Amen! John is indeed giving a statement of fact in today's verse of the day (1 John 5:13). In 1 John Chapter 5, we have the doctrine of salvation and John brings together in summary form all that he has talked about in the previous four chapters in order to give assurance to those who believe, but also to give caution to those who think they are saved but they're really not.
John 5:6-13 gives us the correct testimony about Christ. And today's verse gives us proof so that we can know assuredly that we belong to Christ.
Matthew 5:16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
Matthew 7:19 "Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire."
Romans 2:13 "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified."
John 5:29 "And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."
Thanks GiGi. As I read your sentence, "I recall how Jesus spoke to the teachers of the Torah saying that they diligently search it, but fail to realize that it was written about Jesus from start to finish", I believe you were referring to John 5:39, "Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me."
They were diligent in their religious studies, whether in search of the Scriptures that gave them assurance of eternal life, or by doing so, God would have approved & rewarded their hunger to be with Him. But they missed the central thread running throughout the Word about the Giver of salvation and eternal life. Had they searched diligently for the Messiah, alert to the many prophecies about Him and His Coming, they might have learned that the eternal life they searched for was in their Messiah's possession, ready to impart it.
And in despair (as I read it), Jesus spoke to them, "And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life" ( John 5:40). He was right there with them, the fulfilment of the prophecies about Him, and they still refused to believe in Him, thus forgoing the eternal life they longed for. Reminds me of the times when an answer to a problem stares me in the face, but I just don't see it. Though fortunately for some of them, their blinders were lifted off as the penny dropped, embracing the promised Messiah, the Son of God. Thanks for your added thoughts Gigi on what should be our Christocentric understanding of the whole Word of God.
Matthew 5:16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
Matthew 7:19 "Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire."
Romans 2:13 "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified."
John 5:29 "And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."
John 5:24 reads, "Verily, verily, 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; but is passed from death unto life.
If you have eternal life, you have it now!
You have Christ! We have been identified in Christ by baptism of the Holyspirit.
Everlasting life is a new birth and we shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life by the resurrection of Christ!
Just wanted to share these precious scriptures with you as a reminder of the "Mighty God We Serve!"
2As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 3And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 4I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. 5And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. 6I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. 7Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. 8For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
John 14:15
"If ye love me, keep my commandments."
1 John 5:2
"By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments."
John 5:17 - "But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work."
Wesley's Notes for John 5:17
5:17 My Father worketh until now, and I work - From the creation till now he hath been working without intermission. I do likewise. This is the proposition which is explained # John 5:19 |- 30, confirmed and vindicated in # John 5:31 and following verses|.
Hi Someone. I'm replying to here as you have shared more detail of your aspirations to gain knowledge of religious diversity. Though to state, I would agree with GiGi (shared in your other post), that, as a Christian, you would do far better to spend time in the Bible, getting to know what God has to say to you & the world through it; and how to be prepared to face life's problems and Satan's assaults that will come to you, with a real confidence that your faith in a God Who never fails, will overcome the world (1 John 5:4,5).
To aim for what you are seeking to achieve, I doubt can ever be achieved in a life-time; simply because the diversity of religions and their beliefs and practises are too far-reaching. You can get a general outline of their beliefs, as contrasted to what the Bible gives us, or even go deeper in study, but after all is done, one is still left in a state of ignorance, knowing that there is much more to be learned. As well, all our study will only give an academic knowledge, since most religions are deeply rooted into the history, culture, and language of the people, which means that one has to brought up within that culture or residing within it, engaging with the people. Even with Islam that I'm more familiar with, there are so many sects within it, and if you add folk Islam as well, makes for a formidable set of beliefs and practises, that one can only gain a limited amount of knowledge.
I fear that you may become so entrenched in this pursuit, that other areas of life may suffer, especially your higher studies which would be more profitable in settling into a career, while you seek the Lord's guidance for what lies ahead of you. If perhaps you are led to meet with those of another religion in the course of your studies & future involvements, then yes, it would be very worthwhile to learn more from them about their beliefs, their needs, their hopes, etc. And from these friendships, opportunities will arise to share Christ your Hope. GBU.
Romans 3:31"Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law."
2 Corinthians 3:3 "Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart."
John 5:29 "And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."
John 5:14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
1 John 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
Matthew 19:16 "And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?"
Matthew 19:17 "And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."
Brother Jesse has provided Scriptures to consider on this matter. I could offer Scriptures that would debate these points, but that would not answer your questions. This doctrine originated in 325 A.D. and was expanded over the next 150 years or so. You need to pray and study for your own conscience.
The majority support this doctrine, and some believe it is essential to be a Christian. Jesus is our Lord, and He gave His life to pay the penalty for sin so that we, through Him, can be reconciled to God. The wages of sin are death, Romans 6:23. Jesus' death on the cross paid this price.
Jesus had His own will, but was obedient and did the will of the Father, John 14:31, Luke 22:42, John 5:30, John 17:16, John 12:49.
The Chalcedonian Creed A.D. 451 states, "Christ, Son, Lord, only begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, in confusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of nature's being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved." Does Scripture support this?
God alone possesses immortality, 1 Timothy 6:16. Our faith rests on the death and resurrection of Jesus, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, 1 Corinthians 15:12-17. God cannot die. Jesus was tempted in the same ways we are, Hebrews 4:14-16. God cannot be tempted, James 1:13.
The Bible will answer all questions we have if we are ready to receive the answer, Matthew 7:7, James 1:5, with prayer and the guidance of the Holy Spirit-not man.
If your "battle" is with believing that Jesus is God, may I suggest the following scriptures for your consideration:
Genesis 1:1 along with John 1:1-3, Revelation 19:13, Colossians 1:15-17, Matthew 1:23, John 10:30, John 14:9, Mark 2:5-7, John 8:58, John 20:28, Isaiah 9:6, Philippians 2:5-7, Colossians 2:9, 1 Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 1:8, 2 Peter 1:1, Revelation 1:8, John 5:18, 1 John 5:20, Luke 24:52, John 9:38, Acts 10:25-26, Titus 2:13, Hebrews 1:3, Revelation 22:13, Micah 5:2, John 17:5, John 1:14. There are more, but these should suffice.
