Results 121 - 140 of 645
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Results from: Notes Author: JCrichton Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
121 | How do we know that we are truly saved? | 1 John 3:24 | JCrichton | 145373 | ||
Hi, Aixen7z4! Part 1 of 3 “I did not realize before now that there are those…” I am not sure how to assimilate the above… I hope that you are playing on words/ideas rather than truly unaware! The Church (not a denominational congregation) has been under constant assault both from within and without… the worst offenders are the “Christians” who are diluting Christ’s Gospel in order to be seen as unthreatening or “friendly!” We have heard/seen in the news the erosion the Church caused by “Christians” who assault the Church through abuse and manipulation of the people under their charge, embezzlement of funds to purchase anti-Christian lifestyles, distortion of Scripture through warped doctrinal teachings, whole congregations not only tolerating secular rebellion against God’s moral teachings but actively engaging in them and pronouncing priests and bishops who themselves are living examples of the abomination that is to befall the Church as Satan ushers in perverted Gospels that not only tolerates nefarious behavior but actively promote it through immersion in both the practice of the acts and the rejection of the Word of God which condemns both the acts and the people who revel in the ungodly acts! This wanton disobedience has been creeping up on us from the beginning of Creation… and though we might think that it is far from us, if we are very observant, and honest with ourselves, we can witness the assault changing us: making us more liberal, more eager to please society’s mandates than to stand for and with Christ! I do not mean to be critical of anyone… but you offered me an example that I wish to capitalize on: “It is obviously important that those of us who call him Lord should do what he says.” When did Jesus preach that we “should” do what He says? When did Peter, John, Paul or any of the others? This is precisely what is transforming the heart of man: we believe that we can pick and choose… that we can determine what God really meant to teach… that we can receive Salvation as a prize that we own… that “Christians” are above Christ’s own Commands… that “Christians” are better than Christ… (just in case you have not heard of any of this… some preach that we do not need the Church; some, that we do not need to be baptized; still others preach guilt-free, pain-free, remorse-free, death-free sinning--for “Christians” only; while still others preach tolerance of everything and everyone--consequently they blot out, if only in their own minds, all Scriptural passages that challenge their ideologies, philosophies, and theologies--some of these doctrines include salvation for all regardless of Faith in Christ or not; belief on any and all deities is equal since we all seek a god, hence all doctrines are sound and eventually lead to the same god/gods; God loves man so if man sins He understands without passing judgment, choice (be it homosexuality, abortion as a form of contraceptive, suicide as a form of escaping a painful/hard life, cloning or harvesting organs from the indigent or reaping organs/organic material from babies whose bodies have been wrenched from the wombs of their biological carriers…) is a God given right…) Christ never expects that we should do as He says… Christ demands that we do as He says! (Matthew 7:26; ) “…It is not doing good works that makes us saved.” When have I stated that works save? |
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122 | Why did Jesus encourage to betray? | John 13:27 | JCrichton | 145372 | ||
Hi, Doc! I understand your position... there are those who belief that if Judas would have searched Jesus out and asked for forgiveness, he would have found salvation... They forget that Peter just minutes before (or hours) had professed that he would never abandon Jesus, that he would follow Him to the death (John 13:36-38) and the others said as much (Mark 14:27-31)... at the end they all left Him! If the most fervent believers broke away when danger arose, how could a lukewarm believer open his heart and spirit to the Truth? In the Old Testament we hear about Israel's rebelliousness, how God used other nations to punish them... we also hear how God would punish these same nations for going to far in their mistreatment of Israel... also we hear how God welcomes these nations back into Him... God's Way is not our ways! Christ asked the Father to forgive those who would crucify Him... not just those who did the actual nailing... He spoke for all (inclusive of the high priest and the guard that would pierce Him after His death)... Did Judas know more than any of the above? Did he have some particular insight that revealed to him that he was betraying God? Was Judas' guilt greater than the high priest, the colective religious, the Roman soldiers that