Results 3061 - 3080 of 3133
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Results from: Answers On or After: Thu 12/31/70 Author: Makarios Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
3061 | Why was Paul accused of promoting evil? | Rom 3:8 | Makarios | 6831 | ||
Good question Hank! Here's an excerpt from Matthew Henry's Commentary explaining this verse:"The former objection is repeated and prosecuted (v. 7,8), for proud hearts will hardly be beaten out of their refuge of lies, but will hold fast the deceit. But his setting off the objection in its own colors is sufficient to answer it: If the truth of God has more abounded through my lie. He supposes the sophisters to follow their objection thus: "If my lie, that is, my sin" (for there is something of a lie in every sin, especially in the sins of professors) "have occasioned the glorifying of God's truth and faithfulness, why should I be judged and condemned as a sinner, and not rather thence take encouragement to go on in my sin, that grace may abound?" an inference which at first sight appears too black to be argued, and fit to be cast out with abhorrence. Daring sinners take occasion to boast in mischief, because the goodness of God endures continually, Ps. 52:1. Let us do evil that good may come is oftener in the heart than in the mouth of sinners, so justifying themselves in their wicked ways. Mentioning this wicked thought, he observes, in a parenthesis, that there were those who charged such doctrines as this upon Paul and his fellow-ministers: Some affirm that we say so. It is no new thing for the best of God's people and ministers to be charged with holding and teaching such things as they do most detest and abhor; and it is not to be thought strange, when our Master himself was said to be in league with Beelzebub. Many have been approached as if they had said that the contrary of which they maintain: it is an old artifice of Satan thus to cast dirt upon Christ's ministers and lay slander thickly on, for some will be sure to stick. The best men and the best truths are subject to slander. Blasphemy in scripture usually signifies the highest degree of slander, speaking ill of God. The slander of a minister and his regular doctrine is a more than ordinary slander, it is a kind of blasphemy, not for his person's sake, but for his calling's sake and his work's sake, 1 Thess. 5:13."From page 2199 of Matthew Henry's Unabridged Commentary on the Whole Bible (Hendrickson). | ||||||
3062 | When is all not all? | 1 John 2:2 | Makarios | 6805 | ||
Dear brother Tim, I am in exact agreement! Yes, these verses demonstrate the love of God, how He holds out His hand to all humanity, even though He sovereignly knows who will respond and who will not. And yes, that is the worst tragedy of all- that many will be lost! I am willing to only view the verses in which you have stated (which is Ok with me!), since you originally intended to limit the scope of verses as to focus on this single concept.. But I could also suggest Luke 19:10, John 1:29, John 4:42, 1 Timothy 4:10, Hebrews 2:9 and Romans 5:18, even though we both know that there are plenty of verses that merely say 'friends' or 'many people' or 'the church'- which would seem to support limited atonement. So the question that we come to, since it is evident that there are verses that seem to speak of both limited and unlimited atonement, is: Is there any way to reconcile the two? Is there any way to read both 'sets' of verses in a harmonius way without sounding contradicting? I believe that seemingly restrictive references can be logically fit into an unlimited scenario much more easily than universal references can be made to fit into a limited scenario. No one denies that Christ died for God's 'sheep' and His 'people'. It is only refuted that Christ died exclusively for them. Certainly if Christ died for the whole of humanity, there is no logical problem in saying that He died for a specific part of the whole.I think that I should stop right there- to avoid 'raising the ire' of those who think differently on this issue. I have already grossly mishandled this issue once (Romans 5:6 thread), and I do not want to ruin your thread and your discussion.. :-)Thanks again dear Brother in Christ!Nolan Keck | ||||||
3063 | Did Christ die for the world? | 1 John 2:2 | Makarios | 6751 | ||
Tim, I agree with this premise and applaud you for this approach to the discussion of exactly whose sins where paid for by Christ's Blood on the cross. This question, and my answer to this question is the very basis for my belief on this subject and all other topics that are related to this topic.1 John 2:2 states that He is the propitiation for not only the sins of the people of whom John was writing to, but also for those (sins) of the whole world. In my line of thinking, this verse makes it clear that Jesus died for the sins of the whole world on the cross. Ryrie's NASB Expanded Study Bible comments concerning this verse, "propitiation equals satisfaction. Christ is the only offering that satisfied God concerning sin (cf. Romans 3:25). Christ died for the sins of the whole