Results 1401 - 1420 of 1444
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: JCrichton Ordered by Verse |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1401 | How do we know that we are truly saved? | 1 John 3:24 | JCrichton | 141261 | ||
Hi! Part of our problem is finding a specific clause that guarantees Salvation... there's none! We know that we are saved if we abide in Him! (John 15:1-6) We know that we are saved if we believe in Him! (John 11:25-26) We know that we are saved if we are born again of the Holy Spirit! (John 3:3) We know that we are saved if we are baptized in Him! (Matthew 21:28-32 and Luke 7:24-30) We know that we are saved if we believe Him! (John 3:17-21 and John 14:1) We know that we are saved if we depend on Him totally! (2 Corinthians 12:9; 13:4) Jesus did not come to offer us a simple "your in kid!" He came to bring us to the Father... to teach us that we are to emulate Him: Love, Obedience, Service! (John 14:21, 31; 15:10-14; and Matthew 25:31-46) We know that we are saved if we stand till the end! (Revelation 2:7, 10-11) God Bless! Angel |
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1402 | How do we know that we are truly saved? | 1 John 3:24 | JCrichton | 141583 | ||
Hi, Aixen7z4! I understand your position! Yet I must also caution that to trust in the Lord does not just mean that we quote His Gospels! Too many "Christians" trust in Jesus in the sense that we trust in one another (proof, verification, material gain, enhancement of social status... in essence the ole "Quid pro quo!"); yet, trusting in Jesus goes beyond our normal word-usage of the phrase "trust in!" Trusting in Jesus means Believing in Him. Trusting that He means it when He says: "Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?" (Luke 6:46) "If you love me, keep my commandments!" (John 14:15) If you do not abide in me you will be removed, thrown out, and burnt--reworded for greater impact; you will find the Biblical text in John 15:1-6. Then, many will say to me, "Lord in your Name we did this and that and that other thing..." I will tell them begone from me you children of eniquity!--again reworded for effects; you will find the Biblical text in Matthew 7:21-27! It is not enough to rely on a quote from Scripture... Satan quoted Scripture to Jesus with great ease and control... yet, Jesus refers to him as a Murderer and a Liar! Jesus didn't call us to learn Scripture or to memorize certain passages, He calls us to Live His Gospels (John 6:63); this is why He did not simply teach that all who call on the Name of the Lord will be saved! He taught that those who did the Will of His Father would be saved! (John 6:40) And while the Father's Will is that we Believe in Jesus Christ, His Only Begotten Son, Jesus is clear about what He means when He says Believe in Me (John 14:1; 12:44; 15:4-6; 15:7; 9-10); Jesus makes it clear that it is not about chanting hymns and enunciating prayers or formulas (Matthew 7:24-27: which means Love God above all and your neighbor as yourself). Jesus challanges all those who were listening by commanding them to Love their enemies, to uphold the Sacrament of Matrimony, to be generous with what God has provided for us--everything belongs to Him, hence, we are mere stewards! ...in the end, it is not those who appropriate His Name or perform certain feats that will be saved but those who abide in Jesus, those who Trust in Him to obey His commandments, those who are not simply content with owning a "guarantee of salvation" which they have done nothing to merit! (Matthew 7:21-27; Luke 6:46; Matthew 25:31-40)... James puts it simply in his admonishion to Christians to be doers of the Word and not mere hearers! (James 1:22-23)! So, I admonish you, as I admonish all Christians, to not just rely on the articulation of "feel-good" words... we are called, by Jesus, to change our ways, to obey Him, to Believe in Him and to Love Him: by obeying Him we demonstrate that we love Him, by loving Him we love ourselves, our neighbors and even our enemies! The Word did not become flesh to guarantee us a secure and safe passage (Matthew 7:13-14; Luke 13:23-28); He became one like us to rescue us from Death and to serve as the perfect archetype of humility, obedience, and dependence! (Philippians 2:5-8; Isaiah 42:3; John 12:27; 13:3-15)... So, to borrow Paul's admonishion, we should not boast that we have a secured place in Heaven--as the elected Remnant of the Tribes of Israel--(for neither are we God nor have we been removed from the flesh); rather, we should boast of Jesus, and Him Crucified for our Salvation: it is He who secures our Salvation--without Him we are nothing! God Bless! Angel |
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1403 | How do we know that we are truly saved? | 1 John 3:24 | JCrichton | 145147 | ||
