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Results from: Answers On or After: Thu 12/31/70 Author: with_faith_i_walk Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Giving them the holy spirit [sic]? | Acts 15:8 | with_faith_i_walk | 89396 | ||
In these passages, we see Paul and Peter putting to rest the argument amongst the Jews as to whether to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles. The spirit represented here is the Holy Spirit. The spirit is not a "person" but is still a living being that dwells within us. Peter is telling those gathered that since God chose the Gentiles by offering them His Holy Spirit (not words of the Gospel but the living presence of Himself) that it was right to preach to the Gentiles the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. The spirit in this sense is not the "word of the gospel" but the true spirit that is God. Even the physical nature of the heart that Peter speaks of here is spiritual, ie the desires and intentions of men. The entire passage is of the metaphysical, and therefore not pertaining to the all-too-physical words of the scriptures. Instead, it is talking about the spirit of God, and the spirits of men in which He dwells. |
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2 | Is God omnipotent? | John 3:16 | with_faith_i_walk | 89345 | ||
I think the question about the abilities/powers of God are not in the realm of "what can he do" but in the realm "what he chooses to do". I, being just a man, have the power to do lots of things and control other lesser creatures and choose not to do so. In respect to God, one has to address the questions why and how, such as "why does God not just makes us believe" or "how can he let others be condemned to eternal spiritual death?" To address the first question, we must first look to the mystery of faith. You state in your query that: "The Holy Spirit must be within you to believe", however you have it reversed. You must believe and then the Holy Spirit will be within you. Jesus told his disciples, "blessed are they who have not seen, yet believe." We will not be given a sign or a miracle or have a case presented for us to have faith. You must first cross that threshold of believing and then all things will be made known to you. I do not mean understanding Scripture or the memorization of Bible verses either, but the true gifts of the Spirit. God does have the power to make us believe, and he does have the PERFECT fishing equipment as you say, however, what faith is born from being controlled or "hooked" by the Father? There is none. Faith must come from within us, and we must not 'see to believe' but 'believe to see'. Even Jesus, in his ministry of healing, called upon the mystery of faith when he asked those he healed, "do you believe I can heal you?" If they had faith, they were healed and he told them, "your faith has made you well." When he went to Nazareth, it is said that "he could not do great works" there because they had no faith in him. The mystery of faith is what restricts God from using his omnipotent power to compel us to believe or to drag us into His light from the darkness of our world. The second question, "how can he let others be condemned to eternal spiritual death", is matter of love. God made us in his image, but that should not be translated literally to mean that God has a physical body like our own. God made us in his image by giving us a soul, and a capacity to love. God is love, and out of all the creation on Earth, the only creatures he made with the capacity to love Him back are us. Though he does have the power to just let us live as we choose and then let our spirit return to His eternal kingdom, how would he ever know or feel the love we all should have for Him? "If you love me, obey my commands" he has said. Love, as God, cannot be seen and thus to prove it, we as humans have to act upon the love and allow the fruits of love to become the proof of its existence. The greatest acts, those of sacrifice, show the greatest love. However, through Jesus, God has shown his love by allowing His son, thereby His self, to suffer the penalty of disobedience so that we may be reconciled to Him and made pure. Once again, all that is required is faith. Being made in God's image also allows us to choose. Free will is crucial to God's plan for creation. Free will in itself though is a bit of a misconception. There is only but one choice we are allowed to make: to follow God or follow the World. If you choose to follow the world, you will become a slave to it. If you choose to follow God, you will submit your will to Him, and become his devoted servant. The choice is ours, however, only one choice results in our love being returned to us. If we choose to love the world, what do we gain? Eternal death. If we choose to love God, we gain eternal life in the joy of His kingdom. Love is why he allows us to choose. He wants us to love him, by our submission to Him. God is omnipotent, of this we should have no doubts. Having power is the same as choosing to use it. Blessings, LGC |
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