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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | I just started reading the Bible and.... | OT general | petedavis6263 | 211222 | ||
Dear Cheri, Hank, Brad, WOS, and others, This is a question for you since you were some of the ones who strongly advised me to read the New Testament first before trying to understand the Old Testament. Well, after stopping at the end of Deuteronomy, I went to Matthew which you recommended as a great start. Okay, now that I am finished reading Matthew I want to ask you some questions before continuing. My very first concern is with Matthew 5:17-18, where Jesus basically says he did not come to destroy the law or the prophets but to fulfill, for until heaven and earth pass away not one jot or tittle shall pass from the law until all is fulfilled. An obvious and logical assumption to make is that since heaven and earth have not passed and all has not been fulfilled yet, every jot and tittle of the law are still valid. Not any part of the law has been deleted. It's as clear as a bright sunny day. Yet many of God's commands are no longer viewed as relevent. God's commands of death to a homosexual, death to a man who commits adultery, death to a man who breaks the sabbath and death to man who rapes should all be still be valid, shouldn't they? We still uphold the ban on homosexuality, the sin of adultery and the evil of rape, but we disregard God's command of death to those sinners. Confusing? To me it is very confusing. One of the recent posts on this forum mentioned Psalm 119, so I read that chapter, all 176 verses. In no uncertain terms God declares all of His words, commandments, precepts, statutes, judgments, testimonies and laws are perfect, righteous, faithful, truthful, good and pure and they endure forever to all generations. How much clearer must it get that no part of God's law could ever be abolished? They should be as God declares, perfect, and as Jesus declares, as eternal as heaven and earth. Why with such overwhelming evidence of God's eternal nature, have we gone against Him? Here's another concern of mine found in Matthew 5:31-32, Jesus proclaims a divorcee who remarries commits adultery. The question here is how in the world will the countless number of divorced couples, including myself, who have been remarried make it to heaven while continuing to live in the sin of adultery? My third passage in question is concerning Matthew 5:38-48. Jesus said ignore the eye for eye, tooth for tooth code, instead, resist no evil, turn the other cheek, if a man sues you, give him more, go the extra mile, love your enemies, bless them, do good to them and pray for them that curse, hate, persecute and despitefully use you and you will be perfect as your Father in heaven. I wonder what Christian in the world today practices what Jesus is saying here or even believes it. Even people on this forum, as Written has warned me, will probably view me as the evil one, the enemy who promotes consumption of the "devil's drink." I wonder if they will obey Jesus' council to turn the other cheek and love the enemy? Or will they cast me out banning me forever from this forum? Believe me, I am not the enemy. I love God with all my heart and I just want to do what He commands me to do. The truth is guys, God has given me a mind to seek the answers. Many of these passages were never told to me by my pastor and I never pursued reading the entire bible until now. I don't believe for a second that I am misreading, misquoting, misinterpreting or inventing ideas. You may say that I am taking things out of context, but I ask you what are the contexts of "love your enemies," "adultery is sin," and "everything that God does is perfect and does not change?" Why should the contexts be anything other than what they say? Unless of course it is uncomfortable to face the truth, then a spin is put on the passage and away we all go. As I read word for word, I can't help think that if God meant for it to mean something else He would have said it differently, a far easier way, after all, He is God. Please, members of this forum, as Jesus has said, if you we have faith as little as a mustard seed we can move mountains, nothing will be impossible(Matt 17:20). Certainly, our faith should be strong enough to help us to find the answers. God bless you all, Pete |
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2 | I just started reading the Bible and.... | OT general | skccab | 211225 | ||
Good evening Pete, I have been a member of this forum for about a year and a half now and also openly Torah observant (I never really was a closet observer - just a little humor there). That is, I observe what of God's commands as given in the books of Moses to the best of my ability. Some things just can not be observed. The moral law, obviously, is still intact. God made a big deal about being able to distinguish between the common and the holy, the clean and the unclean, that I, personally, believe that this is still important. Now, none of this has anything whatsoever to do with my standing with God, that was taken care of by His Son - I could do nothing in that area; but I can obey out of thankfulness and gratitude that which can be obeyed. Are you understanding? You were forgiven on the cross for any offenses that took place prior to your knowledge of your Savior, you were forgiven for any sin committed before that time. You are also forgiven for sins/wrongs committed, even knowingly -tho not continuing in them, since you've come to know your Lord. Your salvation, deliverance, sanctification, perfection, etc., comes thru the completed work of the Son. Not a thing you can do. Keeping Torah will NOT save you, won't make our Father love you more than another child of His, won't make you more sanctified, not more of anything. Just maybe happier with yourself. Just love your Lord, and follow His commands as you are able to do within the framework of the land where you live. In short, don't worry about what you CAN'T do, just do what you can do and be joyful in it. Colossians 3:17. That's all I can say. That attitude serves me quite well. I'm at work so I hope I didn't muddy the waters for you any more than they were!! Cheri |
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3 | I just started reading the Bible and.... | OT general | petedavis6263 | 211253 | ||
Dear Cheri, You say keeping the Torah will not save you, but Jesus says in Matt 19:17, "...But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments." He also says in John 14:15, "If you love Me, keep my commandments." Are you saying that if you are sincerely doing the best that you can, you will be exempt? Well, I guess it falls in line with the merciful nature of God, but what if there was something you could do and knew it but didn't? Would you be judged adversely? Would you be lost? For example Jesus teaches in Matt 19:21, "If you want to be perfect, go sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." Now, selling all that you own shouldn't be that hard to do and everyone knows the Lord will provide as fluently promised by Jesus in Matt 5:25-34, so how would you be judged if you still owned stuff when Jesus returns? Yours in Christ, Pete |
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