Ruth, you picked up a spirit of fear. He has friends named torments. Copy paste the scriptures in your Notes App on your phone or PC. Pray them out loud as often as you need to.
1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment (an evil spirit) He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
2 Timothy 1:7
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, love and of a sound mind.
1 Samuel 12:24
Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he has done for you.
Proverbs 19:23
The fear of the LORD leads to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.**
Romans 8:15 - For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Hebrews 13:6 - So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
You as a Christian have the authority in Jesus Name to make these things leave you forever. So say this as often as needed:
In the Name of Jesus of Nazareth, I bind up the spirits of fear and torments and loose their bands of oppression in my life. I bind your evil works in my life. In Jesus Name and the Power of His Authority, I command you to go into outer darkness and dry places. GO NOW in Jesus Name.
I release healing, joy in my salvation, and soundness and peace over my mind__in the Name of Jesus I receive it in my born again spirit.
I am free! Hallelujah to my Lord and Savior.
A teaching by Jesus. Matthew 12: 43-44
We are to keep our house garnished with the Bible. They can't ever come back__as we are faithful to read New Testament and fill our soul and spirit with Gods Word. Our reading and prayer time takes precedence over less worthy activities.
May God bless you and carry you to happier times in your life and fellowship on here if you have time.
In my opinion dear Robin, nobody can get rid of bad habits/passions/sins unless God frees him. i.e. just think of a guy who is a drug addict who believes in Jesus sometime in his life. How is he going to get freed from his passion? On his own? Is that possible? Of course not. Nomatter how hard he tries he will never succeed. He needs God's strentgh/grace to do that. The same happens with all habits/passions/sins.
Apostle Paul in Romans 8:13 makes a very significant statement.
"For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live"
What does he mean with "deeds of body"? The answer is in Galatians 5:19-21
"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, AND SUCH LIKE: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God"
The above works of flesh/deeds of body are what we call bad habits/passions/sins. Is smoking or any other addiction mentioned? They are all included in "THE SUCH LIKE"
So what do you need to get freed? The answer is the Holly Spirit. It is sometimes impossible for men to "mortify the deeds of the body". This what God's Spirit does.
So go to the Lord and ask Him to free you, ask for His strength, His grace, His Spirit to work in/on you. But when you go to God you have to make sure that you really want to get freed, you have to be honest with the Lord, and sincere about it. Will God answer back? He will definitely do that. I have seen so many examples in my life, people that get freed from smoking, drugs, alcohol, adultery, fornification, gambling...anything that has enslaved them. So go to God.
And a verse especially for you:
John 8:36 "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."
Dear Leslie, take the following verses to heart, read God's Word, and never cease praying.
Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Romans 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Romans 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 16:33 ...In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
James 4:7 Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
This prophecy gives the precise time of the first coming of the Messiah. You will receive different understandings of this, it is a study that will take much time. this is just a little information you may use to help your study.
Many put the last week of this prophecy at the end times. It is used for the 7 years of tribulation, a peace treaty with the antichrist (he in verse 27) for 3 1/2 years then 3 years of great tribulation with the taking of the church somewhere between (pre, mid, post).
"Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, (70 weeks, 70 x 7 = 490 solar years or 483 prophetic years) on the house of Israel (Daniel's people) and the holy city (Jerusalem). It started from "the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem", make a note, that the rebuilding of the temple is not in this prophecy.
Here are a few verses that may help your study and if this prophecy has been fulfilled or not.
1. To finish the transgression Isaiah 53:5, 8 Isaiah 53:11Hebrews 9:15-18
2. To make an end of sins Matthew 1:21Hebrews 10:8-11John 1:291 Corinthians 15:3
1 John 3:5Psalm 32Romans 8:3
3. To make reconciliation for iniquity Colossians 1:20-22Isaiah 53:6Isaiah 53:11Ephesians 2:16 ( Titus 2:142 Corinthians 5:18-19
4. To bring in everlasting righteousness Romans 5:17-21Romans 3:21-261Peter 2:24
2 Corinthians 5:21Isaiah 61:10-11
5. To seal up vision and prophecy Daniel 9:23John 6:27Mark 1:14-15Acts 3:18
John 5:36-40Matthew 11:11-15
6. To anoint the most holy Hebrews 8:1-12Hebrews 9:6-14
The six things that were determined on Daniel's people and the holy city in this 70-week prophecy; did the Messiah/Jesus fulfill?
Dear Godwin: If you have been born again ( Romans 10:9-13), God is there with you whether you feel His presence or not. Matthew 28:20 "...lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."
Our walk in Christ is by faith, not by sight or by feelings or sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7
"(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)"
God Bless you!
Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
Hi my friend John, thank you for praying for me and everyone else as well. We pray for you, and the Holy Spirit sighs over us to the Lord night and day. Romans 8:26-27
To do an witness/ evangelistic deed for the Lord is to be out among the people, help, comfort and then i mean and help everyone, do not discriminate. Remember that it is the Lord who will reward you. All the love God has given you must work where you are. Where you, in consultation with the Lord, feel that you should be. And there you have the essence: You can do anything for the Lord. There is real love in it! So thank you Jesus Christ for enabling John to be in this service Lord, he will make a difference. Fill him with the Holy Spirit so that he will be able to, pray for the unsaved for salvation. To and free people from bonds and diseases. Let John also have a companion on the road so that they can alternate and do good in the service of the Lord.
God bless u and yours in Jesus Holy Name, love u in Christ. Matthew chapter 5 and 6
Sons of GOD : Genesis 6:2, Job 1:6, Job 2:1, Job 38:7, Revelation 12:10, John 1:12 "But as many as receive him, to them gave he power to become the sons of GOD, even to them that believe on his name:"
Romans 8:14 "For as many as are led by the Spirit of GOD, they are the sons of GOD."
Philippians 2:15 "That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of GOD, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world."
1John 3:1 "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of GOD: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not."
Matthew 5:16, Luke 8:19, Matthew 23:9, John 20:17, John 4:23, John 16:28, Matthew 6:7-34 did you notice how many times GOD is referenced as "our, your Father " in that portion of chapter 6? Matthew 7:11,
The lamp is us, the oil is the Holly Spirit, the light ( Matthew 5:15-16) is our pure life. But an introduction is needed first.
