Results 21 - 40 of 361
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: Bill Mc Ordered by Verse |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
21 | What do you think of 1 Cor 1:18? | Bible general Archive 1 | Bill Mc | 15555 | ||
Dear Tim, thanks for the response. I'll let this one go. The only other meaning that crossed my mind was not a 'progressive' salvation for individuals but, rather, a progressive 'saving' of mankind down through history. Possibly, "but to all the people who are being and will be saved as the generations pass, it is the power of God." I don't know. But thanks, brother, for your input, critique, gentle spirit, and even for your hard questions. Keep contending for the faith. In Christ, Bill Mc |
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22 | Where is the answer to these verses? | Bible general Archive 1 | Bill Mc | 15600 | ||
Tim, thanks for your response. These verses still have me stumped but I have to admit that the limitation is on my part. In fact, I may never get answer to them this side of heaven. One of the problems for me as a lay person is that, in some difficult passages, the underlying Greek just confuses the issue, not because Greek is a problem but because translation is not an EXACT science. Translator try, I believe, to find the closest receptor language word that means the same as the original donor language. Obviously, that is why SO many different translations exist today. And the matter becomes even worse if the translators have a particular theological bent. Where this causes a problem for me is in the area of doctrinal purity. I can find, right now, about 20 verses that say our salvation is a done deal and that we can never lose it. But, along with the ones you've posted here, I can find about 3 others that seem to imply that salvation can be walked away from, lost, not made sure, etc. It's the same with water baptism. I can find plenty of verses that say the water baptism is not part of salvation as we know it. But then there is that one or two that imply that it might be. So, as a layman, how do we reconcile these pieces of the puzzle so that they all fit? Can we? Should we? I don't know. Because I, in myself, can't, I encourage others to be Bereans and check out what I say for themselves or to come along side me and help dig for the answer. That is where I think this forum can be a wonderful tool. Unfortunately, there are not many people in my local church that I can take certain questions to. We have many retired pastors there but my honest questions are usually looked upon as 'doubter's syndrome.' That is hardly the case. But I do want to be ready to give every person reasons for my faith. I believe that my faith is based on facts, not just 'pie-in-the-sky' beliefs. And I believe our faith can withstand 'serious' questions as long as we avoid fast food issues. So what do we do when we don't have all the answers? I find that I have to keep pointing my fellow brothers and sisters back to Jesus. Not as a copout but because that is where truth is found. God knows everything. Unfortunately, He has not told us everything He knows. Our little brains would explode. But I do believe that Jesus is full of both grace and truth. And if we need either one (when don't we?), He is where we need to turn. He said we would know the truth and that the truth is what sets us free from error. I believe that. But I find, in my journey, that the WHEN of knowing the truth is a process. So, what do we do when we can't find the answers? Or what do we do if our respective answers disagree? What if we can't make all the pieces of the puzzle fit? Just curious, thanks for your graceful spirit. I see Christ in you. In Him, Bill Mc |
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23 | Who received the blood ? | Bible general Archive 1 | Bill Mc | 15850 | ||
Hi Ricardo, I'm not sure what you mean by who received the blood from the animal sacrifices, but the Law demanded that they be made to cover 'atone' for the sins of the people. Hebrews 9:22 says that without the shedding of blood there is no remission (forgiveness) of sins. Why? Because Romans 6:23 says that the wages of sin, what we deserve when we sin, is death. And Leviticus tells us that the life is in the blood. But God, being merciful, allowed the substitution of animal's deaths (the shedding of their blood) to represent what the sinful Israelites deserved. As your verse here says, He didn't take pleasure in them or desire them because of what He says in verse 4 and 11 - the blood of bulls and goats could NEVER take away sin - only cover it. And then, only for one year until the next Day of Atonement when the whole process would be repeated. Christ's blood, on the other hand, being perfect, takes away the whole sin issue between God and man. His sacrifice was one sacrifice for all men for all sins for all time - seen verse 10,14. See also Hebrews 9:25-28. Plus, He did something that the Old Testament sacrifices couldn't do - He made us perfect in God's sight - completely! See Hebrews 10:1,10,14. What a wonderful Savior! Now, because of the sacrifice Christ made we can draw near to God, and as Hebrews 10:16-18 says, He remembers are sins no more! And we are righteous in God's sight. Old Testament worshippers new was forgiveness was. But they didn't have God dwelling inside them. What amazing grace! I hope this helps. In Christ, Bill Mc |