You mention that "Christians say that there is no separation between Christ and God," and that the bible shows otherwise. Jesus said I and my Father are one, and He also said that if you have seen Me, you have seen the Father. This may not mean anything to you, but in the book of Hebrews, Jesus is described as the APOUGASMA (the out beam) of God's glory, God projecting Himself through the time/space factor in the person of Christ. Jesus Christ, being God, was never separated from the source. This is why Jesus can say if you have seen Me, you have seen the Father.
The best example I can give would be taking a flashlight in a dark room and shining it on a wall. The flashlight is the source, and the light is projected on the wall from the source. There is no separation unless the flashlight is turned off. Now, imagine the flashlight being God, and the light shining on the wall is Jesus, again, no separation. Jesus is said to be the true light which came down from heaven, the APOUGASMA of God.
If you are sincerely struggling with the deity of Jesus Christ (Him being God), I hope these scriptures I've provided might help. Also, if you would like, I can share my personal understanding on Matthew 26:39 and Luke 22:42 and why Christ would ask this.
If I may ask, are you a Christian? If so, who do you say Jesus is?
In considering the end times; where we certainly are headed quickly as I see it-we see that proclamations are made beforehand as to the general state of the "last days" such as attitudes of people in 2 Timothy 3 as well as with the 144,000 and the 2 prophets in Revelation. We also see angels themselves as we get to the time the bowl judgments are about to occur as a final warning.
In reality; of course for an unregenerate person it only seals their fate and increases their judgment once their impenitent hearts are challenged. The lack of love of the truth ( 2 Thessalonians 2:10) allows the world to accept the Daniel 9:27 covenant also known as the covenant with death and hell in Isaiah 28:18 which is deliberately agreed upon despite the obvious ramifications.
People as they do now will hear what they want to hear and disregard the rest. As with the Prophets of old God says He will do nothing without first revealing the matter to the prophets ( Amos 3:7); and we see this process most clearly it seems with Jeremiah but also of course with the warnings in Deuteronomy as to blessings and cursings. Deuteronomy 30:19 says to choose life and live but of course Jeremiah 17:9 shows the human heart is desperately wicked and who can understand it?
Again a repeated concept here that I have mentioned is that the world is aware of what's coming. It is the same sort of idea when Christ came the first time with the Pharisees denying the obvious and committing the unpardonable blasphemy against the Spirit saying that it is evil; and likely the same sort of thing will be heard by the son of perdition and the world at large once judgments start to fall as we see several times during the bowl judgments ( 2 Thessalonians 2:3). He will say "unheard of" things against the Most High ( Daniel 11:36) and will come in his own name yet declare himself to be god (see John 5:43).
We need to be ready to desire seeing the Day of the Lord ( Amos 5:18
Wonderful, you haven't regretted it? and hearing when He calls is good, in my life He called me regularly. Before I couldn't resist anymore. And when I found out how Good He is, I regretted that I didn't come to Him sooner. And coming to the Lord Jesus is like coming home. Saved from a stormy and rebellious sea, and much more. Love u in Christ 1 John 5:1-5 Stay close.
I completely agree with you. One of the major misconceptions today is the true meaning of "grace." From a biblical standpoint, grace is unmerited favor.
The Law of Moses revealed our inadequacy-how despicable, miserable, and sinful our ways truly are. However, it did not provide the power to overcome these sinful tendencies; it merely exposed the problem. No one could perfectly keep the law ( Romans 3:12-20, Galatians 3:19, Romans 7:10). As Scripture says, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God ( Romans 3:22, Galatians 3:20, Romans 7:13-14). Jesus Himself highlighted this when He said, "There is one who accuses you, even Moses, in whom you trust." This referred to the Law of Moses, which the Israelites relied upon, yet it only revealed their inability to live righteously ( John 5:45-46).
Grace came to assist those who were unable to keep the law, enabling them to fulfill it. Grace does not make the law void; rather, it establishes the law by empowering us to obey it. As Paul explained, "the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us who walk according to the Spirit" ( Romans 8:3-4).
This principle is illustrated in the parable of the Good Samaritan. A traveler was wounded by thieves . The priests and Levites-representing the law-saw him but could not help. The Good Samaritan (Jesus), however, freely offered aid-representing grace-healing the man from his wounds, which symbolize sin. We partake in this grace by receiving the Spirit of Christ, which helps to walk according to the Spirit rather than our sinful flesh and desires.
The Holy Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of holiness. One cannot continue in sin and claim to possess the Holy Spirit. Grace delivers us from sin; it does not provide permission to remain in it ( Romans 6:1-2). Paul even warned against this attitude in Romans 3:8, where some falsely claimed that continuing in sin was a way of doing good.
Dear "Siobhan" a word keeps coming to me when people have strayed from the Lord in a way.
John 5:14 So a strong potion of Godly fear is now useful and pray for. So that you stay on the right path. And when impurity comes from the heart. What can we do? Example in Mat 15:19 and in
Mark 7:21 You know why and what happened. We run to Jesus! And you confess your wrongdoing. Then you must praise the Lord, thank and love Him. So don't make up and condemn yourself, what you once received, Jesus will never take back, you are forgiven Jesus says so. He knows your weaknesses, your tender heart, your regrets, and your tears.
We praise Your Holy Name Jesus Christ and pray to You with an open mind, and ask for forgiveness for all the wrongs "Siobhan" has done to You, to his fellow men and to himself. We thank You, Jesus, for Your great mercy and we praise Your Holy Name. Help him and have the right mind, directed towards You and Your salvation Lord God Almighty Father and Creator in Jesus Christ Holy Name, Amen. And teach him to fear You, Almighty, who are a fearsome God, So he will come out in the service that You have intended for him. In Jesus Christ holy name, Amen.
