Results 301 - 320 of 361
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: Bill Mc Ordered by Verse |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
301 | Great answer, kalos! My two cents... | Col 3:17 | Bill Mc | 16989 | ||
The Name of Jesus represents all who Jesus is as Lord and Savior. Good quote. I agree 100 percent. Blessings to you, brother kalos. In Jesus, Bill Mc |
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302 | What is the composition of man? | 1 Thess 5:23 | Bill Mc | 13943 | ||
What is man's composition? Spirit, soul, and body? This is primarily a response to a question asked by JVH0212, although all comments are welcome. You asked, brother, for some reference to substantiate the difference between spirit and soul. Along with the references I used (1 Thess 5:23, Heb 4:12), here is a link that further explains (using scripture and logic) the composition of man as God created Him. Let me know what you think. Is this what you have been searching for? http://www.christinyou.net/constman.html In Christ, Bill Mc |
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303 | What do YOU think, fellow Berian? | 1 Thess 5:23 | Bill Mc | 14115 | ||
Hi Nicodemus, Thanks for your input, brother. Although I greatly respect Charles C. Ryrie (I, too, have one of the study Bibles), I believe we need to excercise caution when refering to the study notes. Yes, Ryrie does make the statement: "5:23-24 spirit and soul and body should NOT be understood as defining the parts of man, but as representing the whole man." (1 Thess. 5:23) (emphasis mine) My question is, upon what evidence does he base his conclusion? Please don't misunderstand me. I have nothing against Ryrie. What I don't understand is - what has happened to critical thought in the 'Christian community'? Many questions on this forum are answered with 'copy and paste' answers out of one study Bible or another. And, while I agree that a good study Bible is a fine supplement to understanding scripture, I don't believe that it's commentary ever carries the divine inspiration we have in the Word of God. I believe that the scripture we have is our sole source for God's revelation to men. Yes, I believe that God, in His grace, has 'illumined' scripture down through the ages through various Christians. But I view their contributions as supplementary, not substitutionary. All that being said, the Greek DOES make a distinction in these two passages between spirit and soul as you have noted, the spirit (pneuma) and the soul (psuche). Ryrie says that he feels that a destinction SHOULDN'T be made, Nelson's says that a distinction is IMPLIED, and the Scofield says they ARE divisible and distinguished (in certain cases). It seems our 'theologians' are not in agreement. So, brother, what do YOU think? I can read my Ryrie, Nelson, Scofield, NIV Study, Matthew Henry, etc. for myself. But what do YOU think? I would appreciate LIVE interaction with fellow brothers and sisters on these issues. One last disclaimer (humor me). I am just as guilty. The web address that I posted does have a 'theologian's' interpretation there. I understand and accept that that is what it is. I'm just curious as to what other 'live' Christians may think? In Christ, Bill Mc |
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304 | Why are we so quick to take offense? | 1 Thess 5:23 | Bill Mc | 14232 | ||
Hi Nicodemus, Brother, perhaps you misunderstood my posting. I was not 'belittleling' anyone. I was not dismissing anyone 'on a whim.' I was not saying not to use resources that you are comfortable with. I was not saying that these theologians were not LIVE Christians. I was trying to get some input and opinions from fellow believers. I can consult my commentaries anytime. They are a great resource to me, especially at trying to understand the meaning behind the original languages. But are we becoming like many believers in the church at Corinth? (I am of Apollos, I am of Cephas, I am of Paul). Questions are posted and many answers are "Ryrie says," "Scofield says," - end of subject - no further discussion. Yes, these men have spent great portions of their lives studying the Bible. But they do, at times, disagree. (See Scofield's creation 'gap' theory) So what do we do when they disagree or say that they are not sure of the exact meaning or give us a range of interpretations? Or, as many Catholics believe, are we not allowed to interpret the scriptures for ourselves? Permit me to reverse the questions: (Please use scripture to support your answer) What qualifications do I need to understand God's Word for what it says? How prepared do I need to be to answer specific Bible questions? How much of my life do I need to spend interpreting scripture before I can know it's meaning? Nicodemus, you did answer my question. You said you agreed with Scofield. Thank you. That was what I was seeking. I did not intend to offend you. In Christ, Bill Mc |
