Results 441 - 460 of 465
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: Parable Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
441 | Why carry on like a playground dispute? | Acts 1:3 | Parable | 44349 | ||
For an excellent discussion of how the Genesis account is consistent with current scientific understanding of planetary geology, see The Genesis Question, by Dr. Hugh Ross. For a list of scientific accuracies in the Bibe, see The Complete Book of Bible Lists, by Harold L. Wilmington. I agree with you that we must work to remove this "conflict". It is a stumbling block for many who might otherwise come to faith. We can be confident that the truth of God's Creation cannot be contrary to His Word. The question for us is, have we done our science right and have we divided the Word rightly? |
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442 | Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. | Matt 12:23 | Parable | 44301 | ||
I like your answer. | ||||||
443 | Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. | Matt 12:23 | Parable | 44277 | ||
The "unpardonable sin" is saying the devil is responsible for the work of the Holy Spirit, see Matthew 12:23. Why this sin is unforgiveable lies not with God's unwillingness to forgive a penitent believer, but rather the obstinance of someone who is so hardened that they are unable to recognize the difference between God and the devil. Hence, its not that God won't pardon them if they repent, (whether they CAN repent is the subject of Hebrews) but rather, they can't accept God's pardon because they don't recognize Him or His authority to grant one. This is the most severe form of rejection that a person can make against God. The consequence of separation from God is spiritual death. If anyone worries about whether or not they have committed this sin, surely they have not, for if they had, they wouldn't care. |
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444 | what can i do for problems in marriage. | Prov 15:22 | Parable | 44260 | ||
See your pastor or a good marriage counselor. Proverbs 15:22 "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisors they succeed." Also, there is a book you might find helpful: "Love Must Be Tough", by Dr. James C. Dobson. You can read more about it at www.amazon.com Just do a search for a book with that title. Grace and Peace to you in Christ! |
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445 | how do i pray and leave it with the lord | Prov 15:22 | Parable | 44125 | ||
Yes, take it to the Lord, AND to an addiction specialist. Nicotine is the most addictive substance known. It will take more than your will power for you to break its grip on you. In addition to spiritual healing, addicts almost always need education on the mental aspects of addiction as well as the physical. Also, if your doctor says its ok, start exercising vigorously for at least 30 minutes at least 3 times per week. Your victory over this addiction will be a glorious testimony to others. |
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446 | Losing Salvation/ Punishment for Sinning | Prov 15:22 | Parable | 44124 | ||
Proverbs 15:22 "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed." For your financial problems, contact a professional personal financial advisor. If excessive debt is a problem, consider a consumer credit counseling agreement through a reputable service. Most importantly, consider your level of giving. Ask yourself if you have trusted God to provide for your means, or if are you holding back out of fear. Regarding your family, ask your family's pastor for help. Regarding the idea of being punished, perhaps you need to take an inventory of God's blessings to you and ask God for the grace to endure the problems you have, rather than expecting them to go away. See 1 Peter for a great discussion of Hope. |
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447 | Thoughts of REVENGE | Rom 12:19 | Parable | 44049 | ||
Unfortunately, it IS normal for people to REACT to injury by entertaining thoughts of revenge. However, you can use such times as opportunities for spiritual growth. That is, once you are over your emotional reaction, RESPOND with love for your enemies. Jesus says, in Matthew 44-45, "But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." This is only possible by adopting Christ's perspective on who they are, i.e. helpless sinners lost in the world. Even believers who do hurtful things need to be seen in this light. Also, recognize your own condition in this way and forgive yourself for feeling vengeful. Soon, those things that hurt you will no be so powerful over you. |
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448 | Could it be they're not true believers? | Luke 15:32 | Parable | 44043 | ||
Of course, logically, that's a possibility, as described in 4:2 -- "For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith." However, in those cases, the discussion about "falling away" in 6:4-5 does not apply because the text explicity applies to "...those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age..." In the end, the point is for us to know the gifts of faith and salvation are precious beyond compare and that all we need to do is accept them by accepting Christ as Lord and Savior. In that light, I believe God's grace cannot be undone by our "falling away", i.e. if we foolishly rely on ourselves and not Him. The nature of His redemption is precisely that He covers our debts, including our human weaknesses and inconsistencies. Yet also, He respects our freedom to choose and we cannot avoid the consequences of willfully rejecting Him once He is made known to us. At some point, He will give us over to our decisions. (see Exodus 9:12 for example) Whether He does this irreversibly only He knows; perhaps He allows us to do this to teach us how foolish we are, or if we repeatedly insist, perhaps He allows us to have our way for good. The whole meaning of salvation is lost unless there is a real alternative, i.e. judgement leading to damnation. |
