Results 381 - 400 of 500
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Results from: Answers On or After: Thu 12/31/70 Author: Reformer Joe Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
381 | Joe, how do you know truth? | Rom 10:17 | Reformer Joe | 20463 | ||
Bill: "Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth." --John 17:17 I am quite sure that I will find out in Heaven that I was wrong on a lot of things. And ultimately, on issues which the Bible has touched on, it will indeed be a matter of not following Scripture. It is not Scripture that is unclear, but our interpretation of it which errs. Even removing the question of false teachers (and teaching should always be tested), one's interpretation can be influenced by vestiges of sin oin our lives, by the environment we live in, by our education (or lack thereof), by animosity toward individuals/churches/systems which have "burned" us in the past, etc., etc. That's why it takes careful study, a reasoning mind, a listening ear, and reliance upon the Holy Spirit to discern truth. Yes, the Holy Spirit is our teacher (John 14:26), but that does not imply that we are always the best learners. God will accomplish His purposes in my life, but He has more than one arrow in His quiver which he uses to bring that about. Scriptural truth is not a quick study, and God never said that growing in knowledge of the truth would be some easy 3-step procedure. It is not a "clean" process, either, where all truth on every Christian issue is settled in our minds upon conversion to Christianity. So how do I KNOW that I am being taught truth? I prefer to say that I am convinced that I am being taught truth, but here are a few reasons which I consider to be strong evidence: 1. It is internally consistent. 2. It takes into account the whole counsel of God's Word, rather than building a theology out of three verses and twsiting the rest of Scripture to fit the model. 3. It explains reality (e.g. human nature). 4. There is a long, unchanging historical tradition which has held the same views, a tradition made up of men used by God in very mighty ways throughout the last 2000 years. 5. God's Spirit testifies within me to the truth. Having examined other world views and theologies, they don't meet the preceding qualifications. Some of these others may meet one or two, but never all of these that came right off the top of my head just now. Personal searching of the Scriptures as well as listening to both sides of such debates has settled my mind on the important issues. I am always open to hearing new arguments from those who hold opposite views; I just have not found any to be terribly compelling thus far. Therefore, I consider what I hold to be truth; and like Martin Luther, unless one can show me from Scripture or from reasonable deductions from Scripture where I am wrong, I will consider myself adhering to truth. That having been said, there are some issues which have not been settled in my mind; and even the ones that are settled at times are not of such a nature as to be called heresy. However, heresy does exist, and God has called on us to identify it and expose it as the false teaching that it is. He has not left us with some "cosmic guessing game" as far as most of the examples you brought up in your post. I also know that you hold very strong positions yourself on a lot of the issues you mentioned. So, turning the question back to you, how do you KNOW what truth is? --Joe! |
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382 | Joe, is your reasoning not circular? | Rom 10:17 | Reformer Joe | 20365 | ||
Your Mormon comment simply reveals your scoffing of anything of intellectual value. How typical. Preaching/teaching is NOT "icing on the cake." It is a God-ordained, essential aspect of our Christian lives. Except in rare cirumstances where such teaching is completely unavailable (like being in solitary confinement in Vietnam or something along those lines), it is the way God has intended for Christians to grow. This is why your view bothers me so much. You take all that the New Testament reveals as God-ordained and works commanded by God of believers and put them in the category of "helpful suggestions." We are commanded to teach sound doctrine, hold to sound doctrine, and to toss people out of fellowship who refuse to adhere to sound doctrine. Doctrine is TEACHING, Bill. That is what the word means. How in the world can you dare call Holy Spirit-inspired teaching "icing on the cake" that you can do without? "That's okay, God; I don't feel the need to listen to what you are saying through this guy; I prefer just you and me and my Bible. Let's do it my way." Why don't you look at the whole of my argument rather than taking one sentence out of context? I said there is a DYNAMIC between the two. Go back and read it again and comment on the point I was actually making. It is you who thinks it is a great thing for new converts to abandon any external teaching whatsoever, thereby intentionally choosing one over the other. You are so prideful to trust that you have such a clear ear for what the Holy Spirit is saying. The fact is that you still sin, Bill. Accept that your tendency to sin will often cloud your mind of what is from the Holy Spirit and what is the thing that Bill wishes the Holy Spirit were saying. I do the same thing, as does every Christian to a greater or lesser degree. In this case, it is your prideful anti-intellectualism that has you so completely unteachable, no matter how many verses are cited pointing you out to be WRONG. You write: "You can't criticize me (or you shouldn't) for believing a certain way BECAUSE of what I have been taught and then turn around and say that EXTERNAL teaching is just as viable as what the Holy Spirit does?" The external teaching is ALSO what the Holy Spirit does. There's your problem in one sentence. You are not open to correction from anyone, and that is sin. --Joe! |
