You are very welcome! Isn't it funny how that works? There are things I read in the bible over and over again, but still don't get it. Even if I ask someone to help explain it to me, it still makes no sense. It used to frustrate me. I used to think "What, am I stupid or something? Why can't I get this?" i mean, it's written in plain English. But then I realize I'm never going to get it unless God's Spirit reveals it to me. So the things I still don't understand, I have come to realize that it is God's way of telling me I'm not ready to understand it yet, and I'm good with that!
So, they would pour new wine into new wineskins. And then when the wine stopped expanding, the skins would harden and you would have a container. However, if you were to pour the wine out after the wine skins have hardened, and pour new wine into the old wine skins, and the wine began to ferment and expand; the skins are not going to go with it because it has hardened now. It will break!
So, nobody puts new wine into old bottles else the new wine will burst the skins, and be spilled, and the wineskins shall perish.
Luke 5:38-39 can be taken together: The word better in Greek means useful. What Jesus is saying is that there's an old dying religious system that people just will not give up, because when Messiah comes, He's going to set up His kingdom. And you cannot mix the new with the old. Jesus did not come to breathe life into the old Jewish religious system.
He called people to follow Him. When He went into the synagogues, He said everything that you're studying here is about me. But He didn't have a building, He didn't have a church. He walked through the villages, and lived in the hills because He was not establishing a religious system.
And He says the two don't mix, the old and the new. You can't pour new wine into an old dying religious system. Nor can God pour His spirit into somebody that says, "the old is better, no thanks, I like the old system!"
I am going to use two posts to cover those 6 verses), and hopefully this will help you. The second post will be ( Luke 5:34-39/Part 2)
In Luke 5:34, Jesus is using the language from Isaiah Chapter 61 where Messiah is presented as the bridegroom, and the believers in Messiah are the bride. He says look, its wedding day. Fasting is for grief. If you are going to have a celebration, you don't fast!
Luke 5:35: Jesus says, But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and in the Greek it's an act of violence, He is violently removed from them, and then shall they fast in those days. He will be taken away, it will be a time of grief, and then they will fast.
Luke 5:36: The ladies here should know more about this than us men do. If you have a tear in a garment, and Jesus is talking about un-shrunk material. You take old material that has already been through the shrinking process, and some new material that hasn't shrunk at all, and then you take some of the new material and use that as your patch. What happens when you wash it? The new material is going to shrink up and pull and it will eventually tear. They do not match. They do not go together!
Luke 5:37: And no man puts new wine into old bottles. Now the word "bottles" in Greek is wine skins, but they use them for bottles. What they would do is take new wine skins, form it so that you have a funnel at the top, and they would pour new wine into new wineskins, and then the wine would ferment and expand and the wine skins would expand with it.
One, God listens to those who ask for healing two: some people do not have an inner sense of God and they want things demonstrated publicly. Then they failed to want to believe them
Three: God can be very generous just as he was in pointing out to the disciples to try dipping their nets one more time
four: God is very generous to us each day and when we take time to be grateful to God and other people I life changes and we become empowered.
Hi Pauline. This story is found in Luke 15:11-32 & here you will see the "exact wording" of this account. But if you are seeking the use of the word 'prodigal', then it is not found in the Bible. 'Prodigal' is just an English word (as Trinity or Rapture are not in the Bible) but 'Prodigal' is correctly used to illustrate the nature of the son who took his inheritance from his father early, went into a distant country & wasted all of it in "riotous living". Instead, of maybe buying or building up a business & properly investing his good fortune, he 'lived it up' & may have even gambled it away. That's the negative meaning of a 'prodigal', of which this story represents. There is also a positive meaning for that word, which is the opposite: being lavish or generous, as being liberal with praise of someone or of resources, but the son in that parable was certainly not one of these.
Brother David, May CHRIST IN US grace us with HIS wisdom and HIS understanding.
The scriptures and meaning behind those scriptures I quoted to you are in DIRECT OPPOSITION to there being a LITERAL HELL.
So EACH has to be reconciled to each other through scripture.
Scripture says those in the first resurrection (resurrected with Christ) will not see death but will be instantly in the presence of Christ, in Spirit, with a glorified body.
Scripture says those in the second resurrection will be raise back in their sinful flesh and cast alive into the lake of fire.
If the lake of fire is LITERAL FIRE those thrown into it alive will LITERAL DIE within seconds. Therefore there would be no nations to rule and judge in the ages to come. This doesn't reconcile our two different scriptures.