Hi, Ray! I think that most people can understand from the Biblical passages that you have cited that in Christ Jesus we have eternal life! Though I believe that some jump to the conclusion that these passages equate having eternal life in Jesus to "always saved" or "never losing salvation." When I read Scritural passages I automatically conmpare them with other passages (specially those that contain Jesus' own Words)... I also seek to understand any direct effect/consequence that binds the actual passages (ie: "If you love me, keep my commandments." John 14:15--how can we love Jesus while insisting on transgressing His Commandments?... it just can't be done!) 1 John 5:11, tells us that we have eternal life, given to us by God; it also tells us that that Life is Jesus! Further it tells us that we have eternal life if we have Jesus, and Jesus tells us that if we abide in Him (John 15:4-6) He abides in us... he further tells us that if we love Him we are to keep His Commandments! Hence, I do not equate having eternal life to possessing a special clause or pronouncing a special statement... I equate having eternal life to having Christ: keeping His Commandments! God Bless! Angel |
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1404 | How do we know that we are truly saved? | 1 John 3:24 | JCrichton | 145151 | ||
Hi, Ray! I followed most of the arguments... I fully agree with you on the Holy Spirit; as He is God, the Holy Spirit does not seek to control us... rather, He desires our obedience (belief) and submission (yielding our wills to His)... "However, I do believe that there is a "perfect" understanding that we need to go back to and rediscover; or that will be revealed later in the will of God." If the Holy Spirit would be controlling us... would such statements as the one above not be unnecessary?... yet, since we are granted free will, we may choose to serve God or to reject Him (choosing death rather than life); that perfect understanding which you speak of is found in 1 Corinthians 2:16... sadly, our egoes do not allow us to surrender our will to God fully, otherwise we would live that perfect union which Christ called us to live ("be one" "love one another")... that special relationship between us and God through the Holy Spirit is seen in 1 Corinthians 2:6-16... it is by surrendering to the Holy Spirit that we can fully achieve that unity with Christ, with all Believers and, ultimately, with the Father! One more point, if God controlled us, how would we be able to choose death rather than life?, ...how would we sin, embracing the creatures while rejecting the Creator?, ...how would we be able to grieve the Holy Spirit, Ephisians 4:30, rather than obey and revere Him? ...Capitalization: I agree with you, our spirit, that essence of the Holy Spirit, indwelling in us, should be in lower case "s"--Romans 8:9; however, in 2 Cor 5:4, God did not give us the pledge of His spirit but rather of His Spirit--that is the seal which we have receive, the Holy Spirit which Jesus sent to the world from the Father. ...As far as translations, I rather enjoy my Bible's version of Roman 8:10: But when Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin but the spirit is alive because you have been justified; (The New Jerusalem Bible) ...it is a simple variation but it more clearly conveys that we have life because of Jesus, as we are justified by Him! God Bless! Angel |
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1405 | How do we know that we are truly saved? | 1 John 3:24 | JCrichton | 145203 | ||
Hi, Ray! I understand what you are saying... however, my emphasis is on the Holy Spirit as God's seal... Jesus told His disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit, this is our seal... this is what makes us part of the Unit: Body of Christ... the Holy Spirit is the one that guides and enlightens our beings awaking in us that desire to call God "Abba!" In the case of Romans 8:15 I would capitalize the second Spirit since it is directly referring to that Spirit which grants us the right to call God our Father! As comparison I refer to the Jesus' words in John 10:34: we are gods... we are essence of God; yet we are not gods with capital "g" but creatures made in God's image and likeness... our spirit, reflective of this relationship, is essence of the Holy Spirit never capitalized unless the reference is a direct reference to the Holy Spirit who dwells in us! I would also capitalize 2 Cor 1:22 and John 3:34... the Holy is in us not just symbolically but tangibly (as much as God can exist in our corporial bodies) and functionally! God Bless! Angel |
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1406 | How do we know that we are truly saved? | 1 John 3:24 | JCrichton | 145363 | ||
Hi, Ray! There are things that are evident in Scripture and there are things that are not so evident... the best I can do is expose you to Scripture... as much as I want, I cannot convince anyone to see (understand) or accept (begin to understand) anything: 20For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. 21Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. (2 Corinthians 1:20-22) 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30) 19Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.” (2 Timothy 2:19) 3Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:3) 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever– 17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. (John 14:16-17) The above Scriptural passages should clarify to you how I've concluded that we are sealed by and in the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of God; He is the promise made by Jesus, our Teacher and Guide: God with us and in us! God Bless! Angel |
