Results 361 - 380 of 532
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: Robert Nicholson Ordered by Verse |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
361 | cut off | Rom 11:22 | Robert Nicholson | 33287 | ||
Brother Zach: To suggest that we can lose our salvation goes against the promise of the Lord Jesus "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" John 3:16 Your reference to Romans 11 21- 22: This chapter is discussing how that Israel because of unbelief had been set aside and that God has turned to the Gentiles by his grace. This is in a national sense. In this chapter it is made clear that individuals from all nations by faith can be saved. Romans 8:23. His warning to the Gentiles as a whole is " do not be puffed up in pride, you have nothing to boast of, it is the grace of God that in his sovereign mercy cut of the tame branches (Israel) that we the Gentiles the ( Wild branches) could be grafted in. I believe that God is speaking to Jews nationally and Gentiles as a group. The great mystery which was hid from the prophets was that the Gentiles who were outside of the promises of God, would be brought into God's favor by faith in Jesus Christ. In v. 23 makes it clear that individual Jews as well if Gentiles can be faith as individuals be grafted in. In this time or dispensation of God's grace the invitation to salavtion is to the "Whosoever will" regardless of race or creed. Thank God his promise takes me in. Lose our salvation???? John 15 is talking about abiding in him. In John 15:6-10 the word IF can be also translated "Since". Since I am in him and his is the one that keeps me safe in his hand, I can never lose my soul. I do not believe that the scripture supports salvation which is dependent upon works. Works is the fruit which results from knowing the Lord Jesus and the external proof that we have salvation through him. I am aware that there are those who disagree with this truth. The Lord Jesus made many positive statements which assures us that upon receiving or trusting him "we have eternal life". Eternal cannot be defined as temporary life. This is the wonderful thing of the Gift of God through Christ, that to us it is unmerited and yet by his grace he offers to us the forgiveness of sins and personal relationship as sons through faith in him. Praise his precious name. Robert |
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362 | cut off | Rom 11:22 | Robert Nicholson | 33390 | ||
Brother Curt: Thank you for your response. The forum would be very boring if we simply agreed on everything. I think that it is God’s will that we follow the example of the Bereans’ “ They searched the scriptures daily, whether these things be so” (Acts 17:11) I am sending this in two parts, since I am having trouble losing my posts when I go to preview. Your struggle regarding God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility is common to most Christians. We know that God will bring about his plans and purposes as he will. As our creator we have no right to accuse him (Rom.9:20). When humankind fell into sin, God could have wiped them from the scene. However, this was not his will. His will was that he might bring sinful humans back into fellowship with himself through Christ. I think the example of Adam is helpful in understanding God’s workings with us. Adam and Eve disobeyed God and brought sin into the world. There sin broke the communion which they once had with God and they hid in the garden from him. God knew this! Yet in his grace he calls Adam “Where art thou?” and asks “what hast thou done?” It seemed that before God would do anything regarding his sin he wanted an honest confession first. We find that after this that God clothed them with the skins of animals which is the first instance of atonement by blood. As I am sure you know that from that time onward, in order to cover their sin, humans were instructed to offer an innocent, living sacrifice unto God. In Hebrews 10 we read that those sacrifices of old were only types and shadows of Christ. “But this man after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down on the right hand of God. Ephesians is a book which was written to those “in Christ” to tell them of what they had come into in Christ. That all believers are part of the church which is his body Eph. 1:23 (there are no counterfeits here) This positional truth makes it clear that all we have in Christ is due to God’s grace alone. In v3. we find that “he hath blessed us with ALL spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ” In v.5 amazingly we find that his eye was on us before the world was made “chosen in him before the foundation of the world” to what purpose? “that we should be holy and without blame before him in love.” In addition, he has “predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ...”V.5 This family relationship places us as sons in the family of God. Paul expands on this in Romans 8:17 “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together”. In Eph. 1:6 we find that our acceptance to God is based on his acceptance of his own son, “wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.” This positional truth is not dealing so much with our failures within ourselves, but would raise us up and make us appreciate in a measure what we have in Christ. This position which is assured by his acceptance is unalterable. I will send part 2 in a few minutes Robert |
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363 | cut off | Rom 11:22 | Robert Nicholson | 33392 | ||
