See,in my view,what matters and prevails is the Word of our GOD. First of all, the Word is GOD-Jo.1:1-,self-executing/self-executable, great mystery, well, it's the Power.As we all know, the Word was made flesh,i.e. materialized in human form exactly according the EXPRESS IMAGE(is written in the Bible,in the book of the Lord)of the Person of GOD-Heb.1:3;Phil.2:6-11 combined with Col.1:15-19,among other references,and the NAME that the Person of GOD chose for He Himself was JESUS/YESHUA Mat 1:20-21
By the way,JESUS has Genealogia,He is the stone which was set at nought of you builders(the Jews),which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other NAME UNDER HEAVEN given among MEN, whereby we must be saved- Acts 4:11-12-EXCEPT JESUS/YESHUA.(NOTE:Adonai,Jehovah,Yahweh,HaShem,Yehovah,Elohim,Yahusha, YEHshia,YEHvah has nothing to do with salvation or for salvation),neither for to bow before this colection of"God pseudonyme"
Concerning the person of the Holy Spirit,who is like our Lord JESUS- Revelation 1:12-13, in fact he is unknown as a person, mainly because he has no Genealogy as JESUS has, without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days,nor end of life;but made like unto the Son of God;abides a priest continually,something after the similitude of Melchisedec
It's a profound mystery-1Cor.2:9-11&7
9 But as it is written,Eye hath not seen,nor ear heard,neither have entered into the heart of man,the things which GOD has prepared for them that love him
10 But GOD hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit:for the Spirit searches all things,yea, the deep things of GOD
11 For what man knoweth the things of a man,save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of GOD knows no man,but the Spirit of GOD
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery,even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory
Dear Ronald, Jesus is the way, the life and the truth. His divinity and his coming in the flesh inThe likeness of man is the Gospel that matters. One side of the message alone is not enough to preach salvation. I can believe that some can find salvation with part of the message though.
First, I ask your forgiveness, and say the KJV is one of the most trustworthy English translations, but they are not perfect. When we study pray, and the Holy Spirit will give us understanding, we can trust the Holy Spirit will lead and teach us because the Spirit is truth, 1 John 5:6 do not doubt that. Believe the Scripture by being led by the Holy Spirit, not the traditions of man.
(Milk, then meat) it is a lifelong walk, and some answers will not be known but the one answer that matters is Jesus is the way.
John's gospel, his letters, and Revelation have one thing in common, to show and give evidence that Jesus is the Christ/Messiah, the only begotten Son of God who the Father sent, and in Him is life, our salvation, eternal life. Acts 4:11-12 The Father sent the Son John 4:34John 5:30John 6:29 Jesus came down from heaven to do the will of the Father John 6:38.
Jesus came out from God John 16:27 Jesus is the beginning of creation Rev. 3:14 Before Mary could touch Him, He said I ascend unto my Father, and to my God John 20:17 John's writings are full of who Jesus was, is, and will be.
What I posted was not a lie, it is a fact, maybe I should not have posted it on an open forum like this. I wanted to inspire the study, searching for the truth, and not causing doubt. It touches on a subject that many consider non-discussable, the Trinity doctrine.
This is from my heart; this doctrine has been placed equal to the gospel of Jesus. In many Churches, you are not saved and are not a Christian if you do not believe and confess this doctrine. Does the Church have the authority to say this?
Is there any Scripture that says our salvation is dependent on this doctrine that was 400 years after the Scriptures we have? Was it even discussed by Peter, John, Paul, or in any of the letters we have? I'll leave it there.
22 The glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in One; and that THE WORLD MAY KNOW that thou hast sent me, and hast loved THEM, as thou hast loved me.
This union is a very difficult work to accomplish, but for our GOD nothing is impossible
It's wonderful to hear you are taking loving care of your parents, that takes a lot of effort on your part. You will receive many blessings from God, as He asks us to specifically do this Exodus 20:1 "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee."
I understand your trials/tribulations and caring for your family members. You have my respect, as I know first hand how trying this is, my wife and I cared for her parents until they passed. One had Alzheimer's, the other overall poor health. I truly believe that lots of prayer will help to provide you with the continued support for dealing with this life issue.
It sounds to me that you are continuing to pursue the goal of overcoming sin in your life which is what God wants us to do. Yes, I agree, This is what Paul was working on and struggling with, and if it wasn't "important " he would not have been focused so much on it! One of the points I was making in my original post on this topic was: Many Christian's continue to tell themselves and others that they can never stop sinning. I feel this is a defeatist attitude! We stop ourselves before we can even get started. Nothing that is worthwhile accomplishing in life can be mastered or completed successfully - if we continually tell ourselves - we can't.
In an effort to understand how one group can continue to live sinful worldly lives, while ignoring some or all of God's Commandments and scripture, while telling themselves and others that they can never stop sinning, and believe still - they will receive salvation.
Personally, I wish there were more Christian's encouraging each other to stop sinning, and how to get there constructively, rather than resigning to living a sinful and worldly life that does not agree with the scripture.
