Results 1 - 20 of 51
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: seeking4truth Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | How is Jesus' death substitutionary? | Eph 2:1 | seeking4truth | 102289 | ||
So what Paul was saying is that physical death came upon all men because of Adam's sin? If that is the proper understanding, then how does Jesus' death on the cross do anything for us? I.e. I have heard, since I was a kid, that Jesus' death is "substitutionary." But it would seem that if Jesus died in my place, then I wouldn't have to die. Yet, Christians STILL die. So how is His death substitutionary? Thanks. seeking4truth |
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2 | Death? | Eph 2:1 | seeking4truth | 102139 | ||
In Romans 5:14, is this "death" that reigned spiritual death or physical death or both? seeking4truth |
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3 | What about man's spiritual condition? | Eph 2:1 | seeking4truth | 102086 | ||
The Bible seems to teach that we are born into this world "dead in trespasses and sins". As I understand it (and I may misunderstand it), Adam's fallen spiritual nature is passed on to every human being born since? Is this an accurate understanding? seeking4truth |
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4 | Born again. Giving or receiving? | John 3:3 | seeking4truth | 101722 | ||
Ken, I appreciate your exhortion to "grow up" in Christ. And I see some of the distinction you have made between being a child and being a son. At the same time, I think that we might need to consider that growing up does not make us more or less of a son. Sons (and daughters) are born, not made. I have two sons. Both of them were born to me as sons though one is now a man and the other is 4 years old. It is their birth, not their performance or maturity, that makes them related as sons to me. To me, being born again entails a few similarities to natural birth. But it is only different. I did not have a choice as to my natural birth. But I seemed to have some type of choice in my new birth (if indeed I have been born again). No matter what you want to call it, I somehow acknowledged it. But what I struggle with is that, it seems to me, new birth is new life and I think we have, in many cases, missing that point. I hear almost every week in my church that we need to give our lives to God. Why? As I understand it, according to Ephesians, we have NO life to give. Jesus didn't say that He came to get OUR lives FROM us, but to give HIS life TO us (John 10:10). Granted, Jesus did say that we must lose our life if we want to save it. But I think that perhaps it is more important to understand that, in being born again, we receive NEW life from God, not just make a bunch of commitments to improve our old lives. I can't help but wonder if we don't often come to God asking Him to wash or improve our dirty rags instead of letting Him cloth us with Himself. seeking4truth |
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5 | Insufficient grace? | Luke 14:26 | seeking4truth | 101710 | ||
Oops, we must be discussing something that is a no-no here at SBF. I've noticed that this thread has been turned off for viewing. Well, thanks again to everyone who has responded to my controverial posts and wild ideas. I appreciate all of you who had something truthful and encouraging to say, even if I disagreed or if it stung a little bit. Grace and peace to you all. seeking4truth |
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6 | Insufficient grace? | Luke 14:26 | seeking4truth | 101708 | ||
THANKS to ALL who have responded to this particular thread. So many of you have posted with (at least it seems to me) wise counsel and encouragement. Everyone of you have shared something here that has given me pause to think, to evaluate where God has brought me from, what He is doing in my life now, and where He might lead me. Everyone of you are sharing something from the Word and (it would seem) something from Christ in your heart that ministers to me and maybe to others who might read these convoluted posts. But isn't that just the way life is? We look for Him despite the confusion and the mess? Jesus Christ makes us what He requires of us. Wow. What a thought! Where is my pen? I couldn't help but wonder as I read these posts, are we becoming...friends? seeking4truth |
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7 | What is "born again?" | Luke 14:26 | seeking4truth | 101699 | ||
Ken, as far as I know. I'd like to hear your take on being "born again." seeking4truth |
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8 | Did Jesus teach hate? | Luke 14:26 | seeking4truth | 101655 | ||
I appreciate your post. It does help to put some things into perspective. It is just a struggle to understand why Jesus said and did some of the things that He said and did giving the general consensus of Him and His ministry. For instance, though He is the Prince of Peace, He claimed to bring a sword and to divide. It takes much time, patience, and humbleness to truly understand this God-man. seeking4truth |