world, the entire human race." In Zondervan's NASB Study Bible, 1 John 2:2's commentary reads as follows: "Forgiveness through Christ's atoning sacrifice is not limited to one particular group only; it has worldwide application (see John 1:29). It must, however, be received by faith (see John 3:16). Thus this verse does not teach universalism (that all people ultimately will be saved), but that God is an impartial God."Nelson's NKJV Study Bible comments concerning 1 John 2:2, "The sacrifice of Jesus' sinless life is so effective that it can supply forgiveness for the whole world (see 2 Cor. 5:14,15,19; Heb. 2:9). Christ's death is sufficient for all, but efficient only for those who believe in Christ. Not everyone will be saved, but Jesus offers salvation to all (see Rev. 22:17)." | ||||||
3064 | What doctrines are essential | 2 Tim 3:16 | Makarios | 6749 | ||
This is an excellent question! To me, this leads me to ask, "Just what do I believe and why?" What is a Christian, or what makes a Christian a Christian? Is there anything that we can agree upon that makes a base or 'support' for our faith?The essential doctrines are those things that we know and believe to be true, or else we could not be who we are. First of all, we must acknowledge that there is a God in heaven above, who is totally Sovereign. Second, God loves us, his creation, and sent His only Son to earth to save us from our sins, which separate us from God. We also must acknowledge that we, along with all mankind, are sinful in nature, and must accept Jesus as our Lord so that we can be saved from our sins. And we must believe in Christ and believe in a God who loves us and cares for us, having faith that He exists and will save us from our sins. We can grow in our faith and in our relationship with God by not forsaking the assembly of the saints (going to church), living in holiness for God, and by reading his Holy Word, which is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. | ||||||
3065 | Can Christians be too heavenly minded? | NT general Archive 1 | Makarios | 6746 | ||
I would presume not, since Philippians 4:8, Hebrews 3:1, and 1 Peter 1:13 lead us to believe that we must dwell or set our minds upon whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, or anything that is worthy of praise! And our Lord Jesus is definitely worthy of praise! If we could do so much as to become too heavenly minded instead of too worldly minded, then we will become a credit to those around us, a beacon of salvation for the world! It will be undeniable that the Holy Spirit lives in us. There is no limit as far as how much we could include God in our lives! So I believe that one should strive to be more heavenly minded in everything, being a constant witness for our Lord Jesus Christ! | ||||||
3066 | Will there be degrees of judgment? | Matt 11:22 | Makarios | 6310 | ||
Yes, it is conceivable to conclude that one's degree of punishment is in direct relation to one's sin compared to the amount of Truth that one has received (or rejected). Luke 12:47,48, Matthew 10:15, 16:27, and Revelation 20:12, 13, 22:12 all point to 'degrees of punishment' or 'judgment'. | ||||||
3067 | Why require faith to perform miracles? | Matt 13:58 | Makarios | 6305 | ||
Without faith, it is impossible to even please God! (Hebrews 11:6) If we expect to perform miracles in Jesus' Name, we must believe that God exists and is a rewarder of those who seek Him. If those who were the 'object' or 'beneficiary' of Jesus' miracles did not have faith to begin with, then it would render Jesus' miracles powerless, since miracles in and of themselves are the 'evidence' that Jesus was sent by His Father (John 10:25,32,38). If those who asked Jesus for healing didn't first believe that He was sent by God and have faith that He could heal them, then it would have been pointless for Jesus to perform miracles for them, since they did not come to Him on the basis of faith. | ||||||
3068 | How can words justify or condemn us? | Matt 12:37 | Makarios | 6303 | ||
I believe that this verse, along with many others, runs in correlation with what Jesus was teaching in Mark 7:18-23 and the teaching of James 3:3-12..It is what 'comes out' of us that makes us 'unclean' (by our actions, thoughts and words) since it is out of our hearts that we do the things that we do, say the things that we say and think the things that we think. Our words can both bring us to salvation (Romans 10:9,13) and be 'the very world of iniquity' (James 3:6). So we must be self controlled and watch what we say (Matthew 5:37) and build up each other in Christian love. | ||||||
3069 | Does God endorse polygamy? | 1 Kin 11:3 | Makarios | 6206 | ||