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383 | Joe, is the Bible not sufficienct? | Lev 16:34 | Reformer Joe | 20262 | ||
Bill: You wrote: "Are you saying that if a person knew how to read and all that he had was the Bible, that it would not be enough for him to arrive at a saving faith?" I am not saying that at all (factoring in the "minor" detail of the Holy Spirit's involvement, of course). You wrote: "In fact, I would recommend that any new Christian avoid sitting under anyone's teaching for at least a year so that only he and the Holy Spirit can spend time learning what God's Word says and means before having it filtered through someone else." I think that is the most horrible idea that has come from your keyboard yet. Kalos already quoted Ephesians 4:11 for you, and it is very clear from Scripture that God has established his church for a reason. To suggest that a new believer avoid the sound instruction and edification and correction that comes from the church is so completely contrary to Scripture that it doesn't require any exposition. Why does Paul instruct Timothy and Titus in being TEACHERS of sound doctrine (that's three epistles, mind you) if teachers are so unnecessary? Sheer nonsense. Yes, we are to test the spirits (1 John 4:1; Acts 16:11). However, "testing the spirits" assumes that we are actually listening to someone besides ourselves. God gave teachers to the church. Not all who claim to be teachers of truth are indeed teachers of truth, but to reject God's true gift of good Bible expositors is to dishonor Him to a great degree and build oneself up in pride. And what about verse like these? "The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." --2 Timothy 2:2 "But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine." --Titus 2:1 Need I cite the passages which rebuke individuals for being UNTEACHABLE? If, as you say, new believers don't need teachers, why would the more mature ones? Why listen to anyone's teaching at all, ever?!? I hold to my original, biblical contention that where possible, sanctification and growth in the knowledge of the truth does not come about in solitude, but in the context of the community of believers. --Joe! |
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384 | Are Christians under the Mosaic law? | John 1:17 | Reformer Joe | 19847 | ||
I was NEVER under the Mosaic Law. --Joe the Gentile! |
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385 | What about those who have never heard? | Bible general Archive 1 | Reformer Joe | 19782 | ||
pgs: You won't find the answer to your question in the Bible, because your question assumes things that aren't true. Let's look at a part of Romans 3, which gives us a crystal-clear perspective on man's condition: "as it is written, 'THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.'" --Romans 3:10-12 We can point out several things from these few verses, mostly OT quotes: 1. NO ONE is good (cf. Romans 3:23). 2. NO ONE who is not a Christian seeks God, no matter how much they seem to be trying to "pursue truth." They may perhaps be seeking salvation on their own terms, but no one is inclined on his/her own to humbly admit their own helplessness and receive the mercy and forgiveness that comes through the Cross of Christ. God isn't playing "hide-and-seek" with humanity: "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." --Romans 1:18-20 God has written the truth upon creation, and upon our hearts (Romans 1-2 reveal this very clearly). Those who have not "heard about Jesus" when they die are still rejecting the truth, so they are indeed without excuse and deserving of Hell. Thanks! --Joe! |
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386 | How do you know there is a God? | Ps 46:10 | Reformer Joe | 19448 | ||
Maryann: Great question! Rather than answer it myself, let's look at what the Bible has to say: "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." --Romans 1:20 In other words, the created universe reveals the God who created it. In fact, the universe just doesn't make sense without a divine, all-powerful creator. People who deny the existence of God literally are denying the truth staring them in the face. "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world." --Hebrews 1:1,2 God not only revealed himself in creation, but he continues to actively reveal Himself in very specific ways. In the past, he revealed himself through the judges and prophets of the Old Testament, for example. Finally, he revealed Himself most directly and clearly through the historic life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. What do you think of Jesus Christ, Maryann? If someone (such as me) were to ask you who Jesus Christ is, how would you answer? Thanks for your post! --Joe! |
