Results 61 - 80 of 532
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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Author: Robert Nicholson Ordered by Date |
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Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
61 | Go to Hell after receiving Holy Spirit? | Rom 10:9 | Robert Nicholson | 74418 | ||
Beva: Please forgive me for interjecting these thoughts. I agree that the moment we believe we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and receive eternal life. In John 3:6 Jesus made it clear that we are born of the Spirit or born from above. "God hath sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts" (2 Cor. 1:21) At that moment we became a new creature in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). The moment we are saved we are baptised by the Holy Spirit into the church which is his body."For by One Spirit are we all baptised into one body..." 1 Cor. 12:13. We notice that what we have received is all a work of God through our Lord Jesus Christ. This change which he makes within our hearts is permananent and we can accept his promise "I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish..." (John 10:28) In John 5:24 the Lord Jesus shows that the new birth is instanious and that all people are divided into 2 groups: Those who have life or those who have not life. Listen to these words: "Truly, Truly, I say unto you, he that heareth my Word and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation (judgment); but is passed from death unto life"(John 5:24) When we rest by faith on the work of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross, a) We pass from death unto life and we are promised that "we shall not come into judgment". The moment we are in Christ we are safe eternally any other conclusion is an insult to the work of Christ. Why then do we get baptized? 1. Because the Lord Jesus commanded it. In Acts2:41 we read "And they that gladly received his word" This means they were saved "were baptised". In other words we are baptized after we are saved as an act of obedience unto Christ. Our water baptism is an outward picture of what has happened within. In Acts 11 Peter discussed what happened as he preached and points out that those who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ were given the Holy Spirit within: "I as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them as on us at the beginning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Forasmuch then as God gave the like gift as he did unto us who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; What was I, that I should withstand God?" (Acts 11: 15-17) The Ethiopian Eunuch is another example of a man who was born again before he was baptized. Consider the order: 1. God was working on the man's heart and asked Philip to go to him in the desert. He could not understand Isaiah 53. Philip began at the same passage to preach unto him Jesus. 2. As they travelled along them came to water. The man asked Philip "What doth hinder me to be baptized? Philip said "If thou believest with all thine heart, thous mayest. And he answered "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God". The man was already born again at this point, obviously Philip had preached that a believer should be baptized after conversion. 3. He and Philip went down into the water and he was baptized. The question you originally asked, could a person be lost should they die, if they were born again, and indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God but were not baptized. The words of Jesus from John 5:24 answer this "Hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation" Robert |
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62 | who were Noah's parents? | Luke 3:36 | Robert Nicholson | 74271 | ||
Greetings Robert: In Luke we read the genealogy of the Lord Jesus tracing back to Adam. As noted in verse 36 we find that Lamech is the father of Noah. Lamech who was the Son of Methuslael took two wives. "And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah." Gen. 4:19 Lamech was 182 years old when Noah was born (Gen 5:28-29 however, I could not find which of the wives were the mother of Noah. I find it interesting at how accurate the timeline of History is in the linkage of the Lord Jesus. Robert Nicholson |
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63 | Is it because we are afraid that the per | 2 John 1:10 | Robert Nicholson | 74260 | ||
Brother EdB: I believe we need to heed warnings which a clear such as 2 John 1:10. At the time this verse was written there was false teaching and the danger that those who were not mature in the faith of being mislead. I believe in this day an even greater danger is there since many are coming up with false gospels and false doctrine which on the surface may appear correct and yet its roots and motives are to undermine the truth of Christ. Robert |
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64 | Questions??? | Matt 27:3 | Robert Nicholson | 74231 | ||
