Results 241 - 260 of 645
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Results from: Notes Author: JCrichton Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
241 | Rape, Circumcission, Slaughter. | Gen 34:31 | JCrichton | 135143 | ||
"This is true. As does our Maker." Hi, JRM! True, Jesus commands that we excercise greater justice than that of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matthew 5:20), as it is true throughout the Bible... yet, when speaking of the Old Covenant times there was a different economy, one that until Jesus' incarnation relied on physical rather than spiritual values... Simeon and Levi, though perhaps excessive, were taking vengeance upon those who insulted both their sister and, by extension, their God! I cannot offer you more proof than the very Scripture where Yahweh orders Jacob to flee the area and He keeps the Canaanites and others from harming him and his family as they travel out of the immediate geographical area to Bethel (Genesis 35:1-15)... neither can I convince you that Dinah was rape... I can only warn you to curb such liberal interpretation of Scripture as they can, more times than not, lead you away from the Truth (Christ). This, said, please understand that I am not limiting God's ability and desire to forgive us our transgressions--aside from rejecting Him there is no sin not forgiven to man (Matthew 21:31-32; Isaiah 1:18-20; Ezekiel 18:30-32). God Bless! Angel |
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242 | Rape, Circumcission, Slaughter. | Gen 34:31 | JCrichton | 135081 | ||
Hi, JRM! This is exactly my point! Jacob could not have blessed their actions; yet he knew that Dinah's rape had to be revenged... it was the law of the land: the weak perish under the oppression of the mightly... Jacob even dreaded the actions that the Canaanites and the other dwellers of the land would take against him and his family... Yahweh's command to Jacob to move away from the immideate geographical area, followed by the terror imposed on the Canaanites and others (perhaps including the massacre committed by Simeon and Levi) kept Israel from being retaliated against! Yet, as a servant of Yahweh, Jacob (much like God and David--2 Samuel 7:4-13; 1 Kings 5:3; 8:17-20, could not bless Simeon and Levi who shed so much blood out of anger! Still, even as this unfolds, I see Yahweh's Plan being fulfilled as Jacob's curse demands Levi's dispersion amongst Israel--yet, in His Wisdom and Mercy, He rescues Levi in his children (Exodus 32:26-28), and separates the scattered Levites onto Himself as the priestly tribe! God Bless! Angel |
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243 | Rape, Circumcission, Slaughter. | Gen 34:31 | JCrichton | 135076 | ||
"or did Dinah welcome the relationship and the "violence" was against Joseph's (and the brother's) property rights?" Hi, JRM! To read that Dinah was just being promiscuous and that the males felt violated because their property was taking without some form of agreement or payment, says very little for Jacob and his children! It is also contradicting the actions taken by Dinah's brothers... it would have been advantageous for them to have Dinah marry the prince--just imagine how much claut they would have with all the people that dealt with Shechem in the neighboring territories... instead, they have made a profound statement, one that places them in peril, as all the associates of the people they killed would, in the least, see Jacob and his family as adversaries! I ask you to rethink your position and include the fact that Jacob was a servant of Yahweh and he and his family had a different set of standards (spiritual and moral) than those of Canaan and its neigboring terretories... " am a little surprised about how comfortable you feel about the deceitful agreement re. circumcission. It seems to me like offering someone communion bread, but poisoning it first." Yet, I am sure that you were not as surprised as I was when I read your suggestion about taking the money and marrying Dinah to her rapist! This is akin to discovering that someone removed a spare organ from your body and then offered you some cash for your troubles! It seems that you exact a greater obligation on Jacob than you do on the pagans! Though I am not truly surprised as we witness this same treatment all over the world: those who have power are beyond any accountability--onless an example is required. The violation, though it seems that you refuse to accept the fact that it took place, was both a physical (Dinah and her family) and a spiritual (Israel, the people of God) violation!: 1) Dinah's violation lead to Simeon's and Levi's deceitful retaliation on Shechem and his people (Geneisis 34:1-31) Simeon's and Levi's violence lead to Jacob's rejection of Simeon and Levi at his death bed (Genesis 49:5-7); 3) The sons of Levi, as Peter in John 21:15-18, were separated by Yahweh and redeemed from their father's violence (Exodus 32:26-28); 4) Jacob's rejection of Levi lead to the Tribe of Levi being dispersed amongst Insrael while their obedience to God's Command distinguished them for the service of the priestly tribe (Numbers 1:47-54; 3:12-13). If you find fault at Simeon's, Levi's and Jacob's actions... is it because you truly do not find fault with Shechem and his people or is it because you do not understand God's Way? The first Covenant involved temporal values (sinners were iradicated by means of a physical death); Israel (inclusive of Jacob and his children) lived under such Covenant! God Bless! Angel |