24 I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules. 28 You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God. Ezekiel 36:24-28
When we think that we do anything to contribute to our salvation we fool our self's, it is the Lord who brings and cleans us, it is the lord who separates us from our idols. It he God who gives us the new hearts, and removes our stoney heart. He puts his spirit in us, which now causes us to walk in his commands. He is the cause and our obedience is the effect. Do not stop striving against sin, but remember Christ, who paid it all. While we wait for the Lords return , we trust him and grow in submission. Purposefully, to the Glory of our Saviour Jesus Christ, our God.
Father we Praise you this day for all that you say you will do for those in Christ. Those who belong to you as children. Those who submit to your will as servants of righteousness. Since you are the one who begins the work, oh Lord help us trust you to finish it and not in our self's So that all will know all glory belongs to you.
I agree that obedience to God by following His commandments is what we are to do as believers and it does take work and will to do so. But this effort and will is not all of our own strength. We cooperate and submit ourselves to the work and power of the Holy Spirit in us. This is the only way that we are made holy and are made to be Christlike. The Spirit gives us the strength and power to say no to what is wrong and more so to say yes to what is right and good. I do not denigrate the importance of obedience to the commands of our Lord. I rejoice in them and it is a blessing for me to do what Jesus told us to do. What is good and right from the heart with gratitude will always make us more like Jesus and make us fit for the eternal life that we enter after this mortal life is over.
Paul was responding to things that had been said by others to subvert the truth and cause anxiety concerning the return of Jesus. People were saying the return was imminent and would happen even right then. Thus, Satan was seeking to cause undue and inordinate anxiety among the new converts to where they might be preoccupied with their own souls so much that they would not reach out to others with the message of salvation. Today, many are still taken with this preocccupation with the "any moment" return of Jesus, which Paul said was not part of his message, but rather that that Day would not come until there was "a falling away first (people leaving the faith) and the man of sin is revealed." Therefore, as believers we can see the signs of the end play out and observe the gradual progression toward a day of firm expectation of the then imminent return of Jesus after many signs written in the Bible well ahead of time have happened. Thus "you are not in darkness that that Day should ovetake you as a thief." should be the quiet and faithful testimonial of every Christian believer after they shall have learned the word of God on this subject.
When we talk about the nature of God and the "God Head" we are walking on very holy ground and we must recognize that our finite peanut minds cannot sort this out. We must accept by faith what the Bible declares about God Himself and not try to go beyond that.
We know from the Bible that God the Father is Eternal God Himself; that the Lord Jesus Christ is Eternal God Himself; that the Holy Spirit is Eternal God Himself. And we know that there is only ONE God.
We know that when Christ, Eternal God Himself, paid for the sins of all whom He saves, He endured the Wrath of God Himself and actually DIED as God Himself, as their substitute. And God describes his character and attributes throughout the Bible in many many ways. All of which are absolutely true.
How can all this be?
So again, our finite minds cannot sort this out and "explain" God. And when we think we have it is a certainty that we have not. We read what God declares about Himself and must accept it by faith.
And I Chris, find no Biblical support for your understanding of the Salvation of Old Testament Believers.
What you have said is not supported when comparing scripture with scripture throughout the WHOLE Bible. And your understanding does not address the many verses I have quoted regarding this subject and stems, I believe and am sorry to say, from a failure to recognize that that the Bible Alone and in its Entirety is, in fact, the ONE TRUE GODPEL OF SALVATION.
When you say that the Holy Spirit was not active in Salvation during the OT you are in essence saying that God was not active in Salvation.
When you say that the there was some efficacy toward Salvation in the sacrifices of the OT it is like saying that there is some efficacy in water baptism during the Church Age toward Salvation. And that is a Gospel of Grace plus Works which CANNOT save.
Noah was a sinner, just like everyone that God saves during the NT. "But Noah found GRACE in the eyes of the LORD." Genesis 6:8; just like every True Believer throughout the history of the world. And when Noah died physically, his body returned to the dust and he went to be with Christ in Heaven in his soul existence, just like every True Believer throughout the history of the world. He did not go to a place called Hades. Why? Because God had given him a new Resurrected Soul when God saved him, just like every True Believer throughout the history of the world. And the basis for Noah's Salvation was the Atonement of Christ, God Himself, Just like every true believer throughout the history of the world.
So once again, Chris, there is one and only one Salvation. One and only one True Gospel. And that gospel is circumscribed by the Bible ALONE and it's ENTIRETY.
Thanks David0921. I guess we'll have to leave this one as I simply cannot reconcile what you suggest takes place when an OT believer 'becomes saved'. I however, do agree that Christ's Death did apply to all who turned to God (& His Son) in faith (pre & post Cross), but I fail to understand how an OT believer can become born again when they were alive & operating under the Old Covenant. They could certainly await that day when God would apply the merits of the Cross upon their lives (if they even knew about such an event), but in their day, every OT person/believer was kept bound to that Covenant of Law that gave no present hope, but only looking expectantly to the future. Could one even be born again without the Work & subsequent indwelling of the Holy Spirit? That's too much for me to accept from my readings of the Word. Thank you again for your input.
