GOD woke me up this morning and did more then just that im not sure what battle your family is battling but GOD and his son our lord let them get in your sitioution with your family yall will feel greatness yall will walk with greatness in jesus name AMEN AMEN AMEN!!!
May God in His sovereign mercy lead us into truth as we search the scriptures. Praying constantly that God might open our understanding as we compare scripture with scripture applying the principles that God Himself lays down in His Word.
"Freewill" relative to salvation is not taught in the Bible. God does all the work in accordance with His Will, not our will.
Romans 9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
Ephesians 1
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Ephesians 2
1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
I agree God's angels work in our protection but there are angels on the side of Satan as we see in Daniel 10, battles go on that we do not see and this will continue until Satan and his angels are cast out of heaven to earth permanently, in Revelation 12.
In the Bible, we see the possessions of people are done by devils/demons, or unclean spirits, Mark 5:1-5Mark 16:9Matthew 15:22, and others, as in Matthew 8 there was a legion of them in two men and they asked Jesus to cast them into pigs.
I understand rebelling or fallen angels wreak havoc and cause division they will influence, entice, and persuade, people. My understanding is they cannot continue to possess someone, and we will have spiritual battles Ephesians 6:12. I have seen possession of someone, and I had a being lay across me in bed when I awoke it looked like a burlap cloth and its hand over my face. I was able to free my mouth and only said Jesus and it was snatched up and was gone. I can only say it had a body and it was large.
This was in the 90s and during a time when these things happened, I started reading my Bible again and during this time I was saved. My wife and I went to several different churches and in one church the youth group went to an assisted living where my wife worked. She had gotten close to one of the ladies.
My wife was not there when the youth group went on a Saturday, that Sunday the lady over the youth group was telling the church about their visit and said a woman died while they were there. She described it as peaceful, and they were praying. She said the name of the lady and it was the lady my wife was close to, me and my wife both heard the woman say this.
My wife was upset so we left and went by the assisted living and that lady, or no one died. I talked to the preacher, he asked many of the church and no one heard the woman say that this woman died while they were there, we never went back to that church. There were other things.
"But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year."
God having explained covenant according to the flesh contrasts what it meant as a covenant according to the Law of the Spirit entailed. The Spirit of the everlasting Covenant places Isaac as the heir of promise and not Ishmael. The word "But" reinforces the superlative merit of the blessings conferred on the man in his Son who is his 'only begotten Son. The sign of the Word augurs his everlasting life and blessings of the Son on whom God has from testified,"And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."(Matt.3:17)
"And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou art with child and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy affliction." God named indeed Ishamael but his testimony did not come from God as with his Son. According to the flesh his testimony came from his brethren, "And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren" as the Angel of the Lord forewarned Hagar. (16:11-12).
God left off talking with Abraham after promising him Isaac as the heir of promise. " Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year" is the seed in itself planted by God. The everlasting covenant under day three is not stating vegetation as part of the covenant but the word of God. The tree of life or tree of righteousness is merely a sign. "And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so." (1:11)
We know the seed requites time to show the kind of tree it shall become. It is what we see in the life of Isaac who totally obeyed God. "And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of."(Ge.26:1-6) "And Isaac dwelt in Gerar."
"For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love" (Gal.5:6). Circumcision availeth nothing where God's breath in is has shown us the way. We are to worship him in Spirit and truth. "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live."(Ro.8:13)
"And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised"
The seven days in the Covenant refer to the Day that God has appointed for the Son. So of what significance is the eighth day. While the command number Seven signifies completion or whole we have the lower parts where Jesus went in Spirit and preached to the souls in prison. The Psalm of David does not leave the lower parts from God's providential eye. "My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth./Thine eyes did see my substance," (Ps.139:15-16). The number Eight has its relevance. The body of four and twenty elders is a memorial ibefore the throne of heaven (8x3). Covenant in short of the flesh shows the way to the life in the Spirit. It is what Jesus offered the nation of Israel."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."( John 7:37)
"And my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant."
What is the purpose of the covenant but concord between two equal parties? Fellowship of God, between the Father and Son is treated as an accord; Both parties being Spirit the Man component on one part does not affect the covenant and it is understood the aspect of flesh on the part of the Son does not affect the other entity. "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,/To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved."(Ep.1:5-6). Good pleasure of his will is in harmony with the holiness of God. Holy is his name, to which we shall come anon. Here we are fixing the relevance of flesh in the World of the Spirit where faith is the language. The world unseen and the worlds made to appear have their own colour and speech. We can explain the nature of flesh in terms of the Word which was God.
The word is both sound and a sign. When God sends the Son he is qualified as the only begotten Son meaning that he is a sign and the Son of man consequently explains the Man component which was with God in the beginning.. In v.7 God tells Abraham, "And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.". "And to thy seed after thee" is done after he changed the name of Abraham to mean the Father of many nations. So the question of Ishmael born of the bondswoman has to be settled. This 'illicit' union between two parties of unequal position is now being regularised in the covenant. The change of name makes it holy, to be precise. The circumcision as a sign has only validity as much as their flesh is concerned. It is similar to infant baptism, where parents intercede on behalf of the child.
And to also consider the other mystery, of which you addressed: what about the infants, the mentally/physically infirmed, or those who've never heard of Jesus - what is their state before God? Though not clearly revealed to us, except for possible snapshots, we can only entrust these souls to a Merciful God, Who makes no mistakes to the right outcome for all & we do our part to give them every opportunity to hear & respond, if they can. And this has spurred many to go to far-off unreached people groups, hazarding their lives (some having lost theirs), so that others might have an opportunity to hear of God's Love & Forgiveness, & of renewed changed lives.
So, I've tried to address at least most of your points here GiGi; but in relation to your subject, "God's sovereign freedom of His will that is unconditioned by any source or action outside of Himself", I agree that God is Sovereign in every situation & His Will will be performed, but could we also say that His Sovereign Will can only be declared/seen when all His Attributes (some of which are His Mercy, Love, Foreknowledge, Longsuffering, the Gift of Himself in Jesus) must combine together to form that Sovereign Will? Or, is His Will separate from His other Attributes? Something to consider, I think. Blessings & thank you for provoking our thoughts.