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9 | Questions and more questions? | Luke 14:26 | seeking4truth | 101654 | ||
Searcher, I will ask you to forgive my ignorance before-hand as I don't know the original languages. But please allow me to examine this from a couple of different angles to see if I understand. "to have one's mind changed so that he lives a new life and one conformed to the will of God" As I understand it, repentance also means "to change one's mind." So what is the difference between repentance and being born-again? Also, could you clarify this concept a little concerning who does what? In other words, I could change my mind or God could change my mind. But is it proper to say that I can cause myself to be born-again or is it something that God does for and in me? What is my role in the event? Do you think that being born-again is merely a non-substantive change in the way one thinks or do you think that there is actually a substantive (although not physical) change in the nature or spirit or soul? In other words, is being born-again really being a "new creation" in Christ or is it just a new-improved creation or is it just the same old creation who tries to think and act differently? I know that these are alot of questions. But I do wonder about the meanings behind much of "Christianese" and what we really believe when we say something. (I wish there was a way to "bump" this to a new thread. This could turn into a rather lengthy discussion.) seeking4truth |
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10 | Insufficient grace? | Luke 14:26 | seeking4truth | 101632 | ||
Justme, ***"I have wondered if we said don't introduce anyone to Christ unless you are willing to either disciple or get someone else to keep this "new creation in Christ" growing. Any thoughts?" Yessir, I have a thought (I'm alotted one per week): You are dangerously close to agreeing with me. Beware! :) I didn't go into it in my last tirade, but a Bible was slapped into my hands without: 1. Anyone offering me a place to start. 2. Anyone showing me a few good principles of Bible study. 3. Anyone giving me any sort of history as to how we got the Bible. 4. Anyone helping me to understand the differences between the Old Testament (Covenant) and the New. 5. Anyone helping me to learn to compare scripture with scripture. 6. Anyone helping me to understand HOW the Holy Spirit teaches us from God's Word. 7. Anyone showing me what the proper role is concerning God's written Word in my life. I was simply a number by which to judge the effectiveness of a church's VBS program. That's enough for now. I don't want to lay too much blame at "Anyone's" feet. I was simply told to read the Bible. To me at that age, it was analogous to handy me a Chilton's Repair Manual and telling me to read it in order to repair a car. I had no context of where to begin and where to go. And the Elizabethian English made it that much harder. So your post is most welcome to me, justme. We have a similar heartbeat. "People want to know that you care before they will care what you know." seeking4truth |
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11 | Insufficient grace? | Luke 14:26 | seeking4truth | 101625 | ||
Good verses, Aixen. Can I probe a little bit? (I promise to be gentle.) When I was 12, I was presented the "Roman Road." I would suspect that most of the folks on this forum are familiar with this formula for evangelism. So as I began to understand that my sin and my being a sinner separated me from a holy God, I naturally asked questions. It went sort of like this: "My sin separated me from God because He is holy and pure?" YES, THAT'S RIGHT. "So how do I get myself clean so that I too am holy and pure like God." SON, THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO CLEAN YOURSELF FROM SIN. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. THERE IS ONLY ONE THING THAT CAN CLEAN YOU FROM SIN - THE BLOOD OF JESUS. "But Pastor, don't I have to clean up my act before I can come to Jesus?" NO, SON, YOU CAN'T CLEAN YOURSELF. ALL OF YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS IS AS FILTHY RAGS IN GOD'S SIGHT. ONLY JESUS BLOOD CAN CLEAN YOU. "Let me see if I understand: God is perfectly holy and righteous. I am a sinner and unclean. There is not ONE thing that I can do to make myself clean before God. All I can do is to trust Jesus?" THAT'S RIGHT, SON. IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU - IT'S ABOUT JESUS. YOU TRUST JESUS AND HE WILL PURIFY YOU. YOUR SINS WILL BE WHITER THAN SNOW. (seeking4truth trusts in Jesus as Lord and Savior) "Wow, Pastor, Jesus has washed me whiter than snow?" THAT'S RIGHT. "Now what do I do?" NOW, SON, YOU NEED TO KEEP YOURSELF CLEAN BY NOT SINNING AND IF YOU SIN, YOU GET YOURSELF CLEANED UP THROUGH CONFESSION AND YOU NEED TO PURIFY YOURSELF AND YOU NEED TO LIVE HOLY AND YOU NEED TO SANCTIFY YOURSELF AND YOU NEED TO... If I could go back 30 years, I would say, "Wait a minute, Pastor, BEFORE I came to Jesus, it was all about HIM and what HE has done. Now that I have come to Jesus, why is it all about me and what *I* must do?" Funny, evangelicals tell folks that they can't possible make themselves pure enough to be acceptable to God or to enter His kingdom. "It is finished!" we say. But after "conversion", the focus dynamically shifts 180 degrees to our standing being completely dependent upon what WE do or don't do. To me, this effectively means that the grace (a gift of God) that is sufficient to initially save us is powerless to keep us clean and pure before God AFTER we become saved. It would seem that "sinners" are saved by grace but that "saints" are perfected (purified) by works. Something smells fishy and fleshly to me. Any thoughts? seeking4truth |