paraded, assualted, crucified Jesus? Yes, he was designated "the son of perdition," but does that mean that God has no power to redeem him? Does it mean that God destined one lowly human to betray his Master and then simply left him to his own abilities? If Christ had so much Mercy for those who took part in His crucifixion, could He not have some mercy for the one who could do nothing but betray Him? Could it not be that Jesus gave Judas his only way to redeem himself when He said that it would be better for the one who betrayed Him not to have been born? (Matthew 26:24) Ultimately, it is God only who knows to what end Judas came... so as the Archangel Michael, I will pass no judgment upon the evil committed by Judas, I will simply allow God to handle it! God Bless! Angel |
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123 | N.A. or not? | Mark 4:20 | JCrichton | 145367 | ||
Hi, prayon! Many social events are frequented by a variety of people with as many religious beliefs... in a situation as described by worleybird72, there is much blame-projecting, unaccountability, and fear/antagonism against anything that seems accusatory... there's nothing more accusatory to human beings than Christ Jesus! (Isaiah 42:1-4) It is conceivable that if the poeple in the meeting desire so, worleybird72 may introduce not only Jesus' Name but an initial and ending prayer... yet, since it is he who can best guage the situation, he can keep himself in prayer-mode throughout the meet, repeating to himself the name of the God of the Amen! (Ultimately, that could prove to be a catalyst to an open manifestation of Christ, in the group, which will certainly change the heart and mind of as many as humbly open themselves to Him! (Luke 23:33-43) God Bless! Angel |
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124 | How do we know that we are truly saved? | 1 John 3:24 | JCrichton | 145363 | ||
Hi, Ray! There are things that are evident in Scripture and there are things that are not so evident... the best I can do is expose you to Scripture... as much as I want, I cannot convince anyone to see (understand) or accept (begin to understand) anything: 20For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. 21Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, 22set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. (2 Corinthians 1:20-22) 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30) 19Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.” (2 Timothy 2:19) 3Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:3) 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever– 17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. (John 14:16-17) The above Scriptural passages should clarify to you how I've concluded that we are sealed by and in the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of God; He is the promise made by Jesus, our Teacher and Guide: God with us and in us! God Bless! Angel |
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125 | Why did Jesus encourage to betray? | John 13:27 | JCrichton | 145354 | ||
Hi, iktoose! I apologize if I've burdened you further... I was attempting to be as comprehensive as possible... "If you believe in Jesus, you are saved. If you don't, you go to hell, correct?" This statement is 100 percent corruect since Scripture is adamant that no one else can save us (Acts 4:10-12)... still, we know that there are irregularities in God's Salvific Plan (these irregularities are built-in or produced as the Creator sees fit)... We know of at least two people who were taken into Heaven prior to their physical (corporeal) death: Enoch and Elijah; we know of several people who were brought back to life by Jesus (Lazarus being one of them) prior to His death and Resurrection; we know that while Jesus came to the Jews, He introduced the Kingdom of God to a Samaritan woman (not considered part of the children of Abraham)in a manner which He had not previously divulged (God is Spirit and worshippers must worship in spirit and truth); we know that Jesus chose to sorround Himself with those who society deemed unworthy and unrighteous; Peter, John and Andrew witnessed Jesus' communion with Moses and Elijah (the first, dead thousands of years prior to Jesus' birth and, the latter, dead hundreds of years prior to His birth)... One more thing we know: Jesus is the resurrection and life (John 11:25)... so it is He who has complete control over Life and death! For this reason, moved by the man's humble confession Jesus promised one of the criminals crucified with Him that on that very day he would be with Jesus in Paradise (Luke 23:33-43)... this fortunate man did not have to be taught about Jesus, he did not have to be baptized by water, no one came to him to bring him to Jesus... he pleaded his case, after defending the Innocent One, and Divine Mercy was granted him beyond his dreams and expectations! And while suffering all of the physical and spiritual anguish (Isaiah 52:13 thru 53:12), Jesus did nothing but care for us... even after we assaulted, mocked, and cursed Him, He simply asked the Father to forgive us! (Luke 23:34) Jesus' Mercy knows no bounds! It is His immense capacity to forgive that allows me to think that Judas' end may not have been Hell! This said... I wanted to assure you that Jesus has the ability to save and to regenerate us! Clearly, it is He who determines who is Saved and who is not... but He's revealed much in the Holy Scripture... allowing us to know about His Love and Mercy and His desire to Save each and everyone of us! I wanted to let you know that God's Plan is not that we perish, but that we choose Life (Jesus) and gain eternal life! God Bless Angel |
