I wanted to also say that I was just introducing the idea that I was being open to others who wanted to pray about the world events in general; especially of course those in the countries most effected who may be on this site.
I also sense there is more and more bickering over sensitive topics that seems to be fomented by the enemy to steal our joy.
Some of that of course is inevitable in holding to scriptural doctrinal truths as best we understand it.
I don't want to just dump out ideas to point to myself but perhaps that is what people are indicating to me. Maybe I have to reassess if I have drifted in that direction. Hopefully some personal but anonymous details of the interactions and stories I have from my own personal experience and those in my churches that I have attended and Christian friends has helped somebody.
We are limited here ourselves with anonymity.
Things are accelerating rapidly. He is in control until the end of the Age. It seems prudent at this point to look at the approaching Tribulation and spend most of the time on this site delineating between the truth and the lies which are seemingly harder daily to differentiate. I won't elaborate here but there is increasing prophecies that seem to be coming to pass where the "Prophet" is assuming an individual is saved or going to be saved when it is clear that hasn't happened. We need to believe clearly the Word where it says that everyone eventually is going to worship the Beast whose name isn't written in the Book of Life. That is why I feel it is so important to bring home the importance of knowing we are hearing from the Holy Spirit and testing ourselves to see if we are in the faith.
I appreciate being given a platform here; and leave to others whatever they conclude. I can only say that I won't add anything to whatever I sense the Lord has shown me; and always want to back things up with scripture
Jesus was not two Persons, a human Person and a Divine Person, or just a human Person. The Person of Jesus is only the Divine Son who has two natures, a mortal human nature who was created at the conception (incarnation) and an eternal divine nature that always existed intrinsically in the one unified Being of God as the Son of the Father.
The Incarnated Divine Son of God was named Jesus (Savior) Since He was God in human flesh, He could not sin, because the divine Personhood of Jesus could never sin and the human nature of Jesus was always subject to His Divine Nature.
Jesus lived the perfect human life that no other human could ever live. As God, He could do this. Not event he angels could do this because they are a created entity whose holiness and lack of sin is maintained by God as God's choice, but He did not keep all of the angels from sin, so it is always a biblical fact that angels are made capable of sinning. Jesus, as God was never capable of sinning. This is called Impeccability in theological terms.
If one merely human person could live a human life, he would be acceptable to God for being sinless and holy, but such a person could not make any other human acceptable to God. Only the righteousness of a sinless divine Person who lived a perfect human life as God incarnate could make any and all human persons acceptable to God by His sinlessness, sacrificial death, victorious resurrection accomplished by the power of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and His glorification as God and Man forever to be the righteousness of all who believe and trust Him as our Mediator and God's Mediator, reconciled the elect to the one Being of God.
I have read the two comments so far; and will take into advisement a short leave from this site to reevaluate whether my comments are at this point bringing discouragement to others in admitted struggles that I mentioned today. If my lack of maturity is too transparent or overpowering any edifying things then I guess I have to leave it to those more mature in their walk to be an encouragement to others. There are a couple things I wanted to make clear however.
First; I wasn't trying to give some sort of game plan to get through the Tribulation; just was attempting to foresee the evil that is to come as Proverbs 27:12 states which is ahead before the Rapture; if we hold to a PreTrib mentality. As to the subject of self defense or not; I would ask people to look realistically at scripture rather than having a one size fits all concept. ( Luke 22:36 as one example). If we must die as martyrs we must rely on the Spirit. I truly look up to those who are sold out enough that they are prepared to die at any time in their boldness witnessing; perhaps sharing what is inherent to all men who allow their old nature to rise up isn't helpful. I will once again appeal to the scriptures as Christ did with Peter in Matthew 26:33-34.
We also face an array of unknown variables. Just tonight there is news not necessarily in mainstream of 12 major ships of ours in the Mediterranean; as well as the largest oil refinery in Russia ablaze. When surprises happen I hope that most on this site at least are prepared; in the church at large I am doubtful.
I did stray from heavy scriptural references as I occasionally do on a topic. I have been blessed with being able to get into most subject matters that have been on my heart for decades in the last couple of years here. Perhaps I need to consider ending these posts permanently; but as with anything I don't like being hasty.
no mere human being ever could live a perfectly sinless life because every mere human being is corrupted by sin by their innate sinful nature that is present in them at conception. They are sinful before they are born. Even if a mere human being had the fullness of the Holy Spirit indwelling them, they would still not be able to live a sinless life because of this same biblical truth.
Jesus was not a mere human being, but God in the flesh: Emmanuel-God with us. Col. 2:9 says that the fullness of the Godhead whether referring to; the three persons of the one Being or the Divine Nature, or the one Divine Being; or all) Jesus was the divine Godhead revealed to mankind in the divine Person of Jesus in the Incarnation when the Divine Son became a human with a body and nature, but not with sinful nature. John 1:14; Hebrews 2L14; 4:15)
Jesus is the eternal divine Son of the Father in the intimate union of the Triunity of the Persons of the Godhead. Even when He was incarnated, He remained the God, since the essence and Being of God is shared equally and fully by all three Persons because all three are called God in Scripture, as I noted in my posts on God Is Spirit AND God is Son and Savior.
Phil 2:6 speaks that Jesus exists as God, but affirmed that His equality with God was not something He grasped from God or acquired and that it cannot happen in any way since God said that there has never been any other God formed before Him, or will there by after Him, nor at any time. Jesus was eternally God with the Father and Holy Spirit. But He humbled Himself to become a man so that He could carry out His work in the everlasting covenant between the Godhead that was determined before anything was created. He was not created, ever, as a created entity nor as a divine Person. In the incarnation, the Father created a human nature and body for the Divine Person, God the Son, and caused this Divine Son to be conceived in Mary and develop as a human.