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24 | Let unite in prayer believers in Christ! | Bible general Archive 1 | Bill Mc | 15942 | ||
Fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, Let's start praying for the tragedies that are happening at the Pentagon, the Twin Towers and the threat at the White House. Many people have died, are dying, or will die as result of these attacks. Many souls are going into eternity this morning. Let put aside any differences we have and ask our Lord to intervene during this time of crisis. |
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25 | Definitions - God? | Bible general Archive 1 | Bill Mc | 17163 | ||
Dear charis, This is not so much an answer to your question but an encouragement for you. It's thrilling to hear that you are putting together a primer on the Life that Christ offers us. Many Christians think that the only barrier between God and man is that man sins (thinks, feels, and acts contrary to the law of God). But, as you know, man's core problem is that he is born spiritually dead. We are born dead in trespasses and sins Rom 5:12; Eph 2:1. This spiritual death, separation from God, is the root of the branches (sins we commit). Many times evangelical Christianity offers altar calls to come forward and get sins forgiven but we leave people in the dark as to the fact that they were dead 'in Adam' and Christ came to give 'life', spiritual union with God. When I first heard this message (and verified it through the scriptures) I had been a Christian for 29 years! I went back and read the gospels (especially John) and LIFE popped out at me from everywhere! I saw that my need was not only for forgiveness but for LIFE. I just thought that Jesus wanted into MY life. I didn't understand that He IS my life Gal 2:20. A forgiven dead man is still dead. Christ raises us to new spiritual life Rom 8:2 and forgives the sin that killed us so that we will never die again. In fact, that is one of the analogies I use when explaining the gospel. If a man dies from cancer and you resurrect him, but don't cure what killed him (cancer), he will just die again. If you just cure his cancer, but leave him dead, you have not helped him. You must do 2 things. Cure his cancer (what killed him) and raise him to life. Only then have you truly restored life to Him. What a wondrous thing Christ has done for and in us! He raises us to eternal life in Christ and forgives what killed us! Anyway, growing up in the U.S., I don't have much insight into Eastern culture or thinking. But I would probably start with the concept of God as creator. Every culture looks at creation, sees the beauty and design there, and wonders who made it. Creation teaches us that God exists but it doesn't tell us much about what God is like. That is where Christ comes in. He is the exact representation of the Father. In fact, eventually you can go to John chapter 1 to demonstrate that Christ Himself was the Creator. The Trinity is a difficult concept for Americans, I don't know how open the Japanese are to it. But it must be spiritually understood and accepted be faith in the long run anyway. I pray that God will bless you and guide you as you endeavor to share the message of 'Christ in you, the hope of glory.' You may want to repost your question in the queue, brother so that others will see it. Blessings in Christ, Bill Mc |
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26 | soul and spirit | Bible general Archive 1 | Bill Mc | 17381 | ||
Dear Clausius, unfortunately the Bible does not make a crystal clear distinction between the soul and spirit. And it never defines them as such. I personally believe that there is a distinction because of 1 Thess 5:23 and Heb 4:12. But in many places in scripture they are used interchangeably. So, Clausius, the best (and most fun) thing to do is a word study throughout the Bible of the words 'soul' and 'spirit' and, relying always upon the Holy Spirit to lead you into truth, draw your own conclusions from your study. The tripartite view of man makes some things a little easier to understand but that, in itself, does not mean it is true. Here is my view (it is ONLY a view, an opinion): The spirit is the essence, the true identity, the nature (if you will) of the human being. It is the seat of life and death. It is the part of man that relates to the eternal and, most importantly, to God. The soul is mainly the mind, will, and emotions - what some would call the personality. The spirit can influence and control the soul. The soul can influence and control the body (most of the time, we hope). I believe that humans are primarily spirit beings (created to be eternal) who have souls (personalities), that inhabit bodies (by God's design). God did not create us to be purely spirit like He is. There are places in the OT where God mentions His soul. (Interesting) I don't know if this helps or not. Like I said, the best thing to do is to first study the scriptures, then, when you at least know what the scriptures say, consult commentaries, other Christians, study Bibles, etc. BTW, welcome to the forum! Have fun! In Christ, Bill Mc |
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27 | Tim, what do you think of Rev 6:9; 20:4? | Bible general Archive 1 | Bill Mc | 17401 | ||
