TennLady01

Q4. (1:13-14) These verses contain two analogies: (1) seal and (2) downpayment, with the balance to be paid in a lump sum at the end of the term. When does the "end of the term" occur? It occurs when Jesus returns to this earth and we are taken back with him. We are to let this seal be in us and keep us and help us until we are with him and we will steal be his forever more. Thank you Jesus. How do these analogies help explain how the Holy Spirit functions in our lives? He seals us and he helps us to hear the things of the Lord for our lives. He is more than an friend he is our keeper our ever help in times of trouble. The Holy Spirit has a language that will let us talk with the Lord and let the Holy Spirit say what is needed in us and for us. He is the one that leads us to Jesus and he is the one that will help us to hold fast to our faith in the Lord.

Q3. (Ephesians 1:11-12) According to verses 11 and 12, what is God's purpose for our lives? To bring praise to him in all we are and all we do. That we may glorify the Father which is in heaven and his son who died for us. What do we need to do to fulfill this purpose? To be the light that he has set for me to be so that others may see him in me and want to know him and praise him. Show love one to another. How does this purpose relate to Matthew 5:13-16? It is not enough to just say we are Christian we must be what we say we are at all times. We are the light of the world and it is through us that others will see Christ and his love. We can't expect to be part of the world and part of Christ we have to let our light shine at all times so that the Father will be glorify and others will want to serve him.

Q2. (Ephesians 1:9-10) What is the significance that all things will be brought under one head -- Christ himself? Jesus is no respecter of persons and he will be the head of those that serve him and he will return to get all of us and we will be one with him. Religion is not what he is about he is love and he chose each of us to be his and to love one another. How does this relate to the Creator? He is the Creator of all things and they are all his and he will rule them all. He is no respecter of persons so all things he has created will be one with each other in love. What does it say about unity? All things work together and it gets things done faster and without all the troubles. We are all of the same body and we need each other. Extra Credit: How does this verse relate to 1 Corinthians 15:24-28? God will and is in control and all things will be under his rule and that is why he put Jesus as the head and us as the body. We all shall be able to rule and reign with him and all will be under those that serve the Lord. God is in control at all times and will be in the end.

Q1. (Ephesians 1:7) In what sense have you been "redeemed" from slavery? I was a slave to sin and to all the things of this world and could not get myself free from them. So the blood of Jesus is what it took to set me free and let me change to become a better person. What do you think your life up to now would have been like if you hadn't been redeemed? There is only one way I could have ended on the road I had chosen to travel. I would have been dead by now or in some mental farcicality. What would your future be like without redemption, do you think? I do not think I would have had a future.

Q4. (Ephesians 1:5-6) Why is adoption a particularly apt illustration of God's relationship to us? We have a relationship with God our creator and the one that made all things. He loves us so much he wants us to be his children and he wants to bless and take care of us as we would our own children. God is our Father and he is the one that will never leave us or forsake us. He has made us heirs with Jesus his only begotten son. What more could one ask for in a relationship with the Almighty. To be adopted is to be one that is chosen. The parents of an adopted put forth the effort to select that child. To be born into a family we get what ever is there we did not chose that child. God has chose us we are blessed to be adopted by the Lord. Rom 8:17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with [him], that we may be also glorified together. Why is the concept of adoption encouraging to us? We are not outside looking in we are part of the family. God is the Father and we are the brothers and sisters with Jesus. When they said to him your mother and brothers want to talk to you he looked around and said these are my mothers and my brothers. Jesus excepts us and we are his adopted brothers and sister. What a blessing and what a privilege to be one with him. Our Big Brother. Hallelujah

Q3. (Ephesians 1:4) What does it mean to be "holy"? The word says that none are holy or perfect no not one. But while we live our lives the best we can we strive to be holy as he is Holy. Paul said he died daily and we too must repent and ask God to forgive us our short coming. We are not going to be perfect while here on this earth but we are to strive to do our best to live Holy, and God is our Holiness and our Righteousness. Washed in the blood of Jesus, God is able to look upon us and see us as holy not because of what we do our have done but because we are under the blood covering. In what sense can you stand "blameless" before God? We have all sinned and fallen short with God the word tells us that clearly. When we repent and ask forgiveness of our sin God no longer remembers those sins or holds them against us. We are blameless because we excepted Jesus into our hearts and live our best for him daily. God is faithful and just to forgive us when we ask. He loves us and will forgive as long as we forgive others.

