Results 21 - 40 of 53
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: Hiskid84 Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
21 | Fruit vs. Works: the same or different? | Gal 5:22 | Hiskid84 | 129875 | ||
AO, I'm sorry. I'm afraid I don't know what it is other people believe about the fruit mentioned in John 15:5. I only know what I believe based on my understanding so far. Before I say what that is though, I would like to explain that I have posted as I've tried to reason this out. This means that everyone that reads my posts will be seeing the process I've gone through to arrive at the point where I am right now. (It also means that perhaps I should work it all out before posting) With that said, here goes: I wouldn't say they (fruit) are "righteous attributes" in and of themselves. I think it has more to do with how those attributes affect how we interact with others. The fruit (attributes) on a branch (me) may look lovely but they serve no real purpose until they are plucked and eaten (i.e., put to use in my relationship with others). In fact, how can attributes even be visible unless they are exhibited in my interaction with others? If I am patient in dealing with others, if I am loving and kind, if I exhibit peace and joy, if I put others before myself, I am being Christ-like. I, as the branch, am an extension of the vine, Christ. I cannot produce this "fruit" within myself. I am dependant upon Him to produce it in me. The fruit He produces in me is an extension of His relationship with me and mine with Him. I believe that somehow this is all tied together with John 15:10. Jesus abides in the Father's love for Him. We abide in Jesus' love for us. As the Father loves the Son and the Son loves us, we are to "love one another" (John 15:12). On our own, we are unable. With His life flowing through us (as the vine) we are able (we exhibit His fruit-- His life within us). This has become much longer than I anticipated when I started. Because of the lateness of the hour I am going to try to sum up what I am trying to say (so far). Any "fruit" within our lives has to come from God. He produces it within us. The same with "works". I believe our works are directly related to our relationship with Him. These things come from Him and therefor, bring glory to Him. They are simply the evidence of His working in us. So whether fruit or works or any good thing...they are all His handiwork so that it is He who is glorified and not we. What is your opinion regarding your question? In Him, Karen |
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22 | Fruit vs. Works: the same or different? | Gal 5:22 | Hiskid84 | 129842 | ||
In my last post, I wrote (okay, typed): "Fruit of the Spirit: the evidence of God's work in me. :)" This is a continuation of that thought which also ties back to my original post, asking if "fruit" and "works" were one and the same. "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." John 15:5 Jesus is the vine. We are the branches. What can a branch do apart from the vine but wither and die? What can the branch do when connected to the vine? Produce fruit. Where does the fruit come from? It is manifested on the branch but where did its life, its ability to grow or even exist, come from? It came from the vine. The branch simply manifests the evidence of the life supplied by the vine. Jesus supplies the life needed to produce fruit within us. We simply cannot "grow fruit" apart from Him. Any evidence of fruit in our lives only exists because of Him. In His own words, "Without Me you can do nothing." Nada. Zip. Zero. No fruit. Thoughts? In Him, Karen |
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23 | Fruit vs. Works: the same or different? | Gal 5:22 | Hiskid84 | 129841 | ||
Posted by Doc: "Hi, Karen... don't I know you from somewhere? :-)" Karen: Hi, Doc. Yes, you do seem vaguely familiar...Oh, I know! Weren't you sitting across from me at the dinner table? Doc wrote: "(Will I still get dinner if I'm mistaken?)" Karen: See answer above. :) Doc wrote: "Based on these scriptures, it is my very humble opinion that it is safe to treat them as pretty synonymous." Karen: Doc, you know that I'm absolutely crazy about you. You also know that when I am presented with information that does not "gel" in my mind I must pick it apart in an attempt to find what is truth (and will not rest till satisfied). As mommapbs so eloquently put it, "the hair shaft/truth remains but the nit/error is removed." So on that note, let the nit-picking begin. :) For the sake of space I am not going to quote the verses in the previous post in their entirety. I'm only going to post the portions that pertain to my point: "unfruitful works" Eph. 5:11 "fruitful in every good work" Col. 1:10 "good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful." Titus 3:14 In each of the verses that you based your conclusion upon (that fruit vs works could be treated as "pretty synonymous") you are using the word "fruitful" (or "unfruitful" in the case of two of them) to prove your point. I (lovingly!) object to your equating the word "fruitful" with "fruit". I don't think it would be in error to say that the word "fruitful", as used in the aforementioned verses, basically means to "be productive". Am I butchering Scripture to say "unproductive works" (Eph. 5:11), "productive in every good work" (Col. 1:10), or "works for necessary uses, that they be not unproductive." (Titus 3:14)? In the verse, "fruit of my labor" (Phil. 1:22) you would be refering to the result (or outcome) of "my labor." In this sense, the word "fruit" and "fruitful" are similar. But can the the word "fruitful" be shown to be similar to the word "fruit" when used in verses such as Gal. 5:22? Well, this is interesting...here is Gal. 5:22 as shown above this post in the Amplified version: "But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness," When read in that version the word "fruit" is equated with "work"! Maybe you're on to something! Here's something I find even more interesting: in the Amplified version, the "fruit of the Spirit" is "the work which His presence within accomplishes"! Wow! Does this mean that if any of the attributes named in Gal. 5:22-23 are evident in my life they are not the result of something I have done but what God has done in me? Fruit of the Spirit: the evidence of God's work in me. :) To be continued later. For now, "works" of a different nature call. :) In Christ, Karen |
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24 | Just what is the purpose of baptism? | Heb 11:7 | Hiskid84 | 129828 | ||
Rowdy, I'm sure anything we can say has likely already been said on this forum. You posted as a question and then proceeded to answer yourself. While I am still trying to learn my way around the forum, it seems it would have been better posted as a note. I wish I had time to address more of your points. Since I don't, I will only address one; your analogy of Noah. You stated that one comparison is of "the flood being the world of sin" and "the ark being the church sealed tight against sin flooding in." Personally, I have never heard that analogy. Of course, I wasn't raised in church and had no Bible teaching in the stories that are often taught in children's classrooms. However, as an adult and since being saved, I have always interpreted the flood to be God's judgment (wiping out all people outside the ark) and the ark as being a type of Christ, providing salvation to those within the ark. The verse I cited says this: "By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith." Hebrews 11:7 NKJ I will pick this up again soon. Maybe others will respond as well. In Him, Karen |