There are those who doesn't think so. They believe that "BELIEVING' is an act of works.
However, throughout scripture it suggests otherwise.
John 5:40 And ye will not COME TO ME, that ye might have life.
John 7:37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him COME UNTO ME, and drink.
HE THAT BELIEVETH ON ME, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
Revelation 22:17. And the Spirit and the bride say, COME. And let him that heareth say, COME. And let HIM THA ATHIRST COME. (AND WHOSOEVER WILL), let him take the water of life freely.
But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
That if thou shalt CONFESS WITH THY MOUTH THE LORD JESUS, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Romans 10:8-9
The invitation also went out to Israel!
BUT THEY HAVENOT ALL OBEYED THE GOSPEL. For Esaias saith, Lord, WHO HATH BELIEVED OUR REPORT?
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. Romans 10:16-18.
It amazes me that some say God is done with Israel because they didn't respond to the call, but they say there is NO response necessary for the Church.
Paul answers that in Romans 11:20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
There is another group that believe that God only gave ears to hear to a few. "the elect" and the rest of those God loves is left to enter everlasting fire. Makes sense?
Factors that bring in deception; no doubt are with music as I talked about before as well as world wide media influences with the internet. I mention humanism a lot because it presents an idyllic future for men if we have the mindset that we are capable of a peaceful coexistence. Surely our past history as mankind should shatter any illusion of that fact; and the most recent well known incident of someone promising 1000 years of glorious reign was Hitler under the Third Reich. Under that scenario there was much influence from mysticism and the concept of the master race; today it is considered through New Age that we are about to "evolve" to a more advanced level-no doubt borrowing the more recent concept of a more spontaneous stage when there are quick evolutionary shifts explaining the fossil record. We also need to pay attention to John 5:43 for this "self made" man who comes in his own name; who is promised in the future with the Antichrist beast that Israel for a time accepts. We see this prophecy indicated in Isaiah 10:20 (not the verse I was looking for but another prophetic reference to this individual).
We can't ignore the framework already in place (Abraham accords) to be what is eventually added on to with many nations and confirmed as Daniel 9:27 states. I won't tackle the issues currently there that are making the area a particular hotbed for controversy but will say that the Lord will purify His people in the Tribulation so that they are truly a righteous nation and justified to inherit all the territory promised to them in the original land covenant. They will not come to the Messiah until near the end of the Tribulation as stated in Zechariah and many other scriptures.
I can't dogmatically state this is or isn't the time of the Rapture (Rosh Hashanah). Perhaps it is; as when He does come there may be some warning to those alert and there are some unique time markers.
Hello Lbooth1955. I'll share some Scriptures that show that a true believer, baptized with the Holy Spirit, has been fully redeemed and adopted into the family of God. He can never be un-adopted, nor will he ever desire to depart from his most Holy Faith - for it is not in him to ever to do so, having been forgiven from the weight of sin having no salvation in any other, than Jesus, the Son of God. Sure, there are also as many Scriptures that purportedly show that a believer can lose his salvation, so the matter comes down to: if a 'believer' can decide to shun Christ and His Salvation, he probably came to Christ under his own desire, without the drawing in of the Holy Spirit and the resulting conviction of sin. Anyone who comes to Jesus without a deep sense of being a filthy despicable sinner deserving of nothing but hell and not fleeing to the Cross for forgiveness, cleansing & redemption, has just been fooling himself and very likely attending Church and reading the Bible for reasons other than a deep love, devotion and commitment to living and serving His Lord. That being said, I submit the following few Scriptures as requested (with notes):
John 3:16: God's Promise to save all who come to Him, assuring them of everlasting life.
John 5:24: The one believing in Jesus has everlasting life, without any condemnation or hell.
John 6:37: God makes no mistakes about whom He gives to His Son, and Jesus promises to never let them go.
John 10:27-29: Christ's sheep always hear His Voice and follow Him. Nothing nor anyone can separate the sheep from the Shepherd. If they stray, the Shepherd will draw them back into the fold, for that is the job of the Shepherd.
Romans 8:38,39: if all these things cannot separate us from God's Love in & through His Son, then what is our strength or ability (or even any inclination) to do the job ourselves? To Page 2.
Matthew 7:19 "Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire."
Romans 2:13 "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified."
John 5:29 "And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."
Romans 11:22 "Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off."
Matthew 19:17 "And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."
Revelation 22:14 "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."
And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. (1 John 5:19).
But godliness with contentment is great gain. ( 1 Timothy 6:6)
This posting is really bearing my soul as it were but necessary medicine.
When we start out life we are utterly dependent on our parents or whoever our caretaker happens to be for food; clothing and shelter. Of course the famous adage is that you never need to train a child to say NO and therefore they need parameters.
As someone gets older; of course they are expected to become more and more independent until eventually they forge a life on their own with their life partner in marriage many times.
This of course can be used as an analogy of the same situation of someone just Born Again; and in others not. God is forever sustaining us and we are ever dependent on His provisions. We are asked to suffer as indeed Christ suffered as a servant. In all this we are UTTERLY dependent on the Holy Spirit. Although He lives inside us as a permanent resident we need to constantly fellowship and pray; today the Pastor discussed the Transfiguration and Christ in prayer immediately before that. Thus we are restored and renewed or you could say refilled in the proper context. I look at it more as our old self trying to assert dominance and we forget who we truly are; again with the caveat that only a truly saved person can do that or even has any joy in it. I can only speak for myself but always recognize the Spirit at work but it amazes me how I seem to be estranged much of the time and sadly often think I'm doing alright when in fact I have drifted away from where I should be. It simply isn't enough to make a formula out of procedures every day reading the Bible; prayer; etc. and in fact it probably does more harm than good if it is disingenuous from some ritualistic routine. I for one have to seek Him more every day before anything else.
It's good to hear from you. Different understandings of this subject may disagree with mine. I'm not sure I can fully answer your questions; others may have more information, but I will share my best understanding. Many believe the great white throne judgment is only for the condemned, but I think there will be both groups, as you mentioned, with the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25. We also have Daniel 12:2, which seems to refer to the same resurrection, and John 5:28-29, where the ones who did good and those who did evil are in the same resurrection.
