Results 1 - 10 of 10
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Belief in God? | James 2:19 | sniper | 78734 | ||
What does it take to believe that there is a God? How does one know that there is a God? Other than philosophical arguments what is the evidence that there is God? How does a person born in the most remote wilderness know that there is a God to be sought after? Does it ultimately come down to faith? | ||||||
2 | Belief in God? | James 2:19 | disciplerami | 78742 | ||
Greetings Sniper, Jesus said to some unregenerate souls, "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; - Jn 5:39 Jesus appealed to Scripture. He pointed people to Scripture. To the young man who wanted eternal life, Jesus didn't say it was a mysterious thing to be saved. He said, "One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." - Lk 18:22 Jesus didn't say, don't sweat it, if you are one of the elect it will come to you; otherwise, don't sweat it, you don't stand a chance. Jesus gave simple instructions to turn from his idol and serve only God. God left evidence of himself in the Creation: "and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness." - Acts 14:17 If we bought the concept that the entire world is depraved from conception --since this is the view of many on this forum--what kind of witness did God leave? A witness gives testimony of something, this witness gives testament to the existence and glory of God. If you believe the other side, this witness is an inept as a nerf ball attempting to penetrate bullet-proof glass. If you believe men are depraved, then you have to believe that the Cross of Jesus Christ and the Glory of Creation are ineffectual at changing anyone. The only change possible, according to such types, is with a miraculous intervention at an elected time in the person's life. That is if you believe the other side. However, I think all of the folks who work in Christian Apologetics are doing a wonderful work at exposing the very evidences of God in his Creation. Most people believe that the starting place for teaching the Gospel to someone is with the existence of God. Show a lost soul the evidence and it will make him think, "maybe there is something bigger than me." It is these things that make men marvel and say, "surely there is a God." A person who reaches this point is ready to hear more. So I say, go preach the Gospel to them because when they hear it they will believe and obey it. God has left a wonderful testimony of himself in the Creation and in the Cross of His Beloved Son. Good day Sniper. God bless, Disciplerami |
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3 | Belief in God? | James 2:19 | sniper | 78799 | ||
Disciplerami, You stated in one of your posts that men ought to know God. I cannot find that post so I am working from memory. The person with whom you were discussing the question at hand replied that 'ought to know' is not faith. My question arises partly from this exchange. If a person ought to know God, then by what evidence or revelation ought they know Him? And, if they know Him by these and are led to seek for Him, is that faith? Is the act of seeking for God considered faith. If there are two in a remote wilderness and one makes an idol while the other searches for a higher being, then does one know God while the other does not? If there are two in the USA and one is an atheist while the other searches for the truth, then does one know God while the other does not? The Bible teaches that men ought to know God. So back to the question; If men ought to know God, then is it faith which leads them to Him no matter their geographical, academic,or philosophical starting point? God bless. |
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4 | Belief in God? | James 2:19 | disciplerami | 78899 | ||
Greetings Sniper, The Hebrew writer says, "faith is the evidence of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." That the Creation is telling of the glory of God (Psalm 19:1) is a matter of faith. The message of God's existence is so clear in the Creation--but also through the Cross--as to make him a, "fool [who] says in his heart, 'there is no God.'" Man's sense of 'oughtness' IS ultimately a matter of faith. Now when the discussion began [I believe it was this thread, they are running together], I was trying make the point that men are not born spiritually dead, spiritually obtuse, and destined for hell from conception, because God is just, fair, impartial, etc,. The sense of oughtness we have is like a small measure of faith. It's not the 'saving faith' that Abraham had, but it leads to it. As the man gropes and prays for more answers, he finds God. "God is not far from each one of us", as Paul said to the Athenians. And he is findable if ask, seek and knock. Your thoughts? God bless you Snipper, Disciplerami |
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5 | Belief in God? | James 2:19 | sniper | 78902 | ||
