The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? ( Psalm 27:1) - Recommend to read the whole psalm.
The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy. ( Psalm 147:11)
If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. ( John 14:15-18)
If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. ( John 15:18-19)
Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. ( 2 Timothy 2:19)
In Bible days, men wore robes or gowns. When they fought or ran, they had to gird up their loins ( 2 Kings 4:29, 9:1; and 1 Peter 1:13). This was done by tucking their robes into their girdles, or what we would call belts, Therefore, Paul was saying that truth is the belt that allows us to fight without being entangled in our garments. Those who do not surround themselves with truth will become entangled in their own webs of deceit and will fall.
Please remember that we can always stand on God's Word because it is the truth ( John 17:17) and never forget that Jesus will always be: the Way, the Truth, and the Life. ( John 14:6)
Hi Jackie, I believe salvation absolutely has to do with what we do or don't do. The reason I believe that is the entire gospel is based on someone taking action. People who do nothing by default will go to hell. Jesus says you must believe. That is an action. He calls people to follow Him- that's an action. He calls people to repent and confess of their sin- that's an action. Loving is an action. Acting like a Christian is an action. God gave us the gift of freewill to choose, which is an action. He loved us enough to give us a choice to follow Him. Good works are not bad. I hear some people saying it's bad to be good and that seems to have the stamp of the devil on it. While it's true we're saved by grace and not by works, we don't have grace if we don't believe or follow Jesus in the first place.
It's possible you meant good works only by your comment, but my point is that our actions absolutely determine where we're going. If it didn't, Jesus would not have spent so much time telling parables about how most people will go to hell and how to avoid that, and to avoid sin, and don't be of this world. There's been false teachings spread around lately among Christians who are saying it's totally ok to sin and be in the world and that's the opposite of what the Bible says.
1 John 5:7 7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
Isaiah 9:6
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
John 1:1-18
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
1 John 5:6-8
6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
John 14:9-12
9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
The Holy Spirit resides in all who have come to faith in Jesus Christ ( John 14:17) & also convicts men of sin, of righteousness & (coming) judgement. ( John 16:7-11). So the Spirit is still working in the World until the appointed time when He is taken away (some argue as to when that time will be). The Son has now returned to the Father (back into the God folder), but He is distinct in that He is now God in the flesh, not as only the Word, but as the Son who has performed all that was required of Him on Earth & now at the Father's right Hand in Heaven ( Hebrews 7:25). In the human mind this is a difficult concept to grasp & that is why you are having difficulties. If you want to understand God in a human perspective, it won't work because we don't have anything on this Earth that can adequately compare to Him & our minds don't work in any other way. But do we say then that because we don't believe that such a Trinity can exist, therefore it's impossible for God to be such? I think then, that it's us who have the problem in understanding the Character of God & not the Doctrine.
Yes, illustrating the Trinity to man's trinitarian composition, is 'problematic': no illustration can adequately do the job, but I felt compelled to use it to try & help you understand, but that didn't work. And lastly, God is Spirit ( John 4:24), the Word was part of that Spirit, & the Holy Spirit was sent out into the World. So we only knew & heard God as Spirit in the OT. After Jesus ascended into Heaven, we see the (visible) God in Jesus, but we also know that God is still there ( Revelation 8:2 & about 3,000 other verses to prove it). God hasn't disappeared & Jesus has not taken His place. So please look into this & see where your theology has become skewed or maybe you are under some false teaching. May the Lord give you light on this very important matter.
Listen to the Scriptures: Ephesians 4:4-6 ( v.5 ) one baptism. 1st Corinthians 12: 12-27. Ephesians 5:30 Trust the Holy Spirit for direction not man, man has opinion The Word ( Bible ) has facts 1st Corinthians 2:9-14. Also our Lord talks about the Holy Spirit John 14: 16-26 and John 16:7-15. You have to do your part 2nd Timothy 2:15. Hope it helps.
Philippians 4:6 - Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Matthew 6:6 - But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
James 1:5 - If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
Matthew 6:9
John 14:13-15
13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Believe the Lord Jesus Christ died for your sins, repent of your sins, pray to the Father in heaven in Jesus name. Pray privately in sincerity because the Lord knows what your thinking. Our Father wants to hear from his children and loves us very much. He might not love what we do sometimes but he still loves us.
Yes, dear Hugo, I was referring to our conversation on 'prophets'. Re: Ecclesiastes 6:11, I think you have the wrong reference; possibly Proverbs 10:19, though this too doesn't apply.
I realize that you're not denying the deity of Christ in one sense, but I would advise you that 'Trinitarians' likewise don't deny it either. A Trinitarian understanding of the Scriptures as you know, is that there is One God & that God has expressed Himself (& revealed to us) His Being. God shows us Himself also by His Word & His Spirit - you know the Scriptures that support this. Then at the appointed time ( Romans 5:6), God sent His Word ( John 1:14) to be clothed with flesh so that a full & permanent sacrifice could be made for sin unlike animal sacrifices.
After Christ's death, resurrection & ascension, He went to sit at the Father's right Hand ( Luke 22:69; Romans 8:34) where He "ever lives to make intercession for us" ( Hebrews 7:25; Romans 8:34). So we see the Father in Heaven, His Son (Word made flesh) at the Father's right Hand & His Spirit who indwells the believer ( John 14:17; Ephesians 1:13,14) & convicts men ( John 16:8). There is no such teaching from the Bible that Jesus only exists in Heaven & that the Father & Holy Spirit are now existing in Jesus. I know this is the teaching of the "Jesus Only" movement. The Father, the Son & the Spirit are still there & all three remain part of the Eternal Godhead (& yes, by all means, level your accusation at me), for the Bible is clear. If you have Scriptures to show that this is not the case, then I welcome your further input & my study.
