What sin does not lead to death?
Your question comes from 1 John 5:16.
If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that. All wrong doing is sin, and there is a sin that does not lead to death.
The simple answer to your question is that it is the sin that is forgiven. When sin is forgiven, it no longer leads to death. One of the themes of 1 John is assurance of continued acceptance by God, even when we fall into occasional sin.
But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin. – 1 John 1:7
To walk in the light is not to avoid all sin, for John immediately says, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves.” He later said:
I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. – 1 John 2:1
Jesus is the light of the world. When we walk in His light, we have sweet fellowship with God – and our sins are forgiven continuously. On the other hand, if we go back into darkness, sin is then unto death.
Jesus spoke of an unforgivable sin – the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. He said this because the scribes from Jerusalem who had come to “check Him out” said, “He is possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons” (Mark 3:22, 30).
Hebrews 6:4-6 speaks of some whom it is impossible to bring back to repentance. I remember a visit I had with a former Bible teacher who had turned away from serving God. After talking with him about how God had loved him so much He gave His Son for us, and pleading with him to return to the Lord, I asked him, “Can’t you feel His Spirit striving with you right now?” This erstwhile brother paused (for what seemed an eternity) before he answered, “No.”
Here was a man who had grieved the Spirit (see Ephesians 4:30) to the point that he had quenched the Spirit that God had given to him when he came to the Lord as His son (see Galatians 4:6 & 1 Thessalonians 5:19).
When does that time occur? I do not know. I am also sure that some whom we cannot bring to repentance, God can. In fact, when it comes down to it, it is only God who brings any of us to repentance by His goodness (see Romans 2:4). When, however, we continually and habitually disregard His goodness or even attribute His goodness to the power of the prince of demons, a time comes when even God gives up on us.
A time came in the life of the Kingdom of Judah, just before God sent them away into Babylonian Captivity for a 70-year exile, that He told Jeremiah not to pray for this people any more.
Do not pray for this people nor offer any plea or petition for them; do not plead with me, for I will not listen to you. Do you not see what they are doing in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? The children gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough and make cakes of bread for the Queen of Heaven. They pour out drink offerings to other gods to provoke me to anger. But am I the one they are provoking? declares the LORD. Are they not rather harming themselves, to their own shame. – Jeremiah 7:16-19
When we become hardened as Judah was, God no longer listens to prayers on our behalf. It took the Captivity to get them to forsake the worship of other gods. Jeremiah’s tears and pleading with them and to God for them were useless. They had sinned a sin that is unto death.
Until then, keep praying for all who sin that they may be led by God’s Spirit into a nobler life that is more and more like that of Jesus.
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Filed under: Communion Meditations | Tagged: Sin Unto Death |
Committed To Truth 
Jerry,
Thank you for your time in posting this topic. I hope you will review my question and answer to the best of your ability.
“If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life.” The topic question was “Which sins do not lead to death?” And your answer was the sins that don’t lead to death are forgiven sins. At first, I thought I made sense of it – however, if you review the last part of that verse which is “… he should pray and God will give him life.” How can sin that does not lead to death simply be “forgiven” sin? Because if it were simply “forgiven” sin, the brother wouldn’t be instructed to pray for it so that the man may have life. If they sin was already forgiven, there is no need to pray for it correct? Any thoughts?
Thanks!
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Ross, thank you for your comment and question.
Several passages speak of sin that removes one from the possibility of forgiveness. There is the one commented on above. There are also the following:
There is a common thread in these texts. They reference people whose hearts are so hardened that the loving kindness of God does not impress them. They reject the very goodness of God that should lead them to repentance (see Romans 2:4).
When Jesus Himself exorcised a demon, they said it was by the power of the Prince of Demons (Mark 3). In Hebrews 10, the sin is deliberate, It turns away from the blood of the covenant (by which we are forgiven); it flies in the face of the Spirit of grace. When we reject the gospel, after having come to know it and experience it, there is no other sacrifice for sin to which we can turn. This is also the message of Hebrews 6. It is not possible to bring such people to repentance; they have hearts that reject God completely after having known and experienced His grace.
This, I believe, is also the case in 1 John 5:16. That is why John says not to even pray for such a hardened sinner.
Realize, though, that these are not the “prostitutes and sinners” with whom Jesus associated – and whom He said were entering the kingdom of God before the Pharisees and experts in the law. He spoke of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit to those who accused Him of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub. The Hebrew writer spoke of people who had entered into the covenant of grace – and then rejected it deliberately. These were not sins of the moment through human weakness; this was walking away from God and turning one’s back on Him in a calculated, intentional way.
Not long before Judah went into Babylonian Captivity, God told His prophet, Jeremiah, “Do not pray for this people, or lift up a cry or prayer for them, for I will not hear you” (Jeremiah 7:16). He says much the same in Jeremiah 11:14 and 14:11. The situation in Jeremiah’s time was similar to that of which 1 John 3 and Hebrews 6 & 10 speak. Here were people who were hell-bent on following other gods and rejecting the Lord God. When we act like that, God will not hear our prayers.
Most people reject God casually, not deliberately. However, a life of casual rejection can eventually bring one to a place where he cannot turn from the choices he has made over a lifetime of casual, foolish sinfulness. Such a one may have come to this point. One thing is sure; you do not get into this position accidentally.
I hope these comments will help you some.
Jerry
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Jerry,
If the wayward Bible teacher, of whom you spoke, dies in his current condition, will he go to heaven or hell?
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That is for God to say, not me. After all, I could be wrong in my analysis of what happened that day. Also, he may have simply not wanted to admit that he felt the striving of the Spirit.
Jerry
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Okay, that is understandable. Do you believe that a born again believer can once again fall into sin and not make it to heaven?
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Todd,
It is not so much a matter of what I believe – but of what the Scriptures teach.
There are many warnings to believers in the Scriptures that would be nonsensical if it were not possible for people who once believed to, as you said, “Once again fall into sin and not make it to heaven.”
That is not the same thing as saying that a believer’s position before God is insecure, which it is. As Peter wrote, our inheritance is “kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:4b-5, ESV).
God’s power to save believers is the gospel (Romans 1:16). That same power (the gospel) guards us through faith for the salvation that is yet to be revealed. Paul encouraged Timothy:
When a believer’s faith is shipwrecked because he does not “hold faith and a good conscience” his connection with God and His grace that saves us through faith is severed.
