Results 101 - 115 of 115
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Results from: Answers On or After: Thu 12/31/70 Author: Parable Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
101 | Losing Salvation/ Punishment for Sinning | Prov 15:22 | Parable | 44124 | ||
Proverbs 15:22 "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed." For your financial problems, contact a professional personal financial advisor. If excessive debt is a problem, consider a consumer credit counseling agreement through a reputable service. Most importantly, consider your level of giving. Ask yourself if you have trusted God to provide for your means, or if are you holding back out of fear. Regarding your family, ask your family's pastor for help. Regarding the idea of being punished, perhaps you need to take an inventory of God's blessings to you and ask God for the grace to endure the problems you have, rather than expecting them to go away. See 1 Peter for a great discussion of Hope. |
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102 | Thoughts of REVENGE | Rom 12:19 | Parable | 44049 | ||
Unfortunately, it IS normal for people to REACT to injury by entertaining thoughts of revenge. However, you can use such times as opportunities for spiritual growth. That is, once you are over your emotional reaction, RESPOND with love for your enemies. Jesus says, in Matthew 44-45, "But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." This is only possible by adopting Christ's perspective on who they are, i.e. helpless sinners lost in the world. Even believers who do hurtful things need to be seen in this light. Also, recognize your own condition in this way and forgive yourself for feeling vengeful. Soon, those things that hurt you will no be so powerful over you. |
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103 | Could it be they're not true believers? | Luke 15:32 | Parable | 44043 | ||
Of course, logically, that's a possibility, as described in 4:2 -- "For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith." However, in those cases, the discussion about "falling away" in 6:4-5 does not apply because the text explicity applies to "...those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age..." In the end, the point is for us to know the gifts of faith and salvation are precious beyond compare and that all we need to do is accept them by accepting Christ as Lord and Savior. In that light, I believe God's grace cannot be undone by our "falling away", i.e. if we foolishly rely on ourselves and not Him. The nature of His redemption is precisely that He covers our debts, including our human weaknesses and inconsistencies. Yet also, He respects our freedom to choose and we cannot avoid the consequences of willfully rejecting Him once He is made known to us. At some point, He will give us over to our decisions. (see Exodus 9:12 for example) Whether He does this irreversibly only He knows; perhaps He allows us to do this to teach us how foolish we are, or if we repeatedly insist, perhaps He allows us to have our way for good. The whole meaning of salvation is lost unless there is a real alternative, i.e. judgement leading to damnation. |
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104 | How did sin originate | Bible general Archive 1 | Parable | 43851 | ||
Pride, manifested as the desire to be God, was the sin of Satan. Pride is idolatry, with self as the idol, placed first, above God. For an example of Satan's obsession with himself, see Matthew 4:9-10 "All this I will give you," he (Satan) said, "if you will bow down and worship me. Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" |
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105 | Indiana Jones, what about Heb 10:26-31? | Luke 15:32 | Parable | 43773 | ||
It is important to remember that Hebrews was written to new Christian Jews, who were struggling to overcome centuries of Legalism. This is cited by bible scholars when explaining the contrasts between Hebrews and other NT books, which were written to a broad range of new Christians, who were not necessarily Jews. Given this, I am intrigued by the following analogies: In the study of near death experiences, e.g. the work of Dr. Gary Habermas, there are many classifications of death, with the ultimate called "biological death". The definition is "if you came back, you did not experience biological death". I mention this as a possible way to think about "falling away" as discussed in Hebrews. If you "fall away" and later want to come back, I wonder if you really did not "fall away" as much as you thought, or at least in the same sense that Hebrews is warning about. De-facto evidence of the truth of Hebrews' warning are those who fall away and do not come back, despite any theoretical possibilities we may postulate that they could have. That they DID NOT return to faith is consistent with the possibility that they COULD NOT, but it is not proof of this: they could have simply chosen to stay away. There is another similar situation in Scripture, i.e. the "unpardonable sin" of saying the devil is responsible for the work of the Holy Spirit, see Matthew 12:23. Anyone so hardened is unable to recognize the difference between God and the devil and therefore is completely lost. Its not because God won't pardon them if they repent, but rather they can't receive a pardon because they don't recognize God's authority to grant the pardon. If anyone worries about whether or not they have committed this sin, surely they have not, for if they had, they wouldn't care. Perhaps Hebrews is best understood in this context. More practically, what real difference does it make? That is, if we somehow "prove" that one can fall away and then return to faith, would it be more liberating than the freedom we received from Christ upon conversion? I think not. Alternately, if we "prove" that when one falls away, one is eternally damned, would that truth be more of a burden than our slavery to sin we suffered before we came to Christ? I think not. |
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106 | "Speaking in tongues"? | 1 Cor 14:1 | Parable | 43661 | ||
