(Re: Having a real *relationship with God) / (And what to do *first as a new Christian?)
If people do not feel any relationship with God even though they consider themselves to be Christians, this could be because they have subconsciously hardened their heart against God because of something bad which happened in their life, such as the death of a loved one or the divorce of their parents. They could be subconsciously blaming God for letting this bad thing happen instead of using His power to keep it from happening. If that is the case, then they need to pray and ask God to bring to their mind whatever is coming between them and Him (Psalms 139:23-24). And they need to ask Him to help them not to harden their heart against Him (Hebrews 3:15).
If people have not become Christians yet, all they need to do to become Christians is believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ and the human/divine Son of God (John 20:31, John 3:36; 1 John 2:23) and that He suffered and died on the Cross for our sins and rose physically from the dead on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Luke 24:39,46-47, Matthew 20:19, Matthew 26:28).
After people become Christians, to help develop and keep up their relationship with God, they should pray to Him every day, such as with The Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13), praising and worshipping Him (Revelation 4:11), confessing their sins to Him (1 John 1:9), asking Him for what they need today (Luke 11:3) and thanking Him for everything which He has given them (Philippians 4:6). And throughout the day, they should immediately bring to Him in prayer anything which they become worried about at any time (Philippians 4:6-7).
They should also fellowship with other Christians every day (Hebrews 3:13, Hebrews 10:25), at least in some fashion (Matthew 18:20), such as on this forum, being exhorted by them and exhorting them in turn (Hebrews 3:13).
They also need to examine themselves to make sure that they are truly in the Christian faith (2 Corinthians 13:5, Proverbs 28:26, Proverbs 14:12). The way to do this is to read every word of the Bible (Hebrews 4:12, Matthew 4:4) and see if they accept everything that it teaches as having come from God (John 8:47; 2 Timothy 3:16). For just as true Christian faith will initially come from reading (or hearing) what the Bible teaches (Romans 10:17; 2 Timothy 3:15), so people can know that they are remaining in the true Christian faith if they continue to believe that everything the Bible teaches came from God (John 8:31b; 2 Timothy 4:2-4; 1 Timothy 4:1, Mark 8:35-38).
To have any real relationship with Jesus and God the Father and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19), most importantly people must believe the right things about Jesus (John 14:6-7): that He is God the Word made flesh (John 1:1,14), that He is the Christ (1 John 5:1; 1 John 2:22), and that He is the only begotten (only born) Son of God (John 3:16,36; 1 John 2:23), meaning that He is the only person ever born without any human father (Luke 1:34-35). And people must believe that Jesus lived a perfectly sinless life (Hebrews 4:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21), and so He could suffer and die on the Cross for our sins and rise from the dead on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). He rose and will remain forever in an immortal flesh and bones human body (Luke 24:39; 2 John 1:7) as Christians' eternally-human high priest/mediator (1 Timothy 2:5, Hebrews 2:16-17, Hebrews 7:24-26).
Once people come into faith in Jesus Christ, they must obey Him and God the Father and the Holy Spirit by repenting from their sins and getting water-immersion (burial) baptized into Jesus (Acts 2:38, Romans 6:3-5, Galatians 3:27). And they must partake of the divine flesh and blood of the bread and wine of Communion (John 6:53, Matthew 26:26-28; 1 Corinthians 10:16; 1 Corinthians 11:27-30). And they should get hands laid on them to receive Holy Spirit baptism (Acts 8:17) and one or more of the Holy Spirit's wonderful Spiritual gifts (Acts 19:6; 1 Corinthians 12:8-10). Then, washed from their sins by water baptism (Acts 22:16) and empowered by the Holy Spirit within them (Acts 1:8, Ephesians 3:16), they must each and every day for the rest of their lives deny themselves, take up their crosses and follow Jesus (Luke 9:23; 2 Corinthians 5:15) by continuing in the Christian faith to the end (Hebrews 3:6,12,14, Hebrews 6:4-8, John 15:6; 2 Timothy 2:12), by repenting from every sin that they commit (Hebrews 10:26-29; 1 Corinthians 9:27, Luke 12:45-46) and by doing to the end the particular spiritual works which Jesus has given them as individuals to do (Mark 13:34, Romans 12:6-8, Titus 3:8).