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12 | What is "born again?" | Luke 14:26 | seeking4truth | 101622 | ||
Okay, Ken, I am interesting in discussing this "perfecting" if you are willing. But... First, can you explain to me (without theological gymnastics and conjugating 50 verbs) what, in your opinion, being "born again" means? I have heard many explanations over the years but I would like to hear yours. seeking4truth |
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13 | Christ and Christians? | Luke 14:26 | seeking4truth | 101582 | ||
Ken, ***Did you follow this one: John 3:7 (NASB) "...... 'You must be born again.' Yes, I thought I did. But I also found this one: Matthew 5:48 - "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." Think being born again is hard, try this one. Ouch. Sorry, no can do. Yet it is Jesus' imperative command, isn't it? seeking4truth |
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14 | I'm skeptical | Luke 14:26 | seeking4truth | 101574 | ||
Hi BradK, I do appreciate your concern and thanks for caring. But I am in a place right now where (I know this is going to sound sacriligeous) quoting key scriptures just doesn't help me very much. Why? Isn't it because I don't believe the scriptures? Well, yes and no. I believe the scriptures are from God and are therefore infallible. But I don't believe that we interpret them infallibly. I know that I don't. I've been wrong so many times (while claiming to know for absolute certainty) that I no longer trust myself. And everytime I would have sworn that it was the Holy Spirit revealing truth to me. For example, I could list about 8 verses that seem to say that a person can lose their salvation. I could list about 8 that seem to say that salvation is eternal. I could list about 6 that seem to say that salvation is a progressive process. And I could list about 6 that seem to say that it is an event. So it is difficult for me to know what truth is anymore. That is why I am seeking it and what others may say about it. The beauty of a forum like this is it encourages us to look at more than one passage of scripture and to consider more than one viewpoint. I have a philosophy (and I admit that this may be wrong) that truth cannot be known UNTIL all the passages of scripture concerning a certain topic have been considered and there is no contradiction between them. Unfortunately, I find that Christians can (and do) argue about almost every doctrine and each one has their "pet" verses they use to substantiate their view. If you will find my post about Jesus' criteria for being a believer, you will see what I mean. (Sorry I don't have the link) But Jesus listed criteria for believers in Mark 16 that I just don't meet. So by His own words, I am not a believer (at least, not in the sense that He requires). I tend to think that I believe in Jesus like I believe in Abraham Lincoln. He lived, He died, He ascended, He will return. But I do not speak in tongues, pick up serpents, drink poison, heal the sick, thread on scorpions nor can my faith move an anthill, let alone a mountain. So by Jesus' own estimation and definition, I am not a believer. And I don't know if I ever will have that kind of faith in Him to do those things. I know, that makes me not worthy of the kingdom. What can I do? I guess all I can do is to trust that He sees my heart and that somehow His grace will be sufficient for me when it is all said and done. Thanks again for caring, BradK. If I relied on ONLY John 17:3 and 1 John 5:11-13, I might have some hope. But I know way too many other passages that say that I must endure to the end to be saved, or that I must be baptized to be saved, or that even acknowledging that He is Lord AND doing some of the miracles that He listed as signs of true believers is not enough. He still says to depart from Him. All I can do is to be like Job and say that though He slay me, yet I'll have to trust that His judgement is right. seeking4truth |
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15 | Ken, are you sure? | Luke 14:26 | seeking4truth | 101561 | ||
No, I'm still seeking. And I always will be. But *I* determine what I'm seeking, you don't. I simply don't wish to argue with you. That's all. seeking4truth |
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16 | Ken, are you sure? | Luke 14:26 | seeking4truth | 101553 | ||