Simple. The churches that promote speaking in tongues do so because they believe this gift of the spirit is worthy to be received, see 1Cor14. I don't have this gift, but I know many in my church who speak in tongues as a prayer language. I find it beautiful and comforting to hear during group prayer. (My church offers once a month a "charismatic" service for those who wish a more intense encounter with the Holy Spirit.) Studies by linguists confirm that the sounds spoken conform to the patterns of true language, and in blind-trials they can readily identify efforts to fake it; the structure and rythms just aren't the same. Perhaps more importantly, we should be careful not to judge others, but rather receive the gift of discernment, i.e. the ability to see spiritual truth. |
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107 | Does God soften hearts, or do we? | John 3:16 | Parable | 43649 | ||
God knows our hearts. He calls us. We choose to accept his call or reject him. While it is we who choose to soften our hearts, it is the Holy Spirit who does this miracle in us. The other side of the sword is, if we choose to reject Him enough times, He will give us over to our decision. Otherwise, our choice would have no meaning. | ||||||
108 | WILL FAMILY ACCEPT MORMON SPOUSE | Acts 1:1 | Parable | 43645 | ||
Seek counsel from a qualified, experienced pastor. You also may benefit from a good secular counselor who can help you address some of the issues that are not matters of faith per se. It sounds like your first husband was negligent and abusive. No doubt you were hurt deeply over many years and unfortunately, sought relief from your pain in ways that are all too human. Given that you will seek professional help, here are my thoughts on your situation. Your story is not uncommon and you are not alone. Christ knows this and has compassion for you. So much that He paid for all your sins on the cross, even the ones you commit after accepting Him as Lord and Savior. Earnestly seek Him. Ask for His gracious forgiveness, accept it and do your best to follow His commands to love Him and to love others as He loves you. Follow the example given in John 8:1-11, that is, know Christ does not condemn you and with that knowledge, go and sin no more. Regarding your husband's religion, see 1Cor7:14a "For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife..." There is hope that you may help bring him to Christ. Christian education classes you take together might be a good way for him to learn the truth about Christ and for both of you to become more involved in your church, fellowship and spiritual growth. I encourage you to focus on God's truth and in that light, let Joseph Smith's lies be seen for what they are. Regarding your brother's refusal to allow your husband to family functions, perhaps Matthew 5:23 applies. Also, from your note, its not clear if your brother's decision is a result of your husband's religion or the issues of your divorce and premarital sex. It would seem that if the latter, he would not allow you to attend as well. If his concern is Mormonism, then perhaps your brother might be persuaded to see family functions as testimony to what Christ has done for your family. Indeed, this is the case now, for better or worse. If your brother's decision is righteous, it should stand. To determine if it is, follow Christ's instructions given in Matthew 15-17. |
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109 | How do we love those in sin | Rom 5:8 | Parable | 42898 | ||
Try to have a top-down perspective on the situation. That is, try to see it from God's perspective. In this way, perhaps you can see that sin is like a disease and your sister is like a patient. Love and truth are the medicine. Be compassionate toward your sister by realizing that on her own, she is doing the best she can do with what she has been given, even if it seems she's not trying very hard. I find that a good way to help others learn to respect God is for them to learn to respect you, a vessel for the Holy Spirit. In all things you do, act so your sister can respect you, then perhaps she will be open to seeing the merits of a right relationship with the Lord. | ||||||
110 | What does the Bible say about masterbati | 1 Thess 4:3 | Parable | 41781 | ||
I know of no place in the bible that discusses masterbation. The bible does indeed prohibit sexual immorality and identifies several specific acts as such: fornication (a single person having sex with another single person), homosexuality, incest, bestiality and adultery (a married person having sex but not with their spouse or a single person having sex with a married person). By the way, sexual immorality is sin because it is a form of idolatry, i.e. putting something before God. Where the Bible gives specific instruction, we stand firm. Where the Bible is silent, we have freedom to live according to the principles in God's Word. I suggest you consider Jesus' teaching on the contents of our hearts. Jesus taught that murder begins as anger, stealing begins as greed and adultery begins with lust. Most Bible scholars agree that the terms "anger", "greed" and "lust", as understood in biblical cultures and times, are not the kinds of passing thoughts all of us have, but rather they are the obsessive patterns of thinking that are indulged without regard to consequences and reduce others (or their possessions) to objects for base gratification of some fleshly desire, e.g. revenge, coveting or sex. In lust, sexual desire is fed, nurtured and exploited until it becomes grotesque and compelling, leading to sexual immorality. If masturbation involves this kind of thinking, then it is a serious problem, a perversion of God's intent for our sexuality. Also, masturbation can become an addiction like gluttony or drunkenness. Again, a perversion of God's gifts to us. So, masturbation, like many other things, is definitely one way we can fall short of following God's laws. Yet, I believe it is not clear from the Bible that masturbation, in itself, is necessarily sexual immorality. After all, eating is not necessarily gluttony and having a glass of wine is not necessarly drunkenness. I believe the Bible teaches that right actions are important, but the content of your heart is the point. (of course, having a righteous heart does not permit us to commit sexual immorality as defined in the Bible) If masturbation is an addiction, pray that God may release you from this form of slavery. Self control is a gift of the Spirit. If you experience terrible feelings of guilt over masturbation that make you want to turn away from God, pray that He grace you with a more real understanding of His love and forgiveness and guide you in your sexuality. Guilt is a gift that guides us to righteousness. But, guilt, when unchecked and excessive, can be used by the enemy to steal our attention away from God's grace. All of us stumble, and that keeps us humble. Christ gives us the ability to get back on our feet. As we must be compassionate to others, forgiving them, so also must we offer ourselves to God, including all our shortcomings, knowing that He loves us anyway as we strive to become like Jesus. |