This second resurrection includes the rest of the dead who were not in the first resurrection, as well as all the people who lived and died during Jesus' 1,000-year reign over the earth. Some also lived before Jesus and after His ascension, who never heard of Jesus or the gospel. But that is not an excuse, Romans 1:18-20.
I believe Romans 2:11-16 is about the judgment of those who have not heard the gospel. You may not agree, but it tells us that everyone has a conscience, referred to as the heart, Proverbs 4:23. Everyone has an awareness of God, which guides us morally in discerning right from wrong. Those of us in Christ who are in the first resurrection have been given the Holy Spirit, which offers us even more guidance, and God and Christ can dwell within us, with our sins covered by the blood of Jesus.
It says everyone will be judged based on what is written in the books, according to their works. This is a book of deeds listing good and bad. It may be the same as the book of remembrance; I'm not sure. I would think the book of the law would be opened, Deuteronomy 30:10-15. Some may say the book of the covenant is the same as the book of the law, and the Book of Life; they may be more, but I'm not sure. Those in this judgment not found in the most important book, the Book of Life, have their part in the Lake of Fire.
John 5:14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
1 John 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
Matthew 19:16 "And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?"
Matthew 19:17 "And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."
Luke 17:20-21 20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
Matthew 11:12
And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
John 14:12-14
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
I have put a framework here; of several scriptures that no doubt are used by Dominionists and others of that persuasion to promote their agenda. What think ye?
Now a full Preterist may use the logic that Christ has already returned; hence this logic seems; well logical. Of course there would literally be no way when Antichrist appears they wouldn't know the difference. That is the main point if anything is here because everyone not written in the Book of Life worships him ( Rev. 13:8). For the Jews; of course in John 5:43 states
"I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive."
And in regard to the wheat and tares: Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. ( Matt. 13:30).
I suspect the spirit of humanism will be revived along with other malevalent influence from the angel Apollyon rising from the pit
( Rev. 9:1-12). The Lord will rule and reign over the nations; and will judge rightly which humanists say they want; but also all the tares are burned.
In walking with God Jesus allows the enemy to gain strongholds on us because of unrepentant sin. This seems like a no brainer and a concept we all should understand but there is much to be learned about the enemy's tactics.
Again; I am absolutely convinced that this is one of the Lord's chief ways of sanctifying us. On one hand we are instructed in general as the woman caught in adultery to "go and sin no more" ( John 8:11). Now this was a case specific LIFESTYLE sin where she came within the brink of death; it reminds us of the man killed who had been a paralytic for decades not to sin anymore lest something "worse" happen to him. ( John 5:14). In this case we see a man healed although we don't know if he was saved; as with many other individuals. For a believer as I stated in an earlier post today an early demise isn't outside of the realm of possibility for us. The idea here is that it is a chastisement; for instance in 1 Corinthians 5:5.
Now we don't know necessarily if someone is a false convert to begin with (a tare) or a believer in Christ. God could take out a tare as well but in general when we see those in lifestyles of sin who likely are tares they don't have any conviction from the Spirit except to avoid being caught and God lets them build up wrath until fully ripe; as it were in their sins. The basic point here is that a TRUE BELIEVER IS God's child; whether making it into heaven with great reward or as through the fire. It is a pathetic thing when the latter happens but often ignored is the idea of spiritual maturity and the loss of those who will forfeit eternal rewards ( Rev. 3:11). What there won't be is any desire to argue with God or those who will rule as kings and priests; at least during the Millennium. Don't get me wrong ALL of us will be ever grateful to be with the Lord but nonethess ( Heb. 11:6) shows we must believe He is a rewarder which implies crowns in heaven.
The risk of discussing this topic and causing irreparable damage to some is something to keep in mind. Nonetheless; the idea of a PLAN of God being predestined is a concept that bridges the gap between many who profess that man has no free will with a sensible response. One of the big things is marriage; the sheer simplicity here is that two people make a vow to each other and God under ordinary circumstances. God in fact is involved whether we choose to invoke His name or not; covenants between people are expected to be followed as we make such agreements of our own volition and since man is created in God's image; again He is involved whether we like it or not; "all souls are mine" ( Ezekiel 18:4) which goes on to say that the soul who sins will die. Whatever the limit is of our freedoms depends on God alone; and of course once we pass from this earth certain things are done; including the marriage and other earthly things that are surpassed by heaven's existence with glorified bodies; etc.
Anyway; God's plan for salvation is still the same way no matter how we determine individual freedoms or the lack thereof.
This cannot be ignored; because evidence for salvation is tied into obedience of His commandments to demonstrate our love for the Lord. 1 John 5:3 states His commandments aren't burdensome or grievous. The only way this can be explained is His free grace and the new covenant He has emphasizing loving God and our neighbor as ourselves. The external law no one can follow perfectly and even less once the thoughts and intentions of the heart are evaluated. But of course we need to demonstrate our faith through works and good fruit associated with our actions and the book of James shows this (even if Calvin didn't like it much).
Also; we can't excuse sin saying we were predestined to do it; or the devil made me do it; etc.
God is angry with the wicked every day ( Psalm 7:11). Test yourself ( 2 Cor. 13:5) if you're His
This question isn't about life after resurrection but about what happens after our bodies die. Many beliefs and ideas exist about what occurs when we die physically. Is there a part of us that is immortal and will never cease to exist? If so, what is the meaning of death? Is death metaphorical?
Some say that when a Christian dies, they are immediately taken to heaven, where they live forever in God's presence. Some believe that when people die, they go to Hades, the realm of the dead, which has two sections: one called paradise or Abraham's bosom for the saved, and another place of torment for the lost.
Some also believe in purgatory, and many other religions believe in an afterlife where the spirit or soul is immortal and never ceases to exist. By saying our spirit or soul is immortal, does that go against the resurrection of the dead?
