.7). Jesus spoke of a rich man who died and of Lazarus who died (Luke 16.19-30). Never elsewhere does he give characters in parables names, so it is reasonable to assume that He had a real life incident in mind. The souls/spirits of both went to a conscious situation as allocated by God. One was undergoing some kind of unpleasantness, the other enjoying bliss. Paul declared that when Christians were absent from the body they would be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5.8). He also himself desired to 'depart and be with Christ, which is far better' (Philippians 1.23). Jesus Himself called this 'Paradise' (Luke 23.43). The saints who have gone on are depicted as being in a special place 'underneath' the heavenly altar (Revelation 6.9) awaiting the resurrection. The idea is that they are protected by the shed blood rather than being under a literal altar. But they are not yet enjoying the fullness of the greater Heaven. They are however 'clothed 'in white robes'. They are clearly conscious. All this suggests that on death Christians go to be consciously with the Lord awaiting the resurrection, and enjoying the bliss of His presence in 'Paradise'.. We must remember that their final destiny is not strictly 'Heaven' but the new earth which will be a new Paradise (Revelation 21.1-22.5). But in a sense these are all technicalities. There is no reason why we should not think of the coming Paradise as 'Heaven'. It is certainly out of this world |
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54 | God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit one person? | Col 2:9 | rabban | 192021 | ||
There is one God and within His Godhead are the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. They are not one person, for they speak with one another (e.g. Mark 1.11). Thus Jesus prayed constantly to His Father. As has been pointed out we define Him in English as one God in three persons. But this is because English does not have adequate words with which to express the situation. (Latin is a little better for the purpose because it has 'persona' which does not quite mean a person). We see a 'person' as an individual, but God is not three individuals. So we have to put in a proviso, 'but not individual persons in the way that human persons are individuals'. Within God are three inter-communicating personalities, Father, Son and Holy Spirit although they are One essence. But we know this because it has been revealed to us. However, understand God we cannot, nor ever will, until possibly that day when we see Him face to face. For He is Spirit. And we do not even understand our own spirits. How then can we understand the God Who is Spirit (John 4.24) In Him |
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55 | How many times did Jesus pray? | 1 Thess 5:1 | rabban | 191328 | ||
The answer to your question partly depends on what you mean by prayer. Jesus was in constant touch with His Father in His spirit, and in that sense prayed all the time. But if you mean a deliberate going aside to pray the impression we get is that he made a habit of it, rising early to pray and regularly going aside to pray, and even sometimes praying all night (e.g. Mark 1.35; Luke 5.16; 6.12; 9.28; 10.21-22; 11.1; 22.41-46; Matthew 14.23; John 6.15). His life was one of constant and lengthy prayer. |
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56 | Holy of Holies | Heb 10:19 | rabban | 191367 | ||
The point is that while the High Priest could only enter into the Holy of Holies once a year, we are privileged through the blood of Jesus to enter whenever we wish as long as our hearts are properly prepared. This is due to the perfection and all pervasiveness of the sacrifice that has been offered on our behalf. |
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57 | Why do we have to go church | Heb 10:25 | rabban | 191838 | ||
Hi, You ask why you have to go to church? The answer is clear as has previously been stated, and it is 'yes' because you are not just a saved individual, but are part of a saved church, and part of Christ's own crucified and risen body (1 Corinthians 10.15-17). It is a little like my arm saying 'why should I go out along with the remainder of your body. I want to stay at home.' Result one mutilated body and one soon dead arm. Paul said, 'By (or 'in') one Spirit we have all been inundated into one body --- and were all made to drink of one Spirit' (1 Corinthians 12.13) and then he goes on to describe the oneness of the members of the body and the need each has for all the others. But this is in fact strictly parallel to 1 Corinthians 10.1-5. 'Our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea, and all were inundated into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same supernatural food, and drank the same supernatural drink, for they drank from the supernatural Rock which followed them, and that Rock was Christ' (1 Corinthians 10.1-4). Do you see how parallel they are? And the point behind the second is that they were all in it together. The whole of Israel had been 'inundated into Moses'. They had become one with him in readiness for them all being joinerd as one in the covenant. From then on he was their great mediator. They were all one together. Individuality was out. They were committed together for God's purpose for the future. Assuming that you have been baptised (and if you have not you ought to be) then your baptism was not an individual event. It was part of one huge baptism ceremony through the ages whereby all true believers have been inundated into Jesus Christ (just as Israel were all inundated into Moses). Assuming that you are a true believer, when you believed you were inundated into the body of Christ. And as part of the body of Christ you are to go on drinking of the Spirit together. You are bound into the new covenant with all your brothers and sisters in Christ. You should therefore feel at home in Christ in all churches were Christ is truly taught, and should recognise that you are already one with them and with your local church which is one arm of the whole body. Not to go and worship with them would put you at odds with all that Christ died for. It would mean that you are closing your eyes to all that has happened to you and that you are mutilating His body and that the arm is without a finger. You will lose and so will they. And so will Christ. For you are in Him as part of His body and He wants all of His body to be one. By not worshipping with fellow-believers you would be spiritually. mutilating Christ. You have not become a Christian so that you might go to Heaven (although that is a blessed side product), you have become a Christian so that you might serve the Lord in oneness with Him in His body. Not therefore to work together as part of His body would throw doubt on whether you were a Christian. You would be denying the very thing that has happened to you. In Him Rabban |