Greetings dabmci: I believe the scriptures would bring us to the conclusion that Judas died unforgiven. Judas made a choice and that choice was to sell the Lord Jesus thinking that silver was more precious than the Son of God. Judas did not appreciate who Jesus was or is, even though he had heard his words and saw his mighty miracles. One would think that such a testimony would have convinced anyone as close as Judas to accept Jesus as the Son of God. In Matthew 26 Jesus says "Woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born." Matt. 26:25 Even at this point Judas asked question "Is it I" somehow thinking that Jesus did not know the choice he had already made. Even with this warning Judas did not change his mind or repent of his deed. He is an example of an apostate, one who has been near the truth, saw evidence of the truth and yet, turned against it. Judas was a privileged man, who in the end kissed the door of heaven and then went into a lost hell. We read in Acts of his suicide, and what the prophets had written of him "For it is written in the book of the Psalms, let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein; and his overseership let another take" Acts 1:20 It was at that time that Matthias was chosen to take the overseership of Judas. Judas is an example of one who knew about Jesus, but turned against him making a choice to betray him which was the ultimate sin of unbelief. Where is Judas? I would ask where are all unbelievers who have turned against the strivings of the Spirit of God in grace and have died in their sins? Peace in his name Robert |
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65 | Help!! | 2 John 1:10 | Robert Nicholson | 74226 | ||
Dear brother Taleb: Excellent thoughts. I agree that if a person is well grounded in the word of God and able to discern between false and sound doctrine that at times when people come to our door spreading what we see as a false message, that we do have an opportunity to present the truth of God's word. In my personal experience I have had the privilege of presenting the gospel to a young JW who has been coming to my door. He claims to have learned much about the scriptures during our discussions. However, each time he returns one can tell that he has been given advice by the older wiser members. In the scriptures we have many warnings to God's people regarding false teachers who can creep in unawares and try to undermine the truth of Christ. In fact as I'm sure you are aware is that the wicked one attacks the person of Christ in such a way that one could be stumbled. Thank God that he has given us his Spirit within. As John writes "Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world". "We are more than conquerers in him" Your brother in Christ Robert |
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66 | Apostles, Prophets? An Office for Today? | 1 Cor 1:1 | Robert Nicholson | 74222 | ||
Greetings Graceful: I have been following this thread with interest. I agree with your last statement that it is the word of God which was given to us through the apostles which is the foundation and that Jesus Christ is the Chief cornerstone of the church. However on the topic of Apostles. In Matt. 10: 2-5 we read: Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed Him. 5 These twelve Jesus sent out..." As we know these were called by the Lord Jesus himself and were sent out by Christ for a specific purpose. These "sent ones" were given power or authority by Christ himself. I find the statement in V. 2 to be very clear. We know however, that Judas Iscariot was numbered with them and yet was lost. In Acts 2:15-26 is explained in detail. It is here that we find Matthias is chosen by lots and is numbered with the eleven apostles. I guess we could ask the question was Matthias an apostle or was he simply numbered with them? Paul describes himself "as one born out of due time" 1 Cor. 15:8 and sees himself as "the least of the apostles..."v.9 Paul was called by the risen Christ. Although his physical eyes were blinded on the road to Damascus Paul tells us "And last of all he was seen of me" (1 Cor. 15:8) Paul had a special calling and was sent out by the Lord. The Lord said "he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my Name's sake" (Acts 9:15-16) You might ask "Why are you discussing this? The reason is that in eternity there will be only 12 apostles. I believe the 12 apostles are those of Matt. 10 with Judas deleted and Paul added. In Revelation 21 we read of a new heaven and a new earth. And descending our of heaven from God is the "great city, the holy Jerusalem" v.10 As we look at this magnificent city the Lord makes special mention of the foundations: "And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb" (Rev. 21:14) I believe that he scripture supports that there are twelve apostles who are unique in their calling and in their commission and that their names will be remembered through all eternity. Peace in his blessed Name. Robert |
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67 | Help!! | 2 John 1:10 | Robert Nicholson | 74208 | ||