In Galatians 5:4 Paul states categorically that some, who were seeking to be justified by law (circumcision), rather than by the hearing of faith, had fallen away from grace and are severed from Christ.
Paul’s warnings are very serious. In his discussion of the Gentiles coming to the gospel after the Jews had rejected it, he said, in comparing the Gentiles to a wild olive tree grafted onto the Jewish root:
These warnings mean something. We need to take them seriously. Failure to take God’s warnings at face value has contributed much to the indifference of many nominal Christians, many of whom have at one time had an experience with God.
Jerry
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Jerry,
That is the most complete and thorough answer I have ever received concerning receiving/retaining/losing salvation, especially in your following two paragraphs.
| There are many warnings to believers in the Scriptures that would be nonsensical if it were not possible for people who once believed to, as you said, “Once again fall into sin and not make it to heaven.”
That is not the same thing as saying that a believer’s position before God is insecure, which it is. As Peter wrote, our inheritance is “kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:4b-5, ESV). |
Thank you very much. I now have a basis to move forward in my doctrine of sin study.
– I use the ESV also, and recently discovered the NASB (‘95) which often clarifies the sometimes indistinct ESV rendering. Either way, both are literal translations and both eliminate 17th century dialect, allowing for a much more enjoyable study of the Bible.
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Todd, Thank you for your kind remarks. I have only recently (last November) purchased an ESV. I like it in most places, but there are a few where it grates on my ear – though I have not yet made a study of its accuracy in those places. Jerry
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i am very confused about this text, as i thought all sin lead to death..
please give some examples of those sins that dont lead to death…
Thanks
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Paul,
I address this in the post and my comments above. I’m not sure I can add much to what I have already said here.
While it is certainly true that any sin can lead to death, not all sin does lead to death. When we persist in sin, ignoring (or presuming on) the grace and goodness of God, any sin does lead to death. However, when we – through the weakness of the flesh – fall into sin, 1 John 1:7 assures us that the blood of Christ cleanses us from sin if we are walking in the light.
To “walk in the light” is not to live a sinless life. If it did, there would be no sin of which to be cleansed. Walking in the light is to live, as Paul described himself:
When we love Jesus, seek to be like Him, and “press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” we are walking in the light and His blood continually purifies us from the sins committed in fleshly weakness.
However, if we turn from Him, His Spirit, and His instructions – we are no longer walking in light, but in darkness. Then we have no promise of cleansing – and our sin leads to death. In fact, you could even say that it has already taken us there, for as Paul wrote to Timothy,
This is because we ignore what leads us closer to God.
I hope that this will clarify the passage for you somewhat.
Jerry
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Hi Paul, I don’t know if you will see this reply. I only came upon this thread because I was looking up the very scripture the original question was about. You want some examples of ‘sin that does not lead to death’ and so did I. Here’s how the Lord revealed it to me. It is all about the ‘heart’ of the believer. Let’s take any fleshy addiction; smoking, drugs, alcohol, sexual lust/pornography, a propensity to lash out in anger, etc. And let’s further say a true born again believer has one or more of these vices. But that person’s heart is actually right with the Lord in the sense that he or she fully believes in Jesus Christ, His sacrifice for his or her sin, that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and so on. Well those are types of cases where the sin is not unto death. Why? Because the heart is right with God, but the flesh is weak. Look at what Paul said: Rom 7:19 “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” These are sins but not unto death. The heart grieves even over the very sin we keep on doing. Think of it as a test from the Lord, will we remain faithful or lose heart and give up. My urging to any and all who might read this is to remain faithful, keep striving for righteousness, don’t give up and the Lord of grace will fulfill your commitment to Him beyond your greatest expectations – way beyond!. God bless.
Ron Mortimer
Ron, thanks for your comment! You are right in stressing the heart. 1 John stresses the heart in two areas: faith in Jesus as the Christ (Messiah) come in the flesh and love of the brethren. Those who have faith (meaning much more than mental assent to doctrine, as it includes things like trusting Jesus and being loyal, that is faithful, to him) and love may know they are born again. To this John adds obedience, not meaning perfect obedience, but definitely not a heart in rebellion against God and his Son either. Such are Walking in the light And are continually cleansed of their sin. Someone (Augustine?) said, ‘love God and do as you please.’ This is true, because if you love God, it will please you to please God. – Jerry Starling
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Hi my name is lindiwe and I’m a born again christian, I find myself doubting GOD and jesu so much, doubting if everything in the bible is real, am I rejecting GOD by having these feelings, I feel so horrible and lost, I pray but these feelings don’t go away
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Thank you for your question. When you doubt, remember that doubt is one of the tools of the Devil. He uses this to separate you from the Lord. When doubts overwhelm you, ask yourself, “Where does this doubt come from?” Many times it will be because of discouragement or disappointment. More often than not, that will be because we are disappointed in ourselves, in how we are living our lives, more than we are disappointed in God.
Remember the story of Peter walking on the water. He actually walked on the water – until he took his eyes off of Jesus and looked at the storm around him. Then he began to be afraid and to sink. Yet, Jesus was able to save him from his fears and doubts.
The point of the story is that we need to keep our eye on Jesus, not on the storms of the world around us. The world in which we live is broken. God’s purpose in Jesus is to make things right – beginning with us, for we also are broken by sin.
When we are born anew, we begin our walk with Jesus – but we are still broken. As we walk with Him, He strengthens us by His Spirit – but as long as we are in this life, we will never reach the point that we can be strong except in Him. That is why Satan seeks to separate us from Him through our fears, or cynicism, or selfishness, arrogance, or any one of many other things he uses to tempt us away from Jesus.
But Jesus is still there, above the storm, ready to take our hand to lift us up and lead us safely to the Father.
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Lindiwe, after writing what is above, and rereading your question, I wanted to add this. Our feelings are not the standard. Our feelings can deceive us. Remember this statement by the apostle, John:
God is greater than our own hearts. Many times we condemn ourselves when he does not. Of course, the opposite of this is also true; God may condemn us when we justify ourselves.
The point is we need to remain humble before Him, seeking Him and His will while walking with Jesus.
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Hi Mr. Starling – I “stumbled” upon this page, and I’m glad it did. Yours are among the most clear and bible-based responses I’ve seen, and I appreciate that.
I need to know, if I have bad habits that even through prayer and effort, I have not overcome, is that a sin unto death? I love Jesus and I want to please Him. I hope to overcome these things, but what if that doesn’t happen in my lifetime?
