Not signed in (Sign In)
Site Tag Cloud
1 john absolute anti-christ bad bible bible study buy christ church god good james jesus judgement love mark matthew prophecy relative romans small group spiritual gifts talents truth truth project veritology
Discussion Forums hosted by Deeper Bible Studies
Your source for Christian Bible Studies and Bible Study Discussions.
1 to 5 of 5
-
-
Why do bad things happen to good people?
- bydbsbrad on22nd January, 2009 inGeneral
-
Why do bad things happen to good people?
Many non-Christians and agnostics reject God and Christianity by posing this seemingly unsolvable question...positioning God as mean, unforgiving, wrathful, and apparently devoid of love and compassion. You’ll hear statements like “I can’t believe in a God that is that cruel”. The question is actually easily answered and souls can be saved by answering it with confidence. However, before you can answer that question, you must first ask who is good and who sets the standard for what is good?
Popular culture and non-Christians would suggest that if you aren't a thief or you don't go around killing people...then you are basically good. And “IF” there is an afterlife, you'll probably get a free pass; a "Go directly to heaven" card.
That's a nice thought, but it's simply not biblical truth. If that’s what you believe…then who or what is the source of your truth? Who makes the decision of who to pass judgment on and who says you can go to heaven? Do YOU decide? Hardly! That would be like a convicted criminal making the decision regarding whether he can be let out of prison.
So, who makes the call? God does! It's God's heaven (or home) and He makes the rules. Ever hear the saying "My house, my rules!" In heaven, God sets the standard for who and what is good.
So, what is God's standard for who and what is good? The Ten Commandments are a good start. But read the words of Jesus Christ who adds in John 13:34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." If you don't love one another, then you have broken a command of God.
Jesus adds in Matthew 5:27-28 "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." If you look at the opposite sex with lust in your eyes, you have already committed adultery, and broken a command of God.
Jesus says in Matthew 5:23-24 that "...if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. " This passage suggests that repairing relationships and resolving conflicts between family members and neighbors is GOOD, and even more important than offering gifts to God.
In other words,your good works, gifts, donations, and tithes are worth nothing if you hate or envy your neighbor or harbor resentment for another person. In this way, Jesus helps us define "Good" in God's eyes as getting along with and resolving differences with other people. If you are angry with someone else, or harbor resentment, or neglect to repair a broken relationship....you are not acting in accordance with God's will and favor.
So, do these things make you a “bad” person, or can you still be a basically “good” person?
Christians believe there is only one person who ever walked the earth that was PERFECT: Jesus Christ. The Pope, Gandhi, Buddha, Jesus’ Mother Mary, and Mother Teresa all have one thing in common…they were not perfect. Only Jesus Christ was perfect.
So, what does Jesus Christ say on this issue? Mark 10:17-18. "As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. ‘Good teacher,’ he asked, ‘what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ ‘Why do you call me good?’ Jesus answered. ‘No one is good--except God alone.’” So, if the only perfect human said that no one is good, what does that suggest about us?
The answer? None of us are good in God's eyes. Only through Jesus Christ are we made acceptable to God. Jesus Christ holds the key to our eternal salvation and eternal life with God in heaven.
OK, so back to the question. If God sets the standard for what is good. And by this standard none of us are good. Then, the question actually needs to be re-phrased: Why do bad things happen to bad people?
Answer: God's judgment on a selfish, Godless people, is just and true. When people don't live according to His holy and perfect standard, his judgment is holy, sovereign, and true. Just as good and responsible parents discipline unruly and defiant children, so God disciplines his children. And this is an act of love, not hate.
So, is God mean, unforgiving, wrathful and devoid of love and compassion? Certainly Not!
John 3:16.... “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” God loves you and me so much that even though we are completely hopeless and unworthy in our own right, he died for us, to save us, so he can be in intimate relationship with us. That is the biblical definition of love.
1 John 3:16...“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.” God IS love and the source of all love.
So, what's a better question to ask? God, will you please forgive me of my sins, through your son Jesus Christ? Lord Jesus, I accept the sacrifice you made for me on the cross, and I believe that you are resurrected from the grave so that I can have a new life in you. Lord will you come into my life and work to make me holy, clean, and acceptable to God almighty? Lord, I give you my life! Amen!
Copyright © 2008 DBS Company. All rights reserved. 
-
-
-
How can you make a difference to bring back a culture of religeon, morality, and virtue to America?
- byKC on17th December, 2008 in- Lesson 10 - The American Experiment: Stepping Stones
-
I think that we need to really make a return to Biblical education ourselves. So many Christians are not fully educated in what God's word truly says, aside from basic principals. How often I have heard "I would like to read the Bible, but it's just so hard to understand". We need to all be continually seeking out good, quality studies that educate us about God's word ourselves, so we can know exactly what his expectations are about our lives, and to help discern between true sin and legalism- which can make Christians appear "condescending and judgmental" to non-believers. Educating ourselves, means we can also share with our family, the right and wrong responses in their lives too. Even in casual conversation, my husband and I point out to our children, what we’ve learned that the Bible says regarding circumstances.