Greetings Dabmci One of the greatest commandments is to "Love our neighbor as ourself" I believe that this would include showing kindness to my neighbor who knows not Christ. If my way of life with my family reflects Christ, than we can spread the gospel by inviting him into our house. The verse you may be looking for has to do with those who would come into your house teaching false doctrine. "If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:" (2 John 1:10)KJV In other words if we cannot allow a false teacher to influence our household. In addition, we do not even bid him Goodbye since this shows us having fellowship with "his evil deeds" 2 John 1:11 Hope this helps In Christ Robert |
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68 | Which John in Revelation? | Rev 1:9 | Robert Nicholson | 74140 | ||
Greetings Dat: The seven churches of God in Asia would know the person writing to them. His name is mentioned 4 times and he refers to himself as "a servant of Christ" chp 1:1, "a brother and companion in tribulation chp 1:9 and that he was exiled to the island of Patmos "for the testimony of Jesus Christ" chp. 1:9. It is interesting that the Lord Jesus told his dsiciple John (who became the Apostle John) that after he was gone to heaven he would send his Spirit who would "show you things to come" (John 16:13b) Although the Bible does not tell us clearly that this is indeed John of John's gospel, Church HIstory reveals that the Apostle John was a leader at the church of Ephesus after the death of Paul. As such John exercises pastoral care over the churches of Asia Minor. Several of the early church fathers wrote about John's exile to Patmos by the Roman emperor Domitian about A.D.95 It would appear that God choose to reveal the deep trues of the Son of God in John's Gospel and in his epistles. It would seem reasonable that he would reveal to his servant "The Revelation of Jesus Christ" Rev. 1:1 In Christ Robert |
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69 | WHAT IS THE CENTRAL THEME OF LUKE? | NT general Archive 1 | Robert Nicholson | 74135 | ||
Greetings Godlyman: I believe the theme in all 4 gospels is our Lord Jesus Christ. In each book he is seen from different perspectives. Matt. 1:1 "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham" In this verse we see that Christ is joined to the covenant of Kingship with David and with promise through Abraham. Thus in Matt. we are viewing the Lord Jesus as King. In the Gospel of Mark we have no genealogy since we are seeing the Lord Jesus as the perfect Servant. As the lowly sevant there is no need for genealogy. Mark 10:45 is suggested as the key verse "For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister" In Luke we see that the genealogy of the Lord Jesus is traced back to Adam through his mother. In Luke we see the perfect man as we read of him as the Son of man. "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost" Luke 19:10. Through the eyes of doctor Luke we see things which demonstrate his humanity. In the Gospel we see our Lord Jesus presented as the Eternal Son of God in John 1. There is no genealogy here since he is without beginning or end, he is God manifest in the flesh. "These things are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name" Thus we see Jesus as the King in Matt, the perfect Servant in Mark, the perfect man in Luke and the Son of God in John. Robert |
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70 | Judgement, Sheol, and Hades | Heb 9:27 | Robert Nicholson | 73656 | ||
Greetings John: Welcome to the forum and thank you for your well written comments and questions. I believe the scripture supports that there are several judgments. The Judgment Seat of Christ (1 Cor. 3:13-15)(2 Cor. 5:10) and (Romans 14:10) In the three references the people involved are believers who will be judged according to their work since they have been saved. You have referred to (1 Cor. 3:13) which is discussing spiritual builders in the church. This work will be tested by fire and only the work which abides receives a reward. In looking at the three references we will notice that motives for our work is judged. However, we find that although we suffer loss for work which does not abide we are saved. This judgment has nothing to do with judgment for sin. The people represented here are redeemed and forgiven by the blood of Christ who bore the judgment for our sins upon the cross. It is interesting to note that the believer who dies is referred to as "those who sleep in Jesus" The Judgment of the Living Nations: We know that at the end of the age the Lord Jesus himself is coming in power and glory and will judge those living on the earth that have rejected him and reward those who have been saved during the great tribulation. As promised in Acts 1:11 "this same Jesus which is taken up into heaven shall come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven" The feet of Jesus will rest upon the mount of olives from whence he left. It is at this point he will separate the sheep from the goats or the saved from the unsaved.