If the lake of fire represents the judgement IN CHRIST who is a consuming FIRE, then the two scriptures reconcile with each other.
Isaiah 10:16 Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of Host, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory (priest) he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire.
Isaiah 4:4 When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purge the blood of (new) Jerusalem from the midst (CHRIST IN YOU) thereof by the SPIRIT OF JUDGEMENT and the SPIRIT OF BURNING.
Isaiah 47:14 Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not delivery themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to set before it.
This is also spiritual fire from the fact you can't warm yourself from it. The ones in the first resurrection also have to go through this fire.
Mark 4:49 And everyone shall be salted with FIRE.
Matthew 3:11 ....he shall baptise you with the Holy Ghost and FIRE.
Brother David, may CHRIST IN US grace us with HIS wisdom and HIS understanding.
God divides eternity into different AGES. God CAUSES certain things to happen in those AGES.
In the Previous AGE; the AGE of THE LAW and Prophets. God caused THE ONES HE APPOINTED to leave a written record of the AGE TO FOLLOW.
It was written that in the AGE TO COME God would APPOINT (call out) a FEW to be PRIEST in his KINGDOM.
This is what we see now. Most want be called now; BUT there are more AGES to come. Christ and his priest will judge the world and the world will LEARN RIGHTEOUSNESS.
God has a PLAN:
ALL WILL OBEY AND WORSHIP GOD.
Isaiah 32:1 Behold, a king shall rule in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgement.
Psalms 94:15 But judgement shall TURN INTO RIGHTEOUSNESS ....
Proverbs 16:6 By MERCY and TRUTH iniquity is PURGED ...
Psalms 85:10 Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
Psalms 22:29 And they that be fat upon the earth shall eat and worship (first resurrection): and they that go down to the dust (second resurrection) SHALL BOW BEFORE HIM: and none can keep alive his own soul.
Psalms 22:30 A seed (priest) shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation (age).
Psalms 22:31 They (priest) shall come (at the second resurrection), and shall declare his righteousness to a people (at the second resurrection) that SHALL BE BORN (AGAIN) that he hath done this.
Revelation 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth MY WORKS unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Revelation 2:27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessel of a potter shall they be broken to shivers, even as I received of my Father.
Revelation 10:11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy AGAIN before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
This is what the parable of Lazarus and the rich man is about.
Brother david, may christ in us grace us with his wisdom and his understanding.
you are saved!
i am using god's words showing brothers and sisters that all of salvation is of god. man plays no part in salvation. we have been deceived.
at each mans appointed time (by god). god will bring about the circumstances to cause that man to respond to god.
man does't believe god does this. they believe it is their choice.
paul was on his way to kill more of god's church. he believed he was doing god's work.
in one blinding moment god caused saul to become paul.
ephesians 2:10 for we are his workmanship .....
ephesians 1:11 .....being predestined according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his will.
philippians 1:29 for unto us it is given in the behalf of christ, not only to believe on him, but to also suffer for him.
philippians 3:9 and be found in him, not having our own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of christ, the righteousness of god by faith (of christ).
romans 2:4 ......not knowing that the goodness of god leadeth thee to repentance.
all is of god. god appoints at time, gives man his faith to causes man to believe and causes man to repent.
i give my glory to no one.
i will bring down the high and lofty one.
you died on the cross with christ. he is the life you now have and live by.
Amen Bro. Earl that scripture comes to mind that says The spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made US free from the law of Sin and Death. Sometimes we get bit but if we behold the lamb of God our bronze Serpent, our snake bite ( Sin ) is not fatal. No condemnation to them in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit . If i do something that I do not consent unto , its not I that does it but sin that dwells in my members ( the Tare ) Satan. We are involved in a warfare but the wheat which is the H.G. is gonna win. With my mind i serve the law of God but with my Flesh the law of sin . That manchild which is the H.G. THE ( WHEAT ) IS GONNA RULE ALL NATIONS GODS, BATTLE AX. The Child of Promise . Any thing not of faith is gonna be destroyed . The wheat was the result of his seed the word sown in mans hearts initiating a birth of CHRIST IN US. Mans fruit unto God via his seed the living word . Thats y he aways refered to himself as the SON OF MAN, HE IS OUR FRUIT UNTO God as Paul said in Romans 7 v 4 ok lemme go. Our 1st born our only son as Zech. said.