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305 | Why are we so quick to take offense? | 1 Thess 5:23 | Bill Mc | 14301 | ||
Nicodemus, I concur 100 percent. That is precisely why I am here (on this forum) asking some of my questions. I believe the NASB is the most accurate, literal translation we have in the English language today. But I believe that because of a consensus of biblical scholars, not because I know greek. I can read what it says, but I don't always know what it MEANS. That is where I need the Holy Spirit (primarily), other scripture, and fellow believers, theologians, and scholars to help me. So, no, we should not AVOID the use of great resources that are available. And I am not asking you (or anyone else) to discontinue using them. But, as you have said, they are 'someone else's opinion' as are ALL my posts. Thanks again. In Christ, Bill Mc |
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306 | What do YOU think, fellow Berian? | 1 Thess 5:23 | Bill Mc | 14337 | ||
Ed, thanks for your comment. I have already been accused of being both prideful and ignorant. I did agree with the ignorant accessment, that is why I ask questions. But my allegiance is to Christ and His Word alone. I am just curious as to what has happened to critical thinking in the Christian community. I.e. many Christians will say that Christ has forgiven all our sins - past, present, and future, then they will turn right around and say that, as a Christian, you must continue to confess your sins to get more forgiveness. These cannot both be true unless you redefine forgiveness into sub-categories such as judicial, parental, experiential, positional, practical, etc. on and on, which scripture never supports. If truth is truly true, it will stand up under the closest scrutiny. Truth is what God says. And God says that His Word is truth and that Christ is full of grace and truth. I am not trying to be adversarial. I am trying to get some of my questions answered in a way that departs from platitudes and Christian cliches. Fortunately, I cannot be hung. I have already been crucified with Christ :) In Christ, Bill Mc |
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307 | What do YOU think, fellow Berian? | 1 Thess 5:23 | Bill Mc | 14349 | ||
Ed, understood. I see your meaning. I may not use the same words, but I do understand about reminding yourself of your position in Christ. Sometimes our experiences and emotions lie to us (as well as the Evil One himself) and we do need to remind ourselves of who we are in Him. I may not use the same terminology, but I can relate to the concept and I frequently renew my mind through scripture concerning my new identity in Christ. Paul expresses a similar idea, "God has reconciled you through the death of His Son...so be reconciled (it's a true fact so appropriate the truth to your experience). This is not name-it-and-claim-it theology because God Himself is the initiator. We are only availing ourselves of what is already true in God's eternal realm into our realm of experience. Anyway, God bless and keep growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord. In Christ, Bill Mc |
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308 | Christian-alcohol and smoking is it ok? | 1 Tim 5:23 | Bill Mc | 17307 | ||
Another aspect of this question is this: Both alcohol and nicotine are physically addictive. Paul lays down a good principle in Rom 6:16. He says that whatever you present your body to, you become a servant of. Granted, he is talking of sins here, and whether drinking and smoking are sins is debatable (Charis' answer was very good). But I think the principle still applies. Paul said that everything was permissable but not everything was profitable or beneficial. So, regardless of whether drinking and smoking is a sin or not, we still run the risk of not only death, but physical addition. This principle exist whether the issue is smoking, drinking, drugs, overeating, pornography, etc. Some things, if we practice them, will enslave us. As Bob Dylan says, 'Ya gotta serve somebody :). That is why Paul says to first present your body as a living sacrifice to God so that He can live in and live out of it - Rom 12:1. Paul urges us in Rom 7 that we have been set free from sin so we don't need to serve it anymore. We still can sin and there is still consequences that we reap if we do so. I hope this helps. In Christ, Bill Mc |
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309 | your argument proves my point! | Heb 1:1 | Bill Mc | 15449 | ||
