Results 1 - 9 of 9
|
|
|||||
Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | What is iniquity in Matthew 7:23? | Matt 7:23 | John Reformed | 73964 | ||
Dear Greg, To what degree must the Torah (law) be kept for one to be considered righteouss before God? I believe that it is by faith we have been saved. Please explain. John Reformed |
||||||
2 | What is iniquity in Matthew 7:23? | Matt 7:23 | gjboone | 73996 | ||
Hi John, That is a great question and one I still wrestle with. Just for clarity I should say we are declared righteous when we accept the blood atonement of Messiah. However, our "garments" are defiled when we sin and they have to be cleansed (Revelation 3:4). I believe we are to keep Torah to the best of our ability and He knows what our ability is. If we agonize over conforming to His will that is presenting ourselves as a living sacrifice, then we will be accepted. I say agonize because of this verse: Luke 13:24 "Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." The word for "strive" is Strong's 75 "agonizomai" where we get the word agony from. When you say "saved" I believe you are encompassing two concepts into one. Justification and salvation/eternal life are different realities. Justification: During the Exodus anyone who by FAITH put blood on the doorposts was accepted (Egyptians, Canaanites, etc). Just as anyone who has FAITH in the blood sacrifice of Yeshua is accepted. Salvation: The mixed multitude of nations that were now known as Israel are given a marriage contract, there is an engagement period in the wilderness to see if the bride will be faithful, then the bride can enter the promised land. Israel was tested for 40 years, Yeshua for 40 days, the "church" for 40 jubilees (40x50yrs is 2,000yrs) to see if they will keep the marriage contract(Torah). This is eternal life/ salvation. Rev 22:14 "Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." Think about it, if sin cannot abide in His presence and He defines sin as "transgression of the law/Torah"(1 John 3:4-6). How can we spend eternity in His presence if we do not keep the law/Torah? Greg Boone |
||||||
3 | What is iniquity in Matthew 7:23? | Matt 7:23 | John Reformed | 74076 | ||
Dear Greg, I was taken off guard by your citation of Rev 3:4 and was not prepared to answer it immediately. The following is an article from John Piper that may benefit the both of us. "When the Bible Blows Your Mind" The Bible teaches us to expect mental jolts when we think about God. It teaches us that our familiar ways of seeing things may be replaced. For example, it says, "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!" (Romans 11:33). Or again, "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:9). One of the reasons (not the only one) that some people reject the biblical teaching of unconditional election is that it seems and feels to them out of sync with other teachings in the Bible - like the compassion of God for people or the moral accountability of people before God. It seems to many that God can't choose unconditionally to save some and not others and then also feel compassion for those he does not choose and hold them accountable for their sin. The problem here is that our instinct or intuition for what is right or possible for God does not fit Scripture. And the danger is that we shape Scripture to fit our feelings. The Scriptures teach that God chooses who will be saved before we are born or have done anything good or evil (Romans 9:10-12). "It depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy" (Romans 9:16). The Scriptures also teach that we are responsible for the obedience of faith and will be judged if we are disobedient. "But for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury" (Romans 2:8). We are chosen (or not chosen) unconditionally for salvation. And we are accountable for our faith (or unbelief). As I said in my sermon on 12-8-02, I do not fully understand how God renders certain the belief of the elect and the unbelief of the non-elect. If you want to go deeper into this, I recommend Jonathan Edwards' book The Freedom of the Will. It is slow reading, but you will grow more from the effort than you can imagine. To help you accustom yourself to living with such felt tensions (unconditional election and human accountability) consider two similar ones from the example of Christ. First, we see Jesus weeping over Jerusalem because the things of the kingdom were "hidden from [their] eyes." But on the other hand we also hear Jesus say that God has "hidden these things." Luke 19:41-42. And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, "Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes." Luke 10:21. In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will." Second, we see Jesus feeling compassion for those who were sick - irrespective, it seems of their faith. On the other hand, we know from illustrations and teachings elsewhere in the Bible that God is finally and decisively in control of sickness. So we have Jesus feeling sorry for people who have sicknesses that God's wisdom has ordained (at least for a time). Matthew 14:14. When [Jesus] went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick. Exodus 4:11. Then the LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?" 1 Samuel 2:6. The LORD kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. Implications: 1) Don't cancel one truth in the Bible because it feels out of sync with another. 2) Don't draw emotional or behavioral implications from God's sovereignty that contradict faith, compassion, accountability, prayer, evangelism, or hard work. On the contrary, consider Colossians 3:12 and let your unspeakably happy condition as "chosen, holy and loved" produce "compassion, kindness, humility and meekness." John Reformed |
||||||
4 | What is iniquity in Matthew 7:23? | Matt 7:23 | gjboone | 74334 | ||