(Matt. 25:33-46) Those who are saved will go into the millenial kingdom and those who are not saved will be cast into hades to await judgment. The Great White Throne Judgment: This is the final judgment of unbelievers who are dead to God. (Rev. 20:11-15) It is the "dead" small and great who stand before God. It is made clear that no unbeliever can escape this judgment. "The sea gave up the dead, death and hades gave up the dead which were in them."v.13 At this judgment the books are open, each is judged according to their works. The Lamb's book of life is open to show that their name is not written there. "whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire"V.15 (this is the second death) In Luke 16:19-31 Jesus holds back the curtain into hades (place of departed spirits) and shows us two men in life and two men in death. I do not believe this is a parable since Jesus names them as a "certain rich man and a beggar called Lazarus. The rich man in question is conciously suffering, has memory and a sense of his awful state. In contrast Lazarus is in Abraham's bosum a place of comfort. Hades is divided into 2 compartments with a great gulf between which prevents anyone from passing over from one side to the other. You ask why would such lost people be called up to judgment at a later day? I believe this is to show the righteous judgment of God, in that day they will agree that they are getting what they deserve. I think that your observation is correct in that God has revealed more truth regarding those who have died through Christ and through his apostles. I do not believe that the scripture supports soul sleep. The body of the Lord Jesus Christ was placed in Joseph's new tomb. He went to paradise which is the equivelant of Abraham's bosum, a place of comfort. The prophecy of Psalm 16:10 speaks of the soul of the Lord Jesus and the body of the Lord Jesus: "For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell(Sheol); neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption." Paul in his letter to the Corinthians speaks about our physical body as being a temporary or "tent" In other words we are not a body with a soul, but a soul with a body. In (2Cor. 5:8) "...willing to be absent from the body and present with Lord" Paul also writes "For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:" Phil. 1:23) In both cases Paul gives us the sense that we "are present with the Lord" not in a sense of sleep. Finally, in Rev.6:9) we find that "the souls of them that were slain for the word of God"v.9 are crying out to be avenged. There is no hint of soul sleep here. This is a serious subject which many would mock. God is longsuffering, patient and by his Spirit he works with the souls of humans. The sin which separates humans from God for eternity is the disobedience to the gospel of his grace. Peace in his Name Robert |
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71 | Joyfully accepting Jesus but not saved? | Matt 13:20 | Robert Nicholson | 73198 | ||
Piper: The account of Peter at the time of the crucifixtion is touching. What tremendrous pressure he came under. He was the one who was always a man of action and even in Gethsemane he knocked of the ear of the high Priest's servant. He was ready to defend the Lord. The Lord Jesus Christ knew Peter's heart. Peter is the one who proclaimed bodly "Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God". Jesus said, "Blessed art thou, Sinmon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood has not revealled it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven" Matt. 16:17 We find that he is entrusted with the "keys of the kingdom of heaven" v.19 This is fulfilled later when he has the privilege of proclaiming the gospel to the Jew first, to the Sumaritians and to the Gentiles. Jesus also knew the trials Peter would face, he tells him "Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat, But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not..."Luke22:31-32) Imagine to have a promise from Christ himself "I have prayed for thee" As the crowd demonstrate their total rejection and hatred of Christ, Peter follows afar off. Peter tried to warm himself at the worlds fire, but could not blend in. His speech betrayed him and yes he lied and as the Lord predicted he denied him 3 times. Did the Lord give up on him? Never, "When the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. What a look was this, a look which melted Peter's heart and caused him to weep bitterly. After his resurrection the risen Lord ask's Peter this question 3 times "Lovest thou me" and told him to "feed my sheep" To have the confidence and love of the one he once betrayed must have given Peter much joy. Even though he betrayed the Lord, the Lord is faithful to him. Peter preached boldly "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" Acts.4:12 Peter is listed with the greats who gave their all for Christ and yet he is an example of the truth "we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." 2 Cor. 4:7 Peace in his Name Robert |
