Results 41 - 60 of 1773
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: John Reformed Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
41 | Is God subject to change? | Bible general Archive 2 | John Reformed | 102273 | ||
Amen! John |
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42 | Is God subject to change? | Bible general Archive 2 | John Reformed | 102272 | ||
Hi Tim, I think you may be missing the "big picture" here, which is God's eternal purpose. Yes, God did have Jonah prophecey to the ninivites that it was His intention to overthrow them in 40 days, and Yes, when they repented, He spared them from being overthown. However, all that occured in Nineveh was consistant with God's plan. He knew they would repent before they did. He knew it before they were born. He knew it before He said "Let there be light". He has always known everything that there is to be known! Does He know these things because He sees into the future? No. He holds the future in His hands and He knows what will happen in it because He created it Himself! Any view other than this has God gazing into the future and learning what will happen. God Bless, John |
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43 | Is God subject to change? | Bible general Archive 2 | John Reformed | 102270 | ||
I agree Ed, John |
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44 | Is God subject to change? | Bible general Archive 2 | John Reformed | 102267 | ||
It never entered God's mind that they should have "filled this place with the blood of the innocent and have built the high places of Baal to burn their sons in the fire as burnt offerings to Baal, a thing which I never commanded or spoke of," Are you prepared to say that God was unaware that they would do these abominations? If so, you strip Him of His omniscience. Do you really desire a less glorious god? I'm confident that you do not. John |
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45 | Please I'm looking for your opinion! | Bible general Archive 2 | John Reformed | 102254 | ||
Hi Ho Radio, Degrees of sovereignty...? 1. The person, body, or state in which independent and supreme authority is vested; especially, in a monarchy, a king, queen, or emperor. WEBSTER'S Ps 103:19 The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all. "Rule: mashal (605c); a prim. root; to rule, have dominion, reign:-- 1 Tim 6:15 which He will bring about at the proper time--He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, Great question Radio! I've heard Hannegraff say words to the effect that if even a single atom were to escape God's control, that God would not be God. I don'nt know if you have read A.W. Pink's treatment of The Sovereignty of God. It is the best piece I have read on the subject to date. He begins his book by stating "The Sovereignty of God is an expression that once was generally understood. It was a phrase commonly used in religious literature. It was a theme frequently expounded in the pulpit. It was a truth which brought comfort to many hearts, and gave virility and stability to Christian character. But, today, to make mention of God's Sovereignty is, in many quarters, to speak in an unknown tongue. Were we to announce from the average pulpit that the subject of our discourse would be the Sovereignty of God, it would sound very much as though we had borrowed a phrase from one of the dead languages. Alas! that it should be so. Alas! that the doctrine which is the key to history, the interpreter of Providence, the warp and woof of Scripture, and the foundation of Christian theology should be so sadly neglected and so little understood." You may find this book printed in it's entirety at http://www.reformed.org/calvinism/ But to answer your question...No, I believe that God is always ruling over all things and at all times. How we square this fact with man's responsibility is the question of the ages. But, if the Bible teaches us that that is the case, we are to humbly accept it. John |
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46 | Please I'm looking for your opinion! | Bible general Archive 2 | John Reformed | 102180 | ||
Dear Figster Our resposibility is to obey and when we do not obey, we recieve our well deserved chastisement. This chastisement is a blessing in disguise, for God uses it as one of the means by which we are sanctified. I'm sure you can identfy :-) I'll never forget the time you....well you remember. Papa John |
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47 | Is God subject to change? | Bible general Archive 2 | John Reformed | 102178 | ||
Dear Ed, Ps 33:11 The counsel of the LORD stands forever, The plans of His heart from generation to generation. Counsel also means design or plan. John |
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48 | Is God subject to change? | Bible general Archive 2 | John Reformed | 102163 | ||
Dear Tim, We have a problem for Num 23:19 says "God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? The solution must be found in harmonizing the above with Amos 7:6 and the other verses which you listed which show God as reversing Himself. I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to climb up on brother Packer's shoulders again. "It is true that there is a group of texts... which speak of God as repenting. The reference in each cas is to a revesal of God's treatment of a particular people, consequent on their reaction to that treatment. But there is no suggestionthat this reaction was not forseen, or that it took God by surprise and was not provided for in His eternal plan. No chnge in His eternal purpose is implied whe He begins to deal with a person in a new way." To my mind Packers explanation is far superior than the idea that God has a host of contingency plans (No offense to you Tim). Does Packer have the right approach? It would solve our dis-harmony problem. John |
