Results 1 - 13 of 13
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Results from: Notes 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 | 89873 | ||
Greetings Ray, My apologies for referring to the Spirit as an "it," (which I do more than I'd like) but it is because I think it is unwise to refer to Him as being a "Person" - as though he had arms and legs. I guess I would be considered thinking outside the box in that respect. By stating the Being of the Holy Spirit, I am acknowledging that God the Father and God the Holy Spirit is not a "Person" or an "embodiment"; for only the Son was made Incarnate. Jesus said in the Book of John, that "as God is a spirit, so you must worship in Spirit." I think when we refer to God as a "person," (as some conclude that because the Book of Genesis says, "Let Us make him in Our image" that he is indeed a "person") that we offer the idea that God is like us, in the flesh. However, this is most certainly not the case, so I avoid referring to God as a person. We do refer to Him as a)masculine (Him, He) and b)having a humanly function (Father), however these are analogies for us to better understand our Creator. I am most curious why you do not equate the words "giving them the [holy spirit]" with God actually pouring out His Spirit into the bodies of the Gentiles. I just do not see any significant evidence to the contrary. I am always most eager to see a different view point however. In Christ, LGC |
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2 | Giving them the holy spirit [sic]? | Acts 15:8 | with_faith_i_walk | 89814 | ||
Greetings Ray, As for the reference to Acts 15:8, there can be no doubts that the Spirit spoken of is indeed the Holy Spirit of God, the living Being in the Trinity. This was evidence to Peter that they had been chosen by God through his spiritual presence in them (them being the Gentiles, of course). As for the capitalization of the Spirit in Acts 2:18, in keeping with the tradition of capitalizing the names and references to God, then when it is written, "Even upon My bondslaves, both men and women, I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit And they shall prophecy." For it IS the being of God that was promised, the Holy Spirit of the Trinity. God dwelling inside of man allows even the bondslaves to prophecy. Again, in Romans 8:16, the Spirit is the being of God in the Trinity. Those who had faith were adopted into sonship by receiving the Holy Spirit of God. It is this gift, through our faith in Jesus Christ, that truly defines our discipleship, and our Christianity. In Christ, LGC |
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3 | Giving them the holy spirit [sic]? | Acts 15:8 | with_faith_i_walk | 89666 | ||
Yes, I would like to continue this conversation as well. Particularly in reference to capitalization. Also, forgive my overlooked misspelling. Deity, whereas I wrote diety (not once but twice!). I normally catch those. In Christ, LGC |
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4 | Is not God inside of each of us? | Bible general Archive 1 | with_faith_i_walk | 89658 | ||
Greetings grace, I too am not being contentious for the sake of being contentious but just getting a "feel" for the group, being new here. My point can best be illustrated by reading the post #89586 by Mommapbs. She states: "What we believe about ourself is the basis of our signinficance or "self worth." The way we think will determine how we act; how we respond to God and others. It is our THINKING that must be conformed to the MIND OF CHRIST! Don't be conformed to the pattern of the world, but be TRANSFORMED, by the renewing of your mind!(Romans 12:2)" This is an example of revelation through the Holy Spirit in conjunction with scripture. The point I was making was the imbalance towards interpretation of scripture for the sake of only translation. Or in some cases, interpretation of scripture with additional scripture, lacking the true Spirit guidance that is necessary to gain truth via the Word of God. Seeing many posts debating merely semantics ("New Collegiate Dictionary defines this that way...whereas Webster's defines this that way..."; or where one verse out of an entire text is examined for its message, ignoring the context of the rest of the text). Obviously I spoke too soon, and there are indeed thought-provoking, spirit-lifting dialogue to be had here, as well as several Spirit-filled lessons that have been and still are being written. I am not foolish to believe that every person who utters "God has told me" this or that is speaking truth, certainly not. What I do put faith in, however, is that God's Spirit that lives in me will let me know what is truth and what is not. As for my interpretation: "Paul said that because the Gentiles followed the Law (scriptures) and did not know the Law, that he knew that God had chosen them with his Spirit. Thus, the Spirit of God dwelled within those who had never known or read the scriptures." What I am saying is that God's spirit dwelled inside of them in the form of their conscience, as Paul says, "their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them." Given the sinful nature of man, this knowledge of the Law (hidden within their conscience or as Paul put it "written in their hearts") was a gift of God's Spirit, and would save them from the wrath of God's impartial judgment. Please reference the previous chapter in Romans when Paul says, "that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks..." Wouldn't this suggest that, at the very least, a small part of God's Spirit lives in each us (even those who as yet have not heard the Gospel) since we are made in His image? It was because of their unbelief that they did not see the God that was evident not only in the world around them, but also in themselves. This is also mentioned in the book of Acts, chapter 11, when Peter says in verse 17 that, "So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?" This was of course after he had performed great acts and miracles among the Gentiles. You are indeed correct when you say that whether Jew or Greek, male or female, all are subject to the judgment of God. I look forward to more discussion with you. In Christ, LGC |
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5 | Giving them the holy spirit [sic]? | Acts 15:8 | with_faith_i_walk | 89619 | ||
