DEVOTION
ROMANS
OBEDIENCE THROUGH FAITH
Rom 1:5-6
5 Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. 6 And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
NIV
It would make sense to most of us in order to obey someone we first must believe this someone has authority to give us a command. Then also if we believe a person has the authority to command us, then we must conclude it is our duty to obey.
However, this issue of recognizing the person who has that authority stands at the core of this statement by Paul. The scripture clearly says I must make this judgment by faith, not by seeing an individual who may, in the case of the military, be wearing a symbol denoting his rank which gives him the right to command those under his particular rank or command. In this issue, in this passage I must recognize Jesus Christ as He who has the authority to command us me by faith. Jesus, himself, declared to me, faith is of great value.
John 20:29
29 Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
NIV
So, now the issue stands, if I truly do believe, if I really do have faith that Jesus is my lord and my savior and he is the one who has the right to command me and in fact has, then what is the reason for my disobedience? If I disobey the authority of this law, surely I could and most likely would be punished. If I disobeyed a military commander, I would be punished for sure. Yet God does not treat me that way because Jesus already paid the price for my disobedience, past, present and future. That still does not make it right, why can’t I obey completely? I am weak, I am not perfect, I am human are all good answers, but seem like more of an excuse rather than an answer. I simply need Jesus.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Is Satan mentioned in the Old Testament?
Is Satan mentioned in the Old Testament?
It would appear Satan is mentioned in the Old Testament more than one time, which would indicate he is a real being, the fallen Lucifer, which is documented in
1 Chron 21:1-2
21:1 Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. 2 So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, "Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are."
NIV
Job 1:6-7
6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. 7 The LORD said to Satan , "Where have you come from?"
NIV
This whole story of Job has Satan all over the complete book, mentioned way too many times to include.
Zech 3:1-2
3:1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. 2 The LORD said to Satan , "The LORD rebuke you, Satan ! The LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?"
NIV
Indeed, Satan is referred to as the morning star in:
Isa 14:12-15
12 How you have fallen from heaven,
O morning star , son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
you who once laid low the nations!
13 You said in your heart,
"I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.
14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High."
15 But you are brought down to the grave,
to the depths of the pit.
NIV
In the Hebrew text the word translated morning star is really two words which would be directly translated son of the dawn.
In Peter, the text reads:
2 Peter 1:19
19 And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
NIV
Note morning star in not capitalized and the Greek text reads:
The light bearer…..rises in your hearts.
But in Rev 22:16 Jesus does refer to himself as the Morning Star
Rev 22:16
16 "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star ."
NIV
And note Morning Star is capitalized. The Greek text reads I am the star, bright, morning
The one over the skies, brilliant, radiant, dawn. He is the one who is radiant and will bring about the dawn, the beginning of the new age, the age of eternity.
This has, in no way anything to do with the Hebrew term used to describe Lucifer.
In fact Lucifer is a son in the respect of being created by God, the true dawn, the true bearer of light.
I hope this helps some, again those who oppose the truth of God, will find any reason to attempt to confuse and diminish the truth of scriptures. They oppose because they know it is true and it is light and therefore would expose their sin, if they were to admit its truth.
Man love the darkness and Hide from the light for fear of being exposed. If they can try to prove it to not be the truth, then they believe they do not have to be held accountable to it.
It would appear Satan is mentioned in the Old Testament more than one time, which would indicate he is a real being, the fallen Lucifer, which is documented in
1 Chron 21:1-2
21:1 Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. 2 So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, "Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are."
NIV
Job 1:6-7
6 One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. 7 The LORD said to Satan , "Where have you come from?"
NIV
This whole story of Job has Satan all over the complete book, mentioned way too many times to include.
Zech 3:1-2
3:1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. 2 The LORD said to Satan , "The LORD rebuke you, Satan ! The LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?"
