Results 101 - 120 of 361
|
||||||
Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: Bill Mc Ordered by Verse |
||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
101 | Lionstrong, maybe this will clarify... | 2 Chr 7:14 | Bill Mc | 17672 | ||
Lionstrong, I'm glad we can respectfully disagree. But I must clarify something that you are alleging that I think. I DO NOT see the church as an after thought or parenthesis in the plan of God. Eph 1:4 says that we were chosen in Him before the foundation of the world. You are correct that God has, spiritually, one people. God either sees you 'in Adam' or 'in Christ'. You are either dead to God or alive to God. From this viewpoint, if you are in Christ, then there is no Jew, no Gentile, no male, no female, etc. The same is true if you are 'in Adam.' The church is made up of regenerated believers in Christ from every nation, tribe and tongue (i.e. Jews and Gentiles). One day the nation of Israel (the physical people of God) will claim Jesus as their Lord and enter into His 'one people', - the eklesia - the church (the spiritual people of God). I hope and trust that you see this distinction. Blessed in Christ, Bill Mc |
||||||
102 | Lionstrong, maybe this will clarify... | 2 Chr 7:14 | Bill Mc | 17676 | ||
Tim, so true. This is the mystery that was hidden, God in the Gentiles also. "Christ in you, the hope of glory." The Jews found that thought unthinkable. God, in 'sinners?' How could it be? The Jew and Gentile one in Christ? Hallelujah! (Sorry, makes me joyful...) Accepted in the Beloved, Bill Mc |
||||||
103 | God's people's land? | 2 Chr 7:14 | Bill Mc | 17877 | ||
John, I did not take your reply as harsh. In fact, I agree with most of what you said. I never implied that only the New Testament was inspired. My play on words for the Bible being divided into Old and New Testaments was just that, a play on words. However, many Christians are ignorant (not stupid, but unknowledgeable) concerning the differences between the OT and the NT. Hence you have sects of Christianity believing that everything God promised Israel is applicable to the church and that the church existed in the Old Testament. Brother, I did read 'The Answer.' This catastrophe has affected the whole world. I think that children are the least equipped to deal with the why's of an attrocity like this. But I do not feel that God is punishing America. If you do, so be it. But I find way too many verses in the NT that say we are forgiven. The hope that we need to extend to the world is not a conditional hope that if American Christians turn from there sin, then God will heal their land. No matter how you cut it, this was written to Israel. I, personally would not pray this anymore than I would pray David's prayer, "Take not Thine Spirit from me" or the Jabez prayer. To my knowledge, God never mentions America even once in the scriptures. Our hope lies in Christ alone as we live out the gospel before our fellow man. I was not trying to be insensitive to your post. I'm sorry if it came across that way. In Christ, Bill Mc |
||||||
104 | The Lord is Righteous | Ps 34:8 | Bill Mc | 17027 | ||
Great answer! Animal sacrifices never made the worshippers righteous in the eyes of God. Even if an OT Jew came to the Day of Atonement and had all his sins atoned 'covered', he could not then enter into the Holy of Holies. Forgiveness and righteousness are two completely different things. Heb 10:1 makes it clear that the OT sacrifices could never make the worshippers perfect (complete, righteous in God's sight). The Law made no one perfect - Heb 7:19. True righteousness is a gift of God received through faith in Jesus Christ - Rom 5:17,19; 2 Cor 5:21; Eph 4:24; Phil 3:9. Even if someone kept all the Law, he would not be righteous - Gal 2:16. Christ kept the whole law BECAUSE He was righteous, not vice versa. The law is fulfilled in us as NT believers because Christ fulfilled it and He is in us. But our righteousness is FROM God. We don't attain it, even as Christians. We just receive it. What a wonderful thing Christ has done! Thanks for your answer and insight, Pemican! In Christ, Bill Mc |
||||||
105 | No Rules, Just Right! | Ps 34:8 | Bill Mc | 16951 | ||
Lionstrong, God is not bound by rules as such. One of the definitions for rules is, 'The body of regulations prescribed by the founder of a religious order for governing the conduct of its members.' God needs nothing to govern His conduct because His conduct is always consistent with His nature. For a rule to be a rule, it must have come from a higher authority. There is no higher authority than God so He has no rules which He must follow. But He always acts in accordance with who He is. Man's 'goodness' is really determined, not by law, but by God's character. True righteousness, perfection, is found in God alone. He is the standard. He gave the Law, and laws, to show what that character 'looks like.' The Pharisees felt that they kept the Law and Jesus showed them that keeping the written code was not enough. "The Law says...but