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449 | How did sin originate | Bible general Archive 1 | Parable | 43851 | ||
Pride, manifested as the desire to be God, was the sin of Satan. Pride is idolatry, with self as the idol, placed first, above God. For an example of Satan's obsession with himself, see Matthew 4:9-10 "All this I will give you," he (Satan) said, "if you will bow down and worship me. Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" |
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450 | is jesus god? | John 1:1 | Parable | 43842 | ||
JdthCstl, I'm trying to understand the basis for what you have said, yet you cite no Biblical sources. Please provide at least one verse that supports each of the following of your views: "Jesus is not God" "God has dwelt in many identities" "His last identity was that of Jesus" "at the end of time, his work begins again" Thanks! |
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451 | can u b forgivn if you once turned away? | Luke 15:32 | Parable | 43774 | ||
I like your answer! | ||||||
452 | Indiana Jones, what about Heb 10:26-31? | Luke 15:32 | Parable | 43773 | ||
It is important to remember that Hebrews was written to new Christian Jews, who were struggling to overcome centuries of Legalism. This is cited by bible scholars when explaining the contrasts between Hebrews and other NT books, which were written to a broad range of new Christians, who were not necessarily Jews. Given this, I am intrigued by the following analogies: In the study of near death experiences, e.g. the work of Dr. Gary Habermas, there are many classifications of death, with the ultimate called "biological death". The definition is "if you came back, you did not experience biological death". I mention this as a possible way to think about "falling away" as discussed in Hebrews. If you "fall away" and later want to come back, I wonder if you really did not "fall away" as much as you thought, or at least in the same sense that Hebrews is warning about. De-facto evidence of the truth of Hebrews' warning are those who fall away and do not come back, despite any theoretical possibilities we may postulate that they could have. That they DID NOT return to faith is consistent with the possibility that they COULD NOT, but it is not proof of this: they could have simply chosen to stay away. There is another similar situation in Scripture, i.e. the "unpardonable sin" of saying the devil is responsible for the work of the Holy Spirit, see Matthew 12:23. Anyone so hardened is unable to recognize the difference between God and the devil and therefore is completely lost. Its not because God won't pardon them if they repent, but rather they can't receive a pardon because they don't recognize God's authority to grant the pardon. If anyone worries about whether or not they have committed this sin, surely they have not, for if they had, they wouldn't care. Perhaps Hebrews is best understood in this context. More practically, what real difference does it make? That is, if we somehow "prove" that one can fall away and then return to faith, would it be more liberating than the freedom we received from Christ upon conversion? I think not. Alternately, if we "prove" that when one falls away, one is eternally damned, would that truth be more of a burden than our slavery to sin we suffered before we came to Christ? I think not. |
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453 | "Speaking in tongues"? | 1 Cor 14:1 | Parable | 43661 | ||
Simple. The churches that promote speaking in tongues do so because they believe this gift of the spirit is worthy to be received, see 1Cor14. I don't have this gift, but I know many in my church who speak in tongues as a prayer language. I find it beautiful and comforting to hear during group prayer. (My church offers once a month a "charismatic" service for those who wish a more intense encounter with the Holy Spirit.) Studies by linguists confirm that the sounds spoken conform to the patterns of true language, and in blind-trials they can readily identify efforts to fake it; the structure and rythms just aren't the same. Perhaps more importantly, we should be careful not to judge others, but rather receive the gift of discernment, i.e. the ability to see spiritual truth. |
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454 | Does God soften hearts, or do we? | John 3:16 | Parable | 43649 | ||
God knows our hearts. He calls us. We choose to accept his call or reject him. While it is we who choose to soften our hearts, it is the Holy Spirit who does this miracle in us. The other side of the sword is, if we choose to reject Him enough times, He will give us over to our decision. Otherwise, our choice would have no meaning. | ||||||
455 | is masterbation a sin? | Galatians | Parable | 43646 | ||
Thank you for your kind praise. | ||||||
456 | WILL FAMILY ACCEPT MORMON SPOUSE | Acts 1:1 | Parable | 43645 | ||
