Results 21 - 40 of 42
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Results from: Notes Author: Hiskid84 Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
21 | Pragmatism is of the World | Job 21:15 | Hiskid84 | 129751 | ||
Aaron, Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. :) They did help bring some things into perspective for me. I was wondering if you could answer a question for me (since it appears that I cannot post without asking at least one). Knowing that God cannot lie, Jesus must have been (or still is?) truly the king of the Jews (according to your statements above). You wrote that He did not claim to be "THE King" but "a king" the "king of the Jews (an earthly king)". Could you define His (earthly) kingship over the Jews if you have time? Thank you so much for your help! In Him, Karen |
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22 | Pragmatism is of the World | Job 21:15 | Hiskid84 | 129732 | ||
Hello, Ray. Thank you very much for taking time to respond to my post and for giving me some new things to think about. :) After I posted to you yesterday, I went back and reread your post a couple of times. I realized that I was missing (what I believe was) the key point that you were trying to make and knew that it had to do with the upper and lower case use of the letter "k" in the word king. So first of all, I will confess to you (and everyone else) that I realize I am hypersensitive towards anything that hints at a "works" gospel. I won't apologize for that but I will apologize if it causes me to misinterpret the main idea someone is wanting to express (as in the case yesterday). The only way I can see to deal with this "problem" I'm having is to acknowledge the main idea, derive any benefit from it (the opportunity to learn), and ask about the statements that I believe are in opposition to what the Bible teaches. With those things in mind, I address the latest post by you (directed to me: 129690). I want to preface anything I write henceforth by saying that even if a statement is within the context of the main idea (which, of course, it would be), if, on its own, it is something I believe to be false I will question it. Okay, now to the heart of this post: I am very sincere in giving thanks to you for giving me some things to "chew on". After looking at the verses in John 18 (37-38) and seeing Jesus acknowledging He is "a king" I am now very curious as to His statement. Though it may be painfully obvious to some, I am trying to understand how He was/is a king in the lower case sense of the word. To say He is THE King (King over all, uppercase K) is easy. His Word makes that plain. And yet, I am struggling with the concept of Him being a king in the earthly sense of the word (a male sovereign over a group of people). I would be very interested in anything you (or others) would like to share on the subject. Though I have a little bit of difficulty getting it totally straight in my mind, I can understand the concept of Him being the Light (though I'm not sure if I would equate "enlighten all men" with "gives light to every man"...I'll have to get back to you on that). And I can easily see that Jesus was indeed a man as well as the second Adam. However, would you please explain (if time permits) how He was a savior, lower case, if the definition of that word is, "A person who rescues another from harm, danger, or loss." Again, it is simple to see Him as Savior, upper case form. I'm also having the same difficulty with the word, "rock". In what way was He a "fortress, stronghold" in the earthly sense of the word? To help you understand my perspective, I am looking at all these things from the point of them equating to His earthly ministry. How else can we apply any lower case word to Him except to apply it to His humanity (as opposed to His diety)? Help, please! My brain is hurting! With all of that addressed I will now move on to my "nit-picking" for today. Your statement was: "So I do not want you or anyone to make Him king of your life. I want us to make Him King of kings, and Lord of lords. That is accomplished by accepting the things, the truths, of God's word; even knowing the Truth." Please help me to understand how we can possibly make Christ anything. If I fail to accept the truths of God's Word, even "knowing the Truth", is He no longer King of kings? Or are you meaning that we are to acknowledge Him for who He is? Part of my confusion is in the phrase, "I want us to MAKE Him King of kings..." Your definition above of "make" is, " "to do" something, to accomplish a thing." Ray, please believe me when I say it is not my intention to cause dissension. I truly want to understand your position. I hope you can help me. In Him, Karen |
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23 | Pragmatism is of the World | Job 21:15 | Hiskid84 | 129626 | ||
