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S. Michael Houdmann
Supporter
Much misunderstanding about the Christian life occurs because we either assign commands and exhortations we should be following as "era-specific" commands that only applied to the original audience...
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Lena Wms
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, in 2 Tim 3:16-17, God plainly states that All (every one of them) Scripture is (right now) inspired (breathed on) by the inspiration (breathe) of God and is profitable for: doctrine, (how we are to live) reproof, (to make sure we have found the correct doctrine, if we find it in one place it will be all throughout the Bible) correction, (to show us how to correct our ways before our Holy Father) and instruction in righteousness (how to treat our fellow man, our good deeds under God's plan) so the man of God (not the sinner, but those Jesus has already washed in His own Blood) may be perfect (as far as we have walked with Christ) throughly furnished (we must have All the Word in our lives) unto all good works. (So our works will be pleasing and acceptable to God.) YES, every word in the Bible is so important that for 6000 years God has spoken it then He breathed on it, men wrote it down over and over every jot and tittle. Men hid it from those that wanted to destroy it and God blessed their efforts. Appox 400 years ago, after God allowed a printing press to be discovered in Germany, an English King was frustrated that the English language did not have a Bible. He called for all the Holy Scrolls from Jerusalem to be brought and transcriped. King James chose 66 books to be included in this Holy Bible. We can know that God's breathe was inspiring him.. look at the Tabernacle. The Candlestick has a total of 66 bowls knobs and almond flowers on it. Before one book was ever written! Awesome thoughts! Just because we might not understand the importance of the verse, or fully understand it's meaning, please let us reconsider the practice of total disregard for God's Holy Word. John 1:1 states that Jesus is the Word. Why do we cut Him apart leave prices of Him behind saying I didn't understand that it's not for me today? Be sure the Father will be watching what we do with His Son. Neutral we cannot be. Be Blessed, Lena
Michael Tinsley
The entire Bible is written for us but not all of it is written to us. The Old Testament is written for us to understand how we got to where we are today, to show the Messiah is coming, and to show us the Law can't save anyone, it only condemns by pointing out sin. The New Covenant doesn't begin with the New Testament Gospels, part of which are still part of the Old Testament story, and Jesus was alive in Old Testament times. The New Covenant begins with Jesus' death in the forgiveness of all sins and His resurrection promise of life everlasting with Him. Some parts of the Old Testament are timeless truths but most of it doesn't apply today except as historical knowledge and prophetic knowledge of the future. I'm not making light of the Old Testament at all because God caused it to be written and it is vitally important as described in my next paragraph. Every book of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament (the Gospels) is the story of Jesus and His coming, leading us to His finished work on the cross which begins the new Covenant. That is when everything changed in our relationship with the Lord and going forward from there, the Bible tells us how to live an abundant and fruitful life walking with Jesus and having Him live His life through us. Its difficult to stop trying to run things ourselves and walk in faith that Jesus will never lead you astray because we have been taught that doing things ourselves is how life works but, its the only way to live a fulfilled Christian life. Jesus Himself said in John 5:19, Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner." In John 5:30 he says again, 'By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.' So, if Jesus did only what the Father told Him to do, how can we think we know better by trying to live the 'Christian life' without Jesus as our Guide?
Billy P Eldred
The entire Bible applies to us. It just does not necessarily apply to us verse be verse. God is the same yesterday, today and forever. That does not mean that something he told someone to do in the past is something we should do today. But, without the knowledge of what He told others in the past we can't necessarily understand what he wants from us today. The more of the Bible you get in you, the more you will understand. Some passages in the Old Testament will not be clear without the New Testament and vice versa. You need it all. Once you get enough of it in you, the Holy Spirit will be better able to lead you to apply it to your life today.
James Kraft
Many go through the bible and pick out verses to make the bible say what they already believe instead of what it says. Satan blinds the eyes of unbelievers and even uses scripture to get them to believe a false thing. Remember, he is the father of lies. People can read scripture, but not believe it. And we can take scripture out of context and apply it to us where it is not to us. Paul was for the most part the Apostle to the gentiles. There are some applications in other letters that are to us in application, but are not all for us. We have to compare scripture with scripture. We know that certain verses are absolutely true, and others we have to discern from what we already know. We know that salvation is a free gift from God when we believe it. That is given in many places. Romans 6:23 says, For the wages of sin death, but the GIFT of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. We have that given in Ephesians 2:8-9 also. But some by not reading Romans 6:23 believe that faith is the gift, not eternal life. Salvation by grace is the most important doctrine in the whole bible. Without a right understanding of that, true believers can be led astray but are still saved. But others that hear a false gospel from the beginning may never be saved. That is why I believe it is so important to have a good understanding of salvation by grace for us today. It is actually very simple, but people can not see it and understand it. They can read John 3:16, but until they believe it, it makes no sense. Once a person believes the truth of the gospel, that it is a free gift from God. Then they are given the Holy Spirit to guide us to more truth, But no one can understand scripture until they are born again by believing the simple truths of the bible. Galatians 1:7-9 says, if we preach any other gospel we will be accursed. Far to many preachers are wolves in sheep's clothing preaching a false gospel of works salvation and not the free gift of grace.
Ben Jones
Hebrews 8:13 "In speaking of a new covenant, He makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away." Galatians 2:16 "...we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified." Galatians 3:5 "Does He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?" Galatians 3:10 "For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Galatians 3:24 "So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith." Attempting to follow the Old Testament's laws in order to show God that you are holier than your run of the mill Christian will not impress God at all. In fact there is more sin in trying to find acceptance before God by law-keeping than there is sin in everyday life as a Christian. The great tragedy of legalism is that in trying to be more right with God, legalists end up being less right with God. So you want to follow all the OT laws? Throw away all your clothing that isn't 100% of one thread (for instance 100% cotton) because the wearing of clothing of a mixture of two different kinds of threads is forbidden in Lev. 19:19. Thinking about getting a tattoo? Nope they are forbidden in Lev. 19:28. Get rid of all your bacon, hams, sausages and pork ribs because Deuteronomy 14:8 forbids eating any of them. Same for shrimp and catfish. Lev. 10:11. I hope you live on a farm with lots of unblemished animals that your pastor can sacrifice at the altar at church. That is of course assuming you can talk him into slaughtering them at the altar and then sprinkling the blood seven times "before the veil of the sanctuary" as a sin offering (Lev. 4:6.) Hope the carpet cleaner understands!
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