How are we to be like God?

[AdHoc]

If you can only use one word to describe a characteristic of God that we should follow as an example what word would you use?

And why do you choose that word?

[PinSeeker]

Its not a one and done thing. Its a life long process.

James said show me your faith, I will show my work. Faith without works is Dead.

Justification is a one and done thing, performed once and for all by God. He declares us righteous on the basis of Jesus's work of redemption on the cross. We don't justify ourselves in any way, shape, or form.

Yes, James did indeed say faith without works is dead. But read the very next verse, where he fields the rebuttal before it even happens, thereby heading it off:

• "But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.â€� Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." [James 2:18]

So, our works are the natural result of faith, which is itself a gift of God...

• "...by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." [Ephesians 2:8-9]

...and therefore surely not something we manufacture in ourselves:

• "...We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." [Ephesians 2:10]

Sanctification, which follows justification but is also just as much the work of God, is the lifelong process leading to our glorification. As Paul says:

• "...now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life." [Romans 6:22]

Can we fall from our secure position? Peter taught so: 2 Peter 3:14-18.

But Peter also writes:

• "(God) has caused us to be born again... to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." [1 Peter 1:3-5]

So did he contradict himself? By no means did he do such a thing. Yes, it is possible for the "ignorant" and "unstable" to fall to destruction, as he says here. But "ignorant" and "unstable" are meant regarding Godliness rather than the mere everyday way those terms are used today. Indirectly, Peter is talking about unbelievers, who don't possess God-given faith and therefore see no eternal reason for good works. In this way, they are ignorant. As the writer of Ecclesiastes puts it, "The dead know nothing." Now, they may perform good works, but they have no God-given faith, which is indispensable to salvation.

We, as believers, are not "ignorant," but can lose our stability in this fallen world, by getting "carried away with the error of lawless people," as Peter says, but we cannot lose our salvation. Our good works are outward evidence of our God-given faith, which, again, is indispensable to our salvation.

The common thread in all of this is, it's all about God. Not us.

Grace and peace to you, Brian.

[PinSeeker]

Being "born again to a living hope" saves no one.

LOL! I didn't say that at all. Neither does Scripture. Rather, we are saved BECAUSE we are born again to a living hope (rather than a dead one). Wow.

You claim being born again as a spirit is a past event...

That's not my claim at all. Like I say, you see things in a far too wooden, literalistic, and therefore non-biblical way. But at least you're trying, and that's a good thing.

I'm the one claiming that salvation is an inheritance reserved in heaven to be revealed in the last time. You've proved my claim!

LOL! Well, if you just quote Scripture, then I'll agree with that every time, without fail. But the problem arises when you apply shallow understandings of it, which you most certainly are doing.

Grace and peace to you, myth-one.

[myth-one.com]

Being "born again to a living hope" saves no one.

LOL! I didn't say that at all. Neither does Scripture. Rather, we are saved BECAUSE we are born again to a living hope (rather than a dead one). Wow.

We are not saved yet.

We will be saved at the Second Coming because we believe in Jesus as our Savior.

Being born again to a living hope saves no one. We must be born again of the Spirit to be saved.

But Christians do become "new creatures" upon accepting Christ:

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

People should be able to compare our past and present behaviors and recognize that we are not the same person.

You claim being born again as a spirit is a past event...

That's not my claim at all. Like I say, you see things in a far too wooden, literalistic, and therefore non-biblical way.

Here's exactly what you, or someone posing as you wrote:

For believers, it's an actual one time past event.

[PinSeeker]

We are not saved yet.

...in your opinion. Yeah, I getcha. It's unnecessary to keep repeating yourself. You're not wrong, but only half right. It's the "now and not yet" of the Gospel that you're not getting. We are both saved and being saved.

We must be born again of the Spirit to be saved.

Agree. I think you're referring to what Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3, and that's good. For those of us who are Christians, this has already happened. We have already been given spiritual life by God via His Holy Spirit. What you say is correct here, but you're not fully understanding, apparently. Ezekiel gives us a great picture of this in chapter 36 of his prophecy:

• "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances" (vv.26-27)

Does it seem strange to you, myth-one, in light of what you've been saying, that having been given a new spirit (by the Spirit), we still walk and observe... which means we still are very much physical beings? As I'm sure you know, Paul exhorts us to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16), right? Yes, as Christians, we are physical beings, but the spiritual what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:46-47 -- "the spiritual is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven" -- makes perfect sense to us (or should, anyway...). The spiritual has come (has been given), but the physical, which was first, preceding the spiritual, is still with us.

But Christians do become "new creatures" upon accepting Christ...

Right! But it's easy to quote Scripture; understanding it well is a different thing.

People should be able to compare our past and present behaviors and recognize that we are not the same person.

Agree again. The spiritual part of us is no longer dead; we are no longer dead in our sin. We see our sin for what it is, and while we still fall into sin from time to time -- often, actually -- we hate it and repent of it and try to avoid it and try to please God. Sure. I agree.