How does one have spiritual fruit in his life? The answer is that that fruit is a result of the work of the Holly Spirit in him, that is why in Galatians 5:22 the scripture talks about the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT. It is not due to our struggles to aquire that fruit in our lives, it would be impossible to aquire love, peace, joy...on our own, it it smt given to us by God through His Spirit. How does one gets rid of the works of flesh ( Galatians 5:19-21) in his life The answer is by the HS ( Romans 8:13). In simple words how can somebody who comes to Jesus can change his character to be similar to Christ's, how can he be changed from a sinful person full of what the scripture calls deeds/works of flesh (sins,faults,passions,bad habits etc) and become a person with clean and pure life? The answer is due to the work of the Holly Spirit in him. That is why a person that never comes to Jesus can never become a saint no matter how hard he tries. There are certain limits we humans have. On our own we can never, say, love our enemy no matter how hard we try, we can never give up smoking, drugs, drinks, swearing, adultery, fornication no matter how hard we try. All these are results of the work of the HS inside us. So what is needed to supply our lamps with to have light/pure life? The answer is with God's Spirit. How do we fill ourselves with the HS. By reading the Word of God, going to church, have communion with other christians, have Holly Communion and mainly by PRAYING IN SPIRIT. In other words by living a decent christian life.
I'm very familiar with the scriptures you have shared, and they must harmonize with Romans 6:1-12 and also Romans 8:7-14. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
The scriptures you have shared accompanied with the ones I've shared suggest that Sanctification follows Salvation.
"IF" we are connected to the vine we WILL bare fruit.
Romans 10:2-5: "For I bear them record that they (Israel) have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them."
Again, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth". To all who put their trust in Jesus, Christ's coming ended the Law that should have brought righteousness but failed. Nothing wrong with the Law - the problem was with man. The Law failed to achieve it - but faith in Christ & a new birth did, ending the demands of the Law that only brought death.
And there can't be any syncretism, coming under both the Law & under God's Grace. We cannot be justified by the Law - even keeping or trying to keep one Law & still claim Grace. Galatians 5:4; Romans 4:13,14. And the keeping of the Sabbath is just one of the ten Laws. Whoever wants to keep the Law is bound to keep them perfectly (all ten of them) James 2:10 - and there remains no avenue to claim Grace when under the Law.
May we walk in the Spirit, obeying the Spirit, that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us ( Romans 8:4) and not bound to the letter ( Romans 7:6; 2 Corinthians 3:6). The Sabbath Rest is not found in a day set aside for physical rest, but in a Person Whom we have sanctified in our hearts & lives. Blessings.
Fully agree bro Giannis. In respect to Colossians 2:14, "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross", I would also add Ephesians 2:15, "Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace".
Whether referring to the "handwriting of ordinances" or "the law of commandments contained in ordinances", you would know that the same word is used, 'dogmasin' (decrees, edicts, ordinances). It's sometimes claimed that only those 'other' commandments have been abolished by virtue of the Cross & not the Decalogue. Though there was nothing wrong or at fault with any of God's Commandments ( Romans 7:12), it's present application & implications have ceased, because Christ's Sacrifice has nailed it ALL on the Cross. If they were still applicable & to be obeyed to prove obedience, then it shows that Jesus' Death didn't work towards salvation & God's Gift of Grace is a non-event & the whole Plan was a failure. ( Romans 8:3).
But our only attendance now is to Jesus & to His Spirit Who brings out the fullness of God's Requirements for His Blood-bought, giving us both the desire & power to learn & apply them to every situation in life. Therefore, sins of murder, theft, adultery, etc. are no longer clear finite physical acts of transgression, but now the Spirit tells us that they find their root in the heart & can even encompass a much wider range of applications than what is implied in the Decalogue. Jesus came to deal with the heart of sin, not the head knowledge of it. Using any of the commandments as a yardstick of our obedience has limited use for knowledge of Jewish laws & requirements. They have no bearing on the Jew or Gentile who has come to the Cross & under the New Covenant ( Hebrews 8:6,7,13). Blessings brother.
I welcome you to this site. I just want to assure you that You can pray to our God directly.
1 Timothy 2 :5-6 tells us that there is one Mediator between God and man, the Man Jesus Christ, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time."
Jesus, at the Last Supper, instructed His disciples this way: "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you."
John 15:16
And in Hebrews 8:1 it says:
"Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of throne of the Majesty in the heavens."
And in Hebrews 7:24 it speaks of the priests of the Old Covenant compared to Jesus' priesthood:
"Also there were many priests because they were prevented by death from continuing. But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood Therefore He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them."
Mary, you do not need to pray to Mary or anyone else but God according to these Scriptures. Mary or any other saint would not receive your prayers because they know that Jesus is the only Mediator. They honor only Jesus. We can certainly ask other believers to pray for us, but this is a request we make to those who are still alive in this life. '
Do not be discouraged, trust in Jesus. Our Great God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, hears all of our prayers and we have Jesus' promise that our prayers are heard and answered by the Father according to His prefect will. Jesus is always making intercession for us to the Father. He is the best and foremost person we are to make our requests known to. The Holy Spirit even helps us in our praying ( Romans 8:26-27)
Therefore , the whole Godhead works to answer our prayers.
I encourage you to stay with us and continue learning from God's Word.
Thanks brother S. Spencer for that great article which clearly describes why the 'evil' we face in the world is actually God's opportunity for the demonstration of His Love; that in one sense, evil should be welcomed that we might both prove & delight ourselves in that all-surpassing Power of His Love towards us to overcome it & have peace going through it. Paul expressed this same thought when afflicted with that 'thorn in his flesh' ( 2 Corinthians 12:7-10).
But would the skeptic see it this way? Some might as they genuinely seek to understand the matter at this deeper level. Though I dare say, that most skeptics would rather believe in & desire a god of their own making - one that resembles a Father Christmas, with plenty of Ho, Ho, Ho, giving gifts & removing all pain & sorrow. But the quick fix they seek for their ills can never fix the far greater evil of sin - only a loving God can do that, giving hope in this life and a sure promise for the next.
Ephesians 1:11 In whom (in Christ) we (all creation) have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the PURPOSE of him who worketh all things after the counsel of HIS WILL.
Part of God's will is that ONLY a FEW will receive their inheritance in the first resurrection.
The rest will receive their inheritance after the second resurrection.
Romans 8:19 For the earnest EXPECTATION of the creature WAITETH (till the second resurrection) for the manifestation of the Sons of God (first resurrection).
Romans 8:21 Because the creature ITSELF shall be DELIVERED from the BONDAGE OF CORRUPTION (the grave, second resurrection) into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Why are they waiting until the second resurrection, the resurrection to JUDGEMENT.
Psalms 149:9 To execute upon them (second resurrection) the JUDGEMENT WRITTEN (their inheritance), this HONOUR hath all his saints (first resurrection).
Isaiah 26:9 ....for when thy JUDGEMENTS are in the earth (second resurrection) the inhabitants of the world (second resurrection) will LEARN RIGHTEOUSNESS.
1 Corinthians 15:28 .....that God may be ALL IN ALL.
Why does a God of love allow evil? Because He is a God of LOVE.
