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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Please I'm looking for your opinion! | Bible general Archive 2 | John Reformed | 102131 | ||
Dear Ed, You said "I have absolutely no doubt God is in control of tomorrow however I do believe prayer changes things. Which occurs first? I think you find yourself in the old chicken and egg go around." Not me...I don't concern myself with whether or not God has ordained our prayers. I know that He has! You see, we really do not know how to pray as we should. That is why God's Spirit within us intercedes on our behalf. I believe that our prayers are "good works" which God has pre-pared before hand for us to do. It is possible that I am wrong. But until God reveals my error to me, I am bound by my consciece to follow the light that I have been given. You said yourself that you don't know for sure; you called it " the old chicken and egg go around." Forgive me Ed, but you rarely get what I say right. I never said that prayer is ineffective or does'nt change things, which your post infers my position to be. I simply believe that my prayers are a result of the Holy Spirit's moving in my heart and His interceding of my prayers in such a way (ineffable groanings of the Spirit) that they are effective because they are God speaking to Himself through me. Is it possible to change God's mind? No! He is immutable and changeth not. He is omniscient and knows EVERYTHING from alpha to omega. He does'nt need to be informed or advised by anyone. He knows our needs before we do, and has known them throughout eternity! Our prayers are for our benefit. God uses them as a means for us to have communion with Him. They are a comfort and joy for the saint. They give us an outlet for our hopes and fears. They provide us an opportunity to have an audience with The Lord God,the Creator and Ruler of All that exists, our loving Father. It was His good pleasure for us to be co-workers with Him in the working out of His eternal plan. But God is not dependent on us. His plan will not fail because we are at times dis-obediant or lazy. No...His will will be done. God Bless Ed, John |
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2 | Please I'm looking for your opinion! | Bible general Archive 2 | EdB | 102144 | ||
John You still view our relationship with God not as a Father child relationship but rather as a manipulative. One where God being God causes us to do what He desires. That is very limiting to both us and God. We have talked about how it limits us we become more or less puppets. But it really limits God. You reduce Him from all knowing, all seeing, all mighty to someone that can't react to His child but must rather control them. I believe there is nothing we can or can not do that limits God, you on the other hand feel God is limited in some way and must make us react as He planned. In other words if God wanted us to take a package across the street you feel God through the leading of the Holy Spirit would impress us to take the package across the street and we would be unable to resist doing anything other than that. I feel that if God wanted us to take the package across the street He would plant that in us but we could to chose whether we would heed that call. If we did fine however if we did not God through circumstances would either modify what we choose to do. Eventually leading us to doing just that or would use a more willing individual, blessing them and let us learn the blessing we missed by not doing God's will initially. God is a Father, a real Father doesn’t try to control his children, a real Father teaches His children. A father wants to see his children mature and be able to stand on what he has taught them not by him propping them up. By trying to give God so much sovereignty you actually limit Him. God can overcome anything we do or don’t do. That is why he is God. He gives us free choice and then accomplishes what He desires with or with out us. In your world you have removed all your responsibility. You don’t have to learn to hear God, God will make you hear him. You don’t have to be the obedient servant God will make you one. You don’t have to have burden for prayer God will give it to you. John in your world you can’t fail because we all know God never fails, therefore by contributing everything that happens or doesn’t happen to God you have made yourself fail proof. It would be great if that was the way it was! However we have skin in the game and our actions are our own God is God enough to react and handle anything we do or don’t do. John view God as a Father not an as you presently do. EdB |
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3 | Please I'm looking for your opinion! | Bible general Archive 2 | John Reformed | 102162 | ||
Dear Ed, You wrote "You still view our relationship with God not as a Father child relationship but rather as a manipulative. One where God being God causes us to do what He desires. That is very limiting to both us and God." But the Bible says that God is the cause... Ezek 36:26 "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. Ezek 36:27 "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. God has set us free so that ,for the first time in our lives, we are able to love and desire what He loves and desires. If that's being a puppet....just call me Pinocchio.(Please no remarks about the nose). But seriously, I really don't believe we are manipulated by anything but the loving hands of the Potter. I am more than happy to submit to His plan for my life. Tell me Ed, do you not pray for God's will to be manifested in your own life? Don't you desire His power to course through your being, from head to toe? Don't you desire that your will be identical to His? I'm sure you do; and so do I. For it is no longer I who live! It is Christ who lives in me! In some way, not known by me, we remain individuals. When married a man and a woman become one flesh. Yet they do not lose their individuality. In the Trinity the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one in essence but retain their personhood. In the same way when we become part of the body of Christ we are one with Him. So how can anyone say that to believe that God is in control of all things means that we are robots or puppets? For we are one with Him!!! One mind, one will, one desire. For now see through a glass darkly...But THEN....Ah, but then... Your brother and co-worker in Christ, John |
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4 | Please I'm looking for your opinion! | Bible general Archive 2 | figgy | 102168 | ||
Amen to your post, it was beautifully articulated! However, I understand one of EdB's points and would be interested in hearing your response. He seemed to make the point (if I interpreted it correctly) that if God holds the degree of sovereignty over our lives and actions that you believe He does, then where does our personal responsibility lie in our relationship with God? That is a great question, would be interested in your take on it:) God Bless, Figgy |
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5 | Please I'm looking for your opinion! | Bible general Archive 2 | John Reformed | 102180 | ||
Dear Figster Our resposibility is to obey and when we do not obey, we recieve our well deserved chastisement. This chastisement is a blessing in disguise, for God uses it as one of the means by which we are sanctified. I'm sure you can identfy :-) I'll never forget the time you....well you remember. Papa John |
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6 | Please I'm looking for your opinion! | Bible general Archive 2 | figgy | 102190 | ||
Dad- Very funny. You must have been referring to my perfect and angelic behavior growing up:) However, I guess I didn't get to the heart of what I was trying to ask you. I wanted you to comment on this comment by EdB: "In your world you have removed all your responsibility" I would like to hear your defense on why your belief about God's sovereignty does not lead to the statement above. Thanks! Figster |
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