Bible Discussion Thread

What does it mean that Jesus took the sins of the world too the cross? What impact has this upon you and me? And, what does it mean that He became flesh, that He came in the form of a man, and dwelt among us?

If you can come to grips with these truths, you will only begin to touch the surface of the goodness that flows from the veins of a savior like this one who is alive and has never died!

This Jesus we worship has become what we could never achieve, nor be part of a kingdom that thrives even now!

If you are not part of this kingdom, than you cannot see the things that belong to those who love Him! You , perhaps hiding avoiding the heat of the day!

A heavenly kingdom complete already and waiting for you!

Some of us, who where hired long ago, these will be the last, the last for a good reason! These who have excepted Him , doing His will until the end. These are the ones who have the strength, enduring from the beginning knowing the wages will be the same. These wages we earn because of what He has already done, we too becoming as He Is!

These are the wages that can only come from above! Soon the lines will form for payment, where will you be? Will you be watching and waiting? Waiting to see how His servants react, as payment begins?

The Holy Spirit is waiting for you. You must receive Him as He calls you into His vineyard, Don't be left waiting and watching, soon the times of restitution will begin, and the lines will be gone forever! Repent and be Baptized

Good Morning Fred, so good to wake up to such an inspiring post. Thank you.

To me, the significance of Jesus's death on the cross and thus the removal of our sins from us is this:

He bore our sins upon Himself as an eternal and infinite ransom for our rebellion against our Holy Triune God. He sacrificed His sinless and perfect self upon the cross to remove forever the sins of the world that deserved the eternal and infinite wrath of God. In doing this, we receive God's mercy instead of His wrath, because Jesus took this wrath upon Himself, a wrath that no mere human can truly bear. Jesus, the pure and spotless Son of God became man to pay man's penalty for sin as a man, yet, being God also, He was a perfect and fully acceptable sacrifice for the sins of everyone. Those who believe on Him have the efficacy of his sacrifice bestowed upon them and thus have forgiveness of sins and the righteousness of Jesus is imputed upon these believers, making them justified before God and accepted by Him to dwell in His presence forever.

How wonderful is the love of God to plan this redemption before He even created anything! How amazing that He would restrain His justice and wrath for sin in order that many would be saved by Jesus and not perish in hell forever. How sobering it is that we should consider how He humbly lowered Himself to be one of us for the express purpose of saving all who will respond to the work of His Spirit in drawing us to God for salvation. How comforting it is to have His Spirit dwell within us who are redeemed. God is with us forever, even though He is so far above and beyond anything we could ever imagine or comprehend. He revealed Himself to and in us in a way we can grasp for this life and prepares us for His glory in the life to come.

I have just recently found out that my uncle who I thought was a born again Christian denied the savior on His death bed. This is unbelievable news . A doctor of music, and a teacher and fine person, took Aunty to church, I stand staring and wondering how these things could be. Even so, I am comforted to know that he had listened to me at times while discussing the Holy Spirit and the things that pertain to the salvation of man, Assuming, that he had faith in Christ, in his sacrificial atonement for man!

Now I say this, I neither know the things or profess the things that come upon a soul when entering into judgment! The separation from the body of the soul, whether or not there is a battle that takes place for the unconverted soul in those who yet do not believe. Or perhaps it is nothing more than what the scripture says.

Scripture does say ""And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:"

This I do know, is that we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God. Those that believe what Christ did on the cross, Jesus becomes our mediator between God and man! Those who have not, shall be judged by the law. The same law they lived by!

I would not want to appear before God without knowing Christ, standing before the Father without the sinless garment only Christ can provide.

Even so, how could we know the love without the sacrifice? This sacrificial love of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Could this love we have for Christ be any different than the love a Father or Mother have for their children?

Perhaps not, even so, what greater love hath a man, than that He lay down His life for another!

I am perplexed beyond imagination, that one could forfeit such great love as we have been given in the Savior!

Repent and be Baptized

Fred, I am so sorry to hear of your uncle's death and his denying Jesus. I think in such a situation we just need to leave our loved one in the hands of a just and loving God. As you say, we do not know what happens at death in person. We do not know how long a person is still able to think after declared dead or how long the soul remains with the body upon being declared dead. When your uncle renounced his faith verbally, we do not know what the Holy Spirit did in His mind and soul when he could no longer speak but was not yet dead. I do think that the Holy Spirit does contend with one's soul at such a time. We, on this side of heaven, just do not know how long after we determine that someone is dead they truly become finally dead. Perhaps a few minutes, perhaps a few hours. We just don't know. But we do know once one is completely dead (and only God knows when that moment truly is, then their final judgment is sealed. My hope for your uncle is that the Holy Spirit ministered to his mind and soul during those last minutes after he denied Jesus and brought him to his senses and to a point of re-affirming his faith. But, that is God's business, not ours. He is able to do what seems impossible for us. How long does it take to pray silently, yes, Lord, I believe, save me. Just a few seconds. I hope this comforts you today.

I believe as you say, This is why we recognize His perfect timing in this life and the life to come. The joy however, of those who reject Him in this life not experiencing the revelation of knowing in the here and now of what He has done for us. I am reminded of the story of the rich man and Lazarus, upon which the rich man is asking God to send one from the dead to testify too His family. Gods answer, they have the law and the prophets! If that were enough, why would sending one from the dead convince them anymore than what Christ has already done for us? What is most discouraging however, are that His children are all PHDs. The science of mankind for one reason or another is become the stumbling block in the things that concern faith and the things of God, even eternal Life! How, One cannot be a doctor of science ,without believing in God! In Christ ,Fred