Q1. Rebellion

[DJW]

Q1. (1 Samuel 15:22-23). What is rebellion? In what way is rebellion as bad as witchcraft or occult practices? What does rebellion have to do with arrogance? What can we do when we find rebellion against God in our hearts? What happens if we do nothing? 

Rebellion as I see it is going my own way (humans going their own way) and not in obedience to God. This can be unwittingly yet it is still rebellion because we are of this world. To seek God, to hear his voice and then to translate that into ongoing obedience is such a challenge. To not do so is arrogance, because we know we must do our best to be obedient seeking God for help constantly.

Witchcraft and occult practices are simple anything that worships or gives reverence to any lie or falsehood that is not the one true God. This again is so easy to unwittingly engage in, because we live in a world in which the evil one and his crew only have the 'power' of deception and lies. They are the actual losers and they have already lost! 

If we do not seek God constantly with an acute awareness of his reality we become frail and subject to falsehoods and lies fostering rebellion in our hearts. We must use our consciousness to seek God who will protect, guard, strengthen and change our hearts. 

[Anitha]

Q1. (1 Samuel 15:22-23).

What is rebellion?

Answer:- Rebellion is doing things our way and not God’s way or will.

 

In what way is rebellion as bad as witchcraft or occult practices?

Answer:- we disobey God or do things our own way, we are raising ourselves above God’s authority, in other words we have become God for ourselves which same worshipping other gods - idolatry.

 

What does rebellion have to do with arrogance?

Answer:- when we exalt ourselves by doing things our own way, we indirectly telling God we don’t need Him or we know better and that is arrogance.

 

What can we do when we find rebellion against God in our hearts?

Answer:- Recognise that we have sinned, repent by asking God for forgiveness.

 

What happens if we do nothing?

Answer:- We remain in our sinful nature and cannot share in the finished work of Christ on the cross.

[crissy464]

Rebellion is the action or resistance to authority, control or convention. Rebellion is as bad as witchcraft practices because there both disregarding God's clear command. arrogance is stubbornness. Rebellion goes hand and hand with arrogance against God. Rebellion will lead a person away from God. if you find rebellion in your heart towards God look at God in a different way, every heart has the seed of Rebellion

 

 

[Irmela]

Q1. (1 Samuel 15:22-23).

What is rebellion? 

Webster's dictionary definition is written in the next few lines.

 It is revolt/desertion

Rebellion is insurrection/hostility against lawful or constituted authority

or open resistance to lawful or constituted authority.

In this passage of Scripture we read that 

Rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft  (witchcraft is having a compact/agreement/covenant with evil spirits)

In what way is rebellion as bad as witchcraft or occult practices?

From the definitions above it can be seen clearly why rebellion is compared to witchcraft.

What does rebellion have to do with arrogance?

arrogance is a haughty/proud contempt of others  (looking down on them with superior airs)

So one can say that arrogance will eventually lead to rebellion.  Orders are listened to with contempt and not carried out.

What can we do when we find rebellion against God in our hearts?

REPENT!!!!!!

What happens if we do nothing?

Things will just get worse and the unteachable spirit takes over and self will rule.

 

[Kari]

Rebellion is doing what WE want instead of listening to God, so we put ourselves above God and our "self" becomes an idol. We should repent and ask God to help us change our ways.

[PaulM]

Rebellion is a deliberate act of disobedience against God. If we claim that the Lord is our King and that we belong to Him; and yet we willfully disobey, then we have committed the gravest sin. It is just as if we had committed witchcraft. Rebellion is arrogance and pride that we are placing ourselves above God and His ways. We must repent, ask forgiveness and turn away from our sin. If we do nothing, then we do not belong to the Lord. We are lost until we turn back to Him.

[Krissi]

I obediently rebel.

I choose to obey God by rebelling against society and the government.

Rebellion is obedience to God when godly living is mocked or even made illegal. As society coarsens and openly promotes sin, is it rebellion or obedience to God to go against evil laws and social behaviors?

When I see gay pride parades or dolled-up trannies reading books to children in public libraries, the promotion of abortion and so-called "gender-fluidity," unfair and unjust use of targeted taxation against Christians, governmental coercion to submit to harmful and untested vaccinations and the shuttering of churches (but not gay bars), lawfare as a tool of oppression and silencing Christian opposition to the government, wars started to maintain their colonialist-mindset and hegemony, and flagrant censorship and lies to keep Christians in the dark as to what the government is doing behind their backs ... am I belng rebellious God to work against society/culture/government? God demands that I be salt and light in a disgusting culture and before an increasingly evil government -- to be salt and light today means rebelling!

