LarryMac

We know we are in right relationship with God. My sin cannot come between me and God. I have always known in my heart that I cannot be good enough. Our faith? It isn't about my performance but my heart that I am faithful. How does knowing God forgives us affect our willingness to forgive others? How can I not forgive another individual if I know that the creator of the universe has forgiven me. I know my own heart, my own sinful nature and as such know how big a deal God's forgiveness of me is. How can I think anyone else is less deserving. How is your “expectancy level”? How is your hope? How is your faith? My personality is such that I a generally a patient individual. I'm not sure that is true of my expectancy level. Something that I need to think, and pray, about.

I think people today have so much access to information, videos, sermons from all over the world right on their screens they don't see the value of community. I also wonder if it becomes easier to avoid the accountability of a community of believers. As others have said I also see that Sunday's are filled with activities just as any other day of the week. And in this era we seem to be very busy especially those with kids in sports and other activities that Sunday is a second Saturday.

Q4. (Acts 13:43b) Why is "continuing" or "abiding" in the faith so important? Satan will attempt to pull the new believe back into the old lifesyle. A new believer will be tempted by others who new them before their conversion to live the old life. What does Jesus' Parable of the Sower teach about "continuing" (Matthew 13:5-6, 20-21)? There will be some who are the rocky soil, who will be quick to believe but will not have estimated the cost, who will not continue in the faith they were quick to receive. Why do new believers need basic instruction and discipling before the task of evangelism is complete? (Acts 14:21b-22) they don’t know what they don’t know!

I’ve always thought that the person referred to is Paul. And as such I relate to him in that I still struggle with sin, some old, some new awareness of a sin that the spirit has revealed. That said, I continue to grow and sin is revealed that I wasn’t aware of previously. This is humbling. It can also, however, be an excuse for accepting sin that God desires to deal with once and for all. i heard a Pastor once describe the carnal Christian, one who is saved but still sinning, as the most miserable of all persons. That is confirmed in these verses.

Q2. (Romans 7:7-8) The law reveals sin for what it is. Why wouldn't we be better off just not knowing that we should not covet, for example? We would continue to become more and more selfish, moving further and further from God. As would others, with a focus on me. As a result sin would grow stronger and our distance from God greater, something we see in our American culture today. Why does the flesh respond to being told "Do not covet" by coveting all the more? someone else said it right, have you ever tried to go on a diet? All of the sudden everything you shouldn’t have you desire. Marketing is based on creating a desire for what others have - the latest fashion or a bigger house. Thus only with the Spirit can we overcome what our natural sinful self desires.

Q1. (Romans 7:5) Paul uses the word "flesh" (or NIV "sinful nature") many times in chapters 7 and 8. In your own words, what does Paul mean by "flesh" in theseverses? The physical, mortal, I will say, vessel in which I reside this side of the resurrection. Sinful as a result of the fall, thus selfish an self centered naturally.

Good doctrine I believe applies scripture to the life and times we live in. First, love God with all your heart, mind and soul. And love others as God loves us. I understand the later to mean, love the person , have a burden for the lost but hate the sin. We must be biblically literate, not relying on another person to interpret scripture so that , with the Holy Spirit, we can discern good doctrine from bad.

Q3. (Romans 6:1-7) Is Paul referring to a figurative "death" to sin, or to a kind of historical, actual death? I admit that right now I am struggling to understand the lesson Dr. Ralph seems to be developing. I believe the answer is a historical or actual death. Christ died for our sin, and if we are united with him in his death then is our death to sin now “actual”? Whose death is he talking about? Christ’s How does this death become our own? Through our union, acceptance, with Christ and acknowledging that his death was our death to sin. To what degree is this just theological mumbo-jumbo or does it have some basis in reality? We should now have confidence over sin and our new, eternal, life.

Q2. (Romans 6:3-4) In Paul's reference to baptism in 6:3-4, what does "buried" (6:4a) correspond to in the act of baptism? Physically going under the water. Spiritually, we are united with Christ in his death, which for us symbolizes our dying to sin / self. What does "Christ was raised from the dead" (6:4b) correspond to in baptism? Again, physically coming up out of the water. Spiritually, we are cleansed of our sin, our old self. And as such share with Christ in a future resurrection- this was enlightening to me. I now realize how much mire significant and symbolic my baptism was.

Q1. (Romans 6:3-5) In what sense does baptism bring about our union with Christ? I imagine myself, with my sinfulness, attached to Christ, me going down into the water as Christ took on my sin at Calvary and coming up out of the water cleansed of my sin. So it is much more than Christ dying “for” me as it is me - in a spiritual sense - dying “with” Christ. In what sense does baptism symbolize our union with Christ? as I said above in an individual sense, I died to my old self, a slave to sin, and now have eternal life, a slave to Christ, to live with him in eternity.

Fathers making decisions that affect their spouse an children. Owners of a company who make a deal with a customer, or who might make an unethical deal/decision. Judges who interpret law and hand out sentences.

Reconciliation-no longer an enemy of God, no longer an estranged relationship, but brought into a right relationship. Without reconciliation we are apart from God and can do no good. With it we now have access to God. In the present we continue to be saved as we grow in our relationship with Christ. Sanctification is what I think of, we aren’t perfect - and won’t ever be on this earth - but God continues to work in us. Jesus is there for us today through the Holy Spirit who is our helper, who gives us the power over sin, who convicts when we sin, and who is our advocate.

No one. Is greater than any other, we’re all on a level playing field - one immediate thought! Secondly, I recognize I could never be good enough. I certainly wasn’t striving to be my best, I recognized I was a sinner. I’m accepted regardless, it is my faith that saved me nothing I did or could do so that is and should be a non issue. There is no good enough, nor is there too bad, Christ died for all. Satans only weapon is deception! He desires to make us doubt by trying to make the issue that we are bad a sinner, and to not seek God in those moments where we fail. Truth is he’s right we cannot be good enough however that is when God wants us to acknowledge our sin, repent, and move on because we are not perfect, we are still sinners, until the day of the Lord.

They are what will, and do, strengthen and mature our faith. These are the times I am most dependent on God. The times when I will either lean on him or question his existence! If I have genuine faith I will see that he is the only one I can truly count on, who desires that I grow in my faith, to depend further on him. perseverance - am I committed to my faith, is it what I truly believe in my heart of hearts? If yes than I will overcome my circumstances through my faith. Character - walk the talk, does it my faith make a difference? hope - I’m not living for today, for myself, my comfort,rather am I looking to something much greater. The long view of eternity!

It was Abraham’s faith not his circumcision or obedience to the law that is credited for his justification. A key to understanding that nothing has changed in this regard, it isn’t as if God changed how things were to be, rather they are confirmed through the work of Christ. Again this helps me to see God is consistent, never changing. praise God this also true for us, otherwise I am doomed to fail since I can never be good enough!