If, when we die, we go to paradise or a fiery torment, where we have a body and are fully conscious of our surroundings, as in the parable Jesus told in Luke 16:19-31, or Luke 23:43, some interpret that Jesus and the thief were in paradise that same day. This supports the idea that Jesus went into Hades, emptied Paradise, and carried them to heaven.
If that happened, why would He leave David in his tomb? Peter says at Pentecost, 50 days after Jesus resurrected, Acts 2:29, Acts 2:30-35. We see what Jesus said in John 5:25-26, and this happens in Matthew 27:50-53, when Jesus cried out, people came out of their graves and appeared to many. The word resurrection in vs 53 warrants study. In John 5:26-29, this has not happened yet, but they are resurrected from their graves.
"He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal."
John 5:29
"And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."
Matthew 19:17 "And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."
Amen! John is indeed giving a statement of fact in today's verse of the day (1 John 5:13). In 1 John Chapter 5, we have the doctrine of salvation and John brings together in summary form all that he has talked about in the previous four chapters in order to give assurance to those who believe, but also to give caution to those who think they are saved but they're really not.
John 5:6-13 gives us the correct testimony about Christ. And today's verse gives us proof so that we can know assuredly that we belong to Christ.
Blessings to you in Christ!
Matthew 7:19 "Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire."
Romans 2:13 "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified."
John 5:29 "And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."
Blessings
They were diligent in their religious studies, whether in search of the Scriptures that gave them assurance of eternal life, or by doing so, God would have approved & rewarded their hunger to be with Him. But they missed the central thread running throughout the Word about the Giver of salvation and eternal life. Had they searched diligently for the Messiah, alert to the many prophecies about Him and His Coming, they might have learned that the eternal life they searched for was in their Messiah's possession, ready to impart it.
And in despair (as I read it), Jesus spoke to them, "And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life" ( John 5:40). He was right there with them, the fulfilment of the prophecies about Him, and they still refused to believe in Him, thus forgoing the eternal life they longed for. Reminds me of the times when an answer to a problem stares me in the face, but I just don't see it. Though fortunately for some of them, their blinders were lifted off as the penny dropped, embracing the promised Messiah, the Son of God. Thanks for your added thoughts Gigi on what should be our Christocentric understanding of the whole Word of God.
Matthew 5:16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."
Matthew 7:19 "Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire."
Romans 2:13 "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified."
John 5:29 "And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."
Blessings
John 5:24 reads, "Verily, verily, 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; but is passed from death unto life.
If you have eternal life, you have it now!
You have Christ! We have been identified in Christ by baptism of the Holyspirit.
Everlasting life is a new birth and we shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life by the resurrection of Christ!
Blessings Brother!
Just wanted to share these precious scriptures with you as a reminder of the "Mighty God We Serve!"
2As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 3And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 4I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. 5And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. 6I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. 7Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. 8For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
John 14:15
"If ye love me, keep my commandments."
1 John 5:2
"By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments."
Amen! To God be the Glory!
Wesley's Notes for John 5:17
5:17 My Father worketh until now, and I work - From the creation till now he hath been working without intermission. I do likewise. This is the proposition which is explained # John 5:19 |- 30, confirmed and vindicated in # John 5:31 and following verses|.
To aim for what you are seeking to achieve, I doubt can ever be achieved in a life-time; simply because the diversity of religions and their beliefs and practises are too far-reaching. You can get a general outline of their beliefs, as contrasted to what the Bible gives us, or even go deeper in study, but after all is done, one is still left in a state of ignorance, knowing that there is much more to be learned. As well, all our study will only give an academic knowledge, since most religions are deeply rooted into the history, culture, and language of the people, which means that one has to brought up within that culture or residing within it, engaging with the people. Even with Islam that I'm more familiar with, there are so many sects within it, and if you add folk Islam as well, makes for a formidable set of beliefs and practises, that one can only gain a limited amount of knowledge.
I fear that you may become so entrenched in this pursuit, that other areas of life may suffer, especially your higher studies which would be more profitable in settling into a career, while you seek the Lord's guidance for what lies ahead of you. If perhaps you are led to meet with those of another religion in the course of your studies & future involvements, then yes, it would be very worthwhile to learn more from them about their beliefs, their needs, their hopes, etc. And from these friendships, opportunities will arise to share Christ your Hope. GBU.
Romans 3:31"Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law."
2 Corinthians 3:3 "Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart."
John 5:29 "And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."
Blessings
John 5:14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.
1 John 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
Matthew 19:16 "And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?"
Matthew 19:17 "And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."
Blessings
Brother Jesse has provided Scriptures to consider on this matter. I could offer Scriptures that would debate these points, but that would not answer your questions. This doctrine originated in 325 A.D. and was expanded over the next 150 years or so. You need to pray and study for your own conscience.
The majority support this doctrine, and some believe it is essential to be a Christian. Jesus is our Lord, and He gave His life to pay the penalty for sin so that we, through Him, can be reconciled to God. The wages of sin are death, Romans 6:23. Jesus' death on the cross paid this price.
Jesus had His own will, but was obedient and did the will of the Father, John 14:31, Luke 22:42, John 5:30, John 17:16, John 12:49.
The Chalcedonian Creed A.D. 451 states, "Christ, Son, Lord, only begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, in confusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of nature's being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved." Does Scripture support this?
God alone possesses immortality, 1 Timothy 6:16. Our faith rests on the death and resurrection of Jesus, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, 1 Corinthians 15:12-17. God cannot die. Jesus was tempted in the same ways we are, Hebrews 4:14-16. God cannot be tempted, James 1:13.
The Bible will answer all questions we have if we are ready to receive the answer, Matthew 7:7, James 1:5, with prayer and the guidance of the Holy Spirit-not man.
