Results 501 - 520 of 645
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Results from: Notes Author: JCrichton Ordered by Verse |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
501 | The ransom - God or man? | 1 Cor 15:21 | JCrichton | 132264 | ||
Hi, Alien! ...I've been criticized before as being too strong... when it comes to Christ, I am sorry to say, I have to be, He Commanded it so! I have read through this thread... it seems that you are only interested in producing personal opinions about the Divinity of Christ (meaning that you seek to demonstrate that He is not God)... if this is truly your agenda, I suggest that you rethink your efforts as most active members are Christians (disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, the second Person in the Holy Trinity)... there is hardly anyone who will listen to any explanation that will suggest that Christ Jesus is not God! Instead of attempting to dethrone Jesus, you should be seeking to humbly obey Yahweh Who Commands that we listen to Jesus, His beloved Son--the Emmanuel, who shares His Glory and Throne! May Jesus' Holy Spirit enlighten your mind, heart, and spirit so that you may seek the Lord with all your heart, and mind, and spirit! He is the only Savior, the only Resurrection, the only Life! God Bless! Angel |
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502 | The ransom - God or man? | 1 Cor 15:21 | JCrichton | 132373 | ||
""…the timing of the Messiah is not crucial to the price of the ransom. It could have come hundreds of years earlier or later…" How do you reconcile your statement (above) with Scripture: but when the completion of time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born a subject of the Law, (Galatians 4:4--compare with Hebrews 9:26) Scripture certainly attest that there is a time schedule for God's Plan! For us to jump to a conclusion that it did not matter would be to claim to be able to surpass God's Judgment and Design!" Hi, Alien! Your reply to my question by suggesting other Scripture... If you re-read your statement (quoted within the quote) you make the presumption that the Coming of Christ is haphazzard and could have taken place any time at all... perhaps I understand "crucial" and "timing" differently than you... but God's timing is excellent and no event that has taken place has happened accidentally or out of pure whim! "The purpose of my discussion is to more fully understand the ransom, the we might be more fully motivated to dwell according to knowledge" I respect your determination in questing after the understanding of God's ransom... but your expressions seem to be either condescending to Jesus or simply trivializing the Truth that you seek to find!: "I absolutely applaud God for his choice in Jesus as the ransom, and gladly cooperated with him in the role that God has now assigned him" When I read your statement (directly above), I can't help but see triviality ("applaud God") and condescension ("the role that God has now assigned him")... Jesus is God (John 20:28), not a mere glorified human that has been given tasks to perform! God Bless! Angel |
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503 | The ransom - God or man? | 1 Cor 15:21 | JCrichton | 132376 | ||
"Are you saying "Don't bother me with the facts?"" Hi, Alien! No, not that at all... I am saying: Don't twist Scripture to mean what you desire to make of God's Word! The study of words is extremely suggestive... the jest of it all always depends on the particular view of the orator and the individual member of his/her audience... politics, science, religion, love, racism... Scripture is not subjective... when we seek to discover the truth and we twist Scripture that does not agree with our defenitions or we ignore Scripture because it denies our interpretation, we are doing nothing better than conforming Scripture to our design. When Scripture calls Jesus God and we invent ways to interpret a different meaning we are not "discuss(ing) Scripture that any and all could continue to gain in knowledge." We are basically asserting our own believes and projecting them as the truth! Since many come to this and other forums with relatively little or limited familiarity with Scripture, when they read through a post that professes to be the truth, they may not even question it, but simply just run with the statement... Since a Christian is in fellowship with Christ (a servant of Christ), the discussions in a Christian forum should reflect Christ's Divinity according to Scripture, not the individual interpretation of what he/she conceives the Word of God to mean. When I come across a post that seems to deny Jesus' Divinity, as a servant of Christ, I can't but question the direction that the person is taking with his/her statements... I am fluent in