UncleBlake

Q1. (Matthew 13:20-21 ) Why, according to Jesus' teaching here, do some people fall away so quickly? What is their problem? Jesus' teaching falls away because the people with "the rocky ground" are shallow, and although the word may reach them and they are receptive, it fails to put down roots that grow deep. Without those deep roots, (growing deeper in the word and our relationship with Jesus and the Father), the plant withers and dies.

Jesus' teaching falls away because the people with "the rocky ground" are shallow, and although the word may reach them and they are receptive, it fails to put down roots that grow deep. Without those deep roots, (growing deeper in the word and our relationship with Jesus and the Father), the plant withers and dies.

Repentance is central to the Kingdom of God because it is our recognition that we cannot of our own selves come to God. God hates Sin, God turns His back on Sin...we are sinful human beings, we are separated from God because of it. Knowing that, when we repent, we are telling ourselves and God that we know we have been separated from Him, we know that we are sinful, we know that we need Him in order to regain that which was lost. Repentance tells God that we want to turn away from sin, and cling to Him, and His promise. We aknowlege that only He can redeem us. Baptism is important because it is a public symbol of our death to sin, and our ressurection to life. Just as Jesus died for our sins, and was ressurected, so we die to them and become reborn. It also signifies that we die to our old self and are Baptised, by and because of Jesus into the Holy Spirit, thus beginning the process of Sanctification. Christ cannot reign in an unrepentant heart. That is not to say that He CAN'T, but that He WON'T! Firstly, an unrepentant heart is sinful...it's owner hasn't yet come to the place where they understand they cannot do it themselves, and must rely on God to do it for them...what ever it may include. The un-repentant heart also, has no room for Yeshua in it. He could erradicate the stain of sin with a blink of an eye or a flick of His finger, but because He made us to worship Him and Glorify His name, He will not force us into that worship. It must be something we come to on our own. The beginning of that process is recognizing that there is a problem, that we are powerless to do anything about it, and that we need Him to take it all away. In that process comes the realization of how much we have sinned, this spurs us, then to recognize how far away from God we are, and because we have an innate desire to fulfill God's will, we become sorrowful that we are separated. We repent because of this, and are restored. Then, and only then will Yeshua enter in. A repentant heart is prepared for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

The point of comparison between John's actions and Yeshua's actions is this, the baptism itself. However, John baptizes with water, but Yeshua baptises with the Holy Spirit. This is the point of difference. Yes, I do wish to be overwhelmed by the Holy Spirit, for it is no longer I who exists but Christ in me. Although still human, still sinful, still making mistakes...I am covered by His blood, and justified by God's Grace, and the process of Sanctification has begun. Yeshua promises in John 14:12-13 (AMP) 12 I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, if anyone steadfastly believes in Me, he will himself be able to do the things that I do; and he will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in My Name [as presenting all that I AM], so that the Father may be glorified and extolled in (through) the Son". This is done through the Holy Spirit. The only thing that would prevent this from happening is un-repented sin. Whether by recognition or not. What encourages the repentance, is the conviction of the Holy Spirit, and because of that, a repentant heart. When one is repentant, they turn away from thier sin, confess it, and turn to God for Him to take it. They admit that sin they are comitting is against God's will, and thus promise to end it, and turn away from it. They cleve to God and there-by they are forgiven and cleansed. This causes the believer to fall in love with God, and want to do His will, part of which is being baptized by water and the Spirit, just as Yeshua says in John 3:3 (AMP) Jesus answered him," I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that unless a person is born again (anew, from above), he cannot ever see (know, be acquainted with, and experience) the kingdom of God. "

Baptism goes along with repentance; It would have been the case that the Jews believed that because Abraham was thier father, and God accorded Abraham with salvation because of his faith, that similarly, the Jews would likewise be awarded salvation because of Abraham. They believed that all they had to do is keep the law, and atone for thier sins by making sacrifice. John is saying that this is not so. (...you brood of vipers, Who warned you to flee and escape from the wrath and indignation." The Amplified says that this indignation comes from God because of thier (Pharisees and Sadducees) disobedience, thinking they are above reproach. This was a total and blatant attack on the Pharisees, and Sadducees understanding of the law. The people who accepted what John was saying and welcomed the Baptism were those who understood they were broken, and were sinners in need of salvation. It was those who were convicted by the Holy Spirit and led to true repentance. The Pharisees and Sadducees are the ones that resisted John's message because they were to proud and self centered to see thier sin.