So, we have the mystery here: did those at Mars Hill who believed Paul, repent while still unsaved, or were they under the conviction of the Holy Spirit, or were they regenerated first so they could repent & believe? From the order you gave, I note that you've written 'Regeneration before Belief, Repentance, Conversion, & Redemption'. Whereas, my order would be, Repentance, Belief, Redemption/Regeneration/Conversion. And as stated elsewhere, my understanding of Regeneration is synonymous with Re-birth. So if one is regenerated before believing & repentance, then why the need for believing & repentance, for he has already been given re-birth & converted?
As far as the creation, the holiness, & the rebellion of some angels are considered, like many things in the Word, it's simply not possible to form hard & fast views & beliefs. But in regard to humanity, as you stated, "Some (humans) to be elected to receive salvation and most of humanity not chosen by Him before the creation of the world", places our understanding at a different level pertaining to angels. If what you believe is truth, then it would be wrong for God to relegate most of humanity, not chosen by Him, to an eternal hell. Why? Because those unfortunate people will have to suffer because God ordained them to suffer. How then does such a belief stand against the Scriptures that say that He is not willing that any should perish? Because He has willed that many will perish. To me this would be incredibly baffling, making God to be an ogre, indiscriminately saving some, causing others of His creation to perish. This I can't accept or reconcile in any other way, than stated elsewhere: that the Gospel comes to all, for all are sinners - what we do as sinners in response, in concert with the Holy Spirit working in the life so touched, fits all the Scriptures much better and makes the preaching of the Gospel all the more necessary & timely (at least the apostles regarded it so).
Thank you GiGi for your thought-provoking comments here, as also on the Character Traits of God, now His Sovereignty & being Superlative. So, to continue here.
Going through your list of mankind's condition before God & God's Work towards man's renewal, I will list those, & other points, with verse(s), & in the order that I understand them.
a. Man's total depravity ( Romans 3:9,10,23).
b. God's Love & Mercy for all sinners ( John 3:16: 'loved the World' of sinners, not only the Elect; 2 Peter 3:9: 'God suffers long, not willing that any (all sinners) should perish'.
c. God's Foreknowledge, Predestination, Calling, Justification, Glorification ( Romans 8:29,30: Paul shares this order pertaining to believers, where the logic is, if God foreknew those who would be His, it is understood that He also knew those who would reject Him). And through His Knowledge, God chose us before the foundation of the world to be holy & blameless people ( Ephesians 1:4).
To what have we been predestined to? To be conformed to His Son's Image (v29), according to God's Purpose ( Ephesians 1:11), & to be adopted into His Family ( Ephesians 1:5).
Calling. Various types of Calling given in the Bible, but pertaining to salvation: 1 Peter 2:9, 'having called us out of darkness (our sinful state without God) into His marvellous light (our forgiven state with God & His Son). Do we then just transition from darkness to light without a work of God the Spirit in us? And it is to this point that our discussions have focussed. Paul in Romans 8 is speaking to believers, so the matter of repentance wasn't mentioned, but may have been implied here.
However, Paul in Acts 17 spoke to the idolatrous Athenians, 'that God calls on all men everywhere to repent'. And here we read that unregenerate men were called to repentance. Continued on Page 2.
I have covered this topic before but wanted to explore the "commonality" issue as well between these two states. It is sobering to think that the son of perdition; Judas Iscariot himself was so burdened by his betrayal of a "righteous man" that he hung himself. There are a lot of things we can learn from this. He obviously used to his advantage the notoriety of Christ to pilfer moneys that may have been donated anonymously; and perhaps even followed along feeling that it earned him prestige to be able to see such miracles in the presence of Jesus and the other Apostles. Even the enemy of our souls isn't so stupid as to try to directly attack Christ or go beyond what he is granted; but will lead the world to attack Christ at His return. Pride is what causes a fall; in Judas' case; he could have been like Peter and wept because he abandoned Christ; or like the thief on the cross who made a last minute plea at the site of his death a short time later. Pride it would seem kept Judas from confessing his sin to the rest of the Disciples; or asking God for forgiveness. It is possible that he genuinely felt bad for seeing the suffering that was inflicted on Christ from a human level or perspective. Many professing Christians may not even have such emotions that they should about Christ's suffering as a man.
We all; of course to be saved have to have Godly sorrow which takes into account God's Holiness and Christ being the Son of God; part of the Godhead and what He had to condescend to and suffer more than any other in our behalf. It is LOVE that brings us to true repentance; where His Spirit testifies with our spirit that we are children of God. In that sense then it is the only way we can truly love ourselves; because we recognize it is He who lives in us. He grants us life before we can ever be made righteous. We all should feel SOMETHING emotionally as a response but only He can free us from ourselves.
Didn't know he got a place since he didn't mention it to me. That was a concern I had I'm glad you or someone else prayed about it; I could only infer from his comments as to his situation.
Anyway I got away for a few days and am starting to get info how to proceed with my mom who is at least open to consideration but there are things she has to do such as be real with her doctors and get references for further treatments and be willing to spend money on it. I appreciate your prayers for me as well.
Glad also you are pushing ahead with my abandoned idea of going through letters of the alphabet on God's character. Shows you are more committed than I to things I am scatterbrained and I guess didn't want to commit to that after all.
There is one burning issue that I want to address with that subject and that is how serious unbelief is; and also how important it is that we exhort people that they pursue whatever it is they recognize of a righteous God; and to see Christ's Holiness and our need to heed His voice. I have voiced this often and am sure you agree that the STATE of sin or root in the heart is the core of the issue; particular sins just a symptom. The same could be said of GOOD fruit; evidences that most people will see of Christ is in believers who are living out what they believe. That is also a "symptom" if I can use that word of a pure heart; and those who it is reaching are uncomfortable (we are like the castor oil of the spiritual dimension). Our display of Christ in our hearts should be drawing all men to Himself. Not the case in today's lukewarm church most of the time.