Shaunm1963 , great post , thanks so much for sharing that . My great great grandad was a Methodist minister . I am not but I do know a few and they seem to be on the ball , I hope it goes well for you there , if it doesn't , please remember that you yourself are a miniature temple :) . Come back and let us know how it goes please . May God bless you and keep you close to Him , through Christ our Sinless Redeemer .
Why did hide the treu original torah the official word in the book of daniel that spore about this anoinded one who was cutt off it has nothing with the New testament this anoinded was eliminated in the times of greek mightied army during the revolth of the maccabee
Dear Bro Dan , I agree with everything you said in response to me . There's just one problem , try as I might I can't stop sinning ! Ok , so I'm not a murderer or a thief , I've never been a jealous person , I help to look after my atheist and aggressive alcoholic parents , for no earthly reward and without grudging , I only drink a small amount of alcohol , I never refuse to give to anyone who asks from me , I've visited people in prison , I've given away clothes , I've taken in homeless people , I do all kinds for my mother in law who doesn't like me much :) , I could go on . Despite all of this I'm still a sinner . 100 per cent sinful flesh . I'm happily married with one aging cat . I'm not poor but definitely not rich either , I have everything I could ever want or need and most importantly I belive in the Holy One of Israel and His Son , which means I try very hard not to worry about or get too entangled in the things of this life but , I still sin . I still think bad thoughts about people sometimes . That's a sin and I still do it . There are others . The day that I'm not a sinner will be the day that I die . Being sinless isn't about obeying the law . It's about having Christ in your heart 24/7 and behaving exactly as he did . It's about having a pure heart , being only good at all times in spite of the provocations and temptations of this life . If keeping the law made us sinless we wouldn't need Christ . Keeping rules doesn't give us the Spirit of Truth , that's about love and faith , unwavering 100 percent and 24/7 . I try every day and I fail every day . In this life , I shall always fall short of the standard of Christ , that doesn't mean that I don't try , I do , every single day for about 29 years now . I believe that every Christian tries every day . We shall be perfect when we are no longer bound by this world and our sinful flesh . We shall be like him then . Clean and pure because of our faith and the way that we have behaved because of our faith.
Some bits of history and corections about the city of Thessalonika, the place I was born and grew up.
Thessalonica is actualy about 150 km west of Philippi and 550 Km north of Athens (1 mile=1.6 km).
Today is called Thessalonike in grk. Previous to its establishment there were some settlements, all of them called Thermai (plural), but they were not exactly where the city is located today. From antiquity there are lot to see, the Roman arch of triumph, ruins of the Roman Forum, the fortresses that still surround the city, ruins of the Roman Palace. Lately when excavating the city's main street for making a metro, a lot has been found. A portion of the Roman main street that connected Asia with Rome, the famous Egnatia str., and surrounding buildings, statues etc, which will be exhibited some time in the future. Its archeological museum is very rich in exhibits. After the Roman era, during the Byzantine era, the city became even more important, since it was one of the most important harbours in the Eastern Mediterannean sea. The city is full of Byzantine Orthodox churches and many are still functioning today. There is a lot also from the period the city was occupied by Turks, the main one is a huge castle at the coast which is actually the symbol of modern Thessalinike. The population today is about 1.2 million people.
Its name derives from Thessalians and N-i-k-e. N-i-k-e means victory, Thessalians were Greeks living south of Macedonia. Philipp named his daughter, Cassander's wife, after his victory in a battle against the Thessalians. Thessalonike was one of the sisters of Alexander the great, Cassander was one of his generals. After the death of Alexander, Cassander ruled in Macedonia and established the city as his capital, giving it his wife's name. It had never been a Roman colony, it was always inhabited by Greeks. As said Thessalonike's most important part in history was not during the Roman era but later during the Byzantine era.
Thanks and bless you for sharing your thoughts. Firstly, none of us could be saved without the work of Christ. In Him we can receive forgiveness if we believed, repent, get baptized, become Born Again. But some of the most important things we are required to do and are conveniently overlooked: we are asked to pick up our cross and follow Christ including all that Jesus detailed in the gospel and scriptures. We are commanded to do things that take an effort on our part.
This is Jesus speaking in the book of Revelations to apostle John about 65 years after his death on the cross, and about 18 years after apostle Pauls death.
Revelation 22:14
"Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."
I have to believe here; that Jesus is telling us in addition to being born again, that we will need to follow God's Commandments if we want to have the right to the tree of life and enter in through the gates and everlasting life. Is this not Salvation?
Wouldn't you agree that following God's Commandments certainly takes effort on our part to comply?
Many Christians today feel they can receive salvation without following God's Commandments. This mindset completely ignores what Jesus said we need to do in this very important verse above. I believe we need to participate in our salvation, because God requires it in so much scripture.
1 john 5;7 The Father, the Word, and Holy Ghost are one. the words in this scripture do not say to me 3 separate Compleat persons. It says to me 3 parts to make one person. I have been praying to have peace and understanding about Godhead -Trinity Doctrines but I still do know what to believe. I believe Jesus is the son of God and He sacrificed himself and shed his blood to cover my sins. (pay the price for the sins of mankind)
Good evening Bro Dan! Good evening! A few of my own thoughts. The present grace to deny ourselves and follow the Lord without willing sin is a peaceable reality where the same reality is true freedom in Christ without condemnation. This reality is His present Kingdom which has no end. If the Kingdom is another day, then we may be in our own works and not the finished work of Jesus Christ at Calvary. So we harken unto Him today.