Hi, Ray. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. :) Though it was my impression that Hank's post was strictly tongue-in-cheek, you posted some interesting things to think about. I was curious about this statement you made: "How about us? Are we going to make Him King of our lives? This is an important pronoun of Deity. It is a thing (pronoun) to consider carefully, pragmatically." Now I have to admit, not being as knowledgeable as some on the forum I am still trying to understand the term "pragmatism" and get a general idea of what it encompasses. For that reason I can't really address that entire statement. However, I am curious as to your thought that somehow we have the ability to make Christ the King of our lives. It seems to equal Country Girl's statement that Hank was replying to. Please don't think I am nit-picking here. (That's a weird phrase...has anyone ever really picked a nit? What IS a nit? Is that like those tiny things monkeys like to eat?) I honestly do believe that I understand what it is you (and Country Girl) are wanting to convey (and please correct me if I'm wrong). I'm just wondering if this might be a better way to express it: Jesus Christ is the eternal King. He is Ruler over all things. He is King of my life. As such, I acknowledge His kingship through my obedience to His commands. (1 Tim 1:15) This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1Tim 1:16) However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him to everlasting life. (1Tim 1:17) Now to the KING eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Tim 6:13) I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, (1 Tim 6:14) that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until the appearing, (1 Tim 6:15) which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate (Sovereign), the KING of kings and Lord of lords, (1 Tim 6:16) who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen. NKJ He IS the King. To say that I must make Him king of my life is to say that failure to do so makes Him NOT king of my life. I do not possess the power to either place Him on any throne (whether my heart or elsewhere) or to dethrone Him (since He already is King). So the real issue is not whether I make Him king of my life (something already existing) but to what degree I submit my life to His kingship. Or so go my thoughts on the subject. I hope they make sense. If not, please see Hank. :) In Christ, Karen |
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24 | Pragmatism is of the World | Job 21:15 | Hiskid84 | 129570 | ||
Hi, mommapbs. I should probably think about this more before posting this but since I'm impulsive I'm going to throw it out here anyway. :) (Actually I've been thinking of it off and on since you posted it but now it's almost time to leave for church) The other day as I was thinking of some ways that I have grown (mostly in trusting God and understanding that one can experience His peace even in the midst of intense heartache but also in learning to keep my mouth shut when it wouldn't be beneficial to say what is on my mind), I realized that every single good thing that comes out of me is not of me. It's all HIS work in me. So even if some good "works" come out of me or I am able to minister to someone or do anything of eternal benefit, I can't claim it. Certainly not here and I doubt it in the hereafter. How can I, when it's all His work and none of mine? So I had this vision of giving back my crown(s) when I stand (or kneel or lay prostrate) before Him and understanding that they rightly belong to Him not me. The surprise came when I went to look up the verse that says we will throw our crowns at His feet and discovered that (according to Rev. 4:10) it is the four and twenty elders that are casting their crowns at His feet! So I'm not sure if I will be given the opportunity to give my crown back to Him but I do know that this knowledge I've been given, that it is His work and not mine, causes praise to well up in my heart each time I see Him at work and instead of patting myself on the back I am able to truly give Him all the glory. Hope this makes sense! My one other (quick!) thought is this: Our "service" to Christ can't have only eternal benefits when we are so blessed by His work in us here as we seek to do His will. In Him, Karen |
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25 | What is God's major attribute? | Bible general Archive 2 | Hiskid84 | 129559 | ||
Hi, Steve. Thank you for posting about God's attribute. Having considered it for a while I couldn't see a way to make one stand out above the others. I imagine from God's perspective they are all equal. It sure is hard to wrap our finite minds around the things of God! Anyway, it is interesting that, of all the attributes of God, holy is the only one that is repeated (to my knowledge) 3 times (Isa 6:3 and Rev 4:8). I hope others will respond as well. It certainly makes for an interesting discussion. In Him, Karen |
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26 | What is God's major attribute? | Bible general Archive 2 | Hiskid84 | 129556 | ||