Ken, okay, Jesus was innocent. I agree. That was a good, solid argument. I couldn't argue with that. Nor will I. You win. :) Have fun. seeking4truth |
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17 | Ken, are you sure? | Luke 14:26 | seeking4truth | 101552 | ||
No thanks. I'll let someone else begin. seeking4truth |
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18 | Ken, are you sure? | Luke 14:26 | seeking4truth | 101545 | ||
Well, I'm not so sure, Ken. You wrote: "It's always been a "blood" demand with God." I've posted verses that seem to speak to the contrary. But we all tend to believe what we want to believe. Again, that is what much of these threads are about in this topic - that WE pick and choose which verses we want to hold to and which ones we want to reason away or ignor. To me, this smacks of the same sin that brought humanity's downfall in the first place - "Did God REALLY say...?" And I am not so sure about the statement of only innocent blood standing in the presence of God either. Jesus was, as I understand it, righteous, not innocent. Innocent denotes not knowing right or wrong (as Adam and Eve were before the fall). Righteous denotes a positive component of moral perfection, not innocence. But these are the fallible thoughts of a fallen creature (myself). seeking4truth |
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19 | Ken, are you sure? | Luke 14:26 | seeking4truth | 101538 | ||
Hi Ken, You wrote: For your consideration, let's see what the scriptures have to say: Psalm 30:2-3 - O Lord my God, I CRIED to You for help, and You healed me. O Lord, You have brought up my soul from Sheol; You have kept me alive, that I would not go down to the pit. Psalm 40:1,6 - I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me, and heard my CRY... Sacrifice and meal offering You have NOT desired; My ears You have opened; Burnt offering and sin offering You have not required. Psalm 50:13-15 - "Shall I (GOD) eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of male goats? Offer to God a sacrifice of THANKSGIVING and pay your vows to the Most High. CALL upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me." Psalm 51:16-17 - For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a BROKEN SPIRIT; A BROKEN AND CONTRITE HEART, O God, You will NOT despise. Micah 6:6-8 - With what shall I come to the Lord and bow myself before the od on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, with yearling calves? Does the Lord take delight in thousands of rams, in ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has told you, O man, what is good; and what DOES the Lord REQUIRE OF YOU but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Post by seeking4truth, scriptures by God |
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20 | I'm skeptical | Luke 14:26 | seeking4truth | 101502 | ||
Emmaus, yes, I know the post was yours, my friend. I was just referring to some reference book that someone else mentioned that, from what I understand, goes indepth into the meaning of the Bible words. It could be helpful. As to your being a Catholic Christian, that is between you and God as far as I'm concerned. I'm not even sure that I am a Christian so I'm certainly not in any position to judge anyone else. But I do understand what you are saying in reference to "father", though. In my particular translation, the next verse says not to call anyone "instructor" because Christ is the instructor. I am not sure why this particular label is not called into question. Maybe (only a guess) because in Western culture, we don't often address each other as "teacher" or "instructor." As I understand it, the Jewish word "rabbi" was frequently used to show deference and to acknowledge authority. But my culture doesn't often use such a designation. In grade school, my teachers told me to call them "Miss...(this or that" or "Mrs...(this or that)". "Teacher" or "instructor" was not often used. In college, things changed a little with "professor" but even that title only signifies one who professes something. Another reason that "instructor" may not receive as much attention is that Jesus never seemed to call God "Our Instructor Who art in heaven." He often referred to God as Father but I don't recall Him ever referring to God as "instructor" or "teacher." Nevertheless, the role was certainly there, wasn't it? Jesus said that He didn't say anything unless the Father told Him to say it and that He didn't do anything unless the Father told Him to do it. It is possible that the roles may have been interchangeable, don't you think? After all, fathers should be instructors. And somewhere the Bible says that Jesus Himself LEARNED OBEDIENCE. Now, there is one to make you scratch your head. That's my 2 cents. I certainly won't claim that it is the word of the Lord, just my opinion. But I admit that I am probably the world's worst Pharisee in that I often get caught up in the letter of the law and ignor the Spirit behind it. So keep that in mind. seeking4truth |
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