CAN YOU EXPLAIN to another believer, or to a non-believer, what is
meant by the statement, "God is both Transcendent and
Immanent?" No? Why not?
"Bill, will you get off your theological soapbox! All I want to know is that I am a Christian and that I am saved. Why should I go into all that theological mumbo-jumbo?"
Glad you asked. Jesus Christ left us a firm instruction, i.e., command - "Go, Make disciples, Baptize them, TEACH them. . . Be My witnesses in all the world" (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8, Mark 16:15). In other words, go into all the world, do battle for our Christian faith, rescue the lost.
Now, imagine you are in the military and your Drill Instructor is teaching you how to keep your weapon in good working order, how to disassemble and reassemble it, how to keep it clean and working properly - and then how to fire it. Would you tell your Drill Instructor, "I don't need to know all that mumbo-jumbo. Just let me start firing my weapon!" Duh! How long do you think you would last in an environment of hostile attacks?
The same is true of our Witnessing Weapon, the Gospel, the Word of God. How effective can you be as His witness if you do not bother to learn the Bible and how to share it?
And, that brings me to the reason I am once again sharing the blog I wrote in May 2014, that God is both Transcendent and Immanent.
What does it mean that God is Transcendent? That means that God exists outside our universe and that is why He could create our universe. If He were part of our universe, how could He have created it? That would mean that He created Himself. No, the truth is that "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1) - because He is preexistent, i.e., He had no beginning, nor will He ever cease to exist. At some point in eternity God decided to create us and our universe, for His glory.
And, we all must be eternally grateful that God is Immanent. For that means that He is present, intimate, and actively involved in even the smallest details of our lives, He knows our needs, our desires, and He has a plan for each one of us. Jesus Christ teaches us: "Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." (Matthew 10:29-31).
Yes, God knows and cares for us, even down to the individual hairs on our heads - or, in some cases, the hairs which used to be on your head. That is the Immanence of God.
This is the depth of Biblical knowledge we, as mature Christian believers, should be able to share with all who ask. That is the reason I am revisiting this blog.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
GOD IS BOTH TRANSCENDENT AND IMMANENT, 15 May 2014 - Bill Gray
In a May 2014 TimesDaily Religion Forum discussion titled "I have Questions For Bill - #2 The Question" - a Forum Friend who posts using the blind pseudonym "CrustyMac" tells me he is a believer, but does not trust the Bible, nor most Christians, and has not been in a church service for so long that he would be looking for the ticket window - has posed questions to me.
However, because his comments and questions tend to ramble, I will attempt to collect and divide his thoughts into coherent groups so that I might answer him more fully. For clarity, this response to his comments/questions is the first of a three part response which I will space out over a short period of time.
First, CrustyMac offers, "I've been ready to ask my second question of Bill in his attempt to 'tutor' me for quite a while now. Bill finally, after much dancing around the issue, confirmed that he believes that Jesus and God continues to work here on earth and in heaven. For some reason he equates 'working' with the passive states of omnipresence, omnipotence, and omniscience. But, whatever."
To get started, let me ask: "What makes you think that God's attributes of omnipresence, omnipotence, and omniscience are passive?"
Personally I see God very active in all His creation. There is nothing "passive" about our God, nor any of His attributes. God is always all powerful (omnipotent), all knowing (omniscient), all places present (omnipresent) - and YOU should be very happy that, in His grace, He is also always merciful.
Two other attributes of God which tie into this discussion are transcendence and immanence. Everyone who is a Christian has to acknowledge that God is both "transcendent" and "immanent."
Transcendence means that God exists outside our universe. That is obvious since He created the heavens and the earth, i.e., our universe. He could not have created our universe - unless He were outside our universe.
Yet, God is very close, very involved in the lives of all His creation. That is His immanence. God is Immanent, intricately involved in even the smallest aspects, the tiniest details, of His creation.
