Assorted biblical topics.
- Thread starter phipps
- Start date
Nehemiah 5:8–11 *Injustice Against the Golden Rule*
*Every unjust act toward a fellow being is a violation of the golden rule. Every wrong done to the children of God is done to Christ Himself in the person of His saints. Every attempt to take advantage of the ignorance, weakness, or misfortune of another is registered as fraud in the ledger of heaven.* PK 652
*Every unjust act toward a fellow being is a violation of the golden rule. Every wrong done to the children of God is done to Christ Himself in the person of His saints. Every attempt to take advantage of the ignorance, weakness, or misfortune of another is registered as fraud in the ledger of heaven.* PK 652
clammertoe
Established
- Joined
- Nov 7, 2023
- Messages
- 345
Serendipity! I overheard some announcer state (on an "ancient alien" documentary, i think) that the Book of Enoch is considered canonical by the Ethiopian Orthodox...and now we know the authority our esteemed poster stands on.
en.wikipedia.org
Orthodox Tewahedo biblical canon - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
Last edited:
If any "Bible" accepts the book of Enoch as biblical canon, its a false Bible.Serendipity! I overheard some announcer state (on an "ancient alien" documentary, i think) that the Book of Enoch is considered canonical by the Ethiopian Orthodox...and now we know the authority our esteemed poster stands on.
Orthodox Tewahedo biblical canon - Wikipedia
I understand the Ethiopian Orthodox Bible has 81 books not the usual 66.
10 Reasons Not to Have Sex Outside of Marriage.
Current movies, books, television shows and magazines are full of impressions and suggestions about sex. We have examples all around us of couples engaging in premarital and extra-marital sex. There’s no way around it—today’s culture fills our minds with hundreds of reasons to just go ahead and have sex outside of marriage. But as Christians, we don’t want to simply follow everyone else. We want to follow Christ and know what the Bible says about sex outside of marriage.
Reason #1– God Tells Us Not to Have Sex Outside of Marriage.
In the seventh Commandment, God instructs us not to have sex with anyone other than our spouse. It is clear that God forbids sex outside of marriage. When we obey God, he is pleased. He honours our obedience by blessing us.
Deuteronomy 28:1-3, "If you fully obey the LORD your God … [he] will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God."
God has a reason for giving us this command. First and foremost, He knows what’s best for us. By obeying Him, we trust God to look out for our best interests.
Reason #2 – We Won’t Miss Out on the Blessing of the Wedding Night.
There’s something very special about a couple’s first time. In this physical act the two become one flesh. Yet it is more than just physical oneness — a spiritual union takes place. God planned for this exclusive experience of discovery and pleasure to happen only within the intimacy of marriage. If we don’t wait, we miss out on a very special blessing from God.
1 Corinthians 6:16, "Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.”
Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact. As written in Scripture, “The two become one.” Since we want to become spiritually one with the Master, we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever—the kind of sex that can never “become one.”
Reason #3 – We Will Be Spiritually Healthier.
If we live as carnal or fleshly Christians, we will seek to gratify the desires of the flesh and live only to please ourselves. If we live this way, the Bible says we cannot please God. We will be miserable under the weight of our sin. As we continue to feed our fleshly desires, our spirit will grow weak and our relationship with God will be destroyed. Complacency with sin leads to worse sin, and eventually, spiritual death.
Romans 8:8,13, "So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. ... For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live."
Reason #4 – We Will Be Physically Healthier.
This one is a no-brainer. If we refrain from sex outside of marriage, we will be protected from the risk of catching sexually transmitted diseases.
1 Corinthians 6:18, "Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body."
Reason #5 – We Will Be Emotionally Healthier.
One reason God tells us to honour marriage and keep the marriage bed pure has to do with baggage. We carry baggage into our sexual relationships. Memories from the past, emotional scars and unwanted mental images can defile our thoughts and make the marriage bed less than pure. Certainly God can forgive the past, but that doesn’t mean we’re free from the baggage that can linger in our minds.
Hebrews 13:4, "Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge."
Reason #6 – We Will Show Consideration for Our Partner’s Well-Being.
If we put our partner’s needs are above our own and we consider their spiritual well-being, we’ll be compelled to wait for sex. We, like God, will want what’s best for them.
Ephesians 5:2, "And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma."
Philippians 2:3, "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself."
Reason #7 – Waiting is a Test of True Love.
Love is patient. That’s about as simple as it gets. We can learn the sincerity of our partner’s love by their willingness, or lack thereof, to wait.
1 Corinthians 13:4-5, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking."
Reason #8 – We Will Have No Negative Consequences to Deal With.
There are always consequences to sin. Some of those effects can be devastating. An unwanted pregnancy, a decision to have an abortion or place a child for adoption, broken relationships with family and friends — these are just a few of the possible outcomes we face when we choose to have sex outside of marriage. We should be sure to consider the snow ball effect of sin. And what if the relationship does not last?
Hebrews 12:1, "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us."
Reason #9 – We Will Keep Our Christian Testimony Intact.
