Results 41 - 53 of 53
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: Hiskid84 Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
41 | Human Power? | John 15:5 | Hiskid84 | 129404 | ||
Hello, Hank. In reference to Mark's statement, "IF anyone hears His voice and opens the door...", I was going to ask the very same question of Mark concerning who is able to hear His voice, since it appears that only some can hear it. Which would lead to the next question (also asked by you), how is it that some can hear and some not? Ah, well...you phrased them better. :) I do hope Mark will respond. In Christ, Karen |
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42 | Human Power? | John 15:5 | Hiskid84 | 129403 | ||
Hi, Hank. I just wanted to share my interpretation of Acts 5:1-11. (I really hope I'm not opening a can of worms here) Please keep in mind that I am not attempting to use this as a proof text for losing or keeping salvation. Just trying to interpret the passages in context and curious as to your thoughts. I always read Acts 5:1 to be a continuation of what was going on in the last section of Acts 4. Acts 4 ends with Barnabas having land, selling it, bringing the money and laying it at the apostles feet (Acts 4:36-37). Acts 5:1 picks up with the word, "But", and begins to tell the story of Ananias and Sapphira doing (basically) the same thing as Barnabas, with the exception of keeping part of the money and lying to God. Now, if you were to back up to the beginning of the text that includes the story of Barnabas you would find yourself at Acts 4:32, which begins: "Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurretion of the Lord jesus. And great grace was upon THEM ALL (emphasis mine). Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need." Acts 4:32-35 I always thought that it was keeping in context to say that Ananias and Sapphira were included in the "all" mentioned above (Acts 4:33). Verse 32 says "the multitude of THOSE WHO BELIEVED". Okay, so with that in mind, this has been my take on the whole thing with Ananias and Sapphira: They were both believers (sinners saved by grace). Though they may have been the first, I'm certain they were not the last Christians guilty of the sin of greed or of trying to hide their sinful deeds from God. I always figured God used them as an example to the rest of the believers. After all, it says, "great fear came upon all those who heard these things." God definitely had their attention as the early church was being established. However, taking the lives of Ananias and Sapphira doesn't (in any way) mean that they lost their salvation. God could have removed them from the scene, both to give a warning and to prevent them from doing worse. (I know, I know..."incoming flak") To sum it up, I guess one could say that Ananias and Sapphira's sin was punishable by death. However, if they were saved I know their salvation wasn't lost. If they were not saved, it's kind of interesting that they were punished (by death) for the sin of greed and lying to God. Although it may just be that it's past my bedtime, it seems like the lesson would have carried more weight among the believers if God had been punishing believers for bringing shame to His name and upon His church than for punishing non-believers for sin. Anyway, those are just my humble thoughts. I didn't intend to put speculation in there but it happened anyway. So, pull out a worm and tell me what you think. :) In Him, Karen |
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43 | Human Power? | John 15:5 | Hiskid84 | 129399 | ||
Country Girl, It appears that you are replying to this post by Mark: "Hi Country Girl, I'm glad you brought this up. To me, this verse (Rev 3:20) ties together several current threads. Salvation IS conditional, and the condition rests with us. God has already said He wants in. IF anyone hears His voice and opens the door..." Is this correct? I'm curious because in the following post BradK replies that the statement above ("salvation IS conditional and the condition rests with us") is unscriptural. In the next post Mark agrees and retracts that statement. Your post says: "I appreciate your speaking up. Sometimes, it gets lonely defending the truth. Preach on, dear friend, preach on." My question then is, did you make the statement above in response to Mark's original post to you (the one quoted above)? If so, was it in response to his post in its entirety or were your remarks only directed to the portion of his post that was not retracted ("God has already said He wants in. IF anyone hears His voice and opens the door...")? I'm sorry I seem to be in the minority of those to whom it is not (pretty) clear. Unfortunately, your Gal. verses didn't even tie it all together for me. Thanks for any help you can give. In Him, Karen |
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44 | once saved always saved? | 2 Tim 4:18 | Hiskid84 | 129213 | ||
GB, Thank you for graciously "agreeing to disagree". :) I was happy to see you reply. Being very new to this board I find it somewhat interesting that some people post a question and then never join in the discussion as others attempt to answer. The only time you see their name is in the original post. I was surprised to see your opinion that I was "an experienced user of these boards". I really have very little experience. I am more of a lurker than a poster. This is because I have a tendency to get carried away by emotion. Since our faith is based on the truth of God's Word and not our experiences, posting anywhere becomes a challenge of restraint for me. :) (I'm a very black and white person and get very passionate about subjects dear to me) I, too, look forward to that day when the truth is known by all and our love for Him and for each other is not hindered by our human frailties. Okay...I confess. 2 Tim 2:15 wasn't a coincidence. I did see it in your profile but it WAS the verse that came to mind to support my statement. In Him, Karen |