Scripture tells us:
God knows the very hairs on your head - or, for some, the very hairs that used to be on your head. God knows all your major joys and happiness, all your sorrows and hurts. He is there to lift you up - especially when you seem to have fallen.
There is a saying: "If God brings you to it, He Will bring you through it." No, that is not a Bible verse, but there are many examples of that philosophy found throughout the Bible. God brought Israel into slavery in Egypt for 400 years because of their disobedience; yet, He brought them out of Egypt and made them an even greater nation.
Virtually every Christian believer, and definitely me, can tell of times when everything seemed so hopeless. Yet, when we went to God in prayer, He brought us through it. I have shared personal prayer experiences with you before on the forum: spiritual needs, physical and health needs, financial needs, etc. - when God allowed me to come to the edge of the abyss; then He lifted me over it. That is an example of God's immanence, nearness to each of us, personal involvement in our smallest and in our largest moments of life.
Then, my Friend CrustyMac continues, "Here is what Bill has confirmed that he believes. This is what we have so far: Bill believes (1) Once saved, always saved."
Yes, we find that proven in Ephesians 1:13 where the believer is indwelled and sealed by the Holy Spirit at the moment of believing - and, in Ephesians 4:30, we are told that the indwelling and sealing of the Holy Spirit remains intact until the day of our redemption, i.e., until the day we die in this mortal body, or the day we are Raptured from this mortal body.
And, we see "eternal security" verified in many Scripture verses (too many to list here), such as, "He who believes HAS (not may have or could have - but HAS) eternal life" (John 6:47). We see in John 10:28-29 that NO ONE (absolutely no one, which includes the believer himself/herself) can snatch the believer out of God's hands. That, my Friend, is most certainly "eternal security" or, as we often define it: "once saved, always saved."
He continues, "Bill believes (2) The Bible is to be taken literally - except for obvious uses of metaphors, simile, and symbolism."
Yes, that is true. Like all good narrative writing, the Bible is to be read literally. However, since God is the best of all writers - He has made good use of the different figures of speech at times, for often a figure of speech is the best way to get a point, or message, across to the reader. That is why Jesus Christ often taught in parables.
God allowed the inspired writers, writing in their own personal and cultural styles, to use metaphors and similes, they used analogies, and they used symbolism. The Bible contains books of law, poetry, history, and prophecy. However, the main body of the Bible is narrative, intended to be read literally.
A good rule of thumb when studying the Bible: first read the passage literally with the assumption that the writer, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has written it in clear, literal narrative form. If it fits, that is the meaning. But, if the writer tells us, "Jesus is the door of the sheep fold" or "Jesus is a rock" - we know those are similes, for Jesus Christ is neither a door nor a rock.
On the other hand, when we read in John 6:47, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life" - we know that is to be read literally. And, the vast majority of the Bible narrative is to read literally. Knowing the difference is just a matter of common sense.
God created languages so that we, His creation, will be able to communicate with Him - and with one another. Would such a God who created us and gave us the ability to communicate through language - then turn around and create His Written Word, His Bible, His full revelation to mankind for salvation and to guide our daily Christian lives - in secret coded messages and symbolism that we cannot understand? Would God give us a Users' Manual that required a highly educated priest or scholar to interpret? That would defeat the purpose of His Written Word.
Question: Why have some liberal theologians come to view the Bible as a "spiritualized" rather than a "literal" style of writing?
Answer: Because that gives them more leeway to interpret the Bible to say what they want it to say - rather than what God has inspired it to say. In other words, a "spiritualized" reading of the Bible more readily facilitates the use of eisegesis, reading INTO Scripture. With a "spiritualized" reading of Scripture they can read INTO the Bible the theology they want - rather than reading God's intended message FROM Scripture.
Doing that, they can more easily accommodate erroneous teachings such the Gap Theory, i.e., an "old earth" creation in billions of years instead of the "young earth" thousands of years. They can more easily accommodate society's norm such as Same-Sex Marriage, abortions, and women pastors. They can more easily insert extraBiblical teachings and traditions, such as those found only in the Apocryphal books, to support their desired theology. Using a "spiritualized" reading of Scripture easily allows one to insert whatever he, or his church, wants INTO Scripture.