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49 | Please I'm looking for your opinion! | Bible general Archive 2 | John Reformed | 102162 | ||
Dear Ed, You wrote "You still view our relationship with God not as a Father child relationship but rather as a manipulative. One where God being God causes us to do what He desires. That is very limiting to both us and God." But the Bible says that God is the cause... Ezek 36:26 "Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. Ezek 36:27 "I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. God has set us free so that ,for the first time in our lives, we are able to love and desire what He loves and desires. If that's being a puppet....just call me Pinocchio.(Please no remarks about the nose). But seriously, I really don't believe we are manipulated by anything but the loving hands of the Potter. I am more than happy to submit to His plan for my life. Tell me Ed, do you not pray for God's will to be manifested in your own life? Don't you desire His power to course through your being, from head to toe? Don't you desire that your will be identical to His? I'm sure you do; and so do I. For it is no longer I who live! It is Christ who lives in me! In some way, not known by me, we remain individuals. When married a man and a woman become one flesh. Yet they do not lose their individuality. In the Trinity the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one in essence but retain their personhood. In the same way when we become part of the body of Christ we are one with Him. So how can anyone say that to believe that God is in control of all things means that we are robots or puppets? For we are one with Him!!! One mind, one will, one desire. For now see through a glass darkly...But THEN....Ah, but then... Your brother and co-worker in Christ, John |
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50 | Please I'm looking for your opinion! | Bible general Archive 2 | John Reformed | 102158 | ||
Dear Ed, I said his remark was foolish. I did not call him a fool. There is a difference. It was not my intention to get you upset. Please forgive me, if indeed, I did upset you. My desire is to have converations with other believers and to fellowship in peace and love. It is at times difficult to maintain that atmosphere of christian charity when dis-agreements suface between us, and I confess that on many occasions I have been less than charitable myself. But past failures do not mean we can't strive to be more Christ-like. John |
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51 | Is God subject to change? | Bible general Archive 2 | John Reformed | 102157 | ||
Thanks Tim, However, the question remains...How could it be that an omniscient and omnipotent Being find Himself in a circumstance which required Him to alter a plan that has existed throughout eternity? God's plan flexible? Sorry Tim, but God knew what amos would say already and He also knew what His own resonse would be as well. So that must have been part of His plan also...to have Amos plead and for Himself to consent to his plea. Don't you think so? John |
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52 | Please I'm looking for your opinion! | Bible general Archive 2 | John Reformed | 102148 | ||
Yes Ed, I did undertand the intent of Rev. Graham's remark whe He made it. I just wish He had made His point in a different way. John |
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53 | Is God subject to change? | Bible general Archive 2 | John Reformed | 102147 | ||
Dear Tim, "Scripture is clear that God's nature never changes. However, His interactions with man do seem to change." I cannot comprehend Omniscience facing anything of an unexpected nature. "There are only two ways to explain passages like Amos 7:6 (that I can think of). Either, God never really changed His mind, and Scripture lied." Well Tim, I know you believe that Scripture never lies, so your explation must be, as you said "God never really changed His mind, Or, at least some of God's interactions with man are conditional and dependent upon our responses to Him." But, is it not true that God has always known what all nations would do? He knew before He created them whether or not they would repent; Did'nt He? It seems to me that Jer. 18: 5-10 is God proclaiming His sovereign power. If any nation shall repents (after recieving His warning) of evil they will be spared from disaster. Could it not be that God is simply telling Israel the principles by which He rules over peoples and nations? J.I. Packer, in "Knowing God", makes the following statement: Repenting means revising one's judgement and changing one's plan of action. God never does this. He never needs to, for His plans are made on a basis of complete knowledge and control which extends to all things past, present and future, so that there can be no sudden emergencies or unexpected developments to take Him by surprise. Could it be that Amos was employing a "manner of speaking" when He said: The LORD changed His mind about this. (?) John |
