Correct. When Lucifer became the adversary of God and men, he was given the title ha Satan in Hebrew (which means the Adversary, from which we get Satan). He is also called that Great Dragon, the Devil, the Evil One, and the Wicked One, since he is the epitome of evil. Because he has supernatural powers, he can transform himself to deceive people, and deception is his primary weapon. We see his supernatural powers in the temptations of Christ in the wilderness.
The Cross and The Devil
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Anthony D'Arienzo
Well-Known Member
Anthony D'Arienzo
Well-Known Member
Mark 3
28 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:
29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation.
30 Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.
Hi Anthony,
Do you have a different take on this passage? It looks to me that Jesus is saying all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men.
This would fit right along with that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. And how that God is Just to forgive . . . seeing as all sin was paid for.
But being forgiven isn't enough for us to have life. We must be born again, born of the Spirit, born of God.
Having been reconciled, we are then urged to receive the reconciliation.
It seems that if you don't then it doesn't do you any good.
Much love!
Hi Anthony,
A question on this if I may,
Acts 2
22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
It seems to me this says that God, by His determinate counsel and advance knowledge, that God delivered Jesus into the hands of the Jews, who handed Jesus over to the Romans to be killed.
Are you seeing something different there?
Much love!
Mark
I agree with that - that Satan was but a tool, as was Judas. But your post brought up another question that I have had a hard time squaring with an omnipotent God that one might ask prior to your question or after it. There have been generations of pain and sorrow from the sin of Adam and Eve that just don't seem justified to me and I've told God that. (I'm like Jacob and wrestle with God
I had a neighbor who had some harsh things happen in her life: her first husband beat her and cheated on her. She lost her husband to cancer and was left a widow in an old lonely farm house. Her grandson was shot to death by police. She called me and would always complain about Adam and Eve causing all this. She wasn't a Christian and I was but I really didn't know what to say. How could a sinless Creator create an angel that had sin - the devil? And how could he create living beings - Adam & Eve - who had the propensity to sin? So your question naturally, I believe, would lead to even deeper questions.
Since as a Calvinist, you have the tendency not to believe in the concept of free will, I suppose I don't have an answer for you.
But if you would consider the idea that the Lord gave free will to all (which is a good thing), but that this good thing worked itself out so that evil developed out of it; I believe that you will see that God is only indirectly the author of evil.
That He created something good, which had the capacity for evil, that is, a creation with the capacity for free will, and with it the ability to choose to do evil if it so desired. Free will being in and of itself an ultimately good thing; but having the capacity for evil.
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If someone was completely possessed when they committed the crime; but later the demon was cast out of them and they subsequently became born again of the Holy Spirit: and exhibited the love of the Spirit so that their conversion could not be questioned: I believe that such a person could be released back into society; since 1) they were not responsible for the crime, and 2) it is highly unlikely that there would be a repeat, since those who are truly born again cannot be demon-possessed and also any fleshly impulse to do the former thing would be counteracted by the love of the Lord which is shed abroad in that person's heart.
See Ezekiel 18 and Ezekiel 33.
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Well, it's a big IF...
and a VERY hypothetical scenario....
But if it did happen,,,I'd agree.
Most are not demon possessed but demon oppressed.
@SovereignGrace made a correct statement.
You should read it again...it's a problem in Christianity generally speaking.
I mean, even calvinists get it right sometimes!
Sorry. The one you just responded to...
post no. 34
Here it is:
@Soverign Grace Grace said:
"I agree with that - that Satan was but a tool, as was Judas. But your post brought up another question that I have had a hard time squaring with an omnipotent God that one might ask prior to your question or after it. There have been generations of pain and sorrow from the sin of Adam and Eve that just don't seem justified to me and I've told God that. (I'm like Jacob and wrestle with God
I had a neighbor who had some harsh things happen in her life: her first husband beat her and cheated on her. She lost her husband to cancer and was left a widow in an old lonely farm house. Her grandson was shot to death by police. She called me and would always complain about Adam and Eve causing all this. She wasn't a Christian and I was but I really didn't know what to say. How could a sinless Creator create an angel that had sin - the devil? And how could he create living beings - Adam & Eve - who had the propensity to sin? So your question naturally, I believe, would lead to even deeper questions."
It's true!What an admission for you!
John Calvin was a VERY intelligent man.
Maybe even a genius.
His commentaries are excellent.
Too bad he didn't get to know the God of the bible.
I mean, I don't know how ANYBODY could believe what he taught.
Is that the god represented in the N.T. by Jesus?
Why am I so blind to it?
(uh oh)
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5 Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved." (Ephesians 1.3-6)
OK.
Check what I highlight above.
And then just read the one sentence I'll give you.
Notice that we ARE predestined...but for what?
These verses speak about HOW we are saved.....
NOT WHO is saved.
1. We are chosen IN HIM.
2. We are predestined to be holy and blameless.
3. We are predestined to be adopted as children by Jesus Christ.
4. We are made accepted in the beloved. (Jesus).
We ARE PREDESTINED but HOW we will be saved,
not WHO will be saved.
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ScottA
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- Feb 24, 2011
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This is a spin-off from another thread.
Question asked:-
"...1) could we be saved without His crucifixion and
2) would He have ever died if He was not killed?
Just friendly questions.
3) Did Satan kill Him?
So folks, lets have some 'friendly' answers or opinions.
- No we could not be saved without Christ's crucifixion.
- I should think if Jesus had not gone to the cross it would have been against the Father's will and therefore a sin. In which case, Jesus would have died in His sin. But I don't believe for a minute that the Author of our faith could or would have written it any other way.
- No Satan did not kill Christ, He laid down His life:
"No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take itagain. This command I have received from My Father.”
Yes, I would say that SIN put the Messiah--the Lamb of God--on the Cross. Satan can only do what he is permitted to do (we find that out when we read the Book of Job). Because Satan is a cruel murderer, it undoubtedly gave him pleasure to destroy Jesus' body in a very wicked way, but he could not have caused a hair on Jesus' head to be touched, if the Father had not removed His hand of protection (remember that Satan attempted to kill Jesus as a toddler, but a holy angel warned Joseph to take Jesus out of danger). It was neither the time nor the circumstance for that. Jesus needed to willingly give His life as a ransom. Galatians 4:4-5 tells us, "But when the right time came, God sent His Son, born of a woman, subject to the Law. God sent Him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the Law, so that He could adopt us as His very own children." When Jesus went to the Cross--all had been prepared in advance--the Father knew exactly how it would become the single greatest event in the history of mankind--every single detail. The Darling of Heaven crucified so that we might live with Him forever.
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