Dear Amadeuse, "In these last days (God) has spoken to us in His Son...and HE (Christ) is the radiance of His glory and the EXACT representation of His (God's nature." Yes, the Holy Spirit will lead us into ALL truth, and the focal point is that Jesus Christ is the TRUTH. Christ alone is the EXACT representation of God and His nature and one of the things that the Holy Spirit does is to reveal Christ through the illumination of God's Word. Brother, your post is replete with the exaltation of 'experience' - your experiences. I must, in love, caution you. Everyone's 'experiences' are different. And experiences can lead us astray from the truth. We must subject our experiences to the truth of God's Word. We accept Christ by FAITH, we walk in Him by FAITH. "As you have accepted Christ, so walk IN HIM." Faith is accepting what God says as true, whether our experiences verify it or not. Brother, people do not need to have a 'stronger faith.' The amount or capacity of faith is not the issue. The OBJECT of faith is the issue. Everyone has faith in someone or something. Faith doesn't save. Faith IN Christ saves. CHRIST is the object of the Christian faith. If you are truly 'experiencing' God, great. But I urge you to submit those experiences to the Word to discern if they are valid or not. Also, it may not be intentional, but your post is coming across as one-upmanship i.e. 'I have more of God than you do.' If you, brother, truly have the Spirit of God in you, Christ never bragged about Himself. Christ said, "What I say, the FATHER has told Me to say. The works I do, the FATHER has told Me to do. I don't do anything or say anything UNLESS the FATHER tells Me to." God the Father was His total source while Christ was here on earth. And, now that He is seated at the right hand of God, the Holy Spirit reveals Christ as our total source. Frankly, I don't believe that Christ would say what you have said in the way you have said it. There is ONE body of Christ, the church, and there is ONE Holy Spirit. And scripture says that if you don't have the Holy Spirit, you don't belong to Christ. The primary evidence of that is the outworking of love for Christ's body, other believers. You can't say that you love the head, Christ, and then disdain His body, we the church. Christ said that we should love God first and then each other as God loves us. We can't do this apart from His enablement. God STILL speaks through Jesus Christ. Christ IS the Word of God, not WAS. Look at the example laid before us in scripture. Christ, while on earth, did not glorify Himself or His 'experiences.' He IS God incarnate, yet He didn't brag about having 'wonderful experiences' from God that no one else had. And Paul exhibited the same attitude. Paul was caught up to heaven and had a revelation directly from Christ. He could have bragged about it. But he didn't. He said, "If I'm gonna boast about anything, it will be Jesus Christ and what He has done. I, Paul, am nothing." Of course, he was also given a thorn in the flesh to keep him humble. Have you received THAT revelation? In Christ, Bill Mc |
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310 | Is eternal life possible right now? | Heb 1:1 | Bill Mc | 15451 | ||
Dear Amadeus, To answer your question, yes, if we are believers, we HAVE eternal life right now: 1 John 5:11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us (past tense) eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 1 John 5:12 He who has the Son has (present tense) the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. 1 John 5:13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have (present tense) eternal life. Christ is the Life. If we have Him, then we have the Life. It is received through His Spirit when we are baptized into Christ (not water baptism, folks). We are identified with His death, burial, and then resurrection. In Him, Bill Mc |
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311 | Could Jesus sin? Explain. | Heb 4:15 | Bill Mc | 14525 | ||
Steve, Jesus could not sin. The ultimate root of all sin is unbelief in God and what He says. Scripture makes it clear that 'anything that is not of faith (believing what God says) is sin.' Or check out what Christ said in John 16:8,9 - Jesus said that when the Holy Spirit comes, He will convict the world of sin. He then defines that sin in verse 9 - "because they do not believe in Me." Sins (wrong actions or attitudes or lack of them by omission) are always caused by a wrong belief about what God says. Adam and Eve sinned (action) because they chose not to believe what God said about the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. And they chose, instead, to believe what Satan told them. So, could Jesus sin? No. He was fully human and fully God. God cannot sin because it is contrary to His very essence. That what be like saying, "Can God disbelieve what God says?" It makes no sense. Jesus could not, as a man, disbelieve what the Father said, or commit a sin because He was one with His Father. Of course, Satan's primary objective is to get people to disbelieve what God says or to twist it into a half-truth (which is still a lie). And he is very successful at it. Nevertheless, Christ said, "You will know the truth (what God says) and the truth will set you free (in both belief system and actions). Thanks for the question. It's a good one. In Christ, Bill Mc |