NIV
Indeed, Satan is referred to as the morning star in:
Isa 14:12-15
12 How you have fallen from heaven,
O morning star , son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
you who once laid low the nations!
13 You said in your heart,
"I will ascend to heaven;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.
14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High."
15 But you are brought down to the grave,
to the depths of the pit.
NIV
In the Hebrew text the word translated morning star is really two words which would be directly translated son of the dawn.
In Peter, the text reads:
2 Peter 1:19
19 And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.
NIV
Note morning star in not capitalized and the Greek text reads:
The light bearer…..rises in your hearts.
But in Rev 22:16 Jesus does refer to himself as the Morning Star
Rev 22:16
16 "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star ."
NIV
And note Morning Star is capitalized. The Greek text reads I am the star, bright, morning
The one over the skies, brilliant, radiant, dawn. He is the one who is radiant and will bring about the dawn, the beginning of the new age, the age of eternity.
This has, in no way anything to do with the Hebrew term used to describe Lucifer.
In fact Lucifer is a son in the respect of being created by God, the true dawn, the true bearer of light.
I hope this helps some, again those who oppose the truth of God, will find any reason to attempt to confuse and diminish the truth of scriptures. They oppose because they know it is true and it is light and therefore would expose their sin, if they were to admit its truth.
Man love the darkness and Hide from the light for fear of being exposed. If they can try to prove it to not be the truth, then they believe they do not have to be held accountable to it.
In answer to comment by Joann
Harden Hearts
The question at hand is: Does God harden hearts or do we harden them?
There has been much discussion about this topic some people, some believers have used one or maybe two verses of scripture to defend one position or another. I think we have to be careful and discover the whole of the truth.
The first instance which is used is the story about the Pharaoh, which we see in Exodus 4:21. God says He will harden his heart. The scripture does not tell us that Pharaoh’s heart was already hard, which I believe is the case. So it was a case of God allowing pharaoh to harden his heart even more.
The whole issue about who does the hardening has some controversy, but I think it is clearer when we look into:
1 Sam 6:6
6 Why do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh did? When he treated them harshly, did they not send the Israelites out so they could go on their way?
NIV
It is apparent from this verse, that both the Egyptians and Pharaoh did the hardening of their hearts based on the actions of God, the harsh treatment He was giving them in order to bring about Glory for Himself.
We know it was to bring glory to Him because of:
Ex 14:16-18
17 I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 18 The
NIV
We can also see in the following verses that it is man who hardens his own heart. It is man who has the choice to respond to situations either it be from life itself, the actions of other men, or the actions of God.
Gen 1:1 - Ps 95:8 Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert, NIV
Heb 3:7-8
Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert,
NIV
Heb 3:15
15 As has just been said: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion."
NIV
Heb 4:7
7 Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later he spoke through David, as was said before:
"Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts."
NIV
Now to deal with the idea that an evil spirit came from God to Saul is a little different than a hardening of a heart.
But I think we can have some clarity if we examine the Hebrew text.
I think this is the verse you are referring to:
1 Sam 16:14
14 Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him.
NIV
In the Hebrew the word translated into from actually does not really have an English word for the Hebrew.
OT:853
sign (marker) of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative case
So in other words it indicates that God was responsible for an evil spirit to torment Saul.
This would indicate to me, God allowing the evil spirit access to Saul much in the same way He allowed Satan access to Lot. It does not specifically imply God directed the evil spirit or created the evil spirit or the evil spirit was a part of God’s army or arsenal to inflict torment on His people.
There is, in most cases, actions by God to bring us to repentance. Correction, discipline, teaching, rebuking or in this case a situation which should bring about the desired result of Saul harkening to the voice of God. We do not want to put God in a box, nor diminish His authority over His creation. In actuality, He can do whatever He desires to do, at any time to anyone, in any way He wants to. He is the creator, we are the created. If he desires to destroy us, that is His call, not ours. But I do believe He has given us the ability to disobey His commands, harden our hearts, to His voice, and in doing so, better acknowledge the fact there could be consequences.