If it were possible for a human being to live a sinless life just by having the Spirit indwelling in them (even without measure) then there would be no need for Jesus'sacrifice on the cross. God would just have filled us with His Spirit and everything would be OK. He could have done that from the very beginning, with Adam and Eve. Why sent Jesus on earth?
Thank you for your response Shantel. From it, I will just pull out one statement of yours that seems more applicable to the questions I asked. And that is, " Philippians 2:6: Who being in the FORM of God, thought it not robbery to be EQUAL with God.
Christ is not THE ONE GOD, but by INHERITANCE, is EQUAL with his Father, the one God."
I understand that Christ is not the Father (He is the Son of God), for there is only One God. But you state that it is by "Inheritance" that Jesus that holds 'Equality' with His Father God. If that was so, then it applies to His State while on Earth, doing the Will of His Father. What about His Life before His coming to Earth? For that is what this Scripture is pointing us to: Jesus' Form as He appeared to men and to His Equality as pertaining to His Father. Obviously, the word 'Form' can't describe His physical appearance, for how can anyone describe God's Form, rather to His Essence in Being & the Splendor, Holiness & Power He brings. Even though all this was evident in Jesus' Life, His Equality with God (i.e. His 'sameness' in Glory, Majesty, & Power) was something He had to put aside ("taking upon him the form of a servant") so that He could fulfil God's Will in Life & Death. He could not put aside something He did not have. Jesus, through His Humanity veiled His 'God-form' to clothe Himself with 'Man-form'.
So, my focus has been on Who Jesus really is when He came to Earth. Was He just a fresh/new creation of God to be sacrificed for mankind, or did He come forth from the Essence of God, as God, laying aside that Glory & Honor, to be made flesh, taking on the physical limited state of man so as to perform God's Loving Purposes for us? God could have easily 'snapped His Fingers' (as it were) & created a man to be sacrificed. But it is quite another thing when God's Love for us meant that He came Himself, in His Son, to lay down His Life for us. For only such a Sacrifice would be fully pay for our sins & redeem us to God. GBU.
"God is a Spirit , the "Me" is the Spirit of God , God's Holy Spirit , which Christ , the chosen vessel , was filled with without measure.
End quote.
Yes, God is a Spirit and yes Christ was filled with without measure.
The "Me" we are referring to in Malachi 3:1 is interacting and answering a specific question in the previous verse.
Malachi 2:17.
"Where is the "ELOHIM" of judgment?
That question is answered in the next verse, Malachi 3:1
"Behold, I WILL SEND MY MESSENGER, AND HE SHALL PREPARE THE WAY BEFORE "ME": and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to "HIS" temple,
So yes, you have the triune God represented in the usage of the name Elohim here.
And Jesus represented the fulfillment of this in his 1st coming and will again "with completion in his 2nd coming.
As for God being a spirit, that doesn't limit God! He can do "Anything." The scripture says that and I can believe that without comprehending it. He can certainly manifest himself in the flesh as scripture says " 1 Timothy 3:16. God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
With God's ability to do anything and be anything.
If we take what the scripture plainly and literally says,
I wouldn't dare question it concerning this.
And I certainly wouldn't rob Christ of his Glory and apply it to Angels in the usage of the name Elohim.
And, as I stated it is to learn and understand about you and your views that I ask. We have discussed this topic before in how we disagree in some aspects. I do not wish to do that again. Only understand more why you say things as you do on topics being discussed here. Looking forward to your answers and learning more about you.
I kind of thought this would be your reply. Please know I respect your choice here. Yet in doing so, you will probably be misunderstood on this forum by many others. And that saddens me. I anticipate that others will continue to ask you to clarify your comments. Even though you say what you post is very clearly stated, it often is not. You may know in your mind what you mean, but the way you express it on here does not convey a clear meaning. I am not trying to criticize you, but only say that communicating to others is important. And in doing so, most people would want to do so in a clear and coherent way so others can follow our meaning and how we support it. Whatever you choose to do here is your freedom as it is mine to share in my way. So, be blessed and do not take offense of me here as I do not take offense at your reply that I am replying to.
These other things would be God, not the God of Scripture.
With the doctrine of simplicity, His immutability is one aspect of His divine simplicity. James 1:17 speaks of this when he says that in God there is no shadow of turning. This means that there is no changing in Him and no variation or alteration or degree or greater or lesser of anything of His Being. This tells us that God is not made of parts, that He is unable to be anything than what He is eternally and He is perfect in every possible way to be perfect.
Divine simplicity also speaks of God actually Being what He reveals of Himself and also what we have yet to know of Hm. He is all that He describes Himself to be. he does not have attributes or perfections, He is these. For instance, the Scriptures tell us that God is I AM (IS) saying that He is existence. (EX, 3:14) He says that He is life, ( John 14:6) along with the truth and way. God is light ( I John 1:5. God is Spirit John (4:24): God says, I am merciful, ( Ex. 22:27). John 11:25 Jesus say He is the Resurrection and the Life. These are just some of the examples where God equates His attributes with who He is not what He has.
Another aspect of God's uniqueness is that He is the only God that exists; no other God will be made or come into existence, nor was there any other God who preceded Him See Is. 46:9. Is.44:6-8; Is. 43:10-Isaiah, who saw the LORD (Jesus) on the throne in heaven in Is. 6; and John 8:38-41. This uniqueness as the one and only true divine being is the very basis of our faith.