I tell you..." God's character is the true standard. Jesus said, "Be perfect." How perfect? As perfect as the Law? No. "As perfect as your Heavenly Father." Ouch! Jesus not only never committed adultery (the Law) but He never even lusted (God's character). Thankfully, He does give His listeners a little hint here of what He was going to accomplish. He said, "BE perfect," not "DO perfect." He was hinting that true perfection is not a matter of doing everything right, but, rather, a matter of changing your identity. "Be perfect." So, how was (is) that accomplished? By our union with Christ. Christ is perfect and God now sees us IN HIM. I am perfect before God because I am in Christ. My perfection is not based on what I do or don't do. It is based on who I am in Christ - 2 Cor 5:17. My new spirit is "created in righteousness and holiness of the truth." What great news! Christ didn't just deal with what I do or don't do, He changed who I am! I have received the gift of righteousness through faith. "For by one offering (Christ) He has perfected for ALL TIME those who are sanctified." - Heb 10:14. That deserves a Texas amen - "YEEHAW!" Perfect in Christ, Bill Mc |
||||||
106 | Lifting up of hands? | Ps 63:4 | Bill Mc | 13978 | ||
Worship is more than having your hands raised. Consider Romans 12:1 - "Therefore, I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your SPIRITUAL SERVICE of WORSHIP." Paul says here that a true spiritual "worship service" is making your body availible for Christ to live through. This is the only place that I know of in the NT where "worship services" are discussed ;) In Christ, Bill Mc |
||||||
107 | Lifting up of hands? | Ps 63:4 | Bill Mc | 14116 | ||
Dear Steve, unfortunately, I don't know anyone who knows Arabic, Japanese, or another language NOT influenced by English - I'm sheltered culturally :). I'm going to have to stay with English, brother. | ||||||
108 | healing | Ps 103:3 | Bill Mc | 19873 | ||
Dear James48, I believe that there are two aspects to the answer to your question, brother. One aspect is that all sins, those committed before the cross and those committed after the cross, were judged at the cross. The verdict was that all mankind was guilty and, in mercy, Christ took the punishment. Heb 9:15 tells us that all the sins committed before Christ sacrifice at Calvary were in 'forbearance.' It was kind of like a credit card. Old Testament believers could experience forgiveness, but it wasn't paid for yet. We too experience forgiveness but, for us, the price has been paid. The bottom line is that forgiveness for sins is a spiritual issue. That issue was dealt with at Calvary once-for-all. On the other hand, healing of physical diseases is not turly a spiritual issue. Our bodies are still unredeemed, still fallen as it were. The same is true of this old world we live it. The law of entropy is still in full effect. And, with few exceptions, our bodies return to the dust from which they are made. Disease is a part of that process unfortunately. Any healing that God grants to these mortals bodies is a band-aid at best. They are all headed for the grave. Can God and does God heal diseases? Yes, He does. There are numerous examples in the Bible where God has healed diseases instanteously (leprosy, the issue of blood, blindness, lameness, etc.). Some were healed gradually. Some were never healed for various reasons. But it is not correct to assume that if you are not healed, then there is unconfessed sin in your life or that God is punishing you for sin. If you are a believer, God exacted all punishment for sin upon Jesus Christ. God's ultimate reason for healing us, James48, is to bring glory and honor to Himself. He makes the decisions as to when, where and through whom He does that. Having said all of that, there is certainly nothing wrong with beseeching the Lord for physical healing. In James 5:14, God says to call for the elders to pray over the sick. Does God allow some to suffer? Yes, He does. Paul describes many who were martyred for the sake of the gospel. And he says that all these things conform us to the image of Christ. 2 Cor 4:7-11 says, 'But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.' There is an ultimate healing coming. Christ assures us of this. For the believer it is a new redeemed body waiting in heaven for us. I hope this helps you, James48. In Christ, Bill Mc |
||||||
109 | healing | Ps 103:3 | Bill Mc | 19888 | ||