I work with the Word of God.Notice that the table above is proved by the Word of GOD,the Word is GOD.So, see the timetable below:
SIX PERIODS OF BIBLICAL TIMES --------------- DURATION
I - From Adam to the Flood- ( Genesis 5)----------1656 years
II - From the Flood to Abraham-( Genesis 11&12)--427years
III - From Abraham to Exodus-(Gal.3:17)----------430 years
IV -From Exodus to king Saul-(1Reis 6:1-480-84)--396 years Davi-40
V -From Saul to the fall of Jerusalem ---------------508 years Saul-40
VI -From the fall of Jerusalem to Jesus ------------.587 years Salomo-4
Thus, from Adam to the 1stcoming of Jesus ----.4004years
From Jesus to our days (Christian Calendar)------2023years
Total from Adam to our days ----------------------6027years
JESUS-the Greater Light, Genesis 1:16-came in the fourth Day or around 4000 years after GOD has started His works of restitution of all things- Genesis 1 combined with Acts 3:19-21.It still was the FOURTH DAY when JESUS said: MY FATHER WORKS HITHERTO, AND I WORK- John 5:17.
From JESUS (FOURTH DAY) until our days,or until this current time,have already passed more TWO DAYS or 2000 years (one Day with the Lord is as a thousand years), in fact 6 complete Days or six complete millenniums, or around 6.000 years, more precisely 6027 years, according Christian Calendarpointing the year 2023.
So, we have entered in the beginning of the FIRST CENTURY of the seventh and last millennium, or seventh and last Day,the Lord's Day, or THE TURN FROM THE SIXTH TO THE SEVENTH DAY, the Millennium of Christ, the Millennium of Truth, the Millennium of Judgment, the Judgment Seat of Christ, the Millennium of Vengeance.
The world of Devil is already Judged and Condemned, and now, in this seventh and last millennium, it will be punished with strong punishments, the CHASTISEMENTS ALREADY STARTED, there will be only and only punishments in this last Day, the Day of the Lord, King of kings and LORD of lords.
Your message is very interesting,it caught a lot of my attention where you said that"a graveyard of times created".Lord JESUS said the Father has put the time in His own power- Acts 1:7.When Lord said "all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John"-around 1.500 years- this period was to the "graveyeard",so was reset a different period called New Testament,which is also about to the"graveyeard"very soon.But there was before these two periods,a period of time from Adam until Noah around 1.656 years,and from Noah until Moses-Exodus-that lasted around 857 years.Before Adam there was an Eternity in the garden of Eden,all the above commented periods were, one by one, to the "graveyeard",except the current period which is just now to the "graveyeard" too.
Well, and now? Luke 20:35-36 combined with Rev.20:1-4 -a period of 1000 years,after this will finish into the"graveyeard".
GOD's six Days of creation and one Day of rest(total of 7 days) Scriptures teachs that one Day is with the Lord as a 1000 years (2Pet.3:v.8),so MANKIND would go through six GOD Days of 1,000 years each(total of 6,000 years)plus a Millennium of 1,000 years rest (now 7,000 years).
According to the biblical Chronology, starting by Genesis 5:
Adam lived .................................130 yrs and begat Seth
God hates sin! We need to learn to "hate sin" as much as God hates it!
Very true..you will not need a Savior when you overcome sin, because you will have have listened to God, applied his commands to your life, and allowed Christ to perform His marvelous work in you, to help you overcome the sins in this life - that you and many Christian's believe is impossible. Nothing is impossible for God! And yes, you will then be ready to enter into the Kingdom and "you will not need a Savior as you say"you will have allowed the Savior to do His miraculous work in you at present!
Matthew 5:48 "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."
If we keep sinning because we feel that we can't stop sinning we are not following Jesus/Gods commands, nor embracing His Spirit. We are keeping our worldly sinful lives intact, and not listening to His instructions, to give up this life, and live according to His Commands.
John 8:34 "Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin."
John 3:3 "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
If we are truly born again we will learn to hate sin as much as God. Who do you think wants us to think we can never stop sinning? It's not Jesus/God, because He tells us point blank: To stop sinning!
1 John 3:6 "Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him."
1 John 3:8 "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil."
By saying we will never overcome sin we are saying that the Son of God can't overcome the devil's sin that works in us, and that we will always be a servant to the devil.
We need to read the scripture, and believe, and apply it to our lives now!
Chapter 3: The Instruction: Concerning the Conduct of the Thessalonians.
Some of them thought that if we're in the tribulation period, that means the second coming of Christ is just around the corner, so we'll just quit work and sit around and do nothing because the Lord is coming.
And Paul had some words to say about people who don't work, and just sit around and wait for the things of the Lord come to pass.
This covers 1st and 2nd Thessalonians. I will share my introduction to 1 Timothy soon.
