How are we to be like God?

[AdHoc]

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?

[PinSeeker]

The simple Biblical facts are these:

• * All people regardless of age have souls, both in this life and after.
  
  * Some are dead in their sin, but this may not be permanent; they may yet repent and believe. If, up to and through the first (physical) death, they remain in this state of death, they will be resurrected (reunited with their physical bodies), and upon Judgment, be sent into "outer darkness" and put under the eternal judgment of God, which is the second death. They will not cease to exist.
  
  * Others, having once been dead in their sin, are regenerate of God by His Holy Spirit. These are God's elect, and this state is permanent, even after the first (physical) death and up to and through the resurrection (reuniting with their physical bodies) and subsequent Judgment. These will not experience the second death.

Because they are simple truths does not make them easy truths. They are in fact very hard truths, but truths just the same.

Grace and peace to you all.

[myth-one.com]

The simple Biblical facts are these:

• * All people regardless of age have souls, both in this life and after.
  
  * Some are dead in their sin, but this may not be permanent; they may yet repent and believe. If, up to and through the first (physical) death, they remain in this state of death, they will be resurrected (reunited with their physical bodies), and upon Judgment, be sent into "outer darkness" and put under the eternal judgment of God, which is the second death. They will not cease to exist.
  
  * Others, having once been dead in their sin, are regenerate of God by His Holy Spirit. These are God's elect, and this state is permanent, even after the first (physical) death and up to and through the resurrection (reuniting with their physical bodies) and subsequent Judgment. These will not experience the second death.

Because they are simple truths does not make them easy truths. They are in fact very hard truths, but truths just the same.

Grace and peace to you all.

Before addressing your "facts" two and three, what is your definition of "soul"?

I would say that all people regardless of age have physical human bodies.

[myth-one.com]

[Replying to post 112 by myth-one.com]

That's because the scriptures are sealed from their understanding.

They are sealed due to the initial false belief that man is born with an "immortal soul."

This initial false belief that man is born as an immortal soul living within a physical body seals the remainder of the Bible from man's understanding.

This "immortal soul myth" contradicts the Bible, which states that the unsaved die, perish, and are lost and gone for eternity. That is the end, or death, of them. There is no recovery from the second death.

Thus, the remainder of the Bible must then be incorrectly "interpreted" to support this original error which was instilled in mankind in the first few pages of Genesis by Satan:

Another mixed bag; this time of a little truth plus a great exaggeration, and a false claim.

The little truth is that we are not born with an immortal soul. Immortality is not innate, but it is conditional.

The great exaggeration is the assertion that this one error seals the Bible from being understood. It doesn't do that.

The false claim is that the Bible has been sealed for several thousand years, and is today.

The Bible is not closed; it is not sealed, but rather is open to all those with eyes to see and ears to hear, just as Jesus told us.

If one believes they are born with immortality, they cannot understand the scriptures -- which state otherwise. That was my claim.

Yes, immortality is optional based on whether or not one accepts Jesus as their Savior.

The scriptures are sealed unto the time of the end.

[Checkpoint]

The simple Biblical facts are these:

• * All people regardless of age have souls, both in this life and after.
  
  * Some are dead in their sin, but this may not be permanent; they may yet repent and believe. If, up to and through the first (physical) death, they remain in this state of death, they will be resurrected (reunited with their physical bodies), and upon Judgment, be sent into "outer darkness" and put under the eternal judgment of God, which is the second death. They will not cease to exist.
  
  * Others, having once been dead in their sin, are regenerate of God by His Holy Spirit. These are God's elect, and this state is permanent, even after the first (physical) death and up to and through the resurrection (reuniting with their physical bodies) and subsequent Judgment. These will not experience the second death.

Because they are simple truths does not make them easy truths. They are in fact very hard truths, but truths just the same.

Grace and peace to you all.

Hi again, Pinseeker.

What is it that makes them "truths" rather than "untruths", as you see them, in brief ?

What specifically makes them "very hard truths", do you think?