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244 | WHO pays the wage? | 1 John 1:9 | JCrichton | 135047 | ||
"become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, [18] and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness." Hi, Steve! So from the above cited Scripture you understand that once a person claims to be saved he/she is able to sin without any accountability to God? Please understand that to be in the Spirit or being obedient from the heart to God does not mean able to sin free of the consequence of sin! ""Why would Christians choose sin (unrightous acts against God)and refuse to confess to God their transgressions and ask for forgiveness?" " This is precisely what this thread proposes: once "saved" we can sin without confessing to God our sins because Jesus has already covered all our past, present, and future transgressions--regradless of how intent we are in rejecting God over the sin/s we want to commit! Scripture does not support such ideals!: When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. (James 1:13-16) "One sin does not equal slavery to sin. It's not a pattern or lifestyle. You simply cannot equate these extremes." One sin is a separation from God! One sin is a rebellious act against God! One sin festering for hours, days, weeks... can corrode the heart, mind and spirit! (James 1:13-16; Romans 6:16; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Ephesians 2:8; 2 Thessalonians 3:6; 2 John 1:8; 1 Corinthians 10:12; Revelation 21:27) It is not by error that John clarifies that if we confess our sin Jesus will forgive us (1 John 1:9)... not because we ourselves are able to absolve sin, but because He is Just! Claiming that sin does not damage our relationship with God belies all of Scripture that teach that sin is death! God Bless! Angel |
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245 | Is "tough love" biblical? | Prov 13:24 | JCrichton | 135044 | ||
Hi, Chicks! ...truly you are caught between a rock and a hard place! Your son is old enough to disobey you; yet he is too immature to realize that he is harming himself (both spiritually and physically)... From the informationg offered I can say that your son has been enabled--for too many years society (TV families like the Simpson, 7th Heaven, etc) has been training children to walk the path of egocentrism, irresponsibility, unaccountability, and apathy! In Christ, you are bound for life to those around your, specially if they are family relations... but there comes a time when you must let go... when all you can do is pray and teach through love, Christ's Love, (1 Corinthians 13:4-8), while remembering that God demands a certain behavior from us... enabling others to indulge in destructive behavior is not part of God's rendering of love! Just as God allows us to fail, and He lovingly accepts us when we,realizing our errors, return to Him (Luke 15:11-32), so should you love your son... not enabling him to continue in a destructive path, but praying, preaching with love, assiting when he is taking steps towards recovery (alcohol, drugs, school, job, God)... Remember also that our job in the Lord is to warn the people not to force them to subject their wills to the Lord! (Ezekiel 33:2-9) God Bless! Angel |
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246 | WHO pays the wage? | 1 John 1:9 | JCrichton | 134969 | ||
Hi, Ray! I understand your point! I can only offer that I see the Word of God not only as Jesus, the Gospel, the Epistles and Revelation... to me the Word of God is every commandment that God gave to us, every admonition, every promise, and every revelation... sometimes we find Scripture where Yahweh Himself is speaking while other times we find Scripture where His angels, or prophets are given delegated assignments to speak on His behalf... So, though the Law never gave Spiritual Life to any Isrealite, their obedience to His Word (Command, warning, revelation) gave them Life--this Life being hidden in Christ, of course! It is not surprising that Jesus said that Abraham looked forward to seeing His Day (John 8:56), and that he saw it, and was glad! Clearly, we know that Abraham did not stay alive till the incarnation of the Word! It is by the Holy Spirit that Abraham was given the ability to see and know Christ! God Bless! Angel |
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247 | WHO pays the wage? | 1 John 1:9 | JCrichton | 134967 | ||