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126 | How do we know that we are truly saved? | 1 John 3:24 | JCrichton | 145203 | ||
Hi, Ray! I understand what you are saying... however, my emphasis is on the Holy Spirit as God's seal... Jesus told His disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit, this is our seal... this is what makes us part of the Unit: Body of Christ... the Holy Spirit is the one that guides and enlightens our beings awaking in us that desire to call God "Abba!" In the case of Romans 8:15 I would capitalize the second Spirit since it is directly referring to that Spirit which grants us the right to call God our Father! As comparison I refer to the Jesus' words in John 10:34: we are gods... we are essence of God; yet we are not gods with capital "g" but creatures made in God's image and likeness... our spirit, reflective of this relationship, is essence of the Holy Spirit never capitalized unless the reference is a direct reference to the Holy Spirit who dwells in us! I would also capitalize 2 Cor 1:22 and John 3:34... the Holy is in us not just symbolically but tangibly (as much as God can exist in our corporial bodies) and functionally! God Bless! Angel |
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127 | How do we know that we are truly saved? | 1 John 3:24 | JCrichton | 145151 | ||
Hi, Ray! I followed most of the arguments... I fully agree with you on the Holy Spirit; as He is God, the Holy Spirit does not seek to control us... rather, He desires our obedience (belief) and submission (yielding our wills to His)... "However, I do believe that there is a "perfect" understanding that we need to go back to and rediscover; or that will be revealed later in the will of God." If the Holy Spirit would be controlling us... would such statements as the one above not be unnecessary?... yet, since we are granted free will, we may choose to serve God or to reject Him (choosing death rather than life); that perfect understanding which you speak of is found in 1 Corinthians 2:16... sadly, our egoes do not allow us to surrender our will to God fully, otherwise we would live that perfect union which Christ called us to live ("be one" "love one another")... that special relationship between us and God through the Holy Spirit is seen in 1 Corinthians 2:6-16... it is by surrendering to the Holy Spirit that we can fully achieve that unity with Christ, with all Believers and, ultimately, with the Father! One more point, if God controlled us, how would we be able to choose death rather than life?, ...how would we sin, embracing the creatures while rejecting the Creator?, ...how would we be able to grieve the Holy Spirit, Ephisians 4:30, rather than obey and revere Him? ...Capitalization: I agree with you, our spirit, that essence of the Holy Spirit, indwelling in us, should be in lower case "s"--Romans 8:9; however, in 2 Cor 5:4, God did not give us the pledge of His spirit but rather of His Spirit--that is the seal which we have receive, the Holy Spirit which Jesus sent to the world from the Father. ...As far as translations, I rather enjoy my Bible's version of Roman 8:10: But when Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin but the spirit is alive because you have been justified; (The New Jerusalem Bible) ...it is a simple variation but it more clearly conveys that we have life because of Jesus, as we are justified by Him! God Bless! Angel |
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128 | How do we know that we are truly saved? | 1 John 3:24 | JCrichton | 145147 | ||
Hi, Ray! I think that most people can understand from the Biblical passages that you have cited that in Christ Jesus we have eternal life! Though I believe that some jump to the conclusion that these passages equate having eternal life in Jesus to "always saved" or "never losing salvation." When I read Scritural passages I automatically conmpare them with other passages (specially those that contain Jesus' own Words)... I also seek to understand any direct effect/consequence that binds the actual passages (ie: "If you love me, keep my commandments." John 14:15--how can we love Jesus while insisting on transgressing His Commandments?... it just can't be done!) 1 John 5:11, tells us that we have eternal life, given to us by God; it also tells us that that Life is Jesus! Further it tells us that we have eternal life if we have Jesus, and Jesus tells us that if we abide in Him (John 15:4-6) He abides in us... he further tells us that if we love Him we are to keep His Commandments! Hence, I do not equate having eternal life to possessing a special clause or pronouncing a special statement... I equate having eternal life to having Christ: keeping His Commandments! God Bless! Angel |
