Results 141 - 160 of 729
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Results from: Notes Author: charis Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
141 | O.T. Israel salvation? | John 6:49 | charis | 35148 | ||
Dear zach†, Greetings in the name of Jesus! Friend, even if you did trap me with your questions, I could always plead stupidity or temporary insanity! :-) I do see what you mean. And I probably know most, if not all of the many other verses you could quote. I could also quote to you a good many verses that speak of the sovereignty of God and His graceful election, but I won't. :-) I strive to keep the commandments of Jesus, that I may show my love for Him. But neither my keeping them, nor my love for Jesus save me. "Don't these verses teach us something about the importance of our responsibility to obedience to the faith?" Yes, they do, and I pray that our obedience is noted. But I do not think that this obedience will save my soul. I sometimes think that there will be those that are sure their works were 'gold, silver and precious stones,' but on that day find that much was but 'wood, hay and stubble' in God's sight. They will be burned up, and he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. On the other hand, some that is considered trash by others, may be considered valuable in God's measure. Well, I must retire. It is late, and I am working 'double-shifts' these days. Oyasumi-nasai (Good Night) In Christ Jesus, charis |
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142 | O.T. Israel salvation? | John 6:49 | charis | 35143 | ||
Dear zach†, Greetings from Japan in the name of the Lord Jesus! "After reading that, I ask, when you say "not without our submission" that makes me believe that individuals must take some responsibility in the surrendering and yielding process. Your thoughts?" My friend, my thoughts are simple, and without contradiction. (at least in this instance. :-)) Submission, surrender and yielding are all part of the sanctification process, and pleasing to God, perhaps to be rewarded. But not anything to do with our salvation from hell and damnation. As to victory, I do not agree with Jerry Bridges. If we consider 'Victory' to be victory over death and the grave, nothing we can do, even obedience, can gain it. Jesus alone holds this distinction. Peace in Christ Jesus, charis |
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143 | O.T. Israel salvation? | John 6:49 | charis | 35134 | ||
Dear zach†, Greetings from Yokohama in the name of Jesus! Friend I hear you, and I am well aware that Jude, James and, depending on interpretation, several other writers of Scripture could be thought of as saying that we are responsible for finishing (maintaining to the end) our faith. However, the sum of Scripture speaks to my heart that we can never merit salvation from hell and damnation, only reward on earth and in heaven. To my way of thinking, salvation is not a reward, but a gift without price or mortgage. After this gift has been bestowed, I do believe that the Bible speaks of reward on earth for *faithfulness* (not faith). This reward is something that God desires to give, but He will not without our submission and sensitivity to His design and will. This reward is given to some in life, according to His will, and to all upon the final judgement. In death we are fully humbled, and eternal reward is given in God's perfect reckoning, all positive, no negative. (thus no tears or dissatisfaction in heaven, all questions are answered, all accounts are settled, His sovereignty and peace rule all!) So, in my estimation, the answer is, "No, we cannot claim any part in our salvation from hell and damnation." The difference between us appears to be that I segregate faith and faithfulness. I am well aware that my stance has holes in it! :-) I pray they are filled by grace. The alternative is to believe in one argument or another, but both seem to be human in nature, not of God. When one is a clear 'victor,' I may reconsider, and align myself. :-) (I'm not holding my breath!) In the meantime I will remain 'simple,' praying that His grace is sufficient for me. I have another 'thought,' and I don't know where to put it, so I will close with it. As a minister of the Gospel, and a shepherd of those that hope in Christ Jesus, I have not found a practical way to segregate those that are still 'of faith' and those that are 'fallen.' If 'manifest faith' is the measure, then many I pray for are lost. I know of many that have tasted of the heavenly gift, and then departed from serving Christ. Some have returned, some have not. I cannot find a clear passage that tells me to give up on people just because they are not in church. I mean this in a personal, individual sense. Truly, there may be 'general' Scriptures to this effect, but none that speak to my heart. Maybe I am too soft? :-) (those that have heard me preach would never accuse me of this!) Nonetheless, I will continue to believe that God still loves these 'wayward' brethren, at least until the Lord convinces me otherwise. Joy in Christ Jesus, charis |