So Great a Salvation
So, how practical is Christianity? The Bible presents an infinite Creator with the very attributes we would expect when we examine the things that are made. And God, as a personal Being, in order that He might have a love relationship with us, gave us the capacity of choice. In order that we might have a practical revelation of His love, His wisdom, His power, His glory, He became one of us in the person of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
In order that we might not suffer the penalty of our evil choices (sin), He, like a loving father, paid the penalty for our sins. He allowed his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to be murdered on a Roman cross (arguably the most evil act in the history of the universe, if He is indeed God's Son). But this act of great evil gave rise to an even better state of affairs, and the greatest act of love in the universe: paying the penalty for the wrong choices we make, which were the result of the way He created us in the first place! In the cross of Christ He has provided a full pardon from the consequences of the evil in our lives. Consequently, we cannot look to God and declare that He is unfair. Far from being a devil, in this examination of the problem of evil, God becomes the hero of the plot and the solution to the problem of evil. And it all hinges on LOVE. Indeed, God is love.3 What must we do to receive this pardon?
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9.
In the hypothetical scenario I presented to this woman, with the advantage of hindsight (foreknowledge in this case) she was in a position comparable to God's before He created humankind. Because He is outside time and knows all things, He knew that there would be tremendous pain and suffering as a result of His decision to create a people with the capacity of choice and, consequently, the capacity to sin (moral evil).
But God, like this mother, knew that the love He and his human creatures would experience would outweigh the pain and suffering that would result from His decision to create us as He did. But the consequences of God's decision were not unforeseen. They were foreknown!
The Incredible Answer
The skeptic that emailed me stated, in effect, that if an all-powerful God did not eliminate evil, then He was a devil! The implication is that the removal of all evil would permit a better, more loving world. A truly loving God, the skeptics assert, would have desired and created such a world because it is clearly superior to the one we have. Any God that did not follow this logic was not a God of love, but an evil tyrant.
As we have seen, this logic crumbles under its own weight. The existence of evil is the "side effect" of creating a world with love. But as we have seen, there are compelling arguments that a world possessing both evil and love is superior to a world where neither is possible. For God to eliminate evil, He would have to eliminate our capacity of choice and thus our capacity to do both evil and good. And such a world is inferior to the one we have: one where love is possible, despite its inherent evil. What kind of God would do this? Only one kind. A God of love.
But the skeptic says, "why did God do this when he knew in advance that the result of free will would be so disastrous? Did this God of love not care that war, murder, rape and so much senseless violence would be the result of his choice to give us free will?" A real life illustration will help us to understand.
The Love of a Mother
During my 15 years as a physician I have seen an enormous amount of physical suffering. During that time I have had five children in my practice die by disease and injury. All of these children came from Christian families. Several months after the death of one of these children, the child's mother was in my office and was very distraught over her loss. She asked me, "Why did God allow this? I love God. Why did this happen?"
What could I say in this situation? Rather than providing an answer I asked her this question. "You have three children. One of them has died. If you could go back to the time before you had any children, with the knowledge that one of them would die this horrible death, would you have children again?"
After a long pause, with many tears in her eyes and a broken heart she said, "Oh yes. Oh yes. yes I would. Because, you see, the love and the joy and the happiness I have received from my children far outweighs the pain, suffering and misery I experienced from the loss of that one child. Oh yes. Oh yes. I would have children again."
In this tragic story we see an incredible insight as to why God allows evil to exist. As discussed earlier, a loving God can allow an evil state of affairs to exist if, in allowing it to occur, it brings about an even better state of affairs. For this woman, the loss of her child was an unequalled and tragic evil. But, with the advantage of hindsight, she said she would do it all again because the love she received as a result of being a mother outweighed the evil state of affairs in the death of her child.
The problem of human evil is rooted in the nature of God and the nature of love and the nature of mankind. I argued in last month's Personal UPDATE that God is a personal being because an impersonal force is an insufficient agent to create personal beings.2 What is the greatest passion of personal beings? I would argue that, above all else, personal beings desire personal relationships with other personal beings. So it makes sense that God, as a personal being, would desire to create us in such a way that He could have a meaningful, personal, and loving relationship with us. But this has a severe price.
Let us consider the nature of love and its consequences. I cannot experience love from you unless you have the capacity to do otherwise. If you have the capacity to not love me, and you choose instead to love me, then that choice has validity. It has meaning. You cannot have a love relationship with a computer. It is pre-programmed to serve you. Love requires choice: unencumbered choice. And that's where the problem lies.
When God created mankind, He too had a choice. If He created us as beings that were pre-programmed to follow and serve Him, there could be no love. But, if He created us with the capacity of choice, the capacity to love and serve Him, and the capacity not to do so, then there is the possibility of relationship: the possibility of real love. As a personal being with the capability of creating us in the first place, it makes sense that He would want to create us as personal beings with the capability of choice (free will) and, thus, the capability of love. But where there is choice and the capability of love, there is also the capability to choose wrong and to do great evil.
Atheists often present the problem of evil to theists as if it is a fatal argument for the existence of God. Nothing could be further from the truth. In reality, it is an absolutely unsolvable problem for the atheist. How does the atheist explain evil-the sense of moral right and wrong-in the absence of a moral Lawgiver? They can't! If there is no moral Lawgiver, then there is no way to explain the sense of moral wrong and moral right we all possess. C.S. Lewis said that evil is God's megaphone to a non-believing world. Evil speaks of moral law. Moral law demands a moral Lawgiver, and it is He that we call God!
Evil Often Begets Good
A second principle of logic we need to consider is the fact that an apparently evil state of affairs will often bring about an even better state of affairs. The problem is that we often do not recognize this fact until we have the advantage of hindsight. In my own field of medicine I see this on a daily basis: the process of childbirth, surgical intervention, and many medical therapies often present physical pain (an evil state of affairs according to non-theists), and yet they bring about an even better state of affairs: improved health. Physical pain is often highly beneficial as well. When a child touches a hot stove, the nervous system sends a neurological signal to the brain which is perceived as pain (a form of evil). Yet without that sense of pain, an even worse state of affairs would arise: the destruction of the limb.
The skeptic might object that while this provides a partial answer to the problem of evil, it does not address some of the most disturbing forms of evil: war, murder, rape, incest and the senseless death of the innocent.
When someone states that they do not believe in God because a good God would not allow evil, they make a fatal error in logic. First, the recognition of evil is the recognition that certain actions are "right" and certain actions are "wrong." But how do we determine what actions are morally right and morally wrong? We discern this on the basis of a moral law: a universal sense that certain states of affairs are right and others are wrong. Even most atheists will admit that certain actions are universally wrong and, conversely, universally right.
For example, no one could seriously argue with the statement that it is better to love a child than to torture it. The point is that there is an innate, universal sense of right and wrong within all of us. What is the basis of this moral sense? Some would argue that it is based on cultural customs or traditions. But can this be so?