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129 | how do i tune into gods will 4 my life | Mark 4:20 | JCrichton | 145142 | ||
Hi, worleybird72! I understand that there are many doctrines that suggest that we are free to do as we please... the catch is that we cannot place God first if we choose to do things that are contrary to His Will... in the first letter of John, he talks about the Light (God) and how we are to not only claim (say) that we are in the Light, but that we must walk (be) in the Light (1 John 1:5 thru 2:2)... James puts it in a slightly different way... he tells us to be doers of the Word not just hearers (James 1:22)... We cannot please God by surrendering to the cravings of the flesh (Romans 8:5-17); we would only find death if we live by the flesh (Romans 6:23)... You ask how would you know you are doing something pleasing to God?... you are! When we willfully return to God ("I am in a transition process in my life coming out of addiction."), that is the biggest step towards pleasing Him! (Luke 15:7) We are God's Temple (John 14:16-17, 23; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17; 6:19-20; 2 Corinthians 6:16-18) and God cannot be please when we choose to indulge ourselves with all sorts of unwholesome practices... but when we repent from our sins and turn to God with all our heart and might, He is Wonderful and Merciful enough to forgive us... He cleanses us of all and wipes the slate clean (Isaiah 1:18-19; 1 John 1:9)... Scripture is clear about the things that please and the ones that do not: 19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and selfcontrol. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:19-25) When we are in fellowship with Christ we labor to do the things that please God (Galatians 5:22-23) and we fight all tendencies that drives us to do the things that displease God (Galatians 5:19-21)... Contrary to what some believe, Christians will not have things dropped on their laps... to wait on God simply means to act with diligence and patience... we are not called to be afraid of the world... we are called to walk in the Light... anything that we do which places us against God, we know, from God's Word, that it is the wrong thing to do! (ie: a job that requires you to, knowingly, deprive, cheat, oppress... others, is definitely not a job that God wants you to fill; having sexual relations with "a soul-mate" prior to marriage is not God's doing but ours; associating with people who transgress against God is a step in the wrong direction--we must sorround ourselves with those seeking to serve Jesus in order to find a true place where we can "belong" (Matthew 18:20)...)... "How do ensure I'm making the right choices to make my God proud." Humble yourself to God; seek Him daily; familiarize yourself with His Word; make the Holy Scripture and important exercise in your daily life; be doer of the Word; minister to yourself--check your goals, aspirations and your conduct against Jesus' Commandment (John 14:15; 15:4-5)... and maintain a life of prayer, always asking God for His Love, Mercy and assistance; Jesus, promised that He is our place of repose: He will give us rest and He will take on our challanges! (Matthew 11:28-30) God Bless! Angel |
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130 | Salvation is a gift to be accepted | Luke 6:46 | JCrichton | 145107 | ||
Hi, Ray! "Why would one call Him, "Lord, Lord" and not do the things He says?" Exactly! Some how, for some, it has become more important to rely on a perceived built-in exoneration rather than to do as He says! Notice what 1 John 3:23 speaks on? Love! It is by abiding in His love that we abide in Him. If we abide in Him, He abides in us and our joy is complete! God Bless! Angel |
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131 | Why did Jesus encourage to betray? | John 13:27 | JCrichton | 145106 | ||