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144 | O.T. Israel salvation? | John 6:49 | charis | 35090 | ||
Dear zach†, Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus! My friend, I appreciate your thoughts on this important topic. I trust that we are not too far from one another, indeed closer than we may imagine! Let me preface my comments with this: I am no scholar, nor am I a deep thinker. Perhaps there was a time in my past that I sought for such monikers. Personally, I find the Bible, and Jesus Himself(!) a stumbling block to such endeavor. My humble attempt is to see the entire Gospel from a step back. I can never claim to see from God's perspective, but getting too close to either the 'words' of the Bible or to 'personal experience' seems to lead to a 'three-blind-men's-view-of-an-elephant' type of situation. My thoughts are that our salvation from hell and damnation are wholly dependent on God's love. Therefore your Point 1 is how I view my salvation. As to whether this love is to all mankind, or only for the elect, I don't know. The 'words' of the Bible could support either or both, as His grace is truly amazing, and beyond the full comprehension of mortal man. If asked to 'prove' my faith in His grace, I am at a loss. After almost one year participating in this forum, I have not seen either 'side' prove their 'point' either! :-) The sum total of the Word of God seems (to me) to say that God chose His people, Old Testament and New. On that I simply trust Him. Your Point 2 about relationships is not, IMHO, speaking of what we are saved *from,* but what we are saved *into.* Please do not misunderstand me! I am not speaking of a two-tier or multi-tiered salvation. In my thinking, our salvation from hell and damnation IS salvation. But after that entirely God-started-and-finished work is initiated, we are encouraged (NOT obligated) to serve our Savior and His church. The direction that I had hoped to go in my original question above was the situation of Israel after they were saved from Egypt. They (apparently ALL Israel) were chosen and led forth from captivity. But they did not serve God, and all but two died in the wilderness. Their relationship with God was far from good, but His grace and love continued 'for His name's sake.' Even those that wanted to return were not allowed, though rebellion was dealt with severely. In the present age, we are saved (from damnation) by God's love and grace. He desires that we serve Him, and encourages us to do so in His Word and in His church. This would be the New Testament 'Promised Land.' Even if we fall short, he will not send us back to where we came from. Some may try, and (very few) may actually succeed! I think that some may 'appear' to have forsaken God, but He is still gracious. But for all practical purposes, we are saved! The intricacies of how to go back to hell are beyond my comprehension or interest. Brother, I have no 'systematic theology' for this theory, this hope. It is just what I hold in my heart. I believe that the 'sum' of Scripture supports my path, and so far no other 'bent' answers this hope. Blessings and joy in Christ Jesus, charis |
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145 | O.T. Israel salvation? | John 6:49 | charis | 35077 | ||
Dear zach†, Greetings in the name of Jesus! In answer to your questions: 1) "Are unilateral relationships something that must be maintained?" No. Our relationship with God is not a 'fair' one. We have nothing to offer that could even come close to what He did for us. The sum total of any amount of effort on our part will never pay for His sacrifice. 2) "Are they something that requires some effort on the parties involved in that relationship to keep it going?" No. Otherwise unilateral grace is not unilateral grace. It makes our relationship a bilateral one, a barter arrangement. Whatever we 'do for Christ' must be done with the absolute knowledge that we can never repay this debt. It keeps us humble! All of our effort must be simple and total submission of our will to Him. It is service, not mortgage. 