Harry, this is our constant battle - and in some folk, the battle rages more so as the enemy of our souls seeks our spiritual destruction. The only way he can do it is by appealing to that sin nature that still is within us & convinces us that some of those sins we repented of & sought forgiveness for, are actually sins that we miss & want to revive them again.
Apostle Paul spoke of this in Romans 6:11-14: "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body....Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you..."
Paul was speaking of that one sin offering that Christ made for us - that He died only once (& no more) for our sin. In like manner we should have this same mind as He did & appropriate our dying to sin as a past experience, but our ongoing quest to not resurrect sin but to yield our mind/our desires/our members towards pleasing the Lord in all that we do. Easy to say but hard to do, eh?
God has not left us without witness & help ( John 14:16-18). We have to grab onto His Holy Spirit & not let Him go until we realize victory over that sin that so easily besets us. We need to first hate the sin & then with the Spirit's Strength to immediately look to Jesus, the Author & Perfecter of our faith, & oppose the enemy's taunts with the Word of God. Why we fail, is not because of any failure by God, but of our failure to Him to despise the very thing that He hates rather we entertain it by giving any excuse.
Our battle in this area is constant - many have made shipwreck of their faith by surrendering the battle. We fight on because we have our gaze on the Lord Jesus & "for the prize of our high calling of God in Christ Jesus". The fight will not be long.
I agree that Cain inherited his sinful nature from Adam. Before Adam & Eve ate from the tree of knowledge of good & evil they knew no sin because they were made in the image of God. It was only after they ate from the tree that they new good & evil.
Jesus is our role model on how we [should] live. [If] it was [impossible] for us to [sin no more] then Jesus wouldn't of commanded us to [do] it.
John 5:14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: [sin no more], lest a worse thing come unto thee.
John 8:11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and [sin no more].
1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we [keep] his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
John 15:10 [If] ye [keep] my commandments, ye [shall] abide in my love; even as I have [kept] my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
1 John 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, [if] we [keep] his commandments.
Leviticus 22:31 Therefore shall ye [keep] my commandments, and [do] them: I am the LORD.
John 14:15 [If] ye love me, [keep] my commandments.
Leviticus 26:3 [If] ye walk in my statutes, [and keep] my commandments, and [do] them;
Numbers 15:40 That ye may remember, and [do] [all] my commandments, and [be holy] unto your God.
Deuteronomy 5:29 O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, [and keep all] my commandments [always], that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!
Proverbs 7:2 [Keep] my commandments, and [live]; and my law as the apple of thine eye.
Exodus 20:6 And shewing mercy unto [thousands] of them that [love me], [and keep] my commandments.
Deuteronomy 5:10 And shewing mercy unto [thousands] of them that [love me] [and keep] my commandments.
Deuteronomy 11:27 A blessing, [if] ye [obey] the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day.
This is literally mansions the Lord Jesus is talking about. Jesus is talking here. He even said "if it were not so, I would have told you." God is always true with His word and God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfil? - Number 23:19
When the Lord says I am free then I am free. For He says, "So if the Son sets you free you will be free indeed." - John 8:36
That's why Paul says, "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace." - Ephesians 1:7
Why can't we believe a God who chose to die for the sins of many so we can attain the life everlasting? It could have been us who should be on that cross but no. Because of His richness in grace and mercy "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us". - Romans 5:8
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord - Romans 6:23
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him - 2 Corinthians 5:21
God chose to love us even we are unlovable. We are wretched people and we need a saviour cause there is no good in us; No one is righteous, no! not one. - Romans 3:10
What shall it profit me if I gained the whole world and lose my own soul? - Mark 8:36
It is better for me to be in His courts than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked - Psalms 84:10
For it is appointed for men, us, to die once but after this is judgment.
Death is real. Hell is real.
That's why God sent Jesus once and for all to die for many once. He is not going to do it again.
That is why we need a Saviour. We can only be saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
SPIRIT OF TRUTH vs SPIRIT OF ERROR on Revelation 12 - 4 years ago
Romans 3:4
God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
1 John 2:22
Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
Proverbs 17:4
A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue.
1 John 5:10
He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth NOT... God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
John 8:44
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the TRUTH, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Proverbs 30:6
Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through ME.
1 John 4:6
We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the SPIRIT OF ERROR.
Mishael: Don't try to reason with a witch. This is what they do: cause chaos.
We all know, or the ones this is pointed towards, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. "The firstborn among many brethren".
Just one question. You stated this "If you have a verse that proves Jesus Born in Bethlehem was in heaven before then you have a valid point." Is John 6:38-39 not enough? Which to me looks like the exact answer to the statement you made.
How's Revelations 19:13. That is supposed to be Christ at His second coming. Correct?
I'll state this. I believe it is quiet over simplified of people saying "Jesus and God are the same thing". I don't Believe that and don't agree with it. They most definitely are a part of one another. Jesus Christ even said in John 14:28 "I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I." Many other things I could quote that shows they are unique to each other. But as in 1 John 5:7 "these three are one." The Father, the Son(or Word), and the Holy Ghost are all a part of the Eternal Godhead.
Jesus Christ is the Son of God that was born from a virgin, on earth, in the flesh, in Bethlehem. What about John the baptizer stating in John 1:15 "John bare witness of him(Jesus), and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me."
May the Lord Bless us to all come together and have faith and trust in Him. I would never call myself smart. All Glory to the Father. Love one another my brothers and sisters. God Bless us all!
