the context he is demonstrating the unconditional love of God to those who most would not do so. Do you remember the prison Gaurd when the earth equate hit the jail and he was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoner were all gone? what did Paul say to him? What was the response to Paul? the whole reason why we are to suffer persecution is that God is still able to witness through us by the Holy Spirit Acts 1:8.
WE are also in a sinful lawless world that many Christians will have to fight in wars and do things that are needed.
Hello again,
For me I remain unclear. I mean in the past it would have been clear as I questioned nothing and just believed what I was told. But for a while now the Lord puts questions in me that . .have me seeking answers.
For example, John 3:16 to me basically says Jesus is direct God, what he says is what goes. Not more not less. So when Jesus says it believe it. Well I read all that Jesus says about going to heaven etc and it seems to be obey the 10 commandments, repent from all sin, and more.
However the verse you hold up isn't Jesus talking, so not dictation, but instead one of his followers who rather than saying "what Jesus said, believe it and heaven is yours" instead John 5:1 “These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” I'm no lawyer but it is easy to think.. why would this follower say just believe on his name and your good, when Jesus himself gives a lot of different things that one must do to obtain the same.
..anyhow, not to digress but I yet fail to see how your examples would tell me when to think the words of the bible are to be considered in the context of ourselves, and when they are not. To me a light is on or off, rather than some Schroedingers cat situation?
Thanks for the conversation, all of this is food for thought and I'm grateful for the sounding board and possible leads. God .
Martin13,
Thank you first for being cordial and decent and subtle .
I do have another question for you. Because you still haven’t answered my last one, why are you here? Now you state “god” has put it to your heart to seek the truth, and not accept anything at face value, then why do you question the truth when you hear it? Because it is written God will draw man near to hear His word and know it is Him. It is good not to believe everything but to test the spirits, so what spirit are you following?
If you will not accept the words/writings of the apostles as truth, then you do not believe the word, I’f you do not believe the word then again, why are you here?
Ask yourself, who are you following? I understand you have education which you received. That you are logically analyzing with your mind of flesh to prove what you believe. So this is what I am going to do, you said it you want to see what Christ said only. Yet then try to question what Christ said.
I’f you want me to put only what Jesus said, as the argument instead of quoting whole scripture here it is.
You state, why did God say not to resist evil in Matthew?
He didn’t, clearly when you read it he is talking about how you should follow His second greatest commandment. However. You just said you don’t want to hear what Christ said or what the Holy Spirit and apostles say. Why are you here?
Below is what Christ said about resisting evil.
James 4-7 I want you to get the whole context though, it is important. In it you will see Jesus said, “resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
1What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions
a are at war within you?
b 2You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask.
3You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
4You adulterous people!
c Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
5Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?
6But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
7Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
8Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
9Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.
10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
God didn’t say do not resist evil in the context you did in that part of Matthew, you did. God was teaching them do not resist evil people, because so where you evil until I came and saved you! U til I came and changed you! U til I came and made you useful to the great Potter to produce the fruit which comes by nature of the tree I make you I to by the Holy Spirit praise be to God!
You also lack understanding of the basics that anyone who has accepted Christ as your Lord knows. You call into question the Word of God. That is exactly what satin did in the garden with Adam and Eve. You twist the words of scripture to try and disprove, which is exactly what the devil did with Christ during His temptations after the forty days of fasting. Now remember Jesus has the power and authority to command Him away, yet He allows for the debate, why? To teach the people, His children, us that you must learn and know the word of God and fight the devil with the Word. Least you be tricked by Him.
You see, God is amazing brothers and sisters, evil comes to destroy and goes to do so, but God, but God has brought you here to reach others how to fight. So you fulfill your purpose. I praise God in heaven for he closes the eyes of the wicked and proud yet opens the eyes of babes and children to the truth. Praise be to God!
You talk about Christ wanting us to do this and that because you did not read the word of God completely and I’f you did, only with your flesh for worldly purposes. I do not see your questions as one born again in faith. I see them as one trying to find fault with the word of God, or cause others to doubt the word. Which is exactly what the devil would want.
Your first message mentioned how God would withhold heaven. This is something a non believer would say. Again to quote scripture as Jesus said, “this is how the judgement works a light has come into the world.” Which is quoted a little further down in the same text you quoted. Again, read the whole thing. That is how judgment works, they live the darkness.
16“For God so loved the world,
i that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
19And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.
20For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.
21But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
To answer your last accusation against the word about works. He says do stuff keep the commandments and things. James 2:14 ty can read it there, but you won’t understand.
I ask you again, why are you here? You thought it was for one reason. You were wrong. God is in control hallelujah to the Lamb of God.
A brother in a Christ