Greetings Tim! Thanks for your kind comments! You know me well enough to know that I usually dig myself into holes that I can't get out of :). Thank God for His grace! Your supposition is interesting. I am ALWAYS interested in hearing other's points of view. And the scripture you cited seems to fit with the NT verse (don't remember where it is) that Adam became a living soul but Christ has become, for us, a life-giving spirit. That being said :) let me LOVINGLY challenge it. :) Permit to ask you about two verses that came to my mind when you mentioned your view. One is found in Rev 6:9 where there are slain souls under the altar. They appear to be 'unclothed' i.e. without bodies. God tells them to wait a little longer until their number is complete. He then gives them white robes to wear. The next passage is similar. It is in Rev 20:4,5. John sees the souls of those beheaded by AntiChrist. I am not sure if these are the same group or different groups. I'm inclined to think that they are the same. Again, it appears that they do not have bodies because John says that after he saw the souls, they 'came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.' He then calls their 'coming to life' the first resurrection and says how blessed they are. If my supposition is correct, then these souls do not have there resurrected bodies yet. What do you think? As always, In Christ, Bill Mc |
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28 | soul and spirit | Bible general Archive 1 | Bill Mc | 17412 | ||
Tim, I though you might find this interesting. This is a slightly different view of Gen 2:7: "When God the Creator created man, He "formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man become a living soul" (Gen. 2:7). This reiterative record of man's creation is loaded with insights into man's constitution and intended function. The body of man was "formed of dust from the ground," into which God breathed the breath (or spirit) of life, and man became a behaviorally functional soul (nephesh). Man was created with the capacity for spiritual life-function so that the very presence of the Spirit of God might dwell within the spirit of man in order to activate the character of God within the behavioral life-function of man's soul and allow such to be expressed in man's external behavior of the body unto the glory of God. As the highest order of creation, mankind was designed with the capacity to incorporate the spiritual life of God within his spirit, and express God's character of love, joy, peace, patience, etc. in his behavior, as no other part of the created order is capable of doing." - Jerry Fowler I'm not real good with big theological terms but he seems to be saying the God created us so that He could live through us. Or as my friend, Bob George says, "Jesus gave His life for us, so that He could give His life to us, so that He could live His life through us." We were designed as vessels, houses, temples for the God of the universe to live in and through - 2 Cor 4:7, 2 Cor 5:1, 1 Cor 6:19. What a privelege! My temple is starting to get wrinkly and gray, though. (I've heard His got another imperishable one in the wings for me, though.) Grow in grace, Bill Mc |
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29 | New to the Word | Bible general Archive 1 | Bill Mc | 17678 | ||
Hi EdB, it's nice to know that there are a few other inductive studiers out there. I just finished the two-year course in Revelation. I've done (and taught) Philippians, 1 Timothy, and Romans in the inductive method with Precept Ministries. It's a real blessing to just get into God's Word and dig, letting scripture interpret scripture. Blessings to you, Bill Mc |
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30 | do some read the NEW LIVING BIBLE | Bible general Archive 1 | Bill Mc | 17690 | ||
Hi Lillie, yes I read it! I use the NLT when I just want to sit down (or lie down) and read just for the sake of reading God's Word. The NLT does a very nice job (especially in Psalms and Proverbs) at being very readable as a dynamic equivalent translation. I don't use the NLT for word study but it does help me to get a different 'flavor' of some passages where I've gotten used to another translation and I'd like to see it afresh. I hope you enjoy it if you have it. Unlike the Living Bible (a true paraphrase), the NLT is a true translation. It is just not a word-for-word formal equivalence translation like the NASB. Grow in grace, Bill Mc |
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31 | Possible Lockman Forum Improvement #1? | Bible general Archive 1 | Bill Mc | 17982 | ||
Sir Pent, your idea seems like a good one. But, like charis, I'm not sure how easy the execution would be. It would seem to entail quite a bit of time and work to implement as well as upkeep. And you would probably have to have a somewhat neutral party to filter and intrepret some answers. One thing is certain though. Eventually the Lockman server is going to fill up. So something must be done and it would be nice if we could get a system in place while it is still fairly manageable. If answers were of the 'cut and paste' format or a prompt to search the database, then it would be very helpful to combine or delete duplicate posts. Is there any other Bible forums like this on the Internet and, if so, how do they handle this problem? Forums have been around for a long time so it seems that there must be a workable solution. In Christ, Bill Mc |
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32 | Possible Lockman Forum Improvements #2 | Bible general Archive 1 | Bill Mc | 17986 | ||