But if they as Christians wrongly employ their free will to refuse to do these things, then they cannot expect to have any continued real relationship with Jesus Christ and God the Father and the Holy Spirit. For a continued real relationship with them requires that people not only continue to believe in them, but also continue to obey them (John 15:10, John 14:21,23). Faith without works is dead (James 2:20) and cannot ultimately save people from hell (James 2:14-26, Romans 2:6-8, Matthew 7:21, Hebrews 5:9).
(See also Mark 13:34 above)
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(Re: What if I hate my life?)
In one sense it is okay for a Christian to hate his life in this fallen world (John 12:25; 1 John 2:15-17). But, at the same time, Jesus Christ wants a Christian to have an abundant life in Him, here and now (John 10:10b), meaning a more abundant life spiritually (Ephesians 1:17-18, Ephesians 3:16-19) rather than a life focused on obtaining material wealth (Luke 12:15; 1 Timothy 6:8-12, Matthew 6:19-24, Hebrews 13:5) and/or power over other people (Matthew 20:25-27, Matthew 23:8-12; 1 Peter 5:3).
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(Re: I want to be *happy like others)
Others may not really be as happy as they appear. Many people merely put on a show of happiness while they are out in public, while at home in private they are miserable. Or they may take drugs to feel happy. What Christians want is to be is truly happy, inside and out, in the sense of having the joy of God's Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).
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(Re: What does one do to be happy?)
To be truly happy, people must have a real relationship with God (Psalms 16:11). And the only way to have a real relationship with God is by being a Christian (John 14:6).
(See "If people have not become Christians yet" above)
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(Re: How does one *spend time with God?)
Every moment of our life is spent with God, no matter what we do, because "in him we live, and move, and have our being" (Acts 17:28). And Jesus Christ tells Christians: "I am with you always, even to the end of the world. Amen" (Matthew 28:20). "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5b).
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(Re: How does one get *closer to God, feel His *presence more?)
Getting closer to God/Jesus Christ requires obedience to what He commands Christians to do (John 14:21,23, John 14:15-18, Ephesians 3:17-19; 2 Corinthians 1:22). Also, if Christians have not already, they should get... (See "Holy Spirit baptized" under Mark 16:16 above)
Also, Christians will get closer to Jesus Christ as they serve Him in the particular spiritual work which He has given them as individuals to do (Ephesians 4:11; 1 Corinthians 12:28, Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:8-11). So if they have not already, Christians should pray and ask God what their particular spiritual work is for Him, and do it every day (Luke 9:23, Titus 3:8, Mark 13:34, John 12:26).
(See also Mark 13:34 above)
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(Re: What is my *identity in Christ?)
For Christians, their primary identity is as children of God (e.g. John 1:12). They also take on a secondary identity as servants of God (e.g. Romans 6:22) within the body of Christ, based on... (See "the particular" in the section above)
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(Re: Was the Gospel foretold in the Old Testament?)
Yes, see "the Old Testament foretold" under John 1:1,14 above.
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(Re: NOSAS: How can the idea that we are not once-saved-always-saved be the Gospel when it is not *good news?)
The good news is that elect sinners can repent, believe as Christians and be obedient to God unto eternal life (Hebrews 5:9, Romans 2:7). There is also bad news in the Bible for nonelect people (John 8:42-47, Romans 9:21-22) and for unrepentant Christians (Hebrews 10:26-29, Luke 12:45-46). It is important to preach both the good news and the bad (John 3:36, Romans 9:22-23; 2 Timothy 3:16 to 4:4), for it is by the fear of God (Matthew 10:28, Matthew 25:41,46) that people depart from evil (Proverbs 16:6, Proverbs 3:7, Proverbs 14:27).
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(Re: Does NOSAS makes ourselves, and not Jesus, our *Savior?)
No, Jesus Christ is still our Savior, for it is only by our continuing to abide in Him that we are able to believe and do the right things (Hebrews 12:2, John 15:4-5, Philippians 2:12-13). On our own, there is no way that we can ever save ourselves from hell. Also, Jesus is both our Savior and our King, our Lord: His name "Jesus", which means "YHWH the Savior" (cf. Isaiah 43:11), points to His role as our Savior (Matthew 1:21). And His title of the "Christ", which means the "Anointed" (cf. 2 Samuel 12:7), points to His role as our King (Mark 15:32), our Lord (2 Peter 1:11).