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312 | Lost my salvation? (Hebrews 6:4-6) | Heb 6:4 | Bill Mc | 17819 | ||
Dear John K, Tim has some good points in his post. The Hewbrews thought that they were 'saved' by keeping the law. Think how radical that it must have been for someone to come along and share the gospel message with them that they no longer had to offer their sacrifices, they no longer had to go to the temple to worship, they no longer had to observe the Sabbath. This was probably one of the earlier letters, at least before the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, so these believers did not have the entire new testament to completely explain Christ and what He did. My understanding of this passage is that it was written to tell them that if they did not accept Christ sacrifice, then there was no other sacrifice left to take away sins. They could go back to the temple and offer their bull or goat but God would not honor that. Salvation was by faith alone in what Christ did. He was the once for all sacrifice. I.e. if they profess to accept His sacrifice and say, 'Yes, I believe this gospel, but I'm going to the temple to get my sins forgiven', that just doesn't cut it. God did away with that old system. The new system only requires faith in what Christ has done. John, consider this: Peter was not a regenated person with the Spirit of God living inside him when he denied Christ. If anyone does not have the Spirit of God, he does not belong to Him - Rom 8:9. Peter was not, at this point, a new testament believer because Christ's sacrifice has not yet been made and the Holy Spirit had not yet been given. John, salvation is not how much you pray, read your Bible or how little you sin. Salvation is understanding the the wages of sin is separation from God but the gift of God is eternal life, knowing God. He who has the Son has the life. He who does not have the Son does not have the life. Faith in Christ is what saves you, brother, not faith in how well you live the 'Christian life.' None of us can do it perfectly. Do you understand that salvation is more than just having your sins forgiven? Salvation is life, eternal life that starts here and now. If the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells IN YOU, He will give eternal life to your mortal (uneternal) body. Accepting Christ is more that knowing that your sins are forgiven and promising to live a godly life. Only Jesus can live a godly life. And He will as you place your trust in Him and abide in Him. Here, my friend, is the bottom line. Despite what you, I, or others may think about this passage in Hebrews, if you are IN CHRIST (if that is where your trust for salvation is), there is NO CONDEMNATION for you. Why? Because Christ took it. All of it. He was made sin so that you can be HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. The law of the Spirit of LIFE has set you free from the law of sin and death - Rom 8:1,2. If you have Christ's life, the Holy Spirit, dwelling in you, then even if you sin, you don't get sin's wages. Christ got them for you. Despite what you may have heard, it is NOT good for you to be scared of God. God has reconciled the world to Himself through Jesus Christ and is no longer holding men's sins (what they do)against them. Your sin cannot prevent you from coming to God. The only sin that people need to repent of is the sin of unbelief in Christ. This is what the writer of Hebrews is saying - you need to change your mind concerning what you think saves you. Where have you put your trust and faith, brother? Is it in Christ and Him alone or in your performance? Do you KNOW that He now lives in you? Christ said that He came to give us LIFE and life more abundant. Why? Because we were dead in trespasses and sins? Have you accepted Him not just for the forgiveness that He offers, but for His very life? God so loved the John that He gave His only begotten Son so that if John believes, not in John, but in Christ, John will NEVER perish. Instead, John will have eternal life, right here, right now. Do you believe this? Praying for you, Bill Mc |
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313 | Works in the Christian experience? | Heb 6:4 | Bill Mc | 17845 | ||