Spanish, have some limited skills in Portuguese and French... since this is not a linguist forum, I do not seek to query people on these languages... so my statments to you is reflective of that particular reasoning... If you are searching for the Truth (Jesus), then by all means query away and present all your statements... but if you simply seek to demonstrate through your own undestanding that Jesus is not God than I can only suggest that you seek a different forum... Again, this is one man's opinion! You are welcomed to express yourself as you desire... when the issue becomes intolerable to the forums bylaws, you (or I or any other member) will be notified by the appropriate agents. May the Lord Jesus Christ smile upon you and bless you with His Holy Spirit! God Bless! Angel |
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504 | The ransom - God or man? | 1 Cor 15:21 | JCrichton | 132505 | ||
Hi, Following Him! Excellent comeback, on both counts! God Bless! Angel |
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505 | How many ways can money be collected? | 1 Cor 16:1 | JCrichton | 105492 | ||
I've found no specifications on the manners in which the church may perform the collection. The various passages in the Bible that refer to charity or collections for the poor and the discipleship do not outline many specifics on the how, when, or frequency. Paul did make a plea to have thins ready: 1 Corinthians 16:1-2. But, mostly,Biblical passages are concerned with our reasons and our spiritual standing: Matthew 5:23-24; Acts 5:3-4; 2 Corinthians 9:6-7. There's an immense preoccupation with serving the poor and the discipleship: Acts 20:35; Galatians 2:9-10; omans 12:9-17; 15:25-27. There's no limit set on the amount of the offerings nor on the use of the collections. Yet there are signs of greed and divisiveness: 1 Corinthians 9:11-14--perhaps there were those who wanted to misappropriate the funds (as it happens during our times) and Paul admonishes them and clarifies that he and those with him have opted to not even ask for assistance, in order to dissuade any impostors from maligning their missions: 1 Corinthians 9:15-18. The apostles new that the need of the church would require a system of collections (funds; goods; services; food) and an equitable form of distribution. Collections were never intended to fatten a select group (Ezekiel 33:1-9). he fulfillment of the Law, in Christ Jesus, did away with many of the customs and corporal requirements of the Law. Tithing, as a mandatory covenant, was replaced with a greater covenant: Love! So, give freely, generously, within your means, and with your heart set on God! God Bless! |
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506 | can you lose your salvation or not? | 2 Cor 1:22 | JCrichton | 151660 | ||
Hi, Kalos! It is not I who tells you it is He! It is beautiful to believe! I believe the children are our future... wonderful line from an old song! I believe in God, says... well almost every body... but they create their own version of what that "God" constitutes... for some new age Christians it is a God that loves everything and allows everything including homosexuality and interfaith worship (which allows for homosexuality, atheism, a female divinity, and the acceptance of evil and good as part of God's inner structure...); it is Jesus who tells you to abide in Him and if you refuse to abide you will be cut off and burned! 1I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. (John 15:1-6) And abiding in Christ does not mean saying "I believe in Christ!:" 15If ye love me, keep my commandments. 21He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. (John 14:15, 21) Saying that we are "saved" or "born again" or that we "believe" does not make it so! Obeying Christ when He Command us to abide in Him or when He Command us to change our ways and be perfect or when He Commad us to stay the course that is what "Believing" means... it never means an easy route to salvation (jumping in line or committing ourselves to sin because we "believe" or because we are "saved..."); if you abide in Me and I in you so that you can bear much fruit... if you do not abide in me... well... just don't go around calling Lord, Lord, because I tell you, "I know you not!" (a little play on words as I paraphrased for your John 15:4-6 and Matthew 7:21-23) Believing without abiding is nothing more than the echo of sound dissipated into nothingness... even the demons believe that Jesus is who He says He is, but they do not obey; they seek to transgress any and all of God's Authority... so does the man who walks with a Bible because he believes... yet, transgresses against God as his will dictates! Was Jesus simply using double talk when He spoke to the disciples? "Abide in me... without me you are nothing!" Does that sound like "Believe in Me (well, I mean 'say you believe in me') and everything is secure... now, go on, go be yourself?" Salvation is free--for the asking! But that "born again" thing is permanent and a person cannot be born into the Light and continue to live in darkness!: 5This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. 8If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:5-10) God Bless! Angel |