Another aspect of God's uniqueness is His oneness- He is a unified single God who exists as three distinct persons-the Father, the Son, and the hoy Spirit who all three share the divine nature equally, eternally, and fully. I will speak more of this in my next post on "God is a UNITY".
God's uniqueness sets Him apart from all else. There is no one like Him!
Thanks for your time and interest Gigi , however , I don't feel the need to continue explaining my beliefs . I believe the Bible , the Word of God and I am excitedly awaiting the return of Christ to earth to set up his Father's Kingdom . This is my joy and I'm focused on it . I do think that I have posted plenty of scriptural references and explained my beliefs enough . I don't feel the need to continue doing so , I read the same Bible as you and everyone else on here . Christ is at the door and I'm focused on him and doing my best to live in him . I'm not at all offended or perturbed by people who don't believe the same things as me , so I hope that I don't offend or perturb anyone else . May God bless all who search for His Eternal Truth .
Matthew6:6, When thou, you prayest, enter into thy, your closet, and when thou, you hast shut the door, pray to the Father which is in secret... That's hw you pray, everywhere, by finding a quiet place...
First, I would like to say I hope your health is good and your family, I am not one to post my prayers, but I do pray for those who have asked for them. You have contributed much to this site and have grown through your posts.
I am thankful for the site and the people on it, I look at discussions as a learning opportunity if we are open to studying both views and if we do it with love and humility. I have grown in understanding from those who post here.
We did this once before and I understand that some consider it heresy not to believe in this doctrine and I understand that. I will be glad to answer your questions if it is for understanding and study, I do not want to offend or cause grief of any kind. I do not try to change anyone's mind; it is on us individually for our conscience.
I can finally get back to posting Scriptures you can review concerning aspects of ho God is unique. Our remodel is getting done day by day, but it does take up our time along with caring for little Rosie to give mom Vivian breaks throughout the day.
I would like to begin with Sef-Existence, as God is unique in this manner:
Exodus 3:14- God tells Moses that He is 'I Am Who I Am' (Inn Hebrew a word derived from 'to be" This self-existence in part of God's 'aseity' (a theological term you can look up to understand it better)
In John 5:26, Jesus says that the Father and He, Himself, have self-existence. They both have this Divine aseity.
For Simplicity, this is a doctrine implied from Scripture as a whole when considering all of what God has said concerning Himself.
This doctrine says that God is not 'made up' of differing parts, components, attributes, class of deity, or anything else that we as humans have a variety of both physical and spiritual parts that God designed in us to make us a whole human being.
If God was made of matter or any physical component, He would not be divine, but a creature who was designed by whomever/whatever put these parts together in him to make Him complete. Therefore, He does not have a body, blood, flesh as creatures have. God is also not composed of spiritual parts such as attributes, eternality, life, etc. because if these parts are necessary for God to be Divine, then either someone/something else created the parts and put them together to make God divine OR before God was He collected or created all these aspects of His Being and appropriated them to become God, which is an impossibility (nonexistence cannot make anything exist, but God who exists can make things from exnihilo (non-existence to existent components). The other explanations err too, in that if God needed components outside of Himself to be divine, then these parts or the one who created them would be God alongside or even be higher than God.
Hi Jesse: You commented that " I would be wondering why your KJB 1611 is worded differently than every other KJB 1611." It isn't like that, If you recall I said "This forum, mine and my son's Thomas Nelson KJB study bibles, another KJB website;" KJV Audio Bible + Gospel Films" all have the name of Jesus in caps." This isn't just my KJB 1611 reading on this forum. I'll list them below with more information I have.
Hardcovers
Two copies of the Thomas Nelson KJV study bible.
A plain KJB.
Online
This forum
King James Bible with audio
You Version
Bible King James Version
All of these read with JESUS all in caps with "name all in lower case letters.
BibleGateway does have Jesus with just the "J" in caps.
at his resurrection, or ascension, or glorification?
11) Do you believe that the Christ is divine?
12) Do you believe that Jesus is to be worshipped? Do you worship Him?
Ronald, I do appreciate your responses. I truly want to understand your system of beliefs more so that I can better respond to your thoughts when you post here. I love and respect you and love the way you are so thoughtful in your responses. I find this helpful. We are speaking here of beliefs that form the foundation of our belief and biblical understanding of who Jesus is and also who God is. These two aspects of our Christian faith are perhaps the most important ones and they affect every other belief in our professed faith as a Christian. These beliefs about Jesus and God affect how we believe about salvation, Jesus' life, death, resurrection, and glorification along with his power and authority and right to rule over heaven and earth.
Bless you for your care for me. I am grateful for that. Those who I have met on this forum and befriended are treasures to me. I can't wait to meet everyone when Jesus returns and we are all changed and glorified!
I appreciate the way you have spoken about hour beliefs about Jesus. I know we have discussed these matters before and I am not here to refute you, rather to understand your beliefs better. So, again, considered how you responded to the prior questions, I have a few more questions I would like you to explain from your viewpoint about Jesus. I do this lovingly and prayerfully and hope that God will help us in our understanding of each others' perspectives. This understanding will help us to be more knowledgeable about what core beliefs we have in our foundational doctrines concerning what the Bible teaches. I hope and pray that God will help you to explain your answers to these questions clearly and in a format that we all can really gain. Please bear with me if I have asked some of these questions before.
1) Do you believe that Son of God is God?
2) Do you believe that the Son of God is eternal in his existence, as the Father is?
3) If not, how did Son of God come into existence?
4) Do you believe that the Son of God and Jesus are the same person?