Dear Joe, You're correct, salvation has always been by faith and never by works. Before the cross, OT saints were saved by faith in whatever God's Word and revelation was to them - Heb 11. After the cross, we are saved by faith in God's Final Word, Jesus Christ - Heb 1:2. So, no, the Law could not save. But Peter's life was bridged in the OT and the NT. He became Jesus' disciple under the OT, while Christ was incarnate on earth- Gal 4:4. Was he saved at this point? Yes. But he was not a NT believer. After Christ died, the NT went into effect and Peter then became a NT saint through regeneration (crucified, buried, and resurrected with Christ - Rom 6:4, Gal 2:20), with the indwelling of God Himself at Pentecost. We see no record whatsoever of Peter denying Christ after Pentecost. In fact, tradition says that he was crucified upside-down. What caused such a change in this beloved apostle? The indwelling Christ. My post never said that Peter was not saved before the cross. I said that he was not a NT believer - those who are reconciled, redeemed and regenerated by Christ's Himself - until after the cross. You may feel that I am splitting hairs here but the distinction is not mine, it is God's - Rom 8:9. Paul makes it clear, by revelation from Jesus Christ Himself, that after the cross, the Holy Spirit is the seal, the guarantee of what God has done in redeeming and saving us. It is non-negotiatable, either you are a Christian because Christ is in you and you are in Him, or you are not. In light of that truth, I was asking John not to gauge his relationship with God upon Peter's unregenerate example. He needs to gauge his relationship with God upon the secure work of Christ on the cross, not on his feelings or experiences. Feelings and experiences will 'catch up' as we place our faith and trust in the facts of the redemption that our Lord has provided. In Christ, Bill Mc |
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314 | Works in the Christian experience? | Heb 6:4 | Bill Mc | 17852 | ||
Joe, I forgot question number two. Yes, we persevere until the end. But we do not do it apart from Christ and His work in us. As we have received Christ (by faith), we are to walk in Him (by faith). This is not by our works. This is by His works in us and through us. We get the privelege, as Christians, of 'working out' the salvation that God has 'worked in' us. God has predestined that we walk and persevere in the works that He has prepared for us. But we, like Christ, are not to do it in the flesh. Rather, we are to depend upon Christ as He depended upon His Father. Jesus said that He didn't do any works unless the Father told Him to. He didn't say anything unless the Father told Him to say it. And then He told us, "Apart from Me, you can do nothing." This is not a passive walk. It is an active walk relying upon Christ as our total sufficiency. Sanctification is not something we do. It is something that Christ does and continues to do in us. The end result? 1 Thess 5:23,24 - "Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit, and soul and body be preserved (sealed) complete without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and HE ALSO WILL BRING IT TO PASS." He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it. He does it. He does it in us and through us, but He does it. Grow in grace, Bill Mc |
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315 | Works in the Christian experience? | Heb 6:4 | Bill Mc | 17861 | ||
Joe, I agree that sanctification always accompanies justification. God 'sets you apart' when you are 'made right with Him.' Scripture is pretty clear on this point - 1 Cor 6:11. Yes, I agree with James - true saving faith will result (if given time) in works but they are Christ's works. But I am not Reformed, I am a new creation in Christ. God didn't reform me. He crucified my 'old man' (not my father) with Christ, and caused my spirit to be born united with Christ's Spirit. My confession has nothing to do with Westminster (that I know of). And I don't think that I am a dispensationalist. Nor am I a Calvinist or Armenian. I'm AM a little frustrated with this forum's tendency to try to stick everyone into nice, neat little boxes :) but, nonetheless, if we can get past the labels, we will find many things in common if we adhere to Christ alone and sola scriptura. In Christ, Bill Mc |
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316 | Works in the Christian experience? | Heb 6:4 | Bill Mc | 17863 | ||
