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As I likely posted earlier there are certain limits to understanding God's counsel as stated in Deut. 29:29. There is a point such as with Pharaoh where God Himself hardens a man's heart once he has irrevocably hardened his own heart; that is something in His foreknowledge that God determines for every man who is unsaved. We as believers have been "grafted in" ( Romans 11:11-25). The scripture makes it clear that man has no excuse as we see evidence in the Creation and of the Godhead ( Psalm 19; Romans 1). We are "fearfully and wonderfully made" ( Psalm 139:14) and therefore human life is sacred. Or; as the Declaration of Independence states "we hold these truths to be self-evident".
God is a God of Covenants and as He states "all the souls are mine" ( Ezekiel 18:4). This whole chapter I have found as an excellent rebuttal and witness to the Jewish community who occasionally insists on doing a "Mizpah" when they find out one side of my family is Jewish. It states in the same passage that the "soul who sins will die" thus removing any parental privilege in being of any physical descent as well as making all individuals responsible for their behaviors. We need to see here that someone can turn from wickedness to righteousness; and the opposite is true. Ultimately; I would say that Ephesians 4:30 makes it clear that we don't lose our salvation IF truly saved. There are many tares mixed in with the wheat however. Again; that is part of God's plan; as well as using Satan to refine us through temptations and persecutions. Since God created everyone then we are all to be eternal beings in our spirit.
Also as Jesus pointed out to Thomas "blessed are those who haven't seen and yet believed" ( John 20:29). Just look at the Tribulation where; by the way Revelation 13:8 shows Predestination for all those NOT in the Book of Life. Just as in the time Christ was here the first time seeing ISN'T necessarily belief TO SALVATION. REV6:17
Looking up Matthew 18:18, in word breakdown in Strongs Exhaustive Concordance reference at bottom of page, "bind" translated 'deo' can mean pledge, marriage, or be in bonds, = Luke 13:16, context Luke 13, "loosed" translated 'luo' = break, destroy, dissolve, divorce
both scriptures same words, in Greek.
In the Old Testament, Daniel 3:5, "loose" translated 'shre' = to free, separate, unravel ( Thayer's Greek Lexicon a reference also in site, I use for comparison)
James 1:5,
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The Lord spoke in parables so that the Pharisees would be blinded lest they see the truth at any time and repent (see Mark 4:11 and following verses). The human being is the only species which deliberately blinds themselves to the truth and hardens their heart. This is given to man to whom God has put "eternity in their hearts." ( Ecclesiastes 3:11). There is a way; a door or opening to heaven by which we MUST go through to enter; there is no other way. That; of course is Christ and being Born Again. After all; only the "sick need a physician". ( Mark 2:17). Consider those who most often rejected Christ. These were all those who had heard the message; and mostly the Jews who knew the law and the commandments and the prophecies thus they were without excuse killing the Lord of Glory. That was made clear by Stephen's speech and subsequent martyrdom in Acts 7 and the beginning of Acts 8. Their history was spelled out as to how they sinned and killed the Prophets before them; Christ Himself also brought out these things.
In seeing these things we are reminded with a fair and impartial view of scripture in terms of it's literary composition that men by and large were going on with their personal lives and decisions much of the time. We certainly needn't look at "free will" as something that is diametrically opposed to God's predetermination in our lives as though He is holding us to a standard that we as human beings are paralyzed with our everyday life. He points out to David only when He goes after Bathsheeba that he was given much latitude ( 2 Sam. 12:7-8) and even more wives if he asked; but of course murder and adultery was not to be tolerated. God can't look upon sin; therefore had to turn His back on His own Son. However it is our sin NATURE that is the root of all these things; or the heart ( Jeremiah 17:9; etc.) But after this life ends there is no more freedom for the unregenerate to sin.
Right now, for example, I wonder something about Jacob.
I heard pastors say before, that he was a liar and a manipulator. I looked in Genesis from the time he was born, until he got married and cant find anything other than how he (at the request of his mother) deceived Esau by giving him a bowl of soup for his birthright. But nothing else. Does this one action make him someone like what the pastors describe?
This verse instructs the Israelites that they are to live by the statutes and commands He spells out for them. This is the blessing for obedience, life. Not eternal life, as eternal life is always attained by faith, but that they will live in the land promised them and prosper there. Obedience will cause them to live in the covenantal blessing of God upon them as a people. These laws were temporary provisions given to a sinful people in order for God to dwell in their midst and bless them.
These statutes are not a way of salvation by works of the law. These laws delineate the lifestyle the Israelites are to embrace while living in a land filled with paganism. God is commanding the Israelites to take Him seriously, that He is not a God they can manipulate and define by their own imaginations. The Israelites are to understand that the LORD their God is supreme over all and worthy of obedience, worship, upright living. He is all powerful, therefore is to be feared reverently with the understanding that He will follow through with both the blessings and the curses He pronounces with giving His laws and commandments.
I think it is easy for Christians to become lax in their view of the majesty and supremacy of God which usually leads one to pursue preferred sins, thinking that surely these are just "little sins" and not very serious to God. It is very easy to get into this mindset and soon one finds themselves enslaved to a sinful way of living that they could have rejected if they took God more seriously and believed in His absolute holiness and purity. We should ask ourselves regularly. Does this honor God? Does pursuing these sins bring us closer to Him? Am I failing to view God in His perfection and reality? Am I being presumptuous in my thinking about towards God when I pursue a sinful path?
I think it is wise to examine ourselves when we find ourselves indulging in sin with abandon. Usually we will find that we do not take God or sin seriousy.
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Join the party my friend.