Absolutely not! :-)In the Old Testament, we read that David (1 Sam. 25:39-44) and Solomon (1 Kings 11:1-3) had many wives. However, God forbade polygamy (Lev. 18:18) when He gave the law to Moses and the Israelites. In Deut. 17:17, we read that a king 'shall not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away' which foretells Solomon's ultimate undoing (1 Kings 11:4). In the garden of Eden, God gave to Adam one wife and not several, and the one man and one woman would join together and become 'one flesh' (Gen. 2:21-25). This is a relationship that is exclusive between one man and one woman, not shared between one man and several women. So God does not look favorably on polygamy nor did He ever endorse it.In the New Testament, we read in Titus 1:6 and 1 Timothy 3:2 that a man should be the husband of but 'one wife'. So God remained steadfast against polygamy in the New Testament as He does today. Scripture does not give us room to interpret this any differently. It is clear that God intends marriage to be between one man and one woman, since marriage itself is a reflection of God's relationship to His church, whom He will rejoice over (Isaiah 62:5). Will God have many brides? Absolutely not! Scripture is clear that God will be married to His one and only bride, the church. And the church is the only bride of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2, Revelation 19:7, 22:17). In this way, we can see that polygamy is soundly denounced by Scripture and that God does not look favorably upon it. | ||||||
3070 | EveryHome, are you back? | Bible general Archive 1 | Makarios | 6144 | ||
Dear brother charis, I'm sorry to say it, but it appears after 8 days of this posting that EveryHome has not returned. We would have all enjoyed their participation!Your brother in Christ, Nolan | ||||||
3071 | Human responsibility, divine sovereignty | Rom 9:19 | Makarios | 5922 | ||
If people, like myself, are drawn to God through the Holy Spirit, then my responsibilities are spelled out in Romans 12:1-5, to offer up myself as a 'living sacrifice' to my Lord, and to lead a simple, holy and pure life before my Lord. Even though I have devoted my life to Jesus in every way and I have been called to a deeper relationship with Him, I must remain pure and holy, and this should be something that I do willingly and voluntarily as a believer in Christ! In this way, I will not hinder God's work in me and I can bear spiritual fruit without getting caught up in the things of this world. | ||||||
3072 | What's the second part of the verse mean | Ezek 34:16 | Makarios | 5918 | ||
It seems here in this passage of Ezekiel that the 'fat and strong' are those with power who had fattened themselves by oppressing the other 'sheep' (vv. 17-22). NASB Study Bible. | ||||||
3073 | T-Rex and Noah | OT general | Makarios | 5868 | ||
Which verse are you referring to? If you read the posts on Dinosaurs in the Forum, then you can see where exactly people are coming from when they speak of Dinosaurs in the Bible. (Search command at the right) | ||||||
3074 | levels of sin | Bible general Archive 1 | Makarios | 5842 | ||
Hello Enaian, a while ago, I asked a similar question about 'degrees of punishment' for sin. I am curious, is this your line of thinking? Just asking. :) I'm not sure if I know what you mean by sin 'not being' in reference to judgment day. | ||||||
3075 | Please explain the following verses... | Rom 1:27 | Makarios | 5682 | ||
Thanks Chuck! This is very sound reasoning based on Scripture. Very well done! | ||||||
3076 | Does God have free will? | Bible general Archive 1 | Makarios | 5533 | ||
Men have free will in two choices: to either choose the Lord or to not choose the Lord (in their own individual capacity) as Lord and Savior.Angels act only to carry out God's commands, and they do not act independently of God (Psalm 91:11, 103:20). God's angels cannot 'fall' or choose not to do His bidding. After the angelic revolt, God permanently confined the holiness of the angels who chose to remain loyal to Him (1 Timothy 5:21). God has apparently given them a special grace of perseverance to enable them to permanently retain their position as holy angels. So the question of free will does not apply to angels.The question of God having 'free will' is a little bit absurd. God is Ruler of all, Sovereign and Mighty God. He can do whatever He wants! There is no higher power or ultimate authority over God. He is the ultimate authority! And all of creation must answer to Him (Romans 14:11). | ||||||
3077 | wise as a serpent and gentle as a dove | Matt 10:16 | Makarios | 5464 | ||
It may be that your friend just misquoted the above verse, or that she said it in the way that she remembers it. I've been known to do that a few times.. :) | ||||||
3078 | Christ dying only for elect? | Rom 5:6 | Makarios | 5456 | ||
Hello, homer7000. In Scripture, I see no reference to a verse that says that Christ died only for the elect. This premise is contrary to why the Son came to die for sinful humanity in the first place. If He only came to die for certain people, then what assurance do we have in our salvation? But Christ came to die for all people, taking the weight of the world's sins upon His shoulders. In Rom. 5:6 we can see that Christ died for the ungodly, therefore making it possible for the elect to become saved in the first place. | ||||||
3079 | Who hears Christ's voice? | Rev 3:20 | Makarios | 5446 | ||