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1407 | How do we know that we are truly saved? | 1 John 3:24 | JCrichton | 145373 | ||
Hi, Aixen7z4! Part 1 of 3 “I did not realize before now that there are those…” I am not sure how to assimilate the above… I hope that you are playing on words/ideas rather than truly unaware! The Church (not a denominational congregation) has been under constant assault both from within and without… the worst offenders are the “Christians” who are diluting Christ’s Gospel in order to be seen as unthreatening or “friendly!” We have heard/seen in the news the erosion the Church caused by “Christians” who assault the Church through abuse and manipulation of the people under their charge, embezzlement of funds to purchase anti-Christian lifestyles, distortion of Scripture through warped doctrinal teachings, whole congregations not only tolerating secular rebellion against God’s moral teachings but actively engaging in them and pronouncing priests and bishops who themselves are living examples of the abomination that is to befall the Church as Satan ushers in perverted Gospels that not only tolerates nefarious behavior but actively promote it through immersion in both the practice of the acts and the rejection of the Word of God which condemns both the acts and the people who revel in the ungodly acts! This wanton disobedience has been creeping up on us from the beginning of Creation… and though we might think that it is far from us, if we are very observant, and honest with ourselves, we can witness the assault changing us: making us more liberal, more eager to please society’s mandates than to stand for and with Christ! I do not mean to be critical of anyone… but you offered me an example that I wish to capitalize on: “It is obviously important that those of us who call him Lord should do what he says.” When did Jesus preach that we “should” do what He says? When did Peter, John, Paul or any of the others? This is precisely what is transforming the heart of man: we believe that we can pick and choose… that we can determine what God really meant to teach… that we can receive Salvation as a prize that we own… that “Christians” are above Christ’s own Commands… that “Christians” are better than Christ… (just in case you have not heard of any of this… some preach that we do not need the Church; some, that we do not need to be baptized; still others preach guilt-free, pain-free, remorse-free, death-free sinning--for “Christians” only; while still others preach tolerance of everything and everyone--consequently they blot out, if only in their own minds, all Scriptural passages that challenge their ideologies, philosophies, and theologies--some of these doctrines include salvation for all regardless of Faith in Christ or not; belief on any and all deities is equal since we all seek a god, hence all doctrines are sound and eventually lead to the same god/gods; God loves man so if man sins He understands without passing judgment, choice (be it homosexuality, abortion as a form of contraceptive, suicide as a form of escaping a painful/hard life, cloning or harvesting organs from the indigent or reaping organs/organic material from babies whose bodies have been wrenched from the wombs of their biological carriers…) is a God given right…) Christ never expects that we should do as He says… Christ demands that we do as He says! (Matthew 7:26; ) “…It is not doing good works that makes us saved.” When have I stated that works save? |
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1408 | How do we know that we are truly saved? | 1 John 3:24 | JCrichton | 145374 | ||
Part 2 of 3 “We are new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17) created in Christ Jesus” Sadly Scriptural passages as the above are taken to their extreme value while rejecting Christ’s own words when He decisively rejects those who have become so adapt that they can perform great feats in “His Name” even though their hearts and spirits are away from God (they lack humility, charity, compassion…); Jesus’ words are quickly excused as pertaining to non-believers or people passing as Christians--Jesus, of course, never stated: “this refers to the unbelievers and the charlatans…” He admonished Israel and taught His disciples… He was never ambiguous about His words even when His own disciples would find them hard to stomach! (John 6:53-66) When Jesus spoke about divorce, He did not expect His disciples to choose obey or reject His Word… as with everything else, He Commanded them to do what He said… not to try to do their best, not to chose an alternative interpretation! “But I encourage you to consider that he was speaking of being removed from a place of service. ” So you are saying that the average person can opt to not abide in Christ and all that is lost is a place of ministry? You truly believe in once “saved” you can do as please without fear of damnation? I missed that parable, where did Jesus teach that (reject me or disobey me or ignore me… it’s OK!)