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507 | can you lose your salvation or not? | 2 Cor 1:22 | JCrichton | 151801 | ||
""Belief in the N.T. denotes more than intellectual assent to a fact. The word (Gk. pistis, noun; pisteuo, verb) means *adherence to, committal to, faith in, reliance upon, trust in* a person or an object, and this involves not only the consent of the mind, but an act of the heart and will of the subject. "Whosoever believeth in him" is equivalent to "whosoever trusts in or commits himself to him [Christ]." Belief, then is synonymous with faith, which in the N.T. consists of believing and receiving what God has revealed"" Hi, Kalos! You have not argument from me! As long as "Belief" is understood as adherence to Christ's Authority and Command... sadly, what I have been exposed to is an empty "Belief." One based on "feelings" and "liberties" that claims to exonerate a Christian while condemning a nonbeliever for the same transgression/s and the same obstinacy of refusing to confess the transgression/s (sin/s)... Some "Belief" that Jesus has given Christians carte blache for living a dual life (saying we are of the Light and transgressing against God at will and with full impunity--never having to denounce our transgressions, ergo do as you please for Christ has granted you the freedom to sin!). It is this false doctrine which I question, not the fact that Believing in Him (in all of the cited definitions above) is Life! God Bless! Angel |
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508 | Righteousness of God? | 2 Cor 5:21 | JCrichton | 120172 | ||
"After reading your profile I'd like to know your position on Truth. You wrote that the Holy Spirit reveals truth. Is God's Word transcendent or is Truth being continually revealed?" Hi, mommapbs! From what the Bible teaches,it is both: Jesus Christ spoke about building his Church in Matthew 16:12-20--there was no rule/organizational book dictated; the disciples were working on the notion of the Chruch--some of them, as Peter, thirsty for more, but astute or scared enough not to demand to know more than what was given them. Jesus spoke of the Paraclete, One who would come in His name and reveal the complete Truth: I still have many things to say to you but they would be too much for you to bear now. However, when the Spirit of truth comes he will lead you to the complete truth, since he will not be speaking of his own accord, but will say only what he has been told; and he will reveal to you the things to come. (John 16:12-15) What I also find interesting is that Jesus promises not to leave us orphans; that He and the Father will dwell in us; that the Holy Spirit will also dwell in us! (John 14:17-23) During the special gathering at Pentecost the Holy Spirit came upon the Twelve (Acts 2:1-12) and there was a significant change in the Apostles' understanding and devotion (Acts 3:1 through 4:31)... The Church continued gathering disciples and growing in power and knowledge. There were still missing bits and pieces (Paul, the Name...); so it came to be that Christ brought Paul into the fold (Acts 9:1 - 31). And those who preached the Name did not become known as Christians till Barnabas' and Saul's (Paul) stay at Antioch: Acts 11:26. We can see a succession of the Truth being revealed according to God's Plan! In Genesis 3:15 we see the battle unfolded but we have very little information; this battle is described in more details in Apocalypse (Revelation) 12. The Truth, though existing completely in God and in His Divine Plan, is revealed to us by degrees, all according to God's Will! Just look at Matthew 24:1-2, 3-14, 15-28, 29-31, 32-35, 36-44, 45-51; and 25:31-46... though all of these passages speak of the end of times, there are intermingling of accounts; temporal and spiritual succession of things; revelations of things to come directly sorrounding Jesus' contemporaries (as the desctruction of the Temple the establishing of Christ's Chruch) and of both persecution of Christians and the end of times and the final Judgment. But not all was crystal clear! Paul refers to the Coming of our Lord as eminent and within their lifetime (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17)... Some time later they begin to realize that though our Lord's Coming is eminent, it is not necessarily happening within their lifetime: 2 Peter 3:3-18. This is an excellent demonstration of the imperative Truth existing in a set time frame which is not revealed to the Apostles--partial revelation is given to Peter by the Holy Spirit to quench the usurpers' assail on the Church. Partial revelation is given to John (Apocalypse 1:10 and 4:2) about the completeness of time; but he is not made aware of what truly is transpiring (has he been transported to the various time frames or is he seeing a revelation of things to come). Though set at the beginning of Creation, John, is not given a schedule to give to manking so that we may know everything about the things to come! mommapbs, I hope this clarifies my statement and satisfies your query. God Bless! Angel |