After Silvanus and Timothy returned, Paul wrote the first letter to the Thessalonians based on Timothy's good report. ( Acts 18:5) Paul then wrote the second letter to the Thessalonians after the courier that took the first letter returned and reported to Paul the new problems in Thessalonica.
IV. THE HISTORY OF THE CITY OF THESSALONICA:
Thessalonica was 50 miles west of Philippi and 100 miles north of Athens. It was the chief city of Macedonia and was a Roman Colony. The population of Thessalonica in Paul's day was 200,000 people. The city was first named Therma because of the hot springs in the area. In 316 B.C. Cassander made Therma his home base. He renamed the city Thessalonike in memory of his wife. Today it is called Salonika.
V. DATE OF THE LETTER:
Galatians was Paul's first letter written around 49-50 A.D. I Thessalonians was Paul's second letter written around 51 A.D. from Corinth. II Thessalonians was Paul's third letter written around 51-52 A.D. from Corinth. The date is certain because of historical writings found in archaeological discoveries that state that Gallio served as deputy of Achaia between 51-52 A.D.
( Acts 18:12-17).
VI. THE DOCTRINAL THEMES OF I & II THESSALONIANS:
I Thessalonians is the Instruction of Paul on the Rapture of the Church
II Thessalonians is the Instruction of Paul on the Second Coming of Christ
VII. SECTION OUTLINE OF THE BOOK OF II THESSALONIANS:
Chapter 1: The Introduction: Comfort to the Thessalonians
Chapter 2: The Instruction: Concerning the Day of the Lord. That is the biblical term for the tribulation period, right before the second coming of Christ.
We have been in conversation recently that Jesus is the Promise given by God from the beginning. Having been washed by regeneration and renewed by the Holy Spirit we believe by continuing faith that we remain in His grace and will finish the race and live in eternity in Heaven with Jesus at the right hand of the Father and with all finishers of the faith in Him. We are warned not to stray into willing sin as Jesus died once for our sin. We are adopted into His righteousness and peace by His blood once spilled. Though we remain alive in the flesh, we must eat of His flesh for our sustenance. He is our nourishment and the Holy Spirit is our guide while we remain in the flesh. This flesh is still of Adam's flesh and it remains against us, but Jesus wants us like he himself in His Father and many before us to abide in Him and He in us regardless and by grace while we finish the course. This grace and peace is our assurance to continue on, no matter what befalls us until the last day. Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith.
Is the Godhead one God or 3 persons
See,in my view,what matters and prevails is the Word of our GOD. First of all, the Word is GOD-Jo.1:1-,self-executing/self-executable, great mystery, well, it's the Power.As we all know, the Word was made flesh,i.e. materialized in human form exactly according the EXPRESS IMAGE(is written in the Bible,in the book of the Lord)of the Person of GOD-Heb.1:3;Phil.2:6-11 combined with Col.1:15-19,among other references,and the NAME that the Person of GOD chose for He Himself was JESUS/YESHUA Mat 1:20-21
By the way,JESUS has Genealogia,He is the stone which was set at nought of you builders(the Jews),which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other NAME UNDER HEAVEN given among MEN, whereby we must be saved- Acts 4:11-12-EXCEPT JESUS/YESHUA.(NOTE:Adonai,Jehovah,Yahweh,HaShem,Yehovah,Elohim,Yahusha, YEHshia,YEHvah has nothing to do with salvation or for salvation),neither for to bow before this colection of"God pseudonyme"
Concerning the person of the Holy Spirit,who is like our Lord JESUS- Revelation 1:12-13, in fact he is unknown as a person, mainly because he has no Genealogy as JESUS has, without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days,nor end of life;but made like unto the Son of God;abides a priest continually,something after the similitude of Melchisedec
It's a profound mystery-1Cor.2:9-11&7
9 But as it is written,Eye hath not seen,nor ear heard,neither have entered into the heart of man,the things which GOD has prepared for them that love him
10 But GOD hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit:for the Spirit searches all things,yea, the deep things of GOD
11 For what man knoweth the things of a man,save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of GOD knows no man,but the Spirit of GOD
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery,even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory
First, I ask your forgiveness, and say the KJV is one of the most trustworthy English translations, but they are not perfect. When we study pray, and the Holy Spirit will give us understanding, we can trust the Holy Spirit will lead and teach us because the Spirit is truth, 1 John 5:6 do not doubt that. Believe the Scripture by being led by the Holy Spirit, not the traditions of man.
(Milk, then meat) it is a lifelong walk, and some answers will not be known but the one answer that matters is Jesus is the way.
John's gospel, his letters, and Revelation have one thing in common, to show and give evidence that Jesus is the Christ/Messiah, the only begotten Son of God who the Father sent, and in Him is life, our salvation, eternal life. Acts 4:11-12 The Father sent the Son John 4:34 John 5:30 John 6:29 Jesus came down from heaven to do the will of the Father John 6:38.
Jesus came out from God John 16:27 Jesus is the beginning of creation Rev. 3:14 Before Mary could touch Him, He said I ascend unto my Father, and to my God John 20:17 John's writings are full of who Jesus was, is, and will be.