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72 | Joyfully accepting Jesus but not saved? | Matt 13:20 | Robert Nicholson | 73176 | ||
Brother CDBJ: Your post has brought the following verse to memory. "The harvest is past, the summer is ended and we are not saved! (Jer. 8:20) There is no greater tragedy than to miss the opportunity and to find out in the end "I am not saved". As you have mentioned in one of your posts the great test for our profession is "how does it face up to death?" If God should close his hand upon our breath and call us into eternity, would we be "absent from the body and present with the Lord?" "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts" Psalm 139:23 Robert |
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73 | Simon wanting to buy Holy Spirit Acts 8 | Matt 13:20 | Robert Nicholson | 73172 | ||
Del: I would label your question "Motives for professing to be saved" I believe that some profess to know Christ for selfish reasons. Paul reminds in Phil. 1:15-16 "Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: The one preach Christ of (selfish ambition)not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds" Although we cannot judge a person's motives and the Lord knows those that are his, I known people who have professed to be saved for the following reasons: - to make them acceptable in a romatic relationship. - children at times to please their parents - political gains - false teachers who want to creep in unawares - some have signed a card etc. because they feel a need to belong and yet have not spiritual life. Simon of Acts 8 has caused some debate in the past. It is interesting that the Spirit of God is careful to highlight his past life and his past motives "giving out that himself was some great one"v.9 In fact the people "gave heed from the least to the greatest saying, this man is a great power of God"v.10 God by his grace reached many of these people and they were saved. We then read "Simon himself believed also; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip..."V13 At this point one would wonder what type of repentance did Simon have? On the surface it would appear that he was saved. However, Jesus said "Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?" ( Matt. 7:16) It would apprear from v. 17-18 in Acts 8 that Simon regarded the laying on of hands and the gift of the Holy Ghost as something to be desired. We could speculate that this would be a great extension to his old work and give him prominance and power with the people. As we know he offered money for "this power" v. 19 Peter's answer to him would make us think that Simon had made only an outward profession of faith. "Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money"v.20 "Thou has neither part nor lot in this matter: FOR THY HEART IS NOT RIGHT WITH GOD.V.22 "Thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity"v.23 These characteristics do not reflect the fruit of the Spirit nor the condition of one who has been truly born again. We do not read about Simon repenting. Del, it is so important that we be very sure that we are anchored on the solid rock which is Christ. Many believe about him, others like the women who followed him to the cross weep for him and the devils believe about him and tremble. Thus, believing in him is much more than simply accepting the historical facts or accepting intellectually the purpose of his death. What is the correct motive for wanting to know Christ? First of all we must know within our hearts that we need him, that he is the only one who can save us as we are lost sinners without strength. This is a truth which is revealed to us by the Holy Spirit through God's word. Rom. 3:23 We must desire to know him as Savior and Lord. Again as we ponder on our hopeless condition, the Lord will open our understanding with the light of the glorious gospel. We simply rest "our all" our very being upon Christ and his finished work on the cross. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, (or Jesus as Lord) and shalt believe in thine heart, that God raised him from the dead thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans 10:9-10) We say with the song writer: O glorious hour when God to me A vision gave of Calvary My bonds were snapt, my chains unbound I'm standing on redemption ground. Robert Nicholson |
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74 | Joyfully accepting Jesus but not saved? | Matt 13:20 | Robert Nicholson | 73155 | ||