tgbishop, Thank you for sharing about yourself. It really does help to know something about the person when you address their question. (Not that I can talk... it took me over a month to fill out my profile) When I responded to another question you asked I might have phrased it somewhat differently if I had know more about you. For instance, having been a single mother and knowing what a struggle that can be, I probably wouldn't have asked if your desire was to "keep up with the Jones" (Jones'? Joneses? Jones's? Jones'es? Ack...why couldn't the person that coined that phrase have said "keep up with the Smiths?" Please don't tell anyone I homeschooled my children!). Anyway, your questions are interesting to me as I like to challenge myself to support what I believe with Scripture and not just because it's my opinion or my experience. So thanks for asking them! May God richly bless you in your pursuit to know Him better. :) Your "sista" in Christ, Karen |
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27 | Human Power? | John 15:5 | Hiskid84 | 129486 | ||
Hank, I'm sure Doc will be happy to referee... he's wonderfully helpful that way. And I just know that he will make a fine and impartial referee, as per Matthew 5:9. (That's my Scripture reference for this post) I woulda asked him to be my tag-team partner but sorting out my random thoughts can be a daunting task. (Feel free to resign if the job gets too hard) --Karen |
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28 | Human Power? | John 15:5 | Hiskid84 | 129461 | ||
Hank...thank you so much for taking my attempt at exegesis and, not only graciously being kind in your comments but, for tying together so many wonderful points that were in my mind but never made it into my post! I just wasn't able to express my thoughts as clearly as I wanted to (partially due to that sense of needing to tiptoe through certain issues). Yet you took what I was wanting to convey (but couldn't) and made it wonderfully clear! Maybe we can form some sort of tag team. :) "Defenders of the Faith": I'll come in and make them dizzy with my random thoughts and you come in behind me and knock 'em out with your clear and rational explanations. (Sort of a one-two punch) In Him, Karen |
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29 | Human Power? | John 15:5 | Hiskid84 | 129459 | ||
Greetings, Mark. :) Thank you for clarifying your statements. Please forgive me for coming to a wrong conclusion from your posts with BradK. I stand corrected! (And please accept this post as my response to your request that I read 129449) I think we are probably in more agreement than appears on the surface. I definitely agree that this is a sensitive subject and we walk a fine line in keeping with board rules. I completely agree with your statement, "God’s choice is sovereign, and man’s repentance is required." Scripture does clearly teach both. Where people begin to part company seems to be in the order it takes place, which becomes an issue of ability. On the one side, it is believed that we are not capable (being spiritually dead) of recognizing our sin, and hence, our need for a Savior. Therefore, God must do a work in us (regeneration) and the repenting and believing naturally follow. This is how we are able to say that salvation is all of God and yet it is we who do the repenting and believing. Scripture seems to bear that out because we read in Eph.2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." It would seem that God has established His plan of salvation in such a way that He gets all of the glory for it. We are only able to do (repent and believe) what God enables us to do. On the other hand, some believe that we, through the hearing of the Word and conviction of the Holy Spirit, are able to see our sinfulness and our need of forgiveness. When we acknowledge these things before God, He responds and saves us. That would seem to be in line with the first statement except that in this scenario we are able, of our own ability (apart from God), to recognize that we are spiritually dead and in need of spiritual life. That puts the ball in our court first. Does Scripture back this up? It would seem to with verses that command us to repent and/or believe in order to be saved (Acts 16:30-31 or as you pointed out above, Luke 13:3). The doctrine of election is most definitely a difficult one to grasp and I'm certain that no one person has ever had it exactly right (being fallible humans with only the tiniest understanding of the things of God). I would like to say that one reason this doctrine is dear to those who embrace it is because it acknowledges a truly sovereign God. It's difficult to see Him being sovereign in a scenario where He is waiting and hoping that we will make the right choice. Wouldn't that make Him dependant upon man? (If not, in what way wouldn't it?) I'm going to stop (and hope I am not in trouble for this post). I do appreciate your honesty and your earnest search for truth. May God richly bless you in your endeavors! I pray that we all come to the Scriptures with a true desire to learn and the humility needed to do so. When you have time, would you please share your definition of "sovereign" with me? In the meantime, I'm going to give myself the assignment of defining what it means to me. :) In His love, Karen |