Hi, Steve! Aparently you have missed my point: 1 John 1:9 clerly states that if we confess our sin to God, Jesus will forgive us... There's no other way about it: one sin or a million-billion sins cannot condemn us if we confess them to God. Now, if we pretend that we are cleansed for our past, present and future sin--not by humbling ourselves to God for the sin but by exonerating ourselves, we are once again being slaves to sin! Sin has become our new master, dictating (as the serpent did to Eve) to us that we will surely not die! That it is simply a matter of reciting Scripture to God and He is bound by our recital! This position, of course, is one of a win-win-win situation: Satan wins as he convinces us to rebel against Jesus Command that we abide in Him, we win because we can claim Christ and continue to sin as we please, and God wins as He ends up having much more many people in His Kingdom than if He were to limit membership to those who with a contrite and repentant heart ask His forgiveness for the transgressions committed! Of course, that is only an utopian ideal! Why would Christians choose sin (unrightous acts against God)and refuse to confess to God their transgressions and ask for forgiveness? Why did the Apostles clearly teach that they were to confess their sin, yet the new Christians do not have to obey Scripture? How many unrighteous acts are allowed to those entering the New Jerusalem? God Bless! Angel |
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248 | WHO pays the wage? | 1 John 1:9 | JCrichton | 134851 | ||
Hi, Ray! I understand your concern... There are many things in Scripture that happen in the background and are not revealed till at an appointed time (Jesus being the rock/Rock that gave Life to the Israelites...) We must understand that though Moses and the other prophets spoke in the Old Testament times (the old Covenant), it was God speaking through them... not a single person could claim to represent God that did not have God's direct delegated authority over Israel! Since we know that God does not change... the offering of Life was then as it is now: obedience to God and acceptance of His Authority! As in the example of the serpent (Numbers 21:8)... it was not the serpent that saved but the adherence and obedience to God's Word! So though the Covenant of the Old Testament dealt in temporal values, the offer of Life remains the same: obedience and adherence to God's Word brings us Life! God Bless! Angel |
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249 | WHO pays the wage? | 1 John 1:9 | JCrichton | 134850 | ||
Hi, Steve! Please forgive my impetus... I only attempted to piece together what I read from your posts... It is clear that you are looking for a specific text that will tell you exactly what you want to hear... I can only apologize for the Word not being an all inclusive and unabridged volume of "here it is!" Please, undestand that I am not seeking to prove a point; I am offering to you Scripture that clearly state how we are to behave as children of the Light: Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? (Romans 6:16) Here's the text you are requesting: "whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death" (Romans 6:16) "For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die;" (Romans 8:5-13) Nowhere in Scripture does it tell you that if you engage sin and make it your lord; you are free from death! Rather, it is obedience and adherance to God that brings us Life! So if you choose to sin and you choose to hold that life of sin, and you choose to not ask for repentence, you truly believe that God is going to welcome you into His Kingdom? If it were that simple, not a single person would ever taste eternity away from the Lord! No one is righteous, not one! But all are called to be holy, in Christ Jesus, as God is holy! Living in sin and claiming to know the Lord are not congruent things: Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation--but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, (Romans 8:5-13) If we are in the flesh we cannot please God! If we sin and believe in our hearts that God has to accept us "as is," are we not being rebellious and usurping God's Authority as we dictate to Him how He is to receive us? Are we stronger than God? Please, read the Bible in its entirety! Jesus did not say all who call me Lord, Lord have guaranteed Salvation; He said those who abide in Me and I in them are Loved by the Father and He will abide in them and I will abide in them! It is imposible for us to sin, take a shield (symbolic icon) and pronounce: "we are saved!" If we choose to serve the god of this world we are enemies of God! (1 John 1:1-9) If we fellowship with Christ we are saved, but if we reject Him, we have nothing! (John 15:5-6) I'll leave you with the parable of the wedding... one guest decided to do it his way... he was cast out! (Matthew 22:2-14) God Bless! Angel |
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250 | Who is the Son of God? John 3:8 | John 13:34 | JCrichton | 134743 | ||
Hi, Agape2! Jesus said that not all who call Him Lord will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; only those who do as He Commands! (Matthew 7:21-27; Luke 6:46) While you claim to be Christians you go out of your way to present Christ Jesus, the Lord and Savior, the Redeemer, the Resurrection, the Life, the One who is the Master and Lord as something just a little greater than man! Sadly, you are so corrupted that you do not even realize that to be Christian means to have fellowship (belief) in Christ Jesus as God! You twist and turn Scripture to manage it so that you can go to God by circumventing Jesus--the only Name given by which all can be saved! You reject Him when He tells you that He and the Father are One--while seeking to preach that Jesus, our Lord and Savior is a demigod... Even when the Father calls Him God, even when His Birth Titles are God's, even when Scripture tells you that He is the King of kings and Lord or lords (which there can only be one), even when Scripture tells you that He is the Just One, even when Thomas postrates himself, and moved by the Holy Spirit, calls Jesus "My Lord and my God!" you refuse to listen, obey, and believe! I pray that the Holy Spirit enlightens your mind, your spirit, and your heart and that your whole congregation humbles itself to God and begin to truly worship God (YHWH or Yahweh) as He wants us to, in Jesus Christ the One True God: We are well aware also that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know the One who is true. We are in the One who is true as we are in his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God and this is eternal life... (1 John 5:20) God Bless! Angel |