Seek counsel from a qualified, experienced pastor. You also may benefit from a good secular counselor who can help you address some of the issues that are not matters of faith per se. It sounds like your first husband was negligent and abusive. No doubt you were hurt deeply over many years and unfortunately, sought relief from your pain in ways that are all too human. Given that you will seek professional help, here are my thoughts on your situation. Your story is not uncommon and you are not alone. Christ knows this and has compassion for you. So much that He paid for all your sins on the cross, even the ones you commit after accepting Him as Lord and Savior. Earnestly seek Him. Ask for His gracious forgiveness, accept it and do your best to follow His commands to love Him and to love others as He loves you. Follow the example given in John 8:1-11, that is, know Christ does not condemn you and with that knowledge, go and sin no more. Regarding your husband's religion, see 1Cor7:14a "For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife..." There is hope that you may help bring him to Christ. Christian education classes you take together might be a good way for him to learn the truth about Christ and for both of you to become more involved in your church, fellowship and spiritual growth. I encourage you to focus on God's truth and in that light, let Joseph Smith's lies be seen for what they are. Regarding your brother's refusal to allow your husband to family functions, perhaps Matthew 5:23 applies. Also, from your note, its not clear if your brother's decision is a result of your husband's religion or the issues of your divorce and premarital sex. It would seem that if the latter, he would not allow you to attend as well. If his concern is Mormonism, then perhaps your brother might be persuaded to see family functions as testimony to what Christ has done for your family. Indeed, this is the case now, for better or worse. If your brother's decision is righteous, it should stand. To determine if it is, follow Christ's instructions given in Matthew 15-17. |
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457 | How do we love those in sin | Rom 5:8 | Parable | 42898 | ||
Try to have a top-down perspective on the situation. That is, try to see it from God's perspective. In this way, perhaps you can see that sin is like a disease and your sister is like a patient. Love and truth are the medicine. Be compassionate toward your sister by realizing that on her own, she is doing the best she can do with what she has been given, even if it seems she's not trying very hard. I find that a good way to help others learn to respect God is for them to learn to respect you, a vessel for the Holy Spirit. In all things you do, act so your sister can respect you, then perhaps she will be open to seeing the merits of a right relationship with the Lord. | ||||||
458 | How has God sanctified you? | 1 Thess 4:3 | Parable | 41860 | ||
Thanks for the offer, but I'd rather have just the highlights. Can you sum it up for the 3 ways I mentioned, i.e. your life, outlook and relationships? |
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459 | What does the Bible say about masterbati | 1 Thess 4:3 | Parable | 41781 | ||
I know of no place in the bible that discusses masterbation. The bible does indeed prohibit sexual immorality and identifies several specific acts as such: fornication (a single person having sex with another single person), homosexuality, incest, bestiality and adultery (a married person having sex but not with their spouse or a single person having sex with a married person). By the way, sexual immorality is sin because it is a form of idolatry, i.e. putting something before God. Where the Bible gives specific instruction, we stand firm. Where the Bible is silent, we have freedom to live according to the principles in God's Word. I suggest you consider Jesus' teaching on the contents of our hearts. Jesus taught that murder begins as anger, stealing begins as greed and adultery begins with lust. Most Bible scholars agree that the terms "anger", "greed" and "lust", as understood in biblical cultures and times, are not the kinds of passing thoughts all of us have, but rather they are the obsessive patterns of thinking that are indulged without regard to consequences and reduce others (or their possessions) to objects for base gratification of some fleshly desire, e.g. revenge, coveting or sex. In lust, sexual desire is fed, nurtured and exploited until it becomes grotesque and compelling, leading to sexual immorality. If masturbation involves this kind of thinking, then it is a serious problem, a perversion of God's intent for our sexuality. Also, masturbation can become an addiction like gluttony or drunkenness. Again, a perversion of God's gifts to us. So, masturbation, like many other things, is definitely one way we can fall short of following God's laws. Yet, I believe it is not clear from the Bible that masturbation, in itself, is necessarily sexual immorality. After all, eating is not necessarily gluttony and having a glass of wine is not necessarly drunkenness. I believe the Bible teaches that right actions are important, but the content of your heart is the point. (of course, having a righteous heart does not permit us to commit sexual immorality as defined in the Bible) If masturbation is an addiction, pray that God may release you from this form of slavery. Self control is a gift of the Spirit. If you experience terrible feelings of guilt over masturbation that make you want to turn away from God, pray that He grace you with a more real understanding of His love and forgiveness and guide you in your sexuality. Guilt is a gift that guides us to righteousness. But, guilt, when unchecked and excessive, can be used by the enemy to steal our attention away from God's grace. All of us stumble, and that keeps us humble. Christ gives us the ability to get back on our feet. As we must be compassionate to others, forgiving them, so also must we offer ourselves to God, including all our shortcomings, knowing that He loves us anyway as we strive to become like Jesus. |
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460 | How has God sanctified you? | 1 Thess 4:3 | Parable | 41738 | ||
This is for believers who have been experiencing sanctification by the Holy Spirit. Aside from being made a new creation in Christ, how has sanctification changed your life, your outlook and your relationships with others? |
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