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30 | follow-up question. | Is 9:6 | Hiskid84 | 129433 | ||
Hi, Country Girl. I have a question about your statement: "Absolutely none of us could hold a candle to what Christ did or even the Apostles did; mainly because they had the Spirit of God to assist them." We cannot "hold a candle to what Christ did" because He is the Son of God and sinless perfection. However, though I would not dare to compare myself to an Apostle, do we not have that same Holy Spirit to assist us? Thank you for your explanation to flordeliz. As is usually the case, they (and we) had their eyes on earthly things rather than heavenly. The Jews were looking for relief from their bondage to the Romans (physical) rather than relief from their bondage to sin (spiritual). Just as when Jesus said in John 2:19, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up," the Jews thought He meant the actual building and He was speaking of the temple of His body (John 2:21). Though the Holy Spirit guides us into all truth, many times we still don't see the "heavenly perspective" because our eyes are on the earthly. For example, in Romans 8:28 we read that "all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." From our earthly perspective we expect God to take difficult circumstances and make something good out of them in such a tangible way that we can point to the "good" and say, "See what God has done for us?" This helps to "explain" away the "bad" things that come our way. However, if we view it from a "heavenly perspective" (God's view) we can rest in knowing that in all circumstances God is conforming us to the image of His Son. We may not be able to see it and yet, we can KNOW it because He has told us so. "Lord, help me to get my eyes off of the temporary, physical realm that focuses on me and help me to put them on You and things eternal." In Him, Karen |
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31 | Human Power? | John 15:5 | Hiskid84 | 129404 | ||
Hello, Hank. In reference to Mark's statement, "IF anyone hears His voice and opens the door...", I was going to ask the very same question of Mark concerning who is able to hear His voice, since it appears that only some can hear it. Which would lead to the next question (also asked by you), how is it that some can hear and some not? Ah, well...you phrased them better. :) I do hope Mark will respond. In Christ, Karen |
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32 | Human Power? | John 15:5 | Hiskid84 | 129403 | ||
Hi, Hank. I just wanted to share my interpretation of Acts 5:1-11. (I really hope I'm not opening a can of worms here) Please keep in mind that I am not attempting to use this as a proof text for losing or keeping salvation. Just trying to interpret the passages in context and curious as to your thoughts. I always read Acts 5:1 to be a continuation of what was going on in the last section of Acts 4. Acts 4 ends with Barnabas having land, selling it, bringing the money and laying it at the apostles feet (Acts 4:36-37). Acts 5:1 picks up with the word, "But", and begins to tell the story of Ananias and Sapphira doing (basically) the same thing as Barnabas, with the exception of keeping part of the money and lying to God. Now, if you were to back up to the beginning of the text that includes the story of Barnabas you would find yourself at Acts 4:32, which begins: "Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurretion of the Lord jesus. And great grace was upon THEM ALL (emphasis mine). Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need." Acts 4:32-35 I always thought that it was keeping in context to say that Ananias and Sapphira were included in the "all" mentioned above (Acts 4:33). Verse 32 says "the multitude of THOSE WHO BELIEVED". Okay, so with that in mind, this has been my take on the whole thing with Ananias and Sapphira: They were both believers (sinners saved by grace). Though they may have been the first, I'm certain they were not the last Christians guilty of the sin of greed or of trying to hide their sinful deeds from God. I always figured God used them as an example to the rest of the believers. After all, it says, "great fear came upon all those who heard these things." God definitely had their attention as the early church was being established. However, taking the lives of Ananias and Sapphira doesn't (in any way) mean that they lost their salvation. God could have removed them from the scene, both to give a warning and to prevent them from doing worse. (I know, I know..."incoming flak") To sum it up, I guess one could say that Ananias and Sapphira's sin was punishable by death. However, if they were saved I know their salvation wasn't lost. If they were not saved, it's kind of interesting that they were punished (by death) for the sin of greed and lying to God. Although it may just be that it's past my bedtime, it seems like the lesson would have carried more weight among the believers if God had been punishing believers for bringing shame to His name and upon His church than for punishing non-believers for sin. Anyway, those are just my humble thoughts. I didn't intend to put speculation in there but it happened anyway. So, pull out a worm and tell me what you think. :) In Him, Karen |