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58 | What is Chasening? | Heb 12:6 | rabban | 191743 | ||
Hi, God chastens us in many ways. In Hebrews 12 it was through harassment and persecution (probably from Jewish teachers) which had not yet reached the stage of martyrdom (verse 4). In 1 Corinthians 11.30 it was through sickness; compare 2 Corinthians 12.7. In other cases it can be through a troubled conscience or a heart that cannot find ease (Psalm 73). In other cases it can be through the circumstances of life (compare Jacob). God has His own personal ways of dealing with each one of us. Chastening takes place during the process of salvation. It is a case of the Father dealing with His children (Hebrews 12.1-13). What happens before salvation is not strictly of a Father chastening His son, but is more like the goad which ensures that the oxen does as it is told (Acts 26.14). However it has the same result. In Him Rabban |
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59 | What is Chasening? | Heb 12:6 | rabban | 191744 | ||
Hi, It has just struck me that there is one important matter that I have not made clear which might confuse some people and it is so important that I felt that I must put it right. Salvation is the act of God from beginning to end. And the way to be 'saved' is by coming to Jesus Christ, turning from sin, and believing in Him and what He accomplished for us on the cross with all our hearts. Once a person has truly believed in Jesus Christ he is saved once for all (Acts 16.31; Ephesians 2.8-9). He is accounted as righteous by God on the basis of Christ's imputed righteousness, and is in no further fear of condemnation. He is right with God. However, from that moment on God begins His work in our lives (Philippians 2.13; 1 Corinthians 3.18) as, having given us new life (1 John 5.13) and made us new creatures (2 Corinthians 5.17), He begins to fashion and mould our lives so as to bring us into Christ's image (Ephesians 2.10; Romans 8.29). This is the present process of salvation. Through it we are 'being saved' (see 1 Corinthians 1.18), that is, having been made acceptable to God legally through being 'justified' (accounted righteous), which is for ever, we are now being made into what He wants us to be. It is sometimes called sanctification. But the Scripture also speaks of a future salvation. That is not because there is any doubt about whether a true Christian will be saved or not, but because God has in mind the time when we will be presented perfect before Him, not just with an imputed righteousness (which is the guarantee of our eternal salvation) but in fact, because we have been made like Him. Think of it this way. If you are drowning at sea and the life boat drags you out you will say 'I have been saved'. Your future is secure. (Heavenly life boats do not sink). But as you are aware of your condition you might say to yourself, 'I am being saved'. Then looking ahead to the shoreline you may, 'soon I will be saved'. That is the process of salvation. But the important thing to recognise is that it is all of God. Jesus Christ is the lifeboat and once we are 'in Him' we are safe. And the way to become 'in Him' is to commit your salvation into His hands and believe in Him. God bless you. Rabban |
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60 | is salvation is eternal? | James 1:21 | rabban | 191654 | ||
Hi, The Bible speaks of 'eternal salvation' in Hebrews 5.9. There we learn about Jesus that, 'although He was the Son, He learned obedience through what He suffered,and being made perfect He became the Author/Trek Leader of eternal salvation to all who obey Him being designated God's High Priest'. The idea is that in order to be able to bring to us eternal salvation He lived a life of full obedience to God, and by doing so was perfectly fitted to become the perfect offering for sin on our behalf (Hebrews 10.5-10), and the perfect High Priest to act on our behalf. As a result we can be 'perfected for ever' through Him (verse 14). This is then expanded on throughout the remainder of the letter. This eternal salvation is described in Romans 8.29-30 where we read 'those whom He (God) foreknew, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the Firstborn among many brothers, and whom He did predestinate, them He also called, and whom He called them He also accounted righteous, and whom He accounted righteous them He also glorified.' So the work of salvation is God's from beginning to end, and we knowingly enter into it when we are accounted righteous. And how are we accounted righteous? 'Being accounted righteous as a gift through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, Whom God has set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood' (Romans 3.24). Note that it is a gift and experienced through faith. And Paul goes on to stress that our being accounted righteous is not as a result of anything that we do (of works) but is by faith alone. As a result of His offering of Himself He can Himself be righteous, and yet account as righteous those who believe in Jesus (Romans 3.26). This is further expanded on in Ephesians 1.4-14, where we learn that 'we Christians' are 'chosen in Him before the foundation of the world that we might be holy and without blame before Him in love, having been foreordained to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ according to the purpose of His will, to the praise of His glorious grace (unmerited active favour), whereby He as made us 'accepted' (engraced) in the Beloved'. Again the emphasis is on the fact that the work of salvation is God's and freely bestowed on us through Christ. And this is because we have 'believed in Him' and as a result have been 'sealed by His promised Holy Spirit'(verse 13). It is because of our 'faith in Christ Jesus' (verse 15). All who truly belive in Him enter in to that eternal salvation. |
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