I think a lot of things but most of them turn out wrong. But when I accept what the Word says I find myself on solid foundation.
I also find the best policy is to say
"Amen" to whatever the word says.
Now as to what I think.
jaywill writes:
Also I think the personification of Sin is biblical.
Satan is the personification of Sin.
While some bible readers seem troubled by this, I found it to be a relief. Not a relief from responsibility mind you. But a relief.
I remember that as a young man in my first year away from home at college, I eventually told a friend that I felt like a demon. And I was not kidding.
Some years latter when I learned of the personification of Sin in Romans 7, my experience made more sense to me. something was lurking to capture me, slay me, deceive me, just as Paul had written.
The personification of Sin made complete sense to my experience.
We have a sin nature we receive at birth because the first man sold us into slavery by eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
I think that the Bible is economical in what it tells us. Perhaps there was more involved there in the garden then we can know. Something of the deep occult seems to be evidenced.
Though I do not understand it all, I think human history is as it is related there. The foundations of human life on earth are rooted in the supernatural, I do believe.
This disobedience separated mankind from God, and also introduced death into the universe.
This is a point to ponder for me. Sin had to have been somewhee in Satan. And Satan had to have been in the universe. So I think Paul's use of the word
"the world" may have on it some limitations.
If the serpent sinned by his lying, then the sin of lying was in the universe. It was somewhere because the tempter was sinful and the tempter was in the garden.
Abel is the first thing we know that died. The young man Lamech killed was the second.
I think that the cattle slain so that Adam and his wife could be clothed occured before Abel died. But Abel was the first human death.
I believe that Abel received the revelation to offer cattle as a blood sacrifice from his parents. It does not say that. But I think his offering of a living thing was a pre-figure of Christ and instructed by God to Abel's parents.
I think that Cain did not follow the revelation of his parents and presumed to come up with a original idea. In this sense Cain was the first inventor of a human religion.
The fruit the man and woman ate was converted from fruit to energy.
Hadn't thought much about that.
Aurthor Custance of
"The Doorway Papers" has some things written about the actual fruit. I think I will finally get around to reading it.
jaywill writes:
Satan is bound during the millennial kingdom, a sin nature is still in the living people on the earth.
Satan can make no one sin. He can tempt them. Like you setting cookies on the table or have candy laying around the house with a bunch of kids in the house.
But when Satan is bound for a 1000 years where are all his angels they have not been bound they are still on the loose and yes man will still disobey the rules that Jesus sets up during this time.
Let me think on that one. I had never considered that.
Zechariah tells us in chapter 14 that when Jesus returns to the place He left the earth and sets up His earthly kingdom that there will be people who do not conform to His rules will suffer for that disobedience. That tells me they will be able to exercise their freewill to choose to obey or disobey.
Exactly. I noticed. This is why some scholars give up on any concept of a golden age of peace or millennium.
And I noticed that though Satan is bound the sinner still dies at the age of 100 according to one prophecy.
I had never considered that the hosts of Satan were not bound along with Satan. I want to bounce that off of some brothers I know whose fellowship is valuable to me.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
And see? Christians can have different views without condemning one another. We all see through a glass darkly. But then, face to face with the Lord Jesus.
We will know even as we are known.
™ Version 4.2