Imagine that you purchased a new Mercedes - and the Users' Manual was written in German. Would Mercedes manufacture a car to be sold in America - and only supply a Users' Manual written in German which most Americans cannot read? True, that would be dumb. And, our God is definitely not dumb.
So, when He gave us our Users' Manual, the Bible, He made sure it was written in language, and in a manner, which we can read and more easily understand - literally. Then, He goes even further, giving each believer a personal guide to help us understand His Users' Manual, the Holy Spirit who indwells each believer - teaching us, guiding us, convicting us (John 14:26 He teaches us, John 16:13 He guides us, John 16:8 He convicts us).
But, we are told that the Holy Spirit is not guiding and teaching the non-believer: John 14:17, "That is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you."
So, yes, my Friend, God's Written Word, the Bible is intended to be read literally. Maybe the reason you have a hard time doing that, or understanding what you are reading - is that you have not yet become a believer and do not have the indwelling teaching and guidance of the Holy Spirit. You might want to give that some thought.
My Friend's next point, "Bill believes (3) Everything in the New Testament, including all of Paul's writing, is God's word to us, straight from God, and God doesn't change his mind."
That is 100% true! You could not have made a more accurate statement, nor attributed a more accurate statement to me. Yes, that is exactly what I KNOW to be true of the Bible.
Do you have any reason to believe that God would have allowed the apostle Paul to write half the books of the New Testament (13 for sure, and 14 if we agree, as do many scholars, that Paul also wrote the book of Hebrews) - and, then allow those books to not be accurate, inspired Scripture? Of the 27 books of the New Testament, Paul wrote either 13 or 14. Would that not be foolish of God to allow a person who is not inspired by the Holy Spirit - to write over 50% of His inspired text? Do YOU think that God is foolish? I most certainly do not!
And, yes, everything written in the New Testament and the Old Testament, was inspired by God.
Does God change His mind? NO!
Next, my Friend attributes to me these words of wisdom, "Bill believes (4) If someone willfully disobeys the Bible, then they were never Christians, and still aren't."
Yes and no. Yes, if a person tells us that he/she is a Christian believer - but, then purposely chooses to live an active lifestyle which is against Biblical teaching - then I would say that this person was never a believer.
A good example is the person who claims to be Christian, yet is actively living the homosexual lifestyle, maybe even participating in a same-sex marriage. God says one thing. This person is living totally opposite to what God has declared to be right. How can that person be a Christ Follower when he/she is walking in the opposite direction from Christ?
On the other hand, a person who is a believer - will still always have the inherited Adamic Sin Nature as long as we are in this mortal body. What does this mean? It means that we will and do sin (Romans 3:23). It means that we are only "forgiven sinners."
So, what is the difference between the person who purposely chooses to live an active sin lifestyle and lives in sin - and the person who purposely chooses to live a Christian lifestyle and sins? Good question. Glad you asked!
The person who is purposely living an active sin lifestyle has turned his/her back upon God. God says walk this way - and that person chooses to purposely walk in the opposite spiritual direction.
Whereas, the person who has chosen the Christian lifestyle has committed himself/herself to walking with God, in His direction. And, even though we will stumble and fall, even though we may step in sin mud holes at times, even though we at times may reach for forbidden fruit - we still are moving in the right spiritual direction - toward and with God.
This Scripture passage tells us, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Do we need to confess our sins? Yes.
Why? Another good question. Since we know that God is omniscient - He already knows what we did wrong, and why. So, what do we accomplish by confessing? First, we are doing as He told us (1 John 1:8-10) when we confess.
Second, confessing our sin is not so that God will know. He already knows. Confessing our sin is for the purpose of us recognizing our sin, acknowledging our sin, and owning our sin. How can God forgive us if we will not admit and acknowledge our sin? But, the moment we do confess that sin - "He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us." That is why we confess our sin.
