Results 1 - 4 of 4
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | God/Man, Man/Man Relationships | Gen 3:8 | Lionstrong | 71652 | ||
I hear Christians speak about a relationship with God as if he were a human person, albeit a very important and powerful person. So, this leads to the question: Is the relationship between Man and God the same as between Man and Man? If not, then what are the similarities and differences between Man's relationship with God and Man's relationship with his fellow man? Let me start this study off with a few comments. First, contrary to what some believers think, God did not create man because He was lonely. Two biblical reasons support this: (1) God is his own company, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. John 17:5, "Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was." And (2) the Bible teaches that God is totally self-sufficient, and therefore has no need whatsoever of anything He has created, including man. And there is absolutely no biblical support for the notion that God was lonely. Is 40:13-17, "Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, Or as His counselor has informed Him? With whom did He consult and who gave Him understanding? And who taught Him in the path of justice and taught Him knowledge And informed Him of the way of understanding? Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, And are regarded as a speck of dust on the scales; Behold, He lifts up the islands like fine dust. Even Lebanon is not enough to burn, Nor its beasts enough for a burnt offering. All the nations are as nothing before Him, They are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless." Second, a personal relationship with God IS possible. Some liberal theologians think of God in such "totally other" terms that a personal relationship with God is impossible. Now God is high and lifted up as the Isaiah 40 passage illustrates, but I like the way the Westminster Confession summarizes the biblical position: "The distance between God and the creature is so great, that although reasonable creatures do owe obedience unto Him as their Creator, yet they could never have any fruition of Him as their blessedness and reward, but by some voluntary condescension of God's part, which He hath been pleased to express by way of covenant." (Chapter 7, paragraph 1) But although a relationship with God is possible I think it must be considered in two parts: pre-Fall and post-Fall, and two covenants, the Covenant of Works and the Covenant of Grace. The pre-fall relationship was based on a covenant between God and man, a covenant of works. God said in effect, "do this and live," and he walked with Man in the garden in the cool of the day (Gen. 3:8). If man is to have a personal relationship with God now (post-Fall), it is also based on a covenant, a covenant of grace. God says in effect, "Believe this and live." This covenant is secured by a Sacrifice and arbitrated by a Mediator "For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit." (1 Pet 3:18) So, here, then, is one difference: a relationship with God, because he is very great, required God to "come down," to condescend to man, which he was please to express voluntarily by way of covenant. And a second difference is that now this relationship required a Sacrifice and Mediator. I'm sure members of the forum can show many other similarities and differences, but there is one similarity I especially like. A man can be God's friend: Is 41:8, "But you, Israel, My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, Descendant of Abraham My friend," John 15:15, "No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you." But unlike men who are very fickled and vague in the terms of their relationship with each other, God is very concrete and clear: John 15:14, "You are My friends if you do what I command you." John 14:21, "He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him." Peace, |
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2 | God/Man, Man/Man Relationships | Gen 3:8 | rferg | 71791 | ||
God/Man Man/Man John 14:21 What commandments are we to keep? |
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3 | God/Man, Man/Man Relationships | Gen 3:8 | Lionstrong | 71930 | ||
Mark 10:19 "You know the commandments, 'DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, Do not defraud, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.'" Rom 13:9 For this, "YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, YOU SHALL NOT MURDER, YOU SHALL NOT STEAL, YOU SHALL NOT COVET," and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." Matt 5:19 "Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Matt 22:36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" Matt 22:37 And He said to him, "'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' Matt 22:38 "This is the great and foremost commandment. Matt 22:39 "The second is like it, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' Matt 22:40 "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets." Matt 28:20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Rom 7:12 So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. 1 Cor 7:19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is the keeping of the commandments of God. 1 Cor 14:37 If anyone thinks he is a prophet or spiritual, let him recognize that the things which I write to you are the Lord's commandment. Eph 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Eph 6:2 HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise), Eph 6:3 SO THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH. 1 Thess 4:1 Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more. 1 Thess 4:2 For you know what commandments we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. 1 Thess 4:3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; 1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. To summarize my answer to you, RFerg, You can't go wrong starting with the commands in the apostolic epistles (Romans through Revelation). There are a lot of them, I know, but they can be summarized in the Ten Commandments. These can be further summarized in the two greatest commandments, love God and love your neighbor. Ps 1:1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! Ps 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. Ps 1:3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers. Peace, |
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4 | God/Man, Man/Man Relationships | Gen 3:8 | David_24597 | 71935 | ||
I would agree with Lionstrong. I've got a list somewhere on this computer showing all ten of the Ten Commandments upheld in the New Testament. Shows me that the Ten Commandment Law is still binding on God's people even in this day and age. I'll find it and copy/paste it on this forum if anyone is interested. It also shows knowledge of the Ten Commandments were known BEFORE they were given in written form on Mt. Sinai. | ||||||