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Kat, thank you for your kind remarks. You said, “I hope to overcome these things, but what if that doesn’t happen in my lifetime?”
Our security in Jesus is based on His gift of salvation and our trust in Him. You also noted that you love Jesus and want to please Him. That love pleases Him more than your imperfect obedience. As Isaiah wrote,
Even our best actions are flawed. They are never “good” enough. That is why we need a Savior.
As I noted to another questioner above,
When we remember this, our trust in Jesus and His forgiveness can calm our fears as we rest as frightened lambs in His loving arms.
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Blessings of the Lord upon you and your family.
Thank you for clarification of the sins leading to and not leading to death but let me ask, as the writer of 1 John goes on in Chapter 5; 18 to say “whoever is born of God does not sin”‘ this would be the sins that lead to death??? Because we all fall short, right?? All wrong doing is sin.
So if I judged a brethren in my heart but during my prayer time confessed it to the Lord and repented, I’ve sinned but was forgiven but yet me being a born again believer, confessing and knowing that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior, who was born in no sin, died on the cross and rose on the third day, got the keys of death during those days of death, knowing His death allowed His blood to take atonement for my sins, upon my confession I was baptized in Jesus name, filled with the precious Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, (I heard my self speak and I pray in the Spirit daily) seeing my life as a born again believer change for good dramatically in the last 15 years, knowing there is one God and the only way to the Father is through the Son, Jesus, who is the son of God and God because in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God…..
Things I use to do, I do no more, I shun evil ways and hate evil, and desire the Lord and go about my way trying to please the Lord in all I do and say, after saying all that “whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself….”
The bible clearly states “if you have not my Spirit you have not life” 1 John 5;12, I don’t doubt my having His Holy Spirit so I have been born of God……The Lord is life for without Him we are dead,
Is he saying, this is the sin not leading unto to death in 1 John 5;18 or sin period?
Sorry so long 🙂 blessings of the Lord
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Dear “Lady,”
The usual English translations of 1 John do not bring out the force of the Greek verb tenses. When John says that the one born of God does not sin, he uses the present tense. In Greek, the present tense can simply mean that something is happening in present time, which is the same as the English present tense. The Greek present tense, however, has another meaning as well, especially when it is in the subjective mood. That is the “if” mood. In this mood, the present tense refers to action that is continuous. There is another tense that has as its primary meaning action that occurs and is over. In 1 John 3:8-9, “sin” and “sins” are in the present tense, subjunctive mood. That means that the one born of God does not have a life that is filled with sin. Those who still live in continuous sin, John says, are “of the Devil.” Their lives are more devilish than godly. The one born of God is becoming more and more like God (as the hope that is in us moves us to purify ourselves as He is pure – see 1 John 3:1-3). The other tense is in 1 John 2:1-2. There, the meaning is that John is writing so that we may not commit any sin – but he also reminds us that if we do, through weakness, fall into a sin that we have the Comforter to help get us back on track. 1 John 1:7 uses the present tense. “If we [are] walk[ing] in the light as He is in the light we have[are having] fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses [is cleansing] us from all sin.” (The words in [brackets] give the sense of the tense more fully.) This verse stands in contrast to 1 John 1:6 that speaks of one claiming to be having fellowship with God while he is walking in darkness. Such people are lying and are not practicing the truth. So, except for 1 John 2:1-2, these texts are not speaking of committing a sin – but of a sinful, ungodly lifestyle that is characterized by the darkness of following the Devil instead of living more and more like Jesus as we continue in His way. John does not say that it is impossible for a person born of God to commit any sin at all; he does say that you cannot live as a child of God and as a child of the Devil at the same time.
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Thank you for clarification, I received understanding on the topic. I am in awh everyday I read the Word and I don’t want to miss a beat. After 15 years I am still continuosly being taught and gaining understanding everyday, thank you for being a vessel unto Him.
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I am so glad I came across this. I accepted Jesus,15 yrs ago, was baptized but never rad my bible or had a relationship with him. So I turned from God to have my homosexual desired filled. Feb of this year I accepted Jesus because God put it in my heart to read the bible. Now I have read the whole new Testiment and I am reading it again. I have turned from sin. God has removed any desire for sexual relationships with anyone and I’m so thankful for that. I was smoking a lot of marijuana while I was reading the bible. Believe it or not, I felt closer to Jesus because I felt I was able to think more clearly. I felt all this information was given to me about how my selfishness causes me so much internal pain. My expectaStions were to high. Now that I have stopped smoking it, I don’t feel as close. So…now I question if I ever recieved the holy spirit at all. Do I need to be rebaptized by water to receive the holy spirit. Is speaking in tongues the only way to know for sure? I pray a lot to Jesus for wisdom and guidance. I do feel he leads me to the information I request through the bible. Things that didn’t make sense before have become clear.
I read this Book online called Baptized by Blazing Fire. It’s 5 books long. I read 3 and stopped halfway through book 3. That book put so much unbearable fear in me. I couldn’t eat, I couldn’t sleep. My stomach got sick and I stopped reading my bible. I was so fearful that I uped,and moved back to Ca from Florida to be with my family. I needed comfort and at the time my family were the only ones that took the time to talk. Now I regret moving here. My mom lives in sin with her racist bf and I feel they are killing my soul at times. My mom had bipolar and she has emotional outburst that causes a lot of anger in me. Now I question if God really brought me here or if it was the devil. I’m loving being home with my sister and my niece but when they are gone, lonelyness sets in and I haven’t been able to find a job yet. Christians have told me that book is crap but I don’t think they have even checked it out. Have you heard of this book before? I’m desperately seeking answers.
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April, I am happy that you left your homosexual life-style (which God calls sin, as it is an abuse of God’s plan for our sexuality). I am also happy that you are reading your Bible. I’m not so sure about the use of Marijuana. That is a mind altering drug that creates emotional highs artificially. I take it from what you said, though, that you have also left this behind.
You asked about being baptized in water again since you have now turned again to the Lord. From what you said, it is really probable that you did not repent before you were baptized originally. In Acts 2:38, Peter told the crowd gathered after God poured the Holy Spirit out on the disciples of Jesus after His ascension into Heaven:
If you did not repent, you did not actually accept Jesus as your Lord, so your baptism would not have meant anything.