But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. ( Micah 5:2)
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. ( John 8:58)
Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? ( John 14:9)
To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. ( 2 Corinthians 5:19)
In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. ( Colossians 1:14-17)
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. ( Colossians 2:8-9)
If you believe you're perfect and sinless like Jesus, that would be contrary to: Romans 3:10 and Romans 3:23.
Ephesians 4:32 - says be kind and tenderhearted and forgive others like Christ has forgiven you, but if you have to be 100% perfect as a Christian why would it say that? Are you suggesting that you've been 100% perfect and sinless since becoming a Christian? For example, you have never lied or quarreled or raised your voice at anyone and have always forgiven others for their sins?
If you believe you've been 100% perfect and sinless, which even Paul wasn't able to do, then aside from Jesus you're the first and only human to be perfectly sinless after becoming a Christian? Just as a warning this could be the sin of pride Proverbs 16:5 and 2 Timothy 3:2.
Matthew 5:48 - Jesus said to strive to be perfect and obey his commands John 14:15, but that doesn't mean you must be perfect to be saved. Ephesians 2:8. That also doesn't mean you have an excuse to sin intentionally.
Matthew 12:31 - Jesus clearly said only blasphemy of the holy spirit is the only sin that won't be forgiven. So, if your point is the NO sins are forgiven after you become a Christian then why would Jesus say this to everyone (including his Christian followers) that all sins ARE forgiven but this one?
Paul admits in Romans 7:15 that he deeply struggles with the flesh and sin. Does that mean you think the man who write the most books of the Bible and was the top evangelist for Christianity went to hell?
My belief is that you don't earn heaven by being perfect. You are saved by believing Jesus, confessing and repenting of your sin and actively following Jesus. You try to avoid sin to the absolute best of your ability, but it doesn't mean you'll be perfect. It in fact says we are all imperfect, but if we're genuinely following Jesus then we're covered by grace as we progress in our life as a Christian. It doesn't mean the grace erases sin, but we will be forgiven if we're a Christian following Jesus. Jesus shares a great parable about sin and forgiveness in Matthew 18.
Matthew 12:36-37 - Jesus sets the bar very, very high with every word you speak to others, your thoughts, and if you even look at a woman. Matthew 5:28. Am I supposed to believe your the first person since Jesus to ever do this perfectly and that you're 'earning' heaven? Congratulations, but I think you're in for a surprise, because that's not what the Bible says and above are just a few of the Bible verses that prove that. I'm offering this in kindness to offer a different perspective to a Christian brother. God bless.
Salvation is not given until people are judged and that doesn't happen until after Jesus comes. People assume they're saved as if they now can enjoy sin as much as they want with no consequence despite verses like Romans 14:12. Secondly, some people falsely assume they no longer have freewill to sin after becoming a Christian, despite all the other verses saying you can sin. Paul was a Christian and deeply struggled with his 'flesh' tempting him to sin and wrote about that in depth. There is no evidence that says your freewill to sin is stripped away. Even angels in heaven could sin, such as satan, so of course a Christian still has the ability to sin, but is supposed to actually try hard to have self control and NOT SIN. People try hard to blame others and to avoid accountability for their own actions, but no, no one forces them to sin, but themselves and their own bad choices. Those who believe Christians cannot sin are basically calling Jesus a liar. Jesus spent so much time warning his followers (Christians) to avoid sin, and shared many parables, and kept challenging them. John 14:15, Hebrews 10:26, Matthew 12:31-32. The once saved- always saved belief is a very predictable argument, but is debunked by the Bible itself if someone were to read it carefully and pray to God and ask for the heart to know the truth. Satan loves to deceive Christians into believing they have a get out of jail free card that entitles them to live in the world and enjoy unlimited sin with no consequence and of course that has the devil's signature all over it.
Jesus fulfilled the law and Christians who follow Jesus are subject to grace. Those who don't follow Jesus or are lukewarm and only trying to pretend to be a Christian to abuse grace to enjoy committing sin will not be saved and should be afraid of going to hell, in my opinion. Jesus did not abolish the law and if people love Jesus then they are to try hard to avoid sin. God hates sin. Just because someone has grace does not mean a Christian should enjoy committing evil and not worry about avoiding sin. Look at Paul's struggle. Look at Jesus's many many teachings to Christians to avoid sin. Some people are spreading lies claiming sin doesn't even exist. Some are saying its even ok for Christians to kill, commit adultery, fornication, blaphemy, lust, and all kinds of evil, with intention to enjoy it, and no intention to avoid it. The Bible already said that's untrue and sin the the devils temptations and lies we need to put our armor and stay strong to avoid. Romans 6:1. John 14:15
Great question....Christians really need to be honest about this commandment.
Sabbath has always been on Saturday the 7th Day of the week. The sabbath began at the time God created the heavens and earth which took 6 days....God rested on the 7th day - the Sabbath. God gave man the sabbath day as the 4th commandment. Not only is it a commandment, God commands....it is also a "wonderful gift" to man, for mankind's use to experience a refreshing rest of mind and body. On this day we give thanks to God, and we spend the sabbath day in prayer, meditation, and reflection, and fellowship with others.
The roman emperor Constantine the Great changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday On March 7, A.D. 321, and issued the first civil Sunday law, compelling all the people in the Roman Empire, except farmers, to rest on Sunday - and not Saturday.
As true Christians, we should be observing all 10 Commandments, including the 4th commandment! Jesus speaks to keeping the commandments below.....
Lynn, beware of making assumptions about me or the Bible.