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(Re: Is the apostle *Paul's gospel different than Jesus Christ's or the apostle Peter's? For Paul's gospel is that Jesus took our punishment for sins upon Himself, but where does Peter preach this in Acts or Jesus preach this in the Gospels?)
Note that both Jews and Gentiles are saved by believing the same Gospel (Romans 1:16), and this Gospel of Jesus Christ includes His suffering and dying for our sins, and His physical resurrection (Matthew 20:18-19, Matthew 20:28, Matthew 26:28). And this Gospel, which is the same as the apostle Paul's in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, was explained to the apostle Peter and the other apostles directly by Jesus Christ before the time of Peter's preaching in Acts (Luke 24:44-49). So the apostle Peter's subsequent preaching during the time of Acts would have included this Gospel, just as his writings did (1 Peter 2:24; 1 Peter 3:18). Just because Acts does not record the apostle Peter preaching this at the time of Acts does not mean that he did not, for Acts is not an exhaustive record of every word which was preached by Peter or the other apostles during that period of time.
(See also Ephesians 3:4 below)
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(Re: What Gospel did Jesus Christ preach before He spoke of His death and resurrection?)
Note that there is only one Gospel (Galatians 1:8-9), which includes multiple aspects. The core of the Gospel...
(See the first "is that we can" under section 1 of 1 Corinthians 15:1 above)
Before Jesus Christ acknowledged these aspects of the Gospel to His disciples (e.g. in Matthew 16:16-17, Matthew 16:21, Matthew 26:28), the aspect of the Gospel which He preached was the Kingdom of God (e.g. Matthew 4:23, Matthew 6:33, Matthew 12:28).
(See paragraphs 3-5 of Acts 1:6 above)
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*1 Corinthians 15:10b / *1 Cor. 15:10b -
This means that the apostle Paul did not labor on his own, apart from God's help (John 15:4-5, Philippians 2:13). It is not contradicting that Christians themselves labor (2 Corinthians 5:9, Romans 2:6-8, Titus 3:8) together with God (1 Corinthians 3:9, Colossians 1:29, Philippians 2:12-13).
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*1 Corinthians 15:14 / *1 Cor. 15:14 -
This does not have to do with any possibility of proving that Jesus Christ was not physically resurrected (or crucified before that). For the apostle Paul had just finished saying that Jesus' resurrection was confirmed by hundreds of eyewitnesses, including himself (1 Corinthians 15:4-8). Instead, the context of 1 Corinthians 15:14 shows that Paul was referring only to some Christians who were mistakenly denying the resurrection of the dead, not realizing that in doing so, they were denying part of the core of Jesus' saving work (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) and so were denying the only possibility of having their sins forgiven (1 Corinthians 15:12-17).
(See also 1 John 2:2 below)
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*1 Corinthians 15:19 / *1 Cor. 15:19 -
This means that if the only hope of Christians is in this mortal life, then they are (or should be) of all people most miserable. For they are not (or should not be) living for this mortal life and its pleasures (John 12:25; 1 John 2:15-17), but are (or should be) denying themselves, taking up their crosses every day and following Jesus Christ (Luke 9:23-25; 2 Corinthians 5:15), looking to that which is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18).
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*1 Corinthians 15:20-23,52-54 / *1 Cor. 15:20 -
This means that Jesus Christ was the first person to be physically resurrected into immortality (Colossians 1:18, Luke 24:39), and that no one else will be physically resurrected into immortality until Jesus' future, Second Coming.
(Re: A *harvest analogy)
The three stages of a harvest are firstfruits, main harvest and gleaning, which can typify three physical resurrections: First, the past, firstfruits physical resurrection of Jesus Christ only (1 Corinthians 15:20,23, Luke 24:39). Second, the future physical resurrection of the entire Church (of all times) at Jesus' Second Coming (1 Corinthians 15:23,52; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-16, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6, Romans 8:23-25) which will occur immediately after the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24 (Matthew 24:29-31) and right before the Millennium (Revelation 19:7 to 20:6). And third, the physical resurrection of everyone else (of all times) at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15) which will occur sometime after the Millennium and the subsequent Gog/Magog rebellion (Revelation 20:7-15, Ezekiel chapters 38-39).