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111 | Two Creation Stories? | Gen 1:1 | Parable | 41723 | ||
For an excellent detailed discussion of Creation, and how modern scientific evidence fits with the Genesis account, see The Genesis Question, by Dr. Hugh Ross. The two accounts are not two different stories. They merely emphasize different things, i.e. creation of the earth or creation of man. |
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112 | The meaning in Luke 13:6-9 parable | Luke 13:6 | Parable | 41722 | ||
See Hard Sayings of the Bible, by Kaiser, Davids, Brauch and Bruce. If memory serves, according to the authors...The fig tree is Jerusalem, where Jesus and the disciples were going for Passover. The fig tree represents those who hear the Word but reject it, and bear no fruit, as the fig tree has been given water, sunshine and soil, but yields no fruit. It has the appearance of life, i.e. branches and leaves, but offers nothing to sustain others or produce more fig trees. The lesson is that because Jerusalem rejects God, they are cut off from Him, the source of life, and they are doomed to wither and die. This came to pass with the destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD. |
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113 | If u r saved, can u become not saved? | Rom 7:1 | Parable | 41492 | ||
There is some debate about this. One perspective is salvation is a gift of grace and there is nothing we do to deserve it and there is nothing we can do to cancel God's will for us. I have heard people say that once granted, salvation is assured, but if you continue to pursue a sinful life, your heavenly rewards will be granted accordingly. Another perspective is, Paul assures us that for those in Christ, there is no condemnation, so your question seems to hinge on whether or not we can fall out of Christ. Hebrews 6:4-12 (NIV) seems to warn us against falling away from repentence. I have capitalized the basic sentence, which spans verses 4-6, so as to highlight the backbone on which other clauses depend, see below. This backbone says it is impossible to be brought back to repentence if you fall away from it. Repentence is a fundamental step in coming to Christ. Also, in the ancient cultures of the Bible, time and events are often viewed as ongoing processes, not just discrete events, so I believe repentence is a state of being, not just something you do once and its over. So, it seems possible to fall away from repentence and Hebrews seems to be saying this is a threat to our relationship with Christ and carries consequences for us. Yet also, these verses close with the confidence that we won't need this warning. When people ask about falling away it shows they are probably not in danger of this, as falling away implies that you don't care at all. However, some hope to justify their ongoing sin by saying that no matter what they do, they are saved. Paul admonishes us against this kind of thinking with his famous "1What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" -- Romans 6:1-2 (NIV) So, we should pray for God to free us from our addiction to sin rather than look for ways to feel better about it. ---------- 4IT IS IMPOSSIBLE for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, 6IF THEY FALL AWAY, TO BE BROUGHT BACK TO REPENTENCE, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace. 7Land that drinks in the rain often falling on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is farmed receives the blessing of God. 8But land that produces thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed. In the end it will be burned. 9Even though we speak like this, dear friends, we are confident of better things in your case--things that accompany salvation. 10God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. 12We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. |
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114 | Romans 8:18-27,31-34 | Rom 8:26 | Parable | 41441 | ||
The Holy Spirit lives in and through believers in Christ. He knows our needs, regardless our ability to express them or our awareness, or ignorance, of them. He gives us what we need, but not necessarily what we'd like to have. Yet, so long as we ask according to God's will, He will grant what we ask. This means so long as we keep our love for Jesus as the primary purpose for our life, anything we ask will be according to His will and it will be so. When we can't articulate what we need, He knows what we are asking for, i.e. for Him to give us what we need. Ironically, what we need most is for Him to bring us into harmony with His will; our learning to ask according to His will is one way He brings us to Himself. | ||||||
115 | Judas betraying Jesus? | Matt 26:1 | Parable | 41438 | ||
I believe Jesus knew about Judas' betrayal far in advance. I think it may have been one reason why Jesus selected Judas as a disciple. Judas' betrayal was a necessary act that delivered Jesus to the cross. Jesus knew His earthly mission of salvation required His suffering and death for us. Yet, I do not believe Jesus caused Judas to betray Him, but rather, Jesus let him exercise his free will, knowing what Judas would choose, just as He wants all of us to come to Him of our own choice, knowing our hearts as only He can. There are many scriptural references that show He knew why He was with us and that He was in harmony with the will of the Father at all times. |
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