"you got mail!"

 

Gentle reader,

 From time to time I get e mails from those interested in what the Bible says (I mean really who on earth would be interested in a book some 2000+ years old that nobody reads and the author doesn't exist (according to many today))? Anyway here are some questions I found in my to be answered file.

Hi Denis: In the Bible study of January 16, 2007 in "Another Look at the Scripture" it says: "It would seem, then, that the Greek does not have Jesus saying, 'If I want him to stay behind till I come' but 'If I want him to stay behind while I am coming.'" This sounds good (doesn't it always when we use Greek) until we turn to another place in Scripture and read:"Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is"(1 John 3:2). The point being, Jesus returns in glory, and those whom He receives are received into glory. John knows this, of course, and testifies "when He is revealed we shall be like Him." Paul says the same thing to the Colossians:"When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory" (Colossians 3:4). It would not appear that the idea "I want him to stay behind while I am coming"garners much support from Scripture in any language. Thanks for your continued efforts to the Bible Study Group. We pray for you and yours in the spirit of Romans 1:9. In Christ, Arthur Melanson.

Denis says:

Arthur has a very good point. As I see it, the word, "glory" (Gr. doxan) actually means the true estimate of a thing. Whenever the first century believers were received up into "glory," they were manifested as who they really were. This is judgment is the Great White Throne or Judgment seat of Christ. John was saying that the Lord Jesus would be manifested or revealed as who He really was and that believers would be in that same light. They would appear with Him in "glory" or the manifestation of their true character. The judgment fires would burn away that which was surface (wood, hey and stubble). And for that which was valuable (gold, silver and precious stone), the person's work would be manifested for what it truly was. This was "glory." You may talk for hours about the light that comes from a light bulb and never truly understand the "glory" of it until someone places it in an electrical outlet and turns the current on. When the light bulb shines... you behold it's glory or the purpose for which it was designed. It was made for the glory. So are you.

Bonnie says:

Dear Doctor Denis, I would like to reply to the question and some of the comments in this weeks e-mail Bible Study. I have been raised to believe that if you haven't accepted Jesus Christ as your Saviour before you leave this world that you will be eternally separated from the Father. I am not a Bible scholar by any means. I definitely am still "a work in progress." But the Word says, "Love NEVER fails." It also says, "ALL have sinned and fallen short..." That means that we and those before and after us enter this world through the way of the flesh covered by sin, in need of our redeemer to save us. Having said that, how could God who is "Love" create a world such as ours, who says that nothing is impossible with Him and that He makes a WAY where there seems to be NO WAY? How could He in anyway allow 3/4 of His creation to plunge into eternal doom if LOVE NEVER FAILS? Why would He send His ONLY SON to save the World if He couldn't save it from the start? He would have to be a liar. And the Word says that He is not a man that He should lie. I am still trying to get all this in my spirit and understand some new things for myself, but God is God and I believe that He can do anything, and I believe that if He says it He'll do it and no old or new doctrine can change who God is. We need saving everyday, satan receives way too much credit, if we look within ourselves we'll find that we cause most of our own problems. Satan is just not that clever.

Denis says:

Job also says to his skeptical and nagging wife, "Shall we accept good from God and not trouble?" God is not loosing the battle against "evil." It may seem that "evil" is the strongest and that "good" is left on the back burner for most of the inhabitants of the world. However, the last chapter will have all the corrections in it. Our responsibility is not to lean on our limited understanding of these hidden things. God knows the invisible end of things while we are looking at the very visible beginning. God's ultimate purpose is to be "all in all." That leaves no one out of the equation. You have presented so many questions that we must answer them one by one. I shall list the questions and maybe others will comment with me on them:

If you haven't accepted Jesus Christ as your Saviour before you leave this world, will you be eternally separated from the Father?

How could God who is "Love" create a world such as ours, full of sinners? He says that nothing is impossible with Him and that He makes a WAY where there seems to be NO WAY? How could He in any way allow 3/4 of His creation to plunge into eternal doom if LOVE NEVER FAILS?

Why would He send His ONLY SON to save the World if He couldn't save it from the start? He would have to be a liar. And the Word says that He is not a man that He should lie.

Do we need saving everyday?

Do we cause most of our own problems or is Satan to blame?

Write your questions and get real answers from a real person in real time! Too many reals?

Love, Denis