Ask Me Anything About Christianity

[com7fy8]

On 9/15/2022 at 7:46 PM, Starise said:

Many like to think of Jesus as lesser and many religions teach He was only a prophet.

It seems to me that Jesus did not make many statements about what label He should have. Nowhere can we quote Him to directly say, "I am God". But, of course, He did say things that I think mean He is God the Son. But His most common label, that He gave Himself, I think, was "Son of Man". 

So, if indeed Jesus is equal to our Father, why did He not make a major point of telling people to know and say He is God? 

My opinion is . . . like I say . . . He was not interested in only getting the label of "God" or "the Son of God" or "God the Son". Jesus came in order to show us how God is, not only to tell us what label to put on Him! Plenty of people may have gotten the label right, saying Jesus is God, but how they live and things they do can give us a pretty bad idea of who and how God really is. Jesus didn't want them calling Him God while representing Him so badly!

And Jesus can not, really, show us how God is, unless Jesus is God. 

And I note how our Father could have said anything about Jesus, at His baptism by John the Baptist. So, what do we have on record that our Father said > 

"This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (in Matthew 3:17)

The son of a human father is human. How can God's own Son be other than God?

Also . . . how can God be well pleased with someone or something which is inferior to God?

And "God is love," we have in 1 John 4:8&16. I have understood how genuine love gives its very own best. So, if Jesus on the cross were to be some inferior being . . . God would not be loving, really, would He? God loved us by giving us His very own best who is Jesus and not some inferior second-best being or blessing. 

And Jesus is the focus of all God is doing > 

"For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren." (Romans 8:29)

Our Father is so pleased with Jesus, that He desires to have many children who are and who love like Jesus His very own Son. So, this supports how Jesus is God; God is seeking to have children who are pleasing by being like Jesus and therefore like God. And this is possible in God's own love >

"Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4:17)

So God is focused on the very best He has and can have, not on having some inferior, second-best pets or toy puppets!!

[Dennis1209]

40 minutes ago, Starise said:

Adam was to toil from then on for his food.

Was there ever a "free lunch."  :-)

Genesis 2:15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

6268 עָבַד (ʿā·ḇǎḏ): v.; ≡ Str 5647; TWOT 1553—1. LN 42.7–42.28 (qal) work, labor, do, i.e., expend considerable energy and intensity in a task or function (Ge 2:5; Ex 5:18), note: this is highly generic term for almost any activity; (pual) be worked (Dt 21:3+); (hif) work (Ex 1:13; 2Ch 2:17[EB 18]; Eze 29:18+); 2. LN 35.19–35.30 (qal) serve, be a slave, be indentured, i.e., give considerable energy and intensity to give aid to another, often in a social arrangement of having lower status than free (Lev 25:46; 2Sa 16:19); (pual) be made a slave or indentured servant (Isa 14:3+); (hif) reduce to servitude, enslave (Ex 6:5; Jer 17:4+), note: for a focus on possession and low status, see also domain LN 87.76–87.86; 3. LN 53.53–53.64 (qal) worship, serve, minister, work in ministry, i.e., give energy and devotion to God or a god, including ceremonies (Ex 23:24, 25); (hof) be made to serve (Ex 20:5+); 4. LN 22.21–22.28 (hif) burden, i.e., cause an unfavorable circumstance or hardship to another (Isa 43:23, 24+); 5. LN 43 (qal) cultivate, plow, i.e., work soil (with or without an animal) as part of the agricultural process (Ge 4:2; Isa 30:24); (nif) plowed, be cultivated (Dt 21:4; Ecc 5:8[EB 9]; Eze 36:9, 34+), note: for MT text in Ge 47:21; Isa 23:10; Jer 15:14, see 6296; note: further study may yield more domains; 6. LN 43 unit: אִישׁ עָבַד אֲדָמָה (ʾîš ʿā·ḇǎḏ ʾǎḏā·mā(h))1 farmer, formally, man working soil (Zec 13:5+)

James Swanson, Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament) (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).

[kwikphilly]

On 9/15/2022 at 5:19 PM, Selah7 said:

Great question there, Kwik.  Me?  I believe that Salvation can only be found in the Trinity—God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. There are many scriptures where we can see the beautiful Trinity clear as day.  Here are but a mere few:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ.

- 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily;

- Colossians 2:8-9 

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

- Isaiah 9:6 

"My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand. "I and My Father are One."

- John 10:29-30

And here:

"And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever — "the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

- John 14:16-17 

The three Persons which are mentioned in the verse above are all working toward our Salvation. The Son promises to pray.  I will send, the Father assures, and the Holy Ghost promises to comfort.

