Results 161 - 180 of 281
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Results from: Notes Author: Parable Ordered by Verse |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
161 | is jesus god? | John 1:1 | Parable | 43842 | ||
JdthCstl, I'm trying to understand the basis for what you have said, yet you cite no Biblical sources. Please provide at least one verse that supports each of the following of your views: "Jesus is not God" "God has dwelt in many identities" "His last identity was that of Jesus" "at the end of time, his work begins again" Thanks! |
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162 | Who is God using? | John 3:16 | Parable | 55894 | ||
I agree that we must act knowing the Lord will return at any time. This inspires us to be bold. Yet, there is another equally important attitude we must hold if we are to be loyal servants. That is, we must act not knowing when He will return. This inspires us to be patient. Each attitude is needed for each task the Lord calls us to do, i.e. to reap and to sow. Yes, we are called to preach the gospel and make disciples, yet we are also called to be in the world but not of it. To me, this means that while we do not endorse worldly values, we cannot do our appointed tasks if we are in a hurry to leave. If there are to be effective harvesters, there must also be those who do the hard work of cultivating and sowing, and this work can only be done with an attitude that the labor may not bear fruit for a season, a year or even a generation. Yet, sowers work in the knowledge the harvesters will indeed come. There is an excellent discussion of the balance between sowing and harvesting in "Finding Common Ground -- How to communicate with those outside the Christian community...while we still can", by Tim Downs. Grace and Peace, Parable |
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163 | Which proposition is scriptural? | John 3:16 | Parable | 89066 | ||
Heres an analogy of what I believe.... God gives us freedom to choose and the ability to walk. Eventually, we come to a door that leads to Him. We cannot open the door ourselves, so He opens it for us. So that our choice to be with Him (or not) can be meaningful, it must be genuinely ours and ours alone. So, while we depend on God for our freedom to choose and the ability to walk, we are the only ones with the ability to align our will with His or not. |
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164 | Which proposition is scriptural? | John 3:16 | Parable | 89072 | ||
Certainly this applies, yet in this analogy, it is Christ who knocks and we open the door for Him to walk through it to us. All we do is open the door and let Him in. I think my original analogy was closer to "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." -- Matthew 7:7 |
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165 | Which proposition is scriptural? | John 3:16 | Parable | 89078 | ||
I appreciate your desire to speak the truth in love and likewise wish to do so in all my conversations about our faith. I respond to your comments: "Contradiction" has a very specific meaning, i.e. to negate or oppose. If you are right, the opposite of my statements should be true. That is: 1. God does NOT give us freedom to choose NOR the ability to walk. 2. We NEVER come to a door that leads to Him. 3. We CAN open that door and He does NOT open it for us. and 4. Our choice to be with Him CANNOT be meaningful and that choice is NOT genuinely ours to make. I don't see how the verses you cite support these statements and I don't see any other places where the bible teaches them. Please explain. Parable. |
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166 | Which proposition is scriptural? | John 3:16 | Parable | 89093 | ||
Tim, Thanks for clarifying this. From this word study, I agree that Paul is saying here that salvation is the gift. This is consistent with what Paul says elsewhere about salvation. Yet, 1 Cor 8:6 says "yet for us there is but one God...from whom all things came..." From this I infer that faith is from God. If not from God, then it is evil, but this is nonsense. And I'm NOT suggesting that this verse teaches that evil is from God. On the contrary, the definition of evil is that which is NOT from God. Evil was not real until it was chosen. Previous to that, it was merely a hypothetical possibility, a risk that was necessary for love to be meaningful, but one that God did not want anyone to actually take. |
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167 | Which proposition is scriptural? | John 3:16 | Parable | 89102 | ||
OK, but I really think you should expound the verses you cite rather than just list them. First, I don't see any connection between "1. God gives us freedom to choose and the ability to walk." and Rom 6:17, 18, 20. Second, regarding Rom 3:11, I did not say we seek a door that leads to God, I said "eventually, we come to a door that leads to Him." I hold that it is by grace that this door appears on our path. Third, regarding Rom 8:28-30, "Only those whom God foreknew will recieve His call and have the desire to enter in", what I said is very similar. "We cannot open the door ourselves, so He opens it for us". I don't see that this verse opposes what I said, in fact, I feel it supports it. Fourth, regarding Mark 13:20 and Eph 1:11, these verses support the idea that Jesus did what was necessary for us to be saved, for us to receive our inheritance as a result of being adopted into His family. That He chose us does not preclude the idea we must also choose Him. As I understand it, predestination is a plan, but not necessarily what happens when free agents are involved. Now, please explain how the verses you cited oppose my analogy or how they support the logical opposite of my analogy, as you suggested with the term "contradict". Thanks, Parable |