We don’t set a very good example of godly living when we disobey God. The Bible says in 1 Timothy 4:12 to “be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
In Matthew 5:13 Jesus compares his followers to “salt” and “light” when we represent him in the world. When we no longer shine the light of Christ, when we lose our Christian testimony, we lose our “saltiness.” In other words, we become flavourless and bland. We lose our ability to attract the world to Christ. Luke 14:34-35 puts it strongly, saying that salt without saltiness is worthless, not even fit for the manure pile.
Reason #10 – We Won’t Settle For Less Than God’s Perfect Will.
When we choose to have sex outside of marriage, we settle for less than God’s perfect will — for ourselves and for our partner. And if we do this, we don’t know what we might end up with. Perhaps we’ll end up in a miserable marriage.
So, here’s some food for thought: If your partner wants sex before marriage, consider this as a warning sign about their spiritual condition. If you are the one who wants sex before marriage, consider this as a warning sign of your own spiritual condition.
Last edited:
It is Fornication/Sexual Immorality.
Sexual immorality is more than just sex outside marriage. It's also porn, masturbation, lust, oral sex, dressing overtly sexual, joking sexually, homosexuality, and more. It's anything that perverts God good design for sex between a husband and wife.
So God said flee from Sexual Immorality.
Flee from fornication
Flee from lust of the eyes, flesh, mind, and heart
Flee from pornography and other sexual things.
All who make worldly good their portion, who seek to save themselves by their own devisings, will do exactly as did the disciples who would not understand Christ's teaching, who refused to believe that He Himself is the Bread of life. These disciples, offended at the word of Jesus, walked no more with Him. They forsook His teachings. They depended on their own wisdom and spent money for that which is not bread. Their hearts and minds remained unsatisfied. It is eating the Bread of life that alone can satisfy the hungry soul. Without this Bread, the spiritual necessities must remain empty, unsatisfied. Christ's words are spirit and life. It is the salvation of true obedience that gains for us eternal life. 21LtMs, Ms 81, 1906, par. 14.
2 Chronicles 20:15, "Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s."
When we belong to Christ, the enemy never has the final word over our lives. We are secure in God's hands.
Press on – courageous and free – never held back by fear or defeat. The battle belongs to the Lord, and He has the final victory.
When we belong to Christ, the enemy never has the final word over our lives. We are secure in God's hands.
Press on – courageous and free – never held back by fear or defeat. The battle belongs to the Lord, and He has the final victory.
"Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path."
"Fear God and give glory to Him for the hour of His judgement is come. Worship Him that made the heavens and the earth the seas and the fountains of water."
We must have an increase of faith, else we can not be renewed in the divine image, and love and obey the requirements of God. Let the prayer go forth from unfeigned lips, "Lord, increase my faith; give me divine enlightenment; for without help from thee I can do nothing." Come in humility and bow before God; open before the Lord your Bibles, containing the divine promises; take your position upon them; make a covenant with God that you will answer His requirements; tell Him you will believe, without any other evidence except the naked promise. This is not presumption; but unless you work with zeal, unless you are earnest and determined, Satan will obtain the advantage, and you will be left in unbelief and darkness. The words and promises of God are the only foundation of our faith. Take the Word of God as truth, as a living, speaking voice to you, and obey faithfully every requirement. God is faithful, who hath promised. TSS 28.1.
Psalm 84.
The Blessedness of Dwelling in the House of God.
To the Chief Musician. On an instrument of Gath. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
How lovely is Your tabernacle,
O Lord of hosts!
My soul longs, yes, even faints
For the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
Even the sparrow has found a home,
And the swallow a nest for herself,
Where she may lay her young—
Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts,
My King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in Your house;
They will still be praising You. Selah
Blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
They make it a spring;
The rain also covers it with pools.
They go from strength to strength;
Each one appears before God in Zion.
O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
O God, behold our shield,
And look upon the face of Your anointed.
For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
Blessed is the man who trusts in You!
The Blessedness of Dwelling in the House of God.
To the Chief Musician. On an instrument of Gath. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
How lovely is Your tabernacle,
O Lord of hosts!
My soul longs, yes, even faints
For the courts of the Lord;
My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
Even the sparrow has found a home,
And the swallow a nest for herself,
Where she may lay her young—
Even Your altars, O Lord of hosts,
My King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in Your house;
They will still be praising You. Selah
Blessed is the man whose strength is in You,
Whose heart is set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
They make it a spring;
The rain also covers it with pools.
They go from strength to strength;
Each one appears before God in Zion.
O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
Give ear, O God of Jacob! Selah
O God, behold our shield,
And look upon the face of Your anointed.
For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
Than dwell in the tents of wickedness.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
The Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold
From those who walk uprightly.
O Lord of hosts,
Blessed is the man who trusts in You!
Ezekiel 2:7, "And thou shalt speak my words unto them, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear: for they are most rebellious."
In view of this, what is the duty of the messenger of truth? Shall he conclude that the truth ought not to be presented, since often its only effect is to arouse men to evade or resist its claims? No; he has no more reason for withholding the testimony of God's word, because it excites opposition, than had earlier Reformers. {GC 459}