Hi, iktoose! Isaiah 55:11 tells us that the Word of God will accomplish all that God has been set out to do, that it will not be void! Knowing this, we must have full confidence that God's Divine Plan will be realized despite any hindrance that may arise (ie: see: Revelation 12). As far as Judas' appointment... God has created us in His image and likeness, allowing free will... still, there are circumstances where God actually forces His Hand (Authority) on us in order to keep His Plan from being disrupted... sometimes His Divine intervention occurs after the fact (Garden of Eden); sometimes it occurs as a warning and admonishion (Noah's ark); sometimes before the fact (Joseph's travails); sometimes it occurs in subtle ways (the conception of Issac); and some of the times it occurs in very direct and explosive ways (the exodus from Egypt or Israel's exile into foreign lands)... The fact is that once selected, a person cannot avoid fulfilling God's Will (Saul, David, Salomon, Elijah, Jonah, Peter, Judas, Paul...); though, from our perspective, it seems that anyone could refused God's commission... this is due to the greater amount of information that we have in matters regarding Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit and our limited understanding of God's people and their salvific history (Salvation is from the Jews...); when order to travel to a different land, Abram did not refuse God; when order to build the ark, Noah did not refuse God... John the Baptist knew the perils he would face as that voice that would speak in the desert... he did not refuse his appointment! Judas was not aware of his mission; his lack of faith and patience kept him unawares even after Jesus clarifies that one who sat at the table with Him would betray Him... Judas must have had some type of intuition into this matter as he asks Jesus directly if it would be him who would betray Him (Matthew 26:24-25); yet, even so, Judas lacked the power to change his destiny... When we look at Judas' relationship to Christ in spiritual terms we understand that Judas had a task to perform and that Jesus, just as He came to fulfill the Scripture, could not rescue him from the task at hand... we must also recognize that we do not have all the pieces of God and we cannot determine Judas' fault nor his spiritual end--after all, Peter was commissioned with the Church (Matthew 16:18-19; Luke 22:31-32; John 21:15-17) while he was still weak and destined to deny His Lord... would not a Loving God also allow for Judas' return to the fold? (Matthew 26:24) As ignorant of the Truth as Judas was, could his desperation, after failing to secure Jesus' freedom (Matthew 27:1-5), not have lead him to what he understood as the only recourse left? Could he not have been answering Jesus' warning in a crude and limited fashion? Could God's Love not extend to this limited man who only understood his error when matters were far beyond his control? Could the "son of perdition" not be alloted special circumstances as he traded his life in an effort to repair some of the injuries he caused? I have no right to exclude Judas from gaining salvation, neither does anyone else... this is Christ's precise message to those who were eager to kill the woman that was brought to Him (John 8:3-11)... Jesus was not allowing the woman to go on sinning freely, He simply corrected the feign justice which the Jews were purporting to employ: they were not seeking to fulfill God's commandment as much as they were seeking to oppress (kill, on this particular case) the woman--why did they not also bring the man? Their sense of justice was corrupted! Just as theirs, our sense of justice is flawed and limited as we view Salvation History through our limited means! Recap: Judas had a treacherous job to perform; he could not be disuaded as his job was crucial to our salvation: he had to put in motion Jesus' crucifixion! Could the job be filled by anyone else? No! Why? How many sons of perdition did Jesus name? God Bless! Angel |
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132 | Salvation is a gift to be accepted | Luke 6:46 | JCrichton | 145015 | ||
Hi, Ray! After rereading Tim Moran's post, I must agree with you... I think that part of the problem lies in so many views and interpretations (I've come across the view that 1 John 5:18 is exclusively related to Christ--clearly the seond part of that verse is speaking of Christ, but not the entire verse... and I've spoken to many that hold that only a constant (habitual) life of sin is wrong (needs to be repented from)--on the surface this seems quite sound... but wouldn't that theology offer an automatic escape clause?: avoid the pitfall by combining your sins or limiting its reoccurrence (ie: hit only one bank/store; employ others to hit the other banks/stores... cheat on your wife with only one woman one time; buy/use pornography one time; watch one strip-show; get one lap-dance; reminisce about pre-Christian (born again) conquests/exploits just once; lie about only one person/one time; oppress only those that deserve it/one time; debase people/person just once... "We need to be continually renewed" This is so true! Jesus Himself tells us that we are nothing (we have no innate power/grace) without Him; that if we remain in Him He gives us the grace and power that we need (John 15:1-7), and John tells us that He is our redeemer, the One to come to if we fail (sin) (1 John 1:7 thru 2:2). It is this relationship that grants us Salvation: Christ, our redeemer, is our Grace and our Salvation! God Bless! Angel |
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133 | How do we know that we are truly saved? | 1 John 3:24 | JCrichton | 141583 | ||