When people adopt the Chistian faith without repentance, it is a hollow act. The christian isn't really a christian at all. Firstly, the Holy Spirit isn't residing within. Matthew 3:8 (AMP) 8 Bring forth fruit that is consistent with repentance [let your lives prove your change of heart] If there is true repentance, it shows. The person who does not repent, or has no repentance will show the signs of being convicted of the Holy Spirit, but un-repentant, and miserable because of it. People do not like to repent because it causes shame in recognition that one is not perfect, makes mistakes and as the Bible says, Genesis 6:5 (AMP) 5 "The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination and intention of all human thinking was only evil continually." This is something no one likes to see in themselves. I believe the majority of Christians, at least 85% in a conservative estimate, are un-repentant. This, in my opinion, is largely due to not understanding the significance of a repentant heart, but also because they are unwilling to admit thier fault.

Christ's earthly example teaches us to be compassionate on those who are hurting. In God's infinite capacity to love, He does not condemn us once we repent. It is of the utmost importance to bring Jesus' message of Grace and Mercy to those who seek to know God's will after a divorce. It is also our duty as brothers and sisters in Christ to reassure our "siblings" that Jesus loves them, and forgives them...not just the ones that have divorced, but all who have sinned, and as Romans 3:23 says, we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. No one, by thier own reason or strength can save themselves, that is God alone, and in Jesus Christ, we have been justified by Grace and Mercy, the same Grace and Mercy we, as Christians are called to show to others. There in lies our mission.

I don't believe a person who has re-married after a divorce not caused by unfaithfulness lives in a state of perpetual adultry. As the text states, in the beginning adultry may have been comitted, but one is now married, and the same rules apply to the second marriage as the first. If one repents of the adultry, God will forgive the sin. God already knows of the Sin even before it's comitted, and has already forgiven it.

I don't believe Jesus' disciples misunderstood what Jesus was saying, but more to the point, over simplified it. In saying what Jesus did, I believe He was signifying the seriousness of the nature of the relationship between a man and a woman as designed by God. The Disciples over simplified Jesus message in that in order to keep from doing what God did not intend, one would keep away from it all together. I don't believe that this is what God had intended in the first place.

Mosaic law does not command divorce. This would be against God. Moses permitted divorce in order to accomodate the sinful nature of man because of man's sinful heart. Mosaic law regulates divorce, only for the specific purpose of the hardening of mens' hearts . God's original intention was for man and woman to be joined, be fruitful and multiply, not to tear assunder.

People do indeed not need to be Christians in order to be joined as one flesh. It is not accomplished by a religious ceremony. That exists as a benefit to all who witness the ceremony, not necessarily to God who is the inventor of the marriage union. This marriage union invented by the Creator is of a Natural Law. 100 % of all who have been joined into a first marriage have been joined together by God. "...what God has put together, let no man tear apart..."

Rabbi Hillel's view is that divorce could be given for nearly any reason, as interpreted by the word דָּבָר(dbr) עֶרְוַת (Oruth) meaning the nakedness there of...when loosely interpreted by Hillel, was taken to mean any sort of infidelity. Therefore, being that this is not what God intended, according to Jesus, (Matthew 19:3-9), then Jesus was siding with Rabbi Shammai, taking the more conservative interpretation. The only exception made by Jesus, but for the hardness of mens' hearts, is infidelity of the faithfulness of each spouse to the other. It clarifies what it said in Deut.24:1-4 about a man finding something detestable in his wife.

Indeed, the spirit of our age is very accepting and approving of ****. Jesus is very clear about **** and adultry. If even in hyperbole, Jesus states that it is better to enter heaven maimed than hell with everything intact, it must be pretty important, and of a serious nature. Of course, God doesn't want us to maime ourselves, but in getting the seriousness of the offense across, Jesus uses this analogy in illustration. "agape" love is that which is of a collective nature, as Christians should love each other (and even our unsaved fellow man), just as God loves us. If we look on our counterparts with this kind of love, as it states in the text, it is hard to look on another with ****.

This is a very difficult sin to deal with, because in the United States, this sort of thing is looked at as not all that important...America's dirty little secret as it were. In un-burdening onesself of the sins of ****, one gives it over to Jesus. In doing so, we find the solace that Jesus Himself proclaims, "...come unto me all you who are weak and heavy ladden, and I will give you rest.."(Matthew 11:28). In counseling a brother who has a addiction to ****, it is important to not be legalistic, but to emphasize that Jesus Loves him/her, and His grace is sufficient for him/her no matter what sin has been comitted. If he is a brother already, he will know that all one has to do to be forgiven is repent, and accept God's gift of Grace and Mercy. In protecting onesself against yielding to lusts, one must firstly rely on Jesus, and secondly take steps to remove the possibility of the temptation. This goes for the beach, the poolside, and TV, among various other outlets.