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54 | Please I'm looking for your opinion! | Bible general Archive 2 | John Reformed | 102138 | ||
Ed, Can you even imagine God apologizing to anybody for anything? God forbid! Of course, Reverand Graham was surely speaking "tongue in cheek", nevertheless it was an ill-advised jest. We are all mere humans. John |
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55 | Is God subject to change? | Not Specified | John Reformed | 102132 | ||
Does God change His mind based on new information? Can man influence God to repent of something that God had intended? Or is there another explanation why for passages such as Amos 7:6? I have my own ideas on the question but would be interested in hearing your reasoning as well. Thanks, John Reformed |
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56 | Is God subject to change? | Bible general Archive 2 | John Reformed | 102135 | ||
Does God change His mind based on new information? Can man influence God to repent of something that God had intended? Or is there another explanation why for passages such as Amos 7:6? I have my own ideas on the question but would be interested in hearing your reasoning as well. Thanks, John Reformed |
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57 | Please I'm looking for your opinion! | Bible general Archive 2 | John Reformed | 102131 | ||
Dear Ed, You said "I have absolutely no doubt God is in control of tomorrow however I do believe prayer changes things. Which occurs first? I think you find yourself in the old chicken and egg go around." Not me...I don't concern myself with whether or not God has ordained our prayers. I know that He has! You see, we really do not know how to pray as we should. That is why God's Spirit within us intercedes on our behalf. I believe that our prayers are "good works" which God has pre-pared before hand for us to do. It is possible that I am wrong. But until God reveals my error to me, I am bound by my consciece to follow the light that I have been given. You said yourself that you don't know for sure; you called it " the old chicken and egg go around." Forgive me Ed, but you rarely get what I say right. I never said that prayer is ineffective or does'nt change things, which your post infers my position to be. I simply believe that my prayers are a result of the Holy Spirit's moving in my heart and His interceding of my prayers in such a way (ineffable groanings of the Spirit) that they are effective because they are God speaking to Himself through me. Is it possible to change God's mind? No! He is immutable and changeth not. He is omniscient and knows EVERYTHING from alpha to omega. He does'nt need to be informed or advised by anyone. He knows our needs before we do, and has known them throughout eternity! Our prayers are for our benefit. God uses them as a means for us to have communion with Him. They are a comfort and joy for the saint. They give us an outlet for our hopes and fears. They provide us an opportunity to have an audience with The Lord God,the Creator and Ruler of All that exists, our loving Father. It was His good pleasure for us to be co-workers with Him in the working out of His eternal plan. But God is not dependent on us. His plan will not fail because we are at times dis-obediant or lazy. No...His will will be done. God Bless Ed, John |
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58 | Please I'm looking for your opinion! | Bible general Archive 2 | John Reformed | 102129 | ||
Dear Ed, Num 23:19 "God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent; Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? Even Billy makes foolish comments at times. John |
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59 | MARK 16:16: Was it perverted? | Bible general Archive 2 | John Reformed | 102040 | ||
Hi George, Have you ever considered that repentance may be an evidence of salvation rather than a requirement? Acts 11:18 When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, "Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life." 2 Tim 2:25 with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, The Bible says that repentance is granted by God. When a person is granted something it means that before recieving it, they did not have it. It had to be bestowed upon them. What do you think? Brother John |
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60 | Please I'm looking for your opinion! | Bible general Archive 2 | John Reformed | 102032 | ||
Hi Ed, I'm with Augustine, in saying, command what You will and grant what you command. Augustine, as you know, felt that apart from grace we could not do what God commands. I may be willing but unable to obey. God might call me to preach in Saudi Arabia, but, if He does not supply the means for me to do so, I'm not even going to be able to get out of my chair! Zech 4:6,7 Then he said to me, "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, 'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts. 'What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring forth the top stone with shouts of "Grace, grace to it!""' He could have said the same thing to John or Ed. John |
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