God bless your study,
RLW
If your "battle" is with believing that Jesus is God, may I suggest the following scriptures for your consideration:
Genesis 1:1 along with John 1:1-3, Revelation 19:13, Colossians 1:15-17, Matthew 1:23, John 10:30, John 14:9, Mark 2:5-7, John 8:58, John 20:28, Isaiah 9:6, Philippians 2:5-7, Colossians 2:9, 1 Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 1:8, 2 Peter 1:1, Revelation 1:8, John 5:18, 1 John 5:20, Luke 24:52, John 9:38, Acts 10:25-26, Titus 2:13, Hebrews 1:3, Revelation 22:13, Micah 5:2, John 17:5, John 1:14. There are more, but these should suffice.
You mention that "Christians say that there is no separation between Christ and God," and that the bible shows otherwise. Jesus said I and my Father are one, and He also said that if you have seen Me, you have seen the Father. This may not mean anything to you, but in the book of Hebrews, Jesus is described as the APOUGASMA (the out beam) of God's glory, God projecting Himself through the time/space factor in the person of Christ. Jesus Christ, being God, was never separated from the source. This is why Jesus can say if you have seen Me, you have seen the Father.
The best example I can give would be taking a flashlight in a dark room and shining it on a wall. The flashlight is the source, and the light is projected on the wall from the source. There is no separation unless the flashlight is turned off. Now, imagine the flashlight being God, and the light shining on the wall is Jesus, again, no separation. Jesus is said to be the true light which came down from heaven, the APOUGASMA of God.
If you are sincerely struggling with the deity of Jesus Christ (Him being God), I hope these scriptures I've provided might help. Also, if you would like, I can share my personal understanding on Matthew 26:39 and Luke 22:42 and why Christ would ask this.
If I may ask, are you a Christian? If so, who do you say Jesus is?
In considering the end times; where we certainly are headed quickly as I see it-we see that proclamations are made beforehand as to the general state of the "last days" such as attitudes of people in 2 Timothy 3 as well as with the 144,000 and the 2 prophets in Revelation. We also see angels themselves as we get to the time the bowl judgments are about to occur as a final warning.
In reality; of course for an unregenerate person it only seals their fate and increases their judgment once their impenitent hearts are challenged. The lack of love of the truth ( 2 Thessalonians 2:10) allows the world to accept the Daniel 9:27 covenant also known as the covenant with death and hell in Isaiah 28:18 which is deliberately agreed upon despite the obvious ramifications.
People as they do now will hear what they want to hear and disregard the rest. As with the Prophets of old God says He will do nothing without first revealing the matter to the prophets ( Amos 3:7); and we see this process most clearly it seems with Jeremiah but also of course with the warnings in Deuteronomy as to blessings and cursings. Deuteronomy 30:19 says to choose life and live but of course Jeremiah 17:9 shows the human heart is desperately wicked and who can understand it?
Again a repeated concept here that I have mentioned is that the world is aware of what's coming. It is the same sort of idea when Christ came the first time with the Pharisees denying the obvious and committing the unpardonable blasphemy against the Spirit saying that it is evil; and likely the same sort of thing will be heard by the son of perdition and the world at large once judgments start to fall as we see several times during the bowl judgments ( 2 Thessalonians 2:3). He will say "unheard of" things against the Most High ( Daniel 11:36) and will come in his own name yet declare himself to be god (see John 5:43).
We need to be ready to desire seeing the Day of the Lord ( Amos 5:18
The Law of Moses revealed our inadequacy-how despicable, miserable, and sinful our ways truly are. However, it did not provide the power to overcome these sinful tendencies; it merely exposed the problem. No one could perfectly keep the law ( Romans 3:12-20, Galatians 3:19, Romans 7:10). As Scripture says, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God ( Romans 3:22, Galatians 3:20, Romans 7:13-14). Jesus Himself highlighted this when He said, "There is one who accuses you, even Moses, in whom you trust." This referred to the Law of Moses, which the Israelites relied upon, yet it only revealed their inability to live righteously ( John 5:45-46).
Grace came to assist those who were unable to keep the law, enabling them to fulfill it. Grace does not make the law void; rather, it establishes the law by empowering us to obey it. As Paul explained, "the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us who walk according to the Spirit" ( Romans 8:3-4).
This principle is illustrated in the parable of the Good Samaritan. A traveler was wounded by thieves . The priests and Levites-representing the law-saw him but could not help. The Good Samaritan (Jesus), however, freely offered aid-representing grace-healing the man from his wounds, which symbolize sin. We partake in this grace by receiving the Spirit of Christ, which helps to walk according to the Spirit rather than our sinful flesh and desires.
The Holy Spirit of Christ is the Spirit of holiness. One cannot continue in sin and claim to possess the Holy Spirit. Grace delivers us from sin; it does not provide permission to remain in it ( Romans 6:1-2). Paul even warned against this attitude in Romans 3:8, where some falsely claimed that continuing in sin was a way of doing good.
John 5:14 So a strong potion of Godly fear is now useful and pray for. So that you stay on the right path. And when impurity comes from the heart. What can we do? Example in Mat 15:19 and in
Mark 7:21 You know why and what happened. We run to Jesus! And you confess your wrongdoing. Then you must praise the Lord, thank and love Him. So don't make up and condemn yourself, what you once received, Jesus will never take back, you are forgiven Jesus says so. He knows your weaknesses, your tender heart, your regrets, and your tears.
We praise Your Holy Name Jesus Christ and pray to You with an open mind, and ask for forgiveness for all the wrongs "Siobhan" has done to You, to his fellow men and to himself. We thank You, Jesus, for Your great mercy and we praise Your Holy Name. Help him and have the right mind, directed towards You and Your salvation Lord God Almighty Father and Creator in Jesus Christ Holy Name, Amen. And teach him to fear You, Almighty, who are a fearsome God, So he will come out in the service that You have intended for him. In Jesus Christ holy name, Amen.
Love u in Christ Jesus.
Part 1
There are those who doesn't think so. They believe that "BELIEVING' is an act of works.
However, throughout scripture it suggests otherwise.
John 5:40 And ye will not COME TO ME, that ye might have life.