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45 | Human Power? | John 15:5 | Hiskid84 | 129174 | ||
Country Girl, I know your posting time is limited but I was wondering how you explain Ephesians 1:13-14. "(Eph 1:13) In Him you also trusted, after you heard the Word of Truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, (Eph 1:14) who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory." These verses say that, when we are saved the Holy Spirit (who was promised to come) has come to dwell within us. This indwelling of the Holy Spirit is God's seal upon us, signifying that we are His. This same Holy Spirit within us GUARANTEES our inheritance. Do you read it some other way? Another verse I am curious about is John 6:44, which says: "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day." These are the words of Jesus Christ and they are saying that those who come to Him will be raised by Him AT THE LAST DAY. In the surrounding verses I find nothing about exceptions. It seems that if there were exceptions it would have been written, "I will raise him up at the last day UNLESS..." What is your interpretation of this verse? Thank you for any reply you may be able to give. In Him, Karen |
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46 | The New Birth - A Survey | NT general Archive 1 | Hiskid84 | 129130 | ||
In response to your instruction, "All you have to do is answer...active or passive", here's my reply: passive Thanks! Karen |
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47 | once saved always saved? | 2 Tim 4:18 | Hiskid84 | 129126 | ||
Hi, Mark. Thanks for sharing. :) I hesitated about phrasing it the way I did but I did want to make sure there was no mistaking what I meant. I figured "born-again believer" covered it all. :) Though I haven't been involved with very many forums this one is set up quite differently than what I am used to. Besides having a different format, I normally participate on boards that have a reformed slant. This forum is very diverse. It's taking a little time to get used to. I'm sure I'll have some opportunities to defend what I believe from a Scriptural standpoint and that can be beneficial in many ways. And who knows...maybe I'll learn how to post without rambling on and on... :) In Him, Karen |
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48 | once saved always saved? | 2 Tim 4:18 | Hiskid84 | 129094 | ||
Country Girl, Thank you again for taking time out of your busy schedule to reply to my post. I know that you won't have time to reply right away but I thought I would go ahead and respond. In the meantime I would be happy to see Hank or anyone else reply. I'm a little rusty and I think my iron may need sharpening. I would like to say something about this statement you wrote: "With that relationship intact with both our God and our fellow christians, then we can look forward to the benefits of coverage by our God even when we're "caught off guard" and die suddenly. As long as we've establish a regular habit of repenting regularly of the sins of commission and omission, we're good to go." It seems as if you believe at least two conditions are placed upon our salvation. From what I gather, you believe these conditions must be met in order for one to "make it into heaven": 1) We must (currently) be in a right relationship with all Christians we personally know. (By this I mean we cannot harbor any bitterness, resentment, jealousy, etc., towards any other believer) 2) We must have repented of all sins to the best of our ability, making sure all of our sins are "covered by the blood of Christ". I'm wondering what your direct answer to Hank's question might have been when he asked you where you believe a born-again believer that dies with unconfessed sin would end up for eternity (heaven or hell). Hopefully, you'll find time to answer directly at some point. I know that it would take a considerable amount of time since he asked for Scripture references, etc. The other thing I would like to say is that you have pointed out something very important that I believe many times is ignored in the body of Christ. And that is, our love of God and our love of fellow believers is an inseperable thing. Jesus taught that the two greatest commandments are to love God with our whole being (sorry, my paraphrase) and love our neighbor as ourself. He said the second command was like the first. (Matt. 22:37-39) Ephesians 2:11-22 reveals a lot about God's plan for our relationship with other believers. When God saved us He not only established our relationship with Him but with all other believers as well (both a vertical and horizontal restoration). I would like to discuss this very important part of our walk more but have to stop for now. I need to go back and see what's already been written about this on the forum. I do thank you for mentioning this in your post. Question to any who happen to read this: Is my description "born-again believer" redundant? In Him, Karen |
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49 | once saved always saved? | 2 Tim 4:18 | Hiskid84 | 129022 | ||
Country Girl; thank you for taking time to reply. I'm sorry that your post wasn't completely clear to me. Is it your belief that Christians are saved not once but many times? This is the conclusion I come to when it appears you are saying that there can be no eternal security if the Bible speaks of Christians repenting after they have been saved. I would really like to know your thoughts on this (and please forgive me if I've misinterpreted). I found it interesting that you would interpret Hank's post (as quoted above) to mean there are no Christians that sin (since the verses you quoted dealt with those who are "overtaken in any trespass" or "sins against you") and you wrote that according to "what Hank is depicting" there is "no chance of this happening" (i.e. no chance of Christians needing repentance). When I read the quote from Hank's post that you used above it quite plainly says that "sincere and well-meaning CHRISTIANS...continue to live a life of sin". Wouldn't these be the people you are talking about when you quote verses saying we are to "restore one another in a spirit of gentleness", "bear one another's burdens", and "go and tell him his fault"? Again, just trying to clarify what you are saying. I hope we are able to continue this discussion. Blessings to you also, Karen |