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25 | How can incest be forbidden? | Gen 3:3 | Hiskid84 | 129813 | ||
Ed: please don't shoot my husband! Doc: please stop speculating in your posts directed to Ed! Both: truce? It seems your dialogue has ceased to be beneficial to either of you. Perhaps your time and energy could be put to better use by moving on. May we glorify God together, Karen |
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26 | Pragmatism is of the World | Job 21:15 | Hiskid84 | 129804 | ||
Greetings, Ray. I pray that your daughter and new son-in-law will draw close(r) to Christ in their union and that God will use the gift of marriage to give them, on a more personal level, insight into His relationship with the Church (especially the depth of His love for us as revealed in Eph 5:22-33). I pray that your daughter's husband will nourish and cherish her, following Christ's example, and that your daughter will submit to Christ with respect and honor towards her husband. May He be greatly glorified today and may it be a truly joyous occasion! I know this can be a highly emotional event, even for a dad, so I pray that both you and your wife will find God's grace to be more than sufficient as you give the care of your daughter over to her new husband. I look forward to a continuation of our discussion, as time permits, and hope you are able to address my questions. In Christ, Karen |
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27 | 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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28 | Fruit vs. Works: the same or different? | Not Specified | Hiskid84 | 129744 | ||
Fruit vs Works: are they the same thing? Jesus said, in regards to bearing fruit, we can do nothing outside of Him (John 15:5). He says we must abide in Him. In verse 9, He says if we abide in His love we will keep His commandments. While doing a study today of John 15:5 and surrounding text, I realized I was trying to equate fruit with works. Is this an incorrect assumption? Are they two separate things? I'd greatly appreciate any Scripture showing that they are either equal or two separate things. In Christ, Karen |
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29 | Fruit vs. Works: the same or different? | Gal 5:22 | Hiskid84 | 129749 | ||
Fruit vs Works: are they the same thing? Jesus said, in regards to bearing fruit, we can do nothing outside of Him (John 15:5). He says we must abide in Him. In verse 9, He says if we abide in His love we will keep His commandments. While doing a study today of John 15:5 and surrounding text, I realized I was trying to equate fruit with works. Is this an incorrect assumption? Are they two separate things? I'd greatly appreciate any Scripture showing that they are either equal or two separate things. In Christ, Karen |
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30 | 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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31 | 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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32 | 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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33 | 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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34 | 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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35 | Friend of God and friend of the world? | Matt 6:24 | Hiskid84 | 129555 | ||
Hi, tgbishop. You've kept your questions fairly simple so far but I'm curious as to your wording of this one, "No one can be a friend of God and a friend of the world at the same time?" The verse you've cited speaks of being devoted to either God or the world, since we cannot serve both. Scripture plainly tells us that we cannot be devoted to God if our desire is seeking to obtain worldly things. Take the verse Hank posted to you and add the verse that follows it: "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." 1 John 2:16 Here it is in the ESV: "For all that is in the world--the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions--is not from the Father but is from the world." I wish I had more time to expound but my time at this moment is limited. To sum up so far: We live in the world. We have needs as do all humans. God tells us that He will supply our (His children's) needs. What is your heart's desire? Is it "keeping up with the Jones?" If it "feels good" will you "do it?" Are you willing to compromise your beliefs in order to "fit in" and be liked and accepted by the world around you? Or is your desire to seek God and are you motivated in your day to day living by that desire? The bottom line is a matter of the heart. Consider the following verses, especially vs. 21: Mat 6:19 "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, Mat 6:20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. Mat 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Mat 6:22 "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, Mat 6:23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! Mat 6:24 "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. Mat 6:25 "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Mat 6:26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Mat 6:27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? Mat 6:28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, Mat 6:29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Mat 6:30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Mat 6:31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' Mat 6:32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. Mat 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Mat 6:34 "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Would you please explain your wording of being a "friend of God and a friend of the world"? What do you mean by "friend?" Thank you! Karen |
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36 | 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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37 | 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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38 | 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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39 | 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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40 | Peter say we should add to faith | 2 Pet 1:5 | Hiskid84 | 129430 | ||
Hi, tgbishop. Welcome! 2 Peter 1: 5) But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6) to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, 7) to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. (NKJ) I like this note from my New Geneva Study Bible: "1:5-7 The order of virtues here ("faith ---love") is not a sequence in time, as if stages of the Christian life were being described (vv.8,9). Peter is using a rhetorical figure that builds a series of elements to a climax. The begining and conclusion of the series are significant, however. Early Christian virtue lists often begin with "faith," the starting point of the Christian life, and end with "love" (Rom. 5:1-5; 1 Cor. 13), the preeminent fruit of the Christian life. In Him, Karen |
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