Here are two good articles on sin and overcoming sin:
And,
Finally, my Friend accuses me, "Bill believes (5) God and Jesus are omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent and continue to work here on earth and in heaven."
We have already covered this point in the beginning of our discussion. However, let me once more affirm that, YES, I know that God is Omniscient (all knowing), Omnipresent (all places present), Omnipotent (all powerful) - and praise God, YES, He most definitely does continue to work here on earth (immanent) and in heaven (transcendent). If He did not do both - we and all His creation would be in really big trouble.
CrustyMac, my Friend, I thank you for your questions and comments. In responding to them, I have learned and grown in my knowledge of God's Word. And, I pray that you and all who read our discussion will also learn and grow in that knowledge.
The rest of your comments/questions I will respond to in subsequent dialogues.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
"Bill, will you get off your theological soapbox! All I want to know is that I am a Christian and that I am saved. Why should I go into all that theological mumbo-jumbo?"
Glad you asked. Jesus Christ left us a firm instruction, i.e., command - "Go, Make disciples, Baptize them, TEACH them. . . Be My witnesses in all the world" (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8, Mark 16:15). In other words, go into all the world, do battle for our Christian faith, rescue the lost.
Now, imagine you are in the military and your Drill Instructor is teaching you how to keep your weapon in good working order, how to disassemble and reassemble it, how to keep it clean and working properly - and then how to fire it. Would you tell your Drill Instructor, "I don't need to know all that mumbo-jumbo. Just let me start firing my weapon!" Duh! How long do you think you would last in an environment of hostile attacks?
The same is true of our Witnessing Weapon, the Gospel, the Word of God. How effective can you be as His witness if you do not bother to learn the Bible and how to share it?
And, that brings me to the reason I am once again sharing the blog I wrote in May 2014, that God is both Transcendent and Immanent.
What does it mean that God is Transcendent? That means that God exists outside our universe and that is why He could create our universe. If He were part of our universe, how could He have created it? That would mean that He created Himself. No, the truth is that "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1) - because He is preexistent, i.e., He had no beginning, nor will He ever cease to exist. At some point in eternity God decided to create us and our universe, for His glory.
And, we all must be eternally grateful that God is Immanent. For that means that He is present, intimate, and actively involved in even the smallest details of our lives, He knows our needs, our desires, and He has a plan for each one of us. Jesus Christ teaches us: "Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." (Matthew 10:29-31).
Yes, God knows and cares for us, even down to the individual hairs on our heads - or, in some cases, the hairs which used to be on your head. That is the Immanence of God.
This is the depth of Biblical knowledge we, as mature Christian believers, should be able to share with all who ask. That is the reason I am revisiting this blog.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
GOD IS BOTH TRANSCENDENT AND IMMANENT, 15 May 2014 - Bill Gray
In a May 2014 TimesDaily Religion Forum discussion titled "I have Questions For Bill - #2 The Question" - a Forum Friend who posts using the blind pseudonym "CrustyMac" tells me he is a believer, but does not trust the Bible, nor most Christians, and has not been in a church service for so long that he would be looking for the ticket window - has posed questions to me.
However, because his comments and questions tend to ramble, I will attempt to collect and divide his thoughts into coherent groups so that I might answer him more fully. For clarity, this response to his comments/questions is the first of a three part response which I will space out over a short period of time.
First, CrustyMac offers, "I've been ready to ask my second question of Bill in his attempt to 'tutor' me for quite a while now. Bill finally, after much dancing around the issue, confirmed that he believes that Jesus and God continues to work here on earth and in heaven. For some reason he equates 'working' with the passive states of omnipresence, omnipotence, and omniscience. But, whatever."
To get started, let me ask: "What makes you think that God's attributes of omnipresence, omnipotence, and omniscience are passive?"