Sir Pent, your solution sounds reasonable and beneficial. I think number 1 is a good idea. I think number 2 is a great idea - stick with the subject at hand as much as possible. (Could I do this? I'm willing to try.) I don't mind if certain people want to get on the forum and discuss Armenianism and Calvinism but I think that there is a time and a place for it. It could be made a primary question (already is to a certain extent) and post all relative arguments pro and con there. Then post a "for further explanation, search for 'Armenianism/Calvanism' to the right." That would go a long way to keep the posts on the topic. And lastly, I think number 3 is an excellent idea. Those who may be new believers or seekers or even skeptics need to see us united on the essentials. (Of course, then some want to argue as to what the essentials consist of :)) I would be willing to follow this guidelines. Thanks for your thought and consideration, Sir Pent. In Him, Bill MC |
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33 | Where did our souls come from? | Bible general Archive 1 | Bill Mc | 18050 | ||
Dear dawveed, The Bible does not give clear, concise definitions of soul and spirit. Sometimes the terms are used interchangeably. Sometimes there seems to be a distinction. So, the best we can do is to research the scriptures and decide for ourselves what we believe. Tim has a very valid view and his opinion has merit. My view is slightly different but I think that it also has merit. Here is what I believe about Gen 2:7: We know that God created the plants and animals before man. As I understand it, these animals were called creatures and had what we would call souls, Hebrew word nephesh. This means that they had intellect, will, and emotions - behavior to varying degrees depending the the complexity of the creature. God created man with an animal body and a soul (behavior) but according to Gen 2:7, I believe that God, at man's creation, breathed His divine life (Spirit) into him. This made him a 'living' - alive to God - soul. So, not only did man have a body and soul (like the animals) but God gave man His life essence so that man could respond to God with love and fellowship. The animal world does not share this attribute. They have no spirits and cannot relate to God. When man sinned, this part of him, his spirit died to God. What I mean by this is that God withdrew His divine life from man the day that Adam and Eve disobeyed and they spiritually died. Thankfully, through our Lord's life, death, burial and resurrection, God can once again restore His divine life to His creation. This is why the NT often says that we, as believers, have been made alive to God - Rom 6:11; Rom 8:10; 1 Cor 15:22; Eph 2:5 and Col 2:13 - 'When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,' This 'new man' - the new creation in Christ - is created in righteousness and holiness - Eph 4:24. So our spirits are once again united with God's Spirit and alive to God, and, per my interpretation, man can, once again, be a 'living soul' with God's Spirit and life inhabiting him. Note: this is only my opinion so I, obviously, cannot support this with specific scriptures other than what I have shared. A new creation in Christ, Bill Mc |
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34 | Where did our souls come from? | Bible general Archive 1 | Bill Mc | 18054 | ||
Sorry, dawveed. I put my post in the wrong spot. Your perspective sounds quite similar to mine. Bill Mc |
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35 | Where did our souls come from? | Bible general Archive 1 | Bill Mc | 18055 | ||
Dear BillyK, The Bible does not give clear, concise definitions of soul and spirit. Sometimes the terms are used interchangeably. Sometimes there seems to be a distinction. So, the best we can do is to research the scriptures and decide for ourselves what we believe. Tim has a very valid view and his opinion has merit. My view is slightly different but I think that it also has merit. Here is what I believe about Gen 2:7: We know that God created the plants and animals before man. As I understand it, these animals were called creatures and had what we would call souls, Hebrew word nephesh. This means that they had intellect, will, and emotions - behavior to varying degrees depending the the complexity of the creature. God created man with an animal body and a soul (behavior) but according to Gen 2:7, I believe that God, at man's creation, breathed His divine life (Spirit) into him. This made him a 'living' - alive to God - soul. So, not only did man have a body and soul (like the animals) but God gave man His life essence so that man could respond to God with love and fellowship. The animal world does not share this attribute. They have no spirits and cannot relate to God. When man sinned, this part of him, his spirit died to God. What I mean by this is that God withdrew His divine life from man the day that Adam and Eve disobeyed and they spiritually died. Thankfully, through our Lord's life, death, burial and resurrection, God can once again restore His divine life to His creation. This is why the NT often says that we, as believers, have been made alive to God - Rom 6:11; Rom 8:10; 1 Cor 15:22; Eph 2:5 and Col 2:13 - 'When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,' This 'new man' - the new creation in Christ - is created in righteousness and holiness - Eph 4:24. So our spirits are once again united with God's Spirit and alive to God, and, per my interpretation, man can, once again, be a 'living soul' with God's Spirit and life inhabiting him. Note: this is only my opinion so I, obviously, cannot support this with specific scriptures other than what I have shared. A new creation in Christ, Bill Mc |