(See also Matthew 27:52 above)
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*1 Corinthians 15:22 / *1 Cor. 15:22 -
This does not assure a resurrection to eternal life.
(See section 2 of 1 John 4:8 below)
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*1 Corinthians 15:23-28 / *1 Cor. 15:23 / *1 Cor. 15:25 -
This does not mean that Jesus Christ will deliver the Kingdom to God the Father immediately at Jesus' future, Second Coming, only that Jesus will do that sometime subsequent to His Second Coming. For right after Jesus' Second Coming, "he must reign" (1 Corinthians 15:25) on the earth with the physically resurrected Church for 1,000 years (Revelation 19:7 to 20:6, Revelation 5:10, Revelation 2:26-29). Then He must defeat the Gog/Magog rebellion (Revelation 20:7-10, Ezekiel chapters 38-39). Then He must physically resurrect and judge non-Christians of all times at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). Only then will He have "put all enemies under his feet" (1 Corinthians 15:25), including the first-death itself (1 Corinthians 15:26) which will be cast into the lake of fire (the second death) at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:14). Only after that will Jesus deliver up the Kingdom to God the Father (1 Corinthians 15:24). Then a New Heaven (a new first heaven/sky/atmosphere) and a New Earth (a new surface for the earth) will be created and God the Father will descend from heaven to the New Earth in the literal city of New Jerusalem, God the Father's house (John 14:2), to live with the Church on the New Earth (Revelation 21:1-4).
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(Every man in his own order)
1 Corinthians 15:21-23 means that all Christians will be physically resurrected at the same time: at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6).
(See also the "Full preterism?" section of 1 Thessalonians 4:17 below)
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*1 Corinthians 15:24 / *1 Cor. 15:24 -
Here the "end" will be at the end of all of the future, never-fulfilled events of Revelation 19:7 to 20:15.
(See also 1 Corinthians 15:23 above)
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*1 Corinthians 15:26 / *1 Cor. 15:26 -
Jesus Christ will not destroy death immediately at His future, Second Coming, for 1 Corinthians 15:26 refers only to when the first-death will be cast into the second death, the lake of fire, at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15) which will be after the future Millennium (Revelation 20:7-15). The resurrection at the Great White Throne Judgment is the resurrection at "the end" (1 Corinthians 15:24) and it will include everyone who will not be part of "the first resurrection" (Revelation 20:5) which will be the physical resurrection of the Church at Jesus' Second Coming (1 Corinthians 15:21-23, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17), which will be before the Millennium (Revelation 19:7 to 20:6) and immediately after the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24 (Matthew 24:29-31, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6).
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(Destroyed)
In 1 Corinthians 15:26 the original Greek word (katargeo: G2673) translated as "destroyed" does not have to mean annihilated, for it can be translated simply as "put away" (1 Corinthians 13:11). And someone can put something away by, for example, placing it in a box in the basement, without annihilating it.
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(Re: Is death conquered in the end for all, because Jesus Christ conquered death?)
Are you referring to universal salvation in the end? If so, note that the future, ultimate defeat of the first death (1 Corinthians 15:26) at the casting of the first death into the lake of fire (the second death) (Revelation 20:14) will not cause non-Christians to ever escape the second death (Revelation 20:15, Revelation 20:10,15, Revelation 14:10-11, Matthew 25:41,46, Mark 9:45-46).
(See also Matthew 25:41 above)
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*1 Corinthians 15:27 / *1 Cor. 15:27 -
Regarding "he hath put all things under his feet" (1 Corinthians 15:27), note that it, like...
(See Ephesians 1:22 below)
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(Re: Universal salvation?)
1 Corinthians 15:27, like Philippians 2:10-11, does not say that everyone will be saved, for while everyone will eventually be made subject to Jesus Christ, not everyone will be saved (Matthew 25:41,46, Matthew 13:38-42), but only a relatively few people (Matthew 7:14, Matthew 22:14) compared with all of humanity.
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*1 Corinthians 15:33 / *1 Cor. 15:33 -
The original Greek word (homilia: G3657) translated as "communications" can mean "companionships" (Strong's Greek Dictionary).
The Greek word (ethos: G2239) translated as "manners" can mean "moral habits".