Personally I see God very active in all His creation. There is nothing "passive" about our God, nor any of His attributes. God is always all powerful (omnipotent), all knowing (omniscient), all places present (omnipresent) - and YOU should be very happy that, in His grace, He is also always merciful.
"Mercy is God not punishing us as our sins deserve. And grace is God blessing us despite the fact that we do not deserve it. Mercy is deliverance from judgment. Grace is extending kindness to the unworthy." http://www.gotquestions.org/mercy-grace.html
Two other attributes of God which tie into this discussion are transcendence and immanence. Everyone who is a Christian has to acknowledge that God is both "transcendent" and "immanent."
Transcendence means that God exists outside our universe. That is obvious since He created the heavens and the earth, i.e., our universe. He could not have created our universe - unless He were outside our universe.
Yet, God is very close, very involved in the lives of all His creation. That is His immanence. God is Immanent, intricately involved in even the smallest aspects, the tiniest details, of His creation.
Scripture tells us:
Matthew 10:29-31 (nkjv), "Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows."
God knows the very hairs on your head - or, for some, the very hairs that used to be on your head. God knows all your major joys and happiness, all your sorrows and hurts. He is there to lift you up - especially when you seem to have fallen.
There is a saying: "If God brings you to it, He Will bring you through it." No, that is not a Bible verse, but there are many examples of that philosophy found throughout the Bible. God brought Israel into slavery in Egypt for 400 years because of their disobedience; yet, He brought them out of Egypt and made them an even greater nation.
Virtually every Christian believer, and definitely me, can tell of times when everything seemed so hopeless. Yet, when we went to God in prayer, He brought us through it. I have shared personal prayer experiences with you before on the forum: spiritual needs, physical and health needs, financial needs, etc. - when God allowed me to come to the edge of the abyss; then He lifted me over it. That is an example of God's immanence, nearness to each of us, personal involvement in our smallest and in our largest moments of life.
Question: "What does it mean that God is transcendent?"
http://www.gotquestions.org/God-transcendent.html
Answer: To transcend means “to exist above and independent from; to rise above, surpass, succeed.” By this definition, God is the only truly transcendent Being. The “LORD God Almighty” (in Hebrew, El Shaddai) created all things on the earth, beneath the earth, and in the heavens above.
Yet He exists above and (is) independent from them. All things are upheld by His mighty power (Hebrews 1:3), yet He is upheld by Himself alone. The whole universe exists in Him and for Him that He may receive glory, honor, and praise.
A transcendent God must turn His face away (from sin), for He is forced by His very righteousness and holiness to keep Himself separate from anything or anyone sinful, impure, unclean, or less than perfect. However, besides being transcendent (outside), God also possesses immanence (nearness), and it is in His immanence that God chooses to draw near to His creation.
This, too, is a paradox. “‘Am I only a God nearby,’ declares the LORD, ‘and not a God far away? Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?’ declares the LORD. ‘Do I not fill heaven and earth?’ declares the LORD" (Jeremiah 23:23-24). God’s transcendent nature strives to keep Him distant and remote from His creation both in space and time.
Yet on the other hand, His immanent nature works to draw Him near to His creation and to sustain the universe. God’s love for His creation is so great that we see His immanence overshadowing His transcendence. This becomes clear in His incarnate Son, Jesus Christ, as He breaks through the barrier of sin and separation to draw all mankind back into a close, personal relationship (with God).
We see God not only choosing to draw near to His creation, but to personally come into the hearts and minds of His people through the indwelling power of His Holy Spirit. This is the miracle of God’s transcendence (and immanence).
Then, my Friend CrustyMac continues, "Here is what Bill has confirmed that he believes. This is what we have so far: Bill believes (1) Once saved, always saved."
Yes, we find that proven in Ephesians 1:13 where the believer is indwelled and sealed by the Holy Spirit at the moment of believing - and, in Ephesians 4:30, we are told that the indwelling and sealing of the Holy Spirit remains intact until the day of our redemption, i.e., until the day we die in this mortal body, or the day we are Raptured from this mortal body.