Brother David, may CHRIST IN US grace us with HIS wisdom and HIS understanding.
Man WANT BELIEVE what GOD says UNTIL God causes them to BELIEVE. ALL is of God.
There is nowhere in scripture that says if a name is there it's not a parable.
There is more than one scripture that says that Christ spake not to the people BUT IN PARABLES.
Matthew 13:34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitudes in parables; and WITHOUT a parable SPAKE HE NOT unto him.
Mark 4:11 And he said unto them, unto you it is GIVEN to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, it is not GIVEN.
You said not everyone will choose to be saved.
The fact is no one chooses to be saved.
God SAYS I CHOOSE YOU , you don't choose me.
If I be lifted up I WILL DRAW ALL MEN to me.
Man thinks he is a co-partner in his salvation, when in fact every part of man's salvation IS OF GOD.
Isaiah 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and Holy place, with him ALSO that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the spirit of the contrite ones.
Thanks for joining in on the discussion. The basic truth I was stating is the fact that not everyone in the "universe" is a Christian. There is no Scriptural proof that EVERYONE is saved forevermore.
Everyone has an opportunity to receive Christ as their Savior. Unfortunately, many will choose not too.
As you so aptly put from Ephesians 1:10 He will gather all things "in Christ" "in Him." However God always explains what He means. In v. 11-13, "that we should be to the praise of His glory, who first TRUSTED in Christ. In whom ye also TRUSTED, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. In whom also AFTER that ye BELIEVED, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise Eph 4:30 tells us "whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."
The story referenced in Luke 16: 19- 31 is not a parable. All parables given by our Lord Jesus Christ gave no names of the characters in the story. The story given in Luke 16:19-31 identifies one of the characters by name - Lazarus. This is a true story given by our Lord Jesus Christ. The basic theme here is that there is an actual heaven and hell. The rich man is in hell and not in the grave. They are not the same place.
It is hell because in v.24 the rich man said, "for I am tormented in this flame." There are no flames in the grave. He was asking for water to quench his thirst and cool him from the flames.
The rich man can not receive the LIVING WATER because the salvation of Christ must be received in this life time, never in the life here after.
The rich man knew this fact because of his request to Father Abraham to send someone to his brothers who were still alive. v. 27, 28.
Lazarus is now in Heaven; he was in Abraham's Bosum, before Christ resurrection.
Brother David, may CHRIST IN US grace us with HIS wisdom and HIS understanding.
You referenced:
2 Peter 1:20 This verse says no one verse in and of itself give the complete answer. Other verses have to bear witness to know TRUTH. No scriptures can contradict each other. ALL have to bear witness of each other in TRUTH.
Luke 16:22-24
You said this verse and others shows that even though God DESIRES all men to be save they want be saved.
THANK GOD, he doesn't leave his DESIRES up to man.
Ephesians 1:10 That in the dispensation of the FULLNESS OF TIMES (more ages than the one we are now in) that he might gather together IN ONE ALL THINGS IN CHRIST, both which are in heaven (first resurrection), and which are on earth (second resurrection), IN HIM.
Luke 16:22-24 Is a parable referencing the judgements of the two resurrections. Lazarus is in the first resurrection and is IN CHRIST. The rich man is in the GRAVE awaiting the second resurrection. When he is resurrected he will be begging Lazarus to give him the LIVING WATER that was given to him.
With as much Love and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ that is with in me; I ask that you look into Luke 16: 22- 24. Not all will be with Christ forevermore. 2 Peter 3:9 tells us of God's desire for all, but not all will be with Christ forevermore.
May the Lord bless you in your search of God's righteousness and His wisdom not our own. 2 Peter 1:20
Revelation 20:11-15 depicts the great white throne of Christ Jesus. Not all will be with Christ forevermore.
God gave us these passages, as well as the one's you gave, to help us all to become "Christians or born again believers" in order that we are able to be with Him forevermore.
God's desire is that we be with Him forevermore as you brought forth in your discussion. But only through Scripture, His way. 1 Corinthians 15: 1- 4; Romans 10: 9, 10; 1 John 5:10-13
Pray that this discussion helps everyone on this Forum. God bless you. Love in the Lord Jesus Christ.
God did not make death, proof by Jesus stated "before the world was", Saint John 17:3-5, proof by His resurrection-ascension into heaven, Saint Luke 24:51-53, eye witnessed, 1 Corinthians 15:6, is clear proof of the Holy source of life & everyone's salvation forevermore.
