Results 181 - 200 of 465
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: Parable Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
181 | God is not the author of evil. | Job | Parable | 99069 | ||
It's not liberty that is our downfall, but rather the abuse of liberty. If we had no liberty, we could not respond to God's love with anything but a mindless programmed routine. Hardly the kind of a passion that God wants from us, right? The "higher" view of God's sovereignty that cannot be understood nor explained is no view at all. We are called to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." God's truth, as revealed by a comprehensive reading of scripture, is coherent, understandable and practical. You said not to wait around for an answer to your paradoxical conundrum. Instead, I believe Dr. Gregory Boyd has exposited scripture to yield a satisfactory answer. See "God at War" and "Satan and the Problem of Evil". In my opinion, Boyd is right that our thinking has been influenced too much by factors outside scripture. |
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182 | God is not the author of evil. | Job | Parable | 99066 | ||
Perhaps the difference in our understanding is this...I hold that God has the capacity to do whatever he wants, including giving us a world in which our decisions and freedom to act are genuine because "possibility" has real meaning. Of course, He is sovereign over these possibilities and they provide authentic opportunity for us to choose Him. These possibilities are governed by His sovereignty, so overall His plans will be fulfilled. If I understand you correctly, you seem to be saying that each and every flap of each and every wing on each and every sparrow is specifically and exhaustively determined by God's meticulous control. This necessarily implies that each and every demon or wicked person is just a puppet exhaustively controlled by God, which makes Him an accessory to evil. Scripture denies this. |
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183 | God is not the author of evil. | Job | Parable | 99060 | ||
The idea God does not micromanage is first and foremost scriptural. With my example, which was not intended as a foundation, I was just trying to show why God's truth makes sense, to clarify what I meant. If we examine Mat 10:29 in its context, Jesus concludes His discussion in verse 31 with "So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." His point is that we are worth more than the sparrows, not that sparrows die because God kills them. |
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184 | God is not the author of evil. | Job | Parable | 99055 | ||
In Romans 10:9, Paul said "...if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." This is what scripture says is the meaning of being Christian, not that we adopt Augustine's exhaustively defined blueprint theology in which God is the author of evil for purposes beyond human understanding. Read scripture for what it clearly says, not what others have said it means. Clearly, the bible teaches God is eternal, omniscient, omnipotent, transcendant and immanent. Scripture also teaches that it is the very real EXPERIENCE of Jesus' life, death, resurrection and ascension that give our faith its meaning. |
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185 | God is not the author of evil. | Job | Parable | 99052 | ||
The greatest love is when we give our lives for the sake of others. Love is not an emotion, it is a command. Love is the greatest spiritual gift, without it, none of the others mean anything. Love is the fullfillment of the law. God is love. Love is doing for others what you would have them do for you. Sometimes loving others means accepting their indifference, rejection or hatred, allowing them to remain as they choose to be, however unjust, mistaken or tragic. The result is that nothing they think, say or do will hinder treating them as you would be treated by them. Love is a state of being, thinking and doing, not something we put on and take off like a garment. |
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186 | God is not the author of evil. | Job | Parable | 99051 | ||
I acknowledge these verses describe God's supreme authority, but not that he micromanages every detail. There is a difference between saying that what God has ordained will come to pass and that everything that comes to pass has been ordained by God. From our experience, do we not feel that leaders who cannot delegate are insecure and ultimately less respected because they feel they must dictate every little thing? On the other hand, do we not respect those who empower others, don't we feel they are secure, strong and wise? |
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187 | God is not the author of evil. | Job | Parable | 99049 | ||
If we believe that everything that happens is God's will, then we cannot escape the conclusion that He is the author of evil and that we cannot influence anything through faith or prayer. On the other hand, if we accept that scripture teaches us that God has left some things up to us, and other free agents He created, then we are immediately faced with the responsibility for our thoughts, words and deeds, and that our faith and prayers can make a meaningful difference in the war against the enemy. If Satan, the enemy, is really just God's hired henchman, then God is ultimately responsible for all that Satan does. Scripture is clear that this is not the case. This is why we find so little comfort in the platitudes offered when something bad happens, that is, "it must be part of God's mysterious divine plan for us." That simply doesn't hold up against what scripture teaches about how Jesus responded to demons and Satan. |
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188 | God is not the author of evil. | Job | Parable | 99045 | ||
I think so. Nothing can prevent God's will from being realized in the fullness of time. Perhaps this is because while He has given us genuine freedom to choose or reject him, He has not given us unlimited or eternal power/authority with which to act. So, if we choose to rebel, we can expect to have only a limited impact on His creation and His divine plan. | ||||||
189 | God is not the author of evil. | Job | Parable | 99039 | ||
I concur. By His resurrection, Christ has won the war against darkness, death and evil. What remains to be worked out is the mopping-up operation, that is, for us, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to identify remaining pockets of enemy activity and be victorious over them through faith, prayer and love. | ||||||
190 | God is not the author of evil. | Job | Parable | 99038 | ||
