Tag: Jesus

Theology

Justice is restorative to the victims, and punitive to the offender.

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Justice is restorative to the victims, and punitive to the offender.   All of us, before salvation are offenders. That is the part people skip. They think they are pretty good, and don’t deserve hell, like the Bible says they do. We deserve death and hell, every single one of us.  We are all sinners.  Those that God made, even knowing they would reject Him naturally will suppress the truth in unrighteousness.  (Romans 1:18-22) So if we all deserve hell, it is a miracle that God saves any.  God didn’t need to do anything.  He chose to create and demonstrate His loving kindness.   How can a fallen creature look upon its Creator, who perfectly defines all things by His very existence, and have the impudence to judge Him as evil? It is ludicrous.  Creations have no rights to their Creator.  He has all rights to what He has made.  God demonstrates His justice, by pouring out the rightfully deserved wrath, on the unrepentant sinners, in Hell for all eternity. This brings glory to God, because in punishing sin, He restores the victims. The victims are the people who have repented and put their faith in the grace of Jesus and His atoning work on the cross. The offense caused by sin would mar God if He did not punish it. The believers would be victims of this, if God did not punish the unbelievers.  They would be victims, because God would be unjust and unloving to not punish the unbelievers in Hell for all eternity.  So the wrath poured out on the offender restores that what would be done to the believer, by demonstrating that God is, in fact just, and will not let sin go unpunished. The fact that He is just, and restores those He has no need or obligation to restore, shows that He is also loving and merciful. God didn’t have to make anyone. He was perfect without creating a thing, but He did create, because He desired to do so. He is omniscient.  So in His all knowledge, if He creates people, knowing which ones will not repent, and knowing which ones will repent, and even still creating them all demonstrates that some vessels were made for wrath, and others honorable purposes.  Read Romans 9 for crying out loud people.  For those of you that claim to be Christian, READ YOUR BIBLE!!!  If He chose to do this then it is good because He defines good.  He is the creator.  We are the creatures.  Saying He is evil because He judges and punishes creatures He made, knowing they would be in rebellion demonstrates how little you actually know about your Bible and God.  You have believed the horrible Barney theology of, I love you, you love me nonsense.  Open theists and Universalists shouldn’t even call themselves Christian.  They are heretics.

So God is glorified in damnation by demonstrating His wrath for the purpose of His justice and He is glorified in salvation by demonstrating His grace for the purpose of His loving kindness.  This grace is not a violation of justice because He came down from majesty incarnate as Jesus to suffer the cross.  He had the wrath that you and I deserve poured out on Him on our behalf.  He paid the penalty and satisfied justice so that you could be saved if you would repent and put your faith in Him.  If you can’t then He didn’t die for you and you are not saved.  You are not one of the elect and will be in hell for all eternity.

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Marital Love

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Marital Love

            When two people get married, usually they are in love.  This is true for Christians and the lost.  What happens when one person stops being in love with the other?  However this comes about, let’s assume that it has happened.  In a marriage of lost people, what is there to keep them together?  Once the one spouse realizes the other is no longer in love with them, why should they stay?  Why would anyone want to stay in a marriage where they are not cherished and loved?  There might be some pragmatic reasons like, convenience, money, or children.  Some people will stick it out just for these reasons.  What is the point of all of that if you don’t have the love of your spouse?  You might as well be living on your own, looking for someone to share love with.

Nobody gets married, thinking that one day they won’t be in love anymore.  People get married to share their love and lives together.  So what happens to a Christian couple when one of them stops feeling in love with the other?  The same thing happens to them, that happens to a lost couple.  About half the time they get divorced.  The others stay married out of pragmatic reasons or some sense of duty or obligation.

How should it be with a Christian couple?  What should the spouse do that has found out their spouse isn’t in love with them anymore?  What should the spouse do that doesn’t feel in love anymore?  Should they divorce and look for someone to be in love with?  Should they stick together because of duty, obligation, or their faith?  We know that God hates divorce.  We read about it in Malachi 2:16 “For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the Lord, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the Lord of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless.”  So the Christian couple should stay together, but that doesn’t fix the problem.

They are not in love anymore.  Either both of them have no feelings for each other, or one of them has lost their feelings for the other.  How do we resolve this?  What does the bible say about love?  We read this about love and God’s love in 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, “1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

How pointless is life without love?  The love of Jesus for us, the love we should have for each other is explained in the cross of Christ.  In 1 John 4:7-13 we read this, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.  In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.  In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.”  Are we starting to get the picture?