The Book of Revelation makes several points about the Mark of the Beast. It is not something you can take accidentally.
Revelation 13
v. 15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
v. 16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
v. 17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
v. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six
1. He causeth all to receive the mark in their right hand or forehead
2. No one can buy or sell without the name of the beast or the number of his name.
Everyone & all the universe is Christian, proof by Jesus said "before the world was", Saint John 17:3-5, proof by His resurrection-ascension into heaven, eye witnessed, Saint Luke 24:51-53, is clear proof of the Holy source of life & everyone's salvation forevermore.
GOD did not make death, only "Love thy neighbor as thyself, 10 Commandments "Moses wrote of me" Saint John 5:46, & the Lord's Prayer, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven", proof by resurrected-ascent into heaven Son Jesus to live forever, eye witnessed, Saint Luke 24:51-53, is the same for "born again" Christians, Saint John 3:3-9.
I believe age is a great blessing from God.
God Bless You.
You are very welcome! Isn't it funny how that works? There are things I read in the bible over and over again, but still don't get it. Even if I ask someone to help explain it to me, it still makes no sense. It used to frustrate me. I used to think "What, am I stupid or something? Why can't I get this?" i mean, it's written in plain English. But then I realize I'm never going to get it unless God's Spirit reveals it to me. So the things I still don't understand, I have come to realize that it is God's way of telling me I'm not ready to understand it yet, and I'm good with that!
I'm glad I could help you. God bless!!!
Frances
The old man is like a leaky wine skin, the new man grows stronger .
I have always thought of it this way .
It could apply to other applications as well .
Frances,
So, they would pour new wine into new wineskins. And then when the wine stopped expanding, the skins would harden and you would have a container. However, if you were to pour the wine out after the wine skins have hardened, and pour new wine into the old wine skins, and the wine began to ferment and expand; the skins are not going to go with it because it has hardened now. It will break!
So, nobody puts new wine into old bottles else the new wine will burst the skins, and be spilled, and the wineskins shall perish.
Luke 5:38-39 can be taken together: The word better in Greek means useful. What Jesus is saying is that there's an old dying religious system that people just will not give up, because when Messiah comes, He's going to set up His kingdom. And you cannot mix the new with the old. Jesus did not come to breathe life into the old Jewish religious system.
He called people to follow Him. When He went into the synagogues, He said everything that you're studying here is about me. But He didn't have a building, He didn't have a church. He walked through the villages, and lived in the hills because He was not establishing a religious system.
And He says the two don't mix, the old and the new. You can't pour new wine into an old dying religious system. Nor can God pour His spirit into somebody that says, "the old is better, no thanks, I like the old system!"
Hope this helps you out!
I am going to use two posts to cover those 6 verses), and hopefully this will help you. The second post will be ( Luke 5:34-39/Part 2)
In Luke 5:34, Jesus is using the language from Isaiah Chapter 61 where Messiah is presented as the bridegroom, and the believers in Messiah are the bride. He says look, its wedding day. Fasting is for grief. If you are going to have a celebration, you don't fast!
Luke 5:35: Jesus says, But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and in the Greek it's an act of violence, He is violently removed from them, and then shall they fast in those days. He will be taken away, it will be a time of grief, and then they will fast.
Luke 5:36: The ladies here should know more about this than us men do. If you have a tear in a garment, and Jesus is talking about un-shrunk material. You take old material that has already been through the shrinking process, and some new material that hasn't shrunk at all, and then you take some of the new material and use that as your patch. What happens when you wash it? The new material is going to shrink up and pull and it will eventually tear. They do not match. They do not go together!
Luke 5:37: And no man puts new wine into old bottles. Now the word "bottles" in Greek is wine skins, but they use them for bottles. What they would do is take new wine skins, form it so that you have a funnel at the top, and they would pour new wine into new wineskins, and then the wine would ferment and expand and the wine skins would expand with it.
Thank you,
Frances
Good observations.
One, God listens to those who ask for healing two: some people do not have an inner sense of God and they want things demonstrated publicly. Then they failed to want to believe them
Three: God can be very generous just as he was in pointing out to the disciples to try dipping their nets one more time
four: God is very generous to us each day and when we take time to be grateful to God and other people I life changes and we become empowered.