Now, if you truly believe in Him as your Lord and Savior and have turned from your old life of sinful behavior and attitudes, baptism can mean something. What will it mean? Peter said it means two things: forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
How will you know you have received this gift of the Spirit? Well, Galatians 5:22-24 tells us what the fruit of the Spirit is:
The works of the flesh are described in vv. 19-21. I suggest you read this passage – indeed this entire chapter – for information about what having the Spirit really means. You wanted to know if speaking in tongues is how you know you have the Spirit. I have written about this elsewhere: Do You Have To Speak in Tongues to Go To Heaven? Reading that post should give you the answer to your question.
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Thank you for your quick response! Now that I think about it, I didn’t know what repenting meant at the time I was baptized. I’ve been wondering why it’s so hard to love certain people. Where does that love come from. How do I get it. I’m attending a church that is still new to me. I will speak to the pastor about being baptized. I so desire to please God! Yes…I gave up smoking marijuana. When that book gave me fear….smoking only made it worse. Strange how it all worked out. Have you heard of that book before? Baptized by blazing fire? If you google it, it has all kinds of free links. Some say it was a false Jesus that appeared to the church. That the devil steels are prayers. But if Jesus lives inside us, he hears our prayers. I can’t imagine God allowing that to happen. God has to be more powerful!
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“Strange how it all worked out. Have you heard of that book before? Baptize by Blazing Fire? If you google it, it has all kinds of free links.”
I had the same questions. The Bible says that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and of a sound mind. These books are full of scary demons attacking the Christians a they are praying. This is in the name of spiritual warfare. They are supposed to be real accounts. Please check these out and let us know if you see God’s hand in them or the enemy’s.
Thank you, Mr. Starling
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In comments about the book you reference, Baptized by Blazing Fire, on one of the sites linked when I googled it says,
This contradicts what Paul actually wrote in 1 Corinthians 12. There, Paul wrote:
Pastor Yong-Doo Kim seems, to me, to be making the same mistake the Corinthian church did: magnifying the gift of speaking in tongues over the other gifts of the Spirit.
While Paul says all were baptized in the /Spirit, he also asked “Do all speak in tongues” – and this in a series of rhetorical questions that are expected to be answered, “NO.” Not even in Corinth did all speak in tongues – but those who did were looking at those who did not as somehow inferior. Instead of this way of one Christian looking down at another as inferior, Paul wanted to show them a more excellent way – the way of love as he describes it in 1 Corinthians chapter 13 and the way of edifying (i.e., building up) the church instead of building up (or exalting) one’s self (as he discusses in chapter 14).
So, no, I do not believe that this book is from God. As Paul also wrote in 1 Corinthians 14:37, “If anyone thinks that he is a prophet, or spiritual, he should acknowledge that the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord.”
Certainly it is true that we are engaged in a spiritual warfare, and we ignore the influence of the Devil and his angels at our peril. Yet, Paul also spoke in another place (2 Corinthians 12:1-4) of one who was caught up into Paradise but who “heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.” Yet, Pastor Yong-Doo Kim has written five books about the things he wrote when he supposedly visited both Heaven and Hell. Paul could not write of them, but Pastor Kim can? I hardly think so.
When John the Baptist spoke of Jesus baptizing in the Holy Spirit and in Fire (Matthew 3:11), it was in a context of separation of the good and the evil. The Holy Spirit was the Messianic blessing; the fire was the Messianic curse as you can see if you read Matthew 3:7-12.
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I wanted to respond on the book Baptized by Blazing Fire. I read the first 3 books and I had to stop. That book allowed a spirit of fear to enter my body. I had so much fear in me from reading that book, that I could not sleep, I could not eat, I became Ill and was affraide to be left alone! I was afraide of God, couldnt read my bible either. That book is full of lies. It says that the devil steals our prayers and if we become distracted while in prayer, we have to start over again. I believe that church was visited by a false Jesus. It also says we go to hell if we ship church, don’t pay tills. It also says a young lady goes to hell and was able to fight the devil and that the devil looks like a frog. Satan is not in hell yet. That’s why he is able to torment us. It also says a spirit entered the pastors body and wrecked havoc on him so when Jesus tried to go inside his body and fight him, he wasn’t able to completely heal him. That’s a big lie. Jesus can heal anyone! That book almost ruined my new christian faith. I spent a lot of time trying to recover from that book. The fear I had was unimaginable. I’ve spent time in prayer and it took several months for Jesus to be able to undo what the book did to me. The reason it took that long is because I was a new christian still trying to understand my relationship with Jesus. He has revealed the truth to me now and that book is from the devil. If you visit http://spiritlessons.com/ where I found the book, the whole website is about hell. Pictures of people on fire. Jesus does not want of to focus on hell but to focus on him. I’m very against that book Baptized by Blazing Fire. Even the title gives its intentions away. Ill take being baptized by the Holy Spirit instead.
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Thank you for sharing your experience and impressions of this book.
Since I have not read the book I cannot comment on it except as above where I talked about what I saw on a website promoting the book.
I do know this though. “God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and self-control.” One of the most frequent statements in the bible is “do not be afraid” or words to that effect. If the book generated fear, it was not from God.
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Thank you, Sir, for your response and opinion. I erased those books from my phone days ago. I figured God doesn’t want His kids afraid to close their eyes and pray! But I do believe that God had allowed people to come back and tell their stores in these last minutes because His church is not ready. He wants us to know 1. that heaven is real and highly desirable and 2. hell is also real and we can claim Christ all we want, but if we’re not living for Him, we, more than likely, are destined for the latter. Thank you, again, Mr. Starling. Thank you, April.Committed To Truth wrote:
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If this author of “Baptized by Blazing Fire” is providing visions that he has visited “heaven and hell” I remain very skeptical. Although Paul spoke of receiving visions of heaven (of which he would not speak) and John received visions in Revelation (of which he wrote) what does Pastor Kim suggest? Does his testimony confirm or contradict scripture?
Matthew 25 has the famous parable where Jesus speaks of the division of the nations of the world between sheep and goats, following his return upon the earth. When the King speaks to these people, there are those that are surprised among both the sheep and the goats.
Now, if the sheep had been in a heavenly bliss and the goats had been in a fiery furnace in the meantime, between their death and the end of the world, would they really have been expressing surprise at the judgment? The very judgment at the end of the world when Christ returns?