Greetings Ray, You are most certainly correct that the thrust of the chapter is putting to rest the question of whether the Gentiles need to be circumcised to be saved. Peter was first justifying the inclusion of the Gentiles before continuing on to the subject of circumcision, ie whether the message of salvation was right to give to the Gentile. But it is most certainly not the thrust of the subject matter included in this chapter, as you have so correctly stated. The reason I used lower case when I said, "The spirit represented here is the Holy Spirit," was because of the initial reference of "spirit" as an unspecified object, ie if I was to say "the diety represented here is God," I would not capitalize diety. In Christ, LGC |
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6 | Is God omnipotent? | John 3:16 | with_faith_i_walk | 89617 | ||
Dear John, Perhaps then it is necessary to look at the passages that Paul referred to from the Old Testament, namely I Kings 19:18 (referenced in Paul's letter in verses 3-4). The remnant of Israel that God "kept for himself" were those who remained strong in their faith. They obeyed God's will, by not "bow(ing) thier knees to Baal." Those who were not chosen were excluded because of thier own choices, the bad judgment exercised by their free will. Had they remained faithful they would have been included as ones whom God kept for himself. Regarding verses 6-7, and his message of grace by grace and not by works. I whole-heartedly agree with your assessment that even today many try to earn their way to heaven, hardened against the message of grace through faith. The "chosen" to which he refers to when he says, "those who were chosen obtained it, and the rest were hardened" were chosen not by some arbitrary method known only to God, but they were chosen because of their faith, just as the remnant of 7,000 that God told Elijah he had chosen were chosen because of their faith. Verse 8 is again referencing the Old Testament, specifically the prophecy of Isaiah, chapter 29, which in verses 13-14 states: "Then the Lord said, 'Because this people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote, therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; and the wisdom of their wise men will perish, and the discernment of their discerning men will be concealed." Those who were made blind and left in a stupor were being punished for their lack of obedience, which was a manifestation of their lack of faith in God. In verse 9, Paul once again referenced the Old Testament, Psalm 69. It reads as such: "May their table before them become a snare; and when they are in peace, may it become a trap. May their eyes grow dim so that they cannot see, and make their loins shake continually. Pour out Your indignation on them, and may Your burning anger overtake them. May their camp be desolate; may none dwell in their tents. For they have persecuted him whom You Yourself have smitten, and they tell of the pain of those whom You have wounded." God always lets us choose, to accept His Grace or to remain hardened. Indeed he punished the Israelites for their unbelief and faithless acts, and took away their sight and ability to hear. He did this as a punishment for their perpetual sins, namely unbelief (specifically in his Son). Once again I draw on a passage later in the chapter in that Paul states: "Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; for if God did not spare the natural branches (the Jews), He will not spare you (the Gentiles), either." Blessings, LGC |
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7 | How important is self esteem? | Ezek 16:44 | with_faith_i_walk | 89590 | ||
I followed exactly what you were saying and truly appreciate you insight involving the scriptures. I had asked a question earlier, about the lack of personal experience in relating truths about scriptures or any observations which lend truth to them. I can see now that I spoke prematurely. You are indeed blessed and I look forward to reading more from you, whenever you get the chance to bless us with more postings. Blessings, LGC |
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8 | Is God omnipotent? | John 3:16 | with_faith_i_walk | 89552 | ||
Greetings John, I begin in the same chapter that you draw upon for your verse. Romans, chapter 11: "I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be!" The reason God gave them a spirit of stupor and blind eyes and deaf ears was because of thier unbelief. If you adhere to the spirit of Paul's message in this chapter, and not isolate just one verse, you will see this plainly. For example, further in the chapter he adds: "You will say then, 'Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.' Quite right, they were broken off for their UNBELIEF, but you stand by your faith." The Jews had the same choice both you and I have, to believe or not to believe. They chose not to believe and therefore were punished with blind eyes, deaf ears and a spirit of stupor (so as to say, they remained lost). Once again, it is a question of free will, and they had chosen to reject the Messiah that was sent to them. This is the context of Paul's message in that chapter. Look forward to more dialogue! Blessings, LGC |
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9 | Is not God inside of each of us? | Bible general Archive 1 | with_faith_i_walk | 89502 | ||
Parable, This conversation is a blessing. I see we agree, in that we realize that both the scripture and "heeding the Spirit" are important for spiritual growth. I was not advocating in the least that scripture is not a high authority or that it is not God's inspired word. However, what I was concerned about was the imbalance towards scripture, and the neglect of the Spirit (and His revelations) that I saw in the posts that I read. We have dialogued in spirit, and have relied upon both scripture as well as personal revelations of the truth through God's Spirit to discuss our faith. We gain, as you say: "Godly principles and truth as revealed in scripture," but the reason you gain these things is not because the scriptures themselves but the scriptures working in conjunction with the Spirit of God inside of you. Like I said, there just seemed to be an imbalance towards interpreting the scripture zealously (what does this one verse mean, what does this one word mean) without any reliance on the Spirit or its revelations. Once again, you are correct that no more fundamental truths are to be expected than those that Jesus gave to us. Is this to say though, that His only gift is that of Scripture? Obviously not. My whole point was that we must focus not only on scripture but on other gifts as well: revelation through prayer, personal experiences with the living Spirit, etc. Blessings, LGC |