The famous atheist Bertrand Russell once debated a Christian who asked him if he believed in right and wrong. Russell replied "of course." Then he asked him how he determined what is right and wrong. Russell replied that he determined right and wrong on the basis of his feelings. His opponent replied, "Well, in some cultures they feel it is okay to eat you, and in others they don't. Which do you prefer." The point is that social customs, attitudes, traditions or feelings cannot determine a universal sense of right and wrong.
A universal sense of moral right and wrong can only come from a source outside of ourselves: a transcendent source, a moral Lawgiver. So the recognition of moral law is by default the recognition of a moral Lawgiver. To argue that the existence of evil proves that there is no God is equivalent to stating that the existence of moral law proves that there is no Lawgiver! It's like declaring that the Chrysler automobile that I drive proves without a doubt that there is no Chrysler Motor Company!
In my experience, it is the most commonly asked question by honest skeptics: "If God is real, if God is personal, if God loves us, why does God allow evil?" A proper understanding of this issue not only provides great insight into the nature of God, it ties together a comprehensive understanding to some of life's ultimate questions: the answers to my origin, meaning, morality and destiny!
Email from A Skeptic
The question of evil was brought into clearer focus in an email I recently received from a skeptic:
The Christian worldview is an impractical, even phony, view of the Cosmos because it embraces a God who is either incapable of stopping evil and suffering, and he is therefore not omnipotent, or is unwilling to do so and therefore a devil!
The skeptic's point is well taken because the Bible states that one of God's attributes is love. "He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." ( I John 4:8) In the book of Romans, Paul the Apostle stated that the invisible attributes of God "are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead."1
However, what the skeptic is saying, in effect, is this: "If your God is love, I see no evidence of that attribute in creation. All the death, disease, pain and suffering seems to be out of place if this God of yours is love. Surely an all-powerful God could, and a loving God would, eliminate all evil. Since evil exists, then no such God exists."
To answer this objection we need to examine some principles of logic, the nature of God, the nature of man, the nature of love and the nature of evil.
I agree Don, this subject can be very intriguing. Each one has to come to grips with it in his own way according to the light granted him.
My belief rests upon all the Scriptures I can bring together on theology; & even then I remain open to the many Truths that exist that I'm not privy to.
From what you've written, I always try to separate what man sees & understands and what God already knows & determines accordingly. My (human) view is that God has granted me free will, even as I exercise it continually, daily. In respect to spiritual conversion, I responded to His Spirit's bearing upon me. But did my free will & reception of Jesus catch God by surprise & compelled Him to alter His Plans for my life, both present & into eternity? No.
Because of God's View: He already knew I would exercise the free will granted me & the resulting paths I would tread in life, either destined for good or evil. Then as a believer, hopefully I will no longer exercise my Will according to carnal determinations but to the Spirit's leading.
And likewise with re-birth: as much as Christ's Sacrifice has availed for all mankind, not all will respond to the plea. Does God then select who He wants & who will be rejected? Or is His 'selection' fully based on what He already knows will transpire with each soul? Or else, how could it be said that "He is not willing that ANY should perish, but that all should come to repentance"?
With that said, it can be erroneously assumed that God is partial & conducts a lottery to accept some & reject others. If a man is damned for eternity, it's because he has refused to turn from sin & to a waiting Savior & will not have excuse in that day of judgement saying, 'I tried to come but I was refused or was not destined by God to be saved '.
So Ron, I always try & understand such 'mysteries' from God's perspective & because of Who He is, because my human view will always lead me to error & confusion. May He lead you in your further thoughts on this.
The only way I can slowly bring these two concepts together is God selected ( predestined) whole human race at creation to come unto Him and eventually to Christ, Romans 1:18-20. The human race has a bare knowledge of the existence of God based being created in His image. And later conformed to the image of His Son. Here is where " free will " comes into play, we can decide to believe and have faith in God and in Christ or not. God has built in to us the ability to know Him at creation but has also given us the " free will" to develop more knowledge or less knowledge of Him and Christ.
Ambassador in bonds Part 1 - In Reply - 2 years ago
Jan Rene Ann Maudlin:
Exodus 4:13
And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.
1 Corinthians 15:1
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
1 Corinthians 15:2
By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:3
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
1 Corinthians 15:4
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Revelation 1:5
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Romans 8:6
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Romans 8:14
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Romans 8:16
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
James 4:7
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
2 Thessalonians 3:3
But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.
Romans 8:9
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.
1 Corinthians 15:1
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
1 Corinthians 15:2
By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:3
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
1 Corinthians 15:4
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Revelation 1:5
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Romans 8:6
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Romans 8:14
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Romans 8:16
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
James 4:7
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
2 Thessalonians 3:3
But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.
Romans 8:9
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Romans 8:15
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Don i know that Jesus said there wd be few that wd be saved...But that was under the old covenant the law....But under the New Covenant he says i will know them ALL which is an intimacy that is gona result in a birth of Christ in everybody....Thays y Isaiah saw KNOWLEDGE covering the earth as the waters cover the seas....Thus the lord will KNOW everybody UNDER THIS NEW COVENANT.
.....When Jesus spoke of the BABES AND SUCKLINGS which are his seed the words of the book, living words ....Those are the ones who are gonna be preordained and predestinated as Gen 22 : 17 speaks of his seed that are gona be as the stars of heaven in multitude which are the babes and sucklings....His seed which are spirits the H.G. plural an Israel of God....Mankind can only be a joint heir with the H.G. that Child of Promise....The H.G.
When ya interpret Romans 8 : 29 as being a few men then you are in essence saying that Christ only died for a few men which wd be a false doctrine...Verse 33 in ROMANS 8... Who shall lay anything to the charge of Gods Elect,...Its only the H.G. that is Gods Elect...The ISRAEL of God....Its only the H.G. that is the Gift of God the Israel of God as Jesus told the woman at the well.
.....Mans carnal mind cannot comprehend the enormity of Gods love for humanity and his new Covenant...I will KNOW them all from the least to the greatest...Thus the babes and sucklings the Children of Promise..And thats who is preordained b/f the world was....I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven and God was so passionate about this Promise that he swore by himself....Thats y Jesus was saying to whom the WORD came it made them Gods ....Don't believe Tulip doctrine its of the Devil its the result of taking the bible literal...mans carnal mind etc....ok lemme go
1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment (an evil spirit) He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
2 Timothy 1:7
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, love and of a sound mind.
1 Samuel 12:24
Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he has done for you.
Proverbs 19:23
The fear of the LORD leads to life: and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.**
Romans 8:15 - For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
Hebrews 13:6 - So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
You as a Christian have the authority in Jesus Name to make these things leave you forever. So say this as often as needed:
In the Name of Jesus of Nazareth, I bind up the spirits of fear and torments and loose their bands of oppression in my life. I bind your evil works in my life. In Jesus Name and the Power of His Authority, I command you to go into outer darkness and dry places. GO NOW in Jesus Name.