John 7:37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him COME UNTO ME, and drink.
HE THAT BELIEVETH ON ME, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.
Revelation 22:17. And the Spirit and the bride say, COME. And let him that heareth say, COME. And let HIM THA ATHIRST COME. (AND WHOSOEVER WILL), let him take the water of life freely.
But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
That if thou shalt CONFESS WITH THY MOUTH THE LORD JESUS, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Romans 10:8-9
The invitation also went out to Israel!
BUT THEY HAVENOT ALL OBEYED THE GOSPEL. For Esaias saith, Lord, WHO HATH BELIEVED OUR REPORT?
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. Romans 10:16-18.
It amazes me that some say God is done with Israel because they didn't respond to the call, but they say there is NO response necessary for the Church.
Paul answers that in Romans 11:20 Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:
There is another group that believe that God only gave ears to hear to a few. "the elect" and the rest of those God loves is left to enter everlasting fire. Makes sense?
See part 2.
Factors that bring in deception; no doubt are with music as I talked about before as well as world wide media influences with the internet. I mention humanism a lot because it presents an idyllic future for men if we have the mindset that we are capable of a peaceful coexistence. Surely our past history as mankind should shatter any illusion of that fact; and the most recent well known incident of someone promising 1000 years of glorious reign was Hitler under the Third Reich. Under that scenario there was much influence from mysticism and the concept of the master race; today it is considered through New Age that we are about to "evolve" to a more advanced level-no doubt borrowing the more recent concept of a more spontaneous stage when there are quick evolutionary shifts explaining the fossil record. We also need to pay attention to John 5:43 for this "self made" man who comes in his own name; who is promised in the future with the Antichrist beast that Israel for a time accepts. We see this prophecy indicated in Isaiah 10:20 (not the verse I was looking for but another prophetic reference to this individual).
We can't ignore the framework already in place (Abraham accords) to be what is eventually added on to with many nations and confirmed as Daniel 9:27 states. I won't tackle the issues currently there that are making the area a particular hotbed for controversy but will say that the Lord will purify His people in the Tribulation so that they are truly a righteous nation and justified to inherit all the territory promised to them in the original land covenant. They will not come to the Messiah until near the end of the Tribulation as stated in Zechariah and many other scriptures.
I can't dogmatically state this is or isn't the time of the Rapture (Rosh Hashanah). Perhaps it is; as when He does come there may be some warning to those alert and there are some unique time markers.
John 3:16: God's Promise to save all who come to Him, assuring them of everlasting life.
John 5:24: The one believing in Jesus has everlasting life, without any condemnation or hell.
John 6:37: God makes no mistakes about whom He gives to His Son, and Jesus promises to never let them go.
John 10:27-29: Christ's sheep always hear His Voice and follow Him. Nothing nor anyone can separate the sheep from the Shepherd. If they stray, the Shepherd will draw them back into the fold, for that is the job of the Shepherd.
Romans 8:38,39: if all these things cannot separate us from God's Love in & through His Son, then what is our strength or ability (or even any inclination) to do the job ourselves? To Page 2.
Romans 2:13 "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified."
John 5:29 "And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."
Romans 11:22 "Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off."
Matthew 19:17 "And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."
Revelation 22:14 "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."
Blessings
And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness. (1 John 5:19).
But godliness with contentment is great gain. ( 1 Timothy 6:6)
This posting is really bearing my soul as it were but necessary medicine.
When we start out life we are utterly dependent on our parents or whoever our caretaker happens to be for food; clothing and shelter. Of course the famous adage is that you never need to train a child to say NO and therefore they need parameters.
As someone gets older; of course they are expected to become more and more independent until eventually they forge a life on their own with their life partner in marriage many times.
This of course can be used as an analogy of the same situation of someone just Born Again; and in others not. God is forever sustaining us and we are ever dependent on His provisions. We are asked to suffer as indeed Christ suffered as a servant. In all this we are UTTERLY dependent on the Holy Spirit. Although He lives inside us as a permanent resident we need to constantly fellowship and pray; today the Pastor discussed the Transfiguration and Christ in prayer immediately before that. Thus we are restored and renewed or you could say refilled in the proper context. I look at it more as our old self trying to assert dominance and we forget who we truly are; again with the caveat that only a truly saved person can do that or even has any joy in it. I can only speak for myself but always recognize the Spirit at work but it amazes me how I seem to be estranged much of the time and sadly often think I'm doing alright when in fact I have drifted away from where I should be. It simply isn't enough to make a formula out of procedures every day reading the Bible; prayer; etc. and in fact it probably does more harm than good if it is disingenuous from some ritualistic routine. I for one have to seek Him more every day before anything else.
God bless.
Later.
RHP
Sorry for the delayed reply.
It's good to hear from you. Different understandings of this subject may disagree with mine. I'm not sure I can fully answer your questions; others may have more information, but I will share my best understanding. Many believe the great white throne judgment is only for the condemned, but I think there will be both groups, as you mentioned, with the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25. We also have Daniel 12:2, which seems to refer to the same resurrection, and John 5:28-29, where the ones who did good and those who did evil are in the same resurrection.
This second resurrection includes the rest of the dead who were not in the first resurrection, as well as all the people who lived and died during Jesus' 1,000-year reign over the earth. Some also lived before Jesus and after His ascension, who never heard of Jesus or the gospel. But that is not an excuse, Romans 1:18-20.
I believe Romans 2:11-16 is about the judgment of those who have not heard the gospel. You may not agree, but it tells us that everyone has a conscience, referred to as the heart, Proverbs 4:23. Everyone has an awareness of God, which guides us morally in discerning right from wrong. Those of us in Christ who are in the first resurrection have been given the Holy Spirit, which offers us even more guidance, and God and Christ can dwell within us, with our sins covered by the blood of Jesus.
