Antwan
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Posts posted by Antwan
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Q1. (Romans 5:1-2) According to verses 1-2, faith is a key to salvation. For Abraham (4:3), what was the relationship between faith and justification? For us (5:1-2), what is the relationship between faith and justification? In your own words, just what does it mean to be justified?
The link between faith (or trusting in God) and justification was the same for Abraham as for us: when one trusts God, He accounts that to the person for righteousness; to be justified means to be put in a place of blamelessness; when we hold on to God and trust Him, He doesn't count our sins against us; we are covered by the Blood of Jesus, and also cleansed from unrighteousness. God is looking for people to trust Him.
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Q4. (Romans 6:6-7) In what way has our "body of sin," our "flesh," our old nature been made powerless because of our crucifixion with Christ? In what way have we been freed from slavery? What difference does this understanding make in our struggles against temptation?
For me, although it is taking time, I feel that gradually the old self loses power through our crucifixion with Christ in that first, the mind is being renewed; the life will follow the renewal of the mind, and the realizing of sins in one's life (I think I'm still in this stage). I think that sin is gradually losing power by the Spirit's gentle convictions; even when I am doing things I know are not lining up with what pleases God, those gentle reproofs of the Spirit makes me think more about it than once before. This is leading to thinking about living right for God, although I am still struggling with sin in my life. It's not so easy to just sin and not feel bad about it (I think that is sin's slavery being broken). People under sin's slavery have no choice but to sin; those in God have the choice, because God provides them of a way of escape when they are tempted; in God, I just hope to continue to grow and become better at becoming more like Him in time.
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Q3. (Romans 6:1-7) Is Paul referring to a figurative "death" to sin, or to a kind of historical, actual death? Whose death is he talking about? How does this death become our own? To what degree is this just theological mumbo-jumbo or does it have some basis in reality?
In this Bible study, we learn that Paul, in talking about death to sin, is referring to being united in the death of Christ that will result in the power to crush sin; I believe this, but I also believe that Paul is talking about putting to death the old way we were living before we came to Christ in faith. It is a reality spiritually; Christ's death and the blood He shed has the power to redeem our lives and cause us to die to the old way of life, but it does take time (or at least it is taking time in my case).
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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? What does "Christ was raised from the dead" (6:4b) correspond to in baptism?
According to Paul, when we go down into the water in baptism, it corresponds to being buried with Christ; coming up out of the water corresponds to Christ's being raised from the dead.
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Q1. (Romans 6:3-5) In what sense does baptism bring about our union with Christ? In what sense does baptism symbolize our union with Christ?
Being baptized into Christ unites us to Him, and it also identifies us with His death; just as Jesus died to this earthly life on the cross, when we are baptized into Him, we were baptized into the death that He died. Also, just as Christ rose from the dead into a new life, we are also to walk (live) in a new way; we cannot go on living the sinful life we used to live, controlled by the passions of our flesh. Furthermore, Christ's physical resurrection from the dead gives us hope that in Him, when we die, in Him we will live in Heaven; then, at His return to earth, we will be physically resurrected into life eternal; baptism is a symbol of these things: our share in Christ's death and resurrection.
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Q4. (Romans 6:2-5) According to this passage, at what point do we move from being under the headship of Adam to the headship of Christ? Is there anything we must do to bring about this change in headship? What are the implications of us having died with Christ?
When we accept Christ as Lord and Savior, we have died to a lifestyle of sin and we are now in Christ; we die to the life we were living, in which we were following the sinful nature, begun with the first Adam. We died with Christ and just as He was resurrected into a new life, we are also to live a new life towards God (looking to God), and not fulfilling our natural lusts. We are raised with Christ, because we are in Him (spiritually).
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Q3. (Romans 5:15-19) By what right does Adam represent all humankind? By what right does Christ become head of all who become his disciples? If Christ is not our "representative" or "head," how can his death for sins be effective for us?
Adam represents all of mankind, because we are all his descendants. All that we inherit, we inherit from our first parents, Adam and Eve. When they sinned, by us still existing inside them, so to speak, we also inherited their sin nature after they ate of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil. Sin has been in our blood every since. Adam represents who we are physically and our physical nature, proned to sin; Jesus Christ, is the second Adam, Who, if we accept Him and follow His leadership (let His Spirit influence us), leads us to spiritual life eternal. The first Adam and his nature, if we continue on that path, leads to spiritual death and ultimate destruction. If we don't accept Christ as Lord and Savior, His death and sacrifice isn't effective for us. All who don't accept Him are not under His leadership and not under His covering; He is not their refuge, and they are not in Him.