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509 | Righteousness of God? | 2 Cor 5:21 | JCrichton | 120200 | ||
Hi, mommapbs! I understand your views... I see that happening in many forums... some come in the guise of enlightenment: re-educating Christians on how to serve God by reducing Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, to a glorified prophet or angel. As Jesus said: "they have already been judged!" (John 3:17-21) God Bless! Angel |
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510 | Is inter cultural marriage advisable? | 2 Cor 6:14 | JCrichton | 133262 | ||
Hi, Janae! Excellent point on David's descendency... many bigoted people think that they can use the Old Testament mandates to claim Scriptural separation of race and ethnicity... They reject every passage where Yahweh tells His people that if foreigners come to live among them and they subject themselves to all that is prescribed to the people of Israel they are to be treated as the children of Israel; there is further Scripture that commands that foreigners bought as slaves (who being subject to their masters would adopt all of the religious obligations of their masters) be allowed to partake of all worship as part of their owners household... As you so rightly expressed, Scripture does not teach separation of race/ethnicity but separation of worship! Yahweh is a jealous God and He did not allow His people to share His Glory with others--and God does not change! God Bless! Angel |
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511 | Is inter cultural marriage advisable? | 2 Cor 6:14 | JCrichton | 133265 | ||
Hi, Janae! Correction: "David's descendency" ...should read: "David's ancestry" I've just proven the old adage: "haste makes waste!" God Bless! Angel |
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512 | Interracial marriages? Bible says what? | 2 Cor 6:14 | JCrichton | 135680 | ||
Hi, Hank! Excellent post! God Bless! Angel |
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513 | What happened to following 1 Cor.14 | Gal 3:3 | JCrichton | 148454 | ||
Hi, Tim! I met a few from a Brazilian/Spanish group "El Camino" or "The Way" they too were cultish... rather than speaking on the original "Way," their motivational speakers spoke about all the things they were accomplishing (building churches, radio towers, and other success stories), they made it all spritual by addiding that they followed "el Camino!" (Funny, was there not some vehicle called el camino?) If we remove Christ from the pulpits and our lives... the way is basically emptied of Grace and Hope! God Bless! Angel |
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514 | So HOW do you walk in the Spirit ? | Gal 5:16 | JCrichton | 150890 | ||
Hi, Jlhetrick! Thank you for the encouragement! You are so correct... there are way too many people memorizing a single Scriptural verse or part of a verse and formulating a whole theology about it... to the point of ignoring/excluding the rest of the Holy Scripture, including the verses preceding or proceeding the specified text... I remember that at one time I thought that Romans 6:23 was comprised only with the term: "the wages of sin is death;" unwillingly, I had adopted only a portion of that particular verse which, as in the Old Testament warning (the sin visited to the fourth geneneration), offers much more than simply death: God's free gift of Life! Keeping in mind that many people who are asking questions are simply not familiar with the Holy Scripture, we can better serve othes and ourselves by referencing corroborating or hermenutical passages that can expand their understanding of a single Scriptural passage... Context is not just a guide but an importand aide to understanding... this is one reason why I refuse to entertain those "what if" scenarios--nothing is relevant but the clause itself, making all and any interpretation valid! God Bless! Angel |
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515 | in christ according to Ephesians | Ephesians | JCrichton | 121487 | ||