And, we see "eternal security" verified in many Scripture verses (too many to list here), such as, "He who believes HAS (not may have or could have - but HAS) eternal life" (John 6:47). We see in John 10:28-29 that NO ONE (absolutely no one, which includes the believer himself/herself) can snatch the believer out of God's hands. That, my Friend, is most certainly "eternal security" or, as we often define it: "once saved, always saved."
He continues, "Bill believes (2) The Bible is to be taken literally - except for obvious uses of metaphors, simile, and symbolism."
Yes, that is true. Like all good narrative writing, the Bible is to be read literally. However, since God is the best of all writers - He has made good use of the different figures of speech at times, for often a figure of speech is the best way to get a point, or message, across to the reader. That is why Jesus Christ often taught in parables.
God allowed the inspired writers, writing in their own personal and cultural styles, to use metaphors and similes, they used analogies, and they used symbolism. The Bible contains books of law, poetry, history, and prophecy. However, the main body of the Bible is narrative, intended to be read literally.
A good rule of thumb when studying the Bible: first read the passage literally with the assumption that the writer, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, has written it in clear, literal narrative form. If it fits, that is the meaning. But, if the writer tells us, "Jesus is the door of the sheep fold" or "Jesus is a rock" - we know those are similes, for Jesus Christ is neither a door nor a rock.
On the other hand, when we read in John 6:47, "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life" - we know that is to be read literally. And, the vast majority of the Bible narrative is to read literally. Knowing the difference is just a matter of common sense.
God created languages so that we, His creation, will be able to communicate with Him - and with one another. Would such a God who created us and gave us the ability to communicate through language - then turn around and create His Written Word, His Bible, His full revelation to mankind for salvation and to guide our daily Christian lives - in secret coded messages and symbolism that we cannot understand? Would God give us a Users' Manual that required a highly educated priest or scholar to interpret? That would defeat the purpose of His Written Word.
Question: Why have some liberal theologians come to view the Bible as a "spiritualized" rather than a "literal" style of writing?
Answer: Because that gives them more leeway to interpret the Bible to say what they want it to say - rather than what God has inspired it to say. In other words, a "spiritualized" reading of the Bible more readily facilitates the use of eisegesis, reading INTO Scripture. With a "spiritualized" reading of Scripture they can read INTO the Bible the theology they want - rather than reading God's intended message FROM Scripture.
Doing that, they can more easily accommodate erroneous teachings such the Gap Theory, i.e., an "old earth" creation in billions of years instead of the "young earth" thousands of years. They can more easily accommodate society's norm such as Same-Sex Marriage, abortions, and women pastors. They can more easily insert extraBiblical teachings and traditions, such as those found only in the Apocryphal books, to support their desired theology. Using a "spiritualized" reading of Scripture easily allows one to insert whatever he, or his church, wants INTO Scripture.
Imagine that you purchased a new Mercedes - and the Users' Manual was written in German. Would Mercedes manufacture a car to be sold in America - and only supply a Users' Manual written in German which most Americans cannot read? True, that would be dumb. And, our God is definitely not dumb.
So, when He gave us our Users' Manual, the Bible, He made sure it was written in language, and in a manner, which we can read and more easily understand - literally. Then, He goes even further, giving each believer a personal guide to help us understand His Users' Manual, the Holy Spirit who indwells each believer - teaching us, guiding us, convicting us (John 14:26 He teaches us, John 16:13 He guides us, John 16:8 He convicts us).
But, we are told that the Holy Spirit is not guiding and teaching the non-believer: John 14:17, "That is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you."
So, yes, my Friend, God's Written Word, the Bible is intended to be read literally. Maybe the reason you have a hard time doing that, or understanding what you are reading - is that you have not yet become a believer and do not have the indwelling teaching and guidance of the Holy Spirit. You might want to give that some thought.
My Friend's next point, "Bill believes (3) Everything in the New Testament, including all of Paul's writing, is God's word to us, straight from God, and God doesn't change his mind."
