Results 1 - 3 of 3
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: Beau Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | CAN THE DEVIL STEAL A GIFT OR GOD TAKEIT | Rom 11:29 | Beau | 9887 | ||
You've somehow misunderstood my response and the context of the verses I quoted. I have in no way implied that God does not keep His word nor that the enemy is even remotely close to, let alone greater than, God in power and might. God certainly kept His word with the children of Israel regarding the promised land, but they could not enter it as God had planned because of their sin and rebellion. And in Mat. 13 with the parable of the sower, Jesus very pointedly emphasizes that the devil takes away the Word that was sown in the heart of the listener. If you care to argue the point with Jesus, be my guest. (grin) The text is very clear. Just because God allows the enemy to take some ground, cause discontent and spur all manner of evil, does in no way imply that the enemy is greater than God. One need look no further than the life of Job to see clearly that God can and does allow a healthy measure of suffering to happen in the world in order to further His sovereign purposes. Look at an example in 1 Kings 14:7-10 "Go, tell Jeroboam that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I raised you up from among the people and made you a leader over my people Israel. [8] I tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, but you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commands and followed me with all his heart, doing only what was right in my eyes. [9] You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made for yourself other gods, idols made of metal; you have provoked me to anger and thrust me behind your back. [10] Because of this, I am going to bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam. I will cut off from Jeroboam every last male in Israel--slave or free. I will burn up the house of Jeroboam as one burns dung, until it is all gone." God clearly gave Jeroboam a "gift". But because of Jeroboam's rebellion, the gift was taken away by God. The promise of the gift was always there and was never revoked. But it was Jeroboam's sin (or another way to say it is Jeroboam's rejection of the gift through his actions) that caused God to remove it. Throughout the Bible, God's promises and gifts are not without responsibility on our part. While, as Paul says, the promise and gift of eternal life are indeed irrevocable, we still have the option of rebelling, rejecting and discarding the gifts of God through our actions. This is what Paul is talking about in Rom. 11:29. Even the free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord carries with it the act and responsibility of accepting Him through faith as our Savior. The gifts have never been revoked, but we as a rebellious people clearly discard them every day. Faithfully ... |
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2 | CAN THE DEVIL STEAL A GIFT OR GOD TAKEIT | Rom 11:29 | Beau | 9853 | ||
Careful not to take Romans 11:29 out of context. The statement by Paul appears to be discussing God's “promises” or gift of salvation to the Jews and gentiles. If God so desires, a “gift” can be withheld, even stolen by the enemy as in Matthew 13 versus 18 –19, “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path.” Many, many times in the old testament there were people who fell out of favor with God’s will and lost (some might say rejected) the blessings and gifts He had given them. Was not the promised land a gift to the children of Israel and did not God withhold that gift from them (and entirely from Moses) for their disobedience? Your thoughts? Faithfully ... |
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3 | Soul sleep? | 1 Corinthians | Beau | 9817 | ||
First of all, this is not a what would be considered a 'salvific' issue. I'd be curious to know what scripture(s) lead(s) you to believe we immediately go to heaven when we die? Sometimes we base our beliefs on a traditionally "assumed" Christian doctrine. It's amazing how much folks like to defend their beliefs with little or no Biblical evidence. Keep in mind that for some, this issue just makes them feel better to know that past relatives are with God and not merely sleeping in the grave. 1 Tim 6:16 tells us that God alone is immortal, therefore we, including our souls, are really not immortal. In Ecclesiastes 9, Solomon laments that the "dead know nothing" and "in the grave, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom." In John 11, the story of Lazarus, Jesus plainly says that Lazarus has fallen asleep and that he will wake him, noting plainly that Lazarus was indeed dead. I can see where some confusion could happen with this subject because Psalm 146:4 Says that "When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; …" However, Colossians 3:3-4 says that our life is hidden away with Christ in God. It would seem to suggest that we're really not "alive" in heaven as we might be alive on Earth because verse 4 says, "When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." 1 Corinthians 15, beginning in verse 51, Paul says, "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - [52] in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. [53] For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. [54] When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory.'" 1 Thessalonians 4, beginning in verse 13, reinforces this thought with, "Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. [14] We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. [15] According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. [16] For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. [17 ] After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Paul literally infers death is a kind of sleep. John 5:28 also offers: "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice [29] and come out - those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. Read also Revelation 20:1-10 which offers a similar scenario of the end and of those who are asleep in death who will rise at the call of our Lord's voice. John 14:3 says, "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." If we are already with Him, why does He need to come back for us to take us with Him? It doesn't really make sense, does it? The Bible is rather clear (at least it is to me) that when we die, whatever part of us that is our soul, is somehow kept safe with God and we sleep in the grave. Then at the first resurrection of those who are in Christ Jesus, we are again given (new) life and transformed, just as Christ was raised, transformed and given new life by the Father. The truth of these scriptures would also seem to offer a direct contradiction to the popular Christian belief of a "secret" rapture, such as portrayed in the highly regarded "Left Behind" book series. But that's a different subject. Hope this helps answer your question. Faithfully ... |
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