Part 2 of 2 Of course, Paul is not insinuating that there are two Kingdoms; rather Paul is unifying Christ with the Father: One Kingdom: One King: One Savior: One God! He also calls us to action as he warns that we are to take advantage of the opportunities afforded to us by the Lord. Paul wants us to be actively involved in the Church... we are not called to just simply wait about for salvation!: "Wake up sleeper, and rise from death, and Christ will shine on you." So be careful how you live... Make good use of every opportunity you have... try to find out what the Lord wants you to do... In Ephesians 5:21-33 Paul introduces a special relationship between Christ and the Church and those who are called to serve in the Sacrament of Matrimony: husbands and wives are not merely married to each other as the pagans marry onto one another... the Christian marriage is, above all, a special relationship with Christ, who set our goal in His exemplary Love of the Church!: Submit yourselves to one another because of your reverence for Christ... as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it... There is a deep secret truth... applying to Christ and the church. But it also applies to you. In chapter 6 Paul continues setting the examples of how we are to treat one another in the faith--as the times dictated, Paul also address the issues of slaves and master: there is no distinction between one and the other in Christ, so both are to treat the other in Christ's love and justice. Then Paul breaks into a strong revelation about the battles that we, as Christians, must fight... It is a spiritual battle and we do not have the means to engage it, let alone win it: build up your strength in union with the Lord and by means of his mighty power... So stand ready, with truth as a belt tight around your waist, with righteousness as your breastplate, and as your shoes the readiness to announce the Good News of peace. At all times carry faith as a shield; for with it you will be able to put out all the burning arrows shot by the Evil One. And accept salvation as a helmet, and the word of God as the sword which the Sprit gives you. Do all this in prayer asking for God's help. Paul begins and ends Ephesians with that special relationship of Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Father. He emphasizes our dependence in God, our obligations as Christians, and God's command that we unify in Christ for the Glory of His Kingdom! God Bless! Angel |
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516 | Are our hearts HOLY or Wicked? | Eph 3:17 | JCrichton | 138165 | ||
Hi, Ray! Excellent reply! I think that part of the poblems we have is grabbing one (some) Scriptural passage and running with it--in this limited scope Scripture seems to contradict Scripture... Yet, when we allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the fullness of Truth, we begin to better understand our Lord's Word: You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. (John 15:3-6) Man's heart cannot be anything but wicked and corrupt (Psalms 14:1,3; 53:3; Romans 3:23; 5:12)... yet, in our Lord Jesus Christ, we are made whole onto God! (Romans 3:24-26; 6:11-14, 23; 8:1-17) God Bless! Angel |
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517 | Are our hearts HOLY or Wicked? | Eph 3:17 | JCrichton | 138236 | ||
Hi, mommapbs! The cleansing is there, the renovation is there... yet if we return to the vomit, like the dogs do, how can we shine in purity? Jesus told the disciples that they were all clean--with the exception of Judas, of course--(John 13:10-11)... yet when the test came for them to stand, they all fled--they feared for their own lives instead of owning the words they recently spoke (dying for their Master: Matthew 26:33-35); none of Christ's loyal disciples remained loyal... true Peter followed at a distance, but eventually he failed again as he repeatedly bold-facedly lied about known the Master... and the other disciple was guiding under the built-in guise of being one of the "crowd!" His familiarity with the place and the people where Jesus was being held and judged remained his cover--which he never broke, not once, in defense of Jesus... It is not enough to claim Jesus (John 15:5-6)... if we do not remain in Him and He in us, when we transgress against God which part of our proclaimed rightousness keeps us from the wages of sin?, or does our transgression only count if we do not claim to have a righteous heart? Paul explained it this way: What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. (Romans 6:15-17) When we obey the flesh (heart, mind, body--pick your choice word) and sin (trangress) against God, which rightous part of us is doing this? If God cannot hold us accountable because we claim to be have a righteous heart, how does God hold others accountable to their transgressions? As