None of us are worthy! It's all God's mercy and Grace!
Titus 3:3-7.
No one had to qualify.
We had to believe on him whom God sent. Our Lord Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, WHILE WE WERE YET SINNERS, CHRIST DIED FOR US.
God bless you.
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This chapter opens with YHWH emphasizing that He is the God of the Israelites and therefore, their sovereign ruler. He has the right of ownership of this people and has the supreme right to rule them and to make the rules they are to live by.
YHWH commands them not to follow the laws and lifestyles of the land of Egypt from which they were delivered and also to not follow the laws and lifestyles of the people of the land of Canaan which He will bring them into. The laws and lifestyles of the Israelites, Egyptians, and Canaanite peoples were manmade and reflected man's determination of what is morally correct or corrupt. The Israelites must orient themselves in a new way, not being led by man's reasoning and wisdom concerning civil and religious life, but instead, submitting to YHWH's judgements, commands, and statutes. The people are to understand that YHWH's ways are not man's ways. His ways are higher and more righteous than those of any people. These people are to set themselves apart for the LORD in obedience, willingly taking upon themselves the lifestyle He lays out for them.
It is likely that they had many customs, practices and laws that were peculiar to their own people going back to Jacob's time. Also, they most likely had assimilated to many aspects of the Egyptian lifestyle. (The golden calf is one glaring example.) But now, YHWH is calling them to strip themselves of much of what they thought were acceptable ways of living and worshipping and submit to what God commands them to do. There is no negotiation on these statures and commands. God did not ask them for any input nor offer any sort of recourse for any command or statute to be reconsidered. Straight up obedience is commanded without questioning.
YHWH is demanding strict obedience and submission to Himself. He is requiring them to trust that His ways are absolutely upright and beneficial to them because He loves them so and desires them to be set apart other peoples.
Matthew 6,
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As also with Laban, who continued to practise idolatry, but was now accepting of this God who he was hearing about from Abraham's servant (likely Eliezer of Damascus), in his earlier encounter with him concerning Isaac ( Genesis 24:50,51). Whether Laban ultimately rejected his gods for the true God, we cannot say as the Bible doesn't indicate that; but in spite of him using divination ( Genesis 30:27, KJV: "experience" = 'nachash', or signs, divination), he acknowledged that Abraham's God had blessed him. He might have even added an image of God to his other gods, but hopefully in time & by revelation, he would have rejected his false gods.
Syncretism in religion (i.e. merging together of different beliefs & practises), is never an acceptable thing, even as practised today amongst so-called Christians, because God requires a true worship of Him, and Him alone. Abraham, by God's Call & revelation of Himself to him, would have learned to reject any other god or form of worship & to serve the True & Living God. Thus he was greatly blessed.
In my previous post this AM; I highlighted what I consider an important doctrinal foundation in regard to Predestination (or the Doctrine of Election). Understanding that others have various views on the subject as to where they are on the subject of "free will" on one end of the spectrum and 5 Point Calvanists on the other I am certainly not going to make overly broad generalizations here at least in terms of salvation of an individual based on their viewpoints on this subject. My aim as I hopefully mentioned when doing the Book of John in a chapter by chapter review based on this subject was to show what scripture states on the subject. I can prove my point in the fact that I (sort of) excoriated my fellow brethren (hopefully with a proper zeal) when I challenged them by pointing out that someone can understand ALL the 5 points intellectually of the "TULIP" concept but still not be saved. (Needless to say my response wasn't exactly rosy).
I brought out the point earlier today that those who would state that believers who followed these concepts would have little interest in witnessing to others are largely disproven by the Reformers; and in fact most people I have known in my circle of friends that are actually out there witnessing on a regular basis. We are called to follow the Great Commission; admittedly there are some who take this idea to an extreme at least historically that don't evangelize for precisely that reason that it is a "waste of time" for the non elect. A couple facts here before I move on to other cautions; one the main reason we witness is because we are commanded to do so and it is NOT for conversion but to honor God by proclaiming His truth. We also should consider that it edifies other believers when we are obedient to the call. Paul's imprisonment allowed others to have courage to boldly proclaim the Gospel; surely SOME would do this more if they could just see others doing the same.
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2Chronicles 7:14, Romans 6,
1John 1:9, Matthew 6:14,
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Please consider reading in the BIBLE: Matthew 6:33-34, 1 Peter 5:7-8, Psalm 37, and Psalm 121.
This is just another view of Matt. 16:19 some say Peter was the only one Jesus gave the keys to but in Matt. 18, we see it was for all the disciples not just Peter. Jesus entrusted them to continue His work, and from them to us, that we see start in Acts 2.
Jesus told Peter He will give him the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Luke 11:52 the key of knowledge, so these keys that were given to the disciples are the knowledge of the gospel of Jesus that will allow them and all who accept the good news, the way of entering the kingdom of heaven/God.
The keys are thus the gospel message, the teaching from Jesus that will be conveyed by the Holy Spirit, which gives us access to the kingdom of God, salvation, and eternal life only by our Lord Jesus Christ and the grace of God. Those who reject the gospel, bound, are forbidden to enter the kingdom (resurrection of damnation) and those who accept the gospel, loosed, are permitted into the kingdom (resurrection of life).
Eph. 2:5-6 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
God bless,
RLW
I've noticed I've left out this info for more clarity in the way I interpret the verse.
The Church is given responsibility or charge to present the Gospel and how it is received will be accounted for in Heaven.
"And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Matthew 16:19.
God bless.
I mistakenly referred to Mt. 19:18.
:-)
Holy
Spirit
you are welcome in this place
Amen