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251 | WHO pays the wage? | 1 John 1:9 | JCrichton | 134742 | ||
" My Bible tells me differently." Hi, Steve! Unless you have a very special version, your Bible does not tell you anything differently than my Bibble... rather, it is your interpretation of Scripture that is different: Your interpretation tells you that if you say you are "saved" or "born-again," God has an automatic obligation to open up the Heavenly gates to you... Sadly, many people are subscribing to that ease of salvation... you know "no commitment, please!" Jesus on the other hand tells us that we must abide in Him. Abiding in Him does not mean claiming a piece of Scriture as our own personal slogan! It means obeying Him! It means willful submission of our will to His Will! It means relying on Him for Salvation not on our own selective interpretation of Scripture! Do you truly believe that when Jesus say "believe in the Son," that that simply means saying some words and living a life of sin or embracing those who willfully do not submit to God's Command not to sin? Are you married, Steve? (I do not mean to pry, I only want provide an example that you might be able to better digest...) The obligations of the spouses do not end at the "I do," or whatever is being used today... It is a lifetime commitment in the Lord! Can you imagine how much more important our relationship to Jesus is than that to any human being? We cannot simply grab a Scripture and say "see, God has committed Himself to my salvation; no matter what I do, I am now and forever a citizen of Heaven!" Jesus tells us that not all who call Him Lord (use of clauses and slogans) will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 7:21-27; Luke 6:46); it is those who humbly subject themselves to Him: those who do what He says! Paul does not preach "once saved always saved..." Paul preaches that we are a new creature in Christ; that the old nature is past away; that we must live according to the Spirit of God. (Romans 5:21 thru 6:23) Not once did any of the Apostles preached that those who are above the Law, are spiritual beings that can behave any way they please because they are eternally granted salvation! They preached that Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life and that our salvation hidden (found) in Him! The call is always not to claim to be perfect (free of unrightousness) but to claim Jesus as our mediator, the One in Whom we obtain Salvation! (1 John 1:1-10; 2:1-11) In the first epistle of John 1:9, he tells us that if we confess our sins, in Jesus they are washed way! He is not speaking to unbelievers or those who are being prepped for baptism and will soon join the Body... he is speaking to season Believers!: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. It is Christ Jesus who has the Power to Save... we have no power at all! In 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Paul admonishes the Believers; he reminds them that those who commit themselves to sin will not enter into the Kingdom of God... he reminds them that though some were habitual sinners in the past they are no longer to remain so as they have been cleansed by Christ! But Paul's warning is not for the unbelievers! It is for those who are in the Boby but refuse to give up their wicked habits! Those who persist in their sin will reap the rewards of sin: death! Or do you believe that we can meet God with lip-service: "Lord, Lord!" Jesus tells us that those who do this He will cast out! "I pray you don't die suddenly immediately after sinning." I pray that I die a simple death, hopefully studying Scripture! But it is Christ Himself who will search my inner being and the Holy Spirit will aide me in that final transition into eternity... He will search my heart and my spirit, and if I am found yielding to His Will, it will be He who will testify to the Lord for my Salvation... my desires, my lip-service will never be enough! Grace abounds, true enough; but it flows from God to man, not vice versa! Lucifer was magnificent... but pride kept him from submitting his will to God's! I pray that all who claim the title "Christian" humble themselves to God and learn to depend on Him rather than on man for their corporial and spritual existence! God Bless! Angel |
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252 | WHO pays the wage? | 1 John 1:9 | JCrichton | 134558 | ||