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36 | Is 'breath' physical life or spirit life | Bible general Archive 1 | Bill Mc | 18060 | ||
Hi, Tim. Can I ask a question here? I noticed that you stated that you think it is a stretch to think that Adam and Eve had God's Spirit breathed into them. If you've read my post, you can see that I think (though I can't prove it from this text alone) that Adam and Eve did have God's Spirit. So, my question is this: Isn't the Greek word for 'spirit' pnuema - breath? I was under the impression that it was. I know that the OT was written in Hebrew, but the thought is the same. If so, how could God breathe 'spirit' into them without it being of His Spirit? Isn't He the source? If you're understanding is correct and that God just breathed physical life (CPR, as you say) into Adam, then how is that different from the physical life that God gave the animal kingdom? But man and animals breathe. What would distinguish Adam, in the creation process, from the animals? (Also, if you have time, isn't the word 'creatures' in Gen chapter 1 that same word in Hebrew as 'souls'?) Thanks for your time, Bill Mc |
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37 | Is 'breath' physical life or spirit life | Bible general Archive 1 | Bill Mc | 18066 | ||
Tim, thanks for your answer. I appreciate it. Thanks for the clarification on the original words. You're right, the passage just doesn't provide us with as much information as we'd like. The only thing that I would like to add is that I believe the Image of God is the divine life of God (call it what you will) in His creation. I don't believe that the Image was the physical body. Thank God that Jesus Christ has provided a way for man to be reunited with His Creator. In Christ, Bill Mc |
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38 | Body/soul/spirit? | Bible general Archive 1 | Bill Mc | 18198 | ||
This is a good question. Though there is not a scripture as such that says that Adam's spirit died, by the process of elimination, we can achieve some sense of what happened. It really goes back to what we believe about man's make up. Let's look at a couple of possible scenarios: 1) Man is two parts : body and soul/spirit (same thing). Now we know that Adam did not physically die the day he sinned. He lived to about 900 years as I recall. So, if one holds to a two-part man understanding, the soul/spirit would have been the only thing left to die that very day. Most biblical references to the soul show it to be the seat of intellect, emotions, and will. If this is the part of him that died, it becomes a little hard to swallow because he still had intellect, emotions, and will after the fall (as did his children). Obviously, his body did start to 'die', age and grow old. But Gen 2:17 says that 'something' in Adam died that day. In fact, whatever this 'something' is, from God's viewpoint it was Adam's identity. 'You will die', God says, not 'part of you will die.' 2) Man is two parts: body and soul/spirit (same thing). But God, at creation, imparted the Holy Spirit to Adam making him, at that point, tripartate. Then God withdrew the Holy Spirit when Adam sinned because God cannot inhabit a sinful vessel. This view has it's problems because, again, God said, "You (not God or His Spirit) will die." 3) Man is tripartate: body, soul, and spirit (his own). When Adam sinned his spirit died, leaving him still with a functional (though fallen) soul and body. In this view, some say that Adam's spirit literally died, and some believe that it was still alive (to sin) but dead to God. Adam's spirit could no longer function as designed. 4) Man is tripartate in nature but is designed to have his spirit inhabited by God's Spirit. This is the view that I personally lean to although I am open to hearing other views. This view is very similar to number 3 except that it hold's that God designed man not to be autonimous but dependent upon God's Spirit (spiritual life) in Him. When Adam sinned, God's Spirit departed from Adam and, as in view 3, Adam's human spirit died to God. God, at new birth of His creation, recreates the human spirit (alive to God) and joins it to His divine Spirit once again. So that the end result is that man is once again spiritually alive and God is in His creation as designed. Admittedly, the scriptures do not prove this. I am not 100 percent sure that this is a correct understanding. What I am sure of is that our spirits (1 per person, please) have been recreated and joined to Christ's Spirit. All that being said, if someone would like to 'gently' correct me or enlighten my understanding, I am open to it. I would like to settle this issue in my mind and, unfortunately, most of the people at my church are not interested in such 'deep':) things. Nevertheless, I know who I am in Christ and, thank God, I am no longer in Adam. As always, in Christ, Bill Mc |
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39 | CDBJ, could you clarify this good post? | Bible general Archive 1 | Bill Mc | 18207 | ||