It is hard to be balanced I suppose we could appeal to Deut. 29:29 every time we can't understand something. As with anything else these doctrines should help illuminate God's character and man's state but a lot of times and often on this site it seems an issue bogs people down and could be used by the enemy to take focus away from the Great Commission.
His wisdom and counsel is beyond our ability to know and understand; and that we are to submit ourselves to His sovereignty in all these things and trust in Him as truly good, loving, gracious, and merciful. His reasons for choosing as He has are mysterious to us, but in perfect harmony with His nature. And these choices are really His business to act on and not ours to criticize.
I often think that if one must chose to believe the gospel, then what happens to those who have not heard, are too young to understand, or too impaired to discern it, too deaf to hear it, etc. Are all of these damned? I am not aware of any bible verse that speaks of an "age of accountability" for infants and children, nor that they get a pass because they cannot make an informed choice to believe. I do know that Jesus said that we are not to prevent children (including infants) to come unto Him because theirs is the kingdom of heaven. So, there must be a way for God's saving grace to reach these humans with regeneration and faith even though their understanding is not yet mature enough to fully understand their need to be saved from sin and the content of the gospel. Jesus also said that only those born of water and the Spirit can come into the kingdom. So how does God apply this to infants and children should they die before this "age of accountability" if they are in a state of depravity, dead in sin, separated from God, and unregenerated?
These are very profound things to consider. I know I do not have all of the answers from a biblical perspective. But I do have my viewpoint based on what I do find in Scripture. And in so many ways, a viewpoint is really what any of us have as we search the Scriptures for answers and a mindset that is like that of God in Christ.
I will leave this post for now having brought up some matters that pertain to God's sovereign freedom of His will that is unconditioned by any source or action outside of Himself.
Really the transfiguration answers all these questions. These were in the case of Elijah someone translated who never died; and Moses someone who died but whose burial spot was hidden. Nonetheless; they conversed with each other and with Christ and in some way were made known to the 3 Apostles who saw it (Peter; James and John I believe).
One could argue that Samuel was truly brought up as he spoke the truth to Saul and the witch also seemed shocked. We also have Lazarus and the rich man in hades who also conversed along with Moses again from what I remember.
Finally; we have the saints under the altar in heaven asking how long until justice comes and they were told until their fellowservants deaths were complete. We also will rule and reign with Christ; David will be also there ruling as well and obviously in some way recognizable. We also can look to the conversation of John with a fellowservant (either an angel or a deceased believer) as further evidence.
I feel it is necessary to explore this subject based on first of all the fact that only saved people are in heaven. What is most important is their unique gifting and the fruit of their service as the real essence or meaning of recognition. The outer appearance of course and the old nature is what man sees dying in this present world as we all turn to dust; the fallen state of the soul also is destined for eternity in darkness and confusion. Having been conformed to His image brings uniqueness and meaningfulness to our eternal relationships there.
But the most important aspect of all is the glory of God in being gracious to whom He determines He will be gracious to and merciful to whom He chooses to be merciful to.
So, I will begin with this because this has been on my heart in all of this discussion.
I believe that all that God does concerning creation is to bring glory to Himself. In acting on all of the perfect attributes of His divine nature He not only glorifies Himself within the Trinity, but also displays His glory to all of creation and in all that He does in time and space (all that is outside of Himself).
In my post on His sovereign grace, I spoke of how He allowed sin to dome forth in creation and how He dealt with the angels who sinned and those who did not in the first rebellion of created beings towards God.
I think that most humans would agree that God's election of the angels He would not allow to sin in the rebellion and the damnation of the fallen ones is just and righteous. Most humans have no concern that God did not chose to redeem the fallen angels nor do most humans not question that God in His wisdom and sovereignty chose to elect more angels than not to remain sinless forever.
But when it comes to humanity, humans have more concern and humanitarian attitudes concerning God sovereignly choosing some to be elected to receive salvation and most of humanity not chosen by Him before the creation of the world. It is natural for us to feel concerned why God did not elect everyone, or that there are billions of people who will go into the lake of fire, since He is certainly capable of electing everyone and bringing all to salvation by grace, We can be disturbed by what He chose because we certainly would determine salvation to all instead of for some. This aspect of God's sovereignty baffles me, but I know that I must remember that we are His creatures and He is the Creator; that He is really more not like us than similar to us; cont. to part 3
It has been a busy week with plumbers, construction workers and electricians taking turns at the house. Plus, with the new baby in the house we are taking turns entertaining, holding, and helping her get to sleep until it is time for mom to feed her again.
I wanted to get back to you concerning the present conversation about regeneration, election, predestination, and salvation. This is such an important and worthwhile discussion for all believers.
First of all, we can each be so thankful to God for His sovereign grace towards us of which He saves us. We can be assured that we have been elected by God to receive all of the promises of complete redemption in His Son our Lord, Jesus Christ. So, in a very real way, we are on the other side looking back in time for us as we consider how God worked in our own lives to bring us to salvation. And that is a blessed place to be when considering this topic.
I wrote an entry today about God's sovereignty and His complete freedom in His will to bestow grace to those He would save.
If you read that you may see more of why I believe that regeneration (being born from above (jn, 3: 1-8) precedes us believing the gospel message and trusting Jesus for our salvation.
Tonight I wanted to itemize some terms that have been put forward in this thread and then exchange our views on what these terms mean biblically.
I think the best way to start is to discuss the condition of every human prior to the new birth. So, that term is often spoken of as human depravity.
Then we can speak about God's election from eternity past.
Foreknowing
Predestination,
Election
Then move on to how we come to faith in Jesus.