Hi, Mommapbs! It is easy to give you a yes--which you will easily refute if it is not the answer you require! It is easy to give you a no--which you will cheerfully support if it is the answer you require! Rather, let me offer you a Scriptural passage: The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:19-21) True, you can twist this around and claim that Pauls is speaking on guaranteed salvation regarless of the constant life of sin that "the saved" commit themselves to perpetrate or you can claim that during this particular occasion Paul was really speaking to atheist and the unitiated... but if you open your heart, mind and spirit to Christ's Holy Spirit we will be able to understand that Paul is not saying this as news or a variation of a Gospel... Paul is reiterating that those who choose to serve the flesh WILL NOT enter into the Kingdom of Heaven! God Bless! Angel |
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253 | WHO pays the wage? | 1 John 1:9 | JCrichton | 134556 | ||
(Part 2 of 2) Did the Apostles not understand Jesus Word in regards to sin (Matthew 16:19)... clearly they must be as confounded as I for they not only practiced Jesus’ Word but they taught others to do the same: So confess your sins to one another... (James 5:16) Paul speaks of those who choose to partake of both the Lord and the world: You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons as well; you cannot have a share at the Lord's table and the demon's table as well. (1 Corinthians 10:21) True, Jesus' Sacrifice was once and for all--covering the sin of humanity from the past (before the incarnation of the Word) to the future (final age dated to His Second Coming), but His Omnipotence does not carry over to us! We are still creatures not the Creator. So when we choose to sin we are rejecting Christ's Sacrifice and we are telling God that we can do as we please! If we choose to do as we please, the Covenant of Jesus Blood does not abide in us, for we have, as the dog in Jesus example, gone back to our regurgitations by choosing to immerse ourselves in our unrighteous acts. We are called to rid ourselves of the old nature and to make use of our members for the edification of Christ’s Church… not to make excuses and seek exonerating clauses that would allow us to live as the world while claiming to have acquired eternal security! (John 3:19-20; Romans 5:21 thru 6:23;). Perhaps a simple comparison will help you understand: One day 10 lepers begged Jesus to cleanse (heal) them… He obliged… after seeing that they were cleansed only one of them returned to Jesus, glorifying God for the Gift that was bestowed upon him… Jesus noted that the one who returned was a Samaritan (the other 9 were Jews) and only him, the Samaritan, was made whole (Saved) by Jesus… the other 9 received only their physical healing! We are all offered the Gift but not all choose to believe (as doers of the Word) in Jesus! God Bless! Angel |
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254 | WHO pays the wage? | 1 John 1:9 | JCrichton | 134555 | ||
Hi, Steve! (Part 1 of 2) We either accept all Scripture or we don't! We are either obedient to Christ or we transcend (place ourselves above) Scripture! There are those who claim to be "Christians" and allege that their "born-again" or "saved" status grants them the power to trample God by forcing Him to accept them with all the sins they desire to practice and teach others to practice! (I am not just talking about the various reconstruction of Scripture held by some of the congregations that promote homosexuality, abortion, pray-to-wealth, etc...) Scripture is clear!: 1 John 1:9 New International Version (NIV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. New American Standard Bible (NASB) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Amplified Bible (AMP) If we (freely) admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins (dismiss our lawlessness) and (continuously) cleanse us from all unrighteousness (everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action). New Living Translation (NLT) But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong. King James Version (KJV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. English Standard Version (ESV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Contemporary English Version (CEV) But if we confess our sins to God, he can always be trusted to forgive us and take our sins away. New King James Version (NKJV) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 21st Century King James Version (KJ21) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. American Standard Version (ASV) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Worldwide English (New Testament) (WE) Let us tell God about our wrong ways. God can be trusted. He does what is right. He will forgive us for the wrong things we have done. He will make us clean from all that was wrong. Young's Literal Translation (YLT) if we may confess our sins, stedfast He is and righteous that He may forgive us the sins, and may cleanse us from every unrighteousness; Darby Translation (DARBY) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us [our] sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. New International Reader's Version (NIRV) But God is faithful and fair. If we admit that we have sinned, he will forgive us our sins. He will forgive every wrong thing we have done. He will make us pure. New