? “It may involve being removed from this life (1 Corinthians 11:30). Yet the soul that trusts in Jesus will be saved (1 Corinthians 3:15).” So you mean to say that if I opt to continue a life of sin, since I’m saved, the worst that could happen is that my number will be called prematurely or I wont be able to hold a place of leadership in the afterlife? “Come to him, admit that we are sinners, ask him to change us, and he does.” This sound excellent! But when did I say different? I think that there’s a great misunderstanding… the iniquity that these people (Matthew 7:21-27) are being charged with is not believing in Jesus, not humbling themselves to abide in Him, not accepting their sins and confessing them… rather, like the Masters of the Law, they charged everyone else and used prepackaged language to claim their status as “saved” (born of Abraham or of knowing the Law!)… These people externalize Christ but continue to dwell in their old nature! Jesus sees into the core of their being and rejects them because He is not swayed by outwardly appearance--wondrous signs, in their case! “All those good works come after salvation.” That sounds very sound! But how can callously returning to sin be a product of “salvation?” How can God change us, only to grant us free and clear sin-full life? How can an “eternally saved” person disobey Christ Commandment? How does adultery or fornication, serving the creature rather than the Creator, demonstrate that a person has eternal life?: We obey Christ because we Believe. We humble ourselves to God because we Believe. We repent from our sin because it is His way or the fire way! We seek to abide in Him because He Commands us to abide in Him! As disciples of Christ, our goal is not to seek to excuse our behavior by interpreting Scripture in a manner that conforms to our desired mold… as disciples of Christ we are to have a greater justice/responsibility than the Pharisees and Sadducees who circumvented the Law whenever it was convenient/profitable! (Matthew 5:20) It is not our attempt to be humble or to love our enemies or one another that demonstrates that we are abiding in Christ…. it is doing it that demonstrates that we are abiding in Christ (Matthew 7:17)… claiming that we are of the Light and yet living in darkness is evident testimony that our statement is flawed! (1 John 2:10) |
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1409 | How do we know that we are truly saved? | 1 John 3:24 | JCrichton | 145375 | ||
Part 3 of 3 “You note well that we own a guarantee of salvation which we have done nothing to merit! The fact is, we cannot merit salvation.” You misunderstand me! The fact that we cannot do anything to merit Salvation should be cause enough to keep us from boasting about being saved! Not once in Scripture do we find anyone boasting about being saved! They boast about Christ! They boast about God’s Mercy! They boast about God’s Love! It is due to our liberal notions that we seek security instead of obedience; liberty instead of accountability, complacency instead of abstinence, rebelliousness instead of submission! “I am born again” or “I am saved” or “we have eternal salvation…” it all has an egocentric sound, doesn’t it? Even though we profess one thing, we behave contrary to our own profession! Being born again is not an excuse to sin, and it should never be used as a means to equate ourselves to God (free of sin) or to believe that we are above damnation when we purposefully choose to sin and to remain in a sinful state! It is not that we are saved! It is that He Saved us! As Paul attests, He did not purchase us so that we should summit ourselves to the old nature that is contrary to the Holy Spirit and can only produce death! (1 Thessalonians 4:7; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20) “So, admonish us, but we do not believe you that we can merit salvation.” Again, I admonish all, not to live secure in the understanding that we can sin because we are “saved” or “born again!” And, I clarify that not once have I claimed salvation due to works; not once have I stated that we merit salvation; and, not once did Christ say that He is the resurrection and the life so all are saved! I admonish all to search the Holy Scripture for not once does it state that “once saved always saved” so eat, drink and be merry! Jesus clearly warns that those who are double-minded cannot be His disciples (Luke 9:62; Revelation 3:16)… though it is true that there are some Scriptural passages that seem to guarantee “once saved always saved,” even Jesus warned that not all who claim to abide in Him do (Matthew 7:21-27, Luke 6:46); further, He also warned that the Word did not save all (Matthew 13:18-43; John 3:14-21)… notice, though, that it is not the Word that cannot save, rather is man who determines that he rather stay in darkness than to enter into the Light! “But please do not insist on condemning us, because God may ask you who are you (See Romans 8:33,34).” I insist in that we abide in Christ and be saved, rather than rely on “special commendations” to grant ourselves salvation! Christ warns that it is not He who Judges, it is the Word that Judges. Who am I to condemn anyone? (John 12:46-49) But, as a servant of Christ, I cannot sit idle awaiting to see if others decide to abide in Christ or continue in their own wisdom! It is not in vain that Scripture warns that it is better to rely on Yahweh than to trust in human beings… Peter was always quick to run to Jesus, yet, when facing the unknown, while walking on water, instead of keeping his eye (Faith) on Jesus he trusted his own knowledge of the environment (wind, etc.)