Calling
Regeneration,
Belief,
Repentance
Conversion
Redemption
Then we could speak about the great unmerited benefits God bestows on those who have become reborn
Hi, I enjoyed reading your discussion and have some further items I'd like to discuss. I think in my original discussion I shared or should have indicated that God is not lonely. Man was not created because God was lonely, I believe God has so much love to share is the reason or cause that He created mankind.
Man, being created in a physical and spiritual form, having ears, eyes, etc. however I don't believe God has these attributes because God was never created he always existed, no one or no thing ever created God. God didn't create himself, he always existed, that's why he said "I am, that I am" in the scripture. Notice in the scripture when God's name was asked, he didn't even provide His name, because it was, I believe too holy for man to hear let alone utter. You'd think if there was a God with this much power mankind would be scrambling to live right, yet that's not the reality for some, and yet to be a reality for "whosoever will." Again this displays God's goodness, God even gives man a free will choice to choose to accept Him.
"And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15 KJV
"What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose." Psalms 25:12 KJV
Yes brother you are right that God's purpose in creating mankind was to have somebody to share ... everything He has. Nobody likes to be alone, not even God himself. The way I have understood the whole story of God and man is:
God created us in His image and after His likeness. Usually the "in His image" is interpreted that people are similar to God in certain characteristics like love, freedom, sadness, joy, feelings, cleverness, creativity, etc. Some, like me, believe that God's external appearance is similar to ours. God has a head, hands, feet, mouth, ears, etc. Some other christians do not agree.
The "after His likeness" is usually interpreted that God made people in order to become like Him in character. So in the garden of Eden God was coming in the afternoons and was talking to Adam and Eve. In that way Adam and his wife would start knowing God and learn what God feels, what He thinks, what He considers right/wrong, fair/unfair and so in the holy state they were they would come closer to God eventually becoming like Him in character. But after their fall that procedure stopped and now people were following and becoming similar to somebody else, the satan. God offered us a way out of sin, but the whole story doesn't end here. We are given His spirit to produce a fruit, thus aquiring the characteristics of His character. This is the narrow road after His commandments.. And we know what God is like because Jesus told us and of course God's character shows in Christ who is God Himself.
But, if we will become something like little Gods, I don't really know, there are many objections to that.
And you are right again that we have to accept God's gift of salvation to be saved, it is not an automatic process for all people. You accept His offer and you are given it, you don't accept it and you are not be given it. And after we have been saved we have to walk all the way to the end to be given what we were promised, the salvation of our souls. GBU
Goliath's height according to the Septuagint was 4 cubits and a span. that makes him about 6 foot 9 (2.06m) which is a normal height for basketball players nowadays. As Jaz said in the past people were a lot smaller than today. A few years ago as I was visiting an archaeological museum, for the first time I noticed that the helmets of ancient warriors were very small thus indicating that people at that time were a lot smaller than today. A guy 6 foot 9 would seem to them like a high tree without any doubt. One time I stood infront of a guy who was 7 foot tall. I felt really really tiny.
Anyway, you wrote, "Angels have bodies and can attack us in our surroundings outside of our bodies, they can hurt us on the outside but they cannot possess our body, I can testify to that I have had personal confrontations with both, that is something I pray I do not have to go through again but if so, my Lord will be there with me as He was then"
Do you mean that the angels of God can attack a human. Why? What for? They are supposed to protect us, not harm us. Would you like to write a bit more about those confrontations you mentioned? Unless you wouldn't like to remember them again. GBU
Sara was the spouse of Abraham. God willed a new name to accord her as the Mother of many nations where faith establishes her place in the everlasting covenant.
First we shall take up the new name given to Sarah which merits our attention. She typifies the Sister-spouse conundrum as Eve was taken out Adam and also typifies the Bride the church, so she is created after the likeness of Jesus Christ. So she has her own place as Abraham in the everlasting covenant. Notice the emphasis on 'indeed' in the verse quoted below. "Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him."(v.19). She as sister was counted as the mother of many nations.She is also a hero of faith and listed accordingly in the list of heroes of faith.(He.11;11-12). She as spouse also has a role, "and she shall be a mother of nations" (v.16) "Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord:."(1 Pe.3:6)
She stands in comparison with Hagar her handmaid. " For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman./But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise." (Gal.4:21-22) Of the seed of Abraham Sarah is the mother of those born after the Spirit. Faith is what required of them. Whereas for those born after the flesh, the rite of circumcision is a sign. So we shall come to the covenant with Abraham with regards to 'thy seed' " which is compared to, "And as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable." When the beast arises out of the sea we know that it is associated with the end times. "And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea,"(Re.13:1)
With regards to Ishamael God had already determined his role so the Angel of the Lord counsels her," Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.: ( Ge. 15:9; 21:12-13)
He is the highest of High, the Best of all, the Supreme Being over all others. Highest in magnitude, Greatest of all that exists.
There is no one Holy like the Lord. He is above and beyond all creation in glory, majesty, beauty, perfect in every way. He stands alone as the only God that exists and is to be worshipped whole-heartedly because He is worthy to receive all of our adoration and praise. All of His creation bows to Him as their Maker, Sustainer, Provider, and Life Source.
We should have a high view of God, esteeming Him more than anything that our heart could love. We should be awed by His glorious Presence as was the case of Isaiah when he saw the Lord in His heavenly temple (IS. 6) exalted and praised by all of the heavenly beings. Someday we will see His face and we will be stunned, amazed, enthralled, and overflowing with joy by His countenance displayed for us to behold.
Even though God is superlative and highly exalted, we know that He humbled Himself to become human like us through the divine Son. Jesus is Emmanuel (God with us) and while on earth He was approachable, humble, and ordinary to mankind. But within the human body of Jesus divinity shared in humanity. We cannot even comprehend the greatest humility of all beings Jesus took on when He left His Father to incarnate in human flesh to save us.
When we see Jesus in eternity He will be the most glorious being we will ever behold. We will see His divinity and His glorified humanity completely unveiled and be amazed by Him.