Luke 15:1-7
Luke 15:11-32 this is the story referred to as 'prodigal son'
The scriptures and meaning behind those scriptures I quoted to you are in DIRECT OPPOSITION to there being a LITERAL HELL.
So EACH has to be reconciled to each other through scripture.
Scripture says those in the first resurrection (resurrected with Christ) will not see death but will be instantly in the presence of Christ, in Spirit, with a glorified body.
Scripture says those in the second resurrection will be raise back in their sinful flesh and cast alive into the lake of fire.
If the lake of fire is LITERAL FIRE those thrown into it alive will LITERAL DIE within seconds. Therefore there would be no nations to rule and judge in the ages to come. This doesn't reconcile our two different scriptures.
If the lake of fire represents the judgement IN CHRIST who is a consuming FIRE, then the two scriptures reconcile with each other.
Isaiah 10:16 Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of Host, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory (priest) he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire.
Isaiah 4:4 When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purge the blood of (new) Jerusalem from the midst (CHRIST IN YOU) thereof by the SPIRIT OF JUDGEMENT and the SPIRIT OF BURNING.
Isaiah 47:14 Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not delivery themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to set before it.
This is also spiritual fire from the fact you can't warm yourself from it. The ones in the first resurrection also have to go through this fire.
Mark 4:49 And everyone shall be salted with FIRE.
Matthew 3:11 ....he shall baptise you with the Holy Ghost and FIRE.
God divides eternity into different AGES. God CAUSES certain things to happen in those AGES.
In the Previous AGE; the AGE of THE LAW and Prophets. God caused THE ONES HE APPOINTED to leave a written record of the AGE TO FOLLOW.
It was written that in the AGE TO COME God would APPOINT (call out) a FEW to be PRIEST in his KINGDOM.
This is what we see now. Most want be called now; BUT there are more AGES to come. Christ and his priest will judge the world and the world will LEARN RIGHTEOUSNESS.
God has a PLAN:
ALL WILL OBEY AND WORSHIP GOD.
Isaiah 32:1 Behold, a king shall rule in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgement.
Psalms 94:15 But judgement shall TURN INTO RIGHTEOUSNESS ....
Proverbs 16:6 By MERCY and TRUTH iniquity is PURGED ...
Psalms 85:10 Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
Psalms 22:29 And they that be fat upon the earth shall eat and worship (first resurrection): and they that go down to the dust (second resurrection) SHALL BOW BEFORE HIM: and none can keep alive his own soul.
Psalms 22:30 A seed (priest) shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation (age).
Psalms 22:31 They (priest) shall come (at the second resurrection), and shall declare his righteousness to a people (at the second resurrection) that SHALL BE BORN (AGAIN) that he hath done this.
Revelation 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth MY WORKS unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
Revelation 2:27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessel of a potter shall they be broken to shivers, even as I received of my Father.
Revelation 10:11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy AGAIN before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.
This is what the parable of Lazarus and the rich man is about.
you are saved!
i am using god's words showing brothers and sisters that all of salvation is of god. man plays no part in salvation. we have been deceived.
at each mans appointed time (by god). god will bring about the circumstances to cause that man to respond to god.
man does't believe god does this. they believe it is their choice.
paul was on his way to kill more of god's church. he believed he was doing god's work.
in one blinding moment god caused saul to become paul.
ephesians 2:10 for we are his workmanship .....
ephesians 1:11 .....being predestined according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his will.
philippians 1:29 for unto us it is given in the behalf of christ, not only to believe on him, but to also suffer for him.
philippians 3:9 and be found in him, not having our own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of christ, the righteousness of god by faith (of christ).
romans 2:4 ......not knowing that the goodness of god leadeth thee to repentance.
all is of god. god appoints at time, gives man his faith to causes man to believe and causes man to repent.
i give my glory to no one.
i will bring down the high and lofty one.
you died on the cross with christ. he is the life you now have and live by.
thank god for the works of christ.
I look forward to our further discussion through this forum.
Have a good evening. May the Lord bless you and your family.
Man WANT BELIEVE what GOD says UNTIL God causes them to BELIEVE. ALL is of God.
There is nowhere in scripture that says if a name is there it's not a parable.
There is more than one scripture that says that Christ spake not to the people BUT IN PARABLES.
Matthew 13:34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitudes in parables; and WITHOUT a parable SPAKE HE NOT unto him.
Mark 4:11 And he said unto them, unto you it is GIVEN to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, it is not GIVEN.
You said not everyone will choose to be saved.