You claim being born again as a spirit is a past event...

That's not my claim at all. Like I say, you see things in a far too wooden, literalistic, and therefore non-biblical way.

Here's exactly what you, or someone posing as you wrote:

For believers, it's an actual one time past event.

Yes, when we become Christians -- when we are made to be Christians, according to God's will and by the work of the Holy Spirit -- we are:

• * justified -- declared righteous by God, not righteous in any way in and of ourselves but imputed the righteousness of Jesus Christ because of His work of atonement on the cross
  
  * born again of the Holy Spirit, because of His quickening (making alive) of our spirit (again, Ezekiel gives us a great picture of this in chapter 36 of his prophecy ["I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances" vv.26-27])
  
  * set on an inevitable path of sanctification -- the work of God in us by His Holy Spirit in us throughout the rest of our natural-born lives -- and ultimately to glorification.

See, what's really at issue here, myth-one, is the complete sovereignty of God. Many see that understanding as painting us as "robots," but, while that's understandable, it's a ridiculous way to see it. It's all about God -- the triune Godhead, bringing us from from death to life... from dust to glory.

Grace and peace to you, my friend.

[myth-one.com]

[Replying to post 72 by PinSeeker]

The reward of believers is everlasting life:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

Jesus told Nicodemus that to enter the Kingdom of God He must be born again of the Spirit.

You claim that you received your reward when you became a Christian:

Yes, when we become Christians -- when we are made to be Christians, according to God's will and by the work of the Holy Spirit -- we are:
.
.
.

* born again of the Holy Spirit, . . .

So you are now claiming to be a spirit living eternally in the Kingdom of God.

But the scriptures state that Jesus is bringing our reward with Him when He returns:

Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him... (Isaiah 62:11)

And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me... (Revelation 22:12)

What is this second reward that Jesus is bringing to you at His second coming?

"Thy salvation cometh," implies He isn't here now.

And He brings His reward, which He will give to you and other Christians, with Him.

But you claim to already have your salvation! So He has no need to return.

And you live on the earth.

But in the "Lord's Prayer" we are taught to pray:

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

If His kingdom needs to come to the earth, then it is not here now, and you cannot be living in the Kingdom of God at the present time.

Yada, yada, yada.

[PinSeeker]

So you are now claiming to be a spirit living eternally in the Kingdom of God.

Well, I'm claiming to have spiritual life -- not to "be a spirit". And that I will be alive eternally -- not "living eternally". Wow. Such misunderstanding.

What is this second reward that Jesus is bringing to you at His second coming?

FULL deliverance, FULL salvation, and FULL life... eternal rest.

But you claim to already have your salvation! So He has no need to return.

LOL!!!

Yada, yada, yada.

Yeah, stop it, my man. Stop it.

Grace and peace to you, myth-one.

[myth-one.com]

Well, I'm claiming to have spiritual life -- not to "be a spirit".

What kind of life might a spirit have?

Perhaps spiritual life?

And that I will be alive eternally -- not "living eternally".

So during the time that you are not living, you are nonetheless "alive."

Wow. Such misunderstanding.

Yes, we can agree that your misunderstanding is staggering!

[PinSeeker]

Yes, we can agree that your misunderstanding is staggering!

So, you have multiple personalities? Well if that's true, that would explain some things...

Aside from that, I'm not the one claiming we'll all be like Casper the Friendly Ghost someday. I say we'll be like Jesus, which... is what the Bible says. And what we can do now (since we are saved) is be Jesus to our neighbors, which... is what Jesus tells us to do.

Grace and peace to you, myth-one.

[myth-one.com]

. . . I'm not the one claiming we'll all be like Casper the Friendly Ghost someday. I say we'll be like Jesus, which... is what the Bible says. And what we can do now (since we are saved) is be Jesus to our neighbors, which... is what Jesus tells us to do.

Grace and peace to you, myth-one.

The Bible describes only two types of beings, physical and spiritual:

There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. (I Corinthians 15:44)

There are two body types, physical and spiritual and they are different. Each of these body types requires a separate and distinct birth:

That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. (John 3:6)

The natural body comes first and is then followed by the spiritual body:

Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. (I Corinthians 15:46)

Paul is addressing Christians in Corinthians.

So the first body Christians have is our natural, physical bodies.

The second body we will have is a spiritual body. (or Casper as you call it).

The natural body comes first and the spiritual body comes last because once a spiritual body is born, it lasts for eternity.

So all of mankind will be born as natural bodied beings.

Only those of mankind who accept Jesus as their Savior will be born again with everlasting spiritual bodies at the second Coming.

That's what your Bible states.

====================================================

When you say we will be like Jesus, do you mean Christians will be natural, physical, flesh and blood beings eternally?

[brianbbs67]

* born again of the Holy Spirit, because of His quickening (making alive) of our spirit (again, Ezekiel gives us a great picture of this in chapter 36 of his prophecy ["I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances" vv.26-27])

This is good and true. Especially the last sentence.