Brother Curt: Who does God Choose? Why did he Choose me, you, other? Jesus said “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:32) Jesus said “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37) Who did Jesus die for? Paul writes “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” (1 Timothy 1:15) John writes “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins ofthe whole world”.( 1 John 2:2) What is God’s will for all people? Paul writes about God “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”( 1 Tim: 2:4) Why then are all not saved? In fact as you have pointed “many are called, but few are chosen” Paul writes to the Romans in chp. 3 “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all them that believe” V.22 There are two groups in this verse: the righteousness of God is offered to all. Yet it is only upon all them that believe. As you have pointed out from Romans 3:11 “There is none that seeketh after God” and in the following verses 12-19 God shows us the sinfulness of our human heart. There is no difference,we are all the same, there is nothing in us that would attract God to us. At the end of this summary God concludes: “Therefore by the deeds of the law shall no flesh be justified in his sight” Rom. 3:20 How then does one get saved if we are so hopelessly lost and dead in sin? We must remember that the good shepherd will always go after the sheep which is lost and bring him to safety in the fold. John 10 Jesus taught his disciples of the coming of the Holy Spirit into the world after his death and “when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. (John 14:7) When God looked on the human race in Noah’s day he said “My Spirit shall not always strive with man” Gen. 6:3 God by his spirit speaks to lost sinners in this world through those who know Christ, through his word and through the circumstances in life. He speaks to us of our sin through our conscience, he speaks concerning the righteousness of God through Christ and he speaks of judgment to come. Humans are not robots, like Adam of old they are capable of hearing the voice of God by his Spirit. I do not believe that faith is a work. God calls lost sinners to himself by his spirit. When we here his call we must respond. It is true that he called us often before we knew that it was he that was speaking. Nevertheless, when God call us he will bring us to a point in which he will open our understanding regarding the work of Christ. However, if we refuse to accept our lost sinful condition and rest upon Christ for salvation we will not be saved. There are many examples in scripture of people who were spoken to time and time again, but there came a point when it was too late. Faith is a conviction within which gives us assurance that Christ is sufficient for our salvation. It is a truth that is revealed to us by the Spirit of God, it is not a true which we can conjure up on our own. If we were to look at the many people who came to Christ when he walked on this earth we find that he usually waited for a response before he blessed them. Think of the cripple man who was carried to the roof by his friends because of the crowds surrounding the savior. They tore up the tiles and let the man down at Jesus feet. The Bible says “When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.” (Mark 2:5) It seems to me that our repentance is acknowledging that God is right about our sin and to turn to him in all our need, at this point by his spirit he will reveal Christ to us. We do nothing except rest in him. You were correct, A lot to ponder! In Christ Robert |
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364 | cut off | Rom 11:22 | Robert Nicholson | 33401 | ||
Brother Curt: I am not surprised that you are Presbyterian. I have considered Calvinism and Arminism against the scriptures and find myself somewhat in the middle. In reponse to your questions: "Outside of God's grace, is there anyone worthy of salvation? (I assume you agree the answer is "no") " (I agree) "So God, in His infinite justice could opt to save no one and still be just. (agree or disagree?)" In his eternal purposes I agree. However, he will not go back on his word now. It is only out of God's love and mercy that He saves anyone. (agree/disagree?) ( Amen!) "He could choose to save some and not others? (yes/no?) This would be just?" (yes he is sovereign) "Does the parable in Matthew 20:1-15 address this?" ( certainly in the sense that the householder was sovereign in dispensing of his own wealth." "What are the implications of this Scripture in terms of the "doctrine of election"? " We could certainly apply this scripture to election in the sense that we cannot question the grace of God. Are all elect or just some... are all chosen or just some? Are all predestined... etc? ( I believe that all who are in Christ are elect of God and are predestined to the adoption of children) The question here is "Are there some people who are not choosen because they choose not to listen to the Spirit of God? "Does God choose, then we choose? Or does God just choose?" I believe that God speaks to us by his spirit and reveals to us our need of Christ. Our choice is to simply rest upon what the Holy Spirit reveals to us about the sacrifice of Christ. In 1 Cor. 1 Paul speaks the method God has chosen to reach lost sinners "For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe." In other words we preach the gospel to all and allow the Spirit of God to work with individuals. In the same chapter Paul speaks