I release healing, joy in my salvation, and soundness and peace over my mind__in the Name of Jesus I receive it in my born again spirit.
I am free! Hallelujah to my Lord and Savior.
A teaching by Jesus. Matthew 12: 43-44
We are to keep our house garnished with the Bible. They can't ever come back__as we are faithful to read New Testament and fill our soul and spirit with Gods Word. Our reading and prayer time takes precedence over less worthy activities.
May God bless you and carry you to happier times in your life and fellowship on here if you have time.
Love to you,
Example = Philippians 2:15,
1John 3:1,2
Apostle Paul in Romans 8:13 makes a very significant statement.
"For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live"
What does he mean with "deeds of body"? The answer is in Galatians 5:19-21
"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, AND SUCH LIKE: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God"
The above works of flesh/deeds of body are what we call bad habits/passions/sins. Is smoking or any other addiction mentioned? They are all included in "THE SUCH LIKE"
So what do you need to get freed? The answer is the Holly Spirit. It is sometimes impossible for men to "mortify the deeds of the body". This what God's Spirit does.
So go to the Lord and ask Him to free you, ask for His strength, His grace, His Spirit to work in/on you. But when you go to God you have to make sure that you really want to get freed, you have to be honest with the Lord, and sincere about it. Will God answer back? He will definitely do that. I have seen so many examples in my life, people that get freed from smoking, drugs, alcohol, adultery, fornification, gambling...anything that has enslaved them. So go to God.
And a verse especially for you:
John 8:36 "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."
GBU
There have been many discussions about this. People differ in opinion. James 1:5, I ask you pray for wisdom & discernment of truth.
Why do you ask, this question like this?
1st we have Luke 16,
Then we have Paradise mentioned 3 times, in: Luke 23:39-46, 2Corinthians 12:2-4, Revelation 2:7,
Out of the Grave: Ezekiel 37:12,13, Matthew 27:52,53, John 5:28,
Judgement : Matthew 25:31-46, Matthew 7, Romans 14:12, 1Peter 4:1-5, Matthew 12:36,
Jesus being the 1st born: Romans 8:29-39,
Hopefully these are helpful
Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
Romans 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Romans 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
John 16:33 ...In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
James 4:7 Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
God bless and keep you!
This prophecy gives the precise time of the first coming of the Messiah. You will receive different understandings of this, it is a study that will take much time. this is just a little information you may use to help your study.
Many put the last week of this prophecy at the end times. It is used for the 7 years of tribulation, a peace treaty with the antichrist (he in verse 27) for 3 1/2 years then 3 years of great tribulation with the taking of the church somewhere between (pre, mid, post).
"Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, (70 weeks, 70 x 7 = 490 solar years or 483 prophetic years) on the house of Israel (Daniel's people) and the holy city (Jerusalem). It started from "the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem", make a note, that the rebuilding of the temple is not in this prophecy.
Here are a few verses that may help your study and if this prophecy has been fulfilled or not.
1. To finish the transgression Isaiah 53:5, 8 Isaiah 53:11 Hebrews 9:15-18
2. To make an end of sins Matthew 1:21 Hebrews 10:8-11 John 1:29 1 Corinthians 15:3
1 John 3:5 Psalm 32 Romans 8:3
3. To make reconciliation for iniquity Colossians 1:20-22 Isaiah 53:6 Isaiah 53:11 Ephesians 2:16 ( Titus 2:14 2 Corinthians 5:18-19
4. To bring in everlasting righteousness Romans 5:17-21 Romans 3:21-26 1Peter 2:24
2 Corinthians 5:21 Isaiah 61:10-11
5. To seal up vision and prophecy Daniel 9:23 John 6:27 Mark 1:14-15 Acts 3:18
John 5:36-40 Matthew 11:11-15
6. To anoint the most holy Hebrews 8:1-12 Hebrews 9:6-14
The six things that were determined on Daniel's people and the holy city in this 70-week prophecy; did the Messiah/Jesus fulfill?
God bless,
RLW
Our walk in Christ is by faith, not by sight or by feelings or sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7
"(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)"
God Bless you!
Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
To do an witness/ evangelistic deed for the Lord is to be out among the people, help, comfort and then i mean and help everyone, do not discriminate. Remember that it is the Lord who will reward you. All the love God has given you must work where you are. Where you, in consultation with the Lord, feel that you should be. And there you have the essence: You can do anything for the Lord. There is real love in it! So thank you Jesus Christ for enabling John to be in this service Lord, he will make a difference. Fill him with the Holy Spirit so that he will be able to, pray for the unsaved for salvation. To and free people from bonds and diseases. Let John also have a companion on the road so that they can alternate and do good in the service of the Lord.
God bless u and yours in Jesus Holy Name, love u in Christ. Matthew chapter 5 and 6
Romans 8:14 "For as many as are led by the Spirit of GOD, they are the sons of GOD."
Philippians 2:15 "That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of GOD, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world."
1John 3:1 "Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of GOD: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not."
Matthew 5:16, Luke 8:19, Matthew 23:9, John 20:17, John 4:23, John 16:28, Matthew 6:7-34 did you notice how many times GOD is referenced as "our, your Father " in that portion of chapter 6? Matthew 7:11,
Mark 3:33-35,
1John 3, Romans 8:29,
Contrast = John 8:41-47, 1John 2:23, Matthew 3:9
Hopefully these are all helpful in your study
This is how I know this parable.
PART 1
The lamp is us, the oil is the Holly Spirit, the light ( Matthew 5:15-16) is our pure life. But an introduction is needed first.
How does one have spiritual fruit in his life? The answer is that that fruit is a result of the work of the Holly Spirit in him, that is why in Galatians 5:22 the scripture talks about the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT. It is not due to our struggles to aquire that fruit in our lives, it would be impossible to aquire love, peace, joy...on our own, it it smt given to us by God through His Spirit. How does one gets rid of the works of flesh ( Galatians 5:19-21) in his life The answer is by the HS ( Romans 8:13). In simple words how can somebody who comes to Jesus can change his character to be similar to Christ's, how can he be changed from a sinful person full of what the scripture calls deeds/works of flesh (sins,faults,passions,bad habits etc) and become a person with clean and pure life? The answer is due to the work of the Holly Spirit in him. That is why a person that never comes to Jesus can never become a saint no matter how hard he tries. There are certain limits we humans have. On our own we can never, say, love our enemy no matter how hard we try, we can never give up smoking, drugs, drinks, swearing, adultery, fornication no matter how hard we try. All these are results of the work of the HS inside us. So what is needed to supply our lamps with to have light/pure life? The answer is with God's Spirit. How do we fill ourselves with the HS. By reading the Word of God, going to church, have communion with other christians, have Holly Communion and mainly by PRAYING IN SPIRIT. In other words by living a decent christian life.