Greetings Piper: It was not my intention be be confusing in my post. It is also not my intention to be critical of preachers of the gospel. When we preach the gospel of Christ as presented by Paul in 1 Cor.15:3-4 "For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" In Romans 3 we see a picture of all natural humans without God. Paul quotes Psalm 14 "There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God" Rom.3:11 In our natural state without the work of the Spirit of God we would not have any desire to seek God, nor would we be able to understand. Nevertheless, Jesus promised that after he left the Holy Spirit would come into the world and would "repove (convict) the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment" (John 16:8) We can rejoice that there is power in the gospel message Paul writes "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth..." Romans 1:16) Those who preach the gospel sow the message, but it is God who gives the increase. I believe we have to see the gospel from two perspectives to undertand. First, from the lost sinner's view. The gospel is preached to the whosoever will. Sinners are quoted the words of Jesus "Strive to enter in at the straight gate". "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give your rest" From God's view: By his Spirit God speaks to the heart of the unbeliever, he strives with them, he draws them to Christ, he speaks to their hearts of their own sinful and helpless condition, At the point we will allow our will to be broken and acknowledge our need of a Savior, it is at this point that God reveals to us the work of Christ on the cross for our sins. With our will broken we simply rest by faith on the work which Christ has already done and by God's Spirit we are born from above. It is not so much that I accept Christ, but that Christ accepts me just as I am in all my need and sin. Although we may think that we are coming to Christ, the reality we are drawn to him by his Spirit. You mention "To accept Christ into their lives" Christ wants to enter our heart and change our lives. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Cor. 5:17) Christ does not want to be part of our old way of life, he wants to change our hearts and give us a new life in him. I have said to many, "be thankful if God is speaking to your heart and is showing you that you have the need of a savior. "Just as I am without one plea But that thy blood was shed for me And that thou bidst me come to thee O Lamb of God I come, I come. In this song we have the picture of a lost helpless sinner who has been shown the truth that Christ died for his/her sins. God by his Spirit is inviting them to come and rest in this truth. By faith they come and rest their all upon Christ for salvation. My dad was saved at 35 years of age. When he heard the gospel he was convicted of his condition and his need to be forgiven and changed. He listened to the gospel and tried believing, but was not saved. Indeed after a few weeks he decided within himself that he had left it too long and that he was too great a sinner to be forgiven. He thought to himself "I am lost". God did not leave him alone and in the early hours of the day sitting in his room, getting no sleep or rest, he read in the Bible these words " For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly" Rom 5:6 As these words entered his soul he realized that God described his condition in that verse and at that moment as God by his Spirit revealed to him "Christ died for the ungodly" he took this truth personally and rested on Christ. He was a new creature in Christ and lived to prove it until God took him home. My humble opinion is that when we present the gospel we need to use wisdom and avoid trying to make deals with God. We can force a person to make a decision (especially children) by quotting a prayer or signing a card without the work of God by his Spirit. We need to present the good news clearly and invite people to come. Nevertheless, we must remember it is God who does the work. Robert |
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75 | Joyfully accepting Jesus but not saved? | Matt 13:20 | Robert Nicholson | 73039 | ||
The problem with termonology used to describe how to be saved, is that many mistakenly suggest that it is our decision which saves us. The parable of the sower I believe illustrates that the ground must be prepared in order for the seed to take root and bear fruit. So it is with the gospel. The person's heart must be prepared by the Holy Spirit of God before the gospel will take root and bare fruit. An unbeliever can intellectually state that they receive Christ and still remain in their sins. It is not until God in his wonderous grace and mercy works in our heart showing us our sinfulness, our lost condition and need of a Savior. It is at this point that if we are willing to acknowledge our hopeless condition that God by his Spirit shines into our dark heart with the light of the glorious gospel and through faith we are saved by God's grace. It is God who saves through the work of Christ. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God; not of works, lest any should boast" (Eph. 2:8) The scripture teaches "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." ( 2Cor.5:17) |
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76 | diccerence between old test and new test | Heb 8:6 | Robert Nicholson | 72791 | ||