3) "Is a persons involvement in any relationship passive?" No. (again) We actively serve our God and His people with the hope that we can see Him one day. "For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day." 2 Timothy 1:12 NASB. He initiated my salvation by quickening my spirit by His Spirit. The Spirit continues to lead me on a path of sanctification, in accord with the Bible and in relationship with His church. All I can do is believe. And one sweet day I shall see Him in all of His glory, this earthly body glorified. Any service I render unto God in the meantime is purely incidental, though He may give reward based on His interprtetation of my actions. "For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire." 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 NASB. My friend, salvation by grace is a surety, but losing that salvation is but a possibility, with no measurable means to achieve it. As long as there is no way that I can know what is necessary to reject or deny Christ, I see no point in dwelling on that (IMHO, very SLIM) possibility. Much ado about nothing. :-) Zach†, I am not a 5,4,3 or 2-point anything, so I have no absolute position to defend. :-) I can see your point about the possibility of losing salvation. I know that this is a public forum to discuss Biblical theory and opinion. But I sure hope that this point is not a daily part of your life or a foci in your evangelism of the lost or encouragement of the saints. Saved by grace through faith is so much more comely! In Christ Jesus, charis |
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146 | O.T. Israel salvation? | John 6:49 | charis | 35041 | ||
Dear zach†, Greetings in the name of Jesus! So...'Once lost, always lost?' This would definitely lead back to a question I asked in another thread, "How easy is it to lose your salvation?" My friend, I have been reading the 'salvation maintenance' posts, and just cannot accept that way of thinking. (Sorry, I have not had the time to answer your questions) From what I have heard, we chose to accept Christ on our own initiative, then we must maintain a standard of excellence and perfect repentance in order keep that relationship, and now, we cannot stumble or we lose our salvation, never able to find Christ again. WOW! To be perfectly frank, I doubt if I know anyone worthy of this particular flavor of salvation. I must sleep! Busy day tomorrow! I will try to get back to this if I can. Blessings and peace in Christ Jesus, charis |
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147 | Please pray, and Love to Ray | Eph 4:12 | charis | 34796 | ||
Dear Saints and Friends, Greetings from Yokohama in the name of Jesus! I may not be online much for the next month or so, as I am helping another Yokohama church rebuild their building and parsonage. I am coordinating an inter-denominational volunteer team in this work of service in conjunction with the Macedonian Mission Service. Please keep us in prayer as we build for the New Covenant Baptist Church of Yokohama, and for the Lord Jesus Christ. I would also like to add that we (Kanto Christian Church) are praying for you, my dear Brother Ray! Get well, friend and gentle sir, and may the peace of God be upon you and your family. Blessings to all my forum fellowship! I may be looking in once in a while, and even post if I get real excited! :-) In Christ Jesus, charis (Randy) |
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148 | God to kill Moses | Ex 4:24 | charis | 34638 | ||
Dear Jenny, Greetings in then name of Jesus! Moses MAY have been unaware of these laws in the case of his son. However, the excuses ran out when he allowed ALL ISRAEL to commit the same sin! "For all the people who came out were circumcised, but all the people who were born in the wilderness along the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised." Joshua 5:5 NASB. In Christ Jesus, charis |
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149 | Visit other churches? | Rom 16:16 | charis | 34602 | ||
Dear Joe! Greetings to you in Jesus' name! Brother, I do not condone the actions that you describe in your 'autobiographical sketch.' Nor do I engage in such actions. I think they are scandalous. But... I see scandal in every type of church. If I may quote Joe!: What makes a church or denomination a Christian one? (a) Belief that the Bible alone is the sole authority of faith and practice; (b) belief that we are saved from our sinfulness against a holy God by God's grace ALONE through faith ALONE in Chirst's sinless life and subsitutionary death and resurrection ALONE. (end quote) I agree with the above. I think that most Christians do, too. What you are saying is that the (a) part, specifically the 'faith and practice' part must be in line with 'approved' methods in order to be real. But part (b) is the clincher, right? Why anyone would subject themselves to such charlatans, and foolish behavior is beyond my understanding. But they do, willingly! And, many are