That is 100% true! You could not have made a more accurate statement, nor attributed a more accurate statement to me. Yes, that is exactly what I KNOW to be true of the Bible.
Do you have any reason to believe that God would have allowed the apostle Paul to write half the books of the New Testament (13 for sure, and 14 if we agree, as do many scholars, that Paul also wrote the book of Hebrews) - and, then allow those books to not be accurate, inspired Scripture? Of the 27 books of the New Testament, Paul wrote either 13 or 14. Would that not be foolish of God to allow a person who is not inspired by the Holy Spirit - to write over 50% of His inspired text? Do YOU think that God is foolish? I most certainly do not!
And, yes, everything written in the New Testament and the Old Testament, was inspired by God.
2 Timothy 3:16-17, "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."
Does God change His mind? NO!
Malachi 3:6, "For I, the LORD, do not change; . . ."
James 1:17, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning."
Next, my Friend attributes to me these words of wisdom, "Bill believes (4) If someone willfully disobeys the Bible, then they were never Christians, and still aren't."
Yes and no. Yes, if a person tells us that he/she is a Christian believer - but, then purposely chooses to live an active lifestyle which is against Biblical teaching - then I would say that this person was never a believer.
A good example is the person who claims to be Christian, yet is actively living the homosexual lifestyle, maybe even participating in a same-sex marriage. God says one thing. This person is living totally opposite to what God has declared to be right. How can that person be a Christ Follower when he/she is walking in the opposite direction from Christ?
On the other hand, a person who is a believer - will still always have the inherited Adamic Sin Nature as long as we are in this mortal body. What does this mean? It means that we will and do sin (Romans 3:23). It means that we are only "forgiven sinners."
1 John 1:8-10, "If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us."
So, what is the difference between the person who purposely chooses to live an active sin lifestyle and lives in sin - and the person who purposely chooses to live a Christian lifestyle and sins? Good question. Glad you asked!
The person who is purposely living an active sin lifestyle has turned his/her back upon God. God says walk this way - and that person chooses to purposely walk in the opposite spiritual direction.
Whereas, the person who has chosen the Christian lifestyle has committed himself/herself to walking with God, in His direction. And, even though we will stumble and fall, even though we may step in sin mud holes at times, even though we at times may reach for forbidden fruit - we still are moving in the right spiritual direction - toward and with God.
This Scripture passage tells us, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Do we need to confess our sins? Yes.
Why? Another good question. Since we know that God is omniscient - He already knows what we did wrong, and why. So, what do we accomplish by confessing? First, we are doing as He told us (1 John 1:8-10) when we confess.
Second, confessing our sin is not so that God will know. He already knows. Confessing our sin is for the purpose of us recognizing our sin, acknowledging our sin, and owning our sin. How can God forgive us if we will not admit and acknowledge our sin? But, the moment we do confess that sin - "He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us." That is why we confess our sin.
Here are two good articles on sin and overcoming sin:
Question: "Do we sin daily? Is it possible to go an entire day without sinning?"
http://www.gotquestions.org/sin-daily.html
And,
Question: "How can I overcome sin in my Christian life?"
http://www.gotquestions.org/victory-over-sin.html
Finally, my Friend accuses me, "Bill believes (5) God and Jesus are omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent and continue to work here on earth and in heaven."
We have already covered this point in the beginning of our discussion. However, let me once more affirm that, YES, I know that God is Omniscient (all knowing), Omnipresent (all places present), Omnipotent (all powerful) - and praise God, YES, He most definitely does continue to work here on earth (immanent) and in heaven (transcendent). If He did not do both - we and all His creation would be in really big trouble.
CrustyMac, my Friend, I thank you for your questions and comments. In responding to them, I have learned and grown in my knowledge of God's Word. And, I pray that you and all who read our discussion will also learn and grow in that knowledge.
The rest of your comments/questions I will respond to in subsequent dialogues.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
No comments:
Post a Comment