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Very interesting question! I once watched the testimony of a university professor who was an atheist and died in a hospital from some kind of acute condition. He said first he found himself outside his body but was unable to get the attention of his wife who was crying by his bedside... Then he said these people in the hallway started calling him by name so he followed them down the hallway. They looked like regular people and at first they were kind to him.. Then he said the hallway grew darker and the people started to become mean to him...
Then they started punching him and tearing at his flesh and were laughing and taunting him. He was now in complete darkeness while they tortured him. He instinctively cried out "help me God!" and he said as soon as he said that, they immediately backed away, but then soon they started torturing him again... So he started yelling "help me God!" And each time he yelled, they backed away a little more until they were gone... Then he saw a tiny light in the distance...
To make a long story short, he encountered the immense love of God before he found himself back in his body and he now believes 110%. There is a video of it on youtube. This took place in the 80's or 90's. I'll try to find it..
Found it. There are 2 parts... Here's part 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLimoqZUWgw
Part 2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tC0VOx4M5ZE
Then they started punching him and tearing at his flesh and were laughing and taunting him. He was now in complete darkeness while they tortured him. He instinctively cried out "help me God!" and he said as soon as he said that, they immediately backed away, but then soon they started torturing him again... So he started yelling "help me God!" And each time he yelled, they backed away a little more until they were gone... Then he saw a tiny light in the distance...
To make a long story short, he encountered the immense love of God before he found himself back in his body and he now believes 110%. There is a video of it on youtube. This took place in the 80's or 90's. I'll try to find it..
Found it. There are 2 parts... Here's part 1:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLimoqZUWgw
Part 2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tC0VOx4M5ZE
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Grace is given because the Father has mercy on us and causes us to be born agian by grace, now that we have been set free from sin we receive His propitiaion by faith
Romans 3:21-31 “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
We are justified by God's grace as a gift to His people, now that they have been jusitifed by faith they receive the propitiation or it's bemifits. Being righteous we need to live by faith, Romans 1:17 “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
This helps bring a better understanding to Ephesians 2:5c & 8, 5c “by grace you have been saved” we are saved/justified by grace now that we have been made righteous we receive Christ's propitiation be faith or being justified we live by faith as Paul said in
Romans 1:17 "the righteous shall live by faith" This is why Paul says in
Ephesians 2:8“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,”
Because we are saved by grace and continue in that grace through faith and this is not because of your faith, that would be our on doing and it is not because it is a gift of God, Paul explains it more in Romans 3:27-31
“27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith.28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,30 since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.”
Because it is a gift of God you cannot say you did something to get it that has been excluded because it is a gift. Our faith does not bring grace, our faith is a result of the grace given to us, Romans 12:3c, “each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.4 For as in one body we have many members,” 6a “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us,”
Everyone in the body of Christ has been given faith, that another reason boasting is excluded, because even the faith we have is assigned by God. I do not understand why so many want to make the gift that God has gien us into a work of righteousness that we produce. Some would say how is faitha work? Faith and believe are the same thing and we see that Jesus tells us that the work that the Fathre wants is for us to believe.
John 6:29 “Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” To show that the Father does not want your faith to bring His grace. Titus 3:4-7
“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
We are not saved by works of righteousness done by us, we are save according to God's own mercy or "His pity on us or act of compassion towards us" How? by the washing of regeneration or His causing us to be born again (I Peter 1:3). We are washed by regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. We are "washed" the Greek word is "LOUTRON, a bath, a laver, is used metaphorically of the Word of God, as the instument of spiritual cleasing." Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament, "Washing" BAGD.
We are "regenerated", the Greek word is "PALINGENESIA" which means "NEW BIRTH (palin, again, genesis, birth), is used of spiritual regeneration, involving the communication of a new life, the two operating powers to produce which are "the word of truth," James 1:18, I Peter 1:23, and the Holy Spirit John 3:5-6, Vine's.
We are also renewed by the Holy Spirit, the word "renewal" in the Greek "ANAKAINŌSIS "renovation, complete change for the better" Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon. This is the same word used in Romans 12:2 “but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” With this there are portions of Scripture that bring it all together, with renewal in both Romans 12:2 and Titus 3:5, the word washing is in Titus 3:5 and Ephesians 5:26b “having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,”
With James 1:18 & I Peter 1:23 having the Word of God as part of the rebirth and John 3:5-6. Looking at these Scriptures we see that James tells us that it is by His will 1:18a “Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth,” and we need to be born again to see the kingdom. John 3:3 “Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” With I Peter 1:3 telling us, “he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”
With Titus saying that the washing is part of continued Christian life by continually indwelling us with the Holy Spirit and Romans 12:2b that we are continually renewing our minds. Ephesians 1:13 wraps it all up, “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,” Notice you were in Him when you heard and believed.