What I posted was not a lie, it is a fact, maybe I should not have posted it on an open forum like this. I wanted to inspire the study, searching for the truth, and not causing doubt. It touches on a subject that many consider non-discussable, the Trinity doctrine.
This is from my heart; this doctrine has been placed equal to the gospel of Jesus. In many Churches, you are not saved and are not a Christian if you do not believe and confess this doctrine. Does the Church have the authority to say this?
Is there any Scripture that says our salvation is dependent on this doctrine that was 400 years after the Scriptures we have? Was it even discussed by Peter, John, Paul, or in any of the letters we have? I'll leave it there.
I am sorry if I have offended you.
Love you all and God bless,
RLW
Our Lord JESUS said: John 17:22-23
22 The glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:
23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in One; and that THE WORLD MAY KNOW that thou hast sent me, and hast loved THEM, as thou hast loved me.
This union is a very difficult work to accomplish, but for our GOD nothing is impossible
Thanks for your reply.
It's wonderful to hear you are taking loving care of your parents, that takes a lot of effort on your part. You will receive many blessings from God, as He asks us to specifically do this Exodus 20:1 "Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee."
I understand your trials/tribulations and caring for your family members. You have my respect, as I know first hand how trying this is, my wife and I cared for her parents until they passed. One had Alzheimer's, the other overall poor health. I truly believe that lots of prayer will help to provide you with the continued support for dealing with this life issue.
It sounds to me that you are continuing to pursue the goal of overcoming sin in your life which is what God wants us to do. Yes, I agree, This is what Paul was working on and struggling with, and if it wasn't "important " he would not have been focused so much on it! One of the points I was making in my original post on this topic was: Many Christian's continue to tell themselves and others that they can never stop sinning. I feel this is a defeatist attitude! We stop ourselves before we can even get started. Nothing that is worthwhile accomplishing in life can be mastered or completed successfully - if we continually tell ourselves - we can't.
In an effort to understand how one group can continue to live sinful worldly lives, while ignoring some or all of God's Commandments and scripture, while telling themselves and others that they can never stop sinning, and believe still - they will receive salvation.
Personally, I wish there were more Christian's encouraging each other to stop sinning, and how to get there constructively, rather than resigning to living a sinful and worldly life that does not agree with the scripture.
GBU
When we think that we do anything to contribute to our salvation we fool our self's, it is the Lord who brings and cleans us, it is the lord who separates us from our idols. It he God who gives us the new hearts, and removes our stoney heart. He puts his spirit in us, which now causes us to walk in his commands. He is the cause and our obedience is the effect. Do not stop striving against sin, but remember Christ, who paid it all. While we wait for the Lords return , we trust him and grow in submission. Purposefully, to the Glory of our Saviour Jesus Christ, our God.
Father we Praise you this day for all that you say you will do for those in Christ. Those who belong to you as children. Those who submit to your will as servants of righteousness. Since you are the one who begins the work, oh Lord help us trust you to finish it and not in our self's So that all will know all glory belongs to you.
Amen
I agree that obedience to God by following His commandments is what we are to do as believers and it does take work and will to do so. But this effort and will is not all of our own strength. We cooperate and submit ourselves to the work and power of the Holy Spirit in us. This is the only way that we are made holy and are made to be Christlike. The Spirit gives us the strength and power to say no to what is wrong and more so to say yes to what is right and good. I do not denigrate the importance of obedience to the commands of our Lord. I rejoice in them and it is a blessing for me to do what Jesus told us to do. What is good and right from the heart with gratitude will always make us more like Jesus and make us fit for the eternal life that we enter after this mortal life is over.
When we talk about the nature of God and the "God Head" we are walking on very holy ground and we must recognize that our finite peanut minds cannot sort this out. We must accept by faith what the Bible declares about God Himself and not try to go beyond that.
We know from the Bible that God the Father is Eternal God Himself; that the Lord Jesus Christ is Eternal God Himself; that the Holy Spirit is Eternal God Himself. And we know that there is only ONE God.
We know that when Christ, Eternal God Himself, paid for the sins of all whom He saves, He endured the Wrath of God Himself and actually DIED as God Himself, as their substitute. And God describes his character and attributes throughout the Bible in many many ways. All of which are absolutely true.
How can all this be?
So again, our finite minds cannot sort this out and "explain" God. And when we think we have it is a certainty that we have not. We read what God declares about Himself and must accept it by faith.
And I Chris, find no Biblical support for your understanding of the Salvation of Old Testament Believers.
What you have said is not supported when comparing scripture with scripture throughout the WHOLE Bible. And your understanding does not address the many verses I have quoted regarding this subject and stems, I believe and am sorry to say, from a failure to recognize that that the Bible Alone and in its Entirety is, in fact, the ONE TRUE GODPEL OF SALVATION.
When you say that the Holy Spirit was not active in Salvation during the OT you are in essence saying that God was not active in Salvation.
When you say that the there was some efficacy toward Salvation in the sacrifices of the OT it is like saying that there is some efficacy in water baptism during the Church Age toward Salvation. And that is a Gospel of Grace plus Works which CANNOT save.