Romans 6 doesn't say what you've been saying. It's not a hall pass to commit and enjoy unlimited intentional sinning. Have you read the whole chapter? The first 2 verses contradicts the idea of you can't sin. It clearly says do NOT continue in sin in verse 1, and verse 23 is another warning to avoid sin. Freedom from sin doesn't mean unlimited sinning with no consequence, verse 15. V16: obey. V18 "servants of righteousness"
I've have never met anyone who claims they are without sin and that sin doesn't apply and that God is fine with you sinning, because "it's not sin". That's a distortion of the gospel. He didn't die for you so you could take advantage of him and enjoy sin and do evil all you want. That's not Christianity. The definition of a Christian is a Christ-follower and if someone isn't following and trying to emulate Jesus Christ then they aren't a Christian. Jesus called us to a ridiculously high standard that none can achieve. Only Jesus was perfect on earth, not you. You are a sinner just like everyone else and you still do sin, but if you genuinely follow Jesus and are genuinely trying to obey his commands then you're covered by grace for all our sins. It's not a hall pass so you can act wicked in the world and can commit all kinds of evil. Do you understand the difference?
Most people will go to hell. Narrow is the gate that leads to heaven. That means if 2/3 of the world believes in God that only a portion of those who call themselves Christians will go to heaven. Matthew 7:23. It's not about being 'good' or 'earning it', but about genuinely following Jesus. If you genuinely follow Jesus you would be serious about obeying him and avoiding sin. If you don't then you don't love Jesus. John 14:15. If someone doesn't love Jesus, in my opinion they are probably going to hell. This is a serious situation. People who consider themselves Christians will go there and should be afraid. Luke 12:5.
The Sabbath is Saturday, and has been since God created the world and rested on the 7th day Sabbath.
Mark 2:27-28
27. And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: 28Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
Many (way too many) of the modern church's today no longer teach that Christians should adhere to the 4th commandment/sabbath, they even go further and teach that all of the commandments are minimized, or no longer in affect. they say they are old laws given during the Old Testament times, and really don't pertain since Christ died on the cross and has risen we are NOW free from the Law. This thinking is inconcevable ....if you really read and understand the scriptures.
When, ministers or others say that we don't need to follow the 4th commandment or the other commandments; I ask them about explaining away this verse by Jesus below:
All 66 books of the Bible are in the King James Version old and new testament with nothing added and nothing removed. And to my knowledge the only Bible without copy rights so it can be shared freely.
By nature every person is born in sin through the sinful seed of their natural fathers and conditioned therein ( 1 Peter 1:23). For that reason and in order to become a son of God, which are born of God, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God, a person must be 'Born Again' ( John 1:12,13; 3:3-7; 1 John 3:9; 5:4).
God is the judge over His Church and teaches us that you must be 'Born Again'. No believer and follower of the true Christ has ever made a claim that they are 'Born Again'. That is judging oneself and falsehood, as in truth they follow after an image of a false god and a false Christ ( Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:22; Gal. 4:8; Rev. 12:9). This is how Satan has transformed Himself into an angel of light ( 2 Cor. 11:13-15).
Only through 'True Repentance' will God be able to reveal Himself, and adopt you as His sons and daughters ( Rom. 8:15,23; 2 Cor.6:18; Gal. 4:5; Eph. 1:5; Hebr. 12:5; 1 John 3:1).
The word 'Repent' means a lot more than what people by nature have been conditioned to believe. It is the key principle of all the teachings of Jesus Christ and the axiom (basis) of the Word of God and a prerequisite and primary requirement for the salvation of mankind. It actually means the changing of spirits - to turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God ( Acts 26:18).
For a better understanding and the 'spiritual truth' of what it means to repent, and learn how and by whom mankind has been deceived ( Rev. 12:9), and what people must do to be reunited with the true and living God, we invite you to seek Him according to the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive ( John 14:17).
You need not that any man teach you ( Isaiah 54:13; 6:45; 1 John 2:27), It is only by revelation of God that you will come to know Christ ( Daniel 12:4,9; Amos 3:7; Matthew 16:17; Luke 2:26; Romans 16:25; 1 Cor. 2:10; Gal. 1:16; Eph. 3:3,5; Rev. 1:1). It is a narrow way that leadeth unto 'Life', and few there be that find it.
Helen, if you look at that encounter that Jesus had with Nicodemus, Nicodemus had just asked Jesus how someone could be physically born again a second time. He asked this because the spiritual truth that Jesus told him in v 3, that a man cannot see the Kingdom of God unless he is born again, was confusing to him. So Jesus explained this to him in verse 5: "unless a man be born of water (referring to that physical birth that Nicodemus was thinking of) & of the Spirit (referring to that spiritual birth that Jesus was speaking about), that man cannot enter God's Kingdom. In other words, it's my sense that if Nicodemus hadn't brought up the question of the impossibility of a person to be physically born twice into the world, then Jesus probably would not have referred to the necessity of a person being born physically (of water). The "water" we understand can refer also to the amniotic fluid being released in 'physical' birth.
So, you & I need not fear about the words in verse 5 - they were only for Nicodemus (& any of us now) who might think that to be "born of water" meant something else or an added requirement to spiritual birth. No - spiritual birth is only by faith in Christ's work at the Cross & nothing else. If there was something else required, then salvation does not come by faith, and that's not the Gospel message.
The Word of God is God ( John 1:1) and is not of any private interpretation ( 2 Peter 1:20).
The word 'Repent' in different forms (repent, repentance, repented, repentest, repenteth, repenting, repentings) is mentioned 110 times in the KJV, and means a lot more than what people by nature have been conditioned to believe. The word 'repent' used in the New Testament was translated from the Greek word "metanoeo", and means to change, transform, to think differently or reconsider.