I have not read the book, but since it sounds like he makes claims as a prophet, if I had it I would carefully look for statements that could be compared in that fashion. If the prophet contradicts Jesus or the scripture, he is a false prophet that speaks a vision of his own heart, and we should pay him no mind.
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I freaked out when I read the part about “God gives up on us”. I just kindly ask you to be very careful with your words, especially in this day and age. He does not give up on us. If our hearts are completely hardened there’s nothing he can do because of the law of free will. He doesn’t give up on us, he’s constant. We’re the ones that can’t get it right; we give up on him.
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Cathleen,
Thank you for your comment and the opportunity it gives me to clarify. I based my statement on passages such as these in Romans 1
For the entire context, read vv. 18 – 32.
No, God does not force us to walk with Him – but even Jesus told His disciple to wipe the dust off their feet when a village would not receive them. He also told Jeremiah not to pray for his people any more because of their hard, impenitent hearts.
It was in this context that I said:
It is not that God is unwilling to forgive – but He allows us to go our own disobedient way down the broad road that leads to death. If you read the rest of my post, you would also have read:
It is not for me to judge when that time comes. Rather, I will keep pleading for all who sin to come to repentance that they might find life.
Jerry
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Hi Jerry, I am a principal of a school. The way I got this job, I used to
think it was may canan and used some of the money for personal use,
but I would feel guilty about it. Now the problem is that I never stoped.
I now desparately want to stop and it’s kind of difficult. Is it too late for
forgiveness. I am praying about it.
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The “he” would be the one praying, wouldn’t it? The one praying is the one who “asks” for his brother.
I am not sure what Jerry or his congregation does in their churches, but I understand that at the time of that writing (1 Corinthians) it was the Roman law that did not permit women to speak or teach in public, rather than any church practice or tradition. The church would suffer persecution enough without giving any additional reasons such as an actual violation of the law that they could have avoided.
I would go out on a limb and suggest that Jerry’s congregation does not consider itself bound to 1st century Roman laws that forbade women from speaking in public.
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Thanks Andrew. I was unsure if the “he” referred to was Jesus, the person praying, or since it appears to be an “unfruitful prayer” if it referred to the Son of Perdition? Your explanation seems reasonable in that it is the person offering the prayer for his brother.
I do not believe that 1 Corinthians is outdated Roman law, but rather a commandment of Christ delivered by the Holy Ghost through Paul which no denomination deigns to follow. I have laid out my reasoning of why this commandment should be followed at http://www.saltwaterheart.com under the John 3:16 tab.
It does not forbid women from speaking in public, but rather is a time and place restriction on free speech upon women issued both for and in the New Testament.
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Dean, it may be I do not understand what you are getting at, but it seems to me that you might be reading that passage without the proper benefits of context.
So to help illustrate this I will ask: In your church, when the women pray and prophecy, do they do so with their heads covered? (1 Corinthians 11:5?) Or do the women not lead in prayer, and none (male or female) do prophesy? I have not seen your church environment, so I could only speculate based upon Churches of Christ that I have seen before.
If Paul were relaying a special command of God that all women should not speak within church buildings, this would be a brand new command that seems to lack former precedent, and it also seems to be out of character of the nature of God as he revealed himself to us on earth.
There are many statements that if they were taken by themselves could be interpreted far beyond their intended meaning, and I am suggesting that this perhaps might be one of them. As a sanity check, does it really seem feasible that Jesus came to earth… to tell the women that they needed to be quiet in weekly Sunday church services?
Looking at http://www.saltwaterheart.com that you suggested, a few things spring to mind:
Physical buildings are not “his House” and we are in the presence of God every moment of our lives, not just for a couple hours on a weekly cycle. Jesus even specifically said that the time was coming when people would not go to a physical place to worship, but would worship Him in spirit and in truth. “For God is a spirit, and those that worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
And man is not “the head of the church” … It says Christ is the head of the church, and the male man is not Christ. Jesus was God, but the male is not Jesus, just a female person is not the male person. There is an analogy made with generalities, not a commandment of a caste system of lessers and betters.If you attempt to read that passage with rigidity you would either have to assume polytheism or that the man and woman were really the same person.
Re: “The Church of Christ meets 3 times a week for 4 hours.”
I suppose that would depend on your definition of the church of Christ. My understanding is that wherever two or three gather together in his name, there he will be in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20). I hope this does not offend when I state that God cares more about the church of Christ than the Church of Christ. But if that does offend than it needs to be said nonetheless.
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The correct context of 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 can be found in 1 Corinthians 14:37-38. Concerning 1 Cor. 11:5, Women should cover their heads when praying or prophesying, but I have seen few congregations where they actually do. If a women is moved by the Holy Spirit to prophecy – something I have never seen, I suppose this would be outside of 1 Cor. 14:34-35 as she was moved by God’s spirit, not her own. Concerning prayer, she may pray silently with her head covered. The Church of Christ can hold an official church gathering outside of a building where 2 or more are gathered in his name, but if the Lord’s Commandments are not followed at the building service it is unlikely they will be followed outside of the church building. The Kingdom of God is within us, but most people go to a building for services and call that Church. Do you not attend anywhere? Don’t you call that church?
Your assertions that these commandments were not followed by the early church would be inaccurate. The early church just after Jesus’s death and resurrection may be the only time these Commandments were faithfully followed.
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Just to make sure I understand you correctly… are you suggesting that Paul was issuing a decree for all peoples of all times concerning the wearing of hats (or hoods) … in a formalized church service… that was only applicable to women?
Because if you are reading the passage in that form, then maybe Paul’s disclaimer should also be read literally:
1Co 11:6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.
So you would be OK if the women prayed without hats, as long as they shared hairstyles with Shinead O’conner?
And if you were to continue reading that passage literally in such a fashion, there is the same stigma assigned to men who wear hats, and this is given without a specific limitation to “church services three times a week.”
1Co 11:7 KJV
(7) For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.
It is admitted that Paul’s writings are sometimes a little hard to be understand (2 Peter 3:16) and as such I suggest that there might be no shame in reconsidering that perhaps Paul is speaking with a different intent than to set an eternal decree concerning female fashions for headgear.
As a real question, on the topic which you introduced, how do you figure (or what exactly do you mean) by “The Kingdom of God is within us?” The only passage I can think of which might come close to resembling that statement said “for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you” when Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees.