I am so looking forward to this! Whereas in His earthly life He was not highly esteemed, nor seen as beautiful, but in His glory, He will be incomparable and unparalleled in glory and majesty. We will see Him as He truly iis eternally and superlatively.
May God in His sovereign mercy lead us into truth as we search the scriptures. Praying constantly that God might open our understanding as we compare scripture with scripture applying the principles that God Himself lays down in His Word.
"Freewill" relative to salvation is not taught in the Bible. God does all the work in accordance with His Will, not our will.
Romans 9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
Ephesians 1
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. 7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Ephesians 2
1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
I agree God's angels work in our protection but there are angels on the side of Satan as we see in Daniel 10, battles go on that we do not see and this will continue until Satan and his angels are cast out of heaven to earth permanently, in Revelation 12.
In the Bible, we see the possessions of people are done by devils/demons, or unclean spirits, Mark 5:1-5 Mark 16:9 Matthew 15:22, and others, as in Matthew 8 there was a legion of them in two men and they asked Jesus to cast them into pigs.
I understand rebelling or fallen angels wreak havoc and cause division they will influence, entice, and persuade, people. My understanding is they cannot continue to possess someone, and we will have spiritual battles Ephesians 6:12. I have seen possession of someone, and I had a being lay across me in bed when I awoke it looked like a burlap cloth and its hand over my face. I was able to free my mouth and only said Jesus and it was snatched up and was gone. I can only say it had a body and it was large.
This was in the 90s and during a time when these things happened, I started reading my Bible again and during this time I was saved. My wife and I went to several different churches and in one church the youth group went to an assisted living where my wife worked. She had gotten close to one of the ladies.
My wife was not there when the youth group went on a Saturday, that Sunday the lady over the youth group was telling the church about their visit and said a woman died while they were there. She described it as peaceful, and they were praying. She said the name of the lady and it was the lady my wife was close to, me and my wife both heard the woman say this.
My wife was upset so we left and went by the assisted living and that lady, or no one died. I talked to the preacher, he asked many of the church and no one heard the woman say that this woman died while they were there, we never went back to that church. There were other things.
God bless,
RLW
"But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year."
God having explained covenant according to the flesh contrasts what it meant as a covenant according to the Law of the Spirit entailed. The Spirit of the everlasting Covenant places Isaac as the heir of promise and not Ishmael. The word "But" reinforces the superlative merit of the blessings conferred on the man in his Son who is his 'only begotten Son. The sign of the Word augurs his everlasting life and blessings of the Son on whom God has from testified,"And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."(Matt.3:17)
"And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou art with child and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy affliction." God named indeed Ishamael but his testimony did not come from God as with his Son. According to the flesh his testimony came from his brethren, "And he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren" as the Angel of the Lord forewarned Hagar. (16:11-12).
God left off talking with Abraham after promising him Isaac as the heir of promise. " Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year" is the seed in itself planted by God. The everlasting covenant under day three is not stating vegetation as part of the covenant but the word of God. The tree of life or tree of righteousness is merely a sign. "And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so." (1:11)
We know the seed requites time to show the kind of tree it shall become. It is what we see in the life of Isaac who totally obeyed God. "And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of."(Ge.26:1-6) "And Isaac dwelt in Gerar."
"For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love" (Gal.5:6). Circumcision availeth nothing where God's breath in is has shown us the way. We are to worship him in Spirit and truth. "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live."(Ro.8:13)
"And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised"
The seven days in the Covenant refer to the Day that God has appointed for the Son. So of what significance is the eighth day. While the command number Seven signifies completion or whole we have the lower parts where Jesus went in Spirit and preached to the souls in prison. The Psalm of David does not leave the lower parts from God's providential eye. "My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth./Thine eyes did see my substance," (Ps.139:15-16). The number Eight has its relevance. The body of four and twenty elders is a memorial ibefore the throne of heaven (8x3). Covenant in short of the flesh shows the way to the life in the Spirit. It is what Jesus offered the nation of Israel."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."( John 7:37)
"And my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant."
What is the purpose of the covenant but concord between two equal parties? Fellowship of God, between the Father and Son is treated as an accord; Both parties being Spirit the Man component on one part does not affect the covenant and it is understood the aspect of flesh on the part of the Son does not affect the other entity. "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,/To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved."(Ep.1:5-6). Good pleasure of his will is in harmony with the holiness of God. Holy is his name, to which we shall come anon. Here we are fixing the relevance of flesh in the World of the Spirit where faith is the language. The world unseen and the worlds made to appear have their own colour and speech. We can explain the nature of flesh in terms of the Word which was God.
The word is both sound and a sign. When God sends the Son he is qualified as the only begotten Son meaning that he is a sign and the Son of man consequently explains the Man component which was with God in the beginning.. In v.7 God tells Abraham, "And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.". "And to thy seed after thee" is done after he changed the name of Abraham to mean the Father of many nations. So the question of Ishmael born of the bondswoman has to be settled. This 'illicit' union between two parties of unequal position is now being regularised in the covenant. The change of name makes it holy, to be precise. The circumcision as a sign has only validity as much as their flesh is concerned. It is similar to infant baptism, where parents intercede on behalf of the child.
And to also consider the other mystery, of which you addressed: what about the infants, the mentally/physically infirmed, or those who've never heard of Jesus - what is their state before God? Though not clearly revealed to us, except for possible snapshots, we can only entrust these souls to a Merciful God, Who makes no mistakes to the right outcome for all & we do our part to give them every opportunity to hear & respond, if they can. And this has spurred many to go to far-off unreached people groups, hazarding their lives (some having lost theirs), so that others might have an opportunity to hear of God's Love & Forgiveness, & of renewed changed lives.