I hope this helps, not sure I dealt with everything, but rather a brief explanation of my short look into it.
The question at hand is: Does God harden hearts or do we harden them?
There has been much discussion about this topic some people, some believers have used one or maybe two verses of scripture to defend one position or another. I think we have to be careful and discover the whole of the truth.
The first instance which is used is the story about the Pharaoh, which we see in Exodus 4:21. God says He will harden his heart. The scripture does not tell us that Pharaoh’s heart was already hard, which I believe is the case. So it was a case of God allowing pharaoh to harden his heart even more.
The whole issue about who does the hardening has some controversy, but I think it is clearer when we look into:
1 Sam 6:6
6 Why do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh did? When he treated them harshly, did they not send the Israelites out so they could go on their way?
NIV
It is apparent from this verse, that both the Egyptians and Pharaoh did the hardening of their hearts based on the actions of God, the harsh treatment He was giving them in order to bring about Glory for Himself.
We know it was to bring glory to Him because of:
Ex 14:16-18
17 I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 18 The
NIV
We can also see in the following verses that it is man who hardens his own heart. It is man who has the choice to respond to situations either it be from life itself, the actions of other men, or the actions of God.
Gen 1:1 - Ps 95:8 Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert, NIV
Heb 3:7-8
Today, if you hear his voice, 8 do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert,
NIV
Heb 3:15
15 As has just been said: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion."
NIV
Heb 4:7
7 Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later he spoke through David, as was said before:
"Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts."
NIV
Now to deal with the idea that an evil spirit came from God to Saul is a little different than a hardening of a heart.
But I think we can have some clarity if we examine the Hebrew text.
I think this is the verse you are referring to:
1 Sam 16:14
14 Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him.
NIV
In the Hebrew the word translated into from actually does not really have an English word for the Hebrew.
OT:853
sign (marker) of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative case
So in other words it indicates that God was responsible for an evil spirit to torment Saul.
This would indicate to me, God allowing the evil spirit access to Saul much in the same way He allowed Satan access to Lot. It does not specifically imply God directed the evil spirit or created the evil spirit or the evil spirit was a part of God’s army or arsenal to inflict torment on His people.
There is, in most cases, actions by God to bring us to repentance. Correction, discipline, teaching, rebuking or in this case a situation which should bring about the desired result of Saul harkening to the voice of God. We do not want to put God in a box, nor diminish His authority over His creation. In actuality, He can do whatever He desires to do, at any time to anyone, in any way He wants to. He is the creator, we are the created. If he desires to destroy us, that is His call, not ours. But I do believe He has given us the ability to disobey His commands, harden our hearts, to His voice, and in doing so, better acknowledge the fact there could be consequences.
I hope this helps, not sure I dealt with everything, but rather a brief explanation of my short look into it.
Not Mine But His
DEVOTION
ROMANS
NOT MINE BUT HIS
Rom 1:5-6
5 Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. 6 And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
NIV
Oh how sweet the sound, through Him and for His name’s sake. I have to ask myself, do I often consider that which I have receive as a benefit for me, a talent or ability as something I should use for the advantage of my own being, to be used to advance my position in society or improve my living conditions, or increase my financial security. But here I see it was not of Paul’s doing, but rather through Him and for Him that Paul received grace and apostleship. The Greek word used here for grace is of great importance, it is the accusative case of ‘charis’, ‘charin’ which insists the divine influence upon his heart and how that is reflected in his life is subject to, or on account of or due to Christ. In other words the reason Paul received the divine influence on his heart, was for Christ’s sake, not for his own sake. And this imparting of divine influence was accompanied by apostleship, or a commission, a special calling for a special task for the sake of the kingdom, not for Paul himself.
And this commission was to call people from among all the gentiles. Now, although most, if not all, of the people I know, as well as myself have not been commissioned to call people, such as an evangelist would, but I know I have been called or commissioned to be a witness.