I'm very familiar with the scriptures you have shared, and they must harmonize with Romans 6:1-12 and also Romans 8:7-14. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.
For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
The scriptures you have shared accompanied with the ones I've shared suggest that Sanctification follows Salvation.
"IF" we are connected to the vine we WILL bare fruit.
God bless.
Romans 10:2-5: "For I bear them record that they (Israel) have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them."
Again, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth". To all who put their trust in Jesus, Christ's coming ended the Law that should have brought righteousness but failed. Nothing wrong with the Law - the problem was with man. The Law failed to achieve it - but faith in Christ & a new birth did, ending the demands of the Law that only brought death.
And there can't be any syncretism, coming under both the Law & under God's Grace. We cannot be justified by the Law - even keeping or trying to keep one Law & still claim Grace. Galatians 5:4; Romans 4:13,14. And the keeping of the Sabbath is just one of the ten Laws. Whoever wants to keep the Law is bound to keep them perfectly (all ten of them) James 2:10 - and there remains no avenue to claim Grace when under the Law.
May we walk in the Spirit, obeying the Spirit, that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us ( Romans 8:4) and not bound to the letter ( Romans 7:6; 2 Corinthians 3:6). The Sabbath Rest is not found in a day set aside for physical rest, but in a Person Whom we have sanctified in our hearts & lives. Blessings.
Whether referring to the "handwriting of ordinances" or "the law of commandments contained in ordinances", you would know that the same word is used, 'dogmasin' (decrees, edicts, ordinances). It's sometimes claimed that only those 'other' commandments have been abolished by virtue of the Cross & not the Decalogue. Though there was nothing wrong or at fault with any of God's Commandments ( Romans 7:12), it's present application & implications have ceased, because Christ's Sacrifice has nailed it ALL on the Cross. If they were still applicable & to be obeyed to prove obedience, then it shows that Jesus' Death didn't work towards salvation & God's Gift of Grace is a non-event & the whole Plan was a failure. ( Romans 8:3).
But our only attendance now is to Jesus & to His Spirit Who brings out the fullness of God's Requirements for His Blood-bought, giving us both the desire & power to learn & apply them to every situation in life. Therefore, sins of murder, theft, adultery, etc. are no longer clear finite physical acts of transgression, but now the Spirit tells us that they find their root in the heart & can even encompass a much wider range of applications than what is implied in the Decalogue. Jesus came to deal with the heart of sin, not the head knowledge of it. Using any of the commandments as a yardstick of our obedience has limited use for knowledge of Jewish laws & requirements. They have no bearing on the Jew or Gentile who has come to the Cross & under the New Covenant ( Hebrews 8:6,7,13). Blessings brother.
I welcome you to this site. I just want to assure you that You can pray to our God directly.
1 Timothy 2 :5-6 tells us that there is one Mediator between God and man, the Man Jesus Christ, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time."
Jesus, at the Last Supper, instructed His disciples this way: "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you."
John 15:16
And in Hebrews 8:1 it says:
"Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of throne of the Majesty in the heavens."
And in Hebrews 7:24 it speaks of the priests of the Old Covenant compared to Jesus' priesthood:
"Also there were many priests because they were prevented by death from continuing. But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood Therefore He is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them."
Mary, you do not need to pray to Mary or anyone else but God according to these Scriptures. Mary or any other saint would not receive your prayers because they know that Jesus is the only Mediator. They honor only Jesus. We can certainly ask other believers to pray for us, but this is a request we make to those who are still alive in this life. '
Do not be discouraged, trust in Jesus. Our Great God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, hears all of our prayers and we have Jesus' promise that our prayers are heard and answered by the Father according to His prefect will. Jesus is always making intercession for us to the Father. He is the best and foremost person we are to make our requests known to. The Holy Spirit even helps us in our praying ( Romans 8:26-27)
Therefore , the whole Godhead works to answer our prayers.
I encourage you to stay with us and continue learning from God's Word.
God bless you.
But would the skeptic see it this way? Some might as they genuinely seek to understand the matter at this deeper level. Though I dare say, that most skeptics would rather believe in & desire a god of their own making - one that resembles a Father Christmas, with plenty of Ho, Ho, Ho, giving gifts & removing all pain & sorrow. But the quick fix they seek for their ills can never fix the far greater evil of sin - only a loving God can do that, giving hope in this life and a sure promise for the next.
Ephesians 1:11 In whom (in Christ) we (all creation) have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the PURPOSE of him who worketh all things after the counsel of HIS WILL.
Part of God's will is that ONLY a FEW will receive their inheritance in the first resurrection.
The rest will receive their inheritance after the second resurrection.
Romans 8:19 For the earnest EXPECTATION of the creature WAITETH (till the second resurrection) for the manifestation of the Sons of God (first resurrection).
Romans 8:21 Because the creature ITSELF shall be DELIVERED from the BONDAGE OF CORRUPTION (the grave, second resurrection) into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
Why are they waiting until the second resurrection, the resurrection to JUDGEMENT.
Psalms 149:9 To execute upon them (second resurrection) the JUDGEMENT WRITTEN (their inheritance), this HONOUR hath all his saints (first resurrection).
Isaiah 26:9 ....for when thy JUDGEMENTS are in the earth (second resurrection) the inhabitants of the world (second resurrection) will LEARN RIGHTEOUSNESS.
1 Corinthians 15:28 .....that God may be ALL IN ALL.
God Bless YOU!
Why does a God of love allow evil? Because He is a God of LOVE.
So Great a Salvation
So, how practical is Christianity? The Bible presents an infinite Creator with the very attributes we would expect when we examine the things that are made. And God, as a personal Being, in order that He might have a love relationship with us, gave us the capacity of choice. In order that we might have a practical revelation of His love, His wisdom, His power, His glory, He became one of us in the person of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
In order that we might not suffer the penalty of our evil choices (sin), He, like a loving father, paid the penalty for our sins. He allowed his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to be murdered on a Roman cross (arguably the most evil act in the history of the universe, if He is indeed God's Son). But this act of great evil gave rise to an even better state of affairs, and the greatest act of love in the universe: paying the penalty for the wrong choices we make, which were the result of the way He created us in the first place! In the cross of Christ He has provided a full pardon from the consequences of the evil in our lives. Consequently, we cannot look to God and declare that He is unfair. Far from being a devil, in this examination of the problem of evil, God becomes the hero of the plot and the solution to the problem of evil. And it all hinges on LOVE. Indeed, God is love.3 What must we do to receive this pardon?