It is the key principle of all the teachings of Jesus Christ and the axiom (basis) of the Word of God and a prerequisite and primary requirement for the salvation of mankind. It actually means the changing of spirits - to turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God ( Acts 26:18).
For a better understanding and the 'spiritual truth' of what it means to repent, and learn how and by whom mankind has been deceived ( Rev. 12:9) and what people must do to be reunited with the true and living God, we invite you to seek Him according to the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive ( Matthew 7:7; John 14:17).
You need not that any man teach you ( Isaiah 54:13; 6:45; 1 John 2:27), as mankind follows after an image of a false god and a false Christ ( Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:22; Gal. 4:8; 2 Cor. 11:13-15; Rev. 12:9).
It is only by revelation of God that people will come to know the true Christ ( Daniel 12:4,9; Amos 3:7; Matthew 16:17; Luke 2:26; Romans 16:25; 1 Cor. 2:10; Gal. 1:16; Eph. 3:3,5; Rev. 1:1), and only then will you be able to overcome the spirit of this world ( 1 John 5:4; Rev. 3:21) and learn what 'True Repentance' means, and how this whole world has been deceived ( Rev. 12:9). It should also be remembered that it is a narrow way that leadeth unto 'Life', and few there be that find it ( Matthew 7:14).
LUKE 15:10. LIKEWISE, I SAY UNTO YOU, THERE IS JOY IN THE PRESENCE OF THE ANGELS OF GOD OVER ONE SINNER THAT REPENTETH.
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? ( Psalm 27:1) - Recommend to read the whole psalm.
The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy. ( Psalm 147:11)
If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. ( John 14:15-18)
If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. ( John 15:18-19)
Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. ( 2 Timothy 2:19)
John 14:27 (ESV)
Rev 19:11
1 Peter 5:8 (ESV)
Romans 8:38-39
Ephesians 6:10-20
Peace - Isaiah 26:3 (ESV)
Confidence - 2 Timothy 1:7
Joy - Psalm 94:19
Trust - Psalm 56:3, "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee."
Strength - Isaiah 41:10 ((ESV)
Nearness of God - Psalm 73:28 (ESV)
Please remember that we can always stand on God's Word because it is the truth ( John 17:17) and never forget that Jesus will always be: the Way, the Truth, and the Life. ( John 14:6)
Hi Jackie, I believe salvation absolutely has to do with what we do or don't do. The reason I believe that is the entire gospel is based on someone taking action. People who do nothing by default will go to hell. Jesus says you must believe. That is an action. He calls people to follow Him- that's an action. He calls people to repent and confess of their sin- that's an action. Loving is an action. Acting like a Christian is an action. God gave us the gift of freewill to choose, which is an action. He loved us enough to give us a choice to follow Him. Good works are not bad. I hear some people saying it's bad to be good and that seems to have the stamp of the devil on it. While it's true we're saved by grace and not by works, we don't have grace if we don't believe or follow Jesus in the first place.
It's possible you meant good works only by your comment, but my point is that our actions absolutely determine where we're going. If it didn't, Jesus would not have spent so much time telling parables about how most people will go to hell and how to avoid that, and to avoid sin, and don't be of this world. There's been false teachings spread around lately among Christians who are saying it's totally ok to sin and be in the world and that's the opposite of what the Bible says.
God bless...
James 2:17
Romans 6:15
Hebrews 10:26
Rom 7:22
Matthew 7:21
John 14:15
Matt 5:13
Matthew 7:26-27
Eph 5:5-6
Rom 11:19-23
1 John 5:7 7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
Isaiah 9:6
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
John 1:1-18
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
1 John 5:6-8
6 This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth.
7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
8 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
John 14:9-12
9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.
12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
The Holy Spirit resides in all who have come to faith in Jesus Christ ( John 14:17) & also convicts men of sin, of righteousness & (coming) judgement. ( John 16:7-11). So the Spirit is still working in the World until the appointed time when He is taken away (some argue as to when that time will be). The Son has now returned to the Father (back into the God folder), but He is distinct in that He is now God in the flesh, not as only the Word, but as the Son who has performed all that was required of Him on Earth & now at the Father's right Hand in Heaven ( Hebrews 7:25). In the human mind this is a difficult concept to grasp & that is why you are having difficulties. If you want to understand God in a human perspective, it won't work because we don't have anything on this Earth that can adequately compare to Him & our minds don't work in any other way. But do we say then that because we don't believe that such a Trinity can exist, therefore it's impossible for God to be such? I think then, that it's us who have the problem in understanding the Character of God & not the Doctrine.
Yes, illustrating the Trinity to man's trinitarian composition, is 'problematic': no illustration can adequately do the job, but I felt compelled to use it to try & help you understand, but that didn't work. And lastly, God is Spirit ( John 4:24), the Word was part of that Spirit, & the Holy Spirit was sent out into the World. So we only knew & heard God as Spirit in the OT. After Jesus ascended into Heaven, we see the (visible) God in Jesus, but we also know that God is still there ( Revelation 8:2 & about 3,000 other verses to prove it). God hasn't disappeared & Jesus has not taken His place. So please look into this & see where your theology has become skewed or maybe you are under some false teaching. May the Lord give you light on this very important matter.
Matthew 6:6 - But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
James 1:5 - If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all [men] liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
Matthew 6:9
John 14:13-15
13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Believe the Lord Jesus Christ died for your sins, repent of your sins, pray to the Father in heaven in Jesus name. Pray privately in sincerity because the Lord knows what your thinking. Our Father wants to hear from his children and loves us very much. He might not love what we do sometimes but he still loves us.