CDBJ, this is a very good explanation. I like your definition of spirit and your exegesis of 'death.' Please let me ask a couple of questions. You said that Adam's spirit died (became separated from God) at the fall. Does this mean, by your understanding, that Adam's spirit was in union with God's Spirit before the fall? If THANATOS is separation from God, was Adam's spirit one with God before the fall? Do you think the God indwelled him? Why or why not? And you stated that our souls, at new birth, are the 'real' us. What happens to our spirits at rebirth? Or do you believe that they are synonymous? Jesus gave up His spirit at His death. Is this the same as His soul? Thanks for taking the time (and patience) to answer my questions. In Christ, Bill Mc |
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40 | Body/soul/spirit? | Bible general Archive 1 | Bill Mc | 18237 | ||
Hi There :), I do indeed appreciate your input. You bring up some very good points. Permit me to answer your questions: 1) If the number 4 view is correct, it does not invalidate the tree of life in the garden. My reasoning is that God put His divine life in Adam, but Adam (and Eve) had to choose whether or not they would keep that forever by eating from the tree of life. I believe that by God's design, man needed to make a choice considering what 'life' he would live out of. This is pure speculation, but I think that they could have chosen to eat from the tree of life and then they would have had God as their source in them forever. Instead, they chose to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and chose not to remain dependant upon God and what He said. So, if number 4 is correct, God withdrew His divine life from them and they died. In a nutshell, they, on some level, chose NOT to walk in the Spirit (with God as their source) and decided to walk in the flesh (with themselves and their souls as their source). 2) If this is true (big IF), then why doesn't God withdraw His Spirit and life from us when we sin? Because Jesus paid for the complete penalty. If view 4 is correct, Adam and Eve suffered the wages of their sin (spiritual death) the day they disobeyed God. But God has designed man in such a way that he 'runs' on God. He is not designed to be self-sufficient. Only God is self-sufficient. Self-sufficiency is the lie of Satan - "You don't need God's sufficiency. Do this and you will be like Him." He preaches the same garbage even now, "Do these things and you will be more godly..." The thing that made God withdraw His Spirit is sin. (Consider Saul and David.) But Christ has dealt with our sin on an eternal basis on the cross - taking it away. So now, for the believer indwelt by God, when we sin we deserve spiritual death - separation from God. We deserve for God's Spirit to leave us. Why can't that happen as it did to Adam and Eve, Saul, David? Because Christ has taken away that penalty. He took it all. So now, even though the wages of sin is death, the gift of God is ETERNAL (you can no longer lose it) LIFE. This is why Rom 8 says that there is no more judgment (condemnation) left for the believer. Why? Because the law of the spirit of LIFE in Christ Jesus has set me free from the old law that said 'if you sin, you die'. God's Spirit will never leave me nor forsake me because the ONLY thing that could make Him do so, sin, has been taken care of at the cross. But, even as a believer indwelt by the Spirit, I can still chose to walk out of the sufficiency of Christ in me (walk by the Spirit) or walk by my own sufficiency (really, from Satan's lie) and walk in the flesh. That is why Paul urges me to walk by the Spirit and I won't fulfill the desires of my flesh. But, even if I do, at some point, choose my flesh, He doesn't leave me like He did Adam. Here's my comments on the spirit/soul thingy. I believe that the spirit is the true essence, the true identity. It is the core of our being and, once it is united with God's Spirit, we are to believe out of that resource. I believe that the spirit of the man, not his soul, is his true identity. This is the true inner man, the eternal part of him. That being said, I think that the soul is the 'personality' that the spirit maifests itself through. The spirit is the essence but it 'displays' itself through the soul - mind, will, emotions. The soul (with God's Spirit as it's source) manifests itself through the body to others. Man without the Spirit of God, can only respond to his environment and others around him out of his soul - what do I think, what do I feel, what do I want? Living out of the soul resource is fleshly. But with God's Spirit in us, God wants us to live out of His sufficiency. God does not want the Christian to live out of his soul alone. What we think, what we feel, what we want, is not only self-centered, it changes from minute to minute. God wants us to live out of our spiritual union with Christ. This involves getting past what we think, feel, and want to what God says is true - His Word, Christ in us. I'm not sure about the disembodied spirit returning to God in an unbeliever. We know that the spirit can be corrupted. There are evil spirits, spirits in Hell. So I don't think that all 'spirit' is necessarily divine and returns to God. But I'm not sure on this point and your view has considerable merit. I do see that the soul can be sent to hell. I'm not sure about the spirit. Again, thanks for your post. I agree that our new birth once again allows man to reflect the Creator. Jesus Christ was the EXACT representation of the Father. "If you've seen ME, then you have seen the Father." Would that the world could always see CHRIST IN US, the hope of glory. Blessings to you, There, Bill Mc |
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