So, I've tried to address at least most of your points here GiGi; but in relation to your subject, "God's sovereign freedom of His will that is unconditioned by any source or action outside of Himself", I agree that God is Sovereign in every situation & His Will will be performed, but could we also say that His Sovereign Will can only be declared/seen when all His Attributes (some of which are His Mercy, Love, Foreknowledge, Longsuffering, the Gift of Himself in Jesus) must combine together to form that Sovereign Will? Or, is His Will separate from His other Attributes? Something to consider, I think. Blessings & thank you for provoking our thoughts.
So, we have the mystery here: did those at Mars Hill who believed Paul, repent while still unsaved, or were they under the conviction of the Holy Spirit, or were they regenerated first so they could repent & believe? From the order you gave, I note that you've written 'Regeneration before Belief, Repentance, Conversion, & Redemption'. Whereas, my order would be, Repentance, Belief, Redemption/Regeneration/Conversion. And as stated elsewhere, my understanding of Regeneration is synonymous with Re-birth. So if one is regenerated before believing & repentance, then why the need for believing & repentance, for he has already been given re-birth & converted?
As far as the creation, the holiness, & the rebellion of some angels are considered, like many things in the Word, it's simply not possible to form hard & fast views & beliefs. But in regard to humanity, as you stated, "Some (humans) to be elected to receive salvation and most of humanity not chosen by Him before the creation of the world", places our understanding at a different level pertaining to angels. If what you believe is truth, then it would be wrong for God to relegate most of humanity, not chosen by Him, to an eternal hell. Why? Because those unfortunate people will have to suffer because God ordained them to suffer. How then does such a belief stand against the Scriptures that say that He is not willing that any should perish? Because He has willed that many will perish. To me this would be incredibly baffling, making God to be an ogre, indiscriminately saving some, causing others of His creation to perish. This I can't accept or reconcile in any other way, than stated elsewhere: that the Gospel comes to all, for all are sinners - what we do as sinners in response, in concert with the Holy Spirit working in the life so touched, fits all the Scriptures much better and makes the preaching of the Gospel all the more necessary & timely (at least the apostles regarded it so).
Onto Page 3.
Thank you GiGi for your thought-provoking comments here, as also on the Character Traits of God, now His Sovereignty & being Superlative. So, to continue here.
Going through your list of mankind's condition before God & God's Work towards man's renewal, I will list those, & other points, with verse(s), & in the order that I understand them.
a. Man's total depravity ( Romans 3:9,10,23).
b. God's Love & Mercy for all sinners ( John 3:16: 'loved the World' of sinners, not only the Elect; 2 Peter 3:9: 'God suffers long, not willing that any (all sinners) should perish'.
c. God's Foreknowledge, Predestination, Calling, Justification, Glorification ( Romans 8:29,30: Paul shares this order pertaining to believers, where the logic is, if God foreknew those who would be His, it is understood that He also knew those who would reject Him). And through His Knowledge, God chose us before the foundation of the world to be holy & blameless people ( Ephesians 1:4).
To what have we been predestined to? To be conformed to His Son's Image (v29), according to God's Purpose ( Ephesians 1:11), & to be adopted into His Family ( Ephesians 1:5).
Calling. Various types of Calling given in the Bible, but pertaining to salvation: 1 Peter 2:9, 'having called us out of darkness (our sinful state without God) into His marvellous light (our forgiven state with God & His Son). Do we then just transition from darkness to light without a work of God the Spirit in us? And it is to this point that our discussions have focussed. Paul in Romans 8 is speaking to believers, so the matter of repentance wasn't mentioned, but may have been implied here.
However, Paul in Acts 17 spoke to the idolatrous Athenians, 'that God calls on all men everywhere to repent'. And here we read that unregenerate men were called to repentance. Continued on Page 2.
I have covered this topic before but wanted to explore the "commonality" issue as well between these two states. It is sobering to think that the son of perdition; Judas Iscariot himself was so burdened by his betrayal of a "righteous man" that he hung himself. There are a lot of things we can learn from this. He obviously used to his advantage the notoriety of Christ to pilfer moneys that may have been donated anonymously; and perhaps even followed along feeling that it earned him prestige to be able to see such miracles in the presence of Jesus and the other Apostles. Even the enemy of our souls isn't so stupid as to try to directly attack Christ or go beyond what he is granted; but will lead the world to attack Christ at His return. Pride is what causes a fall; in Judas' case; he could have been like Peter and wept because he abandoned Christ; or like the thief on the cross who made a last minute plea at the site of his death a short time later. Pride it would seem kept Judas from confessing his sin to the rest of the Disciples; or asking God for forgiveness. It is possible that he genuinely felt bad for seeing the suffering that was inflicted on Christ from a human level or perspective. Many professing Christians may not even have such emotions that they should about Christ's suffering as a man.
We all; of course to be saved have to have Godly sorrow which takes into account God's Holiness and Christ being the Son of God; part of the Godhead and what He had to condescend to and suffer more than any other in our behalf. It is LOVE that brings us to true repentance; where His Spirit testifies with our spirit that we are children of God. In that sense then it is the only way we can truly love ourselves; because we recognize it is He who lives in us. He grants us life before we can ever be made righteous. We all should feel SOMETHING emotionally as a response but only He can free us from ourselves.
Agape.
Anyway I got away for a few days and am starting to get info how to proceed with my mom who is at least open to consideration but there are things she has to do such as be real with her doctors and get references for further treatments and be willing to spend money on it. I appreciate your prayers for me as well.
Glad also you are pushing ahead with my abandoned idea of going through letters of the alphabet on God's character. Shows you are more committed than I to things I am scatterbrained and I guess didn't want to commit to that after all.
There is one burning issue that I want to address with that subject and that is how serious unbelief is; and also how important it is that we exhort people that they pursue whatever it is they recognize of a righteous God; and to see Christ's Holiness and our need to heed His voice. I have voiced this often and am sure you agree that the STATE of sin or root in the heart is the core of the issue; particular sins just a symptom. The same could be said of GOOD fruit; evidences that most people will see of Christ is in believers who are living out what they believe. That is also a "symptom" if I can use that word of a pure heart; and those who it is reaching are uncomfortable (we are like the castor oil of the spiritual dimension). Our display of Christ in our hearts should be drawing all men to Himself. Not the case in today's lukewarm church most of the time.