Yes, dear Hugo, I was referring to our conversation on 'prophets'. Re: Ecclesiastes 6:11, I think you have the wrong reference; possibly Proverbs 10:19, though this too doesn't apply.
I realize that you're not denying the deity of Christ in one sense, but I would advise you that 'Trinitarians' likewise don't deny it either. A Trinitarian understanding of the Scriptures as you know, is that there is One God & that God has expressed Himself (& revealed to us) His Being. God shows us Himself also by His Word & His Spirit - you know the Scriptures that support this. Then at the appointed time ( Romans 5:6), God sent His Word ( John 1:14) to be clothed with flesh so that a full & permanent sacrifice could be made for sin unlike animal sacrifices.
After Christ's death, resurrection & ascension, He went to sit at the Father's right Hand ( Luke 22:69; Romans 8:34) where He "ever lives to make intercession for us" ( Hebrews 7:25; Romans 8:34). So we see the Father in Heaven, His Son (Word made flesh) at the Father's right Hand & His Spirit who indwells the believer ( John 14:17; Ephesians 1:13,14) & convicts men ( John 16:8). There is no such teaching from the Bible that Jesus only exists in Heaven & that the Father & Holy Spirit are now existing in Jesus. I know this is the teaching of the "Jesus Only" movement. The Father, the Son & the Spirit are still there & all three remain part of the Eternal Godhead (& yes, by all means, level your accusation at me), for the Bible is clear. If you have Scriptures to show that this is not the case, then I welcome your further input & my study.
Apostle Paul spoke of this in Romans 6:11-14: "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body....Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you..."
Paul was speaking of that one sin offering that Christ made for us - that He died only once (& no more) for our sin. In like manner we should have this same mind as He did & appropriate our dying to sin as a past experience, but our ongoing quest to not resurrect sin but to yield our mind/our desires/our members towards pleasing the Lord in all that we do. Easy to say but hard to do, eh?
God has not left us without witness & help ( John 14:16-18). We have to grab onto His Holy Spirit & not let Him go until we realize victory over that sin that so easily besets us. We need to first hate the sin & then with the Spirit's Strength to immediately look to Jesus, the Author & Perfecter of our faith, & oppose the enemy's taunts with the Word of God. Why we fail, is not because of any failure by God, but of our failure to Him to despise the very thing that He hates rather we entertain it by giving any excuse.
Our battle in this area is constant - many have made shipwreck of their faith by surrendering the battle. We fight on because we have our gaze on the Lord Jesus & "for the prize of our high calling of God in Christ Jesus". The fight will not be long.
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I agree that Cain inherited his sinful nature from Adam. Before Adam & Eve ate from the tree of knowledge of good & evil they knew no sin because they were made in the image of God. It was only after they ate from the tree that they new good & evil.
Jesus is our role model on how we [should] live. [If] it was [impossible] for us to [sin no more] then Jesus wouldn't of commanded us to [do] it.
John 5:14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: [sin no more], lest a worse thing come unto thee.
John 8:11 She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and [sin no more].
1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we [keep] his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
John 15:10 [If] ye [keep] my commandments, ye [shall] abide in my love; even as I have [kept] my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
1 John 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, [if] we [keep] his commandments.
Leviticus 22:31 Therefore shall ye [keep] my commandments, and [do] them: I am the LORD.
John 14:15 [If] ye love me, [keep] my commandments.
Leviticus 26:3 [If] ye walk in my statutes, [and keep] my commandments, and [do] them;
Numbers 15:40 That ye may remember, and [do] [all] my commandments, and [be holy] unto your God.
Deuteronomy 5:29 O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, [and keep all] my commandments [always], that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!
Proverbs 7:2 [Keep] my commandments, and [live]; and my law as the apple of thine eye.
Exodus 20:6 And shewing mercy unto [thousands] of them that [love me], [and keep] my commandments.
Deuteronomy 5:10 And shewing mercy unto [thousands] of them that [love me] [and keep] my commandments.
Deuteronomy 11:27 A blessing, [if] ye [obey] the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day.
When the Lord says I am free then I am free. For He says, "So if the Son sets you free you will be free indeed." - John 8:36
That's why Paul says, "In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace." - Ephesians 1:7
Why can't we believe a God who chose to die for the sins of many so we can attain the life everlasting? It could have been us who should be on that cross but no. Because of His richness in grace and mercy "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us". - Romans 5:8
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord - Romans 6:23
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him - 2 Corinthians 5:21
God chose to love us even we are unlovable. We are wretched people and we need a saviour cause there is no good in us; No one is righteous, no! not one. - Romans 3:10
What shall it profit me if I gained the whole world and lose my own soul? - Mark 8:36
It is better for me to be in His courts than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than live the good life in the homes of the wicked - Psalms 84:10
For it is appointed for men, us, to die once but after this is judgment.
Death is real. Hell is real.
That's why God sent Jesus once and for all to die for many once. He is not going to do it again.
That is why we need a Saviour. We can only be saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.
Are you ready to receive Him?
God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.
1 John 2:22
Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
Proverbs 17:4
A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue.
1 John 5:10
He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth NOT... God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
John 8:44
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the TRUTH, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Proverbs 30:6
Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through ME.
1 John 4:6
We are from God. Whoever knows God listens to us; whoever is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the Spirit of truth and the SPIRIT OF ERROR.
Mishael: Don't try to reason with a witch. This is what they do: cause chaos.
We all know, or the ones this is pointed towards, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. "The firstborn among many brethren".
Just one question. You stated this "If you have a verse that proves Jesus Born in Bethlehem was in heaven before then you have a valid point." Is John 6:38-39 not enough? Which to me looks like the exact answer to the statement you made.