Joe, Peter was saved by faith in what Christ said to him. Jesus told him, "The words that I speak to you are truth and life." People in the OT were saved by faith in God. Many of these people believed that God would one day send the Messiah to pay the full price for their sins. They looked forward to Christ's work on the cross, while we look back to it. Their righteousness was credited to them until Christ paid the full price of redemption. Hebrews makes it clear the Christ's sacrifice redeemed them - Heb 9:15. When that price was paided, I believe that Christ took them from Abraham's bossom to heaven. OT saints were 'saved' - delivered from the wages of sin, eternal death in Hell, but I don't think that they went to heaven until Christ's sacrifice. OT saints did not have the Holy Spirit to permanently indwell them. Often, He 'came upon' them to empower them to speak or act on God's behalf. But disobedience usually made Him leave (Saul, David). God did not indwell them. And OT saints could not go running into the Holy of Holies. They were credited forgiveness and righteousness but they were not made so. We can enter into the Holy of Holies. We are now the temple of God. The temple of God is holy, and that is what you are. Peter was saved before Christ's death by placing his faith and trust in Christ. But Christ made it very clear to His disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit. Much of what Christ taught them in His 3 years of public ministry went over their heads. They were forever asking Him what He was talking about. But Christ said that when the Holy Spirit came to them, He would cause the disciples to not only remember what Christ said, but He would explain it to them. Note: I don't believe we are righteous sinners. God calls us saints 63 times in the New Testament. As bad as the Corinthian church acted, Paul called them saints. No offense, Joe, but study the NT word sinner. It is most often used of Gentiles and unbelievers. It is never used of saints, those in Christ. James does use it but there were unbelievers in every assembly then as there are now. If one think that he is just a 'sinner saved by grace,' then one doesn't fully understand what Christ died to do. Jesus didn't come just to get men out of hell and into heaven. He came to get Himself out of heaven and into men. Peace and God bless, Bill Mc |
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317 | Works in the Christian experience? | Heb 6:4 | Bill Mc | 17904 | ||
Joe, thanks for your reply. Thanks for the dispensationalism definition. The OT is not all performance. My prior posts have stated that all men for all time are saved by grace. On that point I think you and I concur. I don't view the OT as entirely performance but I do feel that man has a propensity to take the Law (which Jesus said pointed to Him) and substitute it for a living relationship with God. We take the sign and worship that instead of the One to whom it points. You have to admit that by the time Jesus came along, the Jewish religious leadership felt that they had no need for Christ. They were busy worshipping the Law. Jesus told them that they searched the scriptures (OT) because they thought that that was how they would inherit eternal life - by keeping the Law. Then He said that they wouldn't come to Him, even though all the scriptures spoke about Him and Moses wrote about Him, to get true LIFE. Hebrews says that the Law couldn't impart life. It could illuminate sin but it could not redeem. Paul calls the Law the ministry of death, the ministry of condemnation BUT he says, the Law is good, righteous, and holy. The problem with the Law is not the Law but US. Man could not keep it perfectly. Paul says that the Law is good if it is used properly (to point people to their need for a Savior) and that it is not made for the righteous (saints) but for the ungodly, to show them that they are sinful. Should we still teach the Law? Yes, sinners still need to be convicted of their sin. And yes, Joe, my church does have an affinity for DTS but I disagree with my church's stance on some issues - 1 John 1:9, Pre-trib rapture, 2 natures of the believer, the significance of the Lord's Supper. My pastor, as much as I love him, will say that Christians are not under Law and then turn around and preach tithing out of Malachi. So, we are all on a journey. Please understand this about my viewpoint: I am not trying to ride two horses at the same time. But, as I see it, there are 2 main 'horses' described in the Bible. The first 'horse' was a shadow that pointed to the better 'horse' that was to come - Heb 10:1. Hebrews says that the Law could not justify anyone - it couldn't make you right with God. If it can't make you right, it can't keep you right. But people, in general, would rather ride the first 'horse' because it then appears that they are the ones doing it. 