John, I agree it is a good article and it may be true. But our only alternative is to walk in the light that we are given. The light that I have been shown says that we have been misled in our theology; prophecy predicts it and scripture is full of examples. If we operate from the premise that YHWH is all-knowing and all-powerful, by His foreknowledge we could say He causes things to happen by not acting. From what I understand that is the Hebrew mindset. So when the Bible states YHWH did some action it may just be passive. Take the events with Pharaoh. Did YHWH actually harden His heart or by not intervening did Pharaoh’s pride hardened his own heart? “…and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy (Exodus 33:19). Could this be election? YHWH knows that you have a questioning mind and makes Revelation 3:4 ‘catch your eye’ as you are reading. You take the initiative and pursue it and become curious which leads to other discoveries. Whereas the majority of people may erect a mental block and rationalize the verse away or seek some convoluted explanation. Have not both classes of people made an election? YHWH in His foreknowledge knows whom has closed his heart. “For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes THEY HAVE CLOSED; (Matthew 13:15). YHWH will not be mocked (Galatians 6:8), one way to do that is to bury revelation in scripture and only reveal it when one sincerely seeks Him. Matthew 7:7 "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:” Proverbs 25:2 “It is the glory of God to CONCEAL a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.” I would encourage you to read all of Proverbs 2, especially 2:4. It basically says, revelation is directly proportional to desire and effort. The pride of most has closed their minds. They seem to think that only the Pharisees can be blinded by tradition. We must realize that our Savior walked this earth as a Jewish rabbi, kept all the festivals, memorized the scriptures and did not break any commandments of Torah. Why did He do this? “…I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me”(John 5:30). “wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?” (Luke 2:49). The Father’s Will has not changed, it cannot (Malachi 3:6). We have been given a “renewed” covenant whereby Torah is written in our hearts and the Blood of Yeshua is our covering sacrifice but it is still Torah. In truth, Greg Boone |
||||||
5 | What is iniquity in Matthew 7:23? | Matt 7:23 | John Reformed | 74346 | ||
Dear Greg, You wrote: "If we operate from the premise that YHWH is all-knowing and all-powerful, by His foreknowledge we could say He causes things to happen by not acting. From what I understand that is the Hebrew mindset. So when the Bible states YHWH did some action it may just be passive. Take the events with Pharaoh. Did YHWH actually harden His heart or by not intervening did Pharaoh’s pride hardened his own heart?" ---Whether things happen by God's direct action or by His passive restraint, His will is still accomplished. Before Moses even set out for Egypt..."The LORD said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your power; but I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go." And in And again in E7:3 "But I will harden Pharaoh's heart that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt." but in Ex 8:32 "But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and he did not let the people go." To the extent that God witholds His "common grace" the human heart is hardened. I believe that man is so wicked that if God were to withdraw his grace altogether, men would behave as demons. It is only the grace that he sheds on all men (as He wills) which keeps life on Earth possible.--- In my estimation, a man-centered theology will always lead to error and confusion. But if one accepts that God is the Potter and we are mere clay in His hands, things begin to fall into place. When I came to believe in God's absolute sovereign rule over all things that occur, the Bible began to be a whole lot easier to understand. But only God can reconcile His sovereigty and our responsibility. The Bible says it; that settles it. I am in no position to charge God with unrighteousness. All that He has done is holy and just. I bow before His judgements. John Reformed |
||||||
6 | What is iniquity in Matthew 7:23? | Matt 7:23 | gjboone | 75099 | ||
John, Knowing what you know about YHWH, do you think that He would change what is defined as "Truth" to accomodate man? Genesis 15:6 "And he BELIEVED in the LORD; and he counted it to him for RIGHTEOUSNESS." Romans 10:10 "For with the heart man BELIEVETH unto RIGHTEOUSNESS; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. It is the same across covenants. Nothing has changed. This is Torah: Deuteronomy 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. 6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: Leviticus 19 :18"...thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD. " This is Torah: Matthew 22:37 "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang (SUM UP) all the law and the prophets. YHWH is very specific on how we are to Love Him and it has not changed. It is written in the law and the prophets. It's the same from Genesis to Revelation. Greg Boone |
||||||
7 | What is iniquity in Matthew 7:23? | Matt 7:23 | John Reformed | 75120 | ||
Dear Greg, "Knowing what you know about YHWH, do you think that He would change what is defined as "Truth" to accomodate man?" No. The truth is eternal. What is true in the OT is true in the NT. But, It is necessary to remember that the revelation that God had given to the nation of Israel was a foreshadowing of that which He was to reveal through His Son. I've heard the two revelations compared to the illumination moon compared to that of the sun. I do not believe that we are under the Moasaic covenant. God gave the Law to drive those under the Law to Christ. Paul calls the Law our schoolmaster, but the english translation of "paedagogos" is weak. A paedagogos (sp?) was a household slave in Roman society who was charged with watching over, teaching, and protecting the son of the family. Everywhere the son went and everything the son did was under the everpresent authority of this servant/teacher/watchman. But when the child came of age and was legally recognized by his father as his heir, the young man was freed from the supervision of the paedogogos. Of course, this freedom did not obsolve him from from his responsibility to conduct his life in accordance to that which he had learned. As christians we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. We know fullwell when we have broken Christ's commands and are told to repent and to confess our sins to the Father. But our motivation is not fear of judgement which law-breaking incurs, but love for Him who has kept the Law on our behalf. Let's face the facts! The Law is impossible for any man to keep whether one is born again or not. It never was meant to be a way to attain justification. It was given to demonstrate to man the futility of works righteousness and the hopeless condition of his wicked and depraved heart. The error of the pharisees was their claim that they actually were meeting the requirements which God had commanded. In the sermon on the mount Jesus was revaling to them their own self-deception. Rom 7:1 "Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives?" BUT "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." (Gal 2:20) John Reformed |
