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?

[brianbbs67]

We are not just a body, but body, soul, and spirit.

Like the other animals?:

For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. (Ecclesiastes 3:19-20)

Man fears the unknown. Mankind's most obvious fear is death. Death is the one thing we cannot try out on a test basis. You are either dead or alive. Furthermore, you cannot discuss death with someone who has experienced it.

We see decaying dead animals and know that our bodies end up likewise. The part we do not understand is our personalities, our thinking processes, our emotions, our non-physical processes. These are the processes which many believe separates us from the other animals. We even give it a name, calling it our "soul," and assigning to each soul eternal life. Thus, we fight out fear of death by denying it.

From The Random House College Dictionary, the noun soul is defined as follows:

1. The principle of life, feeling, thought, and action in man, regarded as a distinct entity separate from the body; the spiritual part of man as distinct from the physical part.
2. The spiritual part of man regarded in its moral aspect, or as capable of surviving death and subject to happiness or misery in a life to come.

So not only did Satan lie to mankind when he stated, "Ye shall not surely die," mankind still believes the lie and has a word defining that part of man which lives forever!

In the Old Testament, the scriptures inspired by God used the Hebrew word "nephesh" when referring to both man and other animals.

Translators decided to translate this one word into multiple words, thus distinguishing between man and animals by assigning immortality to man as an immortal soul or spirit.

They knew or sensed that man is born as an immortal spirit living within a physical body. Satan sanctioned their false belief through his lie that, "Ye shall not surely die."

This is the mechanism by which Satan sealed the scriptures from man's understanding.

That is, If man has an immortal soul, then death does not apply to man.

Thus death must be interpreted to be something other than death! This 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.

If we all live forever, we must live somewhere. So believers go to heaven eternally while nonbelievers are tormented eternally in the lake of fire.

Thus Christianity is destroyed until shortly before the Second Coming, when the scriptures will be unsealed and mankind will learn the truth:

And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. (John 8:32)

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To be "born again"into eternity, we must first be "begotten again" while still living this mortal life in this mortal body.

No human will ever be "born again" if they have not first been "begotten again", just as no human will ever be born into this mortal life without first having been begotten.

begotten: brought into existence

born: existing as a result of birth.

Jesus said we must be born of water (flesh) and the Spirit.

You're saying we must be:

1. begotten of flesh
2. born of flesh
3. begotten of the Spirit
4. and born again of the Spirit

So Jesus left out some steps?

You are correct about Nephesh. We don't so much have a soul as we are a living soul. Nephesh is literally dirt and the breath of God. God's breath returns to Him when we die and we turn back to dirt. Unless our personage is remembered by Him we are no more.

[myth-one.com]

What happens to anyone who is not born of the Spirit? They perish.

Any human who is not born again of the Spirit will suffer their quick and permanent second death.

Is John 3 the only time Jesus talked about what was essential to avoid that and thus become able to enter the kingdom with eternal life?

He said it twice in John chapter 3.

How many times should He say it? You can search the Bible if you want to look for more.

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Man was created with two differences between him and the angels: knowledge of good and evil and body type.

Upon eating from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, there is now only one difference between man and the angels. That difference is body type -- natural versus spiritual.

Thus the only way for man to conquer death and become equal unto the angels is to become a spiritual being.

One becomes a spiritual bodied being by being born of the Spirit.

That would be man's second birth. Thus we must be born again.

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Those who believe in Jesus have their names written in the Book of life as inheritors unto salvation.

They will receive their inheritance at the Second Coming when resurrected to everlasting spiritual bodied life. That is when they will be born again as spirits.

They will then spend the Millennium with Jesus.

The Great White Throne Judgment occurs after the Millennium.

After judgment the Book of Life is checked again! Those whose names are in it then, will also be born again as Spirits.

Those whose names are not in the Book of Life are cast into the lake of fire and quickly perish.

So the billions who never heard the gospel good news of salvation will hear it and make their choice between life or death at that time. That is when the Great Commission will be accomplished.

Death and the grave are then destroyed because there are no more humans to die and be buried.

[myth-one.com]

You are correct about Nephesh. We don't so much have a soul as we are a living soul. Nephesh is literally dirt and the breath of God. God's breath returns to Him when we die and we turn back to dirt. Unless our personage is remembered by Him we are no more.

The better translation of nephesh is "a living being that breathes."

In the New Testament, the corresponding Greek word used is "psuche."

Psuche is correctly translated into English as a living being that breathes.

There is no hint that either word implies any immortality.

The fact that these beings breathe implies that they are mortal.

When they stop breathing -- they die.

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And it appears that the same "breath of life" was breathed into all air breathing animals.

And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.

And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life.

[Checkpoint]

[Replying to post 90 by myth-one.com]


Checkpoint wrote:

What happens to anyone who is not born of the Spirit? They perish.

myth-one wrote

Any human who is not born again of the Spirit will suffer their quick and permanent second death.

As will anyone who does not repent.

Luke 13:

3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
5 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.

Checkpoint wrote:

Is John 3 the only time Jesus talked about what was essential to avoid that and thus
become able to enter the kingdom with eternal life?

myth-one wrote:

He said it twice in John chapter 3.