How's Revelations 19:13. That is supposed to be Christ at His second coming. Correct?
I'll state this. I believe it is quiet over simplified of people saying "Jesus and God are the same thing". I don't Believe that and don't agree with it. They most definitely are a part of one another. Jesus Christ even said in John 14:28 "I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I." Many other things I could quote that shows they are unique to each other. But as in 1 John 5:7 "these three are one." The Father, the Son(or Word), and the Holy Ghost are all a part of the Eternal Godhead.
Jesus Christ is the Son of God that was born from a virgin, on earth, in the flesh, in Bethlehem. What about John the baptizer stating in John 1:15 "John bare witness of him(Jesus), and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me."
May the Lord Bless us to all come together and have faith and trust in Him. I would never call myself smart. All Glory to the Father. Love one another my brothers and sisters. God Bless us all!
But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. ( Micah 5:2)
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. ( John 8:58)
Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? ( John 14:9)
To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. ( 2 Corinthians 5:19)
In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. ( Colossians 1:14-17)
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. ( Colossians 2:8-9)
If you believe you're perfect and sinless like Jesus, that would be contrary to: Romans 3:10 and Romans 3:23.
Ephesians 4:32 - says be kind and tenderhearted and forgive others like Christ has forgiven you, but if you have to be 100% perfect as a Christian why would it say that? Are you suggesting that you've been 100% perfect and sinless since becoming a Christian? For example, you have never lied or quarreled or raised your voice at anyone and have always forgiven others for their sins?
If you believe you've been 100% perfect and sinless, which even Paul wasn't able to do, then aside from Jesus you're the first and only human to be perfectly sinless after becoming a Christian? Just as a warning this could be the sin of pride Proverbs 16:5 and 2 Timothy 3:2.
Matthew 5:48 - Jesus said to strive to be perfect and obey his commands John 14:15, but that doesn't mean you must be perfect to be saved. Ephesians 2:8. That also doesn't mean you have an excuse to sin intentionally.
Matthew 12:31 - Jesus clearly said only blasphemy of the holy spirit is the only sin that won't be forgiven. So, if your point is the NO sins are forgiven after you become a Christian then why would Jesus say this to everyone (including his Christian followers) that all sins ARE forgiven but this one?
Paul admits in Romans 7:15 that he deeply struggles with the flesh and sin. Does that mean you think the man who write the most books of the Bible and was the top evangelist for Christianity went to hell?
My belief is that you don't earn heaven by being perfect. You are saved by believing Jesus, confessing and repenting of your sin and actively following Jesus. You try to avoid sin to the absolute best of your ability, but it doesn't mean you'll be perfect. It in fact says we are all imperfect, but if we're genuinely following Jesus then we're covered by grace as we progress in our life as a Christian. It doesn't mean the grace erases sin, but we will be forgiven if we're a Christian following Jesus. Jesus shares a great parable about sin and forgiveness in Matthew 18.
Matthew 12:36-37 - Jesus sets the bar very, very high with every word you speak to others, your thoughts, and if you even look at a woman. Matthew 5:28. Am I supposed to believe your the first person since Jesus to ever do this perfectly and that you're 'earning' heaven? Congratulations, but I think you're in for a surprise, because that's not what the Bible says and above are just a few of the Bible verses that prove that. I'm offering this in kindness to offer a different perspective to a Christian brother. God bless.
Happy Sabbath!
Yes, I believe with all my heart we are to keep God's 10 commandments.
John 14:15
"If ye love me, keep my commandments."
1 John 2:4
"He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him."
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."
God Bless.
Great question....Christians really need to be honest about this commandment.
Sabbath has always been on Saturday the 7th Day of the week. The sabbath began at the time God created the heavens and earth which took 6 days....God rested on the 7th day - the Sabbath. God gave man the sabbath day as the 4th commandment. Not only is it a commandment, God commands....it is also a "wonderful gift" to man, for mankind's use to experience a refreshing rest of mind and body. On this day we give thanks to God, and we spend the sabbath day in prayer, meditation, and reflection, and fellowship with others.
The roman emperor Constantine the Great changed the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday On March 7, A.D. 321, and issued the first civil Sunday law, compelling all the people in the Roman Empire, except farmers, to rest on Sunday - and not Saturday.
As true Christians, we should be observing all 10 Commandments, including the 4th commandment! Jesus speaks to keeping the commandments below.....
John 14:15
"If ye love me, keep my commandments."
Romans 6 doesn't say what you've been saying. It's not a hall pass to commit and enjoy unlimited intentional sinning. Have you read the whole chapter? The first 2 verses contradicts the idea of you can't sin. It clearly says do NOT continue in sin in verse 1, and verse 23 is another warning to avoid sin. Freedom from sin doesn't mean unlimited sinning with no consequence, verse 15. V16: obey. V18 "servants of righteousness"
I've have never met anyone who claims they are without sin and that sin doesn't apply and that God is fine with you sinning, because "it's not sin". That's a distortion of the gospel. He didn't die for you so you could take advantage of him and enjoy sin and do evil all you want. That's not Christianity. The definition of a Christian is a Christ-follower and if someone isn't following and trying to emulate Jesus Christ then they aren't a Christian. Jesus called us to a ridiculously high standard that none can achieve. Only Jesus was perfect on earth, not you. You are a sinner just like everyone else and you still do sin, but if you genuinely follow Jesus and are genuinely trying to obey his commands then you're covered by grace for all our sins. It's not a hall pass so you can act wicked in the world and can commit all kinds of evil. Do you understand the difference?