Q2. (Ephesians 1:4-5) What is scary about predestination? We are not in control of all that is going on around us and then so many times others make us feel we have no way of knowing what to do because we are not in control. What is comforting? The comforting part comes when we know whom we belong too and that is more than able to take care of us his children. When we are in a relationship with our Lord and Savior we find comfort in the fact that he watch's out for us. Why does Paul bring up predestination? Because it makes us think as I am sure it did them also as they read the words and applied them to their lives as we must do ourselves today. He wanted them to know they did not choose God but that he choose them. When we look at things in the big picture of life we are not the ones that are in control but we serve a God that is in control at all times and knows what is going on and when it will happen. He knows all things he is the Alpha and Omega the Beginning and the End. He is The Great I AM. Why do you think he praising God for it in the "hearing" of the Ephesians? He is praising God because he is glad that they know that God is in control and that they are in a relationship with God the Father because of the Son. He knows that the secret is out and that the gentiles will now believes and understand that the salvation plan is for all not just for a few. God loves us all and we all need to keep praising him because he is the Lord of our lives and we should be thanking and praising him every day for the many blessings he has given us. I know I thank him for choosing me and helping me to understand and hold to him so that I will one day be with him forever. Praise the Lord.

Q1. (Ephesians 1:3) What does it mean to you to be "in Christ" -- incorporated into Christ? What are the implications of this for your life? As it was said already it is to be one in Christ Jesus to be able to be a part of the relationship with God the Father by the way of the Son. He in us lets us reach to the throne room to talk to the Father our Father. My life no longer belongs to me alone it is to be lived for Jesus and for his good will in all that I do. For me to live is Christ and to die is gain as Paul so sweetly said it. I want to be one with Jesus and do his will his way at all times.

Q5. What do we miss in our understanding of God if we remove the metaphor of Father and Son from our church vocabulary? When you remove the metaphor Father and Son you remove part of the word of God it should not be done. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost is the head over all. They are our protectors and our providers just as a husband is to a wife and unto his children. It is wrong to try to change this for anyone. Or for any reason it is wrong. We are not to play around with the word of God and change the things he has given to us, and we should know he is a male the Son is male and the Holy Ghost is male not an it as so many refer to him as. This scripture some's it up for me totally and we need to be very careful what we do with the word of God. Rev 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and [from] the things which are written in this book. Which feminine metaphors of God especially help you understand God's nature? I never think of God as a female. I know he is male and yes men do love and help and do for the female that is out of love and they should love their children. This to me is not a female thing it is love and is shared by both man and woman. I do not see why we need to think of these as female traits they are good traits for man and woman.

Q4. In what sense was God the Husband of Israel? We see that the husband was the provider and the protector of the wife and this is how God is to Israel and he knows she will be able and willing to depend on him for all things. Even though Israel strays and is unfaithful his love is still set upon her. He declares for her to return unto him he is the one that will love her always. God is a jealous god he will not set her free to take other lovers and he will not let her worship and consider spiritual adultery. He is there for her and she needs to be his holy wife. What is the New Testament extension of this metaphor? God shows the same love and willingness to protect and provide for us as he has for Israel in the old testament. He delights in our worship and our praise of him and he rejoices over any that come to him and become part of the bride of Christ. He calls the church the bride and Jesus the husband and one day as in Rev. 19:9 there will be a wedding and the Bride of Christ will be forever more. What causes God to be jealous? Worship of other gods, she belongs to him, he loves her. False gods are considered spiritual adultery and our God is jealous when we do not hold only to him. The True and living God. He has commanded us to do so in his word. Why would we ever want another God when he is the only true living God. His love and his Spirit is more than enough for anyone to desire to hold too. Thank you Lord.