The fact is no one chooses to be saved.
God SAYS I CHOOSE YOU , you don't choose me.
If I be lifted up I WILL DRAW ALL MEN to me.
Man thinks he is a co-partner in his salvation, when in fact every part of man's salvation IS OF GOD.
Isaiah 57:15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and Holy place, with him ALSO that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the spirit of the contrite ones.
Thanks be to Christ for HIS WORKS!
Thanks for joining in on the discussion. The basic truth I was stating is the fact that not everyone in the "universe" is a Christian. There is no Scriptural proof that EVERYONE is saved forevermore.
Everyone has an opportunity to receive Christ as their Savior. Unfortunately, many will choose not too.
As you so aptly put from Ephesians 1:10 He will gather all things "in Christ" "in Him." However God always explains what He means. In v. 11-13, "that we should be to the praise of His glory, who first TRUSTED in Christ. In whom ye also TRUSTED, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. In whom also AFTER that ye BELIEVED, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise Eph 4:30 tells us "whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."
The story referenced in Luke 16: 19- 31 is not a parable. All parables given by our Lord Jesus Christ gave no names of the characters in the story. The story given in Luke 16:19-31 identifies one of the characters by name - Lazarus. This is a true story given by our Lord Jesus Christ. The basic theme here is that there is an actual heaven and hell. The rich man is in hell and not in the grave. They are not the same place.
It is hell because in v.24 the rich man said, "for I am tormented in this flame." There are no flames in the grave. He was asking for water to quench his thirst and cool him from the flames.
The rich man can not receive the LIVING WATER because the salvation of Christ must be received in this life time, never in the life here after.
The rich man knew this fact because of his request to Father Abraham to send someone to his brothers who were still alive. v. 27, 28.
Lazarus is now in Heaven; he was in Abraham's Bosum, before Christ resurrection.
Who are the saints to judge if everyone is saved?
Thanks for the time and discussion in His Name.
You referenced:
2 Peter 1:20 This verse says no one verse in and of itself give the complete answer. Other verses have to bear witness to know TRUTH. No scriptures can contradict each other. ALL have to bear witness of each other in TRUTH.
Luke 16:22-24
You said this verse and others shows that even though God DESIRES all men to be save they want be saved.
THANK GOD, he doesn't leave his DESIRES up to man.
Ephesians 1:10 That in the dispensation of the FULLNESS OF TIMES (more ages than the one we are now in) that he might gather together IN ONE ALL THINGS IN CHRIST, both which are in heaven (first resurrection), and which are on earth (second resurrection), IN HIM.
Luke 16:22-24 Is a parable referencing the judgements of the two resurrections. Lazarus is in the first resurrection and is IN CHRIST. The rich man is in the GRAVE awaiting the second resurrection. When he is resurrected he will be begging Lazarus to give him the LIVING WATER that was given to him.
Know ye not THE SAINTS SHALL JUDGE THE WORLD.
With as much Love and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ that is with in me; I ask that you look into Luke 16: 22- 24. Not all will be with Christ forevermore. 2 Peter 3:9 tells us of God's desire for all, but not all will be with Christ forevermore.
May the Lord bless you in your search of God's righteousness and His wisdom not our own. 2 Peter 1:20
Revelation 20:11-15 depicts the great white throne of Christ Jesus. Not all will be with Christ forevermore.
God gave us these passages, as well as the one's you gave, to help us all to become "Christians or born again believers" in order that we are able to be with Him forevermore.
God's desire is that we be with Him forevermore as you brought forth in your discussion. But only through Scripture, His way. 1 Corinthians 15: 1- 4; Romans 10: 9, 10; 1 John 5:10-13
Pray that this discussion helps everyone on this Forum. God bless you. Love in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Death is a judgement of God.
Romans 6:23 The wages of sin is death.......
Revelation 13
v. 15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
v. 16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
v. 17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
v. 18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six
1. He causeth all to receive the mark in their right hand or forehead
2. No one can buy or sell without the name of the beast or the number of his name.
3. His number is 666
4. People will be killed who will not take it
GOD did not make death, only "Love thy neighbor as thyself, 10 Commandments "Moses wrote of me" Saint John 5:46, & the Lord's Prayer, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven", proof by resurrected-ascent into heaven Son Jesus to live forever, eye witnessed, Saint Luke 24:51-53, is the same for "born again" Christians, Saint John 3:3-9.