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Q2. (Romans 5:13, 20) What is Paul saying in these verses? Can there be sin without law? In what sense does the "trespass increase" (5:20) when the law is present?
I believe that what is being said is that sin has been present in man ever since Adam and Eve disobeyed God; it became apart of our nature; the law was given to make us aware of our sin and to let us see how far we have fallen from the state of blamelessness that man once had with God. Trepass increases because the more we try to do right, or live by the law, the more we become aware of the sin that is in us. So, again, the law is meant to show us our sinfulness ( and our inability to do right in and of ourselves); the law used in the right way should make us depend on God for our righteousness and salvation, and not try to work for it.
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Q1. What kinds of circumstances in modern life can you think of where a single person acts for an entire group? In what ways are members of the group tied to this person?
In modern life, an example of one person acting for an entire group would be a single parent household (or family); it is up to that one person to go out, work, and provide food, clothing, and shelter for all the members of that family. The family is dependent on the parent going to work.
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Q4. (Romans 5:9-11) What does "reconciliation" mean? Why is reconciliation with God necessary? We understand our having been saved by Jesus' death (5:10a, past tense). In what sense are we being saved (5:10b, present tense) by his life? What is Jesus doing for us in the present?
Reconciliation, to me, means to be brought back to, joined together again; it means that those who were once enemies are now friends again. We have to be reconciled to God because He is holy and just by nature, and cannot stand sin, and must deal with it in a just manner (punish/destroy it); we have been sinful by nature every since the fall of our parents Adam and Eve, and so we were children of wrath before Christ came to die for us and before we accepted His gift of eternal life/being reconciled to God. Reconciliation to God is necessary, because without it, God would be obligated by His justness and holiness to destroy us for our sinfulness. We are saved from the wrath of God by trusting that what Jesus did on the cross satisfies the requirements for our sins; we will be saved from eternal damnation after this life. We will live in the Presence of the Most High.
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Q3. (Romans 5:6, 8) Why is it so important to embrace the truth that "Christ died for the ungodly" (5:6), that "Christ died for sinners" (5:8)? According to 5:8, did Christ die for us at our best or at our worst? How does this give us assurance against the devil's lies about us being too bad to forgive?
It is important to know and remember that Christ died for us when we were ungodly, because it lets us know that if He died for us while we were in our worst state, He is faithful and can be trusted to not give up on us now that we have accepted Him.
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Q2. (Romans 5:2-5) According to this passage <i>why</i> should we rejoice in our sufferings and tribulations? One by one, what is the importance to our lives of: perseverance, tried character, and hope?
We are to be glad in the struggles of this life, because they are making us spiritually better people; God is using these struggles to conform us into the Image of His Son. Also, we know that the sufferings of this life doesn't compare to the glory of the one to come after we die or at Christ's return. Although hope is listed last in this question, it is essential for establishing perseverance and tried character. It is the hope of the life and the glory to come that enables us to be tried by the circustances of this life (which builds character, and integrity) and come out victorious (persevere)over the trials.
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Q1. (Romans 5:1-2) According to verses 1-2, faith is a key to salvation. For Abraham (4:3), what was the relationship between faith and justification? For us (5:1-2), what is the relationship between faith and justification? In your own words, just what does it mean to be justified?
Abraham believed God (took Him at His word/trusted Him), and he was accounted righteous in the eyes of God because of His trust. God approved and delighted in Abraham because Abraham knew God to be trustworthy.We are justified through our faith in Jesus Christ. God imputes our sins and shortcomings to His Son when we trust in and on Jesus Christ. Justified to me means that we are approved of by God through His Son Jesus. We are counted righteous just as Abraham was.
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Q4. (Genesis 48:15) How did God act as a Shepherd to Jacob? How does God act as a Shepherd to you? Do you trust him or rebel against his shepherding?
Looking at Jacob's life as a whole, using this Bible study, and observing my own life shows me that God is truly a good Shepherd: He looks after and meets all our needs. With Jacob, we see He took care of all his needs, blessed him and those who were a blessing to Jacob, and protected him. In my own life, I see how He has cared for me, despite of myself; He looked after me even in my anger towards Him, and I see how the bad things in my life made me look to Him, and how He has provided all my needs. Honestly, I am still learning to lean on Him, and don't always do the things I know I should, but I am trying and asking Him to help me get better spiritually.