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10 | Is not God inside of each of us? | Bible general Archive 1 | with_faith_i_walk | 89493 | ||
Gracefull, Thanks for you welcome! I have to disagree with you when you say that "our personal experience is not a reliable guage for TRUTH." How is it not? When you do something wrong, is it not a personal conviction of spirit within you that causes you to feel guilty? Paul said that because the Gentiles followed the Law (scriptures) and did not know the Law, that he knew that God had chosen them with his Spirit. Thus, the Spirit of God dwelled within those who had never known or read the scriptures. Without the Spirit of God inside of you, the scriptures are meaningless. The scriptures are the inspired word of God and a source of great understanding and truth, however faith (which comes from within you) is a prerequisite to understanding their meaning. The entire world around you is also in itself a testament to God, and in some ways, the ultimate testament. Paul said "God was evident in all creation," and that those who did not believe did not see. Believe and you will see. Indeed, the personal revelations you recieve will be just as much a testament to the truth as the words of Paul, Peter or any other apostle. You know truth because you trust that God's Spirit living within you recognizes truth and guides you. The scriptures are for us and not us for the scriptures, just as Jesus said, "the Sabbath is made for man and not man for the Sabbath." Ask God to bless you with His Spirit, put faith in his judgement, and the truth will be revealed to you through scripture as well as personal experience. We need both, and what I was stressing in my question was that there is a major imbalance in your postings. An imbalance which neglects the personal revelations of the Spirit within all believers. Blessing, LGC |
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11 | Is not God inside of each of us? | Bible general Archive 1 | with_faith_i_walk | 89486 | ||
Parable, I think you have the right idea when you say that "we seek to confirm they (our personal revelations) are truth by comparing them with Scripture." However, there is a bit of danger in saying that the words of the Bible are "the ultimate authority on matters of faith and practice." Here is my contention with that statement: Jesus (as well as other important figures in the New Testament) says time and again that God dwells within us in the being of the Holy Spirit. Isn't God the ultimate authority in all things? If His Spirit dwells within us, shouldn't that be the ultimate authority in all matters of practice? For example, a man living in a remote island in Micronesia, who does wrong by his brother, perhaps stealing from him. This man is convicted in his spirit and confesses to his brother his wrongdoing. Is this conviction because it is written in the scriptures, which he has never read, or because God, having made him in His image, dwells within him and he knows that what he did was wrong? That being said, we who are blessed to know the scriptures should always be thankful that God has seen fit to bless us with this most sacred and precious Gift. However, without a personal relationship with God, without His Spirit dwelling within us, the Scriptures are just paper and ink. It is because God lives in us that the Scriptures come to life and teach us. I think that BOTH scripture and personal experience is needed for understanding and truth. I think the risk of being deceived is not only in the reliance on personal experience but also in the reliance solely on scripture (for as we all should know, words can be twisted to mean anything we want; Satan himself used this tactic when tempting Jesus in the desert). We need both, and the point I was making was that in the posts I have read, there is a heavy imbalance towards scripture alone. Blessings, LGC |
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12 | Is God omnipotent? | John 3:16 | with_faith_i_walk | 89484 | ||
In that passage, Jesus is saying that the time the scriptures of the old testament spoke of has come to pass, and that those who have died will hear the message of God. They will live because they will believe the message, and in the Son of God. He goes on to say in verses 37 and 38 of the same chapter that: "And the Father who sent Me, He has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time nor seen His form. You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent." Even though Jesus was right there and could be seen, they did not see Him because they did not believe. Even though he was speaking to them, they did not hear his message because they did not believe in the One who sent Him. They did not cross that threshold of faith, and therefore did not have the eyes to see nor the ears to hear. They did not 'believe', and therefore they did not 'see'. If you look at the true message in that scripture, you will see that one does have to believe in order to see. Search within yourself and ask if you really saw the message of salvation when you did not believe, examine whether you saw the miracles that happen each day in our world through faith or were they just coincidences until you crossed the threshold of faith. Indeed, my friend, you must 'believe to see'. Thanks for the welcome. I look forward to the fellowship with you all. LGC |
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13 | Is God omnipotent? | John 3:16 | with_faith_i_walk | 89399 | ||
I concur. As I mentioned in my answer to this query, you must 'believe to see' and not 'see to believe'. The mystery of faith is that we must believe before the gift of the Spirit (our TRUE baptism) and all of its gifts can be manifested in us. Then, we will be blessed with the gifts of prophecy, wisdom, discernment, and ultimately salvation. Also as I wrote before, understanding the mysteries of love and faith are paramount to understanding the depths of God's omnipotence. Blessings, LGC |
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