'See how well I ride, watch this, aren't I a wonderful rider?' And James said that if you fall off even one time then you are disqualified. We have all 'fallen off.' You may disbelieve it, but in riding the second 'horse', I am under tighter constraints that the first. The Law said, "Don't commit adultery." The law of Christ says, "Don't even lust." The Law said, "Don't murder." The law of Christ said, "Don't hate your brother, and when you got that down, love your enemies." So people who think that 'gracers' are not under any law are misinformed. But His law is not burdensome because, as I rest in Him, He fulfills it, not me, but Christ in me. So it is not that I am trying to ride two horses. But I do believe that there is progressive revelation in the Bible. Does what Paul wrote supercede what Jesus said? Yes, in some cases. Why? Because Paul didn't really write it. He said that what he (Paul) received, he received from the Lord Jesus Himself. He wasn't taught it, he didn't go to Peter and say, "Hey, Pete, fill me in on this Jesus guy." Paul's revelation IS Christ's revelation. To dismiss 2/3's of the NT is a travesty. Most Christians know the 10 Words, the 4 gospels, and 1 John 1:9. And that is all they know. There is much more to being a believer than trying to keep the Law, immitating Jesus, and trying to keep yourself forgiven when you inevitably fail. Christ is alive and in us. We are to live out of that relationship. Will we fulfill the Law? Yes. But we will go far beyond it as we walk in the Spirit. Grace and peace to you, Joe. Bill Mc |
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318 | Joe, what is Paul and Hebrews 'the Law'? | Heb 6:4 | Bill Mc | 17912 | ||
Joe, out of curiosity, upon what basis do you make the statement that only the civil and ceremonial laws are passed away? Paul's writings and the author of Hebrews do not divide the Law into 1) moral law 2) civil law 3) ceremonial law when speaking of the Law being made obsolete or concerning the fact that believers are not under Law. They simply state 'the Law','the letter', the ministry of death, the ministry of condemnation, 'the Law of Moses'. If they make no distinction, then why do you? What scriptures do you use to support this 'dismantling' of the Law? It appears that by breaking it up into smaller pieces, then you can be the one to decide which parts to keep and which parts to discard. James refers to 'the whole Law'. In other words, if you want to be under ANY of it, then you have to be under ALL of it. Any thoughts? In Christ, Bill Mc |
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319 | Whatever happened to John 17:21? | Heb 6:4 | Bill Mc | 17916 | ||
BTW, those nice, neat little boxes may appear to be helpful but I feel that they are damaging to the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit did not baptize us into nice, neat little boxes but into one Body - Rom 12:5, 1 Cor 12:13,27; Eph 5:30; Col 1:24. Our identity, as Christians, is His body, the church. We are children of God. Nothing more and, certainly, nothing less. Our beliefs about who we are and what we believe should rest on Christ and scripture alone. To categorize believers into Calvinist, Armenian, Dispensationalist, Baptist, Catholic, Reformed, and any of a thousand other names is neither warranted nor supported by scripture. In fact, this was one of Paul's rebukes to the church at Corinth. "I hear that divisions exist among you...for there must also be factions among you." Then he went on to reitterate how the Lord's body, the church, is one loaf but consists of many members. He pegs modern Christianity in 1 Cor 1:12: "Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, "I am of Paul," and "I of Apollos," and "I of Cephas," and "I of Christ." Only we say, "I am of Calvin, I am of Armenius (or whatever his name was), I am of Luther, I am of the Westminister Confession." These things are, but they should not be. The end result is that when a person comes to this forum seeking an answer from the Bible, we resort to: 'As a Calvinist...' then an Armenian has to reply, 'As an Armenian...' So instead of getting an answer straight from the Bible, we post responses from other people. This is because we do not trust God to reveal Himself to US through scripture. We think that you have to be a Scofield, a Ryrie, a Luther, a Calvin to correctly understand scripture. The Holy Spirit said that He would lead us into all truth. Do we believe this? I think not or we wouldn't be so quick to identify ourselves with others whom God has spoken to. I mourn for the church of Jesus Christ because most of us have no idea who were are. When will we understand that you are either in Adam or in Christ? When we will reply, "As a child of the living, true God, here is what the scripture says concerning this issue...?" When will we come out from behind our false identities, leave behind our platitudes, and respond with truth in love? This is not meant as a personal rebuke against you, dear Reformer Joe. This is meant as an observation for all those who name the name of Christ. I hope and pray as Christ did in John 17:21 - "that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me." A child of God only by His grace, Bill Mc |