5) Do if not, do you believe that Jesus was conceived as only a human person?
6) Do you believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah/Christ?
7) If you answer yes to questions 5 and 6, when did He become the Christ?
8) Do you believe that Jesus, being only human, and the Christ are two entities?
9) Do you believe that Jesus was God embodied in human form (Emannuel)?
10) If Jesus had the Spirit in full measure, is this because He is united in the one God with the Father, and Spirit or do you believe that Jesus was indwelt with the Spirit in the same way as believers only was filled to the fullest measure a human person can be filled?
11) Do you believe that Jesus was only a human person and not God the Son in human nature?
12) If you believe that Jesus was only a human person, do you also believe that He was "adopted" as the Son of God? If so, was it at his conception. baptism, death,
God demands a sacrifice from Abraham and he does as exactly as he was asked. "And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away."(Ge.15:11) That was a supper for Great God from whom all the families in earth shall be blessed.(Ge.12:3). He was after 'our likeness' and a double for the Son.
Because of sin of one man animal sacrifice was instituted by commandment,- the Law of Moses was the shadow of good things to come. God did not spare His own Son and in his perfect sacrifice all the sacrifices required of the nation of Israel requires payment. Sin of man required the creation to expect as St Paul says, " For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God./For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,/Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God."/For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now."(Ro.8:19-22) Now we shall consider how God allows them to be compensated. The Supper for the Great God makes 'all the fowls' partakers of their blessing.
"And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;/That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great."(Re.19:17-18)
"And all the fowls were filled with their flesh."(v.21)"
Thanks for elaborating and clarifying your view about Jesus more in this post.
My understanding of what you presented here and in other posts is that you believe:
1) Jesus did not exist before His conception in Mary.
2) He was only a human person
3) Jesus was able to speak the words of God, live sinlessly, perform miracles only due to the indwelling of the Spirit of God in His human person.
4) Jesus is not God
5)Jesus is the Messiah (Christ) promised in the OT
6) Jesus died solely as a human person.
7) His death saves sinners from condemnation.
8) If He did not have the Spirit in all fullness he would have only been a mortal human person.
I may be wrong on sone of these points, as you did say that Jesus was God in the flesh I think. Please go through these points and let me know how you believe on each of these points so that I can more clearly understand your foundational beliefs about Jesus. Knowing these things about you will be helpful to me when I read your posts to know what perspective you are representing in your comments. I only am asking this in love for you and after praying on whether to enter this conversation with you, Chris, or Ronald as well as whether I should ask you about the points I put forth here.
The Supper is how the Spirit describes the blessing that shall be conferred on whosoever called in his Son. Jesus refers it to the knock on the door and "if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Re.3:20). Jesus also referred it to a supper on a grand scale where "There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out."(Luke13:38). The outer darkness to which they are thrown into is not our present concern but all those that are invited. (Matt.8:12)
In the everlasting covenant God entrusts the man with the charge: "And have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." ( Ge. 1:28). They are represented in heaven as memorial and the four beasts as such cover blessings of the covenant with Man as theirs as well. In short, man's stewardship is as solemn as Jesus in his prayer tells his Father,"While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition."( John 17:12,17). He also prays, "Sanctify them, Thy word is truth." The word is sound as well as sign. The slain Lamb before the worlds began is a sign. For this reason every animal sacrifice is in commemoration of the last Adam. So God commands Moses, "Your lamb shall be without blemish."(Ex.12:5)
God demands a sacrifice from Abraham and he does as exactly as he was asked. "And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away."(Ge.15:11) That was a supper for Great God from whom all the families in earth shall be blessed. He was after our likeness'
Because of sin of one man animal sacrifice was instituted by commandment as He did not spare His own So..
"And all the fowls were filled with their flesh."(v.21)
Thank you for those excerpts from the church leaders. It is quite apparent that the doctrine of the deity of Jesus was a part of the faith passed down from the apostles. And
Thanks, brother, I sometimes do not explain my understanding in the best way, hey I'm old. Years ago, I studied some of the early church histories and I found some scholars have questions about the authenticity of their translations. I understand you believe in them and that is ok.
Just one thing on Ignatius CHAPTER XVIII it should read.
For our God, Jesus Christ was according to the appointment of God, conceived in the womb by Mary, of the seed of David, but by the Holy Ghost. He was born and baptized, that by His passion He might purify the water.
In John 1:10 by Him, the Greek word used is dia means through, on account of, and because of. The word made is the Greek word ginomai means to come into being, to happen, to become.
In Colossians 1:16-17 the Greek word en can mean in him, not by him, whether that changes anything or not.
I know we do not agree on this, but I will do my best to show how I see John 17:5. Like I have said before Jesus was the first thing in God's plan, everything was created in and through Jesus and what He would be. Jesus knew the glory of God's word from which came all things as we see in Genesis, God said, and it was.
When Jesus was anointed with the Holy Ghost and filled with the Spirit without measure, he could see spiritual things unknown to any man. Some of God's servants did see into the future with just a glimpse, like Abraham, David, Moses, and others. Jesus could see and He knew the glory of God's creation and salvation plan.
Jesus knew who He was and was seeking this glory that was in God's plan before the world was to be his reward after all that he was sent to do was finished. In scripture declaring what is, even though it is not yet, simply because it is intended to be. If God intends it, it already is, even though it is not yet. Being from heaven is an expression meant to emphasize his sinless and holy state and show who sent him was God.
I also sense there is more and more bickering over sensitive topics that seems to be fomented by the enemy to steal our joy.