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168 | Which proposition is scriptural? | John 3:16 | Parable | 89114 | ||
Nothing I have said is in conflict with the idea that God chose us. All I'm saying is we also chose Him. That we can choose to "worship at the altar of free will" is what makes choosing to worship God all the more meaningful to Him and to us. However, if you wish to believe that you have no free will, you are free to do so....but what genuine love can be offered by one who is controlled or manipulated by another? Isn't this exactly what Satan tries to do, manipulate us to love him instead of God? |
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169 | Which proposition is scriptural? | John 3:16 | Parable | 89116 | ||
I believe that Dr. Gregory Boyd has a pretty good answer to this debate in his book "Satan and the Problem of Evil: Constructing a Trinitarian Warfare Theodicy". Boyd's theodicy is founded upon the Bible and is derived from a comprehensive understanding of scripture, sound reasoning, practical experience and objective examination of many philosophical attempts to explain the problem of evil in a world created by a holy, loving and all-powerful God. For those who seek a cogent, compelling, logical and practical treatment of the biblical worldview, this book is a "must-read". |
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170 | Which proposition is scriptural? | John 3:16 | Parable | 89124 | ||
Regarding our nature, there is no doubt that we have a sin nature. Yet before there was sin, "God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." - Genesis 1:27 Our first nature is a reflection of God, but because we are tarnished by sin, this image can only be brought forth by Christ when He cleanses us and gives us a new nature, the image of Himself. Romans 8:29 "For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers." Regarding the question of why some choose God and others don't, it seems clear those who reject God are casualties of the war against Satan and the forces of darkness. Eph 6:12 "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." This is why we need the armor of God, Eph 6:10. Parable |
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171 | why would God withhold the gift of faith | John 3:16 | Parable | 89471 | ||
1. When I asked "how can we understand that an all-loving, all powerful, all wise God would withhold faith from some, only to result in them being damned?" you said "By trusting His judgement instad of our own." IF this is indeed what God does, i.e. withhold the gift of faith, then I agree with you. Of course, in general I agree that we should trust Him, not ourselves. But that's the very point I wish to explore, that is, whether God withholds the gift of faith from some, knowing they will perish. This understanding seems derived from Augustine, not scripture and is contrary to clear statements that Jesus loved us while we were sinners, that He came to save sinners, so that all who believe in him might not perish. I cannot make any sense of the idea that Jesus would deny anyone the gift of faith. However, it is easy to understand that some people will choose to deny His gift. To confirm, are you saying that God creates unbelievers only to destroy them? 2. When I asked that question previously, you said "He does'nt. Every one the Father draws, He teaches, and gives to His Son, who raises them up on the last day. (John 6)" Do you mean to suggest that all will be saved on the last day? Isn't this universalism? Hasn't this doctrine been shown to be unbiblical? 3. Finally, I look forward to your responses to my first two questions from before, i.e. "Isn't this faith an "assent from it's recipient"? "If not, is faith involuntary?" Peace, Parable |
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172 | why would God withhold the gift of faith | John 3:16 | Parable | 89624 | ||
You argue well. It is a pleasure to explore God's truth with you. I'd like to followup on your comment "But we are not dealing with a race of victims. We are dealing with a race of rebels;" Doesn't this imply that we are accountable, i.e. "not victims", precisely because WE make the choice to rebel? I hold we are accountable for our choices and this requires that our choices be genuine. For our choices to be geniuine, we must have the ability to act on them in a meaningful way and this means we have some power and authority of our own, within the context God provides. Of course, those gifts come from God. You also said "Salvation comes to those whom God shows mercy." I totally agree, especially in light of "For God has bound all men over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all." -- Romans 11:32 I take this to mean that God gives us over to our choices, i.e. He allows us to choose and reap the consequences, and His mercy is gracious precisely because we definitely don't deserve it. Then there is "he who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Blessed is the man who always fears the LORD , but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble." -- Proverbs 28:13-14 I take this to mean that it is WE who, in response to conviction by the Spirit, choose to confess or to harden our hearts. That is, it is possible to deny the conviction of the Spirit and thus harden our hearts. Along the same lines, "let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD , and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon." -- Isiah 55:7 Again, I take this to mean that the choice to repent and accept God is ours, not God's. Finally, you said "strictly speaking, assenting is a response to faith. If one believes something, they belive it. It is not a choice that one makes whether or not to believe." I choose not to believe this ;) Let me illustrate. In mathematics, there are repeating non-terminating decimals such as 0.999999 where the 9's go on forever. The question