The Lord bless and keep you.

[Checkpoint]

[Replying to post 112 by myth-one.com]

That's because the scriptures are sealed from their understanding.

They are sealed due to the initial false belief that man is born with an "immortal soul."

This initial false belief that man is born as an immortal soul living within a physical body seals the remainder of the Bible from man's understanding.

This "immortal soul myth" contradicts the Bible, which states that the unsaved die, perish, and are lost and gone for eternity. That is the end, or death, of them. There is no recovery from the second death.

Thus, the remainder of the Bible must then be incorrectly "interpreted" to support this original error which was instilled in mankind in the first few pages of Genesis by Satan:

Another mixed bag; this time of a little truth plus a great exaggeration, and a false claim.

The little truth is that we are not born with an immortal soul. Immortality is not innate, but it is conditional.

The great exaggeration is the assertion that this one error seals the Bible from being understood. It doesn't do that.

The false claim is that the Bible has been sealed for several thousand years, and is today.

The Bible is not closed; it is not sealed, but rather is open to all those with eyes to see and ears to hear, just as Jesus told us.

If one believes they are born with immortality, they cannot understand the scriptures -- which state otherwise. That was my claim.

Yes, immortality is optional based on whether or not one accepts Jesus as their Savior.

The scriptures are sealed unto the time of the end.

Yes, that is your claim, as I said.

No matter how many times you repeat it, it is still a false claim.

[myth-one.com]

The scriptures are sealed unto the time of the end.

Yes, that is your claim, as I said.

No matter how many times you repeat it, it is still a false claim.

But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased. (Daniel 12:4)

And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness. (Isaiah 29:18)

The words of the Bible are sealed until the time of the end.

In this time of the end, shortly before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to the earth, knowledge shall be increased and the scriptures shall be unsealed.

Until that time, man is basically ignorant in regards to the scriptures!

[PinSeeker]

Hi again, Pinseeker.

What is it that makes them "truths" rather than "untruths", as you see them, in brief ?

What specifically makes them "very hard truths", do you think?

The Lord bless and keep you.

Hey, Checkpoint. The Lord bless and keep you also!

I guess the only way to answer the first question is, if God says it, it's true.

To the second, I would say "very hard truths" does not mean "very difficult-to-undertand truths." What I mean is, many people do not want to hear about hell, and/or do not want to accept God's truth about hell. It scares them, it offends them, it's obcene to them... etc. Even believers like me just... well, I shudder at it. It... well, it scares the H-E-double-toothpick out of me. But it's important, even vital to our understanding of the Gospel. Take a look at this if you want:

https://www.ligonier.org/learn/series/hell/

Grace and peace to you.

[Checkpoint]

Hi again, Pinseeker.

What is it that makes them "truths" rather than "untruths", as you see them, in brief ?

What specifically makes them "very hard truths", do you think?

The Lord bless and keep you.

Hey, Checkpoint. The Lord bless and keep you also!

I guess the only way to answer the first question is, if God says it, it's true.

To the second, I would say "very hard truths" does not mean "very difficult-to-undertand truths." What I mean is, many people do not want to hear about hell, and/or do not want to accept God's truth about hell. It scares them, it offends them, it's obcene to them... etc. Even believers like me just... well, I shudder at it. It... well, it scares the H-E-double-toothpick out of me. But it's important, even vital to our understanding of the Gospel. Take a look at this if you want:

https://www.ligonier.org/learn/series/hell/

Grace and peace to you.

Ah yes Pinseeker, what you say here raises questions rather than gives answers, in my opinion.

1) Do we really grasp what "God's truth about hell" actually is?

2) In what way is it "important, even vital, to our understanding of the Gospel"?

3) Why is there such strong, even visceral, reaction to "God's truth about hell", so often expressed by both believers and unbelievers?

(this post starts a new thread)

[TheHolyGhost]

How are we to be like God?

Holy and perfect as He is holy and perfect in heaven.
But none of you can, because none of you are His.