Maybe they are not in love anymore because one or both of them feel like they have been wronged or victimized?  If so, they are holding on to hurt feelings and resentment.  Healing of their marriage can’t happen until they forgive each other.  In Matthew 6:15 we read, “but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”  Ephesians 4:31-31, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.  Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

We know that in a marriage there are two sinners living together.  Sins are bound to happen.  One of them will sin against the other and the other might sin back or sin in the way of harboring a grudge, hurt feelings, or resentment.  If these things are left undealt with they will keep coming up to cause problems.  Both people must repent.  Sometimes one person believes they never did anything wrong.  They think, “It is all the other persons fault, I don’t need to repent.  What could I have possible done wrong?  They are the one who hurt me!”  Most of the time, both people are thinking the same thing.  This is why both need to repent and ask not only God to forgive them, but they have to ask for forgiveness from the other.  When you humble yourself and come to someone asking them for something that they can give or deny it takes the power away from you.  You are at their mercy.  Hopefully you have a truly saved spouse who can see their own sin and grant you their forgiveness because of how much they have been forgiven by Christ.

Even still, while you are living in this torment you can’t give up.  As Christians you aren’t allowed to stop loving your spouse just because they aren’t in love with you anymore.  Oh, you might want to.  You might even feel yourself beginning to resent them as you put yourself on the throne of your life.  You might hear, “You poor, poor person you…  You don’t deserve to be treated like that by them!  How dare they!  Don’t they know how good they’ve got it with you?  You’ll teach them!  You’ll leave, and then what will they do?”  So you like what sin is telling you?

Do you want to be on the pitty pot?  You have failed to remember that you are the worst kind of sinner.  Christ bled and died for your sins.  Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  1 John 4:10, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”  Jesus pursued us, our salvation, and the Father’s will, all the way to the cross and the grave.  How dare we give up on forgiving, loving, and repenting!

Sinners who don’t think that they have been loved the way they think they should be, you have been loved by Jesus in spite of your many sins against Him.  Your sins are responsible for His suffering on the cross.  You don’t deserve love!  You deserve death and Hell, being so self-centered, to think that you deserve to be treated with love from anyone is ludicrous.  Repent of your selfishness, ask Jesus to forgive you.  Ask your spouse to forgive you for not loving them selflessly, even if your love is not reciprocated.  Love them, while they are yet, not in love with you.  The only love you need is the love of Christ.  Pour yourself out for them the way Christ did for you, and Love them to the grave.  See your sins, and how much they cost Christ.  Look at your spouse, and see them for what they are.  They are a sinner, just like you, in need of The Saviors’ grace.  Demonstrate love and mercy towards them, because you have experienced the love and mercy of God.  Repent of harboring bitterness and forgive them.  Fill your heart with the love of God and then pour it out as a merciful balm of healing on your marriage.  Together, repent and be restored to each other and God.  God can make all things new, including your marriage.  You should know this, because when you were saved, He made you new.

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Peter do you love me?

Bob Snyder2 Comments

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Peter do you love me?

Something interesting, that I don’t remember thinking about before, is found in 1John 21:15-17.  My son Josh was visiting us.  He and I were talking, and he asked if I ever thought of what Jesus was doing when He was asking Peter if he loved Him?  You see, the first two times Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him, He uses the Greek word, “ἀγαπᾷς” it transliterates as, “agapas.”  It is a form of the word, “agape.”  I’ve always been told by people and Preachers that the word, “agape” means, God’s perfect, sacrificial love.  While looking the word up it seems there is more to it than that.  It also has implications of a willful, reasoned, self-volitional type of love.  We also see that this type of love is supposed to be reciprocated by us, to God, and we are supposed to love each other in the same way, in 2Matthew 22:37-39 when Jesus, in Greek uses the word, “Ἀγαπήσεις” or “Agapēseis.”

So why does Peter respond with the Greek word, “φιλῶ” which transliterates as, “philō.”  Philō implies a warm, brotherly love, the kind of love you would have for a very close friend.  So Peter is responding back with a more reserved, lesser type of love, than what Jesus is asking him about.  Keep in mind, this is after Peter had denied that he even knew Jesus, to save his own neck.  Jesus is fully aware of this, and what is going on in Peter’s heart.  One has to wonder, “What was going on in Peter’s mind after these questions from Jesus?”  I’m not going to make any assumptions here.  What we read in the Bible is enough.  It is just one of those things that I have wondered about.  I hope to find out one day.  I think I’ll pass this on to one of my more learned friends and see what they have to say.  I’ll get back to you all.  Maybe, they can comment on this article?