Greetings ladyappleman: This is a great topic, I will give you a few thoughts on it. It has been suggested that the truths in the Old Testament which appear to be concealed, that the same trues are revealed in the New Testament. The events of the Old Testament cover a much greater time than those of the New Testament. It is important to remember that both Testaments are interwoven and would be incomplete seperately. When we consider the Old and New Testaments we find that Jesus Christ is the central figure and the ultimate fulfilment of the scriptures which were written of him. The risen Christ said to his disciples "These are the words which I spoke to you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms (writings) concerning me. In the Old Testament we are shown types, pictures and prophecies concerning the coming Messiah and Savior over a great period of time and in many different ways. The central theme throughout the Old Testament focuses on redemption by blood and is fulfilled in the sacrifice of Christ the lamb of God. Old Testament saints looked forward to the coming promise, they did not see it clearly, but by faith they believed God and died in faith.(Hebrews 11:13) We see here that it is through faith that we come to God whether we are from the Old or New Testament. Christ is the redeemer who died for their sins as well of those of us under the New Testament, who look backward to Calvary by faith. Is the God of the Old Testament different than the God of the New Testament? Some suggest that he is seen as a more loving God in the New Testament compared to the old. God is eternal, he is not subject to time and space. He is Sovereign, in absolute Control, he is Mercy, he is Grace, he is Love, he is Longsuffering, he is Holy, he is Pure, he is Truth, and he is Judge. (I may have missed some) God is infinite in all of his attributes. In the old testament in Gen1:1 "in the beginning God". In the New Testament we read "In the beginning was The Word" In the Old Testament we see his hand in creation, in the New Testament we are reminded of Christ "all things were made by him" In Genesis we see God's desire to communicate with humankind, we see his grace to humans after they became sinners by disobedience. Throughout the Old Testament we see the failure of humans in many ways and God again by his grace provides a way whereby they can be at peace with him. God is righteous and Holy, but sin must be judged. In the Old Testament we see the judgement of those who turned their backs on him and after much longsuffering he brought calamity into their lives. In the New Testament we see his holiness, righteousness and his love at Calvary when he punished his Son on the cross. In the New Testament we are reminded of judgment to come for those who reject Christ. God is still trying to communicate his love to us in these last days in his Son (Heb. 1:2)By his Spirit he deals with the hearts of men, he strives with them and is longsuffering, however, he has showed us by his word that time will end and the opportunity for peace with God will end. Were there specific questions which you had in mind? Peace in his Name Robert |
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77 | The Word of Christ- a Message of Hope | John 5:24 | Robert Nicholson | 72767 | ||
I enjoy the Nasb amplified rendering of these words spoken by our Lord Jesus Christ. "I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, the person whose ears are open to My words [who listens to My message] and believes and trusts in and clings to and relies on Him Who sent Me has (possesses now) eternal life. And he does not come into judgment [does not incur sentence of judgment, will not come under condemnation], but he has already passed over out of death into life." (John 5:24) The assurance we receive from the Savior's words are that: a) We can now possess eternal life when we rest by faith upon Christ. b) We shall not incur the judgment for our sins, in other words we are totally forgiven. c) That we have passed from death unto life. We were spiritually dead to God before he spoke to us. When we rested upon the work of Christ we were born from above by his Spirit and made alive in Christ. "This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief" ( 1 Tim. 1:15) Praise his Name Robert |
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78 | Make the Message Clear and Plain! | Eph 2:8 | Robert Nicholson | 72762 | ||
Make the Message Clear and Plain! "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works lest any should boast" (Eph 2:8) "For by grace" The grace of God is difficult to understand from human perspective. What would he see in me to be willing to provide a way whereby I could be made fit for his presence? Yet by his grace or unmerited favor motivated by his love "he spared not his Son" to the death of the cross. "are ye saved" or "we are saved" Present tense. We are saved not by works of our own, not by some church or religion, but we are saved "through faith" in the work which Christ accomplished and finished on the cross. Faith must have an object and that object is Christ. When a lost sinner is convicted of his/her lost condition by the Spirit of God we realize our helplessness. In our helplessness,God by his grace reveals to us that Christ is the only Savior. When this truth shines into our dark heart we rest by faith on the work of Christ and we are saved. "That not of yourselves; it is the gift of God." Our Lord Jesus Christ paid the debt in full thereby making it possible for God to offer us a free gift of eternal life (Romans 6:23) Those of us who have been saved for many years still confess that what we have been brought into in Christ remains "not of yourselves" and that all we have and are,flow from his love. "Not of Works!" What does this mean? It simply means there is nothing that an unbeliever can do, no matter how good it may seem, can merit favor with God. The gift he wants to give us is free. To try and pay the Giver for a gift is an insult to Christ. "Lest any should boast" If humans were able to somehow attain favor with God through works, there would have been no need for a Savior. Paul could write these wonderous words "...God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,..." Gal. 6:14 "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." (2 Cor. 5:17) "Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift!" Robert |
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79 | Love Him then work for Him | Rev 2:5 | Robert Nicholson | 72318 | ||
Greetings cloud: I agree that christians must guard against becoming distracted with the labor and forget about our "first love". As you have pointed out the people in the church of God at Ephesus were doctrinely correct, the labored to the point of exhaustion, but they had left their first love. Their labor appeared to be motivated by a sense of duty rather than a labor of love. When we were first saved, nothing was to much to ask for the Lord, we wanted to honor him and to please him because of our love and devotion to him. However, after a few years, it is possible to carry on doing things for the Lord because we know we should, rather than acting out of love. You mentioned the "lampstand". The Lord tells us in Rev.1:20 what the lampstand is: "the seven candlesticks (lampstands) which thou sawest are the seven churches". Each local church had a testimony which the Lord will remove if they do not repent of the faults he finds in them. Christ dwells in us by his Spirit and as such we are as lamps in a dark world. We can look at it from the aspect of our personal testimony and from a collective testimony ie. the local church. It is humbling to realize that God in his grace has choosen these earthen vessels to display himself to the world around us. Peace in his most excellent name Robert |
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80 | Jesus taught "absolutes" re- eternity | Luke 13:3 | Robert Nicholson | 72313 | ||
Our Lord Jesus Christ made some statements which are "absolutes" in light of eternity. # 1 "...unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."( Luke 13:3) Jesus was discussing the Galileans who were murdered by Pilate and also eighteen people who were killed when the tower in Siloam fell on them. The question was "were these people greater sinners and as a result died an untimely death" Jesus made it absolutely clear, NO! and then gives this solumn warning: "except you repent you shall likewise perish" What is repentance? Repentance is not simply feeling sorry for our sins. It is a change of mind and will which is brought about from within our hearts as the Spirit of God reveals to us our lost and sinful condition through his word. When I repent, I bow to the God's view of me as "ungodly and without strength" (Romans 5:6) it is at this point I am made aware of my great need of a Savior which is found in Christ alone. These wonderous words say it all "For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." (Romans 5:6) #2 "...Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."(John 3:3) This message to Nicodemus would show to us that in our natural condition we cannot see or enter the kingdom of God. To this man a teacher of the teachers was a humbling statement, since he was a man of integrity and very religious, to find out that unless he is born from above he cannot enter God's kingdom. Nicodemus is confused, but Jesus unfolds the truth to him by discussing old testament events which pictured the coming Saviour and his work on the cross. In John 3:14 Jesus makes this imperative: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up" Why must he be lifted up? "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:15) This does not refer to believing about him, accepting his historicity, but is an act of faith whereby the lost sinner who has repented, rests "his all" upon the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. As a result of placing faith in the finished work of Christ we "have eternal life"v15.(present possession) Jesus summerizes "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath no believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (John 3:18) Is it any wonder that Peter makes this statement? "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) Robert |
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