… the split second he hesitated… he began to sink! (Matthew 14:23-31) “But please leave us the right to know that we are saved.” This has never been my argument! My argument is that we are saved by Jesus and in Jesus… that once we begin our lives in Jesus it is our obligation to continue in Him, to abide in Him, to humble ourselves to Him, to know Him as our Salvation, to not excuse our turning back to sin/sinful life with the “saved” card--rejecting Christ (disobeying His Command) cannot be seen as a result of having a “guaranteed salvation!” Please, rely on Jesus, He is the Resurrection and Life! And we must understand that Believing in Him does not mean knowing Scripture (Satan and his angels know Scripture, yet they do not submit to God‘s Authority)… to Believe in Jesus is to OBEY HIM--this of course is explained by Him: “If you love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15) “To the extent that we do sin after we are saved, please correct us...” This is precisely my argument! I am not seeking to limit Salvation (God’s ability and willingness to save us)… I am simply concern with the doctrine that blinds us by offering “Christians” total and automatic exoneration from sin… our Salvation is guaranteed by Christ but we are not guaranteed a life of sin in Christ! Abiding in Christ can never validate disobedience and rebelliousness! As John said: if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) God Bless! Angel |
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1410 | How do we know that we are truly saved? | 1 John 3:24 | JCrichton | 145441 | ||
Hi, Aixen7z4! I agree with your statement completely! We are all found in various levels of knowledge and understanding (spiritually)... spiritual maturity comes with dependence and Faith in Christ... our confidence is that He is our Salvation! My concern is that much too many times we find people who profess to be "saved" and through their actions they are in complete contradiction of their statement of faith! Too many times these are the models for many who seek to limit their responsibility in Christ... As you noted, many times we are not able to assist others during church service/meetings... our task, I believe, is to be ready, as Jesus commanded us, to testify to anyone anywhere (supermarket, office, school, restaurant, road, while visiting friends and relatives, on-line, while shopping, while answering/screening our calls); the best way is to simply convey the message (no heavy preaching, no patronizing, no issuing of pamphlets... heavy listening, heavy determination to assist/guide/teach; heavy life of prayer!)... One thing to keep in mind... our responsibility is not to convert people... as Christ's messengers our obligation is to bring to others the Good News! Sometimes... it seems that there is little that I am able to accomplish... then I meet someone and we end up speaking about the Lord for hours or I see an elderly woman smile that confident smile that means that we are walking the path together or someone tells me of answered prayer! I believe that if you look back you will find that you are guiding many onto the Path... sometimes a simple joyous "We are starting/involved with a Bible study group," may be all that you hear... you may never know how many people you have reached through one person that you have assisted/brought to Christ! God Bless! Angel |
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1411 | How does one "test spirits"? | 1 John 4:1 | JCrichton | 129730 | ||
Hi, God's student! I remember one time meeting this lady from a local congregation that taught something to that afinity... she pronounced that one particular person had a demon in him... this went on for a few weeks... then, one day she was in desperate need of assistance! Take a gander? ...this same person whom she had attested that he had a demon reflecting on his face was the one person that relieved her--his previous sin? He did not go to her place of worship! Granted, the Holy Spirit gives us the ability to measure others, but this according to God's Word... when we use our human intellect and prejudice to determine who is in God and who is not we fall prey to our own fallacies and we err not on the side of Christ but on the side of humanity! Besides 1 John 4:1-3 here's another gauge to test the spirits: You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. Life by the Spirit So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. (Galatians 5:13-26) When we rely on the Word of God to test the spirits (including ourselves) the Truth is plainly manifested! God Bless! Angel |
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1412 | who is the angel of the lord? | 1 John 4:2 | JCrichton | 157144 | ||
Hi, Superlotto! There are several Biblical passages in the Old Testament that speak directly on the angel/Angel of the Lord: The Angel of the Lord as Yahweh: Genesis 16:7-14 and 22:11-18; consider also Judges 2:1-5; 6:11-18; 13:3-22; Another Person of God: Zechariah 1:11-21; 3:1-10; 12:8; Jesus: Malachi 2:7; The Holy Spirit (in a round about way): Acts 8:21-29. God Bless! Angel |