Disciplerami, I definitely think that for a person to know that there is a God to be sought after, they must have faith. The faith is only alive if they seek, right? For instance, the one who makes an idol has faith, but it is misplaced and not seeking. Therefore, it is a dead faith. Am I thinking correctly? Also, could you give me a definition of oughtness? Thanks and God bless. |
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6 | Belief in God? | James 2:19 | disciplerami | 78904 | ||
Greetings, "The faith is only alive if they seek, right?" Right. "For instance, the one who makes an idol has faith, but it is misplaced and not seeking." Right. Definition of 'oughtness.' The sense of 'oughtness' is the sense built into man that something 'should' or 'must' be done, that some things are morally right or wrong: bravery is morally right and cowardice is morally wrong. I think C.S. Lewis spoke of this principle as evidence to the existence of God. It is said that man is incurably religious. A slothful, lustful, selfish man will stop the search for God and worship something inferior (Romans 1). This is a dead faith, as you state. But the same man may become a Christian if he studies the Bible and obeys it. God bless you, Disciplerami |
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7 | Oughtness? | James 2:19 | sniper | 78939 | ||
Disciplerami, Alright, we are pretty much eye to eye here. I need some more clarification on the oughtness. If oughtness is a built sense, and if oughtness is a measure of faith, did God build faith into man? Is this a result of being created in the image of God, a thinking, reasoning being? God bless. |
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8 | Oughtness? | James 2:19 | disciplerami | 79007 | ||
Original question from Sniper: “What does it take to believe that there is a God? How does one know that there is a God? Other than philosophical arguments what is the evidence that there is God? How does a person born in the most remote wilderness know that there is a God to be sought after? Does it ultimately come down to faith?” As Searcher56 says, God has revealed Himself to all. How He has done that is through the Creation and through the Gospel. This evidence for the existence of God is still a matter of faith. All men have faith: as demons have faith, men have faith too. God makes a distinction between dead faith and working faith. There are only these two kind. Until faith acts upon what one believes to be true, it remains a faith that does not save. The lost, unregenerate sinner can be appealed to with the Gospel because it is the message of God’s love. The Gospel reminds him of judgment and it also offers a place of forgiveness and peace in a relationship with God. Faith must be placed in something. This is why men, it is said, are incurably religious. Mankind cannot help but worship something. Some place their faith in God, some put it in false gods, some put it in philosophies and traditions. But the Word of God points us to the only One worthy of worship. Creation Research or Apologetics focuses on the ‘evidence’ that God exist. They make the point that it is more ‘reasonable’ to believe in a Creator than to accept that all things came about by chance. This is called the Teleological argument. Paley argued that the “order, unity, coherency, design and complexity” of the Creation points to God. All men may use their God-given abilities to reason the existence of God and then seek further into His will. The Bible lays out a clear plan for the person who is searching. Another ‘proof’ of God is the morality of man. It says man is an intelligent creature with an innate moral code. This ‘proof’ does not say that we all agree on exact points of right and wrong, but we all agree that there is right and there is a wrong. This is the nature of man and no other creature has it. What is right or wrong is discovered through Bible study. Who cannot understand that 'coveting' is sinful? The Bible shows what sin is and offers the supreme example of Jesus for holy living. It also shows how to receive forgiveness of sins through the blood of Christ. "Repent and be baptized each one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgivess of yours sins." (Acts 2:38) A Calvinist, if he is consistent, cannot put emphasis on apologetics because he argues that sinful depraved man is incapable of such spiritual discernment. The Calvinist believes that the spiritual lights don’t come on without a miraculous intervention by the Holy Spirit. Then, once regenerated, he has faith. His faith leads to obedience. And then he lives holy forever after. Immanuel Kant argued: “there exists a universal sense of moral obligation. This sense of "ought", which Kant termed the "categorical imperative", points towards an objective moral law, which source can only be the supreme being or God.” This sense of ‘oughtness’ is universal. It is an innate part of every man. It is part of his design. Man is created different from the beast of the field and sky, having an eternal soul, created in the image of God. He has a built in ability to perceive the existence of God. The Calvinist is wrong to deny that man has this natural ability to detect the Creator. God has made Himself evident to all and He will hold all accountable for rejecting such clear evidence. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘BUT THE RIGHTEOUS MAN SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, BECAUSE THAT WHICH IS KNOWN ABOUT GOD IS EVIDENT….” (Romans 1:16-19a) EVIDENT – comes from gnostos, what is known or notable. Why are men going to be judged? Because they reject was is known or notable. Will they place their faith in what they know? It's their choice. God bless Sniper, Disciplerami |