Dear James48, Thanks for your kind reply. I do agree that often times these two 'healings' are portrayed together. I'll be honest with you, brother. I do not know why sometimes God heals and sometimes He doesn't. I have witnessed a few 'miraculous recoveries' that I would attribute to our Lord's divine intervention. At the same time, like you, I have seen chronic illnesses that, so far, have not gone away despite much praying, anointing with oil, 'healing services', and faith. This much I am convinced of: 1. God still does miracles, yes, even healing and 2. He doesn't always do them (especially on our timetables). I've lived long enough to see both. I cannot stick God in a box and tell Him that He can't do what He did back during Christ's earthly ministry and, then again, because He did it back then, I cannot demand that He do it now. Right or wrong, He is sovereign. And I do not think that it is a matter of the quantity of faith one has. The amount of faith is not important, the Object of our faith is. But, James48, as I said in my other post, any physicallying healing we are blessed enough to receive is but a temporary measure. I do have some older friends that do have chronic illnesses - back problems, arthritis, cancer, severe heart problems, etc. And yet some of these older saints exude such a spirit of humbleness and confidence in the Lord and His goodness, despite their pain, that I know somehow their sufferings are glorifying their Lord. It really comes down to a matter of trust. I'm reminded of Job's pledge, "Though He slay me, yet will I serve Him." That is a confidence and trust that no disease can ravage. Keep seeking for your answers. In Christ, Bill Mc |
||||||
110 | Was Nahum 2:4 fulfilled in Acts 2:1? | Nah 2:4 | Bill Mc | 15640 | ||
Dear Nolan, I'm not sure if this is a prophecy for the automobile or not. It does say 'chariots'. However, we know that the New Testament did fulfill much of the prophecy of the Old. That being the case, it is possible that this was indeed a prophecy that was fulfilled in Acts 2:1. Here it states that the disciples were all in one Accord, (KJV) obviously a Honda. Note that the last part of the verse does say that they were in one place. I'll need to check my commentaries here but I think it is probably because gasoline had not been invented yet. What do you think? In Him, Bill Mc |
||||||
111 | Did Satan wait to tempt Jesus? | Matt 4:2 | Bill Mc | 20049 | ||
Dear mylene, Searcher56 has explained those related passages very well. I just had a couple of other thoughts to share. As you know from precept, letting scripture interpret scripture is very important. And, without getting into any 'theomatic' discussions, the number 40 is frequently used in the Bible as a time of testing. It rained for 40 days and nights when the earth was being flooded. The Israelites scouted out (tested) Canaanland for 40 days to see what the conditions were there. Of course, after refusing to enter, they were 'tested' in the wilderness for 40 years, 1 year for every day spent in Canaanland. Moses was on the mountain for 40 days and nights before God gave him the 10 Commandments. Goliath 'tested' and taunted Israel every morning for 40 days. So, along with what Searcher has posted, I think that the 40 days and nights were a time of testing and temptation for our Lord. I hope this helps. In Christ, Bill Mc |
||||||
112 | Is the Jesus the Lord and God of Satan? | Matt 4:7 | Bill Mc | 15111 | ||
Steve, an important consideration of this topic is the fact that God is God and Jesus is Lord whether we (or Satan) acknowledge it or not. I.e. no one 'owns' God. But the Bible makes it clear that 'knowledge' of God is not enough to provide salvation. Satan knows good and well that Christ died for the remission of sins, that Christ was buried and rose again, and that Christ is Lord of lords and exalted at the right hand of God. These are facts known to him. In fact, he still accuses us in front of God. However, he is not born again because he exercises no faith in that, what God did, God did for him. If, as many churches teach, a mere mental assent to the facts of Christ's work is enough to save (head knowledge), than Satan has just as much right to be a member in good standing in our churches as anyone else. The deciding factor is, did Christ die for YOU? Did He take away YOUR sins? Did He rise again to impart new life to YOU? Is He now YOUR life and righteousness? I believe that Jesus existed 2000 years ago and that He was crucified, buried, and ressurected. But this is not salvation. Salvation is KNOWING that He was crucified, buried and resurrected for ME and that He lives in MY heart. Satan (as smart as he is) does not KNOW this because it can only be revealed by the Spirit of God. In Him, Bill Mc |
||||||
113 | How is Jesus Satan's God? | Matt 4:7 | Bill Mc | 15131 | ||
Amen! NM | ||||||
114 | Steve, are these verses in your Bible? | Matt 6:14 | Bill Mc | 16246 | ||