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1413 | Is there such a thing as a false Christ? | 1 John 4:3 | JCrichton | 133804 | ||
Hi, Ray! There are many false Christs in the world... Every person/congregation that denies that Jesus is the Word incarnate: true God and true Man, preaches and believes a false Christ and as Scripture testifies the person/congregation is one spirit with that false Christ; in essence the entity becomes one with what is preached and believed! (1 Corinthian 6:16-17) A false Christ is an anti-Christ... anyone who rejects Christ's Gospel is preaching/believing in a false Christ (Galatians 1:6-12); even when they insist on calling themselves Christians! (Matthew 24:23-26) God Bless! Angel |
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1414 | Is there such a thing as a false Christ? | 1 John 4:3 | JCrichton | 133874 | ||
"I think that you should become aware that verse 17 with its "But" shows a difference in spirit between the one who joins himself with the harlot and the one who joins himself to the Lord." Hi, Ray! I am aware of this fact... but when I state false Christs, I am not saying that Christ is false or that He is anything other than God! I have known people who think that they are serving Christ by claiming His Name--yet, they submerge themselves in spiritualism (contacting the realm of the dead), astronomy (searching for truth and guidance in symbols and planets), and numerology (seeking a divine path to God through a bogus science)... all these brush with the occult in one way or the other... but these people (the ones I've met) do not distinguish between the fellowship of Christ and those "mediums." In essence they have created a false teaching (as Santeria--a mixture of Catholicism and Voodoo)... we can witness a similar "false" Christ in the verious public people who profess to be Christian (by word, affiliation to a Christian congregation, or carrying a cross); yet the Christ they follow is a mixture of "feel good," Oriental/Asian spiritualism, and their own interpretations of Christ! Sadly, those who become one with abomination will never, simultaneously, be one with Christ, yet they live the fallacy that God is good and all forgiving so people are free to worship as they please; hence the "false" Christ! God Bless! Angel |
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1415 | can satin hear my thoughts | 1 John 4:4 | JCrichton | 120143 | ||
Hi! You will not find a specific passage in the Bible that will use your words exactly (verbatim). There are passages that reveal the Truth in words or teachings that could be understood to have the same meaning of what you are inferring: Children, you are from God and have overcome them, because he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4) This is the most excellent passage when concerning what the devil or Satan can do or not do: Only God is in us (Christians) the devil can only scheme, trip, and lie... he has not the power to bend our will nor to know our thoughts. But he is an ancient Serpent, one that is astute and quite able... he would twist around even God's own words in order to confuse us; Judas learned, too late, about the truth of Jesus' Christ's incarnation because God allowed Satan to control him. Had Satan the power to know and control our thoughts there would have been more disciples that would have betrayed Jesus--all out of fear for their lives. Matthew 8:28-32 talks about devils fearing Jesus and asking to be left alone--not knowing the outcome they asked to be allowed to possess some swines that were near by; they perished! 1 Corinthians 2:8-16, tells us that only by the power of the Holy Spirit are we made aware of spiritual matters--Satan refused to obey God, hence all privileges with the Holy Spirit were revoked. Though God is Omnipotent and can do whatever He pleases, God chooses not to force us into submission; instead, He allows us the freedom to choose to serve Him. Satan, though he is not all knowing and all powerful, uses tricks and lies to convince us to follow his ways--a path that is ample and seemingly luxurious, but that inevitably leads to death and destruction. God Bless! Angel (Please forgive me for not using your screen name... it suggests a drug fix...) |
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1416 | How do we know for sure Jesus is God? | 1 John 5:6 | JCrichton | 148940 | ||