long as we stay in Jesus we can do anything, including humbly obeying God's Will, but when we sidestep the Lord and surrender our will to the flesh our "choice," tainted by the desires of the flesh, cannot please God (Romans 8:4-13). Paul called himself the least of the Apostles (1 Corinthians 15:9), not because the others sinned less than he did but because he recognized how he persecuted the Church... he clearly understood that outside of Jesus we are all sinners, wicked trees who cannot produce good fruits (Matthew 7:17-18), so he thanked God that Jesus came to rescue us from ourselves: We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. (Romans 7:14-25) Consider this, if we are free and clear of unrighteousness, on our own--meaning not abiding in Jesus and Jesus in us, why would we suffer the internal struggle between the desires of the flesh and God's Holy Spirit? If we are new creatures in the Holy Spirit and we are not being lead by unrighteousness, what need do we have of Jesus mediating for us in front of the Father, would our righteousness not keep us from sinning: If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 1:8 thru 2:2) As Paul said, we do the wrong that we seek to avoid, and we do not do the good that we yearn to do... thanks God for Jesus! He is our righteousness in God! God Bless! Angel |
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518 | Are our hearts HOLY or Wicked? | Eph 3:17 | JCrichton | 138271 | ||
Hi, Ray! Jesus tells us that He is the Truth (John 14:6) and that the words that He spoke are "spirit and life" (John 6:63)... I take into consideration that the Word incarnate reveals who He is: the Truth (in Him there is no deceit: "the Father and I are one") and His words give us Life (this life of course is spiritual life in Him)... so to me Jesus' Word is synonymous or congruent to both His Divinity and Scripture (as all Scripture is God-inspired)... by emphasizing Word I am playing on the spoken Commandment inferred by Jesus' Authority (as in His statement "I am the Resurrection and Life"), the transcendency of Scripture (as God's Word) and the Life that Jesus Word offers us! In John 15:3-6 Jesus is revealing, as He did during so many other occasions, that He has the Power to cleans us, to expunge our sins, with just His Word: sheer Authority: Will; consequently, Scripture, being God's Word, is alive and God's Spirit quicken's our spirits and give us Life though His Word (Scripture)! "Jesus as the Vine" Correct! Jesus is not merely using a picturesque metaphor... He is telling us that He is Life, that we are empty vessels that can be filled with God's Holy Spirit or that we can continue in the vacuousness of human intellect and wisdom (whe know where human intellect and wisdom leads!--Romans 8:6)... so when we allow the Holy Spirit to enlighten us, we begin to accept Jesus terms (Will), instead of relying on our own abilities--without Him we can do nothing! Romans 3:23-24 explains this sumbiotic relationship that we have with Jesus: we humble ourselves in obedience and He cleanses us, He makes us whole, and He makes us into God's children! It is through Grace that we Live! God Bless! Angel |
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519 | Are our hearts HOLY or Wicked? | Eph 3:17 | JCrichton | 138272 | ||
Hi, mommapbs! I think this is just another case of perception of vocabulary... You, as I do, believe that it is Christ who makes us righteousness of God, that apart from Him we are vulnerable to the flesh and fall into sin... I think that perception is where we differ: you believe that we have been cleansed and given a new heart which is righteous; I believe that our righteousness is constantly dependent of Christ; I do not see an automatic exoneration of our sins but a complete dependence on Christ as we seek to abide in Him so that He may abide in us! (1 John 1:5-10) God Bless! Angel |
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520 | denominations. | Eph 4:3 | JCrichton | 148953 | ||
Hi, EdB! You don't have to go too far... in North America you can witness the soup kitchens that would only serve those who come to their proselytizing... (I am not claiming that all soup kitchens are ran the same way--I have been told of some that do)... they might think that they are emulating Christ, but in His case, He did not seek contractual agreements... even when only one of ten lepers returned to Him, Jesus did not take back His physical healing from those who refused to thank God for His mercy! Even some "well-intentioned" workers travel through the US teaching borderline believers about their brand of "Christianity," placating even the slightest opposition (yeah, its war out there, in the streets of the US of A!)... God Bless! Angel |
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