Don't Put God In A Box
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i'm questioning those people if they are indeed Christians because Christians KNOW that you CAN'T pick & choose what you want to believe in. they should read & learn Ephesians 1:5 teaching on predestination. the word means "to mark off or choose BEFORE". God chooses those he know will participate in His plan of salvation & extends it to all who respond in faith".
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No, not true at all. Putting God in a box is the multitude of limitations we put on God for our lack of faith, severely limited knowledge & understandinding of His Word, & even our purposeful disobedience limits Him from blessing us. WE PUT GOD IN A BOX of limitations.
Especially today, many christians limit God by unbelief that His gifts are still for the church.
Especially today, many christians limit God by unbelief that His gifts are still for the church.
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No, that is not what it means. Not even close.
I am glad you made this post, though. I had just assumed the everyone understood what it means to "never put God in a box."
It means that we should never set parameters on what God can or cannot do. We don't put a fence around God like we do for horses and cows. God can do what He wants where He wants how He wants.
The Bible is God's Word to man teaching man how to live, not vice-vesa.
I am glad you made this post, though. I had just assumed the everyone understood what it means to "never put God in a box."
It means that we should never set parameters on what God can or cannot do. We don't put a fence around God like we do for horses and cows. God can do what He wants where He wants how He wants.
The Bible is God's Word to man teaching man how to live, not vice-vesa.
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I believe what @ResidentAlien is getting at is that people, instead of knowing God through the written word, ignorantly believe that God can do anything that He wants.
The truth is we can understand Our Father by reading the scriptures. The written word is quite clear about what God can or cannot do. For example: God cannot lie, He cannot speak meaningless words, He will not tolerate other gods, He will always be faithful, etc. These, of course, are limits He imposed upon Himself. Men cannot change Him.
A god that does whatever he wants whenever he wants is capricious. That god is more like a Greek god or like Allah of the muslims.
Do you see?
The truth is we can understand Our Father by reading the scriptures. The written word is quite clear about what God can or cannot do. For example: God cannot lie, He cannot speak meaningless words, He will not tolerate other gods, He will always be faithful, etc. These, of course, are limits He imposed upon Himself. Men cannot change Him.
A god that does whatever he wants whenever he wants is capricious. That god is more like a Greek god or like Allah of the muslims.
Do you see?
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Let's agree to agree on that much.
I don't want people to be shocked when they see Him coming down with an iron rod in His hand.
Isaiah 45:7 Context
4For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me. 5I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: 6That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else. 7I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. 8Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it. 9Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands? 10Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth?
I don't want people to be shocked when they see Him coming down with an iron rod in His hand.
Isaiah 45:7 Context
4For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me. 5I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: 6That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else. 7I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. 8Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it. 9Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands? 10Woe unto him that saith unto his father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, What hast thou brought forth?
“the Spirit must be given first place and the Bible second place. “
“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.”
John 6:63, 67-69 KJV
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
John 5:24 KJV
The Bible brother is what the Holy Spirit has said to man is the thing the spirit isn’t seperate from the word of Christ it is the spirit and the means by which one receives the spirit
the word of the gospel is how the spirit gets into one’s heart and when we don’t start with what God actually said ( written in The Bible ) we tend to create God to be how we think he should be rether than how the Holy Spirit has said he is in the Bible
the word of Christ will always agree with the spirit of Christ and the spirit will always speak and remind of the words of Christ
“Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
John 14:23-26 KJV
The thing is the Holy Spirit preached the gospel and said if we hear and believe we’re going to be filled with the spirit of Christ and be saved
So we can’t say put the spirit before the word or the word before the spirit the bible is the word of the Holy Spirit
Not just people’s own opinions or interpretations but what sets the words in the Bible apart is that they were of the Holy Ghost
We actually want to build our faith in God with and upon the Bible’s information because
“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. ( it’s not of men’s design or device )
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
2 Peter 1:19-21 KJV
to know God we need to hear his word and believe and then we can believe the truth about Jesus that the Holy Ghost inspired true holy men to write down a the chosen witnesses of God to all the world tha what the New Testament is the apostles witness of Jesus to the world
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved;
but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
Mark 16:15-16 KJV
It’s meant to be witnessed to all creation whata written in the Bible and when we first learn about Jesus from other ideas and explainations it causes us to be at odds with what’s really written when we hear it in the Bible
its why so many disagree with what Jesus says about salvation , yet claim to be saved regardless of what the lord and savior said about being saved
because we learn about a Jesus that doesn’t agree with the one in the Bible but the biblical Jesus d the biblical gospel what it really is and it’s importance is this
“And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.
And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.”
1 John 5:19-20
Thats what the gospel is the true understanding of the true and only God nd the way we can know him is to hear and believe the gospel of Jesus Christ his son written in scripture
Right doctrine bout the lord is this important , and we’re going to always find it in scripture
“Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. A
He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”
2 John 1:9-11 KJV
the Bible is really important because it’s what we know God has actually said through chosen witnesses concerning eternal salvation of mankind
It is the most important of formation in n all creation given to mankind and should be what faith is built upon
What I find is when people don’t agree with what the Bible teaches some will change repent and agree with what they learn that’s new and others will reject it and try to make it not as important so they don’t have to change what they thought
“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.”