It says everyone will be judged based on what is written in the books, according to their works. This is a book of deeds listing good and bad. It may be the same as the book of remembrance; I'm not sure. I would think the book of the law would be opened, Deuteronomy 30:10-15. Some may say the book of the covenant is the same as the book of the law, and the Book of Life; they may be more, but I'm not sure. Those in this judgment not found in the most important book, the Book of Life, have their part in the Lake of Fire.
God bless,
RLW
1 John 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
Matthew 19:16 "And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?"
Matthew 19:17 "And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."
Blessings
Luke 17:20-21 20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
Matthew 11:12
And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.
John 14:12-14
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
I have put a framework here; of several scriptures that no doubt are used by Dominionists and others of that persuasion to promote their agenda. What think ye?
Now a full Preterist may use the logic that Christ has already returned; hence this logic seems; well logical. Of course there would literally be no way when Antichrist appears they wouldn't know the difference. That is the main point if anything is here because everyone not written in the Book of Life worships him ( Rev. 13:8). For the Jews; of course in John 5:43 states
"I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive."
And in regard to the wheat and tares: Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn. ( Matt. 13:30).
I suspect the spirit of humanism will be revived along with other malevalent influence from the angel Apollyon rising from the pit
( Rev. 9:1-12). The Lord will rule and reign over the nations; and will judge rightly which humanists say they want; but also all the tares are burned.
In walking with God Jesus allows the enemy to gain strongholds on us because of unrepentant sin. This seems like a no brainer and a concept we all should understand but there is much to be learned about the enemy's tactics.
Again; I am absolutely convinced that this is one of the Lord's chief ways of sanctifying us. On one hand we are instructed in general as the woman caught in adultery to "go and sin no more" ( John 8:11). Now this was a case specific LIFESTYLE sin where she came within the brink of death; it reminds us of the man killed who had been a paralytic for decades not to sin anymore lest something "worse" happen to him. ( John 5:14). In this case we see a man healed although we don't know if he was saved; as with many other individuals. For a believer as I stated in an earlier post today an early demise isn't outside of the realm of possibility for us. The idea here is that it is a chastisement; for instance in 1 Corinthians 5:5.
Now we don't know necessarily if someone is a false convert to begin with (a tare) or a believer in Christ. God could take out a tare as well but in general when we see those in lifestyles of sin who likely are tares they don't have any conviction from the Spirit except to avoid being caught and God lets them build up wrath until fully ripe; as it were in their sins. The basic point here is that a TRUE BELIEVER IS God's child; whether making it into heaven with great reward or as through the fire. It is a pathetic thing when the latter happens but often ignored is the idea of spiritual maturity and the loss of those who will forfeit eternal rewards ( Rev. 3:11). What there won't be is any desire to argue with God or those who will rule as kings and priests; at least during the Millennium. Don't get me wrong ALL of us will be ever grateful to be with the Lord but nonethess ( Heb. 11:6) shows we must believe He is a rewarder which implies crowns in heaven.
1 John 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
Matthew 19:16
"And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?"
Matthew 19:17
"And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."
Blessings
The risk of discussing this topic and causing irreparable damage to some is something to keep in mind. Nonetheless; the idea of a PLAN of God being predestined is a concept that bridges the gap between many who profess that man has no free will with a sensible response. One of the big things is marriage; the sheer simplicity here is that two people make a vow to each other and God under ordinary circumstances. God in fact is involved whether we choose to invoke His name or not; covenants between people are expected to be followed as we make such agreements of our own volition and since man is created in God's image; again He is involved whether we like it or not; "all souls are mine" ( Ezekiel 18:4) which goes on to say that the soul who sins will die. Whatever the limit is of our freedoms depends on God alone; and of course once we pass from this earth certain things are done; including the marriage and other earthly things that are surpassed by heaven's existence with glorified bodies; etc.
Anyway; God's plan for salvation is still the same way no matter how we determine individual freedoms or the lack thereof.
This cannot be ignored; because evidence for salvation is tied into obedience of His commandments to demonstrate our love for the Lord. 1 John 5:3 states His commandments aren't burdensome or grievous. The only way this can be explained is His free grace and the new covenant He has emphasizing loving God and our neighbor as ourselves. The external law no one can follow perfectly and even less once the thoughts and intentions of the heart are evaluated. But of course we need to demonstrate our faith through works and good fruit associated with our actions and the book of James shows this (even if Calvin didn't like it much).
Also; we can't excuse sin saying we were predestined to do it; or the devil made me do it; etc.
God is angry with the wicked every day ( Psalm 7:11). Test yourself ( 2 Cor. 13:5) if you're His
"Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee."
Blessings
This question isn't about life after resurrection but about what happens after our bodies die. Many beliefs and ideas exist about what occurs when we die physically. Is there a part of us that is immortal and will never cease to exist? If so, what is the meaning of death? Is death metaphorical?
Some say that when a Christian dies, they are immediately taken to heaven, where they live forever in God's presence. Some believe that when people die, they go to Hades, the realm of the dead, which has two sections: one called paradise or Abraham's bosom for the saved, and another place of torment for the lost.
Some also believe in purgatory, and many other religions believe in an afterlife where the spirit or soul is immortal and never ceases to exist. By saying our spirit or soul is immortal, does that go against the resurrection of the dead?
If, when we die, we go to paradise or a fiery torment, where we have a body and are fully conscious of our surroundings, as in the parable Jesus told in Luke 16:19-31, or Luke 23:43, some interpret that Jesus and the thief were in paradise that same day. This supports the idea that Jesus went into Hades, emptied Paradise, and carried them to heaven.
If that happened, why would He leave David in his tomb? Peter says at Pentecost, 50 days after Jesus resurrected, Acts 2:29, Acts 2:30-35. We see what Jesus said in John 5:25-26, and this happens in Matthew 27:50-53, when Jesus cried out, people came out of their graves and appeared to many. The word resurrection in vs 53 warrants study. In John 5:26-29, this has not happened yet, but they are resurrected from their graves.
1 Corinthians 15:52-55.
Just a few thoughts.
God bless,
RLW
"He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal."
John 5:29
"And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."
Matthew 19:17 "And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments."
Blessings