… the unbelieving Pharisees, that is. He then expounded upon that to tell them that the kingdom of God cometh not with observation, but that the appearance of the Son of Man as lightning from the sky. The kingdom of God is equated with the return of Christ, his second coming, like lightning from east to west.
That is why I am asking what you meant by “the kingdom of God is within us.”
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Yes, if a woman chooses not to cover her head as Paul states it would be better for her to be bald as Sinead O’Connor when she prays or prophesies. Most men as a formal courtesy remove their head wear during church, but I think Paul is referring back to 1 Cor. 11:4. It may indeed be applicable always, but it seems more important for a man not to wear headwear when he is praying or prophesying. He dishonors himself to do so.
The Kingdom of God is Within You was in response to your comments about the Church residing in the individual Christian. The term Church used in my previous post refers to the brick building or structure where people attend, where I believe the laws of Christ including those laid forth by Paul are to be observed.
When Jesus said it, it was to convey that the human body is the temple of God and that the Holy Ghost should reside in the person. This parallels with the idea that as part of the Church or Bride of Christ, the Kingdom of God is within us.
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Rom 14:17 KJV
(17) For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
So Jesus came to this earth and sent the Holy Ghost to Paul to tell us that the kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but rather it is about hats and women’s headwear? Your interpretation seems to stand at odds against the rest of the Testaments, both old and new.
Using further verse from 1 Corinthians 11 as a relative example, did you notice that he begins with “Judge in yourselves?” This is not a doctrine or a command, but he is calling on the common sense of that time and place. He also ends with:
1Co 11:16 KJV
(16) But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.
So apparently by Paul’s own measure (and allowing for full inspiration) it is possible for him to write without laying down “commandments” or establishing immortal custom.There was no “hats and headgear” commandment (then or now) and Paul even went out of his way to say so.
So let’s look a little more carefully at that “silence” commandment? I will give credit that you seem sincere, but if you are misinterpreting this then you miss the meaning of the passage, create burdens upon people that should not exist (as did the Pharisees) and represent God as being somewhat chauvinist.
1Co 14:31-35 KJV
(31) For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.
(32) And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
(33) For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
(34) Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.
(35) And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
Paul’s concern with the Corinthian church is of peace compared to confusion. When addressing this group, he says that their women should keep silence and also reminds us that women were not permitted to speak. You will not find a prohibition against women speaking in the Old Testament but Rome also had its own laws that affected the early church.
But following up on this, what else does Paul say? He says … let them ask their husbands at home. So apparently he is addressing certain married women, or else he would say “let them ask their fathers or husbands at home” would he not? And what of the single women? He does not seem to be speaking to them here.
Paul is addressing a specific problem of confusion, and if you have dealt with groups before this is not hard to imagine how this could happen. When you are addressing a large group and questions come from every corner, the instruction gets nowhere. It is a good practice to have designated leaders, and those leaders ask the questions, and later they disseminate and convene within their smaller subgroups. The husband-and-wife team is a natural such group.
This was a specific instance that was addressed to the Corinthian church, not a commandment from the Holy Ghost for all time that all women everywhere must be silent when within a church.
I would like to remind you of this passage, even the spirit of this passage:
Act 15:8-11 KJV
(8) And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
(9) And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
(10) Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
(11) But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.
Now substitute women for Gentiles in that passage. We had no commandment that women must be silent before, so why would that be given now? Paul’s concern is about peace vs. confusion, and he addresses a specific problem (or problem people) in that Corinthian church at that time. The Pharisees were good at creating laws upon laws in an attempt to build a “fence” around the law… we should not make that same mistake.
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Paul was indeed a Pharisee see Acts 23:6, but the commandments for women came by the Holy Ghost though Paul to women. The bible does indeed say that if any man be contentious we have no such custom. I have judged within myself and I think it comely for a woman to pray with her head covered. You may judge for yourself. It does not say that a woman should be contentious about covering her head when praying.
Concerning 1 Cor. 14:34-35 there is no comment about men being contentious, but it says in 1 Cor. 14:37 that this is a commandment of the Lord. It goes on to say if any man be ignorant of this, let him remain ignorant. It is better to sin in ignorance than willfully.
I believe Paul said wives should ask their husbands at home because it was unheard of for younger women to speak in the Church. Therefore he did not bother to address it. If you read my comments again at saltwaterheart.com, this is why I mentioned increasing the welfare of Bible Study in the home. Young women and single women can also ask questions at home or in the present age on the Internet. They could also write any question and simply hand or mail it to a man.
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When Jesus said “the kingdom of God is within you” he was saying nothing about the human body being the temple of God, because he was speaking to hostile Pharisees. Jesus was the kingdom of God, because Jesus is the King of the kingdom of God, and there is no kingdom without its king. See Luke 17:21.
Jesus elaborates to his disciples about this coming kingdom of God, and he says it shall be accompanied by very distinct signs… but first we suffer many things. Jesus does not seem to be saying that the “kingdom of God” is something that is built on as whimsical a substance as the human heart in our day and age, but it is something real that will arrive with a crash and a bang.
Now I agree, that we should consider the model we are given of the church as being the bride of Christ. However, Christ has not yet come to redeem his bride, and presumably the model we are given is that of a chaste bride, not a promiscuous bride, and that wedding has not yet taken place. The kingdom may be defined by its king, but a potential bride does not define the kingdom until she is wed. At that time then the bride is also part of that kingdom.
The kingdom of God is not within us, or else Christ would not need to return, and why else would he explain to his disciples (who thought that the kingdom should immediately appear) and tell them about a man that went away into a far country, to later return having received the kingdom and also to deliver judgment over all his servants?
Luk 19:11-13 KJV
(11) And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.
(12) He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
(13) And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
… and what happens when he returns and establishes his kingdom?
Luk 19:27 KJV
(27) But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.
So if you really believe that you are the kingdom of God and that it is something “in your heart” of “in your church” then you ought to be taking the role of holy crusader and purger to eliminate those that are not subject to your church. Otherwise you are being inconsistent.
However, I am awaiting the return of the King, for when he receives his kingdom then he will be the one delivering judgment, rather than me pretending to stand in his place. Representing the kingdom of God as something here and now misrepresents the nature of that kingdom and does it an incredible disservice, actually counter to the gospel of the kingdom that Christ preached.
Do we want to be found preaching a counter gospel when Christ returns to establish his kingdom and take a measure of his servants? The kingdom of God is a coming kingdom, not a present kingdom, as in “Thy kingdom come.”