John 6:63, 67-69 KJV
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
John 5:24 KJV
The Bible brother is what the Holy Spirit has said to man is the thing the spirit isn’t seperate from the word of Christ it is the spirit and the means by which one receives the spirit
the word of the gospel is how the spirit gets into one’s heart and when we don’t start with what God actually said ( written in The Bible ) we tend to create God to be how we think he should be rether than how the Holy Spirit has said he is in the Bible
the word of Christ will always agree with the spirit of Christ and the spirit will always speak and remind of the words of Christ
“Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
John 14:23-26 KJV
The thing is the Holy Spirit preached the gospel and said if we hear and believe we’re going to be filled with the spirit of Christ and be saved
So we can’t say put the spirit before the word or the word before the spirit the bible is the word of the Holy Spirit
Not just people’s own opinions or interpretations but what sets the words in the Bible apart is that they were of the Holy Ghost
We actually want to build our faith in God with and upon the Bible’s information because
“We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. ( it’s not of men’s design or device )
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”
2 Peter 1:19-21 KJV
to know God we need to hear his word and believe and then we can believe the truth about Jesus that the Holy Ghost inspired true holy men to write down a the chosen witnesses of God to all the world tha what the New Testament is the apostles witness of Jesus to the world
“And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved;
but he that believeth not shall be damned.”
Mark 16:15-16 KJV
It’s meant to be witnessed to all creation whata written in the Bible and when we first learn about Jesus from other ideas and explainations it causes us to be at odds with what’s really written when we hear it in the Bible
its why so many disagree with what Jesus says about salvation , yet claim to be saved regardless of what the lord and savior said about being saved
because we learn about a Jesus that doesn’t agree with the one in the Bible but the biblical Jesus d the biblical gospel what it really is and it’s importance is this
“And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.
And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life.”
1 John 5:19-20
Thats what the gospel is the true understanding of the true and only God nd the way we can know him is to hear and believe the gospel of Jesus Christ his son written in scripture
Right doctrine bout the lord is this important , and we’re going to always find it in scripture
“Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. A
He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.”
2 John 1:9-11 KJV
the Bible is really important because it’s what we know God has actually said through chosen witnesses concerning eternal salvation of mankind
It is the most important of formation in n all creation given to mankind and should be what faith is built upon
What I find is when people don’t agree with what the Bible teaches some will change repent and agree with what they learn that’s new and others will reject it and try to make it not as important so they don’t have to change what they thought
Sure, but we must continue reading...
"God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person..."
This is not that God has changed, but that He revealed more of Himself to men.
Today, the Jews do not think of God as their father, Abraham is their father. This is part of the blindness that covers their "eyes" because they did not receive the Son who came.
In your example, ironically, a rod symbolizes an unwavering standard by which all things are measured. If the Son is the standard, and He is, then He is a set measure unaffected by time or space.
Furthermore, a loving Father that wants to be known by His children. How are we to have "the mind of Christ" if He never shared His mind?
"God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person..."
This is not that God has changed, but that He revealed more of Himself to men.
Today, the Jews do not think of God as their father, Abraham is their father. This is part of the blindness that covers their "eyes" because they did not receive the Son who came.
In your example, ironically, a rod symbolizes an unwavering standard by which all things are measured. If the Son is the standard, and He is, then He is a set measure unaffected by time or space.
Furthermore, a loving Father that wants to be known by His children. How are we to have "the mind of Christ" if He never shared His mind?
The trend towards dismissing sound doctrine began with the Charismatics. Anyone could join the Charismatic Movement, whether they were Pentecostal, Baptist, Anglican, or even Catholic. People could hold on to their false beliefs and still speak in so-called tongues. In fact it was an Anglican clergyman who got this ball rolling. And now we have many radio and TV preachers promoting false teachings daily and also raking in big bucks.
Nonetheless, without sound doctrine there can be no Bible Christianity. Right now we have people on this forum claiming all sorts of SUPERNATRUAL things for water baptism (as one example). Why? because they are not solidly grounded in Gospel Truth and have been indoctrinated into false teachings. Then we have the Calvinists and their false gospel. They would rather die on that hill than reject Five Point Calvinism. Again, it is the result of indoctrination.
Bible Christianity must begin with a solid doctrine of God as found in Scripture. Every Christian needs to invest in Nave's Topical Bible (KJV) to see this doctrine presented in full detail. Indeed God speaks for Himself directly many times and tells us exactly who He is, and that His thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are His ways our ways. Yet even though God and Christ have given us a huge revelation of themselves, ultimately no mere mortal can comprehend the Almighty. God is LOVE, God is LIFE, and God is LIGHT without limits.
Nonetheless, without sound doctrine there can be no Bible Christianity. Right now we have people on this forum claiming all sorts of SUPERNATRUAL things for water baptism (as one example). Why? because they are not solidly grounded in Gospel Truth and have been indoctrinated into false teachings. Then we have the Calvinists and their false gospel. They would rather die on that hill than reject Five Point Calvinism. Again, it is the result of indoctrination.
Bible Christianity must begin with a solid doctrine of God as found in Scripture. Every Christian needs to invest in Nave's Topical Bible (KJV) to see this doctrine presented in full detail. Indeed God speaks for Himself directly many times and tells us exactly who He is, and that His thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are His ways our ways. Yet even though God and Christ have given us a huge revelation of themselves, ultimately no mere mortal can comprehend the Almighty. God is LOVE, God is LIFE, and God is LIGHT without limits.
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