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16
If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9.
God bless.
In the hypothetical scenario I presented to this woman, with the advantage of hindsight (foreknowledge in this case) she was in a position comparable to God's before He created humankind. Because He is outside time and knows all things, He knew that there would be tremendous pain and suffering as a result of His decision to create a people with the capacity of choice and, consequently, the capacity to sin (moral evil).
But God, like this mother, knew that the love He and his human creatures would experience would outweigh the pain and suffering that would result from His decision to create us as He did. But the consequences of God's decision were not unforeseen. They were foreknown!
The Incredible Answer
The skeptic that emailed me stated, in effect, that if an all-powerful God did not eliminate evil, then He was a devil! The implication is that the removal of all evil would permit a better, more loving world. A truly loving God, the skeptics assert, would have desired and created such a world because it is clearly superior to the one we have. Any God that did not follow this logic was not a God of love, but an evil tyrant.
As we have seen, this logic crumbles under its own weight. The existence of evil is the "side effect" of creating a world with love. But as we have seen, there are compelling arguments that a world possessing both evil and love is superior to a world where neither is possible. For God to eliminate evil, He would have to eliminate our capacity of choice and thus our capacity to do both evil and good. And such a world is inferior to the one we have: one where love is possible, despite its inherent evil. What kind of God would do this? Only one kind. A God of love.
See Part 7.
But the skeptic says, "why did God do this when he knew in advance that the result of free will would be so disastrous? Did this God of love not care that war, murder, rape and so much senseless violence would be the result of his choice to give us free will?" A real life illustration will help us to understand.
The Love of a Mother
During my 15 years as a physician I have seen an enormous amount of physical suffering. During that time I have had five children in my practice die by disease and injury. All of these children came from Christian families. Several months after the death of one of these children, the child's mother was in my office and was very distraught over her loss. She asked me, "Why did God allow this? I love God. Why did this happen?"
What could I say in this situation? Rather than providing an answer I asked her this question. "You have three children. One of them has died. If you could go back to the time before you had any children, with the knowledge that one of them would die this horrible death, would you have children again?"
After a long pause, with many tears in her eyes and a broken heart she said, "Oh yes. Oh yes. yes I would. Because, you see, the love and the joy and the happiness I have received from my children far outweighs the pain, suffering and misery I experienced from the loss of that one child. Oh yes. Oh yes. I would have children again."
In this tragic story we see an incredible insight as to why God allows evil to exist. As discussed earlier, a loving God can allow an evil state of affairs to exist if, in allowing it to occur, it brings about an even better state of affairs. For this woman, the loss of her child was an unequalled and tragic evil. But, with the advantage of hindsight, she said she would do it all again because the love she received as a result of being a mother outweighed the evil state of affairs in the death of her child.
See Part 6.
God, Freedom, and Evil
The problem of human evil is rooted in the nature of God and the nature of love and the nature of mankind. I argued in last month's Personal UPDATE that God is a personal being because an impersonal force is an insufficient agent to create personal beings.2 What is the greatest passion of personal beings? I would argue that, above all else, personal beings desire personal relationships with other personal beings. So it makes sense that God, as a personal being, would desire to create us in such a way that He could have a meaningful, personal, and loving relationship with us. But this has a severe price.
Let us consider the nature of love and its consequences. I cannot experience love from you unless you have the capacity to do otherwise. If you have the capacity to not love me, and you choose instead to love me, then that choice has validity. It has meaning. You cannot have a love relationship with a computer. It is pre-programmed to serve you. Love requires choice: unencumbered choice. And that's where the problem lies.
When God created mankind, He too had a choice. If He created us as beings that were pre-programmed to follow and serve Him, there could be no love. But, if He created us with the capacity of choice, the capacity to love and serve Him, and the capacity not to do so, then there is the possibility of relationship: the possibility of real love. As a personal being with the capability of creating us in the first place, it makes sense that He would want to create us as personal beings with the capability of choice (free will) and, thus, the capability of love. But where there is choice and the capability of love, there is also the capability to choose wrong and to do great evil.
See Part 5.
Atheists often present the problem of evil to theists as if it is a fatal argument for the existence of God. Nothing could be further from the truth. In reality, it is an absolutely unsolvable problem for the atheist. How does the atheist explain evil-the sense of moral right and wrong-in the absence of a moral Lawgiver? They can't! If there is no moral Lawgiver, then there is no way to explain the sense of moral wrong and moral right we all possess. C.S. Lewis said that evil is God's megaphone to a non-believing world. Evil speaks of moral law. Moral law demands a moral Lawgiver, and it is He that we call God!
Evil Often Begets Good
A second principle of logic we need to consider is the fact that an apparently evil state of affairs will often bring about an even better state of affairs. The problem is that we often do not recognize this fact until we have the advantage of hindsight. In my own field of medicine I see this on a daily basis: the process of childbirth, surgical intervention, and many medical therapies often present physical pain (an evil state of affairs according to non-theists), and yet they bring about an even better state of affairs: improved health. Physical pain is often highly beneficial as well. When a child touches a hot stove, the nervous system sends a neurological signal to the brain which is perceived as pain (a form of evil). Yet without that sense of pain, an even worse state of affairs would arise: the destruction of the limb.
The skeptic might object that while this provides a partial answer to the problem of evil, it does not address some of the most disturbing forms of evil: war, murder, rape, incest and the senseless death of the innocent.
See Part 4.
Evil and Moral Law
When someone states that they do not believe in God because a good God would not allow evil, they make a fatal error in logic. First, the recognition of evil is the recognition that certain actions are "right" and certain actions are "wrong." But how do we determine what actions are morally right and morally wrong? We discern this on the basis of a moral law: a universal sense that certain states of affairs are right and others are wrong. Even most atheists will admit that certain actions are universally wrong and, conversely, universally right.
For example, no one could seriously argue with the statement that it is better to love a child than to torture it. The point is that there is an innate, universal sense of right and wrong within all of us. What is the basis of this moral sense? Some would argue that it is based on cultural customs or traditions. But can this be so?
The famous atheist Bertrand Russell once debated a Christian who asked him if he believed in right and wrong. Russell replied "of course." Then he asked him how he determined what is right and wrong. Russell replied that he determined right and wrong on the basis of his feelings. His opponent replied, "Well, in some cultures they feel it is okay to eat you, and in others they don't. Which do you prefer." The point is that social customs, attitudes, traditions or feelings cannot determine a universal sense of right and wrong.
A universal sense of moral right and wrong can only come from a source outside of ourselves: a transcendent source, a moral Lawgiver. So the recognition of moral law is by default the recognition of a moral Lawgiver. To argue that the existence of evil proves that there is no God is equivalent to stating that the existence of moral law proves that there is no Lawgiver! It's like declaring that the Chrysler automobile that I drive proves without a doubt that there is no Chrysler Motor Company!