Coming from you Hank, this is indeed high praise. Thank you for your encouragement. Parable. |
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191 | God is not the author of evil. | Job | Parable | 98979 | ||
"Nothing happens that God did not intend to happen" is a good summary of Augustine's theology, but not scripture. Did God intend for man to disobey and fall into sin? NO. He intended that man would enjoy harmonious fellowship with Him. Man freely chose to disobey, God did not make this choice for us. Does God intend for children to be kidnapped, raped and killed? Please say no. Stop ascribing to God what can only be explained as moral free agents acting in opposition to God's will. God is not the author of evil. Read Boyd's books "Satan and the Problem of Evil", "God at War" and "God of the Possible". |
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192 | suffering is God's will? | Job | Parable | 98972 | ||
So, suffering is God's will for us? Wasn't it Satan that did all those nasty things to Job? In his book "God at War", Dr. Gregory Boyd discusses the book of Job. His conclusion is markedly different from the idea that bad things that happen are somehow part of God's divine blueprint. Rather, those things are in direct conflict with God's will, but they don't deter Job from having faith in God anyway. |
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193 | What does "being a homosexual" mean? | Rom 1:19 | Parable | 91629 | ||
I concur and emphasize that "No one born of God makes a practice of sinning". You said "Since sin is the transgression of the Law and Jesus came to fulfill (not abolish) the Law, then how could he condone the breaking of the very Law that he came to fulfill?" Of course, Jesus never condones sin, but rather always convicts it. Once convicted, though, He always offers forgiveness to those who repent and turn to Him. He then empowers them by grace to endure the struggle with the flesh. The important point is that we must die to sin and be born again in Christ. If someone has not died to sin, they are still alive to sin and they cannot be born again. This is true of all sin, not just homosexuality. Parable |
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194 | What does "being a homosexual" mean? | Rom 1:19 | Parable | 91595 | ||
I have a problem with the statement "it is not possible for a homosexual to carry out God's will". Jesus said "...with God all things are possible." -- Matthew 19:26 Paul said "...in all things, God works for the good of those who love him." -- Romans 8:28 A person may be a homosexual and love God, even though their walk with him is hindered by their conduct, just as is true for anyone who struggles with sin, i.e. all of us, 1 John 1:8. Finally, God can use even the most hard-hearted person to further his purposes, "for I have hardened his heart....so that I may perform these miraculous signs of mine among them." Exodus 10:1 Peace, Parable |
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195 | why is sacrifice the means to salvation? | 2 Cor 5:21 | Parable | 91444 | ||
Yes, of course, it is enough. I have always held that understanding comes from obedience and trust. My interest here is not perfect understanding of Gods ways, but how to give a defense for the faith that I have, and this question seems to come up a lot when I'm sharing my faith with others. I have not yet been able to articulate why atonement requires sacrifice rather than some other act we could perform. I think the relevant issue in sacrifice is the personal cost associated with it and blood is the most valuable thing in life we can give. When that cost is no longer real, then sacrifice is no longer sacrifice. Wasn't this the problem with those who made a show of their sacrifices, thus getting something from their sacrifice instead of giving all of it completely to God? When the OT prescribed animal sacrifice as a substitute for human blood, wasn't this still supposed to be meaningful because people were so dependent on animals for their livelihood? If there are any verses that support what I have just written, or another understanding, perhaps that would be helpful. Parable |
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196 | why is sacrifice the means to salvation? | 2 Cor 5:21 | Parable | 91374 | ||
Prazn, I welcome your insights! I am familiar with what you have said and agree. However, my question does not relate to what God has ordained as sufficient for the atonement of sin, my question is about why sacrifice itself, blood or otherwise, is the method God requires. What is it about sacrifice that erases sin? Parable |
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197 | why is sacrifice the means to salvation? | 2 Cor 5:21 | Parable | 91301 | ||
Pastor Glenn, Thanks for your insights. You bring up another question... You said "Without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins." My question: "Why is it necessary to spill blood for our sins to be erased?" In other words, why did God establish sacrifice, especially this sacrifice, as the means to salvation? I'll try to ask my other questions in separate postings. Peace, Parable |
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198 | HOW did He take our sin upon Himself? | 2 Cor 5:21 | Parable | 91132 | ||
I understand that Jesus took our sins upon Himself and paid the price to redeem us. What I do not understand, is HOW those sins were taken up by Him, HOW those sins were crucified with Him, and HOW He was made sin in our place. I don't expect that scripture explains the details of this mystery, but I am interested to know how to explain this, according to Peter's instruction to be prepared to explain the faith I have within me. Thanks for your insights. Parable |
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199 | 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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200 | Is this the opinion of most Christians? | Matt 5:39 | Parable | 89681 | ||
Yes, I agree that the command is for us to submit rather than demand justice. The OT prescriptions of "eye for eye, tooth for tooth" were to maintain social order, instead of promoting escalation, e.g. killing someone who insults your mother. Jesus, as usual, goes beyond the OT prescription, requiring that we address the contents of our hearts. Revenge starts in the heart as a desire for justice, but we err when we try to deliver justice ourselves instead of leaving that to God. Also, if we have no desire for justice for ourselves, we will never do anything that will provoke revenge by others. Ironically, to be peacemakers, we must work for justice, yet not for ourselves, but for others. Parable |
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