those were in a structured church, and didn't like it. Go figure! Joe!, God's people go to these type of churches and are blessed and satisfied. Some have little or no education, some are intimidated by order, some are outcasts, some are rebels, some are terminally liberal, but most go because they chose to. If they are saved by grace through faith, then...? As to bringing 'false ministers' to justice, I don't know how to do it. If you think that by 'educating the masses' we can stop them, think again. Most are not there because they are duped, but know about 'orderly' churches and chose the 'disorderly.' Joe, you are 'preaching to the choir' here! I agree with much of your stance, but my observations hold! Much of each side's actions are reactions to the other side. Your view of the Type 1 church is the *ideal,* and your particular church may be very close to this *ideal,* But reality is often not what we want it to be. The reality is that many Type 1 churches are un-Biblically rigid and judgmental, and make no room for Christians that do not fit their mold, often sending these saints to Type 2 churches. This (also!) is not pleasing to God. Anyway, I promised to stop, didn't I? :-) I love you, brother, and enjoy your posts very much. We shall meet again! In Christ Jesus, charis (Randy) |
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150 | Unexpected source? | 2 Pet 3:16 | charis | 34422 | ||
Dear JMSCOTT, Greetings from Japan in Jesus' name! Actually, I use Kodansha's Dictionary usually, and it tells ma that Jesus' name in Japanese is Iesu. This is the pronunciation I commonly use. What is your point? Most Americans cannot pronounce Hebrew words and names, and the Japanese have an even worse time with foreign monikers. Jesus is a perfectly acceptable name for our Lord and Savior! So is Iesu. Neither is UN-acceptable! By the way, this same logic would forbid you to say 'Japan.' It is 'Nippon.' And you can't eat 'Sukiyaki' unless you say it right! :-) I'm already at tomorrow! You'll just have to catch up! :-) In Christ Jesus, charis |
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151 | Visit other churches? | Rom 16:16 | charis | 34418 | ||
Dear Joe! Greetings in the name of Jesus! Friend, I must say that just about everything you wrote supports, yea exemplifies, my anthropological hypothesy. :-) Not every Type 2 (I'll use this for brevity) pastor wears a mustard-yellow jacket! I, for instance, sometimes wear a rather subdued Salmon jacket from Penney's Stafford Collection! (VERY appropriate!) :-) In addition, wearing a 'less conservative' jacket does not make one Type 2. This is exactly the kind of bias (bigotry) that encourages the centrifugal trend I am theorizing. Type 1s are becoming more entrenched in their Type 1-ness, and Type 2s are doing likewise. The Type 2 camp may have the more 'outrageous' examples of extremism, like the tomfoolery you spoke of, but the Type 1 camp has their fair share of 'anti-Type 2' propaganda! My point is that, overall, the Type 1 pole is just as far from the center as the Type 2 pole. One thing is certain; both claim to BE the center, with the other the 'fringe.' Truly, Joe!, the Word and the Spirit SHOULD be in conjunction. This ideal is clearly written in the Bible, and the Spirit certainly speaks to my heart that this should be so! But the church is not bearing this out, which is exactly my concern. I see that one side claims the Spirit in the Word, and the other claims the Word in the Spirit. But I do not see either with a monopoly on truth. Friend, I am not trying to convince you, or tell you your error. I am speaking of trends, and you DO kind of fit in! :-) One of the reasons I visit other churches is to corroborate or refute the (biased) claims I have heard over the years. One of them is, "Type 2 preachers do not know the Word, and do not preach the Bible." Thought there might be a certain amount of truth in this (like Cretans!) it is not any more true that to say that Type 1 churches are full of intelligent, orderly people. Certainly Type 2 ministers do not own greed and lust, with Type 1 ministers free from such sin! Some amount of 'cross-fellowship' may actually be productive, though 'uncomfortable.' :-) Anyway, my good friend, and worthy colleague, I will rest may case with this. Much more, and 'centrifugal force' might strain our fellowship! :-) In Christ Jesus, charis |
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152 | scriptures and wrtings | 2 Pet 3:16 | charis | 34400 | ||