Selah

 

 

So your answer is " no" they are not Saved?

In His Love,Kwik

[kwikphilly]

3 hours ago, Alive said:

I like this verse from Isaiah.

Is. 9:6 (NAS20S)  For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us;   And the government will rest on His shoulders;   And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

My favorite Brother- what more is needed  to be Said about WHO Jesus IS?

[JohnR7]

27 minutes ago, Dennis1209 said:

6268 עָבַד

 לְעָבְדָ֖הּ

The word means cultivate. There are five Hebrew letters in the word. The very first letter is Lamed which represents the STAFF used to herd animals. There are five letters and they all have a meaning in the Hebrew. 

[JohnR7]

4 minutes ago, kwikphilly said:

what more is needed  to be Said about WHO Jesus IS?

This verse has been used on many, many Christmas cards over the years.

"the government will rest on His shoulders"

[Selah7]

5 minutes ago, kwikphilly said:

So your answer is " no" they are not Saved?

In His Love,Kwik

It’s not for me to say whether or not anyone is saved, Kwik.  Only God knows our heart.  For example, a person may have given his/her heart to Jesus without understanding the work of the Holy Spirit.  Not everyone has been taught the Word of God but our Father is merciful and fair.   Selah 

[kwikphilly]

The answer to my own question is a conundrum to me- I always find it very interesting to hear others reply,it's basically a simple question with a simple answer from one Born Again Christian to the other because " we" do Believe Jesus is Who He Says He is..... The Word is clear in Isaiah 9:6

But I do not hold fast to the notion that you must FIRST Understand that God the Father,God the Son & God the Holy Spirit are ONE or perhaps at all,I'm not sure because if one is Called out & comes to the foot of the cross BELIEVING that Jesus Has Died for them,asks Forgiveness & begins a Relationship with God in Christ Jesus then Holy Spirit Will impart that Knowledge & Understanding ..... Is it " poof" they instantaneously Have all Wisdom & Knowledge- not usually

Yes,BECAUSE Jesus is God He Has the Power to Forgive, because He Gives us His Holy Spirit ( again,God) we are made Alive & quickened into a new birth  of Spirit by Spirit but that is not contingent upon what we Believe but Who we Believe and we are Saved by God's Grace-then the process begins,we learn,we grow,we mature..... So if the one who knows nothing except his longing for the love of Christ & his sincere desire to repent & be Forgiven and he Believes that Jesus is the Way,the Truth & the Life suddenly dies at that moment of Faith-yet still not knowing Jesus is God the Son,he is not Saved? I find that hard to believe ....

Most answers seem to be trying to convince  me of the Triune GodHead but I already Believe it,I always have..... I don't think you have to know much of anything except Believe Jesus Can Save the wretched sinner and ask Him into your heart to do just that ....maybe I'm wrong?

With love in Christ,Kwik

[Selah7]

5 minutes ago, kwikphilly said:

The answer to my own question is a conundrum to me- I always find it very interesting to hear others reply,it's basically a simple question with a simple answer from one Born Again Christian to the other because " we" do Believe Jesus is Who He Says He is..... The Word is clear in Isaiah 9:6

But I do not hold fast to the notion that you must FIRST Understand that God the Father,God the Son & God the Holy Spirit are ONE or perhaps at all,I'm not sure because if one is Called out & comes to the foot of the cross BELIEVING that Jesus Has Died for them,asks Forgiveness & begins a Relationship with God in Christ Jesus then Holy Spirit Will impart that Knowledge & Understanding ..... Is it " poof" they instantaneously Have all Wisdom & Knowledge- not usually

Yes,BECAUSE Jesus is God He Has the Power to Forgive, because He Gives us His Holy Spirit ( again,God) we are made Alive & quickened into a new birth  of Spirit by Spirit but that is not contingent upon what we Believe but Who we Believe and we are Saved by God's Grace-then the process begins,we learn,we grow,we mature..... So if the one who knows nothing except his longing for the love of Christ & his sincere desire to repent & be Forgiven and he Believes that Jesus is the Way,the Truth & the Life suddenly dies at that moment of Faith-yet still not knowing Jesus is God the Son,he is not Saved? I find that hard to believe ....

Most answers seem to be trying to convince  me of the Triune GodHead but I already Believe it,I always have..... I don't think you have to know much of anything except Believe Jesus Can Save the wretched sinner and ask Him into your heart to do just that ....maybe I'm wrong?

With love in Christ,Kwik

Indeed!  I wholeheartedly agree.  Our Father’s love no one can fathom.  He died for us on that Cross.  wow!      Selah 

[Selah7]

The veil was torn from top to bottom… HalleluYAH!       Selah