Noah was a sinner, just like everyone that God saves during the NT. "But Noah found GRACE in the eyes of the LORD." Genesis 6:8; just like every True Believer throughout the history of the world. And when Noah died physically, his body returned to the dust and he went to be with Christ in Heaven in his soul existence, just like every True Believer throughout the history of the world. He did not go to a place called Hades. Why? Because God had given him a new Resurrected Soul when God saved him, just like every True Believer throughout the history of the world. And the basis for Noah's Salvation was the Atonement of Christ, God Himself, Just like every true believer throughout the history of the world.
So once again, Chris, there is one and only one Salvation. One and only one True Gospel. And that gospel is circumscribed by the Bible ALONE and it's ENTIRETY.
Some bits of history and corections about the city of Thessalonika, the place I was born and grew up.
Thessalonica is actualy about 150 km west of Philippi and 550 Km north of Athens (1 mile=1.6 km).
Today is called Thessalonike in grk. Previous to its establishment there were some settlements, all of them called Thermai (plural), but they were not exactly where the city is located today. From antiquity there are lot to see, the Roman arch of triumph, ruins of the Roman Forum, the fortresses that still surround the city, ruins of the Roman Palace. Lately when excavating the city's main street for making a metro, a lot has been found. A portion of the Roman main street that connected Asia with Rome, the famous Egnatia str., and surrounding buildings, statues etc, which will be exhibited some time in the future. Its archeological museum is very rich in exhibits. After the Roman era, during the Byzantine era, the city became even more important, since it was one of the most important harbours in the Eastern Mediterannean sea. The city is full of Byzantine Orthodox churches and many are still functioning today. There is a lot also from the period the city was occupied by Turks, the main one is a huge castle at the coast which is actually the symbol of modern Thessalinike. The population today is about 1.2 million people.
Its name derives from Thessalians and N-i-k-e. N-i-k-e means victory, Thessalians were Greeks living south of Macedonia. Philipp named his daughter, Cassander's wife, after his victory in a battle against the Thessalians. Thessalonike was one of the sisters of Alexander the great, Cassander was one of his generals. After the death of Alexander, Cassander ruled in Macedonia and established the city as his capital, giving it his wife's name. It had never been a Roman colony, it was always inhabited by Greeks. As said Thessalonike's most important part in history was not during the Roman era but later during the Byzantine era.
Thanks and bless you for sharing your thoughts. Firstly, none of us could be saved without the work of Christ. In Him we can receive forgiveness if we believed, repent, get baptized, become Born Again. But some of the most important things we are required to do and are conveniently overlooked: we are asked to pick up our cross and follow Christ including all that Jesus detailed in the gospel and scriptures. We are commanded to do things that take an effort on our part.
This is Jesus speaking in the book of Revelations to apostle John about 65 years after his death on the cross, and about 18 years after apostle Pauls death.
Revelation 22:14
"Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."
I have to believe here; that Jesus is telling us in addition to being born again, that we will need to follow God's Commandments if we want to have the right to the tree of life and enter in through the gates and everlasting life. Is this not Salvation?
Wouldn't you agree that following God's Commandments certainly takes effort on our part to comply?
Many Christians today feel they can receive salvation without following God's Commandments. This mindset completely ignores what Jesus said we need to do in this very important verse above. I believe we need to participate in our salvation, because God requires it in so much scripture.
GBU
CJF.
I work with the Word of God.Notice that the table above is proved by the Word of GOD,the Word is GOD.So, see the timetable below:
SIX PERIODS OF BIBLICAL TIMES --------------- DURATION
I - From Adam to the Flood- ( Genesis 5)----------1656 years
II - From the Flood to Abraham-( Genesis 11&12)--427years
III - From Abraham to Exodus-(Gal.3:17)----------430 years
IV -From Exodus to king Saul-(1Reis 6:1-480-84)--396 years Davi-40
V -From Saul to the fall of Jerusalem ---------------508 years Saul-40
VI -From the fall of Jerusalem to Jesus ------------.587 years Salomo-4
Thus, from Adam to the 1stcoming of Jesus ----.4004years
From Jesus to our days (Christian Calendar)------2023years
Total from Adam to our days ----------------------6027years
JESUS-the Greater Light, Genesis 1:16-came in the fourth Day or around 4000 years after GOD has started His works of restitution of all things- Genesis 1 combined with Acts 3:19-21.It still was the FOURTH DAY when JESUS said: MY FATHER WORKS HITHERTO, AND I WORK- John 5:17.
From JESUS (FOURTH DAY) until our days,or until this current time,have already passed more TWO DAYS or 2000 years (one Day with the Lord is as a thousand years), in fact 6 complete Days or six complete millenniums, or around 6.000 years, more precisely 6027 years, according Christian Calendarpointing the year 2023.
So, we have entered in the beginning of the FIRST CENTURY of the seventh and last millennium, or seventh and last Day,the Lord's Day, or THE TURN FROM THE SIXTH TO THE SEVENTH DAY, the Millennium of Christ, the Millennium of Truth, the Millennium of Judgment, the Judgment Seat of Christ, the Millennium of Vengeance.