It is hard to be balanced I suppose we could appeal to Deut. 29:29 every time we can't understand something. As with anything else these doctrines should help illuminate God's character and man's state but a lot of times and often on this site it seems an issue bogs people down and could be used by the enemy to take focus away from the Great Commission.
Agape.
Pt. 3
His wisdom and counsel is beyond our ability to know and understand; and that we are to submit ourselves to His sovereignty in all these things and trust in Him as truly good, loving, gracious, and merciful. His reasons for choosing as He has are mysterious to us, but in perfect harmony with His nature. And these choices are really His business to act on and not ours to criticize.
I often think that if one must chose to believe the gospel, then what happens to those who have not heard, are too young to understand, or too impaired to discern it, too deaf to hear it, etc. Are all of these damned? I am not aware of any bible verse that speaks of an "age of accountability" for infants and children, nor that they get a pass because they cannot make an informed choice to believe. I do know that Jesus said that we are not to prevent children (including infants) to come unto Him because theirs is the kingdom of heaven. So, there must be a way for God's saving grace to reach these humans with regeneration and faith even though their understanding is not yet mature enough to fully understand their need to be saved from sin and the content of the gospel. Jesus also said that only those born of water and the Spirit can come into the kingdom. So how does God apply this to infants and children should they die before this "age of accountability" if they are in a state of depravity, dead in sin, separated from God, and unregenerated?
These are very profound things to consider. I know I do not have all of the answers from a biblical perspective. But I do have my viewpoint based on what I do find in Scripture. And in so many ways, a viewpoint is really what any of us have as we search the Scriptures for answers and a mindset that is like that of God in Christ.
I will leave this post for now having brought up some matters that pertain to God's sovereign freedom of His will that is unconditioned by any source or action outside of Himself.
Have a good day in Aus.
One could argue that Samuel was truly brought up as he spoke the truth to Saul and the witch also seemed shocked. We also have Lazarus and the rich man in hades who also conversed along with Moses again from what I remember.
Finally; we have the saints under the altar in heaven asking how long until justice comes and they were told until their fellowservants deaths were complete. We also will rule and reign with Christ; David will be also there ruling as well and obviously in some way recognizable. We also can look to the conversation of John with a fellowservant (either an angel or a deceased believer) as further evidence.
I feel it is necessary to explore this subject based on first of all the fact that only saved people are in heaven. What is most important is their unique gifting and the fruit of their service as the real essence or meaning of recognition. The outer appearance of course and the old nature is what man sees dying in this present world as we all turn to dust; the fallen state of the soul also is destined for eternity in darkness and confusion. Having been conformed to His image brings uniqueness and meaningfulness to our eternal relationships there.
Hope this helps.
Agape; Rich P
Pt. 2
But the most important aspect of all is the glory of God in being gracious to whom He determines He will be gracious to and merciful to whom He chooses to be merciful to.
So, I will begin with this because this has been on my heart in all of this discussion.
I believe that all that God does concerning creation is to bring glory to Himself. In acting on all of the perfect attributes of His divine nature He not only glorifies Himself within the Trinity, but also displays His glory to all of creation and in all that He does in time and space (all that is outside of Himself).
In my post on His sovereign grace, I spoke of how He allowed sin to dome forth in creation and how He dealt with the angels who sinned and those who did not in the first rebellion of created beings towards God.
I think that most humans would agree that God's election of the angels He would not allow to sin in the rebellion and the damnation of the fallen ones is just and righteous. Most humans have no concern that God did not chose to redeem the fallen angels nor do most humans not question that God in His wisdom and sovereignty chose to elect more angels than not to remain sinless forever.
But when it comes to humanity, humans have more concern and humanitarian attitudes concerning God sovereignly choosing some to be elected to receive salvation and most of humanity not chosen by Him before the creation of the world. It is natural for us to feel concerned why God did not elect everyone, or that there are billions of people who will go into the lake of fire, since He is certainly capable of electing everyone and bringing all to salvation by grace, We can be disturbed by what He chose because we certainly would determine salvation to all instead of for some. This aspect of God's sovereignty baffles me, but I know that I must remember that we are His creatures and He is the Creator; that He is really more not like us than similar to us; cont. to part 3
It has been a busy week with plumbers, construction workers and electricians taking turns at the house. Plus, with the new baby in the house we are taking turns entertaining, holding, and helping her get to sleep until it is time for mom to feed her again.
I wanted to get back to you concerning the present conversation about regeneration, election, predestination, and salvation. This is such an important and worthwhile discussion for all believers.
First of all, we can each be so thankful to God for His sovereign grace towards us of which He saves us. We can be assured that we have been elected by God to receive all of the promises of complete redemption in His Son our Lord, Jesus Christ. So, in a very real way, we are on the other side looking back in time for us as we consider how God worked in our own lives to bring us to salvation. And that is a blessed place to be when considering this topic.
I wrote an entry today about God's sovereignty and His complete freedom in His will to bestow grace to those He would save.
If you read that you may see more of why I believe that regeneration (being born from above (jn, 3: 1-8) precedes us believing the gospel message and trusting Jesus for our salvation.
Tonight I wanted to itemize some terms that have been put forward in this thread and then exchange our views on what these terms mean biblically.
I think the best way to start is to discuss the condition of every human prior to the new birth. So, that term is often spoken of as human depravity.
Then we can speak about God's election from eternity past.
Foreknowing
Predestination,
Election
Then move on to how we come to faith in Jesus.
Calling
Regeneration,
Belief,
Repentance
Conversion
Redemption
Then we could speak about the great unmerited benefits God bestows on those who have become reborn
forgiveness of sins
justification
adoption as children of God
sanctification
glorification
John 20:28-29.
Revelation 1:8.