Some of that of course is inevitable in holding to scriptural doctrinal truths as best we understand it.
I don't want to just dump out ideas to point to myself but perhaps that is what people are indicating to me. Maybe I have to reassess if I have drifted in that direction. Hopefully some personal but anonymous details of the interactions and stories I have from my own personal experience and those in my churches that I have attended and Christian friends has helped somebody.
We are limited here ourselves with anonymity.
Things are accelerating rapidly. He is in control until the end of the Age. It seems prudent at this point to look at the approaching Tribulation and spend most of the time on this site delineating between the truth and the lies which are seemingly harder daily to differentiate. I won't elaborate here but there is increasing prophecies that seem to be coming to pass where the "Prophet" is assuming an individual is saved or going to be saved when it is clear that hasn't happened. We need to believe clearly the Word where it says that everyone eventually is going to worship the Beast whose name isn't written in the Book of Life. That is why I feel it is so important to bring home the importance of knowing we are hearing from the Holy Spirit and testing ourselves to see if we are in the faith.
I appreciate being given a platform here; and leave to others whatever they conclude. I can only say that I won't add anything to whatever I sense the Lord has shown me; and always want to back things up with scripture
Pt. 2
Jesus was not two Persons, a human Person and a Divine Person, or just a human Person. The Person of Jesus is only the Divine Son who has two natures, a mortal human nature who was created at the conception (incarnation) and an eternal divine nature that always existed intrinsically in the one unified Being of God as the Son of the Father.
The Incarnated Divine Son of God was named Jesus (Savior) Since He was God in human flesh, He could not sin, because the divine Personhood of Jesus could never sin and the human nature of Jesus was always subject to His Divine Nature.
Jesus lived the perfect human life that no other human could ever live. As God, He could do this. Not event he angels could do this because they are a created entity whose holiness and lack of sin is maintained by God as God's choice, but He did not keep all of the angels from sin, so it is always a biblical fact that angels are made capable of sinning. Jesus, as God was never capable of sinning. This is called Impeccability in theological terms.
If one merely human person could live a human life, he would be acceptable to God for being sinless and holy, but such a person could not make any other human acceptable to God. Only the righteousness of a sinless divine Person who lived a perfect human life as God incarnate could make any and all human persons acceptable to God by His sinlessness, sacrificial death, victorious resurrection accomplished by the power of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and His glorification as God and Man forever to be the righteousness of all who believe and trust Him as our Mediator and God's Mediator, reconciled the elect to the one Being of God.
( Col. 1:20-22; 1 Cor. 5:18: Eph. 2:20; Rom. 5:10) reconciled ( 1 Tim. 2:5) mediator (1 Cor, 1:30; 2 Cor. 5:21
Jer. 23:6, 33:16) righeousness
First; I wasn't trying to give some sort of game plan to get through the Tribulation; just was attempting to foresee the evil that is to come as Proverbs 27:12 states which is ahead before the Rapture; if we hold to a PreTrib mentality. As to the subject of self defense or not; I would ask people to look realistically at scripture rather than having a one size fits all concept. ( Luke 22:36 as one example). If we must die as martyrs we must rely on the Spirit. I truly look up to those who are sold out enough that they are prepared to die at any time in their boldness witnessing; perhaps sharing what is inherent to all men who allow their old nature to rise up isn't helpful. I will once again appeal to the scriptures as Christ did with Peter in Matthew 26:33-34.
We also face an array of unknown variables. Just tonight there is news not necessarily in mainstream of 12 major ships of ours in the Mediterranean; as well as the largest oil refinery in Russia ablaze. When surprises happen I hope that most on this site at least are prepared; in the church at large I am doubtful.
I did stray from heavy scriptural references as I occasionally do on a topic. I have been blessed with being able to get into most subject matters that have been on my heart for decades in the last couple of years here. Perhaps I need to consider ending these posts permanently; but as with anything I don't like being hasty.
Her health will benefit many others.
In the mighty name of Jesus Christ.
Thank You Heavenly Father, Thank You Jesus Christ and Thank You Holy Spirit.
Heal the sick. Set free the ones that are in chains of bondage. Deliver the ones who are addicted to drugs, drinking, smoking
Heavenly Father, manifest Your power through Your Son Jesus Christ.
We are Your vessels. Give us wisdom.
Blessed be Your Holy Name. Amen
no mere human being ever could live a perfectly sinless life because every mere human being is corrupted by sin by their innate sinful nature that is present in them at conception. They are sinful before they are born. Even if a mere human being had the fullness of the Holy Spirit indwelling them, they would still not be able to live a sinless life because of this same biblical truth.
Jesus was not a mere human being, but God in the flesh: Emmanuel-God with us. Col. 2:9 says that the fullness of the Godhead whether referring to; the three persons of the one Being or the Divine Nature, or the one Divine Being; or all) Jesus was the divine Godhead revealed to mankind in the divine Person of Jesus in the Incarnation when the Divine Son became a human with a body and nature, but not with sinful nature. John 1:14; Hebrews 2L14; 4:15)
Jesus is the eternal divine Son of the Father in the intimate union of the Triunity of the Persons of the Godhead. Even when He was incarnated, He remained the God, since the essence and Being of God is shared equally and fully by all three Persons because all three are called God in Scripture, as I noted in my posts on God Is Spirit AND God is Son and Savior.