Hey Sam, within the context of Rev. 3:20- Christ here is speaking to the Laodicean church and JVH2012 posted a most informative note on this passage here. However, I couldn't resist but to say that Christ is offering an invitation to everyone, both young and old everywhere to accept Him as Lord and Savior in their hearts! Every heart that has been transformed by Christ is a worker in the harvest, while every heart that has not been conformed to Him is a mission field. So Christ stands at the door of a person's heart and knocks on that door.. If they accept Him and let him in, then they will be saved! However, if they do not listen, then those 'knocks' get slower and fainter until their opportunity has passed them by. If anyone out there is not a Christian or is one who is struggling, then please, don't lose heart! I pray that you would accept Christ today in your hearts (or recommit yourself)!When He comes into our hearts, we cannot help but to feel zealous and be moved to repentance because of His presence! And this is exactly the transformation that the Laodicean church needed, to let Christ 'in' and repent of sin, so that they would no longer be lukewarm but zealous for Christ. | ||||||
3080 | What obligates to believe earth spinds? | Josh 10:12 | Makarios | 5425 | ||
Lionstrong:Science depends upon observation and replication. Miracles, such as the Incarnation and Resurrection, are by their very nature unprecedented events. This also is the case for the events for Joshua 10:12. No one can replicate these events in a laboratory. Hence, science simply cannot be the judge and jury as to whether or not these events occurred. This is what I have stated before to you: That we must accept this story upon the basis of faith. Since the events of Joshua 10:12 occurred in the Bible, then we can (and should) accept that as truth just because it is in the Bible. The Bible contains the ultimate truth. The scientific method is useful for studying nature but not super-nature. Just as football stars are speaking outside their field of expertise when they appear on television to tell you what razor you should buy, so scientists are speaking outside their field when they address theological issues like miracles or the Resurrection or occurrences like Joshua 10:12. I believe that nature and Scripture, properly interpreted, do not conflict. God has communicated to humankind both by general revelation (nature, or the observable universe) and special revelation (the Bible). Since both of these revelations come from God- and since God does not contradict Himself- we must conclude that these two revelations are in agreement with each other. While there may be conflicts between one's interpretation of the observable universe and one's interpretation of the Bible, there is no ultimate contradiction. We can and should believe the revelations that have been given to us by science! Since these have been proven physically, mathematically or acheologically, we should believe the findings that have been revealed to us, as long as these findings coincide with the 'special revelation' which is the Bible. God's Word does not change and neither does the Lord Jesus Christ change. However, science is in a constant state of change. Therefore, what we believe in science should affirm or coincide with the Bible. If what we discover in science does not coincide with the Bible (or help to affirm the Bible), then we must retract our scientific findings and realize the error of our findings (example: evolution). If we do not affirm these findings with Scripture, then we begin to go off onto all kinds of wayward tangents (ex. evolution, billion year old earth, etc..)Lionstrong, by reading my above answer, you can discern that I also believe that the Bible teaches 'sola scriptura'- that is, that Scripture alone is the supreme and infallible authority for the church and the individual believer. This is not to say that creeds, tradition, or science is unimportant, but the Bible alone is our final authority. Creeds, science, and traditions are man made. Jesus said, "Scripture cannot be broken" (John 10:35). He also used Scripture as the final court of appeal in every matter under dispute (Matt. 5:18, Luke 16:17, Mark 7:13, Matt. 22:29, Matt. 4:4-10). So, following Jesus' lead, the Scriptures alone are our supreme and final authority.I also appreciate your input to the question of Joshua 10:12 even though I am beginning to wonder what you are trying to 'prove' by continuing to question why I believe in science as general revelation given to us by God. I sincerely question your motivation for writing such a sentence as "how do you know that Jesus loves you".. This leads me to believe that either you are not a Christian or a skeptical one at best. I know that Jesus loves me because the Bible says so. And I also know because of what Jesus has done with me and shown me in my lifetime already as I daily walk with Him! If you indeed need to either strengthen your faith or to accept Christ as your Savior, then I would suggest that you would do so! It is the greatest thing that you could ever do- is to accept Jesus into your heart and to begin to follow Him in all the areas of your life. | ||||||
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