Hamartolos wrote:
Do you fight within to defeat sin?
You have work to do Christian.

That's why we need the "sword of the spirit, the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation. . "

"Running with endurance the race that is set before us. ."

"fighting against principalities and powers . ."

"Setting our minds on things above, not on the things of earth."

The question may be asked: Does God only operate in the life of a person WHEN he/she believes? Or, does He "grace" the life of the person from conception?

IOW, is not everything that providentially occurs in the life of person who comes to faith operative towards that end - his salvation?

GK wrote:
Roman Catholics and moslems "worship the same god" according to your pope

Roger, You can't make man a passive person in the relationship. There are sooooo many directives to live not after the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Why give those, if there is nothing that man can do?

1 Peter 4:17 says, "For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome of those who do not ***OBEY*** the gospel of God?"

Why do you suppose that verse would state that if there is not an expectation on the part of man by God?

___________

John UK,

I think the response of the disciples was one of the brokenhearted who knows that hope is only to be found in Christ. So, the intonation would have been one of submission combined with desperation at the thought of going elsewhere.

As to Peter's arrogance - he would have to learn submission by the things which he would suffer. There is still so much of "us" at conversion, and death to self isn't immediate. John the baptist said, "HE must increase, and I must increase." That takes time.

By the time Peter died, he was a changed man. Read 1st and 2nd Peter. The man was changed and asked to be crucified upside down because he was not worthy to be crucified as was his LORD.

When Jesus was becoming more a divisive figure in Jerusalem and the surrounding area, those who followed for the fish and bread, signs and miracles, fell away.

Jesus looked at his disciples and said, "Will you leave also?" to which the response was, "Lord where would we go?" "You have the keys to eternal life."

That must be the cry of the heart. "Lord I will go with you wherever you go, regardless of the persecution." "I would even go to hell if you were there."

George G wrote:
SIN plays a major part in the life of the sinner. It is YOU guys who don't include sin in the process.
The real central character here is man and his pride, covetousness, greed and his attachment to them - to the exclusion of God.

Conviction of sin is a blessing. As Christians, it keeps us at the foot of the cross, recognizing our need for a Saviour, always confessing.

"Taking EVERY thought captive unto Christ. . ."

DJC49 wrote:
Exactly, *Candle lit*
Closer to home, many contemporaries have a notion that God is nothing but an old benevolent uncle up in the sky -- a Santa Claus type. He loves everybody (except for REALLY bad people like Hitler and ax murderers) and He's totally approachable WITHOUT a mediator.
So it's extremely necessary as a foundation to the Gospel that the true nature of God be laid out. And it's EXACTLY what Paul did in his epistle to the Romans ... in his discourse, he started with GOD.

Michael Hranek wrote:
Candle lit
Seriously WHY? would teaching in who God IS be needed?

People, today, do not know the God of the Bible, so they have one that they have amalgamated to suit their wants and desires.

I'm reminded of Paul on Mars Hill declaring the "Unknown God" to a people thoroughly religious with their many gods.

The God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob is not known. The God of Moses and His power in delivering the people out of Egypt is not known. The God of Joshua, Elijah, David is not known. You get the picture. And, the Jesus that the pastors of "love" and "acceptance" speak of is not the Jesus presented to us in Scripture.

lyn wrote:
The problem with the Southern Baptists is their hangup on numbers, then their boasting of the increase. The evangelistic style of the SBC adds numbers...to the broad road. They encourage the lost sinner to 'invite Jesus into their heart', or 'make a decision', 'pray a prayer', 'choose Jesus'. None of this is biblical! The method of salvation SBC style is just as deadly as anything taught by the RCC, or radical Islam.
The Lord Jesus Christ adds to His church, not based on 'mans' decision' to accept Him, but based on God's grace.
There is no earthly denomination that can claim to be His church, the true church is made up of called out ones from all walks of life, spread out all over the globe. True church planting is done when the true Gospel is preached, and the lost sinner is broken over his/her sins.

Kindle wrote:
The Bible clearly teaches that God does not require human help or acquiescence to save.

Michael Hranek wrote:
Refer to Romans 10:12-15 if what I am saying is still unclear to you.
or haven't read 2 Cor 6 or James 4 or the passages regarding Baal Peor in awhile either.

These passages of Scripture that you have thrown out there do not come close to making your point.

DJC49 wrote:
We inherently KNOW all these things about God because we have stamped upon us: "Made in His image and likeness." This basic "wrought upon" is "factory installed!"

__________________

Michael H.

I'm surprised that you say they ( the lost) FIND HIM - in your earlier post.

The Shepherd looks for the sheep - and, they find Him?

As to the greatest issue in the Church being spiritual adultery - wouldn't one have to be married to commit adultery?

Calvinist Understanding wrote:
Your gospel to poor needy sinners is "repent and believe the gospel with faculties that you currently do not possess!!" This would be a natural inability. A bit like saying to someone who has had his arms amputed, raise your arms!!
You want scripture .. try Deut 32.37, Psalm 20.27.
Out of space.......

Calvinist Understanding wrote:
Mike
These guys have real problems, because their systematic theologians do their thinking for them. They then use that as a grid to interpret scripture.
Faith per se must always be a gift, and if you cannot fall in with this then you are guilty of works righteousness. How so? Can they prove that faith is ever a work? No! But their systematic workbooks tell them that it must be so! And so they flock to SA to teach us all the true religion!
Likewise they talk about "dead in sins and tresspasses", and more often than not they mean there can be no relation to spiritual things, because the sinner is like a corpse. The problem is of course that the picture is very imperfect, because whilst it is true that there can be no movement towards spiritual good, there is plenty of movement aganist it. As you rightly point out, if a sinner is a corpse then there should no movement at all- not for and not against.
Ho Hum..!

tweenthelines wrote:
Question do you want to be like the FIRST Adam or the SECOND Adam?
"And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit."
47 "The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. 48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly."

Thanks for answering a previous post in regards to the resurrection of the body. 1 Cor. 15 was what you used to address what Scripture says of the resurrection of the body being sown a natural body and raised a spiritual body. I began to think more on this when a fellow member of a PCA church said that we would have these bodies that we now have only perfected. That disturbed my thinking. I mean, after all, who doesn't want a new body?

When we see the resurrected Jesus in Scripture, we know that He still has the marks of his crucifixion. We know that He prepares food for the disciples. We know that He appeared suddenly behind closed walls. So, there is a difference, but there is a relationship to the old.

Barry from Ky. wrote:
John Y, Just a quick question. Why do you think Jesus got baptisted by John the Baptist. And, why did God in Heaven decide at that very moment in time to recognize His Son on earth. Anyone please feel free to give me their answer. Thanks.

Feb09 wrote:
God calls many but elects only few. Today the few appears to be declining in number.