Paula Price

our relationship to Christ is based on our faith, our obedience to his word. for without faith it is impossible to please him. sin can trick us into being disobedient. it can harden us by offering things we may think we need and want. Christian fellowship helps us to resist sin and strengthens our faith. a threefold cord is not easily broken. We need to pray for each other and help each other to overcome sin and to keep each other lifted up in the faith, in the word of God. We need to walk and talk daily with him, that is how we build our relationship with him. Jesus constantly talked and prayed with the father. He did not make a move without prayer. He is our example of all things holy and Godly. He is our example of what is pleasing to God. He is the only way to God.

The bible, is the word of God and it is his instructions to his church on how to live in order to be in his presences and to receive eternal life with him. It is described as being sharp and cuts both ways in that it can sooth and comfort you as well as chastise you when you sin and do wrong to bring you back to him. The word is filled with love to a people who chooses to believe and do the will of the one who made us. But also filled with fire and brimstone for those who do not believe and choose not to follow. We need to continue to expose ourselves to the word of God because he tells us to, for that is where we gain access to him, through his word. If we plant is word in our hearts and live by them we enter into his rest.

Those who continue in the faith and are obedient to God will enter into his rest, which is a promise God makes. the rest is heaven where we will share in the glory of being in the presence of God. The writer is urging the believers, because they are at a point of turning from their faith, they are being tempted by sin to turn their backs on the living God who has been their provider and creator for centuries. He is telling them not to be like their ancestors in the wilderness who did not obey and did not cross over to the promised land but died in the wilderness because of their lack of faith, but do all you can to continue to trust and believe in order to receive the rest that is promised. Apostasy is the turning away or giving up the faith in God. It is a deliberate act of or choosing to not believe and walk in the faith. A falling away into sin is not turning away from God but doing wrong mistaking ,or being tempted, then realizing it and asking for forgiveness and seeking his mercy and grace to not to sin again. God knows we are weak and will sin, but when we repent and turn from sin back to him, he is merciful to us and gives us a way to be redeemed back to him, that way is through Jesus Christ. We are to pray and exalt each other, lift each other up in the faith, so not to fall into sin or apostasy.

the writer is telling the reader to hold on to Christ, who is the example of perfect faithfulness, who walked holy and righteous, even while being tempted by Satan, even during trial and persecution, he never wavered in his faith or his purpose to do the will of God, his father.. If we want to be a part of the promised kingdom, we must continue on in the faith that we say we have and believe in. If we don't we will not enter into the rest that God has promised those of the faith. Those who disobeyed God in the wilderness did not cross over to the promised land that God promised them. Only those who continued trusting and believing and doing the will of God entered. If we live right and do what God requires of us, heaven belongs to us as promised.

In order to redeem man back to God, there needed to be a sacrifice, and since animal blood can not save, only human blood would be acceptable to God, so Jesus was made human to be that sacrifice to redeem man from his sins and bring him back to God. This was always the promise, the savior who was promised throughout the old testament. Man was created by God to praise him and give him glory. He promised Adam eternal paradise as long as he did not eat of a certain tree, the tree of knowledge and when Adam disobeyed God, he introduced sin into to world and man became separated from God. Jesus, God's only son was sent into the world to redeem man from sin and bring him back to God. Jesus in the human form was perfect and knew no sin and was the example for us to follow, to show us that we can overcome sin if we trust and obey God's word. In him we have an advocate to the father to be forgiven of sin when we repent and ask for forgiveness.

In the beginning God made the heavens and the earth. He made man in his image to praise him and glorify him and to worship him for all the things he put under man to care for and to rule over. When Adam disobeyed God, he introduced sin into the word and man was separated from God. Because man is flesh and blood, the only way for man to be reconciled with God again, there needed to be someone without sin to intercede on mans behalf. So God, loving the world so, and full of grace and mercy, sent his son Jesus to earth in the flesh , to redeem man from sin so that he could be reconciled with God the father. Before that, God gave man the law, and they made atonement for their sins by blood sacrifices of innocent lambs or animals. But God planned for a better way to be redeemed and was preparing his chosen people to show the world what was required of them for forgiveness of sin. Jesus is the only way that man can be reconciled to God, the only way to be forgiven of sins. His death on the cross and his resurrection from the grave is our way to salvation. When we hear the word and believe that God raised Jesus from the dead and confess our sins and turn from sin and are baptized, God adds us to His church, and we are once again reconciled to him. We are the kingdom that he made to worship and praise and adore him. Hallelujah for the lamb that was slain for the sins of the world.