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Q4. (Genesis 48:15) How did God act as a Shepherd to Jacob? How does God act as a Shepherd to you? Do you trust him or rebel against his shepherding?
Looking at Jacob's life as a whole, using this Bible study, and observing my own life shows me that God is truly a good Shepherd: He looks after and meets all our needs. With Jacob, we see He took care of all his needs, blessed him and those who were a blessing to Jacob, and protected him. In my own life, I see how He has cared for me, despite of myself; He looked after me even in my anger towards Him, and I see how the bad things in my life made me look to Him, and how He has provided all my needs. Honestly, I am still learning to lean on Him, and don't always do the things I know I should, but I am trying and asking Him to help me get better spiritually.
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Q3. Why do we equate blessing with a lack of crisis in our lives? What are the effects of crises on our faith? How do they help us grow in our faith? Why do they sometimes destroy our faith?
For me, the struggles one goes through in life makes the blessings God bestows more glorious and appreciated when they come, so struggles, or crisis, are necessary in that they help us see what life would be like without the blessings of God, and the struggles drive us to God and forces us to rely on Him (although some don't; the choice is simple: trust Him, or don't). The more we trust Him, the stronger our faith is in Him (to me, the faith God requires is not just believing that He is (or exists) (although that is a good start), but it is believing, or trusting God, even when circumstances says we shouldn't. Some things God allows to happen in our lives to strengthen our faith actually turn people against Him and destroys their faith. The reason being is that they look at the circumstances and how big they seem to be rather than looking to God to solve the problem(s), and are sometimes traumatized by the issues they face; they get mad and blame God for allowing it, and as a result, they don't trust Him, anymore.
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Q2. (Genesis 48) Why does Jacob cross his hands when blessing Ephraim and Manasseh? Why does Joseph try to stop him? In what sense are Jacob
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Q1. (Genesis 47:9) In what sense is life on earth like a
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Q4. (Genesis 46:2-4) Faith is what quiets our fears. What in God
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Q3. (Genesis 45:4-8) Contrast Jacob and Joseph. Jacob has suffered great loss. Joseph has suffered great injustice. Why is Jacob's vision so bleak but Joseph's, so broad? What have been their differing responses to fear? What insight has kept Joseph from being bitter towards his brothers?
Joseph deals with his hard knocks in a more optimistic manner than Jacob. This is perhaps because Joseph is younger and hasn't experienced a lifetime of loosing his loved ones to death like Jacob has (in being sold, Joseph did lose his family, but it wasn't to death; for all he knew, they were still alive, and there was always the chance of reconciliation, like what happened in the end). For Jacob, on the other hand, the ones he lost, he lost to definite death, and there was no more seeing them in this life. Also, Joseph seems to recognize the hand of God in the good and bad times in his life a lot sooner than Jacob. In response to fear, Jacob has mostly fled from danger, but Joseph has--or has been mostly put into circumstances where he was forced to--face his fears. What keeps Joseph from being bitter about the things that has happened to him is knowing that it was all apart of God's plan to save his family from starvation; God worked it out for their good.
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Q2. (Genesis 42:35-43:14) What is Jacob
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Q1. (Genesis 37:31-35) What does bringing the blood-stained robe to Jacob say about these sons
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Q5. (Genesis 35:22) What is the significance of Reuben
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Q4. (Genesis 35:9-15) Why do you think God appears to Jacob yet another time? What are the primary promises that God renews to Jacob?
I think God appears to Jacob another time, because Jacob, like the rest of us, are constantly in need of reassurance that God is with us, and won't leave or give up on us (that is what I have to remind myself). God basically puts Jacob in rememberance if His promise, to give Jacob many descendants and the land God promised to Jacob's grandfather Abraham.
Q2. Rejoicing in Our Sufferings
in 1. We Now Have Peace with God (Romans 5:1-11)
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We should rejoice in sufferings, because we are being tested and tried, and it is refining our character, making us more like Jesus. In suffering, we learn to persevere, or overcome, and in perseverance we develop character; we gain experience and become better at dealing with hardships; the suffering makes us stronger; also, our hope of the glory we will share with God causes us to persevere.