Dear JMSCOTT, Greetings in Jesus' name! My friend, I HAVE read the Scriptures you pointed to, in fact, I have read the entire Bible. It is the Word of God. In your terms I will say, "The Holy Spirit confirms to my heart that the Bible is the Word of God!" Not one thing you have said deters me from trusting the three witnesses that I wrote in my post to you. 1) The Holy Spirit 2) The Holy Bible 3) The church, the body of Christ, the assembly of His saints. It so happens that I have ministered to the kind of people you spoke of. I ministered and preached the Word, and the Holy Spirit touched them. Though they may not be able to function in some of the more physically active roles in the church, I trust that they are just as much a part of His body as any other. Truly, I cannot fathom where you are coming from, or where you are going with this line of reasoning. In Christ Jesus, charis |
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153 | Define Faith. | Heb 11:1 | charis | 34270 | ||
Dear Lionstrong, Greetings in the name of Jesus! Lionstrong your name, but Elephant your memory and Bulldog your tenacity! How's that for a description? :-) I am tempted to say, "Whatever!" But I will instead say that Hebrews 11:1 describes faith, to me! Simple me, I really don't get your point, though you make it so eloquently. Merriam-Webster: Faith- A belief and trust in and loyalty to God. Firm belief in something fro which there is no proof. Complete trust. Sounds a lot like Hebrews 11:1 to me! Brother, I don't deny your *expansion* of my description. I just don't get why it is not a description. Merriam-Webster: Description- An act of describing. Discourse intended to give a mental image of something experienced. For some strange reason, Hebrews 11:1 describes faith to me! Maybe I'm psychic! :-) Peace and blessings in Christ Jesus, charis |
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154 | scriptures and wrtings | 2 Pet 3:16 | charis | 34245 | ||
Dear JMSCOTT, Greetings in the name of Jesus! My friend, it is true that God speaks the Good News to our heart by the unction of the Holy Spirit! But the heart of man is so easily influenced by environment and situation. That is exactly why the Lord gave us the gift of the Bible, God's inerrant Word! It had to be written down so that man could not change it! Even so, men continue to argue about minor issues and try to make them major ones! But without the Bible we would be subject to the whims of those in power and positions and pulpits. We still do have some of that, but not near as much as we would without the written Word. Yes! We must listen to the Spirit that speaks to our hearts! But those heart-felt words must always be in accord with the written Word, and the church is there to bring it all together, with order, balance, accountability and responsibility. Not all can be a head or a foot or a pastor or a prophet, but all are equally called to be a part of His body! These three elements of faith work to bring us close to Jesus. Blessings to you in Christ Jesus, charis |
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155 | Visit other churches? | Rom 16:16 | charis | 34242 | ||
Dear Joe! Greetings in the name of the Lord Jesus! My friend, with all due respect (truly! a GREAT amount of resect!) could the bias in your last statement be linked to your 'personal style,' and not solely to truth as perceived by Jesus? Honestly, Joe!, I do see (very clearly!) the extreme of anti-denominationalism, and admit that my own roots could influence my 'sight' in this issue. But I also see a 'we-are-righteous, they-are-not' attitude on BOTH sides, and frankly, just about equally! In my humble opinion (well, may not always! :-)), the main difference between the two poles seems only to be in where they found their arrogance. The denominational (traditional, conservative, mainline, etc.) place their focus on the Word, and their (supposed) inerrant understanding of It. The (non-, anti-, or non-mainline-) denominational, which would tend to be considered the Charismatic/Pentacostal camp, place their focus on the Spirit, and their (supposed) inerrant understanding of Him. (I'm sorry for the generalities, but I AM speaking of trends, so...) Is one *right* and the other *wrong?* I have my doubts! If one is *right* and the other *wrong,* it could very well be a salvific issue! I cannot see that either *other side* is not saved because of their focus or bias. Both sides (equally) have their extremists and bigots. Both sides (equally) claim superior understanding of God. Joe!, I see your 'pet peeve.' But I can just as clearly see 'theirs.' :-) In fact, I think that this forum is proof of my theory! Overall, I lean toward the 'orderly' side of things, but having fellowship with 'less-orderly' saints has allowed me to see their faith in the Lord Jesus. This is why I was asking about visiting other churches, perhaps even very different churches from our norm. Of course, I may just be 'another liberal, un-Biblical nut!' :-) Thank you for your reply, my friend! In Christ Jesus, charis |
