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NASB | Acts 8:13 Even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip, and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Acts 8:13 Even Simon believed [Philip's message of salvation]; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip, and as he watched the attesting signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed. |
Subject: How do I make sense of the context? |
Bible Note: You wrote: "Actually, you need to make up your mind. No offense, but it sounds like on the one hand you say Jesus' sacrifice was only for those sins commited BEFORE His death on the cross." Please point out where I ever used the word "only." You wrote: "I DO believe that His death is for ALL SINS, for ALL TIME." And what do you mean by saying this? Did his death accomplish the forgiveness of the Christian's sins or not? Your next sentence seems to answer that question with a "no." So if Jesus' death does not result in the forgiveness of ALL my sins, what do you mean when you say He died for ALL SINS for ALL TIME? "But only our PAST sins (the ones we have repented of) are forgiven." Yes, you keep saying that without addressing what I have cited from Scripture. And what you are saying is that the work of Christ requires my repentance for it to be effective. In other words, what ultimately saves me is not what Jesus did, but what I do. He pitches in, but I am a co-savior along with Him? You wrote: "Sins we have not laid down at Jesus' cross are not forgiven." Scriptural support for this...? "Even though the opportunity for forgiveness is given through Jesus." So all Jesus' death did was make an OPPORTUNITY for forgiveness? That is a lot weaker than the position of the Bible: "Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him." --Romans 5:9 "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace" --Ephesians 1:7 What does redemption mean? All of this is an act on God's part, not ours. And we already have forgiveness of our tresspasses as well, according to the riches of God's grace, not according to our repentence. And again, a verse which you haven't addressed as yet: "For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." --Colossians 1:13-14 Again we see the redemption, the forgiveness of ains (no mention of only "past sins"). Paul goes further here by emphasizing that we have been transferred by God Himself from one kingdom to another. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." --1 Peter 1:3-5 Who caused us to be born again? Me and my repentance or God in his mercy? Note that He didn't just make it possible; he CAUSED it. You wrote: 'Yes, I believe that I am saved by Jesus' obedience and death on the cross. I also believe that I must join hands with Him to "work out my own salvation..."' These two statements are a direct contradiction. If Christ's work completely saves us, then our work does not. If my work saves me in any way, I have reason to boast. See Isaiah 64:6 to see how God views the work of sinful man, and Romans 4:4-5 to see the reason that our work contributes nothing to our own salvation. Incidentally, Philippians 2:12 does indeed tell us to "work out" our own salvation, and not "work for" it. And read the verse that follows it to show that God is already working and active in that individual to accomplish that very purpose. Are you suggesting that we finite human beings really stand in God's way of getting what He wants? "It is a conjuction of Jesus' actions with my own actions that saves me." So Jesus, the Very God of very God, isn't a Savior unless we let Him be one? What powerful creations we humans are! The gospel is NOT a group effort between God and man. "This is what Rom. 8 means. Once we make our own commitment to follow Jesus, no one can seperate us from God." Where is our commitment in Romans 8:28-30 as far as our justification goes? It seems that God is the one who set things up for the Christian long before we even existed. And since "no one" can separate us, does that "no one" include you? If not, please show me from Scripture why not. --Joe! |