paulcrf

yes. i was new in my faith. i went to india in 2001. i saw a small christian church near our training center in Chinnai, but i did not bother to join or visit them.i simply fade away from my faith. however on my way back i meet an indian pastor in the airport. i introduced myself as a Christian and we had a good chat. i was very sorry for the lost opportunity i had in meeting new Christian friends in that small Christian church.

Q2. (Galatians 1:13-16) What factors in Paul's background made him an ideal apostle to the Gentiles? How did God use his being different from others? To ponder: How has your unique background fitted you for ministry? What uniqueness has God given you? What will it take to see that uniqueness as a God-given strength rather than as an embarrassment? What factors in Paul's background made him an ideal apostle to the Gentiles? Ans. Paul was a persecutor to the Jews. He would not have been effective to preach the gospel to them. How did God use his being different from others? Ans.While Paul had limited personal encounter with Jesus compared to the other apostles, he was a bold as them. He was a strict observer of the Law of Moses and his personal encounter with Jesus confirmed that Jesus indeed is the son of God when Jesus spoke to him on his way to Damascus. His brilliance in the law and his renewed belief in Jesus were the vital requirements in reaching the Gentiles.

Q1. (Galatians 1:11-12) What is the source of Paul's gospel? How do we know that it is a true revelation? How does it conform to our other foundational sources of Christian teaching? What is the danger of taking the teaching of contemporary leaders as our doctrinal basis without checking it with the Scripture? Paul's gospel came from Christ Himself. Paul was so confident in his gospel because it was Christ Himself who revealed it to him and not any other man. Other Christian teachings does not come from God but from either tradition or from their own vision. A teaching that is God inspired comes from the bible. Any interpretation away from the bible is not biblical. We let the scripture interpret itself to avoid twisting the word of God.

Q2. Paul called the Judaizers' message as a "different gospel," a perversion of the true gospel. How is this dangerous to the Galatian believers? How do twisted gospels (or an unbalanced interpretation of the gospel) affect Christians in our day? This is a dangerous preaching because a different gospel DOES NOT OFFER which is the main purpose of Christ's mission to earth. Twisted gospel puts the death of Christ into no value. They made Christ's death meaningless. It is dangerous because those who believe will be eternally condemned because only the true gospel of Christ can offer us salvation. All we have to do is to accept Him as our Lord and Savior, Repent of our sins and received forgiveness and enjoy the abundant life He offers to those who believe in His name.

Christ give Himself to rescue me from my sins. His death became the death of my sins through my faith in Him. He showed his love for me by dying on the cross in my behalf. Jesus rescue people today by offering Himself to us. If we accept Him as our Lord and Savior, we become among the people whom He rescued from their sins. We become freed from the bondage of sin and enjoy an everlasting and abundant life with Him. Jesus encourages us to remain in Him and to let His words remain in us. If we are detached from Him, we will surely die and fall back to our old ways.

John's action was to prepare the peoples heart for the coming of the messiah through repentance. The messiah's action was to fell them with the Holy Spirit. The water signifies cleansing while the Holy Spirit gives power. It is useless to be a Christian without the Holy Spirit. We can do nothing that will please the Father without it. The cares of this world, the pride of life and the **** for recognition are some of the obstructions which will prevent me from being filled with the Holy Spirit. Having the power of God through the Holy Spirit is more than enough the world can offer me. Its worth of an encouragement.

People who adopt Christian faith without repenting in the known sins has pride lingering in their hearts. They are proud of their wealth, talent, power,etc and has not totally surrendered to God. Knowingly or unknowingly they don't need God. God resist them (James 4:6). Proud people cannot please God. The Holy Spirit cannot dwell in the heart of a proud man. By their fruit we know unrepentant Christian.

Our birthright is our eternal inheritance in heaven being co-heirs of Christ. Through faith in the Jesus Christ we are assured of our salvation. We should not exchange it for temporary things here on earth. Selling of birthright means exchanging it for temporary things on earth which has no eternal value. For example, you prefer to value your wealth than your relationship with God. Esau is more concerned with temporary pleasures rather than pleasures which has eternal significance. He is only concerned with his cares for the present and not for eternity. Jacob sees eternity and do everything to get there. He knows he has no birthright being not the firstborn but he did what he has to do to acquire it. Being born a sinner should not hinder us from gaining the inheritance of heaven. We should do what we have to do by getting away from traditions, idolatrous cultures and worships which brings us away to the promise of eternal life in heaven. We can do this only by accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

Q1. (1 John 1:3-4, 6-7) Why is our fellowship with fellow Christians so often just on a surface level? How can we have fellowship at a deeper level in Christ? What would it take in your Christian group or your relationships with other believers to deepen your level of fellowship so it is authentically Christian? Our fellowship with fellow Christians is often just on the surface level because we are not making Christ the center of our relationship. Hence, our relationship is functional. It it not the agape type of love. The only way to make our fellowship with fellow christian real is to live by grace. We have been saved by grace hence it is appropriate to love our neighbors back. It would take us to be humble before our brothers in faith. We should not think of ourselves as "higher" than others. Instead we should serve one another with love and humility. Real Christian is a mirror of the image of Christ. Christ is seen in them wherever the may be.

Q1. (1 John 1:3-4, 6-7) Why is our fellowship with fellow Christians so often just on a surface level? How can we have fellowship at a deeper level in Christ? What would it take in your Christian group or your relationships with other believers to deepen your level of fellowship so it is authentically Christian? Our fellowship with fellow Christians is often just on the surface level because we are not making Christ the center of our relationship. Hence, our relationship is functional. It it not the agape type of love. The only way to make our fellowship with fellow christian real is to live by grace. We have been saved by grace hence it is appropriate to love our neighbors back. It would take us to be humble before our brothers in faith. We should not think of ourselves as "higher" than others. Instead we should serve one another with love and humility. Real Christian is a mirror of the image of Christ. Christ is seen in them wherever the may be.

Ans: Matthew 20:28 = Mark 10:45-" For even the Son of Man did not come to be served by to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many". This scripture from the new testament is the fulfillment of the prophesy of Isaiah 53. Jesus saw his destiny very clearly as prophesied by Isaiah that His mission to earth was to die for the sin of mankind and to bring them back to their creator in heaven.

By allowing and accepting animal sacrifices to get rid of their sins, knowing that the fully adequate sacrifice for sins is coming. Animal sacrifices were not adequate to take away the sins since a lesser animal cannot substitute a greater human being. Somebody much greater than humans can purge our sins, which is Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Confession of the sin, bringing an animal, lay his hands, slay the animal, blood is collected, remove the fat portions which are given to the pries and burned on the altar, and the meat is eaten by the priest in case of a sin offering. Confession of sin is necessary followed by repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Confession alone is not enough. All the remaining elements are not necessary because Jesus Christ become a sin for us and He died on the cross for our sins. His death on the cross become our sin offering so that animal sacrifice is no longer necessary. He died for our sins once for all.