The world of Devil is already Judged and Condemned, and now, in this seventh and last millennium, it will be punished with strong punishments, the CHASTISEMENTS ALREADY STARTED, there will be only and only punishments in this last Day, the Day of the Lord, King of kings and LORD of lords.
Greetings in Christ JESUS
Your message is very interesting,it caught a lot of my attention where you said that"a graveyard of times created".Lord JESUS said the Father has put the time in His own power- Acts 1:7.When Lord said "all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John"-around 1.500 years- this period was to the "graveyeard",so was reset a different period called New Testament,which is also about to the"graveyeard"very soon.But there was before these two periods,a period of time from Adam until Noah around 1.656 years,and from Noah until Moses-Exodus-that lasted around 857 years.Before Adam there was an Eternity in the garden of Eden,all the above commented periods were, one by one, to the "graveyeard",except the current period which is just now to the "graveyeard" too.
Well, and now? Luke 20:35-36 combined with Rev.20:1-4 -a period of 1000 years,after this will finish into the"graveyeard".
GOD's six Days of creation and one Day of rest(total of 7 days) Scriptures teachs that one Day is with the Lord as a 1000 years (2Pet.3:v.8),so MANKIND would go through six GOD Days of 1,000 years each(total of 6,000 years)plus a Millennium of 1,000 years rest (now 7,000 years).
According to the biblical Chronology, starting by Genesis 5:
Adam lived .................................130 yrs and begat Seth
Seth lived ..........105 yrs " begatEnosh;
Enosh lived ....................................90yrs" begatKenan;
Kenanlived....................................70yrs" begatMahalalel;
Mahalalellived ...............................65yrs" begatJared;
Jaredlived ...................................162yrs " begatEnoch;
Enochlived ....................................65yrs" begatMethuselah;
Methuselahlived............................187yrs" begatLamech;
Lamechlived.................................182yrs" begatNoah;
FromNoahs birthuntilthe Flood.....600 yrs.
FromAdam tothe Flood =.............1656 yrs.
God hates sin! We need to learn to "hate sin" as much as God hates it!
Very true..you will not need a Savior when you overcome sin, because you will have have listened to God, applied his commands to your life, and allowed Christ to perform His marvelous work in you, to help you overcome the sins in this life - that you and many Christian's believe is impossible. Nothing is impossible for God! And yes, you will then be ready to enter into the Kingdom and "you will not need a Savior as you say"you will have allowed the Savior to do His miraculous work in you at present!
Matthew 5:48 "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."
If we keep sinning because we feel that we can't stop sinning we are not following Jesus/Gods commands, nor embracing His Spirit. We are keeping our worldly sinful lives intact, and not listening to His instructions, to give up this life, and live according to His Commands.
John 8:34 "Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin."
John 3:3 "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
If we are truly born again we will learn to hate sin as much as God. Who do you think wants us to think we can never stop sinning? It's not Jesus/God, because He tells us point blank: To stop sinning!
1 John 3:6 "Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him."
1 John 3:8 "He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil."
By saying we will never overcome sin we are saying that the Son of God can't overcome the devil's sin that works in us, and that we will always be a servant to the devil.
We need to read the scripture, and believe, and apply it to our lives now!
GBU
Chapter 3: The Instruction: Concerning the Conduct of the Thessalonians.
Some of them thought that if we're in the tribulation period, that means the second coming of Christ is just around the corner, so we'll just quit work and sit around and do nothing because the Lord is coming.
And Paul had some words to say about people who don't work, and just sit around and wait for the things of the Lord come to pass.
This covers 1st and 2nd Thessalonians. I will share my introduction to 1 Timothy soon.
God Bless!!!
After Silvanus and Timothy returned, Paul wrote the first letter to the Thessalonians based on Timothy's good report. ( Acts 18:5) Paul then wrote the second letter to the Thessalonians after the courier that took the first letter returned and reported to Paul the new problems in Thessalonica.
IV. THE HISTORY OF THE CITY OF THESSALONICA:
Thessalonica was 50 miles west of Philippi and 100 miles north of Athens. It was the chief city of Macedonia and was a Roman Colony. The population of Thessalonica in Paul's day was 200,000 people. The city was first named Therma because of the hot springs in the area. In 316 B.C. Cassander made Therma his home base. He renamed the city Thessalonike in memory of his wife. Today it is called Salonika.
V. DATE OF THE LETTER:
Galatians was Paul's first letter written around 49-50 A.D. I Thessalonians was Paul's second letter written around 51 A.D. from Corinth. II Thessalonians was Paul's third letter written around 51-52 A.D. from Corinth. The date is certain because of historical writings found in archaeological discoveries that state that Gallio served as deputy of Achaia between 51-52 A.D.
( Acts 18:12-17).
VI. THE DOCTRINAL THEMES OF I & II THESSALONIANS:
I Thessalonians is the Instruction of Paul on the Rapture of the Church
II Thessalonians is the Instruction of Paul on the Second Coming of Christ
VII. SECTION OUTLINE OF THE BOOK OF II THESSALONIANS:
Chapter 1: The Introduction: Comfort to the Thessalonians
Chapter 2: The Instruction: Concerning the Day of the Lord. That is the biblical term for the tribulation period, right before the second coming of Christ.