Hi, pgs! Read John 1:1-18 (John the Evangelist, Jesus' disciple) was granted an understanding of Logos, the Word, that no other had before him... John spoke about Jesus Christ existing along side of God and being God... Comapare this to Paul's revelation in Hebrews 1:1-14... here, it is Yahweh Himself who tells us that the Son, Jesus Christ, is God! Now combine these with all of the Old Testament statments made by Yahweh, through His prophets, and we find that there is only One God (Isaiah 43:10-13)... God is Eternal, He never changes, so He existed as the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit for ever unto eternity! (We know that the Holy Spirit is the third Person of God because Scripture tells us so: Acts 5:3-4; 4:25-26--Ref: Psalm 2:1-2; Acts 3:7-11--Ref: Psalm 95:6-11; Hebrew 10:15-16) John in his 1st Epistle reveals to us the relationship between Christ, God, and the Believers: 1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. 6This is the one who came by water and blood–Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7For there are three that testify: 8the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 9We accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. 10Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. (1 John 5:1-13) See how intertwined the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are? (Check also 1 Corinthians 12:3; Hebrews 9:14 and 2 Peter 1:21) There are some who reject the Holy Scripture or attempt to twist God's Word, by insinuating everything from vocabulary definition; translations; to outright distortion of God's Word... there is no escaping it: Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and He is God! God Bless! Angel |
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1417 | I need an explanation of 1 John 5:10 | 1 John 5:10 | JCrichton | 149152 | ||
Hi, Ruth101! Jesus is God's Son... He came onto the world so that we may live... if we believe in Jesus, He grants us the Holy Spirit--who in turn brings us to the full understanding of God since the Holy Spirit searches everything, even the deepest places of God... to deny the Son, Jesus, is to call God a liar because God has stated that Jesus is His Son and that in Him He is pleased! The Sadducees and Pharisees were right on the money when they wanted to kill Him and replied to His statement that He made Himself equal to God! Yet, Yahweh's testimony, through the prophets, is that Joshua, Christos (the Anointed) would come to His people as the Emmanuel (the God-with-us) would be with them! When we deny Christ as the Son of God we deny God's Word: we are calling God a liar! So we believe that Jesus and the Father are One or we deny both the Father and the Son! God Bless! Angel |
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1418 | Everyone who loves is of God?? | 1 John 5:12 | JCrichton | 133730 | ||
Hi, Liberty Belle! I understand your situation... I've met people who want to use Scripture the way we do commerce: take what we want discard what we dislike... Try to explain to her that God is Love and that those who Know God have to Live in God's Love... God's Love is Jesus! (John 3:16) And try to explain to her that doing "good" is not proof enough that we are in God's Love (1 John 2:1-11)... it is not enough to do "good" to those who are our friends, relatives, coworkers... we must fellowship with Christ (be His disciples) and He calls us to love even our enemies (Matthew 5:43-48) and to live in Him (John 15:5-14)! God Bless! Angel |
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1419 | What is the summary outline of 2John | 2 John 1:6 | JCrichton | 121927 | ||
Hi, J.Loh! Truth and Love; which are synonymous to Christ Jesus! From the beginning of the letter love and truth are the central points. There are no new definitions; just praises and admonitions: Christ is Love and Truth, who ever serves in that fashion is Loved by the Father! God Bless! Angel |
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1420 | Does Islam fit here? | 2 John 1:7 | JCrichton | 129062 | ||
Hi, Mommapbs! I suggest this Scripture: Revelation 13:2-17 The Beast out of the Sea …The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast. Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, "Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?" The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world. He who has an ear, let him hear. If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints. The Beast out of the Earth Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name. Historically, we know that Islam was forged through violence: those who did not submit were beheaded on site! Throughout the world they have systematically eradicated or occupied most Christian establishments... which includes the Holy Land! They expressly flaunt their brand of supremacy by demanding that any Christian symbols be removed from public sites... this includes in the United States! They speak or the coming era where all infidels will be forced to submit to their god or be decapitated on the spot! The are the only religious group that is actively persecuting Christians worldwide seeking forceful conversions, implementing torture and death for those who would not submit! Recap: Islam claims God's Throne (theirs is the true god), it persecutes and kill Christians for the sake of subjecting them to its god--direct assault on Christ, it eradicates or usurp places of Christian worship and actively seeks to remove from public site any reference to Christ (Cross, Nativity...)--indirect assault on Christ; it professes that its god requires that infidels (their term for both nonbelievers of their religion and for Christians) be converted even if by force or be exterminated from the face of the earth... What is the function of the anti-Christ? (Revelation 13:5-7, 14-17) God Bless! Angel |
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