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387 | Joe, I agree with you here. | James 2:10 | Reformer Joe | 19362 | ||
Bill: Perhaps we can get to the core of the disagreement by looking at the answer to these two questions: What is the ultimate reason for God saving us? In other words, was God's highest motive for saving us just to get us to heaven and bless us (which is certainly a part of it), or is there a "bigger picture"? Secondly, since we agree that works are not the ground of our salvation, but rather faith in Christ's completed work on the cross, what is the purpose and place of works in the Christian's life? Is discipleship a nice "extra" that makes us more fulfilled, or is it something that is an essential trait of all whom God saves? I hold that God's highest passion is to glorify Himself, since he is the epitome of all that is holy and just and morally upright. Simply put, you can't get better than God, and He knows it. Therefore, if he honors what is most perfect, He must have the place of highest honor. Even our salvation, while it is a blessing to us, has the ultimate purpose of manifesting God's mercy and love, just as the damnation of the unregenerate demonstrates God's justice. The atonement of Christ demonstrates both. Therefore, I am not the center of God's creation; He is. As far as works go, I hold that good works ALWAYS accompany the transforming presence of Christ in those who have true faith. The Bible makes clear that there are those who claim to be Christian, but really aren't of us at all. God-honoring traits and actions are the work of God in the lives of every believer to demonstrate that we truly are his. In my view, that is the only way we can reconcile Ephesians 2 and James 2. Works are important, and God will require them and motivate and enable believers to accomplish them, not to GAIN nor to MAINTAIN salvation, but to make evident to men our salvation and again, to be an instrument for the glorification of Himself. That is why, as a believer, I delight in the moral commandments of God found in the Law. I know that these commands are what God wants His children to do, and law still serves the purpose of showing how we fall short in our daily lives and reminds us of how glorious the gospel truly is. It is not a means to salvation, but it isn't to be tossed out the window in its entirety as completely irrelevant in the life of the believer. This is the division between law and gospel we find in the entire Bible. Law (in the general sense) is the righteous requirements of a holy God upon his creation. Of course, we have and always will fall short of those requirements. Gospel is the proclamation of God's grace and mercy extended to us who fall short of fulfilling God's demand of absolute holy conduct, through the work of Christ Jesus, who did indeed fulfill the Law in his sinless life on earth. --Joe! |
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388 | Are Galatians seeking sanctification? | James 2:10 | Reformer Joe | 19342 | ||
Perhaps, which is also in error. We are not sanctified by the Law any more than we are justififed by it. Sanctification is a work of God's free grace. However, those being sanctified will exhibit the moral behavior prescribed in the Law in their conduct. The horse is sanctification by the Spirit. The cart is God-pleasing works. The Galatians were getting things backwards. One must also fully take into account what Paul was arguing against here. He was not challenging the idea that Christians should do SOME things which are found in the Law. What the Galatians were falling into was the complete external trappings of the Law and its regulations. Notice again that Paul does not tell the Galatians that the prohibition on murder, covetousness, lying, and adultery are invalid for believers. What he challenges is that the Law itself is a means to attaining a righteousness of our own either in addition to or apart from Christ's work of atonement. --Joe! |
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389 | Where will you get your righteousness? | James 2:10 | Reformer Joe | 19333 | ||
Circumcision and the Law as a means to justification is precisely "the yoke of slavery" being discussed, as we see in the first four verses of Galatians 5. If you take my whole commentary into account, you see idea that clearly developed. The problem Paul was dealing with in Galatia was not merely fondness for the Law. The Judaizers were telling them that in addition to Christ's atonement, justification must still be sought in keeping the Law, which begins with circumscision. We see Paul soundly refuting justification of any sort via the works of the Law (Galatians 2:16, 3:3, 3:11, 3:24,and 5:4 in this book alone) and I stand with you and Paul in condemning this idea. No one was EVER justified by Law-keeping: "Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law." --Galatians 3:21 We see Abraham is justified by faith 430 years before the Law is given. However, James also points out the argument I have been making: that Abraham's faith was demonstrated by OBEDIENCE to God. The faith in God's covenant of grace is what saved Abraham, but it was a faith that resulted in works. The moral commandments found in the Law correspond to the obedience that God seeks for us, and Leviticus 19:18 and Deuteronomy 6:5 sum up the Law, which are still commandments for believers. Why do you ignore Paul's clear profession that our