is, does this equal 1.0 exactly or not? I can rigorously prove via standard methods that this number does in fact equal 1.0 exactly, but unless you understand and accept the methods of the proof, you probably will not be persuaded. If you are like most people, your intuition suggests that 0.9999 repeating falls short of unity. However, once you see that your assumptions about what this number means are false, you will change your mind, i.e. repent. A converse example involves the proof that 2 equals 1. However, this obviously incorrect conclusion can only be derived by a fallacious step in the proof, i.e. dividing by the equivalent of zero, which is not permitted. If you do not recognize the fallacious step, you might choose to believe that 2 does in fact equal 1. Once the flaw is revealed, you would then repent of your error. Granted, the ability to understand logic is a gift, but the application of that gift is ours. Otherwise, it is not a gift given freely, but rather a means by which to control your thinking. Based on the significance of our choices described in Scripture, I do not hold that God manipulates us in this way. |
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173 | why would God withhold the gift of faith | John 3:16 | Parable | 89636 | ||
You asked "Is it possible for a person to choose something other than the strongest desire of his heart?" I believe the answer is yes. People choose between mundane options all the time. Or, we can choose to accept the best option available even though it is not ideal. Or, we can choose to compromise in order to work with others. Or, we can choose to avoid something we don't want. Perhaps more the issue at hand, what is the origin of our heart's desire? In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis said "If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world." Parable |
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174 | why would God withhold the gift of faith | John 3:16 | Parable | 89645 | ||
Thanks for your kindness. Regarding naturalistic materialism, mechanical evolution, whatever you want to call it, those world views cannot explain such things as consciousness, imagination, creativity, language, remorse, joy and truth. Those who suggest we simply need more time to figure them out do so by faith in their worldview. Faith is perhaps the hardest thing to explain, second only to love, which is mutually exclusive to natural selection, which is the basis for evolutionary development. Parable |
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175 | why would God withhold the gift of faith | John 3:16 | Parable | 89671 | ||
Isn't this precisely why free will, and hence accountability, are inescapable? | ||||||
176 | why would God withhold the gift of faith | John 3:16 | Parable | 89680 | ||
You said "I take it that you cannot provide an instance where anything other than the hearts strongest desire prevails." To this I respond: "I can, and most earnestly desire to do so more than anything else, but I choose not to for fear of where you are going with this line of reasoning.... :) Will that suffice? (I don't consider fear a desire.) So, what is your point? |
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177 | why would God withhold the gift of faith | John 3:16 | Parable | 89730 | ||
I was interpreting your question too philosophically, so I was unable to escape the conclusion that any choice reflects one's strongest desire among options. Now that you clarify, I think I understand what you are getting at. Upon first reading, I feel you have capably presented your understanding in the best traditions of this forum. Unfortunately, due to pressing time constraints and travel plans, I will not be able to respond in more detail until early next week. This will give me time to pray on what you have said and consider it more deeply. Peace to you, John. |
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178 | Greetings - (Jesus is Lord?)- instead of | John 4:38 | Parable | 51372 | ||
"Finding Common Ground" is by Tim Downs. | ||||||
179 | How to explain Jesus' exclusive claim? | John 14:6 | Parable | 44637 | ||
Many of Jesus' sayings are hard not because we fail to understand them, but rather because we understand them all too well. He is offensive because He challenges us at our very core, requiring nothing less than total obedience to God. Of course, because He is merciful, He forgives us for our failures to live up to this standard of perfection and graces us to grow to be more like Him. Understanding His claim is not the problem for many. My concern was how we can help others to get over their negative reaction and see it for the Truth that it is. The answers posted in response are insightful and speak to the practical experiences we can expect in our walk with Christ. |
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180 | How to explain Jesus' exclusive claim? | John 14:6 | Parable | 44640 | ||
Most definitely! In answer to your question, my journey to faith in Christ came like this: Looking for love in all the wrong places. Self-destructive behavior. Isolation. Using others. Spiritual emptiness, dispair. Increasing Awe at God's glory as revealed in His Creation. No way could it all be by chance. Invitation by a Christian to get right with God. Christian education, including reading "More than a Carpenter" by Josh McDowell. Acceptance of the evidence and conclusion that Christ's resurrection is real, historical fact. Understanding what His Resurrection says about who He is. Conviction by the Holy Spirit that fundamentally, I am depraved, helpless and deserve death, and yet, God already did that in my place. Letting go of my sin, turning to God. Accepting God's forgiveness, endeavoring to "go and sin no more" and obey His commands to "love God" and "love others". AMEN! |
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