International Version - UK (NIV-UK) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. Now, either all of these translations are wrong, for they all acknowledge that we must confess our sins to God--with the exception of four which use liberal language to imply our direct communication of our transgressions... again, either all of these translations are wrong or we are subject to confessing our transgressions to God even after being "born-again" or "saved!" Jesus clearly warns that we are to be totally dependent on Him, that without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5); He calls us not to be wearing a badge or claiming a clause or two which purportedly grants us free and clear entrance to Heaven… Jesus calls us to emulate Him to abide in Him! (John 14:21; 15:7-10;) If we choose to live a life of sin and claim to be clean, we are liars and we make God a liar! (1 John 1:10 thru 2:6) |
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255 | WHO pays the wage? | 1 John 1:9 | JCrichton | 134404 | ||
"I'm as confused about your position on eternal security as a goose in a hen house. Does a regenerated believer truly have eternal life or not?" Hi, Hank! Perhaps your confusion comes from your different perspective of Scripture... I believe that there is no such thing as eternal security... Outside of Christ there is no salvation! When Christ calls us to believe in Him, it is not mere words and clauses, it is a life that we begin in Him (Luke 6:46 "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?) He Commands that we go and sin no more! If we choose to sin and to live a life of sin, it is not God who is rejecting us and recanting His Gift; it is us who willfully refuse to submit our will to His! As Scripture warns, nothing unclean will enter the Kingdom of Heaven! It is not I that tells you to reject the "came as you please, you are guaranteed salvation no matter how rebellious you continue to live your life" gospel; it is the Word of God! "Does a regenerated believer truly have eternal life or not?" A regenerated believer does not abide in the flesh and wallows in it; a regenerated believer walks in the Spirit, rejects sin, and humbly obeys God: Galatians 5:13-25; 2 Timothy 4:1-5; Hebrews 2:1-3; 5:9; Romans 2:28-29; 4:23-24; 1 Corinthians 5:7-13; 2 Corinthians 7:1. God Bless! Angel God Bless! Angel |
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256 | WHO pays the wage? | 1 John 1:9 | JCrichton | 134402 | ||
Hi, Mommapbs! We do not possess anything! Salvation is in Christ Jesus! He calls us to abide in Him! If we reject Him there is no salvation! Not that God will recant His Gift, but that we willfully reject to obey Him and abide in Him! I cannot put it any simpler. Salvation is not a guarantee do as you will God is obligated to cleanse you because you claim a few Scriture clauses! Salvation is abiding in Jesus! (John 15:5) We are warned that we must continue to depend on Him... doing as we please is never a Biblical mandate! God Bless! Angel |
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257 | WHO pays the wage? | 1 John 1:9 | JCrichton | 134390 | ||
Hi, Mommapbs! Again... we fail to share a common definition... God is the Creator of all that exists, He can make descendants of Abraham out of stones, He can reanimate dust into a breathing, living human being, He can turn to nothingness the mightiest of angels... so surely the diminutive powers of the world and Satan cannot even pretend to overpower Him... The difference between Scripture (your interpretation) and Scripture (my interpretation) is that I believe that though nothing has the power to keep us from God, God will not coerce nor manipulate us into submission... we must freely humble ourselves to Him allowing His Will to be done... Yet, when we willfully reject God and choose to serve the world, it is not Satan nor the world that battles God on our behalf--it is our own determination to refuse His Gift... Noticed how children, at least in the US, get to a certain age and begin to defy their parents... then after a certain dominion over their own lives, they reject all that has to do with the parents and embrace the world? Sometimes it becomes too much and the parents must, though extremely agonizing about it, let go of them... they must allow them to embrace all of the wrong values that they believe will bring them joy and happiness, and fulfillment... This is our relationship with God! He will never force His Hand on us! Yet, He cannot abide in sin! He has given us a choice (one choice), and we must choose Life in order to live! (Deuteronomy 30:19) If we stubbornly chose sin (death), we will gain exactly what sin's reward is: death!: because the outlook of disordered human nature is opposed to God, since it does not submit to God's Law, and indeed it cannot, and those who live by their natural inclinations can never be pleasing to God. So then, my brothers, we have no obligation to human nature to be dominated by it. If you do live in that way, you are doomed to die; but if in the Spirit you put to death the habits originating in the body, you will have life. (Romans 8:7-8, 12-14) Jesus put it in even simpler terms: Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:62) Paul, while ministering to Believers offered this admonition: You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:13-25) Clearly, Paul does not make allowances for those who are in the Spirit to remain in the concupiscence of the flesh and all of its elements!: “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.” “do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature;” “If you do live in that way, you are doomed to die;” (Summary of Galatians 5-13-25 and Romans 8:12-14) God Bless! Angel |