of election and who is chosen "For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence." 1 Cor. 1:26-29 I think that based upon the sciptures above that Christ came to call lost sinners. Proud, self-righeous need not apply. Curt: I understand the theory of 5 point Calvinism. I have difficulty reconciling this theory with free choice. Your second last paragraph I would agree with to a degree. However, I also believe that sinners can reject Christ. If we believe that it is God who gives us our response, than we would be considered robots. Even sinners who in their life God used to bring about his purposes made a choice to harden their hearts against him before he finally hardened their hearts forever. Examples: Esau and Pharaoh. God is not unrighteous. The commission of our saviour in Mark 16:15 "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." is still valid today. Even a Calvinist cannot pick out those who are chosen and those who are not. I have a question: If each person who is and will be saved is absolutely chosen by name, why did the apostles in their time and people in these times,go to such lengths to spread the gospel to the "whosoever will"? Why is the last invitation in the Bible in Rev. to the whosoever? Another thing I noticed. Is that God tends to save people who are related to people who know Christ. Yet I believe that our salvation is very personal and is not part of family relationships. "I wonder what he saw in me to suffer such deep agony?" I will stop for now God bless you Robert |
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365 | cut off | Rom 11:22 | Robert Nicholson | 33415 | ||
Brother Curt: Just a short reply for now. I appreciate your fairness in comparing our thoughts on God's word. In 1 Cor. 10:32 we read about 3 groups of people in the world at the time of Paul and extends even to now. "Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:" When we study the purposes of God in his Grace we need to keep in mind the 3 groups: The Jew or Israel refers to God's chosen people through whom he choose to work throughout the old testament. He gave them prophecies which pointed to the coming Messiah who is their redeemer. However, we find that when he came into the world the Jews as a nation rejected him. We find that they as a nation has been set aside, but God is not finished with them yet as you have pointed out. He will turn back to Israel after this dispensation of Grace is over. The Gentiles or pagan nations were outside the promises of God and yet God in his eternal mercy and grace had a plan for them. He turned to the Gentile nations after the death of Christ. We find that the apostles preached the gospel to Israel first, to Samaria and then to Gentiles. In this dispensation of Grace God is dealing in grace with individuals from all backgrounds "for there is no difference". The Church of God as described in 1 Cor.12 consists of all believers who have been saved from the cross onward. I agree that God is all knowing, it is difficult for the finite to comprehend the infinite. God's sovereign will and plan will come to pass. The gift of eternal life is all of God. It was his plan and purpose to save those who are lost. He speaks to us by his spirit, through his people and through life's circumstances. He prepares our heart until like the jailor of old we exclaim "What must I do to be saved" At that point God by his spirit reveals to us the truth that Christ died for our sins on the cross at this point we rest in him. God bless Robert |
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366 | cut off | Rom 11:22 | Robert Nicholson | 34030 | ||
Zach: Would you agree that; When we trust Christ or accept Christ as our redeemer and savior by faith, we are saved by his grace alone. We are changed from within by the Holy Spirit of God. However, he also saves us daily as we walk for him, again by his Spirit and through his word he will give us the power to overcome the world. When we sin, we have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ the righteous. The third aspect of salvation is our salvation from the old world all together at his coming 1 Thess. 4. a) Saved from the penaly of our sin, forgiven because of his precious blood. b) Saved from the power of Sin by the Holy Spirit c) Saved from the presence of Sin when he calls us to be with himself. The context of Romans 11 teaches us that Nationally, Israel has been set aside and yet we find in v25-27 that Israel will be restored back to God nationally "when the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. V.13-24 Paul is warning the Gentiles that the grace of God which has been given them is not to be taken for granted. It was because of unbelief the natural branches (Israel nationally) were cut off. He reminds the Gentiles that God's blessing comes to them by faith and they in fact have nothing to boast and indeed if the Gentiles fail to continue in his goodness, they will also be cut off. Nevertheless, God is still saving individuals from all nations who come to Christ by faith. IN Christ Robert |
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367 | The "Permissive Will" of God | Rom 12:2 | Robert Nicholson | 45164 | ||
Greetings Karlos: An excellent question. I have also heard the "will of God" expressed as his "sovereign will" which refers to his plans and purposes which are not known to humankind. On the other hand, we have the will of God as it applies to our lives and is given to us by his Spirit through his word. Does not the idea of the permissive will of God refer to events which he allows to happen and despite the failure of humankind, he brings about his plans and purposes. For example: Was it God's will that the entire world population would be destroyed at the time of Noah. Or do we see God's grace which despite the sinfulness and disobedience of humankind, he picks Noah to continue the human race through whom the redeemer would eventually come? The reason I ask this question is that I believe "that God is not willing that any should perish, but all should come to repentance" 2 Peter 3:9 If or since God does not will any to perish, Why do they perish as in the day of Noah? It would appear that God allowed them 120 years to repent and yet they choose disobedience instead. I look forward to your response Robert |
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368 | Personal conviction? | Rom 14:1 | Robert Nicholson | 69702 | ||
Greetings Guitarmonkey: Romans 14 most certainly deals with things which are open to question as to right or wrong. Although, it primarily deals with meats, drinks and days I believe the principles apply to other areas of life. First of all we are not dealing with the principle of Noah's day "that everyone did what was right in their own eyes. In Romans 14 we are looking at the weak christain and the strong christian and their attitudes toward each other. On things which we do not have a "thus saith the Lord" we are not to dispise or judge the other for the things we may allow. I have seen it work both ways, where a strong brother will intimidate a weak brother causing the weak brother to do or accpet things which he is not comfortable with. Conversely, I have oberserved some who claim to be weak and would us this claim to prevent the strong brother from doing things he feels are right. When dealing with doubtful things we are given instructions: 1. "Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind." Is it something we can give God thanks for? 2. If we have doubts about a certain thing than it is sin to allow it v. 22, 23 3. We must be considerate of our brothers and sisters, since we have a responsibility for their spiritual well being. V15 4. We should be willing to give up certain things rather than stumble our brother. We are reminded that such actions destroy "the work of God" A searching question we can ask ourselves "What would Jesus do? What would Jesus think of this? Does my action bring glory to God? Guitar, God did not give us a list of rules to follow, but rather he has given us divine life and he wants us to learn by experience how we may become more like Jesus and serve him until he comes. If we had a list of rules, we would end up with legalism which is sin. A few things to think about Robert |
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369 | Soul sleep? | 1 Corinthians | Robert Nicholson | 76485 | ||
Greetings Beau and Okhoppy: The Lord Jesus speaks of hell or "hades" which is the place of departed spirits in Luke 16:19-31. In this account he makes it clear the man who is lost is in conscious torment in contrast to the man which is saved who is comforted. I agree that our bodies sleep in the grave until the resurrection. However, as has been pointed out from 2 Cor. 5:8 "that we are absent from the body and present with the Lord" I believe the word "present" means more than sleep. Paul in writing to the Philippians says "I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful to you" (Phil. 1:23-24) Again "to be with Christ" is something Paul is longing for. In Rev. 6:9-11 we read about the souls who were martyred for the word of God. In verse 11 they cry out to God for justice. It does appear that they are aware of what is going on around them. We do not look for the undertaker, we look for the uppertaker. Robert |
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370 | Apostles, Prophets? An Office for Today? | 1 Cor 1:1 | Robert Nicholson | 74222 | ||
Greetings Graceful: I have been following this thread with interest. I agree with your last statement that it is the word of God which was given to us through the apostles which is the foundation and that Jesus Christ is the Chief cornerstone of the church. However on the topic of Apostles. In Matt. 10: 2-5 we read: Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him. 5 These twelve Jesus sent out..." As we know these were called by the Lord Jesus himself and were sent out by Christ for a specific purpose. These "sent ones" were given power or authority by Christ himself. I find the statement in V. 2 to be very clear. We know however, that Judas Iscariot was numbered with them and yet was lost. In Acts 2:15-26 is explained in detail. It is here that we find Matthias is chosen by lots and is numbered with the eleven apostles. I guess we could ask the question was Matthias an apostle or was he simply numbered with them? Paul describes himself "as one born out of due time" 1 Cor. 15:8 and sees himself as "the least of the apostles..."v.9 Paul was called by the risen Christ. Although his physical eyes were blinded on the road to Damascus Paul tells us "And last of all he was seen of me" (1 Cor. 15:8) Paul had a special calling and was sent out by the Lord. The Lord said "he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my Name's sake" (Acts 9:15-16) You might ask "Why are you discussing this? The reason is that in eternity there will be only 12 apostles. I believe the 12 apostles are those of Matt. 10 with Judas deleted and Paul added. In Revelation 21 we read of a new heaven and a new earth. And descending our of heaven from God is the "great city, the holy Jerusalem" v.10 As we look at this magnificent city the Lord makes special mention of the foundations: "And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb" (Rev. 21:14) I believe that he scripture supports that there are twelve apostles who are unique in their calling and in their commission and that their names will be remembered through all eternity. Peace in his blessed Name. Robert |
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371 | Saint!!! | 1 Cor 1:2 | Robert Nicholson | 37374 | ||
Good Morning Grace: I quoted the above verse from 1 Cor. 1:2 which teaches us that it is our calling in Christ, "called to be saints" You will notice that throughout the Epistles that the believers are called saints. It is amazing that the Grace of God is such: that he calls lost, unworthy sinners to himself and through Christ brings them into a loving relationship with himself. They are sinners who are now saints. At times we often say "I'm only a sinner saved by grace". which is true. However, God would like us to hold our heads high because we now are saints in the body of Christ and seated in the heavenlies with Christ.Eph. 1 In short, a saint in the Bible is one who has trusted Christ as saviour. Some saints sin, others are weak, some are needy, while others live a godly life and yet they are saints who are precious to God. There are no "Saints" in scripture. The Lord never gave preferential titles to humans. Paul, Peter and the other apostles saw themselves as servants of the Lord and never took the singular name "Saint" to their name. "Saints" are an invention of certain church oganizations over the centuries. Peace in his Name Robert |
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372 | what is ment by the body is the temple? | 1 Cor 6:19 | Robert Nicholson | 148741 | ||
Greetings 980 fairburn rd: I believe that 1 Corinthians 6:19 sheds light on your question. "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?" (1 Cor 6:19) Clearly, this verse is referring to those who have been born again and are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God. Paul in writing to the Corinthians telling them why it is so important for believers to treat and use our bodies for Christ. In this chapter starting at verse 9 to the end of the chapter, Paul is teaching the need for purity among believers. He is speaking specifically about the seriousness of immorality in a believer's life. In Verse 20 we read "For your are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" (1 Cor 6:20) From this verse we see that Paul is including the whole person and their need to glorify God in their body and spirit. In Romans 12:1 we have a similar plea "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." God bless you Robert Nicholson |
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373 | Is this phrase in scripture? | 1 Cor 10:13 | Robert Nicholson | 67970 | ||
Greetings jlynette: I believe you are looking for 1 Cor. 10:13 which reads "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."KJV Peace in his name Robert |
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374 | hair is her glory | 1 Cor 11:15 | Robert Nicholson | 42994 | ||
Dear Pajoyla: I think the main scripture is found in 1 Corintians 11:15. In this chapter the topic is headship. It is also pointed out that a man should have short hair; "But if a woman have long hair it is a glory to her" Robert |
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375 | hair is her glory | 1 Cor 11:15 | Robert Nicholson | 42995 | ||
Dear Pajoyla: I think the main scripture is found in 1 Corintians 11:15. In this chapter the topic is headship. It is also pointed out that a man should have short hair; "But if a woman have long hair it is a glory to her" Robert |
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376 | hair is her glory | 1 Cor 11:15 | Robert Nicholson | 42998 | ||
Dear Pajoyla: I think the main scripture is found in 1 Corintians 11:15. In this chapter the topic is headship. It is also pointed out that a man should have short hair; "But if a woman have long hair it is a glory to her" Robert |
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377 | what does new convenant mean? | 1 Cor 11:25 | Robert Nicholson | 68699 | ||
Greetings Godfearinglady We read in 1 Cor. 11:25 "...this is the cup of the new testament (new covenant) in my blood: this do ye as oft as you drink it in rememberance of me" In Hebrews 8 and 9 we have detail and comparison between the old covenant and the new covenant. Under the old covenant God dealt with people in various ways which always pointed forward to Christ who would fulfil all the types and shadows of himself seen in the old covenant. The old covenant was temporary, whereas, the new covenant is eternal. In Hebrews 9 we read about the tabernacle of old and how the priests entered with the blood of animal sacrifices on behalf of the people. The problem was that these sacrifices had to be repeated since they pointed forward to Christ. "But Christ being come a high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained redemption for us" Heb. 9:11-12 In other words the new covenant is a spiritual covenant, Christ has entered into the holiest of all with his own precious blood, a once and for all sacrifice for us. Under the old covenant, sins were only covered for a season. Under the new covenant in Christ our sins are forgiven forever. Under the old covenant the priest was the mediator Under the new coveant Christ is the mediator Heb. 9:15 In 1 Cor.11:25 the blood of the new covenant is referring to the blood of Christ, who established the new covenant with his blood fulfilling the promise of God "This is the covenant that I will make for them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law into the hearts and in their minds will I write them; and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more Heb. 10: 16-17 Thus, those who have been redeemed by his precious blood "enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus a new and living way"Heb.10:19-20 Peace in his Name Robert |
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378 | Kin, too much ritual in baptism? | 1 Cor 12:13 | Robert Nicholson | 27356 | ||
Kin and Fountain: I believe that you will find that the context of 1 Cor. 12:13 is teaching us that the moment we trusted Christ we were baptised by the Holy Spirit into one Body, the body of Christ which is sometimes referred to as the church which is his body. All believers are part of this Spiritual body. In V. 27 of 1 Cor. 12 we read "Now we are body of Christ and members in particular" This baptism is not ritualistic and occurs at the moment we rest in Christ. In Christ Robert |
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379 | Kin, too much ritual in baptism? | 1 Cor 12:13 | Robert Nicholson | 27469 | ||
Dear Fountain: Thank you for the kind response. I was a young boy when my father at age 35 got saved. We immediately began to hear of God and of Jesus. We were taught about the death of Christ and it was emphasized that we must be born again if we ever wanted to be with Christ in heaven. I spent many miserable hours wondering how to get saved. I was told that all I had to do was believe that Jesus died on the cross for me. I believed that and yet I knew that I was not saved. One day walking home from school, in rural Ontario Canada, I sat at the end of my laneway on the snowbank and once again I tried to believe and tried to feel saved. Finally, through my tears I simply asked God "please help me to get saved" My mind was taken off trying to believe and as I thought of the words of John 3:16 I realized that I was the whosoever for whom Christ died. In a moment, I rested my all on him for eternity and passed from death unto life. I believe that from John 3:3 "Except a man be born again or (born from above) he cannot see the Kingdom of God. Jesus reemphasized this in v.7 "Marvel not that I said unto you, ye must be born again". When the Holy Spirit takes up the word of God and opens the eyes of our understanding to the truth that Christ paid our debt on the cross and through him we are forgiven, the holy Spirit enters and changes us forever. "If any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things have passed away, behold all things have become new" (2 Cor. 5:17) This of course does not mean that we will be a full grown Christian overnight, but we will have new desires with a view to pleasing God. And as we live our lives the Holy Spirit will be seen in our lives if we allow him to use us. I Cor. 12 :13 "For by one Spirit, are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles..." I believe this is teaching that when we are born again or when we have rested our all on the finished work of Christ, the Holy Spirit places us in the body of Christ. This is not water baptism. In fact the remainder of the chapter explains how we are "members in particular" and that we are interdependant on each other. Paul uses the metaphor of the human body to illustrate this. What about baptism: Part of the great commission given by the Lord Jesus was "baptizing them..." In the Acts it would appear that every believer was baptised. In the example of the Ethiopian in Acts 8 the question was asked "What doth hinder me to be baptised" Philip answered, "If thou believest with all thy heart, thou mayest. The man responded "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. We see the method of baptism in which Philip goes down into the water with the man and he baptised him. Believer's baptism is not a ritual, but is a commandment from the Lord. It is for those who have already been born again or saved. When we are baptised as in the days of old we are identifying with Christ in his death, buriel and ressurection. Our baptism proclaims that we intend to live for Christ and turn our backs on our sinful past. I agree with your comparison of John 4 and 1 Peter 1:25 that Christ is the living water and when we accept him by faith, he dwells in the heart of each beliver by his Spirit. Col.1:27 Oh Christ he is the fountain The deep sweet well of love The streams of earth I've tasted More deep I'll drink above There to an ocean's fulness His mercy doth expand And glory, glory dwelleth In Immanuel's land. Thank you for listening and may God richly bless your life. Robert |
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380 | Kin, too much ritual in baptism? | 1 Cor 12:13 | Robert Nicholson | 30004 | ||
Love Fountain: Thank you for your touching response. I love and rejoice in the truth of 1Peter 1:22-25. Is it not wonderful, that our God doesn't give us all the answers at once, but he wants us to "grow in grace and in the knowledge of his dear Son"? And is if that were not enough, he will continue to reveal to us the unsearchable riches of Christ throughout all eternity! Happy new year. Your brother by his grace alone Robert |
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