Results 441 - 460 of 495
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Results from: Notes Author: Aixen7z4 Ordered by Verse |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
441 | How does God speak to us? | Heb 1:1 | Aixen7z4 | 154244 | ||
We can agree with anyone who is seeking the will of God, whether through his written word or through personal interaction with him. Both are valid, and we can remind him that the two need to go together. Psalm 119 and John 16:13 go well together, and those who quote either one should reconcile them in themselves and with each other. |
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442 | How does God speak to us? | Heb 1:1 | Aixen7z4 | 154278 | ||
I am inspired by the Holy Spirit, I think, to look into the way that he works, using the word of God to guide us. The word of God includes direct revelations and explicit, universal commandments from God. It also includes history, showing how people responded to what God had said. The Spirit reminds people of God's will, again recording their responses. But the historical account often includes the first clear indication that we have of the mind of God on a matter. Did anyone know, before Cain, that “sin lies at the door” and we must resist it? Did anyone understand, before King Saul, that “to obey is better than sacrifice”? The matter was not clear to the casual hearer, since it was God who had commanded sacrifice. It would take a closer examination, as Koukl would say, to see exactly who was to do what. One may suppose that all of the commandments and precedents had been set in the Old Testament, and that people in the New Testament, and in our day, have those scriptures to go by. But it is not quite that simple. Some of the commandments, including the command to offer animal sacrifices, have been annulled, superceded, nailed to the cross (Colossians 2). And there are new commandments, such as the one to preach the gospel, that do not appear, or are not clear, in the Old Testament. Still there is no doubt that we are to be guided by scripture, and the Holy Spirit here to help us with that. He guided Jesus. He was filled with the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1) and the Spirit led him (Matthew 4:1). When he was tempted, the Spirit brought to his mind the scriptures appropriate to the specific situation. Tempted to turn stones into bread, he was reminded that the scriptures had said, man shall not live by bread alone, from Deuteronomy 8. When he was asked to worship Satan, the Spirit reminded him of what had been written, that we should worship only the Lord our God, and that he is the only one we should serve” from Deuteronomy 6 and 10. Etc. There were times when people remembered scripture, and we are not told that the Holy Spirit was involved. Herod asked where Christ should be born, and they recalled what Micah had written, "Bethlehem of Judaea". They could search the Scriptures for those things (John 5:39). When Jesus cleansed the temple, in John 2, his disciples remembered that it had been written, “The zeal of your house has eaten me up“. In Acts 1, Peter referred to scriptures (in Psalms 41 and 109) which led him to seek a replacement for Judas. It is not clear to this writer whether the Holy Spirit was the one prompting those memories and leading him in that action. Some would say that only the Lord himself could choose an apostle, and that he would do that in Acts 9. Jesus had said the Spirit, when he came, would guide them (John 16) but the had not yet come when Peter was taking that action. Because he was filled with the Holy Ghost, I assume that he was guided aright in Acts 2, recalling the prophecy of Joel, and Psalms 16 and 110. A person may recall the scriptures of his own accord. But Jesus said the Holy Spirit would bring to the mind things that he had spoken to them (John 14). So, Peter recalls (Acts 11) what Jesus had said about baptism with the Holy Spirit. We may say it was the Spirit himself bringing that to his remembrance. When Paul recalls Jesus saying it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20) we understand that it was the Holy Spirit reminding him, even though he had not caused it to be recorded in the gospels. But several New Testament passages speak of the Holy Spirit’s guidance without any reference to the Scriptures. The Spirit tells Philip to go to the Ethiopian’s chariot (Acts 8) and afterwards, he catches him away. He tells Peter to go with the visitors from Cornelius (Acts 11) and forbids Paul to preach the word in Asia. How he communicated those things, we are not told, nor do we know whether he made reference to any scripture. In the end, one would like to say two things. The first is, that the Spirit seems to give specifics (“Go to Macedonia”) where the scriptures are more general (“Go into all the world”). But then we wonder how he could possibly indicate ”Not Asia” when Asia is in the world and “all the world” is in Mark 16:15. There is no recorded scripture that would indicate (as in Matthew 10:5) that certain places were to be left out or left for later after the Gentiles had been brought into the scheme. The second observation is that the Holy Spirit seems to be using tools, not in place of, but in addition to Scripture, to guide the apostles. This should not give any comfort to anyone seeking guidance from God apart from Scripture. But some are new to the faith, and some still have no Bible. And we still misinterpret and misunderstand the Scriptures sometimes. Even here, we may read the same passages and disagree. May the Lord guide each of us as we seek him in his word, and with our whole heart. |