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You have misinterpreted Jesus’ comment. Do you honestly believe that Jesus was saying the Kingdom of God is within hostile Pharisees? See 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. If the Holy Ghost resides in the person so does Jesus. Hence the Kingdom of God is within you. You or I may not even be living at the time of Jesus’ return. If you do not enter into the Kingdom of God before you die, you will not enter in. Becoming part of the Bride of Christ is a several step process. Believing in the Lord Jesus that he is Christ, being baptized for the remission of sins, and living a righteous life. The official nuptials may not take place until Christ’s return, but if you are not a faithful fiancé, you will not enter into the nuptial chamber – Heaven.
Thy Kingdom come – in the Lord’s prayer refers to the Kingdom of the Father, the Lord God Jehovah, which will take place just after Jesus’ return and Judgment Day.
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Dean, did you read the verse before questioning it?
Luk 17:20-21 KJV
(20) And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
(21) Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
Jesus literally said that the kingdom of God was within those hostile Pharisees. If that doesn’t mesh with your “We are the kingdom of God now” philosophy that’s a difficulty on your side, not mine.
When he speaks to his disciples it tells you that there is a change of direction, as in the next verse, which reads …. (verse 22) “And he said unto his disciples…”
So that goes against your “If the Holy Ghost resides in the person so does Jesus. Hence the Kingdom of God is within you” because that is not what Jesus said or indicated. Regardless of the first statement, your second statement does not follow.
By the way, while you are saying this:
That seems incorrect for multiple reasons, so I would want to see what scripture you are using to support that interpretation. As a rhetorical reminder, does your bible contain the parable of the sheep and the goats, the workers that are hired in the last hour, or the parable of the prodigal son? And does your bible not also speak of a resurrection of the dead after Christ returns?
And when you read Paul’s letters to the Corinthians, does it contain a passage that looks like this?
1Co 15:50-54 KJV
(50) Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
(51) Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
(52) In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
(53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
(54) So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
Paul states very clearly, ever so clearly, even prefacing this address with “Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die” and says that we cannot enter the kingdom of God as flesh and blood, that we must first be physically changed, after we have died.
While you are worried about hair length and head coverings and whether someone that asks a question has external plumbing or a womb, it seems that you might be overlooking some very major points of doctrine, the proverbial straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel.
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Andrew, you seem well studied in the Holy Bible. I do indeed own and recommend the KJV. I personally don’t care for other versions except for comparison. What he is telling the Pharisees is to look within themselves and not to wait. To quote a popular song, search your heart, search your soul and when you find me (insert Jesus) there you’ll search no more. – Bryan Adams, Everything I Do, I Do it for You.
The soul resides within the flesh and blood. Either your soul is prepared for Judgment Day or it is not.
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I recognize the Bryan Adams song, it was also used for “Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves” but the problem with that explanation is that it still runs counter to what Jesus and the apostles say concerning when (and where) the kingdom of God shall appear, and it would also require us to interpret Jesus as if he spontaneously switches topics that have little relation to each other.
It seems to me that the King defines the Kingdom: it is a lesson drilled into the heart of any chess player, and it holds true in the biblical context as well. When his disciples thought that the kingdom should immediately appear, Jesus told them a parable of how a man went away into a far country and would not return until he received the kingdom, and at that time he comes back and delivers judgment. I don’t know how he could have been much clearer. Jesus has not yet returned and he has not yet delivered judgment.
The kingdom of God is the rock (the Rock) that strikes that image at its feet, and it does not merely make the other kingdoms “irrelevant” … but it smashes them to pieces. So ask yourself this, if your church is the kingdom of God, then why hasn’t it smashed the other kingdoms of this world to pieces yet? It doesn’t seem like a good idea to set yourself up as a kingdom prior to Christ’s return…
… for the sake of sewing these divergent posts together again, earlier you were saying that Paul could give commands of God. That may be true, but I think you are forgetting something. The commands of God, even when given by God himself from Mount Sinai, have limited scope and duration, and we are expected to understand this.
Example 1:
Mat 12:2-4 KJV
(2) But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day.
(3) But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him;
(4) How he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests?
Were the commands of Moses the commandments of the LORD? I think we can all agree that they were, yet Jesus (the LORD in the flesh) expected people to understand that there could be exceptions. They were expected to understand the meaning of the law.
Example 2:
Exo 20:8-10 KJV
(8) Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
(9) Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
(10) But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
Do you observe the seventh day Sabbath as the LORD commanded through Moses? If not, then you must already understand that even the direct commandments of the LORD can have limited scope and application.
Example 3:
1Co 9:9 KJV
(9) For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?
Paul himself (in this very letter to the Corinthians) illustrates that laws are made for their meaning, not for the specifics. If Paul gave a commandment to the local church at Corinth, he did so for a reason, and I dare say it wasn’t about silencing all women, but would be applicable for silencing anyone that was turning peace into confusion.
As such, the issue was not whether Paul gave commands of the Lord, but rather whether you are understanding what Paul meant. Paul says he is addressing the problem of confusion among the church of Corinth, and he speaks generally to the women of that church.
This is not that church of Corinth. If Paul was speaking to your church, no doubt he would say something different.
Your closing comment said:
Did you realize that your closing comment sounded rather sexist? That doesn’t sound like it is concerned with “peace” vs. “confusion” but more like every woman should be in subservient to any man.
So please ask yourself, do you really think Paul was concerned about silencing women or is it more likely that was he addressing a problem of confusion when too many people were talking?
Concluding, I think the real Kingdom of God is not going to be concerned keeping women from speaking in church buildings and whether they are praying while wearing hats.
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I actually try to observe the Sabbath and the Holy Days. Jesus came to fulfill the law not to destroy. The only commandment from the Old Testament which Jesus abolished was the need for animal sacrifice. This was abolished because Jesus gave the ultimate sacrifice, himself.
The letters and commandments given by Paul all apply to the modern church, not just Corinth. If you delete the commandments of Corinthians you will soon find yourself deleting and editing the entire New Testament. While you are well read Andrew and I appreciate your insight into my first question you should not be so hasty with your conclusions and meade your knowledge with wisdom. The Kingdom of God should be within you. This is a present concept which you confuse with the future Church. You quote verses such as Jeremiah 31:33. If so, then well. The Word, the Law, and Jesus are the same. Jesus is the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of Christ is now for those who follow God’s Word. The Kingdom of Christ will come at his return and the scriptures will be fulfilled. Praying the Lord’s Prayer, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done. This prayer is to the Father and refers to Jehovah’s Kingdom and Jehovah’s will. Jesus will deliver his bride to the Lord God Jehovah and confess them to the father. The Kingdom of Christ was, is, and is to come.