Man, being created in a physical and spiritual form, having ears, eyes, etc. however I don't believe God has these attributes because God was never created he always existed, no one or no thing ever created God. God didn't create himself, he always existed, that's why he said "I am, that I am" in the scripture. Notice in the scripture when God's name was asked, he didn't even provide His name, because it was, I believe too holy for man to hear let alone utter. You'd think if there was a God with this much power mankind would be scrambling to live right, yet that's not the reality for some, and yet to be a reality for "whosoever will." Again this displays God's goodness, God even gives man a free will choice to choose to accept Him.
"And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15 KJV
"What man is he that feareth the LORD? him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose." Psalms 25:12 KJV
(will share more discussion later)
Yes brother you are right that God's purpose in creating mankind was to have somebody to share ... everything He has. Nobody likes to be alone, not even God himself. The way I have understood the whole story of God and man is:
God created us in His image and after His likeness. Usually the "in His image" is interpreted that people are similar to God in certain characteristics like love, freedom, sadness, joy, feelings, cleverness, creativity, etc. Some, like me, believe that God's external appearance is similar to ours. God has a head, hands, feet, mouth, ears, etc. Some other christians do not agree.
The "after His likeness" is usually interpreted that God made people in order to become like Him in character. So in the garden of Eden God was coming in the afternoons and was talking to Adam and Eve. In that way Adam and his wife would start knowing God and learn what God feels, what He thinks, what He considers right/wrong, fair/unfair and so in the holy state they were they would come closer to God eventually becoming like Him in character. But after their fall that procedure stopped and now people were following and becoming similar to somebody else, the satan. God offered us a way out of sin, but the whole story doesn't end here. We are given His spirit to produce a fruit, thus aquiring the characteristics of His character. This is the narrow road after His commandments.. And we know what God is like because Jesus told us and of course God's character shows in Christ who is God Himself.
But, if we will become something like little Gods, I don't really know, there are many objections to that.
And you are right again that we have to accept God's gift of salvation to be saved, it is not an automatic process for all people. You accept His offer and you are given it, you don't accept it and you are not be given it. And after we have been saved we have to walk all the way to the end to be given what we were promised, the salvation of our souls. GBU
Goliath's height according to the Septuagint was 4 cubits and a span. that makes him about 6 foot 9 (2.06m) which is a normal height for basketball players nowadays. As Jaz said in the past people were a lot smaller than today. A few years ago as I was visiting an archaeological museum, for the first time I noticed that the helmets of ancient warriors were very small thus indicating that people at that time were a lot smaller than today. A guy 6 foot 9 would seem to them like a high tree without any doubt. One time I stood infront of a guy who was 7 foot tall. I felt really really tiny.
Anyway, you wrote, "Angels have bodies and can attack us in our surroundings outside of our bodies, they can hurt us on the outside but they cannot possess our body, I can testify to that I have had personal confrontations with both, that is something I pray I do not have to go through again but if so, my Lord will be there with me as He was then"
Do you mean that the angels of God can attack a human. Why? What for? They are supposed to protect us, not harm us. Would you like to write a bit more about those confrontations you mentioned? Unless you wouldn't like to remember them again. GBU
Sara was the spouse of Abraham. God willed a new name to accord her as the Mother of many nations where faith establishes her place in the everlasting covenant.
First we shall take up the new name given to Sarah which merits our attention. She typifies the Sister-spouse conundrum as Eve was taken out Adam and also typifies the Bride the church, so she is created after the likeness of Jesus Christ. So she has her own place as Abraham in the everlasting covenant. Notice the emphasis on 'indeed' in the verse quoted below. "Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him."(v.19). She as sister was counted as the mother of many nations.She is also a hero of faith and listed accordingly in the list of heroes of faith.(He.11;11-12). She as spouse also has a role, "and she shall be a mother of nations" (v.16) "Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord:."(1 Pe.3:6)
She stands in comparison with Hagar her handmaid. " For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman./But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise." (Gal.4:21-22) Of the seed of Abraham Sarah is the mother of those born after the Spirit. Faith is what required of them. Whereas for those born after the flesh, the rite of circumcision is a sign. So we shall come to the covenant with Abraham with regards to 'thy seed' " which is compared to, "And as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable." When the beast arises out of the sea we know that it is associated with the end times. "And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea,"(Re.13:1)
With regards to Ishamael God had already determined his role so the Angel of the Lord counsels her," Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands.: ( Ge. 15:9; 21:12-13)
God is SUPERLATIVE
He is the highest of High, the Best of all, the Supreme Being over all others. Highest in magnitude, Greatest of all that exists.
There is no one Holy like the Lord. He is above and beyond all creation in glory, majesty, beauty, perfect in every way. He stands alone as the only God that exists and is to be worshipped whole-heartedly because He is worthy to receive all of our adoration and praise. All of His creation bows to Him as their Maker, Sustainer, Provider, and Life Source.
We should have a high view of God, esteeming Him more than anything that our heart could love. We should be awed by His glorious Presence as was the case of Isaiah when he saw the Lord in His heavenly temple (IS. 6) exalted and praised by all of the heavenly beings. Someday we will see His face and we will be stunned, amazed, enthralled, and overflowing with joy by His countenance displayed for us to behold.
Even though God is superlative and highly exalted, we know that He humbled Himself to become human like us through the divine Son. Jesus is Emmanuel (God with us) and while on earth He was approachable, humble, and ordinary to mankind. But within the human body of Jesus divinity shared in humanity. We cannot even comprehend the greatest humility of all beings Jesus took on when He left His Father to incarnate in human flesh to save us.
When we see Jesus in eternity He will be the most glorious being we will ever behold. We will see His divinity and His glorified humanity completely unveiled and be amazed by Him.
I am so looking forward to this! Whereas in His earthly life He was not highly esteemed, nor seen as beautiful, but in His glory, He will be incomparable and unparalleled in glory and majesty. We will see Him as He truly iis eternally and superlatively.