Who is God & What is the Gospel ?
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this is going to be a difficult thread for most, but i do want to travel this with others for two reasons. to receive confirmation or correction from the Holy Scriptures and the Lord, in others. i have a few other tough things to ponder together, but let's stay with "God is Love"(from Magenta) for now
You define selfish as: "doing anything for my own benefit."
I think we have problems with terms.
1.) The bible says God does everything by his own will, but we don't see God doing anything for his own "benefit" because he doesn't need anything.... it's a word that doesn't apply to God. God is complete, so nothing "benefits" him in the sense it makes him more complete, or more fulfilled... as he is already perfect in every way.
2.) So a word like "benefit" doesn't really apply to God... not in any way at all.
3.) So if selfish means to "benefit yourself", and the word "benefit" doesn't apply to god... then... the world "selfish" doesn't apply to God.
Simplification:
A. The word selfish = benefit
B. The word benefit cannot apply to God
C. Therefore, the word selfish cannot apply to God.
* Selfish is a word that simply does not apply to God, not in the negative or affirmative... it's like saying the color yellow tastes nice.
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I think we have problems with terms.
1.) The bible says God does everything by his own will, but we don't see God doing anything for his own "benefit" because he doesn't need anything.... it's a word that doesn't apply to God. God is complete, so nothing "benefits" him in the sense it makes him more complete, or more fulfilled... as he is already perfect in every way.
2.) So a word like "benefit" doesn't really apply to God... not in any way at all.
3.) So if selfish means to "benefit yourself", and the word "benefit" doesn't apply to god... then... the world "selfish" doesn't apply to God.
Simplification:
A. The word selfish = benefit
B. The word benefit cannot apply to God
C. Therefore, the word selfish cannot apply to God.
* Selfish is a word that simply does not apply to God, not in the negative or affirmative... it's like saying the color yellow tastes nice.
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OK, so if i understand you, you are saying that since God is complete and in need of nothing, He could therefore not be selfish-ly working a benefit to Himself which He doesn't need, or I guess even want. Only one problem, if one is perfectly content, the why does one act(e.g. if God was without need, then why did God create mankind, angels, universe) ?
Also,...
My definition of "selfish" wasn't meant to be a definition, sorry. i want to see what the Holy Scriptures say is the definition of 1Co13 "seeks not it's own" which, for me, meant not selfish, but i could be wrong. please explain the meaning of that verse...i wish our understandings to be constrained to the Holy Scriptures.
Also,...
My definition of "selfish" wasn't meant to be a definition, sorry. i want to see what the Holy Scriptures say is the definition of 1Co13 "seeks not it's own" which, for me, meant not selfish, but i could be wrong. please explain the meaning of that verse...i wish our understandings to be constrained to the Holy Scriptures.
I think the Bible says something along the lines of God does everything for His own glory. Now if we were to say
anything like that about ourselves, it would sound pretty self-centered. He also says He will do all that He pleases.
Psalm 115:3 Our God is in heaven; He does as He pleases.
Psalm 135:6 The LORD does all that pleases Him in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and in all their depths.
Isaiah 46:10
anything like that about ourselves, it would sound pretty self-centered. He also says He will do all that He pleases.
Psalm 115:3 Our God is in heaven; He does as He pleases.
Psalm 135:6 The LORD does all that pleases Him in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and in all their depths.
Isaiah 46:10
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If God is perfect, and perfectly content, why did he create?
1.) The Bible clearly says God does everything according to his own will, and his own pleasure.
2.) The Bible is also clear that God is perfect, complete, and in need of nothing.
So why did God create everything?
Posing this very real conundrum is reasonable, but ignoring the two prior propositions that lead us to this conundrum is not reasonable.
All we know for certain is: it was God's will to create, it pleased him to do so, and all creation had to be in his mind (part of his eternal plan) from eternity past. But he certainly doesn't "need" us.
This has been orthodox Christian doctrine for a very long time... nothing new here.
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1.) The Bible clearly says God does everything according to his own will, and his own pleasure.
2.) The Bible is also clear that God is perfect, complete, and in need of nothing.
So why did God create everything?