Jesus suffered during his life from those who rejected him and what he offered. Those non believers from his own family and friends and town who would talk about him and curse him for being holy and righteousness. He was human, and like us we feel pain and sorrow when we are talked about and scorned and ridiculed and meet with physical violence for our beliefs. the physical pain of his trial and crucifixion are recorded but still unimaginable to fully understand. just like Christ, suffering is the way of a Christian and though it may not be as grafted and painful, it is still something that we must go through in order for God's mercy to be revealed in our lives. If we live in a way to avoid pain and suffering, then we are not doing the will of God, for living a godly and holy and righteous life will bring suffering. The value of living through suffering is to receive eternal life with God the father who has promised us a life with him in heaven if we do his will here on earth. He shall wipe all tears away.

I have answered part of this question but not the part about Jesus's part in doing the will of his father. Even when Jesus was a child, he always stated that he was about his father's business, In the temple teaching as well as in his adult life. He always taught his disciples that he came to do his father's will and anything he said and did was done or said because it was the will of him who sent "me". In the garden when he prayed before his arrest he ask the father to let this cup pass, but not my will, but thine will be done. So He knew from birth that he was sent to do the will of his father and never claimed otherwise. He said " I say what my father say".

the father and the son are one. I don't think it, He said it and God's word is true. I believe it. Jesus is God in the flesh who was sent to earth to redeem man from sin, back to the Father who created him. I know it sounds like and reads like two different persons to the unbeliever or someone who does not understand, but one has to read and study the word to know. There are so many scriptures throughout the bible that confirms this. God is a spirit but for man to be forgiven of sin, and because we are flesh, Jesus came in the flesh for us to see and believe. It is thru him that we have a relationship with God the father. We don't have to understand it all, but we do have to believe and accept it as true. that is part of the condition of receiving eternal life. I read the word daily and study, but have not been able to quote scripture from top of my head, I have to research to find where it is, but I know it's in there! (lolol) God is not through with me yet! I'm still working on it!

We are human and living daily among sin, therefor we are subjected to stray if we are not firmly planted in the word daily. We are to trust and believe in the word and be obedient to God's commandments. We are to pray without ceasing for strength to withstand the temptations around us. the parable of the sower is how Jesus explained to his disciples how to live according to the word. A sower planted seed and some fell in different ground or ways so as not to take root and grow, for reasons of doubt or fear or whatever. but the seed that fell on good solid ground is the seed that prospered and grew and produced more fruit to be used. When we heard the word and do not understand it, we leave ourselves open for sin to come in and take away what has been planted. if we are not strong in the word, we let trials and tribulations take away our joy of the word. We must study the word and pray and stand together as the chosen people of God who are to tell a dying world of the Savior who died for our sins and wants us to live in his kingdom! the psalms wrote "when we walk with the Lord in the light of his word, what a glory he sheds on our way, while we do his good will, he abides with us still, and to all who will trust and obey, trust and obey for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey!" God promised he would never leave or forsake us, if we would only trust him and ask, he will supply all of our needs. that is the promise to all who walks in his word and do his will! Not our will, but His will be done!! We need to take "self" out of the way . "fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole duty of man, for God shall bring every word into judgment with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil". We were made in his image, to glorify him and do his will. It was not for our sake but for his. We are his children and we are to do his will. that is the only path to heaven! doing the will of God through Jesus Christ.

Signs and wonders, as performed in the New Testament were done so that people would see and believe in Jesus the Christ. It was a time when the church was being established and to show man that God is real and that they should believe and repent of their sins and turn to Him. The 12 disciples were told by Christ, upon his assent back to heaven , to go to Jerusalem and wait and the Holy spirit would fall on them there to confirm this. Acts 2 is where the church begin by people witnessing the disciples tell of the gospel of Christ and believing in the signs and wonders performed by them, then confessing and repenting and being baptized and everyone who believed confess repented was baptized, was added to the church by God. We have the written word now, given to inspired men by the Holy Spirit, which is God's word, therefor signs and wonders are no longer needed. God never intended for them to last forever... God performs miracles and wonders in the lives of his people who worship him and keep his commandments and walk in his word and do his will!!! Everyday the sun comes up is a miracle and the earth is full of signs and wonders for us to see his gory and believe!!