own righteousness is something we HOPE for, and therefore do not currently possess? I will stand righteous on my own before God when He completes my sanctification, which will not occur until the end of this existence. Until that point, it is Christ who is my advocate before the Father, the great High Priest who always lives to make intercession for me (Hebrews 7:25). But back to Galatians 5...other than your misunderstanding of my point about circumcision (which indeed is the seal of our entrance into the Mosaic Covenant), where else was I "wrong" in my exegesis? I would especially like your take on Paul's exhortation for us to use our freedom for servanthood, how the truth is something not simply to be believed but also obeyed, and how practicing Leviticus 19:18 is fulfillment of the Law. This is a Bible study forum, so let's study Galatians 5 in-depth. --Joe! |
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390 | Joe, who is ya, man? | James 2:10 | Reformer Joe | 19327 | ||
Before we start traversing through all your pet verses in the New Testament, let's stick with Ephesians 4. If the old self is no longer existant, how can Paul tell Ephesian believers to put it away? That would be akin to a "watch out for the cliff" sign in Kansas. I am simply asking why Paul tells us to "put away" the old self and its lusts, and to "put on" the new one if the new self is the only one left, according to you. How can one put away something that isn't even there? --Joe! |
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391 | Why keep the Moral Law? | James 2:10 | Reformer Joe | 19232 | ||
Because God says so. "Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler" --1 Peter 4:15 "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise), SO THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU, AND THAT YOU MAY LIVE LONG ON THE EARTH." --Ephesians 6:1-3 "For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God." --Ephesians 5:5 "If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF,' you are doing well" --James 2:8 "By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says, 'I have come to know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him" --1 John 2:3,4 "For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality" --1 Thessalonians 4:3 On a side note, it really bothers me to see so many people who claim to have faith in Christ with the seeming attitude of "How LITTLE can I do for God?" I do not for one second believe that we are saved by works, but I wholeheartedly agree with James when he says "No works means no faith." --Joe! |
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392 | Moral, Ceremonial, and Civil law | James 2:10 | Reformer Joe | 19221 | ||
Steve: I think it is a situation like the doctrine of the Trinity. There is not one verse that points it out, but taken as a whole, the New Testament reveals it. For example, in Acts 10 and 15 (and in 1 Corinthians and Romans 14), we see that dietary laws are no longer in force. Hebrews makes it clear that sacrifices are no longer to be practiced, since they prefigured the reality which has already come in Christ's atonement. In addition, since Israel as an autonomous nation no longer existed, most of the civil instructions could no longer be followed. Paul and James both approvingly re-iterate the Ten Commandments, however, in their moral instructions to Gentile believers (Ephesians 6:2,3; Romans 13:9; Ephesians 5:5; James 2). Nowhere do the apostles say that the Ten Commandments (moral laws) are not applicable to believers. In fact, they say that loving them and following them is a mark of the true believer. We are not saved by adherence to the law, but by faith; however, true saving faith will produce in us adherence to God's moral law. It is our faith through which we are saved, but that faith results in works which correspond to God's holy and moral standards. The Holy Spirit doesn't move me to slaughter sheep and goats, nor to avoid pork, but rather to love my neighbor as myself and to love the Lord with all my strength, heart, soul, and mind. --Joe! |
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393 | Joe, how righteous are you? | Eph 3:6 | Reformer Joe | 19214 | ||
Bill: These are great questions, and were addressed between Martin Luther and the Catholic Church during the Protestant Reformation. You write: "So, in practical terms, I am declared righteous before God. This means that that is how God sees me, right?" God sees me clothed in Christ's righteousness (cf. Zechariah 3). He knows that there is no righteousness in my own standing, but I have a FOREIGN righteousness, a righteousness not my own. You would agree that God still realizes that we sin, right? He would not be omniscient if He couldn't "see" that. You wrote: "It would not benefit me in the least if God declared me righteous and then said, 'Well, Bill, I've declared you righteous, but you're not really that way. I'm just pretending that you are for legal purposes.'" This was precisely Rome's argument against Luther. They accused him of fabricating a "legal fiction." However, as Luther stated, God is not pretending that we are righteous in ourselves. God looks at Christ's sacrifice as sufficient payment for our sins, and Christ's righteousness as our own. That is not to say that we are PRACTICALLY righteous, because you and I and God know that we still commit sins