115So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My lambs.”16He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.”17He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep.

2Matthew 22:37-39 (NASB) “…37And He said to him, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’38“This is the great and foremost commandment.39“The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’…”

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Proof-texting, its dangers, and benefits.

Bob Snyder1 Comment

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            Proof-texting is the practice of quoting a verse, or verses from the text of the Bible, to support, or refute a doctrine.  This practice has been used by the orthodox and the heretic.  The dangers of proof-texting are varied and manifold.  With proper presuppositions proof-texting can be a valuable tool for supporting orthodox doctrines. 

            First, we will go over the problems with proof-texting.  The biggest problem is when a person or group starts with a false presupposition.  For example, a Mormon starts with the presupposition that Jesus is a created being.  They hold this false presupposition because they believe the words of a false prophet, and teacher in authority over God’s very own word.  The Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Muslims, do the same thing. 

With this presupposition when they run into texts like John 3:16 “…For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life…”  They wrongly understand the word, “begotten” to mean that Jesus was the progeny of the Father.  They then, in turn use this as a proof-text for their false doctrine that deny the eternal deity of Jesus, in stark disregard for His proclamation of being the, “I Am.”  This, in turn requires more eisegesis, and proof-texting, in an attempt to refute the true doctrines, in conflict with their false ones.  When apologetically engaged with a heretic or cult member they are usually more than thrilled to proof-text ad nauseum.  This can quickly become counterproductive.  If this is done in a public forum it can be disastrous.  The onlookers could be convinced of the heretical doctrines.

            Our apologetics should be from a capable well rounded understanding of the entire Bible in its own context.  It should be founded on the presupposition that the Bible is the truth, and the authority, on What God has to say to man.  When we start with a true presupposition, and are exegetical in our reading of the Bible, we can proof-text like Paul to the Jews in Hebrews.  When proof-texting is done correctly it can win people’s minds to the truths of the Bible.  There is nothing like a good section of scripture quoted in context at the right time to hammer home sound doctrine.  God’s word is authoritative and when we speak truthfully with the authority of scripture it is a powerful thing to witness.

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Marriage, mutual submission or something else?

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washing-feetMarriage, mutual submission or something else? I think it is something else. I think to say that, “you mutually submit to one another” misses the bigger picture. I think it is as the Bible says. The wife should submit to her husband, like the church submits to Christ’s authority. The husband should submit to God. Even if it means dying. This is like the submission of Jesus to the Father’s will. If we remember from scripture, Jesus washed the feet of the disciples. Jesus, who is God incarnate, left the majesty of His estate to dwell among us in mortal flesh. He bore the punishment of the sins of those who would be saved. He submitted to death on a cross. Wouldn’t you rather have a husband love you like that, than one that simply, mutually submits to your imperfect human will?

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Jesus Christ saves us by His grace according to His will not by our works or favor earned through deeds.

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Titus 3:4-7 NASB But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, (5) He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, (6) whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, (7) so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.Image

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Marriage Isn’t About Being Happy

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Marriage Isn’t About Being Happy

If you aren’t happy in your marriage chances are it is because you have a wrong expectation. This is probably because you have put your hope in your spouse to satisfy you. He ordained marriage for one man, to one woman as a helpmate. It wasn’t good for man to be alone. Marriage is supposed to be two sinners, giving grace to one another, remembering Christ Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for their very own personal sins, and forgiving the smaller offense of a creature against a creature, because you understand the horrible consequences of your sin as a creature against the holy Creator. Marriage is an archetype of Christ and His bride the Church. Because of Jesus’ sacrificial love for us we have an example of how we are supposed to love our spouse. If you find your contentment and happiness in God’s will and providence, then you will look upon your spouse as a fellow sinner who needs selfless love and grace. When you are fulfilled by God, and He is enough for you, then you can truly appreciate the blessing of a spouse.

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Near Death Experiences

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Near Death Experiences

1) Do people really see things prior to death (NDE’s)? Yes and no.