Hi, Aixen7z4! I understand your position! Yet I must also caution that to trust in the Lord does not just mean that we quote His Gospels! Too many "Christians" trust in Jesus in the sense that we trust in one another (proof, verification, material gain, enhancement of social status... in essence the ole "Quid pro quo!"); yet, trusting in Jesus goes beyond our normal word-usage of the phrase "trust in!" Trusting in Jesus means Believing in Him. Trusting that He means it when He says: "Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do what I say?" (Luke 6:46) "If you love me, keep my commandments!" (John 14:15) If you do not abide in me you will be removed, thrown out, and burnt--reworded for greater impact; you will find the Biblical text in John 15:1-6. Then, many will say to me, "Lord in your Name we did this and that and that other thing..." I will tell them begone from me you children of eniquity!--again reworded for effects; you will find the Biblical text in Matthew 7:21-27! It is not enough to rely on a quote from Scripture... Satan quoted Scripture to Jesus with great ease and control... yet, Jesus refers to him as a Murderer and a Liar! Jesus didn't call us to learn Scripture or to memorize certain passages, He calls us to Live His Gospels (John 6:63); this is why He did not simply teach that all who call on the Name of the Lord will be saved! He taught that those who did the Will of His Father would be saved! (John 6:40) And while the Father's Will is that we Believe in Jesus Christ, His Only Begotten Son, Jesus is clear about what He means when He says Believe in Me (John 14:1; 12:44; 15:4-6; 15:7; 9-10); Jesus makes it clear that it is not about chanting hymns and enunciating prayers or formulas (Matthew 7:24-27: which means Love God above all and your neighbor as yourself). Jesus challanges all those who were listening by commanding them to Love their enemies, to uphold the Sacrament of Matrimony, to be generous with what God has provided for us--everything belongs to Him, hence, we are mere stewards! ...in the end, it is not those who appropriate His Name or perform certain feats that will be saved but those who abide in Jesus, those who Trust in Him to obey His commandments, those who are not simply content with owning a "guarantee of salvation" which they have done nothing to merit! (Matthew 7:21-27; Luke 6:46; Matthew 25:31-40)... James puts it simply in his admonishion to Christians to be doers of the Word and not mere hearers! (James 1:22-23)! So, I admonish you, as I admonish all Christians, to not just rely on the articulation of "feel-good" words... we are called, by Jesus, to change our ways, to obey Him, to Believe in Him and to Love Him: by obeying Him we demonstrate that we love Him, by loving Him we love ourselves, our neighbors and even our enemies! The Word did not become flesh to guarantee us a secure and safe passage (Matthew 7:13-14; Luke 13:23-28); He became one like us to rescue us from Death and to serve as the perfect archetype of humility, obedience, and dependence! (Philippians 2:5-8; Isaiah 42:3; John 12:27; 13:3-15)... So, to borrow Paul's admonishion, we should not boast that we have a secured place in Heaven--as the elected Remnant of the Tribes of Israel--(for neither are we God nor have we been removed from the flesh); rather, we should boast of Jesus, and Him Crucified for our Salvation: it is He who secures our Salvation--without Him we are nothing! God Bless! Angel |
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134 | Salvation is a gift to be accepted | Luke 6:46 | JCrichton | 141371 | ||
Hi, Tim Moran! The "many" are just that: many members of local/regional congregations are taught that Christians are above the Law hence anything they do is beyong any need of repentence and confession! At one interchange, while coming right out of a religious service, I got into a heated debate about Christians the Law and Grace... one of the the members, who was clearly under the influence of a chemical stimulant, continued to state that those who are under Grace can do anything they please! The term "sin with impunity" may not have been stated by them... but that is precisely what they have determined: somehow, a Christian can transgress the Law because God's Grace affords them the freedom to do all... of course, this is not taught by Jesus nor any of the Apostles! Quite the contrary, we are called to emulate Christ who being of Divine Nature subjected Himself to becoming like man in order to teach us, through example, complete obedience to the Father! ...on several Bible forums I've had lively exchanges with more than one member who profess that the difference between a non-believer's sin and a Christian's is that the non-believer is not in Christ; thusly, while the "Christian" can refuse to confess his/her sins and die while refusing to repent from them (since Christ already forgave them their past, present and future sins), the non-believer exercising the same "right" will not be automatically saved as are "Christians!" ...these too have not