See Part 3.
Here's a interesting article from koinonia House.
Part 1
In my experience, it is the most commonly asked question by honest skeptics: "If God is real, if God is personal, if God loves us, why does God allow evil?" A proper understanding of this issue not only provides great insight into the nature of God, it ties together a comprehensive understanding to some of life's ultimate questions: the answers to my origin, meaning, morality and destiny!
Email from A Skeptic
The question of evil was brought into clearer focus in an email I recently received from a skeptic:
The Christian worldview is an impractical, even phony, view of the Cosmos because it embraces a God who is either incapable of stopping evil and suffering, and he is therefore not omnipotent, or is unwilling to do so and therefore a devil!
The skeptic's point is well taken because the Bible states that one of God's attributes is love. "He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." ( I John 4:8) In the book of Romans, Paul the Apostle stated that the invisible attributes of God "are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead."1
However, what the skeptic is saying, in effect, is this: "If your God is love, I see no evidence of that attribute in creation. All the death, disease, pain and suffering seems to be out of place if this God of yours is love. Surely an all-powerful God could, and a loving God would, eliminate all evil. Since evil exists, then no such God exists."
To answer this objection we need to examine some principles of logic, the nature of God, the nature of man, the nature of love and the nature of evil.
See Part 2.
My belief rests upon all the Scriptures I can bring together on theology; & even then I remain open to the many Truths that exist that I'm not privy to.
From what you've written, I always try to separate what man sees & understands and what God already knows & determines accordingly. My (human) view is that God has granted me free will, even as I exercise it continually, daily. In respect to spiritual conversion, I responded to His Spirit's bearing upon me. But did my free will & reception of Jesus catch God by surprise & compelled Him to alter His Plans for my life, both present & into eternity? No.
Because of God's View: He already knew I would exercise the free will granted me & the resulting paths I would tread in life, either destined for good or evil. Then as a believer, hopefully I will no longer exercise my Will according to carnal determinations but to the Spirit's leading.
And likewise with re-birth: as much as Christ's Sacrifice has availed for all mankind, not all will respond to the plea. Does God then select who He wants & who will be rejected? Or is His 'selection' fully based on what He already knows will transpire with each soul? Or else, how could it be said that "He is not willing that ANY should perish, but that all should come to repentance"?
With that said, it can be erroneously assumed that God is partial & conducts a lottery to accept some & reject others. If a man is damned for eternity, it's because he has refused to turn from sin & to a waiting Savior & will not have excuse in that day of judgement saying, 'I tried to come but I was refused or was not destined by God to be saved '.
So Ron, I always try & understand such 'mysteries' from God's perspective & because of Who He is, because my human view will always lead me to error & confusion. May He lead you in your further thoughts on this.
Man DOES NOT have free will.
Man was made to be a BODY; or a vessel.
Vessels, or bodies, have NO LIFE.
Bodies, or vessels, were made to HOLD the LIFE of GOD.
God is Spirit.
Spirit cannot be seen.
God created a BODY; Jesus Christ, that can be seen.
The body of Christ HOLDS the Life of the FATHER.
Christ came, as sinful flesh, and sinful flesh DIED on the cross, three days latter the Father resurrected, HIS (the father's) BODY, Christ.
1 Timothy 6:16 Who (Christ) ONLY hath immortality dwelling in the light .....
All mankind took part in that resurrection.
At some point in time God's creation will become the IMAGE (the body) of Christ.
Colossians 1:27 ...this mystery .....Christ in you .....
Philippians 2:13 For it is God (Christ in you) that worketh IN YOU (his body) both TO WILL and TO DO his good pleasure.
1 Corinthians 15:38 For God GIVETH IT (his creation) A BODY as it hath PLEASED HIM, and to every SEED HIS OWN BODY ( the Father's body Christ).
HIS WILL, not man's free will, because man has NO LIFE outside of GOD, man is just the BODY of Christ (Life and Truth).
Psalms 82:6 I have said, Ye (his body) are gods, the children of the most high.
Psalms 136:2 O give thanks unto the GOD of gods (God's body) .....
Daniel 2:47 .....of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods ....
John 17:21 That they (the bodies) may ALL be ONE, as thou, Father are IN ME (the body), and I in thee, that they (all bodies) may be ONE IN US ....
Ephesians 4:4 ..... ONE BODY ....ONE SPIRIT .....
Ephesians 4:6 .... ONE GOD ....FATHER OF ALL ....above ALL ....through ALL ....and IN YOU ALL .....
Hosea 4:6 For my people are destroyed for lack of KNOWLEDGE: because thou has rejected KNOWLEDGE, I will also reject thee (his body) ......
Amos 3:3 Can TWO (the LIFE and the BODY) walk TOGETHER without being agreed?
God Bless you, his body!
Exodus 4:13
And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.
1 Corinthians 15:1
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
1 Corinthians 15:2
By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:3
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
1 Corinthians 15:4
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Revelation 1:5
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Romans 8:6
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Romans 8:14
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Romans 8:16
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
James 4:7
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
2 Thessalonians 3:3
But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.
Romans 8:9
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Exodus 4:13
And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.
1 Corinthians 15:1
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
1 Corinthians 15:2
By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:3
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
1 Corinthians 15:4
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Revelation 1:5
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Romans 8:6
For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
1 John 1:7
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Romans 8:14
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Romans 8:16
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
James 4:7
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
2 Thessalonians 3:3
But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.
Romans 8:9
But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Romans 8:15
For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.
.....When Jesus spoke of the BABES AND SUCKLINGS which are his seed the words of the book, living words ....Those are the ones who are gonna be preordained and predestinated as Gen 22 : 17 speaks of his seed that are gona be as the stars of heaven in multitude which are the babes and sucklings....His seed which are spirits the H.G. plural an Israel of God....Mankind can only be a joint heir with the H.G. that Child of Promise....The H.G.
When ya interpret Romans 8 : 29 as being a few men then you are in essence saying that Christ only died for a few men which wd be a false doctrine...Verse 33 in ROMANS 8... Who shall lay anything to the charge of Gods Elect,...Its only the H.G. that is Gods Elect...The ISRAEL of God....Its only the H.G. that is the Gift of God the Israel of God as Jesus told the woman at the well.
.....Mans carnal mind cannot comprehend the enormity of Gods love for humanity and his new Covenant...I will KNOW them all from the least to the greatest...Thus the babes and sucklings the Children of Promise..And thats who is preordained b/f the world was....I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven and God was so passionate about this Promise that he swore by himself....Thats y Jesus was saying to whom the WORD came it made them Gods ....Don't believe Tulip doctrine its of the Devil its the result of taking the bible literal...mans carnal mind etc....ok lemme go