Many of the people claiming to have near death experiences are like the people who claim to see Bigfoot or a spaceship. Many of them are just faking it for attention. Some of them are not faking it though. For the ones that are not faking it we can rule out what they are seeing as the effects of the dieing brain. Brain chemistry and electrical activity causes strange subconscious imaginings. Some people do experience spiritual visions near death. It is important to note that they are not dead as science would define death. If a person is clinically dead and then comes back to life with a miraculous story it doesn’t mean that it is from God. The Bible says, “…Hebrews 9:27 NASB And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,..” People truly die once as a rule. Pro-NDE people will ask, “What about when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead?” “…John 11:11-15 NASB This He said, and after that He *said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep.”(12) The disciples then said to Him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” (13) Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep. (14) So Jesus then said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead,(15)and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him.”..” So again as a rule people die once and then the judgment. So barring a miracle of Jesus when a person is truly dead they stay dead. Just because they have stopped breathing, pumping blood, and brain activity seems to have ceased doesn’t mean they are truly dead. Medical science says they are dead, but how many times have we heard of somebody waking up in the morgue or in a coffin? You are dead when God says you are dead. So people near death can have physiologically explainable visions.

2) Do some see angels while others see demons? Yes and no.

The Bible says nothing about NDE’s specifically. Some people abuse scripture and try to make Paul’s vision of the 3rd Heaven a NDE when it is obviously not. They are just so desperate to believe in NDE’s that they will pervert scripture to make it so. People can also experience demonic/satanic visions given to them to lead them astray and to misguide others. Anything a person claims about a NDE MUST NOT conflict with the Bible. If it does, it is from a lying spirit and should be discarded immediately as untrue. The person relaying the story must not be followed or believed.

3) Can this be scriptural? Yes and no.

The answer to this question depends heavily on context and claim. If the context is a vision or dream from God that someone experienced it must be accurate and consistent with the rest of the Bible. I don’t believe these types of things are happening right now in our time. Again, the Bible says nothing about NDE’s specifically. In the end times they are supposed to start back up. These are not NDE’s though. There is a big difference between an NDE and a prophetic dream or vision. You don’t have to be in a coma or nearly dead for a prophetic dream or vision. If God wants you to know something you are going to know it. Fortunately for us He reveals His will and word for us in the Bible and we don’t need to rely on dreams, and visions. Matter of fact the Bible is the primary way we hear from God.

To sum up I would say treat all NDE claims as nothing of consequence unless it meets the requirements of scripture. Here are some links to some very good articles from trusted ministries on the topic.

1. http://www.gty.org/blog/B121018

2. http://www.gotquestions.org/near-death-experiences.html

3. http://www.christianbook.com/heaven-randy-alcorn/9780842379427/pd/79422?event=AFF&p=1011693&

4. http://www.equip.org/articles/from-heaven-to-earth-with-a-story-that-sells/

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Representations of the sinner, church, and gospel in the Old Testament.

Bob Snyder1 Comment

The chosen people of God in the Old Testament are representative of the individual sinner, and the church. We see how some want to please God. How others seeking their own pleasures only after being judged repent. In 1 Samuel we see the Israelites rejecting God’s rule. They demand a king other than God. Samuel is to warn them but also he is to anoint the one who would be king. Are we mastered by God or sin? Who is your king? When judged and shown the sin in our lives do we repent, then follow God with our entire heart? Over and over we see God’s chosen people sinning, being punished, repenting, and worshiping. They would go on for a while and fall again. God would accept their repentance and worship after they were humbled. God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. It is His mercy to break the sinner. Only in humility can they experience God’s grace. Oh that I could always remember and be humble so as not to sin against my God. I fear the discipline even though I know it is for my good. Like a child I am in regards to it. As one that matures I see the love of the Father in it. Oh how I love Jesus! His grace is sufficient for even me! So as we see the chosen people of God so we should see ourselves the church. How many times have we sinned and in our self-righteousness punished ourselves in the sinful hope of appeasing God’s righteous and holy judgement? How dare we make less of His grace? Did He die on the cross so that we could be our own saviors? Repent of self-righteousness! I to must repent! Don’t let any sin be the churches King. Only Jesus be our king! Like Israel we are God’s people. We were purchased from sins great price by the redeeming blood of Jesus. The Old Testament books display for us the likeness of the individual sinner, the church, and God. We should see the Messiah in all of the word not just the New Testament.