stated the exact words "Christians can sin with impunity," yet, their theologies equate to exactly that... so instead of striving to "be perfect" Christians can just coast through choosing to sin or not to sin at will, and choosing to repent or not also at will... I equate those theologies to sinning with impunity! Never do I subscribe to such theologies! Never do I state that Scripture provided for such interpretation! ...habitual sin... is there a difference between committing the same sin over and over or many but different sins? Is habitual transgression of one/few sin/s seen by God as a problem, while transgression of multiple but unsimilar sins is seen as acceptable by God? Sin is sin and we are commanded to repent and turn back to God! (Isaiah 1:18-20; John 15:1-6; 1 John 1:1 through 2:6; Luke 18:10-14) "'he who is born of God' may be a reference to Christ Himself," That is an interesting conclusion... yet, that interpretation would make void the second part of that verse: the One who was born of God keeps him safe!: 18We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him. (1 John 5:18) Thus to interject: Christ does not sin; Christ, the one who was born of God, keeps him safe... I would rather interprete this verse in the following manner: Christians are called by God to be free of sin (be perfect/holy); the One born of God keeps them safe and the evil one cannot harm them... ...but this of course in light of John 15:1-6 and 1 John 1:5-7)--we must abide in Jesus, the Light, in order to gain Salvation! God Bless! Angel |
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135 | Salvation is a gift to be accepted | Luke 6:46 | JCrichton | 141365 | ||
Hi, Mark! I followed your post till you made this statement: "We are saved by Christ's righteousness, not by good works as you claim!" Where did I claim that Salvation is earned by works? ...perhaps you read another one of my posts where I speak on certain congregation that believe that they can become gods if they work hard enough to obtain salvation and deification!--observing that there are those congregations out in the world does not make me a member of their religious belief! ...or perhaps you've read where I have stated that though God's Gift is free man can still refuse to partake of Salvation by rejecting God: 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. 16“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” (John 3:14-21) If Christians choose to sin and allow their pride to blind them by refusing to seek Christ's mercy (repenting and confessing their sins) they are willfully rejecting Salvation! (1 John 1:1 through 2:17) God would never take back His Gift, but man must comply with Jesus in order to be partaker of Salvation! (Luke 6:46-49; John 15:1-6) God Bless! Angel |
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136 | Salvation is a gift to be accepted | Luke 6:46 | JCrichton | 141260 | ||
Hi, Chris! You are not alone... Scripture seem contradictive sometimes... I mean, if we attempt to make sence of Scripture through our own means we fall short every time! This particular passage (1 John 5:18) is specially confusing... I've heard much from: "Christians do not sin" to "Christians' sins, past, present, and future, are automatically exonerated in Christ--even if we willfully refuse to repent from them..." But John did not mean to have his words separated from the rest of Scripture! He makes it known that we do sin (yes, even those who are born of God, 1 John 1:8, 10)... but he does not say that we can sin willfully because we are saved... rather he says that Jesus is the propriation for our sins (1 John 2:2), that if we confess our sins He is Faithful and Just and able to forgive us! (1 John 1:9)... Sadly, many believe, and preach, that we can sin with impunity since Christ did it all for us! Pride does not allow them to humble themselves before God and repent from their transgressions! Somehow, they have equated Salvation to the Monopoly Game card "get out of jail free": once you have it God can't do anything but allow free and clear entrance to even the most rebellious of Christians! How sad for them... I liken them to the guest of the wedding banquet that did not bother to put on the proper attire for a wedding feast: he was cast out! God Bless! Angel |
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137 | Who are these apparitions ? | Matt 24:24 | JCrichton | 141259 | ||