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50 | once saved always saved? | 2 Tim 4:18 | Hiskid84 | 128991 | ||
CG; you wrote, "Now my question to you: If there's no chance of this kind of thing happening to a christian as Hank is depicting, why would God spend so much time in His Word on this subject?" Could you please explain what, exactly, Hank is depicting in his post concerning Christians? I'd like to respond but will wait to see if you are able to answer my question first. Thank you, Karen |
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51 | once saved always saved? | 2 Tim 4:18 | Hiskid84 | 128958 | ||
Thank you for the warm welcome to the board (and your generous comments concerning my "late night, should have been in bed" post), Hank! We enjoyed a good laugh over your "chip off the old Doc" comment. :) I enjoyed reading your well written (and Scripturally sound) post and I trust that others will be blessed by it as well. Karen (aka Chip, the choir member) |
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52 | once saved always saved? | 2 Tim 4:18 | Hiskid84 | 128882 | ||
GB, Proverbs 3:5 is an awesome verse and is not only appropriate to lean on in many situations, it is good instruction for all times. And though I would agree with you that it appears the Bible sometimes contradicts itself (certainly with the OSAS issue), we both know that no such contradictions exist. Does this mean that God would have us to be ignorant of the things that are not easily understood or where it seems contradictions do exist? In my humble opinion, I believe it means we are to be even more diligent in studying Scripture. I can see why you would say that OSAS is a dangerous belief. Rather than the love, gratitude, and trust it should evoke in any true believer, many use it as a license to sin. I would certainly use caution when discussing it and would try to balance it with verses contrasting the life of believers vs. nonbelievers (i.e. Eph 5:1-7). As you pointed out in Proverbs, we are not to be wise in our own eyes. However, we know this does not mean we should not search the Scriptures and seek to know God's truth. "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Tim 2:15 Though I'm sure you can post a verse to imply otherwise I would like to post the verses that I lean on when I think of the all-powerful God that not only saved me but keeps me till the end, all for His glory: "In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory." Ephesians 1:13-14 Seeking to rightly divide the Word of truth, Karen |
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53 | Is it ever o.k. to say no to a brother | Bible general Archive 2 | Hiskid84 | 125745 | ||
kalos: great answer! I have to admit, your example concerning grown children hit a little too close to home for me. I think as a mother it's especially difficult to stifle that desire to shelter our kids, even from their bad choices. (And even harder when the fate of our grandchildren is involved) And though I struggle with this issue, you gave some excellent advice on this and helping people in general. I think both of your principles regarding (1) creating dependency and (2) interfering in God's instruction, go hand in hand. These are definitely areas where we need to exercise great caution. I would like to add a couple of thoughts: 1) Pray for those in need. Ask God what He would have you do to help them (if anything). For some people, it's easier to give money as a quick fix than it is to come along side a person and help them look for long term solutions to financial problems. In other words, it's easier to give of our money than it is to give of our time. (Example: could you provide reliable transportation to someone who is unable to work due to lack of transportation? Could you provide emergency babysitting services? Help them find affordable transportation or childcare if you are unable to offer those things?) 2) Don't be disheartened if you give to someone and discover you have been taken advantage of. God may use your gift to change their heart or He may use it to bless yours (and teach you wisdom in discernment in the process). Anything is possible with God! However, we don't have to see what He's doing to know that He is working. I'd rather err on the side of giving than withholding. hisown_07: you asked about taking money that was meant to pay an obligation and using it to help another person. It seems like the obvious answer would be "no" when in reality it may depend upon many variables. Here are a couple: a) Are others depending upon you (ie., spouse, children) to meet these obligations? I believe God would have us make those dependent upon us for their care our first priority. (Insert Scripture here. Anyone?) However, b) Is the other person's need a true emergency? (Unexpected illness, loss of job, car repairs causing them to face dire circumstances? Or has laziness or foolish spending brought them to this point?) If it is a true emergency and helping them would put you in somewhat dire circumstances, you might need to help them seek other sources of aid. If it is a true emergency and helping them would be an inconvenience in some way (having to pay late fees on the earmarked bill) or would cause you to put in a few extra hours at work, then I would say the decision would be based on how much you believe that you should help this person. I guess what I'm trying to say is this: Carefully weigh all the factors. Just as carefully, pray for godly wisdom and direction. Sorry this was so long! It was my first post and I got carried away! Karen (Mrs. Doc) |
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