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258 | WHO pays the wage? | 1 John 1:9 | JCrichton | 134344 | ||
Hi, Mommapbs! I think that perception of vocubulary is what causes much of the schism among Christians... We both agree that is is Jesus who is the Resurrection and Life... We simply disagree in how we define "abiding in Christ!" John declares, "I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name's sake." 1 John 2:12 True, this is so... but it is not a clear and cut case... because we are still living in the world and in the flesh, and the world and the flesh have the tendency to separate us from God: Do not love the world or what is in the world. If anyone does love the world, the love of the Father finds no place in him, because everything there is in the world-- disordered bodily desires, disordered desires of the eyes, pride in possession-- is not from the Father but it is from the world. (1 John 2:15-16) When we choose to sin we reject God's Gift and we cannot please God by ignoring His Will and callously refusing to acknowledge our sins and to ask forgiveness... One final comparison: Jesus told us that we are to pray believing that what we have asked of the Father we have/will receive (Mark 11:24; Matthew 21:22); yet this same Jesus instruct us to pray and ask constantly, without tiring (Luke 11:5-10)... these two seemingly opposite Scripture passages actually compliment each other: we ask God and we ask constantly not because He is unable to provide, but because He desires our relationship and we are ignorant of when and how He should answer are prayers... through constant fellowship we hone our abilities and understanding: I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty; for cut off from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5) We cannot abide in Christ in willful disobedience and in a life of sin! God Bless! Angel |
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259 | John Baptist's Jewish legal credentials? | OT general | JCrichton | 134287 | ||
Hi, Reighnskye! Please do not misunderstand my posts... when I reply I take into consideration that both believers and nonbelievers (including anti-Christians) may read through the posts... so my reply is generalized... I may have the tendency of having poor choice of vocabulary when addressing the thread... but be assured that your quest (as well as that of all) for clarification is never received in a derogatory manner by me. If you feel I have wrong you in any way or if my offering is not clear enough, please feel free to demand clarification/explanation on any part or all parts of my post! God Bless! Angel |
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260 | Are we still in the fallen state? | 1 John 1:9 | JCrichton | 134170 | ||
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) Hi, Mommapbs! So you are saying that Jesus and the Apostles had it all wrong or that their definition of confessing only meant to be administered to the non-Christians? And whenever they spoke to Believers they really only meant it figuratively so that nonbelievers could get the hint to confess their sins, turn back to God in the new born again creature? But once in the Body there is no sin? Please do not deceive yourself, Scripture does not speak of an automatic-forgiveness-of-sin machine!: I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:19) "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 18:18) "To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets (I will not impose any other burden on you): Only hold on to what you have until I come. To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations--‘He will rule them with an iron scepter; he will dash them to pieces like pottery‘--just as I have received authority from my Father. I will also give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. (Revelation 2:18-29) Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. (James 5:16) God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. (Acts 5:31) Many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds. (Acts 19:18) True in Christ all sin is forgiven, with the exception of Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, but there is no single Scripture verse that tells us that once born again we are free of sin or the consequences of sin! Jesus tells us that we must abide in Him, in His Word and His Word command that we seek God and flee from sin... not that we are given the liberty to sin profusely because Christ's Omnipotence and His ability to absorb sin is immeasurable: What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey--whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! (Romans 6:15-21) The wage of sin is death--this never stops being true, even for those who come to Christ and willfully chose to return to sin! God Bless! Angel |
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