Acts 1:7-8 7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
NIV
And, of course I have to ask in this case, do I testify to bring attention to me, or do I witness of God’s work in my life to bring attention to Him. Do I tell of His work for His names sake? Do I always give Him the glory? When God influences my heart do I reflect Him to the world so He will be the center of peoples focus? I pray this is the result of my life. People will see the Lord, not me. Whatever I have or do is a result of God’s grace and it is for His sake, not mine.
ROMANS
NOT MINE BUT HIS
Rom 1:5-6
5 Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. 6 And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
NIV
Oh how sweet the sound, through Him and for His name’s sake. I have to ask myself, do I often consider that which I have receive as a benefit for me, a talent or ability as something I should use for the advantage of my own being, to be used to advance my position in society or improve my living conditions, or increase my financial security. But here I see it was not of Paul’s doing, but rather through Him and for Him that Paul received grace and apostleship. The Greek word used here for grace is of great importance, it is the accusative case of ‘charis’, ‘charin’ which insists the divine influence upon his heart and how that is reflected in his life is subject to, or on account of or due to Christ. In other words the reason Paul received the divine influence on his heart, was for Christ’s sake, not for his own sake. And this imparting of divine influence was accompanied by apostleship, or a commission, a special calling for a special task for the sake of the kingdom, not for Paul himself.
And this commission was to call people from among all the gentiles. Now, although most, if not all, of the people I know, as well as myself have not been commissioned to call people, such as an evangelist would, but I know I have been called or commissioned to be a witness.
Acts 1:7-8 7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
NIV
And, of course I have to ask in this case, do I testify to bring attention to me, or do I witness of God’s work in my life to bring attention to Him. Do I tell of His work for His names sake? Do I always give Him the glory? When God influences my heart do I reflect Him to the world so He will be the center of peoples focus? I pray this is the result of my life. People will see the Lord, not me. Whatever I have or do is a result of God’s grace and it is for His sake, not mine.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Devotion Romans 1:1-6
This is the beginning, I am setting a stage right now, but I promise you will actually get to some real devotions, so bear with me for a few of these.
DEVOTION
ROMANS
INTRODUCTION FOR MYSELF
Rom 1:1-6
1:1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. 6 And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
NIV
Gospel He promised beforehand…….through His prophets
Regarding His son………
Human nature….descendant of David
Through the spirit…….declared with power the Son of God
By the resurrection from the dead…..Jesus Christ our Lord
Is there any question who Jesus is from this introduction in the letter to those in Rome.
When we here those words, fully man….which are not in the scriptures….but rather Jesus refers to himself as the son of man, we see and understand this person, rather this entity is a human being, of the same genetic makeup as His creation, Adam. Conceived in the womb of a woman and delivered into the world as an infant in need of being cared for, provided for, loved and nurtured. The difference of course is no human man provided the male side needed for conception, but rather the spirit of God. Here is Him who was declared with power the Son of God.
Conception without a human man is certainly a demonstration of power in and of itself, but this is only a part of this declaration. We see the formal introduction in the gospels
Matt 3:16-17
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."
NIV
This must certainly be what Paul refers to as declared with power the Son of God…for God provided the male component needed to create the person of Jesus as a man and then declared to the world verbally Jesus was his son, it certainly seems to have been with much power, a voice from heaven surely demonstrates power.
His lordship over mankind was established without question by His conquering death itself. I believe man was created as an eternal being, Adam was not supposed to die, when God created him, he had the choice to either eat from the tree of life, or the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Had he eaten from the tree of life, he would be alive today as all mankind would still be within a paradise with God. But we know that is not the truth of it, Adam chose unwisely and in disobedience to his creator to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, perhaps thinking this would make him more like God himself as the serpent suggested. And because of this action death of mankind was the result.
Gen 2:15-17
15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."