Phil 2:6 speaks that Jesus exists as God, but affirmed that His equality with God was not something He grasped from God or acquired and that it cannot happen in any way since God said that there has never been any other God formed before Him, or will there by after Him, nor at any time. Jesus was eternally God with the Father and Holy Spirit. But He humbled Himself to become a man so that He could carry out His work in the everlasting covenant between the Godhead that was determined before anything was created. He was not created, ever, as a created entity nor as a divine Person. In the incarnation, the Father created a human nature and body for the Divine Person, God the Son, and caused this Divine Son to be conceived in Mary and develop as a human.
Just to add.
If it were possible for a human being to live a sinless life just by having the Spirit indwelling in them (even without measure) then there would be no need for Jesus'sacrifice on the cross. God would just have filled us with His Spirit and everything would be OK. He could have done that from the very beginning, with Adam and Eve. Why sent Jesus on earth?
Part 2.
There's things in scripture we cannot understand in our natural state, just like we cannot produce fruit in our natural state.
However God's Spirit reveals truth that the spirit of this world rejects.
Here's one of many examples; John 1:1-3.
Verse 1 plainly states
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, AND THE WORD WAS GOD.
( You can't add to that it is written directly, plainandsimple.)
You can only reject this truth, take away from it and attempt to redefine it.
However, by this verse and many others, by the Spirit of truth, we recieve it. (It's a plain and direct statement of fact.)
Likewise verse 2) "The same was in the BEGINNING WITH GOD. That's plainly stated!!
Likewise verse 3.
All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
You have to consider these verses and there's nothing needed to be added to magnify the meaning of these verses.
No one "By the Spirit of God" would take away what's so plainly stated.
Any other Christ represented is NOT Christ.
God bless.
Christ is not THE ONE GOD, but by INHERITANCE, is EQUAL with his Father, the one God."
I understand that Christ is not the Father (He is the Son of God), for there is only One God. But you state that it is by "Inheritance" that Jesus that holds 'Equality' with His Father God. If that was so, then it applies to His State while on Earth, doing the Will of His Father. What about His Life before His coming to Earth? For that is what this Scripture is pointing us to: Jesus' Form as He appeared to men and to His Equality as pertaining to His Father. Obviously, the word 'Form' can't describe His physical appearance, for how can anyone describe God's Form, rather to His Essence in Being & the Splendor, Holiness & Power He brings. Even though all this was evident in Jesus' Life, His Equality with God (i.e. His 'sameness' in Glory, Majesty, & Power) was something He had to put aside ("taking upon him the form of a servant") so that He could fulfil God's Will in Life & Death. He could not put aside something He did not have. Jesus, through His Humanity veiled His 'God-form' to clothe Himself with 'Man-form'.
So, my focus has been on Who Jesus really is when He came to Earth. Was He just a fresh/new creation of God to be sacrificed for mankind, or did He come forth from the Essence of God, as God, laying aside that Glory & Honor, to be made flesh, taking on the physical limited state of man so as to perform God's Loving Purposes for us? God could have easily 'snapped His Fingers' (as it were) & created a man to be sacrificed. But it is quite another thing when God's Love for us meant that He came Himself, in His Son, to lay down His Life for us. For only such a Sacrifice would be fully pay for our sins & redeem us to God. GBU.
Thanks for responding.
Part 1.
Your quote in response to me as follows;
"God is a Spirit , the "Me" is the Spirit of God , God's Holy Spirit , which Christ , the chosen vessel , was filled with without measure.
End quote.
Yes, God is a Spirit and yes Christ was filled with without measure.
The "Me" we are referring to in Malachi 3:1 is interacting and answering a specific question in the previous verse.
Malachi 2:17.
"Where is the "ELOHIM" of judgment?
That question is answered in the next verse, Malachi 3:1
"Behold, I WILL SEND MY MESSENGER, AND HE SHALL PREPARE THE WAY BEFORE "ME": and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to "HIS" temple,
So yes, you have the triune God represented in the usage of the name Elohim here.
And Jesus represented the fulfillment of this in his 1st coming and will again "with completion in his 2nd coming.
As for God being a spirit, that doesn't limit God! He can do "Anything." The scripture says that and I can believe that without comprehending it. He can certainly manifest himself in the flesh as scripture says " 1 Timothy 3:16. God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
With God's ability to do anything and be anything.
If we take what the scripture plainly and literally says,
I wouldn't dare question it concerning this.
And I certainly wouldn't rob Christ of his Glory and apply it to Angels in the usage of the name Elohim.
See part 2 Jaz.
Thanks, sister, get back to you tomorrow, have a good night.
God bless,
RLW
And, as I stated it is to learn and understand about you and your views that I ask. We have discussed this topic before in how we disagree in some aspects. I do not wish to do that again. Only understand more why you say things as you do on topics being discussed here. Looking forward to your answers and learning more about you.
I kind of thought this would be your reply. Please know I respect your choice here. Yet in doing so, you will probably be misunderstood on this forum by many others. And that saddens me. I anticipate that others will continue to ask you to clarify your comments. Even though you say what you post is very clearly stated, it often is not. You may know in your mind what you mean, but the way you express it on here does not convey a clear meaning. I am not trying to criticize you, but only say that communicating to others is important. And in doing so, most people would want to do so in a clear and coherent way so others can follow our meaning and how we support it. Whatever you choose to do here is your freedom as it is mine to share in my way. So, be blessed and do not take offense of me here as I do not take offense at your reply that I am replying to.
Part 3
These other things would be God, not the God of Scripture.
With the doctrine of simplicity, His immutability is one aspect of His divine simplicity. James 1:17 speaks of this when he says that in God there is no shadow of turning. This means that there is no changing in Him and no variation or alteration or degree or greater or lesser of anything of His Being. This tells us that God is not made of parts, that He is unable to be anything than what He is eternally and He is perfect in every possible way to be perfect.