In the past, rebellion against the government and social norms was neither expected nor desired because, for the most part, the government stayed within the bounds of loosely interpreted, generic principles of Christianity. BUT, today, as the government increasingly veers away from Christian principles, passive obedience is not a Christian response. I must rebel. To obey God I must rebel against evildoers in the government as well as the government itself. Civil disobedience is no longer an option; rebellion is a requirement of faith.  To look away from evil done in a nation's name is the same as condoning it. I can no longer do this.

When there is no lsafe space to which I can escape ... when I no longer can carve out exemptions for myself ... when the government not only promotes evil, but demands I engage in it, should I rebel or obey???

It is simply a fact that the United States was founded on rebellion and disobedience. We rebelled against haughty colonial rulers, unjust taxation and much more. To rebel, we believed, was to act in obedience to God's written word.  

What was right then is right today. I believe I must boldly defy the oppressive government as well as social "influencers" who greatly harm society. This is a time to quietly say "NO." I pray to plant my feet squarely on the ground while lifting my eyes to heaven as I beg God for the strength to say, as did Martin Luther at the Diet of Worms: "Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise."

--

Luther's words: 

I claim no other merit than that of having spoken and written with the simplicity of mind which regards nothing but the glory of God and the pure instruction of the people of Christ…. What, then, should I be doing …? Wretched man! I alone, of all men living, should be abandoning truths approved by the unanimous vote of friends and enemies, and should be opposing doctrines that the whole world glorifies in confessing!...

Is it not manifest that the laws and human doctrines of the popes entangle, vex, and distress the consciences of the faithful, while the crying and endless extortions engulf the property and wealth of Christendom, and more particularly of this illustrious nation? Yet it is a perpetual statute that the laws and doctrines of the pope be held erroneous and reprobate when they are contrary to the Gospel and the opinions of the Church fathers.

Bearing down all resistance with fresh fury, we should behold these proud men swell, foam, and rage more than ever! And not merely would the yoke which now weighs down Christians be made more grinding …

Great God! (If I did not rebel against authority) I should thus be like to an infamous cloak, used to hide and cover over every kind of malice and tyranny.

I have written some books against private individuals, who had undertaken to defend the tyranny of Rome by destroying the faith. I freely confess that I may have attacked such persons with more violence than was consistent with my profession as an ecclesiastic …

"I came not to send peace unto the earth, but a sword," said Christ. 

God is wonderful and terrible in His counsels. Let us have a care, lest in our endeavors to arrest discords, we be bound to fight against the holy word of God and bring down upon our heads a frightful deluge of inextricable dangers, present disaster, and everlasting desolations.

 "Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise" 

 

 

    

[Nicolaas A.P. Mostert]

Q1. (1 Samuel 15:22-23).

What is rebellion?

Rebellion is doing it our way that means, doing what we decide to do rather than what God tells us. We excuse ourselves by our difficult circumstances.

In what way is rebellion as bad as witchcraft or occult practices?

Obstinate resistance to God exalts self-will to the place of authority, which belongs only to God.

What does rebellion have to do with arrogance?

We think we know better than God, so we do it our way instead of his -- often with tragic results.

What can we do when we find rebellion against God in our hearts?

Repent of this sin and give it to JESUS so that HE can take it away. JESUS already delt with it on the cross.

What happens if we do nothing?

We will be responsible for our own down fall. GOD is not happy with a Rebellion spirit.

[LadyT]

Q1. (1 Samuel 15:22-23).

What is rebellion? Doing things your own way when G-d already told us what to do.

In what way is rebellion as bad as witchcraft or occult practices? I appreciated the interpretation that it's like idolatry because I tend to think of idolatry as worshipping another god, but saying that we put ourselves as our own god when we disobey, really sat with me.

What does rebellion have to do with arrogance? We think we know better than G-d.

What can we do when we find rebellion against God in our hearts? Repent and immerse ourself in the Word. We need to learn from the mistakes of those before us.

What happens if we do nothing? We'll stay troubled.