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443 | How does God speak to us? | Heb 1:1 | Aixen7z4 | 154285 | ||
I will say one thing more and be done with this conversation. Let the word stand, that has been written. The folks who are writing here can agree among themselves, and then hurl insults at anyone who dares to suggest to them that they should listen to their brethren who think differently. You can embrace anyone whom you think will agree with you. You can congratulate each other for simply being of the same point of view no matter how it is arrived at, no matter if they are only borrowing and quoting without thinking. My word to you is simply this: that you should think of your brothers who think differently. And what I say to you, I say to all, because there are groups everywhere who hold another point of view, but who similarly congratulate each other and agree among themselves. They close ranks and close their minds, and they also despise you, their brethren. What I say to you, I say to them: Please listen. What I say to you, I say to them. You are correct in saying that God speaks through his word. They are correct in saying that God speaks to them personally. They need to listen to you and to pay close attention to what the Bible says. And you ought to listen to them, and appreciate their emphasis on the application of the word to our lives. It is from the Bible that they have learned that God is interested in a personal relationship and in personally leading them. If you listen to yourself you will also hear that God is not only the God of history and the God of the Bible, but he is the God of today, and he lives in our hearts. The Holy Spirit who dictated the Bible also wants to dictate our steps. He wants to take the truths set in the Scriptures and apply them to the specifics of our lives. He is the same yesterday and today, and he will transform the words of the Bible and bring them to life, so that you “hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk ye in it, when you turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left“, as in Isaiah 30:21. I am not writing this in order to solicit dittos or kudos but because, as we all say of our own statements, it is based on the Bible. I pray that you will listen, even while facing the reality that you probably won’t. But someone will read this and understand, so let it stand. I will not respond to your response, whether good or bad. I am leaving now for a church where there is all emotion and no Bible knowledge, where they sing “Gospel” and have no conception of what the gospel is. I am concerned with the reports that “seventy to ninety percent of the people attending the average church are not saved”. I want to show them the way, from the Bible, and encourage them to mix truth into their experience. As always, there are a few who will listen, and I trust it will be the same in this place. |
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444 | people who have never heard the Gospel ? | Heb 7:25 | Aixen7z4 | 150258 | ||
Hello Brad: Could you tell us what "universal salvation" is? I am guessing it is a teaching that everyone will be saved. I did not understand Danny to say that. What he seems to be saying is that there is universal access to the plan of salvation, and that everyone has a chance to be saved. I believe there is much support for that in Scripture, as shown in some of the posts above. The point that Danny made, that Jesus went and preached to the people in Noah’s day is clearly made by Peter, and has been referenced in this thread, I think. The statement: "It really wouldn’t be fair to condemn someone just because they never had the chance to believe" does not seem to be an attack on God at all. I do not hear Danny saying that God condemns people who have not had a chance to believe. On the contrary, he is saying that God is just and does not do that, that the situation does not arise, because God makes sure everyone has a chance to believe. I hope this is not being questioned again because we have dealt with it at length. But we can deal with any issues that have not been resolved. But again, on that doctrine: I have never heard anyone to preach a doctrine of universal salvation. If you have, please tell who holds that doctrine and exactly what it says. |
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445 | people who have never heard the Gospel ? | Heb 7:25 | Aixen7z4 | 150261 | ||
And I thought I had heard everything. And I have heard and seen some strange things in my travels. I would have thought that an idea like that would be discussed as a philosophy, among those who have no respect for the scriptures. But I am glad to say I have never heard that doctrine taught in church. |
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446 | people who have never heard the Gospel ? | Heb 7:25 | Aixen7z4 | 150262 | ||
Hello Doc. Perhaps you would like to read the posts I have already made in this thread. I think the answer to your question is already stated there, somewhere. And thank you for the Scripture you quoted. As happens, it is very familiar to me, and I use it often to explain what I do and to encourage other believers to become involved in evangelism. What I find is that some will not be persuaded. The question in this thread has been, what happens when we fail to do it. My answer, if you will consider it, is that Jesus does it himself. But say, why did you stop at verse 17? The next verse says” “But I say, ‘Have they not heard?’ Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world”. What do you make of that? |
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447 | people who have never heard the Gospel ? | Heb 7:25 | Aixen7z4 | 150274 | ||
Since the topic came up, I have read a few pieces on it. I do not feel qualified to comment, except to say it seems the ones who hold that view still believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and are trusting in him for salvation. They believe all people can be saved and I trust that it motivates them to preach the Gospel. My immediate impression is that the doctrine of universal salvation is in some ways comparable to one stating that a saved person can lose his salvation. As far as I know, they are both erroneous but harmless. I trust they do not encourage people to be careless or complacent. As far as I can see, from what I have read, that doctrine should not cause them to be slack in calling all men to faith and salvation. In fact, I’d hope it might encourage it. I am not sure it is useful to discuss this further. I would only hope that, as someone has said, that doctrine is not being espoused here. I have known only one or two people from the Unitarian church, and I have never heard them to speak of that teaching. Also, to repeat, I do not think it is what Danny was suggesting. |
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448 | people who have never heard the Gospel ? | Heb 7:25 | Aixen7z4 | 150277 | ||
Everyone has access the plan of salvation. That is my understanding of the message from scripture. I have stated above that the Gospel has been preached from Genesis 3 to this time. Moreover, it will continue to go forth until Jesus comes. It will be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come (Matthew 24). That is what Paul seems to be saying in Romans 10. “The Word is near you, even in your mouth and in your heart"; that is, the same word of faith that he was proclaiming. Moses had said the same thing to the children of Israel. “It is not in Heaven, that you should say, ‘Who shall go up for us to Heaven, and bring it to us, so that we may hear it and do it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who shall go over the sea for us to the region beyond the sea, and bring it to us, so that we may hear it and do it?’ But the Word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, so that you may do it‘” (Deuteronomy 30). It is not clear to me why you would say that Psalm 19:4 speaks of the apostles and ministers of the Gospel. I am also wondering why you say that their line having gone out to the whole world refers to the Gospel having gone out to the known world. It seems to me that Psalm 19 is a song about nature, the heavens declaring the glory of God, and the expanse proclaiming his handiwork. There is a message in the sun and the moon and the stars and in all of creation that gets across to all men everywhere. The same is said by Paul in Romans 1, that the unseen things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being realized by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that people everywhere are without excuse. God also speaks to people through their consciences, so that they have a law written in their hearts. The Jews had the Law, but also the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves (Romans 2). They show that the work of the law is written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts accusing or else excusing one another. The grace of God that brings salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world (Titus 2). And yet, conscience and nature do not preach the Gospel, though they may prepare men to accept it. The one who has brought the Gospel to us is the Lord Jesus Christ, and I give you to understand that he has been doing that throughout time and to all peoples. It is the mystery which was not clearly seen in Old Testament times, but we can see it now. The Gentiles would be fellow-heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ by the Gospel. Peter tells us that he preached to the people in Noah’s day, though Noah preached also, so that they would have their chance before they were taken away in the flood. Of course, the Jews heard the message. But God is no respecter of persons. A Rahab and a Ruth are just as welcome, and somehow they knew it. The Lord Jesus Christ goes with us now as we preach the Gospel where he has sent us, into all the world. And when he sends out his sheep, he goes before them. What is he doing? He is lightening every man who comes into the world (John 1). He is drawing all men to himself (John 12). He is still saying, “Ho, everyone that is thirsty”. He is still saying, “Come unto me all”. And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come”. And those who hear can say, “Come”. Anyone who is athirst can come. And whosoever will, he can take the water of life freely”. That is what I call universal access. I know that you will say no man will come unless God inclines his heart. And what I have said here indicates that he draws all men. Whether or not they can resist him, I do not think we are allowed to discuss that here. |
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449 | people who have never heard the Gospel ? | Heb 7:25 | Aixen7z4 | 150279 | ||
Brother Kalos, God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34). Is that the same as saying that God is fair? I think it is, unless there is another way to define “fair“. God is Sovereign, and he has a right to do as he pleases (Isaiah 46). He will do what pleases him, and no one can say “No” to him, or disannul his judgment (Job 40). But he is fair. There is no respect of persons with God. He will render to every man according to his deeds (Romans 2). God is just, and because of this, he is also fair. So, he who does wrong shall receive justice for the wrong which he did, and there is no respect of persons (Colossians 3). To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, he will give eternal life (Romans 2). We call on the Father, who without respect of persons judges according to every man's work (1 Peter 1). Let me hasten to insert here, lest anyone think those last statements mean we can be saved by our good works. It is not of works (Ephesians 2). Not of righteousness which we have done (Titus 3). They said unto him, “What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said unto them, “This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent” (John 6). But we are seeing here that God is fair. The Lord is good to all (Psalm 145). He makes the rain to sine on the just and on the unjust (Matthew 5). And some might say that is not fair. We may have some sense that the Lord should be good to the just but not to the unjust. But God is fair because he is good to all of us. He gives us more than we deserve, but he does that for all of us. And is it not lawful for him to do what he wants with his own? (Matthew 20). He is good, and he chooses to be good to all. Your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him (Ephesians 6). The LORD is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, who does not persons (Deuteronomy 10). There is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons (2 Chronicles 19). That does not mean he gives us all the same things. He gives to everyone as he wills (1 Corinthians 12). He can make of our lump of clay anything he wants. But let it not be said he is not good to all. He gives to all life and breath and all things (Acts 17). And he gives us thins so we can share, even spiritual things. He wants to save all (1 Timothy 2), and he will save all who come to him (John 6). He is not willing that any should perish (John 3). All day long he spreads out his hands all the day unto a rebellious people (Isaiah 65). Is he not good? But he does the same for all of us, and that is fair. |
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450 | people who have never heard the Gospel ? | Heb 7:25 | Aixen7z4 | 150296 | ||
Apologies to you, my friend. When I read, “WHERE IN THE BIBLE does it say that God is FAIR?”, I took that to mean, “Nowhere in the Bible does it say that God is fair”. When I read after that, “God is JUST”, I took it to mean that God is just, but not necessarily fair. I find it difficult to imagine how someone can be just without being fair, and I certainly thought that God was both. Therefore I responded to that which I understood not. Please accept my apologies. If you can do that, and if we can agree that God is both just and fair, then he is pleased, I think, and all is well. |
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451 | Does Heb.8:13 say N.Cov. hasn't started? | Heb 8:13 | Aixen7z4 | 135061 | ||
"Jesus came and come" means "Jesus has come". And he has established the New Covenant that Jeremiah saw ahead. When Jeremiah spoke, it had not yet started, but it is now in force. | ||||||
452 | The Old Covenant lingers? | Heb 8:13 | Aixen7z4 | 135367 | ||
Thank you for pointing out that a question can be rhetorical. Even when it is not, a question may be designed, not to show ignorance, or to request information, but to encourage the reader to think. Don’t you think so? For example, I might have asked, “Are you sure the Old Covenant did not fade away in the moment that the New Covenant came into effect, at the cross?” The immediate response might have been a defensive “Yes, I am”. With the thoughts generated by all the other questions, the reader might have come, hopefully, to a more reasoned conclusion in his own mind. Might it not work that way? Jesus had a way of asking questions that did not suggest he was lacking in knowledge and needing to be informed. For example: Once while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, “What think ye of Christ? Whose son is he?” They say unto him, “The Son of David”. He said unto them, “How then does David in spirit call him Lord, saying, ‘The LORD said unto my Lord, “Sit thou on my right hand, till I make your enemies thy footstool?”’ If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?” In all of this, Jesus was not seeking information, but making a point. At other times he might ask, “Which of you convinces me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?” Or he might ask, “Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keeps the law? Why do you go about to kill me?” Questions like that can cause a person to think, don’t you think? In this case, my barrage of questions was meant to ask Emmaus, “Won’t you reconsider the combination of statements, that ‘The New Covenant was established with the death of Jesus on the cross. (But) The Old Covenant lingered and was fading when Hebrews was written’”? Surely that would mean that the two Covenants coexisted for a while. I would hope his response would be, not Yes or No but, “Let me think about it”. He might think about it in light of the other facts submitted: that there are those who think the two Covenants coexist to this day, what with tithing and Sabbath keeping and all. He might even recall, without my saying it, that Jesus said you do not put new wine into old wineskins. Sometimes a barrage of questions does not work. But it could cause a reader to think. It could cause him to think more deeply about the issue, don’t you think? |
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453 | The Old Covenant lingers? | Heb 8:13 | Aixen7z4 | 135368 | ||
That is a beautiful passage. I am sure you must have been thrilled to hear it. Little words like “But” and “Now” can have such an impact! For example, we were dead in trespasses and sins ... "But God who is rich in mercy ..." (Ephesians 2) and, what if the dead rise not? "But now is Christ risen ..." (1 Corinthians 15). The work of Christ on the cross, with all of its ramifications, is an accomplished fact. As he said, “It is finished”. Praise God. |
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454 | details of curtain in temple splitting | Heb 9:1 | Aixen7z4 | 152263 | ||
Good information? Pray tell where that information came from. It does not seem to have come from the Bible. |
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455 | Please Help I am looking | Heb 10:25 | Aixen7z4 | 102786 | ||
I was afraid of that. I will probably be banned from this forum for saying this but, the Bible is not for study!! It is God's revelation to us, that we should be obeying it. See Deuteronomy 29:29. How would you like this? You leave home and leave a note on your refrigerator for your children. It is a set of things you want your children to do. You return home and find they have done very little of it. They tell you they have been studying your notes. I fear we will find ourselves in that situation, we being the children, when Jesus returns. We should search the scriptures, like we are doing (John 5:39). The Holy Spirit will tell us what it means. Then we should do it, not study it. I trust you are attending church, fellowshipping with other Christians, encouraging them to love and to do good works, and being encouraged in the same. That is what your passage says. Please don’t study it. Do it. |
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456 | Abel's sacrifice better than Cain's? | Heb 11:4 | Aixen7z4 | 96433 | ||
Once again we are faced with the fact that we can be sincere and yet find out we are ... sincerely wrong. Cain was wrong. Let us not follow his example. The just shall live by faith, and faith starts with God speaking (Romans 10:17). It is "made perfect" when we respond in obedience (Hebrews 11;James 2:22). There are people everywhere doing all kind of things sincerely trying to please God. May the Lord give us grace to seek his will in his word and find it. Then we can respond in faith by doing what God says. Example: What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. So: believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. |