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33 | Human Power? | John 15:5 | Hiskid84 | 129399 | ||
Country Girl, It appears that you are replying to this post by Mark: "Hi Country Girl, I'm glad you brought this up. To me, this verse (Rev 3:20) ties together several current threads. Salvation IS conditional, and the condition rests with us. God has already said He wants in. IF anyone hears His voice and opens the door..." Is this correct? I'm curious because in the following post BradK replies that the statement above ("salvation IS conditional and the condition rests with us") is unscriptural. In the next post Mark agrees and retracts that statement. Your post says: "I appreciate your speaking up. Sometimes, it gets lonely defending the truth. Preach on, dear friend, preach on." My question then is, did you make the statement above in response to Mark's original post to you (the one quoted above)? If so, was it in response to his post in its entirety or were your remarks only directed to the portion of his post that was not retracted ("God has already said He wants in. IF anyone hears His voice and opens the door...")? I'm sorry I seem to be in the minority of those to whom it is not (pretty) clear. Unfortunately, your Gal. verses didn't even tie it all together for me. Thanks for any help you can give. In Him, Karen |
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34 | once saved always saved? | 2 Tim 4:18 | Hiskid84 | 129213 | ||
GB, Thank you for graciously "agreeing to disagree". :) I was happy to see you reply. Being very new to this board I find it somewhat interesting that some people post a question and then never join in the discussion as others attempt to answer. The only time you see their name is in the original post. I was surprised to see your opinion that I was "an experienced user of these boards". I really have very little experience. I am more of a lurker than a poster. This is because I have a tendency to get carried away by emotion. Since our faith is based on the truth of God's Word and not our experiences, posting anywhere becomes a challenge of restraint for me. :) (I'm a very black and white person and get very passionate about subjects dear to me) I, too, look forward to that day when the truth is known by all and our love for Him and for each other is not hindered by our human frailties. Okay...I confess. 2 Tim 2:15 wasn't a coincidence. I did see it in your profile but it WAS the verse that came to mind to support my statement. In Him, Karen |
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35 | Human Power? | John 15:5 | Hiskid84 | 129174 | ||
Country Girl, I know your posting time is limited but I was wondering how you explain Ephesians 1:13-14. "(Eph 1:13) In Him you also trusted, after you heard the Word of Truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, (Eph 1:14) who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory." These verses say that, when we are saved the Holy Spirit (who was promised to come) has come to dwell within us. This indwelling of the Holy Spirit is God's seal upon us, signifying that we are His. This same Holy Spirit within us GUARANTEES our inheritance. Do you read it some other way? Another verse I am curious about is John 6:44, which says: "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day." These are the words of Jesus Christ and they are saying that those who come to Him will be raised by Him AT THE LAST DAY. In the surrounding verses I find nothing about exceptions. It seems that if there were exceptions it would have been written, "I will raise him up at the last day UNLESS..." What is your interpretation of this verse? Thank you for any reply you may be able to give. In Him, Karen |
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36 | once saved always saved? | 2 Tim 4:18 | Hiskid84 | 129126 | ||
Hi, Mark. Thanks for sharing. :) I hesitated about phrasing it the way I did but I did want to make sure there was no mistaking what I meant. I figured "born-again believer" covered it all. :) Though I haven't been involved with very many forums this one is set up quite differently than what I am used to. Besides having a different format, I normally participate on boards that have a reformed slant. This forum is very diverse. It's taking a little time to get used to. I'm sure I'll have some opportunities to defend what I believe from a Scriptural standpoint and that can be beneficial in many ways. And who knows...maybe I'll learn how to post without rambling on and on... :) In Him, Karen |
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37 | once saved always saved? | 2 Tim 4:18 | Hiskid84 | 129094 | ||
