If you can only use one word to describe a characteristic of God that we should follow as an example what word would you use?
And why do you choose that word?
How are we to be like God?
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Post #71
Justification is a one and done thing, performed once and for all by God. He declares us righteous on the basis of Jesus's work of redemption on the cross. We don't justify ourselves in any way, shape, or form.brianbbs67 wrote: Its not a one and done thing. Its a life long process.
James said show me your faith, I will show my work. Faith without works is Dead.
Yes, James did indeed say faith without works is dead. But read the very next verse, where he fields the rebuttal before it even happens, thereby heading it off:
- "But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.� Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." [James 2:18]
- "...by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." [Ephesians 2:8-9]
- "...We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." [Ephesians 2:10]
- "...now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life." [Romans 6:22]
But Peter also writes:brianbbs67 wrote: Can we fall from our secure position? Peter taught so: 2 Peter 3:14-18.
- "(God) has caused us to be born again... to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, 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 1:3-5]
We, as believers, are not "ignorant," but can lose our stability in this fallen world, by getting "carried away with the error of lawless people," as Peter says, but we cannot lose our salvation. Our good works are outward evidence of our God-given faith, which, again, is indispensable to our salvation.
The common thread in all of this is, it's all about God. Not us.
Grace and peace to you, Brian.
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Re: How are we to be like God?
Post #72LOL! I didn't say that at all. Neither does Scripture. Rather, we are saved BECAUSE we are born again to a living hope (rather than a dead one). Wow.myth-one.com wrote: Being "born again to a living hope" saves no one.
That's not my claim at all. Like I say, you see things in a far too wooden, literalistic, and therefore non-biblical way. But at least you're trying, and that's a good thing.myth-one.com wrote: You claim being born again as a spirit is a past event...
LOL! Well, if you just quote Scripture, then I'll agree with that every time, without fail. But the problem arises when you apply shallow understandings of it, which you most certainly are doing.myth-one.com wrote: I'm the one claiming that salvation is an inheritance reserved in heaven to be revealed in the last time. You've proved my claim!
Grace and peace to you, myth-one.
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Re: How are we to be like God?
Post #73myth-one.com wrote:Being "born again to a living hope" saves no one.
We are not saved yet.PinSeeker wrote:LOL! I didn't say that at all. Neither does Scripture. Rather, we are saved BECAUSE we are born again to a living hope (rather than a dead one). Wow.
We will be saved at the Second Coming because we believe in Jesus as our Savior.
Being born again to a living hope saves no one. We must be born again of the Spirit to be saved.
But Christians do become "new creatures" upon accepting Christ:
People should be able to compare our past and present behaviors and recognize that we are not the same person.2 Corinthians 5:17 wrote:Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Here's exactly what you, or someone posing as you wrote:PinSeeker wrote:That's not my claim at all. Like I say, you see things in a far too wooden, literalistic, and therefore non-biblical way.myth-one.com wrote:You claim being born again as a spirit is a past event...
PinSeeker wrote:For believers, it's an actual one time past event.
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Re: How are we to be like God?
Post #74...in your opinion. Yeah, I getcha. It's unnecessary to keep repeating yourself. You're not wrong, but only half right. It's the "now and not yet" of the Gospel that you're not getting. We are both saved and being saved.myth-one.com wrote: We are not saved yet.
Agree. I think you're referring to what Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3, and that's good. For those of us who are Christians, this has already happened. We have already been given spiritual life by God via His Holy Spirit. What you say is correct here, but you're not fully understanding, apparently. Ezekiel gives us a great picture of this in chapter 36 of his prophecy:myth-one.com wrote: We must be born again of the Spirit to be saved.
- "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances" (vv.26-27)
Right! But it's easy to quote Scripture; understanding it well is a different thing.myth-one.com wrote: But Christians do become "new creatures" upon accepting Christ...
Agree again. The spiritual part of us is no longer dead; we are no longer dead in our sin. We see our sin for what it is, and while we still fall into sin from time to time -- often, actually -- we hate it and repent of it and try to avoid it and try to please God. Sure. I agree.myth-one.com wrote: People should be able to compare our past and present behaviors and recognize that we are not the same person.
Yes, when we become Christians -- when we are made to be Christians, according to God's will and by the work of the Holy Spirit -- we are:myth-one.com wrote:Here's exactly what you, or someone posing as you wrote:PinSeeker wrote:That's not my claim at all. Like I say, you see things in a far too wooden, literalistic, and therefore non-biblical way.myth-one.com wrote:You claim being born again as a spirit is a past event...PinSeeker wrote:For believers, it's an actual one time past event.