Romans 3:21-31 “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
We are justified by God's grace as a gift to His people, now that they have been jusitifed by faith they receive the propitiation or it's bemifits. Being righteous we need to live by faith, Romans 1:17 “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
This helps bring a better understanding to Ephesians 2:5c & 8, 5c “by grace you have been saved” we are saved/justified by grace now that we have been made righteous we receive Christ's propitiation be faith or being justified we live by faith as Paul said in
Romans 1:17 "the righteous shall live by faith" This is why Paul says in
Ephesians 2:8“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,”
Because we are saved by grace and continue in that grace through faith and this is not because of your faith, that would be our on doing and it is not because it is a gift of God, Paul explains it more in Romans 3:27-31
“27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith.28 For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also,30 since God is one—who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.”
Because it is a gift of God you cannot say you did something to get it that has been excluded because it is a gift. Our faith does not bring grace, our faith is a result of the grace given to us, Romans 12:3c, “each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.4 For as in one body we have many members,” 6a “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us,”
Everyone in the body of Christ has been given faith, that another reason boasting is excluded, because even the faith we have is assigned by God. I do not understand why so many want to make the gift that God has gien us into a work of righteousness that we produce. Some would say how is faitha work? Faith and believe are the same thing and we see that Jesus tells us that the work that the Fathre wants is for us to believe.
John 6:29 “Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” To show that the Father does not want your faith to bring His grace. Titus 3:4-7
“But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”
We are not saved by works of righteousness done by us, we are save according to God's own mercy or "His pity on us or act of compassion towards us" How? by the washing of regeneration or His causing us to be born again (I Peter 1:3). We are washed by regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. We are "washed" the Greek word is "LOUTRON, a bath, a laver, is used metaphorically of the Word of God, as the instument of spiritual cleasing." Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament, "Washing" BAGD.
We are "regenerated", the Greek word is "PALINGENESIA" which means "NEW BIRTH (palin, again, genesis, birth), is used of spiritual regeneration, involving the communication of a new life, the two operating powers to produce which are "the word of truth," James 1:18, I Peter 1:23, and the Holy Spirit John 3:5-6, Vine's.
We are also renewed by the Holy Spirit, the word "renewal" in the Greek "ANAKAINŌSIS "renovation, complete change for the better" Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon. This is the same word used in Romans 12:2 “but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” With this there are portions of Scripture that bring it all together, with renewal in both Romans 12:2 and Titus 3:5, the word washing is in Titus 3:5 and Ephesians 5:26b “having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,”
With James 1:18 & I Peter 1:23 having the Word of God as part of the rebirth and John 3:5-6. Looking at these Scriptures we see that James tells us that it is by His will 1:18a “Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth,” and we need to be born again to see the kingdom. John 3:3 “Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” With I Peter 1:3 telling us, “he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,”
With Titus saying that the washing is part of continued Christian life by continually indwelling us with the Holy Spirit and Romans 12:2b that we are continually renewing our minds. Ephesians 1:13 wraps it all up, “In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,” Notice you were in Him when you heard and believed.
Yes by and through his faith not of our own we have none of our own . A person must be born again. whenever we see the word faith we would have to ask ourselves.Whose?
Deuteronomy 32:20 And he said, I will hide my face from them, I will see what their end shall be: for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.
The froward generation is the generation of natural man .
Because you only need a short time to consider the Message of God and the offer of His Atonement for your eternal salvation...
Once a person has rejected the Message of God and His loving offer of forgiveness then they have rejected the only way to be Redeemed from destruction..
Faith in God is important for us humans because we cannot ever come to full understanding of God.. So we must have trust in God for the things He does and has done knowing that He has a good reason for all the things He has done.. Trusting that the wisdom of God is perfect even when we cannot understand why..
Once a person has rejected the Message of God and His loving offer of forgiveness then they have rejected the only way to be Redeemed from destruction..
Faith in God is important for us humans because we cannot ever come to full understanding of God.. So we must have trust in God for the things He does and has done knowing that He has a good reason for all the things He has done.. Trusting that the wisdom of God is perfect even when we cannot understand why..
Why faith is somewhat of a mystery and I doubt this side of the grave we will fully understand the why - all we can do is accept what the scripture says:
Heb 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
1 Pet 1:7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
1 Pet 1:8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
Heb 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
1 Pet 1:7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;
1 Pet 1:8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
Ok, so educate me on how the genre makes this a historical narrative. Regardless whether the fruit is an edible product that upon consumption caused guilt or is merely guilt generated by being taught the difference of right and wrong, the sacrifices animal or Messianic psychologically relinquishes it, and restores us to the Heavenly Father.
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