Divine simplicity also speaks of God actually Being what He reveals of Himself and also what we have yet to know of Hm. He is all that He describes Himself to be. he does not have attributes or perfections, He is these. For instance, the Scriptures tell us that God is I AM (IS) saying that He is existence. (EX, 3:14) He says that He is life, ( John 14:6) along with the truth and way. God is light ( I John 1:5. God is Spirit John (4:24): God says, I am merciful, ( Ex. 22:27). John 11:25 Jesus say He is the Resurrection and the Life. These are just some of the examples where God equates His attributes with who He is not what He has.
Another aspect of God's uniqueness is that He is the only God that exists; no other God will be made or come into existence, nor was there any other God who preceded Him See Is. 46:9. Is.44:6-8; Is. 43:10-Isaiah, who saw the LORD (Jesus) on the throne in heaven in Is. 6; and John 8:38-41. This uniqueness as the one and only true divine being is the very basis of our faith.
Another aspect of God's uniqueness is His oneness- He is a unified single God who exists as three distinct persons-the Father, the Son, and the hoy Spirit who all three share the divine nature equally, eternally, and fully. I will speak more of this in my next post on "God is a UNITY".
God's uniqueness sets Him apart from all else. There is no one like Him!
First, I would like to say I hope your health is good and your family, I am not one to post my prayers, but I do pray for those who have asked for them. You have contributed much to this site and have grown through your posts.
I am thankful for the site and the people on it, I look at discussions as a learning opportunity if we are open to studying both views and if we do it with love and humility. I have grown in understanding from those who post here.
We did this once before and I understand that some consider it heresy not to believe in this doctrine and I understand that. I will be glad to answer your questions if it is for understanding and study, I do not want to offend or cause grief of any kind. I do not try to change anyone's mind; it is on us individually for our conscience.
It will be tomorrow before I can answer.
God bless,
RLW
I can finally get back to posting Scriptures you can review concerning aspects of ho God is unique. Our remodel is getting done day by day, but it does take up our time along with caring for little Rosie to give mom Vivian breaks throughout the day.
I would like to begin with Sef-Existence, as God is unique in this manner:
Exodus 3:14- God tells Moses that He is 'I Am Who I Am' (Inn Hebrew a word derived from 'to be" This self-existence in part of God's 'aseity' (a theological term you can look up to understand it better)
In John 5:26, Jesus says that the Father and He, Himself, have self-existence. They both have this Divine aseity.
For Simplicity, this is a doctrine implied from Scripture as a whole when considering all of what God has said concerning Himself.
This doctrine says that God is not 'made up' of differing parts, components, attributes, class of deity, or anything else that we as humans have a variety of both physical and spiritual parts that God designed in us to make us a whole human being.
If God was made of matter or any physical component, He would not be divine, but a creature who was designed by whomever/whatever put these parts together in him to make Him complete. Therefore, He does not have a body, blood, flesh as creatures have. God is also not composed of spiritual parts such as attributes, eternality, life, etc. because if these parts are necessary for God to be Divine, then either someone/something else created the parts and put them together to make God divine OR before God was He collected or created all these aspects of His Being and appropriated them to become God, which is an impossibility (nonexistence cannot make anything exist, but God who exists can make things from exnihilo (non-existence to existent components). The other explanations err too, in that if God needed components outside of Himself to be divine, then these parts or the one who created them would be God alongside or even be higher than God.
Hardcovers
Two copies of the Thomas Nelson KJV study bible.
A plain KJB.
Online
This forum
King James Bible with audio
You Version
Bible King James Version
All of these read with JESUS all in caps with "name all in lower case letters.
BibleGateway does have Jesus with just the "J" in caps.
Like I said, a mystery. God Bless :)
ran out of space...
to continue..
at his resurrection, or ascension, or glorification?
11) Do you believe that the Christ is divine?
12) Do you believe that Jesus is to be worshipped? Do you worship Him?
Ronald, I do appreciate your responses. I truly want to understand your system of beliefs more so that I can better respond to your thoughts when you post here. I love and respect you and love the way you are so thoughtful in your responses. I find this helpful. We are speaking here of beliefs that form the foundation of our belief and biblical understanding of who Jesus is and also who God is. These two aspects of our Christian faith are perhaps the most important ones and they affect every other belief in our professed faith as a Christian. These beliefs about Jesus and God affect how we believe about salvation, Jesus' life, death, resurrection, and glorification along with his power and authority and right to rule over heaven and earth.
Bless you for your care for me. I am grateful for that. Those who I have met on this forum and befriended are treasures to me. I can't wait to meet everyone when Jesus returns and we are all changed and glorified!
I appreciate the way you have spoken about hour beliefs about Jesus. I know we have discussed these matters before and I am not here to refute you, rather to understand your beliefs better. So, again, considered how you responded to the prior questions, I have a few more questions I would like you to explain from your viewpoint about Jesus. I do this lovingly and prayerfully and hope that God will help us in our understanding of each others' perspectives. This understanding will help us to be more knowledgeable about what core beliefs we have in our foundational doctrines concerning what the Bible teaches. I hope and pray that God will help you to explain your answers to these questions clearly and in a format that we all can really gain. Please bear with me if I have asked some of these questions before.
1) Do you believe that Son of God is God?
2) Do you believe that the Son of God is eternal in his existence, as the Father is?
3) If not, how did Son of God come into existence?
4) Do you believe that the Son of God and Jesus are the same person?
5) Do if not, do you believe that Jesus was conceived as only a human person?