NIV
We, through Adam, exchanged life for death, immortality for mortality and incorruptibility for corruptibility. However, through Christ, through His resurrection from the dead, that result was reversed. Through Christ, we exchanged death for life, mortality for immortality, and corruptibility for incorruptibility.
1 Cor 15:50-58
50 I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
55 "Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?"
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
NIV
Through Christ we will indeed live forever….we will eat from the tree of life.
Rev 2:7
7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
NIV
DEVOTION
ROMANS
INTRODUCTION FOR MYSELF
Rom 1:1-6
1:1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— 2 the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures 3 regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, 4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. 5 Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. 6 And you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
NIV
Gospel He promised beforehand…….through His prophets
Regarding His son………
Human nature….descendant of David
Through the spirit…….declared with power the Son of God
By the resurrection from the dead…..Jesus Christ our Lord
Is there any question who Jesus is from this introduction in the letter to those in Rome.
When we here those words, fully man….which are not in the scriptures….but rather Jesus refers to himself as the son of man, we see and understand this person, rather this entity is a human being, of the same genetic makeup as His creation, Adam. Conceived in the womb of a woman and delivered into the world as an infant in need of being cared for, provided for, loved and nurtured. The difference of course is no human man provided the male side needed for conception, but rather the spirit of God. Here is Him who was declared with power the Son of God.
Conception without a human man is certainly a demonstration of power in and of itself, but this is only a part of this declaration. We see the formal introduction in the gospels
Matt 3:16-17
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."
NIV
This must certainly be what Paul refers to as declared with power the Son of God…for God provided the male component needed to create the person of Jesus as a man and then declared to the world verbally Jesus was his son, it certainly seems to have been with much power, a voice from heaven surely demonstrates power.
His lordship over mankind was established without question by His conquering death itself. I believe man was created as an eternal being, Adam was not supposed to die, when God created him, he had the choice to either eat from the tree of life, or the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Had he eaten from the tree of life, he would be alive today as all mankind would still be within a paradise with God. But we know that is not the truth of it, Adam chose unwisely and in disobedience to his creator to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, perhaps thinking this would make him more like God himself as the serpent suggested. And because of this action death of mankind was the result.
Gen 2:15-17
15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."
NIV
We, through Adam, exchanged life for death, immortality for mortality and incorruptibility for corruptibility. However, through Christ, through His resurrection from the dead, that result was reversed. Through Christ, we exchanged death for life, mortality for immortality, and corruptibility for incorruptibility.
1 Cor 15:50-58
50 I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
55 "Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?"
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
NIV
Through Christ we will indeed live forever….we will eat from the tree of life.
Rev 2:7
7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
NIV
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Did God Create Evil?
I was asked this question and I wanted to add my response to the blog in case some others wanted to express an opinion on the topic. I was not complete in my response but brief, but still I think it is worth something, and the truth as well.
So here it is for your review:
Did God create Evil
A age old question which many people fall into the trap of trying to explain how a completely holy God who is without any shred of evil could or would create it. Some may say because He wanted man to have a choice to serve Him out of free will, but the scripture does not declare that. It is true man can choose, and so could the angels.
Scripture does not declare the angels to be without free will either. Psalm 103 shows us the angels were created to do His bidding, to listen to His voice and to fulfill His commands
Ps 103:20-22 20 Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. 21 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. 22 Praise the LORD, all his works everywhere in his dominion.NIV
But they had the choice to not do that, we know that Lucifer had pride, he did not want to submit to Gods commands, and he wanted to be like God. Pride…..
Isa 14:12-15 12 How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! 13 You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. 14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." 15 But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit. NIV
God created them, the angels to be able to make a choice about doing His will, and thus because of that pride entered into Lucifer. God did not create evil as we think of evil. God allowed the angels to have their own determination. Now once cast out of Heaven Lucifer because of his own nature developed into what we would call evil. Desiring to fight back against the action God took by casting him out.