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320 | Joe, what is Paul and Hebrews 'the Law'? | Heb 6:4 | Bill Mc | 17927 | ||
Joe, here's my thoughts: "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished." Joe, you said it yourself, Christ did fulfill it. He could not allow it to pass away UNTIL He fulfilled it. The key phrase here is not 'until heaven and earth pass away,' the key phrase is 'until all (of the Law) is accomplished.' And Christ did that. 'Then why do some try to annul God's moral commands?' I do not try to annul God's moral commands. They do serve a purpose. They show sinners God's righteous standard and how far they fall short of it. But as a Christian, you are not under the Law, you are under grace and the law of Christ. As far as dismantling the Law, I am supporting no such thing. God's moral requirements both are encapsulated in the decalogue, but also pre-date the law as well. His moral requirements for humanity extend back as far as the garden, long before Moses came down from Sinai. Paul even mentions this in Galatians: 'If God's moral requirements only exist in the form of the Mosaic Law, we not only have the question of those who pre-date the Law, but also those who lived afterward but were not under the Law of Moses (i.e. the Gentiles).' True, God's moral requirements existed before the Mosaic Law. Why? Because they are a reflection of who He is. 'Therefore, only the Jews were "under the Law" in the first place, in the Mosaic sense.' True, so if you are a Gentile, what are you doing under the Mosaic Law? 'However, we are all accountable to the moral law of God, which is seen and expressed clearly in the Law of Moses, but also is eternal.' True, and none of us can keep it perfectly. All have sinned and fallen short of God's glory - Rom 3:23. 'Why do you contend that when Christ died and rose again that the moral requirements of God, which did not begin at Sinai, ended at Calvary?' I didn't. I said that we are under the law of Christ which surpasses the Mosaic law by miles. Christ fulfilled the complete moral requirements of God at Calvary. And He will continue to fulfill the law of the Spirit of life in us as we abide in Him. But this is not to acheive righteousness or sanctification. We have already been made righteous and sanctified in our spirits. We obey God's moral laws not to achieve or attain a status, but because we have already, in Christ, attained. Will Christ in you, the hope of glory, break God's moral law? I don't think so. But if you do, if you sin as a Christian, does that invalidate what Christ in you has done? I don't think so. Grace is what leads us to say no to ungodliness and live holy lives. Christ in us. 'God's covenant of grace was fulfilled at Calvary,' Not true, Joe. The New Covenant of grace was established at Calvary. New covenants were established by the shedding of blood. Christ fulfilled the Old Covenant (the Law) at Calvary. 'However, all humanity, as descendants of Adam, are part of the covenant of works established by God, which has never been nullified.' I don't believe so. 'The reason I am saved is that I am in Christ, who fulfilled the covenant of works for me and all who believe.' True. He did then He took it away. No one is saved by works, ever. 'One other question that would help clear things up on your perspective for me, Bill: what can I do as a Christian to honor God in my daily life that is not expressed in the Law? If the moral law passed away with the Mosaic Law, how am I to please God without obeying the moral commands found in the Pentateuch?' Faith in what Christ has done. Without faith, it is IMPOSSIBLE to please God. Faith, not in yourself and how well you keep God's moral law, but faith in Christ and the fact that He will, day by day, moment by moment, fulfill God's righteous requirements in you. In fact, anything that is not of faith, including human effort to keep the Law, is sin. That is why the Pharisees were condemned. If you could live every day keeping every moral law of God, then you would, indeed, be justified. But neither you nor I nor anyone else (except Christ) can do this. So what do we do? Just keep trying? No. Rest in Christ and know that because He did it once, He will continue to do it through you. Faith in Christ alone is what pleases God. Anything else is works. Gal 3:24,25 - 'Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor (the Law).' It's pretty clear, Joe. Grow in grace and the knowledge of our Lord, Bill Mc |
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