- * justified -- declared righteous by God, not righteous in any way in and of ourselves but imputed the righteousness of Jesus Christ because of His work of atonement on the cross
* born again of the Holy Spirit, because of His quickening (making alive) of our spirit (again, Ezekiel gives us a great picture of this in chapter 36 of his prophecy ["I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances" vv.26-27])
* set on an inevitable path of sanctification -- the work of God in us by His Holy Spirit in us throughout the rest of our natural-born lives -- and ultimately to glorification.
Grace and peace to you, my friend.
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Re: How are we to be like God?
Post #75[Replying to post 72 by PinSeeker]
The reward of believers is everlasting life:
Jesus told Nicodemus that to enter the Kingdom of God He must be born again of the Spirit.For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
You claim that you received your reward when you became a Christian:
So you are now claiming to be a spirit living eternally in the Kingdom of God.PinSeeker wrote:Yes, when we become Christians -- when we are made to be Christians, according to God's will and by the work of the Holy Spirit -- we are:
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* born again of the Holy Spirit, . . .
But the scriptures state that Jesus is bringing our reward with Him when He returns:
What is this second reward that Jesus is bringing to you at His second coming?Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him... (Isaiah 62:11)
And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me... (Revelation 22:12)
"Thy salvation cometh," implies He isn't here now.
And He brings His reward, which He will give to you and other Christians, with Him.
But you claim to already have your salvation! So He has no need to return.
And you live on the earth.
But in the "Lord's Prayer" we are taught to pray:
If His kingdom needs to come to the earth, then it is not here now, and you cannot be living in the Kingdom of God at the present time.Matthew 6:10 wrote:Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Yada, yada, yada.
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Re: How are we to be like God?
Post #76Well, I'm claiming to have spiritual life -- not to "be a spirit". And that I will be alive eternally -- not "living eternally". Wow. Such misunderstanding.myth-one.com wrote: So you are now claiming to be a spirit living eternally in the Kingdom of God.
FULL deliverance, FULL salvation, and FULL life... eternal rest.myth-one.com wrote: What is this second reward that Jesus is bringing to you at His second coming?
LOL!!!myth-one.com wrote: But you claim to already have your salvation! So He has no need to return.
Yeah, stop it, my man. Stop it.myth-one.com wrote: Yada, yada, yada.
Grace and peace to you, myth-one.
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Re: How are we to be like God?
Post #77What kind of life might a spirit have?PinSeeker wrote: Well, I'm claiming to have spiritual life -- not to "be a spirit".
Perhaps spiritual life?
So during the time that you are not living, you are nonetheless "alive."PinSeeker wrote: And that I will be alive eternally -- not "living eternally".
Yes, we can agree that your misunderstanding is staggering!PinSeeker wrote:Wow. Such misunderstanding.
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Re: How are we to be like God?
Post #78So, you have multiple personalities? Well if that's true, that would explain some things...myth-one.com wrote: Yes, we can agree that your misunderstanding is staggering!
Aside from that, I'm not the one claiming we'll all be like Casper the Friendly Ghost someday. I say we'll be like Jesus, which... is what the Bible says. And what we can do now (since we are saved) is be Jesus to our neighbors, which... is what Jesus tells us to do.
Grace and peace to you, myth-one.
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Re: How are we to be like God?
Post #79The Bible describes only two types of beings, physical and spiritual:PinSeeker wrote: . . . I'm not the one claiming we'll all be like Casper the Friendly Ghost someday. I say we'll be like Jesus, which... is what the Bible says. And what we can do now (since we are saved) is be Jesus to our neighbors, which... is what Jesus tells us to do.
Grace and peace to you, myth-one.
There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. (I Corinthians 15:44)
There are two body types, physical and spiritual and they are different. Each of these body types requires a separate and distinct birth:
The natural body comes first and is then followed by the spiritual body:That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (John 3:6)
Paul is addressing Christians in Corinthians.Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. (I Corinthians 15:46)
So the first body Christians have is our natural, physical bodies.
The second body we will have is a spiritual body. (or Casper as you call it).
The natural body comes first and the spiritual body comes last because once a spiritual body is born, it lasts for eternity.
So all of mankind will be born as natural bodied beings.
Only those of mankind who accept Jesus as their Savior will be born again with everlasting spiritual bodies at the second Coming.
That's what your Bible states.
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When you say we will be like Jesus, do you mean Christians will be natural, physical, flesh and blood beings eternally?
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Post #80
* born again of the Holy Spirit, because of His quickening (making alive) of our spirit (again, Ezekiel gives us a great picture of this in chapter 36 of his prophecy ["I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances" vv.26-27])
This is good and true. Especially the last sentence.
This is good and true. Especially the last sentence.