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*1 Corinthians 15:40 / *1 Cor. 15:40 -
(*Celestial bodies)
The glorious heavenly or "celestial" bodies referred to in 1 Corinthians 15:40 are objects like the literal sun, moon and stars in 1 Corinthians 15:41, which are gloriously bright physical objects which reside in the second "heaven", which is outer space (Deuteronomy 4:19).
(See also 2 Corinthians 12:2 below)
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*1 Corinthians 15:44-49 / *1 Cor. 15:44 -
(*Spiritual body)
When obedient Christians' bodies will be raised/resurrected into spiritual/heavenly bodies (1 Corinthians 15:44-49), they will still be fleshly bodies, but no longer "natural", that is, no longer mortal, fleshly bodies (1 Corinthians 15:44,53). Instead, they will be immortal fleshly bodies like Jesus Christ Himself was raised/resurrected into on the third day after His death (Luke 24:39,46; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4,21-23,51-53, Philippians 3:21, Romans 8:23-25), by the spiritual/heavenly power of God's Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11,23-25, Romans 1:4; 1 Corinthians 15:44).
(See also Luke 24:39 above)
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*1 Corinthians 15:45 / *1 Cor. 15:45 -
This does not require that there were no humans on the earth before Adam. For just as "the first day" in Philippians 1:5 does not have to mean "the first day" of Genesis 1:5, and just as "the first works" in Revelation 2:5 do not have to mean the first earthly works of Genesis 1:1, so "the first man" in 1 Corinthians 15:45 does not have to mean the first man ever to exist on the earth. Instead, Adam can be the first man of the Adamic line of humans which is alive on the earth today.
(See also the "Gap" part of Genesis 1(space) above)
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*1 Corinthians 15:46 / *1 Cor. 15:46 -
This refers to the order of the type of body which Christians will inhabit (1 Corinthians 15:44). It does not mean that everything in the Old Testament was literal and everything in the New Testament is symbolic. Even John 6:63b does not mean that.
(See John 6:63 above)
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*1 Corinthians 15:50 / *1 Cor. 15:50 -
This refers to people in mortal/corruptible, flesh and blood bodies as opposed to immortal/incorruptible, resurrection "flesh and bone" bodies (possibly without blood as we know it) like Jesus Christ was resurrected into on the third day after His death (Luke 24:39,46; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4,21-23,51-53, Philippians 3:21, Romans 8:23-25).
1 Corinthians 15:50 means that people in mortal bodies will not inherit the eternal aspect of the Kingdom of God which will be on the New Earth (as in a new surface for the earth) and in the descended New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:1 to 22:15) after the future Millennium and subsequent events (Revelation 20:7 to 22:15).
1 Corinthians 15:50 does not require that no people in mortal bodies will inherit the Millennial aspect of the Kingdom which will be on the present earth. For the elect Jews who will not become Christians until Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming (Romans 11:25-29, Zechariah 12:10-14) could inherit the Millennial aspect of the Kingdom (Zechariah 14:5-21, Matthew 19:28, Luke 22:30) in their mortal bodies. For the resurrection/changing of Christians into immortal physical bodies (1 Corinthians 15:21-23,51-53) could be experienced only by those who had become Christians before the Second Coming.
Also, 1 Corinthians 15:50 does not require that no people in mortal bodies will even enter the Millennial aspect of the Kingdom, that is, without inheriting it. For just as people can enter someone's house and stay there for awhile without inheriting that house, so the people left alive at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming (Matthew 24:39b-40) who will not become Christians at that time will enter the Millennial aspect of the Kingdom in their mortal bodies, without inheriting the Kingdom. Instead, they will be its forced subjects (Zechariah 14:16-19, Psalms 66:3), ruled over with a rod of iron by Jesus and the physically resurrected Church (Revelation 2:26-29, Revelation 5:10, Revelation 20:4-6, Psalms 2).