Most people will go to hell. Narrow is the gate that leads to heaven. That means if 2/3 of the world believes in God that only a portion of those who call themselves Christians will go to heaven. Matthew 7:23. It's not about being 'good' or 'earning it', but about genuinely following Jesus. If you genuinely follow Jesus you would be serious about obeying him and avoiding sin. If you don't then you don't love Jesus. John 14:15. If someone doesn't love Jesus, in my opinion they are probably going to hell. This is a serious situation. People who consider themselves Christians will go there and should be afraid. Luke 12:5.
The Sabbath is Saturday, and has been since God created the world and rested on the 7th day Sabbath.
Mark 2:27-28
27. And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath: 28Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.
Many (way too many) of the modern church's today no longer teach that Christians should adhere to the 4th commandment/sabbath, they even go further and teach that all of the commandments are minimized, or no longer in affect. they say they are old laws given during the Old Testament times, and really don't pertain since Christ died on the cross and has risen we are NOW free from the Law. This thinking is inconcevable ....if you really read and understand the scriptures.
When, ministers or others say that we don't need to follow the 4th commandment or the other commandments; I ask them about explaining away this verse by Jesus below:
John 14:15
"If ye love me, keep my commandments."
Silence......
God Bless
Compare John chapter 3 to see which one you like best. Hard bound Bibles don't lay flat; so see how that works for you.
I like publisher Thomas Nelson the most.
Priced very reasonable.
By nature every person is born in sin through the sinful seed of their natural fathers and conditioned therein ( 1 Peter 1:23). For that reason and in order to become a son of God, which are born of God, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God, a person must be 'Born Again' ( John 1:12,13; 3:3-7; 1 John 3:9; 5:4).
God is the judge over His Church and teaches us that you must be 'Born Again'. No believer and follower of the true Christ has ever made a claim that they are 'Born Again'. That is judging oneself and falsehood, as in truth they follow after an image of a false god and a false Christ ( Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:22; Gal. 4:8; Rev. 12:9). This is how Satan has transformed Himself into an angel of light ( 2 Cor. 11:13-15).
Only through 'True Repentance' will God be able to reveal Himself, and adopt you as His sons and daughters ( Rom. 8:15,23; 2 Cor.6:18; Gal. 4:5; Eph. 1:5; Hebr. 12:5; 1 John 3:1).
The word 'Repent' means a lot more than what people by nature have been conditioned to believe. It is the key principle of all the teachings of Jesus Christ and the axiom (basis) of the Word of God and a prerequisite and primary requirement for the salvation of mankind. It actually means the changing of spirits - to turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God ( Acts 26:18).
For a better understanding and the 'spiritual truth' of what it means to repent, and learn how and by whom mankind has been deceived ( Rev. 12:9), and what people must do to be reunited with the true and living God, we invite you to seek Him according to the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive ( John 14:17).
You need not that any man teach you ( Isaiah 54:13; 6:45; 1 John 2:27), It is only by revelation of God that you will come to know Christ ( Daniel 12:4,9; Amos 3:7; Matthew 16:17; Luke 2:26; Romans 16:25; 1 Cor. 2:10; Gal. 1:16; Eph. 3:3,5; Rev. 1:1). It is a narrow way that leadeth unto 'Life', and few there be that find it.
So, you & I need not fear about the words in verse 5 - they were only for Nicodemus (& any of us now) who might think that to be "born of water" meant something else or an added requirement to spiritual birth. No - spiritual birth is only by faith in Christ's work at the Cross & nothing else. If there was something else required, then salvation does not come by faith, and that's not the Gospel message.
Verse 5 you must be born of water AND of the spirit.
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.
5: Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
QUESTION: If a person is born again of the spirit ONLY and not of water he/she CANNOT enter the kingdom of God?
The Word of God is God ( John 1:1) and is not of any private interpretation ( 2 Peter 1:20).
The word 'Repent' in different forms (repent, repentance, repented, repentest, repenteth, repenting, repentings) is mentioned 110 times in the KJV, and means a lot more than what people by nature have been conditioned to believe. The word 'repent' used in the New Testament was translated from the Greek word "metanoeo", and means to change, transform, to think differently or reconsider.
It is the key principle of all the teachings of Jesus Christ and the axiom (basis) of the Word of God and a prerequisite and primary requirement for the salvation of mankind. It actually means the changing of spirits - to turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God ( Acts 26:18).
For a better understanding and the 'spiritual truth' of what it means to repent, and learn how and by whom mankind has been deceived ( Rev. 12:9) and what people must do to be reunited with the true and living God, we invite you to seek Him according to the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive ( Matthew 7:7; John 14:17).
You need not that any man teach you ( Isaiah 54:13; 6:45; 1 John 2:27), as mankind follows after an image of a false god and a false Christ ( Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:22; Gal. 4:8; 2 Cor. 11:13-15; Rev. 12:9).
It is only by revelation of God that people will come to know the true Christ ( Daniel 12:4,9; Amos 3:7; Matthew 16:17; Luke 2:26; Romans 16:25; 1 Cor. 2:10; Gal. 1:16; Eph. 3:3,5; Rev. 1:1), and only then will you be able to overcome the spirit of this world ( 1 John 5:4; Rev. 3:21) and learn what 'True Repentance' means, and how this whole world has been deceived ( Rev. 12:9). It should also be remembered that it is a narrow way that leadeth unto 'Life', and few there be that find it ( Matthew 7:14).
LUKE 15:10. LIKEWISE, I SAY UNTO YOU, THERE IS JOY IN THE PRESENCE OF THE ANGELS OF GOD OVER ONE SINNER THAT REPENTETH.