Posing this very real conundrum is reasonable, but ignoring the two prior propositions that lead us to this conundrum is not reasonable.
All we know for certain is: it was God's will to create, it pleased him to do so, and all creation had to be in his mind (part of his eternal plan) from eternity past. But he certainly doesn't "need" us.
This has been orthodox Christian doctrine for a very long time... nothing new here.
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I think the Bible says something along the lines of God does everything for His own glory. Now if we were to say
anything like that about ourselves, it would sound pretty self-centered. He also says He will do all that He pleases.
Psalm 115:3 Our God is in heaven; He does as He pleases.
Psalm 135:6 The LORD does all that pleases Him in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and in all their depths.
Isaiah 46:10
anything like that about ourselves, it would sound pretty self-centered. He also says He will do all that He pleases.
Psalm 115:3 Our God is in heaven; He does as He pleases.
Psalm 135:6 The LORD does all that pleases Him in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and in all their depths.
Isaiah 46:10
Scripture refers to 3 as God All of these are God and each of these are God:
The Father is God
2Pe_1:17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
The Son is God
Psa 78:35 And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.
1Co 10:2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
1Co 10:3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
1Co 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
Jesus is God because the OT says Israel's Rock was God and Christ was that same Rock.
Holy Spirit is God
Act 5:1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
Act 5:2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
Act 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
Act 5:4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
Here lying to the Holy Spirit is called lying to God.
Mat 4:23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
This is the first appearance of the word in the bible. The word is:
G2098
εὐαγγέλιον
euaggelion
yoo-ang-ghel'-ee-on
From the same as G2097; a good message, that is, the gospel: - gospel.
Total KJV occurrences: 77
It is written as the gospel of the Kingdom, the gospel of God, the gospel of Jesus, the gospel of peace etc. It is good news about something, usually related to righteousness and the future for righteous people. In short, it is usually about how Jesus died for our sins so we can repent and be forgiven and be granted immortality in the eternal kingdom of God ie: being saved.
The Father is God
2Pe_1:17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
The Son is God
Psa 78:35 And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.
1Co 10:2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
1Co 10:3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;
1Co 10:4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
Jesus is God because the OT says Israel's Rock was God and Christ was that same Rock.
Holy Spirit is God
Act 5:1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
Act 5:2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
Act 5:3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
Act 5:4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
Here lying to the Holy Spirit is called lying to God.
Mat 4:23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
This is the first appearance of the word in the bible. The word is:
G2098
εὐαγγέλιον
euaggelion
yoo-ang-ghel'-ee-on
From the same as G2097; a good message, that is, the gospel: - gospel.
Total KJV occurrences: 77
It is written as the gospel of the Kingdom, the gospel of God, the gospel of Jesus, the gospel of peace etc. It is good news about something, usually related to righteousness and the future for righteous people. In short, it is usually about how Jesus died for our sins so we can repent and be forgiven and be granted immortality in the eternal kingdom of God ie: being saved.
Maxwell, please believe me when i say, i have no desire to offend or insult, even though i can be prone to do so. i earnestly desire to be on one mind, in the Lord, with someone, anyone, yet find it hard to realize. i hope we can move toward that end.
that being said, i would hope that you will agree that "ignorance is not a solid defence of a position of truth", right? we cannot aspire to confidence in the fact that we don't know. not knowing shouldn't be a warm blanket of comfort. it should be a motivation to seek further, right ? "that I might know Thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom Thou has sent" and "that we might grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ." I , personally cannot find solitude in ignorance, it only inspires me to seek Him further. I want to know Him more and more and that can happen through personally seeking Him, but also through other's in the body of Christ, like yourself. right ?
that being said, i would hope that you will agree that "ignorance is not a solid defence of a position of truth", right? we cannot aspire to confidence in the fact that we don't know. not knowing shouldn't be a warm blanket of comfort. it should be a motivation to seek further, right ? "that I might know Thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom Thou has sent" and "that we might grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ." I , personally cannot find solitude in ignorance, it only inspires me to seek Him further. I want to know Him more and more and that can happen through personally seeking Him, but also through other's in the body of Christ, like yourself. right ?