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156 | Visit other churches? | Rom 16:16 | charis | 34236 | ||
De-i-a Ha-n-ku, Gu-ri-i-te-i-n-gu-su i-n za ne-e-mu o-bu Ji-i-za-su! A-i ku-u-do no-t-to a-n-da-a-su-ta-n-do yu-a-a po-su-to. Wa-zu za-t-to I-n-gu-ri-s-shu? A-i ho-o-pu za-t-to u-i-i ka-n ko-myu-ni-ke-e-to a-u-a-a fe-e-su, bi-ka-a-zu ra-n-gu-e-e-ji i-zu a pu-ro-bu-re-mu! (Dear Hank, Greetings in the name of Jesus! I could not understand your post. Was that English? I hope that we can communicate our faith, because language is a problem!) Friend (and friends), this part of the thread has become a little silly (but fun!), but I do hope that it illustrates the differences that language, education and location make in our fellowship. I pray only that our fellowship is of faith in the Lord Jesus! "Penny Cost!" "Babtist!" "Exoducks and Axe!" LOL, ROFL! Bubba Hank, bless you!!! :-) In Christ Jesus, charis |
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157 | Visit other churches? | Rom 16:16 | charis | 34224 | ||
Dear Joe! Greetings, my friend, in the name of Jesus! Never too late for you, Joe! Did you go through some of the comments, and read my 'reason' for asking? What do you think about the 'bipolar attitude' that I sense? Without naming names or pin-pointing particular groups, I think that my observations could be true. The interesting thing, IMHO, is that BOTH group's fundamental motivation seems to be selfishness. The 'liberal-minded' consider themselves to be 'free-spirits,' in tune with the Jesus who 'sets us free!' Their view of the 'other-side' is rigid, robotic, sterile faith, not knowing the love of Jesus. On the other hand, the 'conservative-minded' see themselves as orderly servants, victors with a plan! Their view os the 'other side' is chaotic nitwits, apostate and possibly unsaved. To be honest, I think that BOTH SIDES have a point! (except the part about the negative salvation prospects of the 'other side' :-)) Is it possible that both poles are saved, but equally wrong in their 'extremism?' Joe!, I know I am speaking about the more radical members of each camp. But my point is the 'anthropology' of faith as shown by the evidence. Well, I gotta go! Blessings to you in Christ Jesus, charis |
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158 | Visit other churches? | Rom 16:16 | charis | 34142 | ||
Dear CDBJ, Not only does a Japanese Bible read right-to-left, but up-to-down first. Thus a 'center column' Bible has the 'column' running right-to-left in the horizontal center of the page! If you think this is confusing, the Japanese language is also commonly read left-to-right first, then up-to-down. Sometimes it is right-to-left first, then up-to-down. But NEVER down-to-up! (I can't explain the 'inconsistency' :-)) If you see a taxi with "TAXI" (ta-ku-shi) written on the side, it will be written front to back, so left-to-right on the left side, and right-to-left on the right side. Did you get that? I could go over it again if you like. :-) Did I tell you there are three types of characters? One type is Kanji, similar to Chinese writing. But fortunately, unlike Chinese, there are only about 2,000 in common usage (Chinese has over 7,000). Then there are two 'alphabets,' one used for Japanese words, mostly grammar and verb endings, including tense and dialect. The other is mostly used for foreign words, and sometimes for accent. The problem is that they are not true alphabets, because there are 5 vowels, and then 41 'combined sounds' similar to a syllable. All this plus two 'modifiers' makes for entertaining pronunciation. Bible equals Ba-i-bu-ru in English, Sei-sho (holy book) in Japanese. Christ is Ki-ri-su-to. Jesus is I-e-su. First lesson FREE! In Christ Jesus, charis |
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159 | Visit other churches? | Rom 16:16 | charis | 34131 | ||
Dear CDBJ, But YOUR Bible would be 'backwards!' :-) (but not upside down) In Christ Jesus, charis |
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160 | Visit other churches? | Rom 16:16 | charis | 34130 | ||
Dear mark4jesus, Greetings in the name of Jesus! My friend, it sounds like you are satisfied in the local church God has provided for you! I think that is wonderful! I hope not to be rude, but I must sign off now. I did want to answer all of you that so kindly answered this question! I have written the 'reason' for my question to Hank and others. If you can, browse through them and let me know how you feel in the light of the various comments. In Christ Jesus, charis |
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