on a painfully frequent basis. This is what Luther meant by the phrase "simul iustus et peccator" -- at the same time just and a sinner. We have been declared righteous, but we have not yet been MADE righteous. Being forgiven does not make us intrinsically better, although the Spirit of God works within us to gradually make us more like Christ in practice -- sanctification. I agree wholeheartedly that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone through Christ alone. Yet again I emphatically state that the Protestant Reformation was anything but a defense of works-righteousness. I simply disagree with the anti-Reformation view of Rome that we are actually, instantly transformed into righteous people rather than declared so on the basis of Christ's righteousness. To answer your question, on October 14, I am presented before God as righteous by Him in whom I have placed my faith. I am more intrisically righteous, thanks to the Spirit's work within me, than I was on the day of my conversion; and I look forward to being truly righteous in my own right when I am glorified before my holy God. --Joe! |
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394 | Lionstrong, this is not universalism. | Eph 3:6 | Reformer Joe | 18927 | ||
justification: being declared righteous That is salvation. Christ's righteousness imputed to our account. Those who are justified are saved. Those who are not justified are not saved. We have two options: 1. Christ died for a particular group of individuals. Those who will come to faith in Christ are the only ones whose sins are paid for, and those who die without Christ will pay the penalty for their own sins. 2. Christ paid the penalty for the sin of all human beings, and those who die without Christ pay it again. Double jeopardy. In the case of these individuals, Christ suffered needlessly. Hardly sounds like justice to me. --Joe! |
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395 | Are children also baptized too? | Acts 16:15 | Reformer Joe | 18645 | ||
Rick: It depends on who you ask. It is a very good question. I would like to hear from those from both sides on this one. Did the household baptized include children of believers? Did it include servants, as some attest? If not, whom did the household include? Simply put, are all in the household believers or not? --Joe! |
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396 | What are virtues of Abraham? | Genesis | Reformer Joe | 18644 | ||
The title "patriarch" is not one bestowed on someone by merit. It comes from the Latin word for father, and it usually refers to the eldest member of a family. It can also mean ancestor. Abraham is referred to as a Patriarch because God chose him to be the father of a multitude of nations. This was based on God's sovereign choice and not any special merit on the part of Abraham. "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with you, And you will be the father of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be called Abram, But your name shall be Abraham; For I have made you the father of a multitude of nations." --Genesis 17:4-5 --Joe! |
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397 | Please help me to understand these verse | 2 Thess 2:13 | Reformer Joe | 18319 | ||
Frank: There has been a lot of discussion/debate on this forum of the very issues that you have been struggling with. Do a search on this forum for the terms "predestination" and "free will". You will find a variety of opinions here. In addition, if you have the time to read a few things, (and I assume that you have already read quite a bit if this has been causing you so much torment), I would recommend the following books: Grace Unknown, by R.C. Sproul The Potter's Freedom, by James R. White In particular, the latter one addresses the seeming contradiction between predestination and 2 Peter 3:9. In any case, both approach the issues of predestination and God's sovereignty from a solidly biblical perspective, and you can find or order them from just about any Christian bookstore or off the Internet. Another location which specifically deals with the issue of election and predestination can be found at John Piper's Web site at www.desiringgod.org. Specifically, try this link: http://www.desiringgod.org/Online_Library/OnlineArticles/Subjects/Justification/JustificationIndex.htm Hope this helps you in your search for a resolution to your dilemma! It certainly is a topic that seems beyond the scope of a single post. Feel free to email me privately as well if you have more specific questions as well. --Joe! |
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398 | Doctrine of Election, Yes or No? | Eph 3:6 | Reformer Joe | 18250 | ||
Try the thread: "Christ dying only for elect?" --Joe! |
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399 | Lionstrong, who is the world? | Eph 3:6 | Reformer Joe | 18248 | ||
Bill: This Calvinist would be happy to debate limited atonement with you, but that subject has been addressed quite thoroughly on here. Try typing "Christ and elect" or "limited atonement" in the search box, and you will find a plethora of posts from every perspective! --Joe! |
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400 | How do we live the 'Christian life'? | Phil 2:5 | Reformer Joe | 18154 | ||
This is true. --Joe! |
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