Dear Steve, Jesus Christ provided forgiveness for everyone, before the cross and after the cross, AT THE CROSS. You write, "We need to forgive them as this verse says. Verse 15 gives the result. If we don't forgive, it will be very hard on us." But Jesus said, after He said the above statement, in Luke 23:34 - "Father, forgive them, because they don't know what they are doing." HOWEVER, that forgiveness is only received upon placing one's faith in Christ. Once that is done, no more forgiveness is necessary or provided for the believer. Forgiveness is part of redemption. Proof? Eph 1:7 In Him we HAVE redemption through His blood, the FORGIVENESS of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace. Col 1:14 in whom we HAVE redemption, the FORGIVENESS of sins. Col 2:13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having FORGIVEN us ALL our transgressions. Eph 4:32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also HAS FORGIVEN you. Col 3:13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord FORGAVE you, so also should you. 1 John 2:12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN you for His name's sake. Acts 26:18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may RECEIVE FORGIVENESS of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.' (When is it received? When they turn to God.) Heb 9:26 Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to PUT AWAY SIN by the sacrifice of Himself. (Did He do this?) Heb 10:17 "AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE." I have to wonder, brother, are these verses in YOUR Bible? Or are the only verses you know that deal with forgiveness of sins Matthew 6:14 and 1 John 1:9? You seem stuck, stuck, stuck, like a broken phonograph on the forgiveness issue. That's too bad. The Jesus I know said that, "It is finished! Paid in full!" Is this the same one you know? I wonder, Steve, in your theology, did the blood that Christ shed on the cross for the forgiveness of sins (Matt 26:28) do anything? John the Baptist said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who TAKES AWAY the sins of the world." Did He do that or does your Bible stop after the gospels? Even Rev 1:5 says, "To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood--" When and how were we released from our sins? By our death? Hardly. By the blood shed at His death - without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. In your copy of scripture, are these verses there? Or do you just chose to not believe them? In your view, what is the difference as far as the forgiveness of sins goes, between the blood of bulls and goats offered in the OT and the blood of your Savior offered in the NT? Just curious, Bill Mc |
||||||
115 | Steve, are these verses in your Bible? | Matt 6:14 | Bill Mc | 16272 | ||
Dear Steve, Jesus Christ provided forgiveness for everyone, before the cross and after the cross, AT THE CROSS. You write, "We need to forgive them as this verse says. Verse 15 gives the result. If we don't forgive, it will be very hard on us." But Jesus said, after He said the above statement, in Luke 23:34 - "Father, forgive them, because they don't know what they are doing." HOWEVER, that forgiveness is only received upon placing one's faith in Christ. Once that is done, no more forgiveness is necessary or provided for the believer. Forgiveness is part of redemption. Proof? Eph 1:7 In Him we HAVE redemption through His blood, the FORGIVENESS of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace. Col 1:14 in whom we HAVE redemption, the FORGIVENESS of sins. Col 2:13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having FORGIVEN us ALL our transgressions. Eph 4:32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also HAS FORGIVEN you. Col 3:13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord FORGAVE you, so also should you. 1 John 2:12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN you for His name's sake. Acts 26:18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may RECEIVE FORGIVENESS of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.' (When is it received? When they turn to God.) Heb 9:26 Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to PUT AWAY SIN by the sacrifice of Himself. (Did He do this?) Heb 10:17 "AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE." I have to wonder, brother, are these verses in YOUR Bible? Or are the only verses you know that deal with forgiveness of sins Matthew 6:14 and 1 John 1:9? You seem stuck, stuck, stuck, like a broken phonograph on the forgiveness issue. That's too bad. The Jesus I know said that, "It is finished! Paid in full!" Is this the same one you know? I wonder, Steve, in your theology, did the blood that Christ shed on the cross for the forgiveness of sins (Matt 26:28) do anything? John the Baptist said, "Behold, the Lamb of God who TAKES AWAY the sins of the world." Did He do that or does your Bible stop after the gospels? Even Rev 1:5 says, "To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood--" When and how were we released from our sins? By our death? Hardly. By the blood shed at His death - without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins. In your copy of scripture, are these verses there? Or do you just chose to not believe them? In your view, what is the difference as far as the forgiveness of sins goes, between the blood of bulls and goats offered in the OT and the blood of your Savior offered in the NT? Just curious, Bill Mc |
||||||
116 | Did you forgive the Tuesday terrorists? | Matt 6:14 | Bill Mc | 16275 | ||