Q3. In what sense are Jesus and the Father one? They are the same as for the way they act they think and they do things. They are in unity always and even though they are not just one they are three they have different personalities, yet they are still indivuals and that means they do different jobs at different times. Even though they know what the others are doing. In what way was Jesus distinct from the Father? He obeys the Father to the point of death and that will show that he is the son and obedient son that loves the Father and that the Father loves. Jesus became flesh so he could die on the cross for our sins so we can one day be with him and the Father forever more. Is Jesus God in the sense that the Father is God? Jesus is God the Son he has the same power because it is given him over heaven and earth. He is the one that God sent to this earth and gave all power too. They think and act as one or to put it better the word is what was spoken of the Father and that is Jesus. 1 Cor 8:6 "For us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things come and for whom we live: and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through who we live."

Q2. How was the intimate way that Jesus taught his disciples about God as "Abba" and "Father" different from the Jews' understanding of God as Father? The Jews of the old testament saw God as one that was strict and stern, formal God they did not see him as a loving Father but as a God that they did not even write his whole name and many feels that way today still. He was the one that punishes the one that they dare not cross in any way. We few the Father our Father as love and kindness and his mercy is everlasting and that he is the one that made us and loves us. We need to work more on the love relationship with out Father and know who he is too us and in us. How does God as Abba influence your relationship with him? He lets me know that he loves me. He sent his only son to die so that I might have a relationship with him. He cares for me helps me and shows me his love daily. I thank you Father God for the love and the mercy and all that you do to show you love and keep me in your hands of mercy and that you will never leave me or forsake me. What a Mighty God we serve he is our Abba Father.

Q1. What does the concept of "father" teach us about God, especially the formal way which the word is used in the Old Testament? He is the creator the Great I Am and he makes the rules and we obey them he is the one that has the authority over all that goes on and the final say on all that is happening in our lives and will happen in our lives. According to the quote from Otfried Hofius above, which two aspects of a father underlie our understanding of Father in the Old Testament? He rules as the head of the household and he is the person to whom most respect is due. He has absolute authority over his family. God is the one in charge we are his children we should respect and obey his words. Those in the old testament that did not obey where put to death and we die out to God if we do not obey his word. How should they affect our behavior? It should cause us to want to obey and respect the word of God. He is our creator our leader our hope of tomorrow. This should make us with joy serve and respect him. He is OUR FATHER.

Q2. What are the personal implications of Yahweh being your King and of Jesus being the Messiah sent from God? He is our Redeemer and Lord our Savior and the ultimate sacrifice for my sins. We are to submit ourselves to him and let him have his way in our lives. Which is easy if you love Jesus the way he loves us. He is my everything and to learn more of him read his word. What are the advantages of being the subject of Yahweh as King? NO matter what we face he will never leave us or forsake us he will walk through the valley of death with us we will never have to be alone again. He is our protector our provider he is our King. Thank you Jesus. What does it mean for you to submit to the King on an everyday basis? Read and do what we read in the word of God then we will live our lives for him on a daily basis. He has to be first he will not take any other place in our lives. Live what we know to strive to learn more and live that also. Daily we repent and walk close to him. How does a person reject Yahweh from being King over him or her? When we refuse to submit to his will and his way in our lives and read his word and pray to talk to him is an important thing that many do not seem to understand. He is our friend we need to be able to tell him everything before we take it to other friends we talk it over with Jesus. If we don't then we are rejecting him and his will for our lives. We tend to hold to the human desires more than to those that he has set for us and it must break his heart to see anyone that has excepted him into their life turn to others before they turn to their King. Obedience is better than sacrifice.

Q4. What is the significance of the confession "Jesus is Lord"? Why is this necessary for salvation, according to Romans 10:9? If there is not a confession that Jesus is Lord then there is no salvation. Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. This is how we tell the world that we belong to Jesus and he is our GOD MOST HIGH. Our Redeemer our hope our help and all that he is unto us and all that he can be unto us. When we are saved we want to tell the world how wonderful and glorious our King of king and Lord of lords is to us. He says plain in his word if you are ashamed of me I will be ashamed of you before the Father. Lord let us never be ashamed or deni you for you are life and we do not desire death. Heaven or hell the call is yours to make. Trust in the Lord he will keep me until the day he returns for me. Phl 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform [it] until the day of Jesus Christ: