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NASB | Mark 16:16 "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Mark 16:16 "He who has believed [in Me] and has been baptized will be saved [from the penalty of God's wrath and judgment]; but he who has not believed will be condemned. |
Bible Question:
If God gave us brains, why wouldn't he want us to use them? Let me explain... assume that He really did give us our brains and the power to think. Why would He punish us ("be condemned") for not following the crowd (Christians) and thinking for ourselves? A thinking person does not blindly believe, lets take me for example (Yes I'm full of myself). I have heard the Gospel and I am as of yet a disbeliever, because there is so much do doubt about every religion that I've heard about, and NO proof? Anyone who know's the answer PLEASE tell me, rjohnson@mailbird.net . |
Bible Answer: Dear RJ, You ask,"Why would He punish us ("be condemned") for not following the crowd (Christians) and thinking for ourselves?" I must say that I have never read in the Bible where it says you will be punished for thinking for yourself but I have read where thinking too highly of yourself or in other words being full of yourself can be seen as self conceit. Envy, whether of self or another, obscures everything around us. When one looks outward and focuses on others more than oneself what do you think will happen? Did you know the Bible calls the devil, the god of this world? In the following verse satan is being called the god of this world as follows, 2 Cor 4:4 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. KJV The Greek word that is used for the word "blinded" in the above verse is tuphloo which is from tuphlos which is from tuphoo which means, NT:5187 tuphoo (toof-o'-o); from a derivative of NT:5188; to envelop with smoke, i.e. (figuratively) to inflate with self-conceit: KJV - high-minded, be lifted up with pride, be proud. By reading the words above we can come to the understanding that the devil is being allowed to blind us with our own self conceit. Why is this allowed? All understanding is in a letter written to you from your Father that created you it's called the Bible. Within the Bible there is a book called Romans. In the book of Romans in the eleventh chapter please read the following, Rom 11:25-32 25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. 26 And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28 As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. 29 For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. 30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: 31 Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. 32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. KJV I have mercy for your unbelief within the faith and hope that one day you will seek the truth for yourself in the letter written to you from your Father. He always gives us a way out because He is forgiving, merciful and longsuffering towards the returning children who seek understanding and guidance according to His will. Be a follower of God and not men. There are no wrong questions if one searches for the truth with all their heart and soul. But if man chooses to listen to man instead of the One that created man then let it be known that man made his own choice and is responsible for his own shame. Bless you, Love Fountain 2 Thess 2:10-12 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. KJV |