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If you have tried to observe the Sabbaths and holy days, that can have some benefit in itself, because they also describe the coming kingdom of God. I would like to ask what these days mean to you… for were they not shadows of things to come? (see Col 2:16-17)
But if the laws of Moses were still applicable today, you would expect that they would also have been applicable to the first century Gentile… but what did they say to the first century Gentiles? They were told to keep themselves from things strangled in blood and offered to idols, not to start keeping the dietary laws of the Jews.
Act 21:25 KJV
(25) As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.
This would have been the perfect opportunity to have said that they should keep the whole law of Moses, observing the Sabbath days and new moons, restraining from unclean meats, and so forth… but that’s not what they did. The old laws that they were familiar with were no longer applicable.
Rom 14:5 KJV
(5) One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
If Paul meant to give an inflexible commandment written in stone, then he would have phrased it as such. However, in practice Paul does the opposite, and he preaches in the sense of the spirit of the law. For example, what did he say about meat sacrificed to idols? Is it lawful or unlawful? Why? I am not “editing” or “deleting” anything, rather I am looking at the whole law, the eternal law that created the laws. Tell me, what is the greatest commandment of the law? Why? And what does that actually mean?
Considering when you say that the Kingdom of God was within you or I (as persons), why would Christ have told his disciples that it was not to immediately appear, that he must first go away into a far country and return in power and judgment? Jesus has not yet returned in power or judgment, and the parable did not have an existing kingdom before the king returned.
There are not two different kingdoms… or three different kingdoms. There is one kingdom, and the kingdom of God is the kingdom of Christ, which is the kingdom of heaven. One kingdom, not many kingdoms. It would be a simple exercise to demonstrate that these terms are all used with equivalence, not distinction.
… or can you show me a clear scriptural proof to support what you just said, “the Kingdom of Christ is now for those who follow God’s Word?” That sounds like a human doctrine to me, more related to Catholicism, rather than something actually derived from scripture. Can you prove what you just said?
So I don’t understand your reasoning, how you can say “the Kingdom of Christ is not for those who follow God’s Word” when you follow up with a statement like: “The Kingdom of Christ will come at his return and the scriptures will be fulfilled.” It sounds like you just contradicted yourself. Which is it?
You wrote:
… except you are misquoting the scripture. It does not say that “the Kingdom of Christ was, is, and is to come” … but rather it says that the Lord God Almighty (also known as Jesus, Alpha and Omega, etc) was, is, and is to come. See Revelation 1:4, 1:8, and 4:8.
So what do the Sabbaths and holy days tell you about the coming of the kingdom of God? If you have tried to observe them, surely you must have noticed some symbolism already. Were they isolated random events without meaning, or were they designed with a purpose?
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We have strayed off the topic of this blog. If you have any more questions, please feel free to email me through http://www.saltwaterheart.com. The Kingdom of God is now for those who follow God’s Word. Jesus = God’s Word, John 1:1-1-14. Luke 8:21, . . . My mother and my brethern are those which hear the word of God and do it. I also stated that Jesus Kingdom will come at Jesus’ return. After Judgment Day the chosen will be in the direct presence of God. It is different from now because we do not live directly in his presence, but worship God in spirit and truth from Earth while Jesus is at the right hand of God in power in Heaven.
Act 21:25 KJV
(25) As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication.
This was written because certain Jews were advocating the necessity of circumcision to be saved. A process which I’m sure is painful for adults and would have scared many new believers away. It also was written to the new Gentiles. Gentiles that were ready for new milk, not meat.
After the gentiles grew in the Word they likely accepted and practiced the other Commandment’s of the Lord, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt have no other God’s before me, etc.
Yes his Holy Days all seem to have purpose, Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. Romans 14:5. There are things you learn in the doing, you should try observing them.
The Sabbath: If you observe the Sabbath you will find yourself wondering about work, what to do with your time, and what would God consider as good work. Jesus says that one may do good on the Sabbath. Certainly police and medical workers do good, but should a hotel or convenience store be open on the Sabbath. It is easy to say yes if you want something on the Sabbath or are traveling, but the Commandment also says do not cause the stranger to work. Traveling overnight on the Sabbath or running to the convenience store causes others to work. Businesses will always be open somewhere Fri. eve to Sat. eve so this places the onus on the Christian follower to plan for the Sabbath. This is one I could do better on.
On the Feast of Tabernacles I put up a tent one year, the Bible however says to build a shelter of wood. The point of the feast of Tabernacles is to remember the journey and trials of our spiritual ancestors, the Israelites through the desert over 40 years.
Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread remind us of staying away from the Leaven of the Pharisees and others – false doctrines that lead people astray and can grow to fruitlessness and evil if they take root in a person. Also to remind us of the 1st Passover in Egypt and the Last Passover celebrated by Christ.
Other feasts are of thanksgiving such as The Jewish New Year and Purim. Also penance or being contrite before the Lord, The Day of Atonement.
http://www.hebcal.com/holidays/2013-2014
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You are right, this has drifted another topic… so thank you for the email invitation. I don’t see how either John 1:1-14 or Luke 8:21 say that the Kingdom of God is now for certain people (but everyone else must await his return) so I will ask you more about that later …
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Again, I do not believe it was Paul issuing decrees, but rather it was the Holy Ghost issuing commandments through Paul.
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I wanted to correct my post from 6/25 and add that the dietary regulations ended with Peter’s dream which opened salvation to the gentiles and made all animals clean as food if eaten with thanksgiving.
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hello, what are your thoughts pastor. I was baptized in may of 2013. I have taken hebrews 10:26 to heart. Now although i do not have a “fiery” indignation. I do have a grievance in my spirit. SInce the baptizism i have been preachings the word of god to as many people who will listen. But since then i have masturbated quite a few amount of times. Now i am at a point right here tonight where i refuse to ever do it again as i have been praying for the strength time and time again to not do it. I have not had sex. Its a sin that i have really felt bad about. So i feel as though i have never really fell away but i have sinned and caused grievence to the spirit. I pray everyday asking for forgiveness everytime i do it. I have had enough of grieving myself and playing with god. Am i going to hell?
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