How many times should He say it? You can search the Bible if you want to look for more.

Jesus said many things about many things.

Twice he said "born-again" and twice he said "repent".

Failure to do what he said has the same result.

Because it is the same message, in different words.

[myth-one.com]

[Replying to post 92 by Checkpoint]

The only path to everlasting like is to be born again as a spirit.

The only way to be born again as a spirit is to get one's name in the Book of Life.

The only way to get one's name in the Book of Life is to accept Jesus as one's Savior.

Repenting is typically part of what brings one to the point of believing in Jesus as one's Savior.

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But prior to Jesus' crucifixion, the only path to salvation was to remain sinless. Thus one either had to never sin, or be forgiven somehow for their sins.

But every man except Jesus had sinned.

Therefore, repentance and forgiveness was required.

But they still have to be born again, regardless.

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Repent: To feel or express sincere regret or remorse about one's wrongdoing or sin.

I've never been born again as a spiritual bodied being.

But it seems like I've been repenting all my life.

[onewithhim]

[Replying to post 78 by brianbbs67]

Yes, true. But what are your thoughts on that? What and why do you like the last sentence?

[onewithhim]

* 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.

Nowhere in Ezekiel is anyone said to be born again of the Spirit.

Ezekiel is talking about what is an essential part of the good news.

About, not our future body, but the entry of God's Spirit into our spirit, in this body and in this life.

It is an essential experience, without which no one will have a body fitted for eternity.

No human body will ever be fit for eternity.

That is why we must be born again into an eternal spiritual body.

That is what Jesus states in the Bible.

We are not just a body, but body, soul, and spirit.

I did not say a "human body"(by which you appear to mean a "mortal body").

To be "born again"into eternity, we must first be "begotten again" while still living this mortal life in this mortal body.

No human will ever be "born again" if they have not first been "begotten again", just as no human will ever be born into this mortal life without first having been begotten.

It's funny that myth says that "no human body will be fit for eternity." What were Adam and Eve facing, before they disobeyed and took the fruit? Ever-lasting life here on Earth with human bodies. If they hadn't taken the fruit off that one tree, they would still be here! Jesus wouldn't have had to have come!

I find it interesting and pleasant that you, Checkpoint, refer to being "begotten" into this life. The meaning is clear. To be "begotten" is to be born, or, brought into existence. What is said of Jesus himself? Before the universe was, he was "begotten" by God. He "came into existence" by the hands-on work of Jehovah God. That should show the trinitarians who believe that Jesus always existed, that he had a beginning when he was "begotten" before anything else.

Anyway, once again, we are like God in that people want to decide for themselves what is good and bad. Jehovah has the sole right to make decisions about what is good or bad, but humans wanted to be LIKE GOD HIMSELF and dictate to themselves what the rules were. THAT is how we humans are "like God," and those of us who love God will leave that alone and keep listening to Him through His Word.





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[onewithhim]

* 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.

Nowhere in Ezekiel is anyone said to be born again of the Spirit.

Does God's spirit not count? Chapters 36-37 talk of nothing but God putting His spirit in us.

Ezekiel 36 and 37 speak of Jehovah giving people "a new spirit inside" them, and "removing" the hearts of stone, to cause Israel to walk in his regulations. This refers to each person's impelling mental inclination, and how they need to change their inclinations to better align themselves with Jehovah's Spirit. There is nothing there about being "born again." This was necessary only after Jesus came to call the nation of Israel to be his co-rulers in heaven, as this special position was not available in times past. No one was called to heaven before Jesus came and sacrificed his life.

"No man has ascended into heaven but the one who descended from heaven, the Son of man." (John 3:13)

Jesus would be the FIRST to die and then ascend to heaven. So, therefore, the Jews in Ezekiel's day could not be "born again" to go to heaven.


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[PinSeeker]

...I've been repenting all my life.

Then you have been reborn spiritually -- you have a regenerate heart; previously, you were spiritually dead -- and are thus a Christian. With man this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible. This is the life-giving work of the Holy Spirit.

In John 3, Jesus, in telling Nicodemus that being born again -- being born of water and the Spirit -- is necessary to see the Kingdom of God, was clearly speaking of something that must happen in this life, before physical death. In verse eight specifically, he said:

• "Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit."

He grounded this spiritual rebirth in the present conscious being of the person, in terms of not hearing or knowing where the Spirit comes from or goes. By inference, the person is aware of it after it happens... in this life.

[onewithhim]

[Replying to post 88 by Checkpoint]

You say that anyone who is not born of the spirit will perish. Not so. There are millions of people today that do not hold the heavenly hope, and they will not perish. The ones with the heavenly hope will rule OVER the ones on earth. There is just a relatively small number of people called to heaven. Their purpose is to guide mankind on the earth to clean up the polluted and crowded earth and make it a paradise. Jesus will direct it all.

I am not "born again," and I look forward to life on Earth forever.



(BTW, what about all the people who died BEFORE Jesus came? They will all permanently perish? No one was called to heaven before Jesus, so what about Abraham and David and Abel and Noah, etc.?)



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