||||||
8 | What is iniquity in Matthew 7:23? | Matt 7:23 | gjboone | 75910 | ||
Dear John, You are right, we are not JUSTIFIED by keeping Torah, just as Paul states, “it is the gift of YHWH”. I am going to try to show you something that most of us do not understand because of what we have been taught. ETERNAL LIFE (SALVATION) AND THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS (JUSTIFICATION) ARE NOT THE SAME THING. The problem with Christian theology is that it confuses “eternal life “ with the “forgiveness of sins”. We have look at things the way they actually are not the way we have been taught they are. I believe the following scriptures will show that ‘forgiveness of sins’ is by unmerited grace; ‘eternal life’ is by striving. Matthew 26:28 “For THIS IS MY BLOOD OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, which is shed for many for THE REMISSION OF SINS.” Acts 10:43 “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive REMISSION OF SINS.” Romans 3:25 “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the REMISSION OF SINS THAT ARE PAST, through the forbearance of God;” Ephesians 1:7 “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the FORGIVENESS OF SINS, according to the riches of his grace;” Colossians 1:14 “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the FORGIVENESS OF SINS:” ETERNAL LIFE IS BASED ON WHAT YOU DO AFTER BEING FORGIVEN/CLEANSED: Matthew 19:16 “And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have ETERNAL LIFE? 17And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but IF THOU WILT ENTER INTO LIFE, KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS. The Bible says YHWH cannot lie (Titus 1:2). The above verse is true. Let YHWH be true and every man a liar. Man is subject to misinterpretation but the Word is infallible. Romans 2:7 “To them who by PATIENT CONTINUANCE in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, ETERNAL LIFE:” 1 John 2:24 “Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning (Torah). If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. 25And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.” Romans 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end EVERLASTING LIFE. Galatians 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. Matthew 10:22 “…he that endures to the end the same shall be saved” YHWH’s will is for man to love HIM and his neighbor. Because we cannot of ourselves do it does not change the fact that that is what He wants. We are to strive to keep His Torah, when we sin we are to confess and repent and keep striving. This is what the overcomers of Revelation 2-3 do. The goal is to live as Messiah lived. The great commission was to make “disciples” out of the nations. Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and MAKE DISCIPLES of all the nations,…” How do you make disciples? By: …baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: 20 TEACHING THEM TO OBSERVE ALL THINGS WHATSOEVER I COMMANDED YOU: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.” John 8:31 “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If YOU CONTINUE in MY WORD (Torah), then are ye my DISCIPLES in-deed;” This lack of distinguishing between justification and eternal life is why Christians cannot explain the following verses: Revelation 22:14 “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” Revelation 22:11 “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is RIGHTEOUS, LET HIM BE RIGHTEOUS STILL: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. Hebrews 5:9 “And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;” Matthew 5:20 “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, YE SHALL IN NO CASE ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.” Ecclesiastes 12:13 “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: FEAR GOD, AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS: for this is the whole duty of man.14For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” People are basing their eternity on limited interpretations of Paul’s letters and ignoring the rest of the Bible. Paul warns us repeatedly that “grievous wolves” and “workers of iniquity” are going to pervert the path of the assembly. (1 Timothy 4, Acts 20:28-31, 2 Timothy 4). We are living in it. This is the great apostasy--- FALLING AWAY FROM TORAH. Isaiah 40:8 "but the Torah of our God shall stand for ever." Greg Boone |
||||||
9 | What is iniquity in Matthew 7:23? | Matt 7:23 | John Reformed | 76002 | ||
Dear Greg, If I understand you correctly, you are saying that the elect are justified by faith, but attain eternal life by keeping the law! In support of your theology you have provided a handfull of verses which you believe support your position. I am sure that you would agree that any theology (in order to be taken seriously) must be in harmony with the entire body of Scripture. That it is not enough to handpick certain verses while ignoring those that are problematic or seem to contradict those verses. Your stated pupose is: "I believe the following scriptures will show that ‘forgiveness of sins’ is by unmerited grace; ‘eternal life’ is by striving." Your first witness is Matthew 26:28 “For THIS IS MY BLOOD OF THE NEW TESTAMENT, which is shed for many for THE REMISSION OF SINS.” (your caps). Jesus in the above passage is teaching that the cup signifys His precious blood, which those who partake in it, have their sins forgiven. Obviously, the "many" refers to those who have placed their faith in Jesus. The fact that eternal life is not mentioned does not mean that it is not part and parcel with justification. Rom 8:30 "and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified." Rom 8:30 teaches that justification and glorification are inexticably bound by the call of God on those who have been predestined to respond to the gospel. Please explain this seeming contradiction. John PS Given the constraints on the time I have to respond to your posts, I would prefer that we keep our notes to each other concise. |
||||||