Country Girl, Thank you again for taking time out of your busy schedule to reply to my post. I know that you won't have time to reply right away but I thought I would go ahead and respond. In the meantime I would be happy to see Hank or anyone else reply. I'm a little rusty and I think my iron may need sharpening. I would like to say something about this statement you wrote: "With that relationship intact with both our God and our fellow christians, then we can look forward to the benefits of coverage by our God even when we're "caught off guard" and die suddenly. As long as we've establish a regular habit of repenting regularly of the sins of commission and omission, we're good to go." It seems as if you believe at least two conditions are placed upon our salvation. From what I gather, you believe these conditions must be met in order for one to "make it into heaven": 1) We must (currently) be in a right relationship with all Christians we personally know. (By this I mean we cannot harbor any bitterness, resentment, jealousy, etc., towards any other believer) 2) We must have repented of all sins to the best of our ability, making sure all of our sins are "covered by the blood of Christ". I'm wondering what your direct answer to Hank's question might have been when he asked you where you believe a born-again believer that dies with unconfessed sin would end up for eternity (heaven or hell). Hopefully, you'll find time to answer directly at some point. I know that it would take a considerable amount of time since he asked for Scripture references, etc. The other thing I would like to say is that you have pointed out something very important that I believe many times is ignored in the body of Christ. And that is, our love of God and our love of fellow believers is an inseperable thing. Jesus taught that the two greatest commandments are to love God with our whole being (sorry, my paraphrase) and love our neighbor as ourself. He said the second command was like the first. (Matt. 22:37-39) Ephesians 2:11-22 reveals a lot about God's plan for our relationship with other believers. When God saved us He not only established our relationship with Him but with all other believers as well (both a vertical and horizontal restoration). I would like to discuss this very important part of our walk more but have to stop for now. I need to go back and see what's already been written about this on the forum. I do thank you for mentioning this in your post. Question to any who happen to read this: Is my description "born-again believer" redundant? In Him, Karen |
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38 | once saved always saved? | 2 Tim 4:18 | Hiskid84 | 129022 | ||
Country Girl; thank you for taking time to reply. I'm sorry that your post wasn't completely clear to me. Is it your belief that Christians are saved not once but many times? This is the conclusion I come to when it appears you are saying that there can be no eternal security if the Bible speaks of Christians repenting after they have been saved. I would really like to know your thoughts on this (and please forgive me if I've misinterpreted). I found it interesting that you would interpret Hank's post (as quoted above) to mean there are no Christians that sin (since the verses you quoted dealt with those who are "overtaken in any trespass" or "sins against you") and you wrote that according to "what Hank is depicting" there is "no chance of this happening" (i.e. no chance of Christians needing repentance). When I read the quote from Hank's post that you used above it quite plainly says that "sincere and well-meaning CHRISTIANS...continue to live a life of sin". Wouldn't these be the people you are talking about when you quote verses saying we are to "restore one another in a spirit of gentleness", "bear one another's burdens", and "go and tell him his fault"? Again, just trying to clarify what you are saying. I hope we are able to continue this discussion. Blessings to you also, Karen |
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39 | once saved always saved? | 2 Tim 4:18 | Hiskid84 | 128991 | ||
CG; you wrote, "Now my question to you: If there's no chance of this kind of thing happening to a christian as Hank is depicting, why would God spend so much time in His Word on this subject?" Could you please explain what, exactly, Hank is depicting in his post concerning Christians? I'd like to respond but will wait to see if you are able to answer my question first. Thank you, Karen |
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40 | once saved always saved? | 2 Tim 4:18 | Hiskid84 | 128958 | ||
Thank you for the warm welcome to the board (and your generous comments concerning my "late night, should have been in bed" post), Hank! We enjoyed a good laugh over your "chip off the old Doc" comment. :) I enjoyed reading your well written (and Scripturally sound) post and I trust that others will be blessed by it as well. Karen (aka Chip, the choir member) |
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