6) Do you believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah/Christ?
7) If you answer yes to questions 5 and 6, when did He become the Christ?
8) Do you believe that Jesus, being only human, and the Christ are two entities?
9) Do you believe that Jesus was God embodied in human form (Emannuel)?
10) If Jesus had the Spirit in full measure, is this because He is united in the one God with the Father, and Spirit or do you believe that Jesus was indwelt with the Spirit in the same way as believers only was filled to the fullest measure a human person can be filled?
11) Do you believe that Jesus was only a human person and not God the Son in human nature?
12) If you believe that Jesus was only a human person, do you also believe that He was "adopted" as the Son of God? If so, was it at his conception. baptism, death,
Emmanuel
God demands a sacrifice from Abraham and he does as exactly as he was asked. "And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away."(Ge.15:11) That was a supper for Great God from whom all the families in earth shall be blessed.(Ge.12:3). He was after 'our likeness' and a double for the Son.
Because of sin of one man animal sacrifice was instituted by commandment,- the Law of Moses was the shadow of good things to come. God did not spare His own Son and in his perfect sacrifice all the sacrifices required of the nation of Israel requires payment. Sin of man required the creation to expect as St Paul says, " For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God./For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,/Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God."/For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now."(Ro.8:19-22) Now we shall consider how God allows them to be compensated. The Supper for the Great God makes 'all the fowls' partakers of their blessing.
"And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;/That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great."(Re.19:17-18)
"And all the fowls were filled with their flesh."(v.21)"
Thanks for elaborating and clarifying your view about Jesus more in this post.
My understanding of what you presented here and in other posts is that you believe:
1) Jesus did not exist before His conception in Mary.
2) He was only a human person
3) Jesus was able to speak the words of God, live sinlessly, perform miracles only due to the indwelling of the Spirit of God in His human person.
4) Jesus is not God
5)Jesus is the Messiah (Christ) promised in the OT
6) Jesus died solely as a human person.
7) His death saves sinners from condemnation.
8) If He did not have the Spirit in all fullness he would have only been a mortal human person.
I may be wrong on sone of these points, as you did say that Jesus was God in the flesh I think. Please go through these points and let me know how you believe on each of these points so that I can more clearly understand your foundational beliefs about Jesus. Knowing these things about you will be helpful to me when I read your posts to know what perspective you are representing in your comments. I only am asking this in love for you and after praying on whether to enter this conversation with you, Chris, or Ronald as well as whether I should ask you about the points I put forth here.
The Supper is how the Spirit describes the blessing that shall be conferred on whosoever called in his Son. Jesus refers it to the knock on the door and "if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Re.3:20). Jesus also referred it to a supper on a grand scale where "There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out."(Luke13:38). The outer darkness to which they are thrown into is not our present concern but all those that are invited. (Matt.8:12)
In the everlasting covenant God entrusts the man with the charge: "And have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." ( Ge. 1:28). They are represented in heaven as memorial and the four beasts as such cover blessings of the covenant with Man as theirs as well. In short, man's stewardship is as solemn as Jesus in his prayer tells his Father,"While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition."( John 17:12,17). He also prays, "Sanctify them, Thy word is truth." The word is sound as well as sign. The slain Lamb before the worlds began is a sign. For this reason every animal sacrifice is in commemoration of the last Adam. So God commands Moses, "Your lamb shall be without blemish."(Ex.12:5)
God demands a sacrifice from Abraham and he does as exactly as he was asked. "And when the fowls came down upon the carcases, Abram drove them away."(Ge.15:11) That was a supper for Great God from whom all the families in earth shall be blessed. He was after our likeness'
Because of sin of one man animal sacrifice was instituted by commandment as He did not spare His own So..
"And all the fowls were filled with their flesh."(v.21)
Thank you for those excerpts from the church leaders. It is quite apparent that the doctrine of the deity of Jesus was a part of the faith passed down from the apostles. And
So true, good verses, it is in forgiveness, obedience, and love.
God bless,
RLW
Thanks, brother, I sometimes do not explain my understanding in the best way, hey I'm old. Years ago, I studied some of the early church histories and I found some scholars have questions about the authenticity of their translations. I understand you believe in them and that is ok.
Just one thing on Ignatius CHAPTER XVIII it should read.
For our God, Jesus Christ was according to the appointment of God, conceived in the womb by Mary, of the seed of David, but by the Holy Ghost. He was born and baptized, that by His passion He might purify the water.
In John 1:10 by Him, the Greek word used is dia means through, on account of, and because of. The word made is the Greek word ginomai means to come into being, to happen, to become.
In Colossians 1:16-17 the Greek word en can mean in him, not by him, whether that changes anything or not.
I know we do not agree on this, but I will do my best to show how I see John 17:5. Like I have said before Jesus was the first thing in God's plan, everything was created in and through Jesus and what He would be. Jesus knew the glory of God's word from which came all things as we see in Genesis, God said, and it was.
When Jesus was anointed with the Holy Ghost and filled with the Spirit without measure, he could see spiritual things unknown to any man. Some of God's servants did see into the future with just a glimpse, like Abraham, David, Moses, and others. Jesus could see and He knew the glory of God's creation and salvation plan.
Jesus knew who He was and was seeking this glory that was in God's plan before the world was to be his reward after all that he was sent to do was finished. In scripture declaring what is, even though it is not yet, simply because it is intended to be. If God intends it, it already is, even though it is not yet. Being from heaven is an expression meant to emphasize his sinless and holy state and show who sent him was God.
I hope this makes some sense.
God bless brother,
RLW