Dear Forum Readers, there are many who read this forum seeking scriptural answers to questions concerning life, death, God, man and the forgiveness of sins. We are all at different levels of spiritual maturity, growing in our knowledge of our Lord and His love. Please allow me to reassure some of you regarding the forgiveness of sins. It is being implied in this thread that if you, personally, do not forgive the terrorist for their sins, then God will not or has not forgiven you. This is a grave misunderstanding. Your forgiveness of sins before God is not based upon the above verse out of Matthew. The forgiveness of sins is based entirely upon Christ's redemptive work on the cross. "Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins" - Hebrews 9:22. Christ shed blood at the cross is what provides that forgiveness. All the Old Testament points to that one sacrifice at the cross and all the New Testament points back to it. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, you have the forgiveness of your sins. Please see the following verses: Jesus said at the cross, in Luke 23:34 - "Father, forgive them, because they don't know what they are doing." That forgiveness for sins is only received upon placing one's faith in Christ. Once that is done, no more forgiveness is necessary or provided for the believer. Forgiveness is part of redemption. See these other verses: Eph 1:7 In Him we HAVE redemption through His blood, the FORGIVENESS of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace. Col 1:14 in whom we HAVE redemption, the FORGIVENESS of sins. Col 2:13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having FORGIVEN us ALL our transgressions. Eph 4:32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also HAS FORGIVEN you. Col 3:13 bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord FORGAVE you, so also should you. 1 John 2:12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN you for His name's sake. Acts 26:18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the dominion of Satan to God, that they may RECEIVE FORGIVENESS of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.' (When is it received? When they turn to God.) Heb 9:26 Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to PUT AWAY SIN by the sacrifice of Himself. Rev 1:5 says, "To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood--" When and how were we released from our sins? By our death? No, by the blood shed at His death. Heb 10:17 "AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE." Jesus Christ said as He was shedding His last drops of blood, "It is finished! Paid in full!" His redemptive work was done. Our part is to place our faith in that work and accept it. In conclusion, if you are a believer, your forgiveness of sins IS NOT based upon whether or not you have forgiven the terrorists. And the inverse is also true. If you are not a believer, forgiving the terrorist WILL NOT secure forgiveness of sins from God on your behalf. Christ alone has done this. In Christ, Bill Mc |
||||||
117 | Steve, are these verses in your Bible? | Matt 6:14 | Bill Mc | 16286 | ||
Steve, Yes, I am willing. I have the capacity to forgive BECAUSE Christ has forgiven me and He provided forgiveness. BUT, brother, my forgiveness before God does not depend on my forgiveness of others. If my forgiveness of God is resting on anything other than Christ and His blood, then, according to Heb 10:29, I would be regarding the blood of the covenant by which I was sanctified as unclean. I would be trampling the Son of God and His sacrifice underfoot and insulting the Spirit of grace. That, by God's grace, I will not do. In Christ, Bill Mc |
||||||
118 | Steve, are these verses in your Bible? | Matt 6:14 | Bill Mc | 16288 | ||
Steve, I did. See the prior thread. | ||||||
119 | Bill Mc, Are you twisting Scripture? | Matt 6:14 | Bill Mc | 16291 | ||
Dear Steve, no, I am not twisting scripture. I am trying to show you that there is a difference in forgiveness before the cross and forgiveness after the cross. All your sins were forgiven at the cross. I have posted scripture references to support this. If I said that we must believe that Christ has provided full forgiveness for sins but that we must also bring animal sacrifices back in to cover sins after conversion, I would be labeled (and rightly so) a heretic. Why? Because I would be mixing two different covenants. The Old was replaced by the New. Forgiveness before the cross of Christ was secured differently than after the cross. Sins before the cross were only 'atoned for', covered as a pointer to the once-for-all sacrifice that Messiah would make. Did you notice all the verses that I posted saying, 'FORGIVE BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN.' It is a completed, eternal act of God, Steve. If you add ANYTHING to it, then you take away from it. In Him, Bill Mc |
||||||
120 | Did you forgive the Tuesday terrorists? | Matt 6:14 | Bill Mc | 16293 | ||
1 John 2:12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN you for His name's sake. True, no comment is necessary. |
||||||
Result pages: << First < Prev [ 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ] Next > Last [19] >> |