Hi, Chris! "There have been hundreds of sitings confirmed by the Catholic church as authentic." I think you are speaking on religious dogma--as defined by the Catholic Church, the acceptance of even those aparitions that are held to be authentic are not mandatory for Salvation... By contrast, some televangelists, and others, claim that salvation is theirs and that all others are facing hell... because they have seen God and He has spoken to them... the problem lies in which denomination's "way" is the right way... to how many of them has God given contradicting statements? ...how is their brand of salvation different from Christ?... Can Satan use signs to deceive people? Yes! Does he? Yes! Much of the division among Christians is due to schisms caused by pride or extremist actions... Luther attempted to correct some errors in the Church and through his own interpretation of righteousness he dissected the Bible and rearranged the books that comprised the original compilation brough about by the various Councils (Rome A.D. 382; Hippo A.D. 393 and Carthage A.D. 397)during the 4th century... still some of his own disciples broke away from his teachings... and so on... and so on... is Satan causing chaos and rivalry amongst Christians? Definitely! Has the Catholic Church, among other Christian congregations, suffered Satan's assaults? Affirmative! Are there prophecies in Scripture that speak of signs from God that will come towards the final days? Yes! Do we know exactly what those signs are? Some, yes! All, no! Is Satan taking advantage of that great divide that exists among Christians to further weaken Jesus' followers, and to further erode the world's morality, and to expand and deepen his hold on humanity? Yes! Yes! ...and... a resounding: Yes! Do you personally believe that the Virgin Mary comes to humanity as a sing of God or do you believe that it is Satan's manipulation? How certain are you of either--what criteria do you use to base your belief? "since so many people pray and show reverence to Mary" Have you noticed how some ministries are proud to bring "certain" speakers to their congragations... and how so many congregants gather to witness the occasion? Are these people paying homange to God or are they following the individual's celebrety's status? If they are seeking God, why do they not attend regular service with the same enthusiasm? "And although tele evangelist can get off track, the consequenses are monitarily not eternal Luke 4:8" Is your understanding that Catholics worship Mary?--if this is your understanding, please speak to a Roman Catholic Priest in your township... he will no doubtedly tell you something different! ...or... are you saying that if televangelists, and others, masquerade as higher spiritual being than what they are and convince their congregation that their salvation is guaranteed by sending money, touching radios, television sets, financing radio stations or other congregational projects (inclusive of a lavish lifestyle for their "prophets")... that that brings no eternal consequences?, ...that Jesus is actually endorcing their claim?, ...that people who are taught that their salvation is granted by their minister's "special" relationship with God and their personal contributions, rather than thier personal relationship with Christ... that these people are not being lead astray, that their eternity is secured? Signs do not save nor condemn... neither can one man guarantee another's salvation! Jesus is the Resurrection and Life, only He can guarantee Salvation and He calls us all to abide in Him, to be one, to love one another! God Bless! Angel |
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138 | Do you control your thoughts? | James 1:14 | JCrichton | 141140 | ||
Hi, lionheart! It happens... sometimes I am kickout numerous times (fire walls and servers do not get along well sometimes!)... be assured that you are include in my prayers! God bless! Angel |
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139 | Who is God Talking to in verse 26? | Genesis | JCrichton | 141012 | ||
Hi, Tess! "identify the Word (Jesus in his prehuman existence) as God’s first creation," It is an interesting conclusion... yet if He is the first of creation is He not the end of creation since He Himself attests taht He is the First and the Last? (Revelation 1:17-18) ...and if He is the First and the Last, should creation not have ended then and there! Please, do not limit God to a notion that Christ, the God-with-us (Matthew 1:23; Is 7:14; 9:6;), is a creature as you and I... to which creature has God delegated His Authority and Divinity (Luke 5:20-21; John 5:17-18; 10:30-33; Romans 9:1-5; 1 Corinthians 2:7-8; Galatians 1:11-12; Phelippians 2:5-11; Titus 2:11-15; Hebrews 1:3-12; 2 Peter 1:1-2; Revelation 19:11-16; 21:3-7)? Please, be as observant as Thomas--even if only after the fact-- and say to Jesus: "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28) May Christ, who is over all things, send the Holy Spirit to enlighten your mind, heart and spirit! God Bless! Angel |
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140 | Do you control your thoughts? | James 1:14 | JCrichton | 140883 | ||
Hi, lionheart! Thanks for your words of encouragement! It is such a simple thing... yet it seems that we would do anything and everything to stimulate animosity or to flaunt our "wisdom," rather than to seek to serve Christ in humility and love! My constant prayer is that we (Christianity and the world at large) submit our wills to Christ's! God Bless! Angel |
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