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9 | Sovereign? | James 2:19 | sniper | 79011 | ||
Disciplerami, Thanks for all the work you put into that answer, I sincerely appreciate it. I agree that God has made himself known to all men so that they are without excuse. Is it possible in any scenario, given all you have said about God being evident to all men, that God could withhold salvation from some simply because he desires to do so? In other words, since all men have the natural ability to detect the Creator is it possible that God simply will not save some because it his soveriegn right? In such a case would that man be without excuse, or would he have the excuse that God never sparked him with the Holy Spirit? God Bless. |
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10 | Sovereign? | James 2:19 | disciplerami | 79016 | ||
Greetings, I believe in the Sovereighnty of God, but I believe it allows for man's free will. God's eternal plan will be accomplished! The following is the Calvinist view of Sovereignty, aptly related by ___ [not necessary to give his name.] _______________ ___ denies free will: "...God chooses believers of His own sovereign." ___ idea of God's Sovereignty: "God micromanages the universe in a Reformed view, and even man's will is subjected to his control, which I think is the most clearly Biblical position." ___ criticizes the body of Christ that is under the absolute control of God's sovereign will: "many opt to read _Tribulation Force_ and _The Mark._ That is a SERIOUS problem for the body of Christ, choosing entertaining reading over the life-changing message of the sovereign God. ___ says the word is powerless without supernatural intervention: "God the Holy Spirit," by His sovereign will "will supernaturally re-create to believe the message." ___ shows Jesus didn't die for everyone: "If we say that Christ died for ALL the ungodly (i.e. all humanity), then the fact that there will be people in Hell demonstrates that Christ was unable to save all" and "Christ died not to OFFER payment of sins to all men..." ___ impressed with Calvinism: "Mainly what caused my shift in thinking is the God-centeredness of Calvinism, " ___ explains that if God wanted the lost to be saved, they would be saved: "from a Calvinist perspective, the only way God 'prevents people from being saved' is by not extending saving grace to them. It is the depravity of their nature, their sin, their active rebellion against a holy God which prevents them from being in a right standing with God." [note: ___ needs to explain what the impartiality of God means.] ___ relates how our decisions are God's decisions which He makes our decisions because they are His decisions: "He already has taken our future decisions into account and that he has prepared good works for us to walk in (Ephesians 2:10), we can rest comfortably that God will honor and bless our God-honoring decisions." [note: this view is necessary because free will would nullify the sovereignty of God]. ___ answers how God's absolute sovereignty isn't responsible for everything: "Did God MAKE the Pharisees sin?" The Pharisees were born sinners, so the answer to that is "no." On the other hand, God directed their innate sinfulness through circumstance and withholding repentance so that the very act he decreed (the atonement) would take place." ___ explains that Sovereignty allows or permits free will: "God's sovereign will includes everything that He either actively engages in or actively permits to occur" and "the decreed event can either come from God causing it directly, or by God allowing it to happen." ___ wouldn't sing, "Let Him have His way with Them": "And, personally, I find the idea abhorrent that we as human beings "let" the sovereign Lord of the universe do anything. Who is in charge here, anyway?" ___________________ I wanted to pull together some thoughts of an 'unabashed Calvinist' to contrast it with my view of the sovereignty of God. You can see that some people do believe that God uses men to accomplish the higher purpose of glorifying Himself, even if that means their eternal destruction. :( I'll try to speak more on this at a later time. God bless, Disciplerami |
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