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457 | Abel's sacrifice better than Cain's? | Heb 11:4 | Aixen7z4 | 96435 | ||
Once again we are faced with the fact that we can be sincere and yet find out we are ... sincerely wrong. Cain was wrong. Let us not follow his example. The just shall live by faith, and faith starts with God speaking (Romans 10:17). It is "made perfect" when we respond in obedience (Hebrews 11;James 2:22). There are people everywhere doing all kind of things sincerely trying to please God. May the Lord give us grace to seek his will in his word and find it. Then we can respond in faith by doing what God says. Example: Saul "served God" by killing Christians. |
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458 | How does this verse apply to today? | James 1:13 | Aixen7z4 | 145559 | ||
We may say that in some ways tempting and testing are opposites. Satan tempts people in order to entice them to sin’ to try to get them to sin. God tests us so that he and we can see what we are made of. The purpose of temptation is our downfall. The purpose of testing is to reassure us that we stand by faith, and to encourage us to continue. Satan tempted Eve (Genesis 3). God tested Abraham (Genesis 22). Satan tempted David (1 Chronicles 21) and God tested Job. We may see the hand of both God and Satan in these latter cases and note how God’s and Satan’s aims were different. Satan tempted Job to curse God to his face. God tested him so that he might come forth as gold. Satan tempts us to do evil (Matthew 4). God never tempts us to do evil (James 1). Satan promises us easy times if only we will serve him. God tests us by allowing us to go through tough times so we can know whether our faith is genuine (1 Peter 1). In some places, in some translations of the Bible, the words for tempting and testing may be used interchangeably, and we will need to examine the process and the results. We need to see from the context whether the initiator is God or Satan. Their intentions toward us are always quite different. Satan wants us to do evil and to fall. God wants us to stand and be strong. Therefore, in every circumstance, we must resist the devil and submit ourselves to God (James 4). |
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459 | How does this verse apply to today? | James 1:13 | Aixen7z4 | 145584 | ||
Hello, Doc. I agree entirely that God is glorified in our trials, or can be. The fact that we are able to bear them is a tribute to him, and a measure of the grace we receive from him (2 Corinthians 12). Yet I wonder if he is glorified when we chafe at our trials, and complain. He says we should do all things without murmuring (Philippians 2) and therefore, I think that our complaining does not glorify him. Yet I note that Job complained, and so did David, and Jeremiah. It is perhaps in their complaining that we find the weight of their burdens and the soreness of their trials. But the Lord responds to Job with a question: “Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?” and he learned, and we can learn from that. We can learn from David to hope in God, and from Jeremiah that his mercies are new every morning. When God says, “Return to me and I will return to you” (Jeremiah 15) he seems to be saying again that his grace is sufficient. If we can look at these men and learn, then it may be you say, that others can look at us as well, and see that God’s strength is made perfect in weakness. Like our good works (Matthew 5), our patient endurance of suffering may cause men to glorify God. And we glorify him ourselves. If any of us suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God because of it (1 Peter 4). In the end, our golden faith will bring him praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. But the trials we face are to test not our lives but our faith, and our hearts. They show how much genuine faith we have and they serve to strengthen it. God tests our hearts to see if we love him enough to obey him. And we are grateful for that. Indeed, we invite it. Like the Psalmist we say, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting”. We love him with all our hearts, to the extent that we know our hearts, and if our trials reveal anything less, we pray, “More love, O Christ to thee”. We may even sing, in the words of Elizabeth Prentiss: Let sorrow do its work, come grief or pain; Sweet are Thy messengers, sweet their refrain, When they can sing with me: More love, O Christ, to Thee; More love to Thee, more love to Thee! |
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460 | the bible speakes of man or woman | James 5:16 | Aixen7z4 | 88311 | ||
Sometimes the word "man", as in "let us make man", is generic and refers to "mankind" in general, both male and female. Sometimes the word "man", as in "the man Moses", or "men", as in "I would that men pray everywhere" refers to males. | ||||||
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