Lately, I've heard several people say, "Well, I would talk more about God at work, if I wasn't afraid of losing my job." Personally, I can't think of a better reason to lose your job! I don't mean that we should all be standing on our desks proselytizing to everyone within ear-shot, but I also don't mean that we should just secretly pass on a spiritual chain mail to only the other people in the office that we know are already Christian and feel content that we’ve done our part.
Somewhere in the middle, there lies an opportunity to share the Gospel with co-workers that does not interfere with your work duties or business flow. Jesus said that he didn’t come to abolish the law, but to uphold it. Just the same, we should not be looking to interfere with business continuity just to share the Gospel, but should demonstrate real Christian beliefs when we speak, act, or work with each other. So if my company fires me for orchestrating an all-inviting bible study on my lunch break, or I'm reprimanded for displaying Christian emblems on my desk, or if I refuse to attend a celebration for gay pride day, peacefully, then and only then would I gladly accept my pink slip. My trust lies in God to be my provider, not corporate America.
These are things that my family and I are working on, to walk the talk, on taking a stand against the de-moralization of our society.
-
-
-
Each of us plays a unique role in the larger church (many members/one body)
- byForum Admin on5th December, 2008 inGeneral
-
It's easy for us Christians to fall into the trap of thinking WE are doing a lot for Christ, and others are not pulling their own weight. Of course, that is just unacceptable judgment of others. It's up to God to judge...not us...for God alone knows the heart of each person in this world.
Each of us is gifted by God with unique spiritual gifts and talents. We have our own likes and dislikes, personality styles and preferences, things we are good at and things we aren't.
We also live in a time where it's hard to REALLY know other people (social networks like facebook are helping in this regard). The fact is that many "works" are done in private/secret, and NOT done for the praise of other humans.
Matthew 6:3-4 (NIV)
3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing,
4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
So is it right to look at anyone else and say "they aren't walking the walk!" NO! Especially after you read Romans 12:3-8.
Romans 12:3-8 (NIV)
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.
4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,
5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.
7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;
8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
Fellow Christians....Christ calls us to not judge, but to Love one another. Instead of letting pride and self importance cloud our minds, offer each other Grace. Give each other the benefit of the doubt. Allow each member of the larger church to play their part...the part God gifted them to play. It may not be in the spotlight or even observable by man, but God who sees everything will bless those that follow him.
-
-
-
What does it mean when we say "God dwells within me"?
- byKC on3rd December, 2008 in- Lesson 8 - Mystical Union Between God and Man
-
I found this related information really interesting from my current study:
When Moses was instructed on how to build the tabernacle for the Israelites, the purpose was for God to dwell among His people in the spirit. The Ark of the Covenant was placed in the Most Holy place and was where God was to symbolically reside among the people.
I was amazed at the specificity of how God instructed Moses to build this tabernacle where God's spirit resided. God created the Earth in 6 days...it took Him 40 days to discuss how to build the place on Earth where He was to reside. The symbolism, and seriousness of how one could enter the tabernacle was a real testiment to how holy God is and how greatly He should be revered. When Christ came and died for us, he replaced the tabernacle, and WE are now the tabernacle- the place where God's spirit resides. I try to remember how specific and Holy the building was, and remember that I should take my own body that seriously- where God's spirit also resides.
John 1:14 tells us that Jesus is God, dwelling among us in the flesh. Again, an effort on God's part to dwell among us. Ephesians 2:19-22 describes how God dwells among the people of the church. And 1 Corinthians 6:19 describes how the Spirit of God, dwells in our bodies.
The connection I made in this, is that God is always making the effort to dwell among us, as close as possible without us being consumed by His holy and righteous glory. PG mentioned in the sermon last week, to reach out our hand and see it as "God's Hand" based on the verse from Proverbs 3:27. I really liked that visualization...that my hands are in fact, the hands of God as they do everything good.
-
-
-
1 John 2:18-26 - Warning Against Anti-Christs
- byForum Admin on19th November, 2008 in1 John
-
In today's time, when one says "Anti-Christ", I think most people call up an image of Damien in the movie Omen (the satanic child set against God and God's people).
However, when reading the bible, you must read it in context of the time it was written, THEN apply the teaching to the present day (instead of trying to understand it using today's context).
So just looking at the term "Anti-Christ", it doesn't carry any significantly evil meaning beyond simply being against or opposed to Jesus Christ. Just like you would say I'm "Anti-Abortion" or "Anti-Slavery" or "Anti-Evolution", you are really just saying you don't agree with a particular teaching or philosphy or practice.
So, in verse 18, John is saying that people opposed to Jesus are in the world. In verse 19 it says they "went out from us". In other words, they either were originally Christian followers who fell away from the church or they were imposters originally posing as Christians...but then later started teaching against Christ or opposed the church leaders.
In verse 22-23, John states that anyone who denies Christ is the "anti-christ". Again, this is a person who has not accepted Christ, does not have the Holy Spirit living in them, and has rejected both God and Jesus Christ. Jesus said that if you don't accept Him, you are also rejecting the Father who sent him...and the scriptures testify about Him. By rejecting Him, you are rejecting God.
In verse 24-26, John is convincing you to not stray from the original message: Christ died for your sins, so that you may have eternal life through Him with the Father. Do not be led astray by ANY anti-christ...anyone teaching against Christ and His teaching. Do not be led astray by people who would say that God isn't real or that evolution created man, etc...
In Christ
-
1 to 5 of 5