Unlike man, angels cannot be redeemed by the blood of Christ.
Jude 6-7 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home — these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. NIV
These verse also shows us they abandoned their own home, they made the choice.
God allows man choice, God allowed the angels choice, but He did not create the evil as a source of choice. Lucifer was allowed to be prideful, God did not make him prideful, God did not create evil.
So here it is for your review:
Did God create Evil
A age old question which many people fall into the trap of trying to explain how a completely holy God who is without any shred of evil could or would create it. Some may say because He wanted man to have a choice to serve Him out of free will, but the scripture does not declare that. It is true man can choose, and so could the angels.
Scripture does not declare the angels to be without free will either. Psalm 103 shows us the angels were created to do His bidding, to listen to His voice and to fulfill His commands
Ps 103:20-22 20 Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. 21 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. 22 Praise the LORD, all his works everywhere in his dominion.NIV
But they had the choice to not do that, we know that Lucifer had pride, he did not want to submit to Gods commands, and he wanted to be like God. Pride…..
Isa 14:12-15 12 How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! 13 You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. 14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." 15 But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit. NIV
God created them, the angels to be able to make a choice about doing His will, and thus because of that pride entered into Lucifer. God did not create evil as we think of evil. God allowed the angels to have their own determination. Now once cast out of Heaven Lucifer because of his own nature developed into what we would call evil. Desiring to fight back against the action God took by casting him out.
Unlike man, angels cannot be redeemed by the blood of Christ.
Jude 6-7 And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home — these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. NIV
These verse also shows us they abandoned their own home, they made the choice.
God allows man choice, God allowed the angels choice, but He did not create the evil as a source of choice. Lucifer was allowed to be prideful, God did not make him prideful, God did not create evil.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Devotion Colossians 16 Jan 2010
DEVOTION
COLOSSIANS
ABSENT & PRESENT
Col 2:4-5
5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.
NIV
It seems strange to be able to be away yet be with another person at the same time, a sort of time travel, if you will, a science fiction plot of sorts, and yet here is actually what is happening.
Within the realms of the physical, persons may well be separated from each other by miles of distance, such as from Fairborn Ohio to Beavercreek Ohio to Dunlap Illinois, or Kankakee Illinois or to any other place. These two persons unable to stand face to face, to feel the embrace of the other, to extend the hand of fellowship to the other, yet in quite a different realm they are present with each other. Within the spirit world, the supernatural world of God, these two persons are eternally joined and present with each other. As each person steps into the spiritual presents of God almighty thru prayer, there stands the other.
To each of you whom I love, know that as you knee before the Lord each day, I will be present with you also, that with spiritual hands placed upon you I will be seeking our lord to anoint you with power from on high, and that I will be rejoicing because of your faith in our Lord, demonstrating a powerful belief in the reality of the Kingdom of God.
COLOSSIANS
ABSENT & PRESENT
Col 2:4-5
5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.
NIV
It seems strange to be able to be away yet be with another person at the same time, a sort of time travel, if you will, a science fiction plot of sorts, and yet here is actually what is happening.
Within the realms of the physical, persons may well be separated from each other by miles of distance, such as from Fairborn Ohio to Beavercreek Ohio to Dunlap Illinois, or Kankakee Illinois or to any other place. These two persons unable to stand face to face, to feel the embrace of the other, to extend the hand of fellowship to the other, yet in quite a different realm they are present with each other. Within the spirit world, the supernatural world of God, these two persons are eternally joined and present with each other. As each person steps into the spiritual presents of God almighty thru prayer, there stands the other.
To each of you whom I love, know that as you knee before the Lord each day, I will be present with you also, that with spiritual hands placed upon you I will be seeking our lord to anoint you with power from on high, and that I will be rejoicing because of your faith in our Lord, demonstrating a powerful belief in the reality of the Kingdom of God.
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