Similarly, 1 Corinthians 15:50 does not require that no people in mortal bodies can even enter the third-heaven aspect of the Kingdom, that is, without inheriting it. For at the time of Revelation 11:11-12, at one point during the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24, God's Two Witnesses will be in resuscitated mortal bodies, like, for example, the resuscitated mortal bodies of Lazarus and Tabitha (John 11:43-44, Acts 9:36-40). For the resurrection of Christians into immortal physical bodies will not occur until Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming (1 Corinthians 15:21-23,52-53; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-16, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6), which will not occur until after the future Tribulation (Matthew 24:29-31, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6). And when Revelation 11:12 shows that God's Two Witnesses will ascend into the third heaven in their resuscitated mortal bodies, it does not say that they will inherit the third heaven, just as when the apostle Paul said that he at one point during his lifetime could have been taken into the third heaven in his mortal body (2 Corinthians 12:2-7), he does not say that he inherited the third heaven. And just as when Enoch and Elijah were taken into the third heaven in their mortal bodies (Hebrews 11:5; 2 Kings 2:11), it does not say that they inherited the third heaven.
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Next entry / Prior / Table of Contents
Dec 16, 2018
If people do not feel any relationship with God even though they consider themselves to be Christians, this could be because they have subconsciously hardened their heart against God because of something bad which happened in their life, such as the death of a loved one or the divorce of their parents. They could be subconsciously blaming God for letting this bad thing happen instead of using His power to keep it from happening. If that is the case, then they need to pray and ask God to bring to their mind whatever is coming between them and Him (Psalms 139:23-24). And they need to ask Him to help them not to harden their heart against Him (Hebrews 3:15).
If people have not become Christians yet, all they need to do to become Christians is believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ and the human/divine Son of God (John 20:31, John 3:36; 1 John 2:23) and that He suffered and died on the Cross for our sins and rose physically from the dead on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Luke 24:39,46-47, Matthew 20:19, Matthew 26:28).
After people become Christians, to help develop and keep up their relationship with God, they should pray to Him every day, such as with The Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13), praising and worshipping Him (Revelation 4:11), confessing their sins to Him (1 John 1:9), asking Him for what they need today (Luke 11:3) and thanking Him for everything which He has given them (Philippians 4:6). And throughout the day, they should immediately bring to Him in prayer anything which they become worried about at any time (Philippians 4:6-7).
They should also fellowship with other Christians every day (Hebrews 3:13, Hebrews 10:25), at least in some fashion (Matthew 18:20), such as on this forum, being exhorted by them and exhorting them in turn (Hebrews 3:13).
They also need to examine themselves to make sure that they are truly in the Christian faith (2 Corinthians 13:5, Proverbs 28:26, Proverbs 14:12). The way to do this is to read every word of the Bible (Hebrews 4:12, Matthew 4:4) and see if they accept everything that it teaches as having come from God (John 8:47; 2 Timothy 3:16). For just as true Christian faith will initially come from reading (or hearing) what the Bible teaches (Romans 10:17; 2 Timothy 3:15), so people can know that they are remaining in the true Christian faith if they continue to believe that everything the Bible teaches came from God (John 8:31b; 2 Timothy 4:2-4; 1 Timothy 4:1, Mark 8:35-38).
To have any real relationship with Jesus and God the Father and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19), most importantly people must believe the right things about Jesus (John 14:6-7): that He is God the Word made flesh (John 1:1,14), that He is the Christ (1 John 5:1; 1 John 2:22), and that He is the only begotten (only born) Son of God (John 3:16,36; 1 John 2:23), meaning that He is the only person ever born without any human father (Luke 1:34-35). And people must believe that Jesus lived a perfectly sinless life (Hebrews 4:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21), and so He could suffer and die on the Cross for our sins and rise from the dead on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). He rose and will remain forever in an immortal flesh and bones human body (Luke 24:39; 2 John 1:7) as Christians' eternally-human high priest/mediator (1 Timothy 2:5, Hebrews 2:16-17, Hebrews 7:24-26).
Once people come into faith in Jesus Christ, they must obey Him and God the Father and the Holy Spirit by repenting from their sins and getting water-immersion (burial) baptized into Jesus (Acts 2:38, Romans 6:3-5, Galatians 3:27). And they must partake of the divine flesh and blood of the bread and wine of Communion (John 6:53, Matthew 26:26-28; 1 Corinthians 10:16; 1 Corinthians 11:27-30). And they should get hands laid on them to receive Holy Spirit baptism (Acts 8:17) and one or more of the Holy Spirit's wonderful Spiritual gifts (Acts 19:6; 1 Corinthians 12:8-10). Then, washed from their sins by water baptism (Acts 22:16) and empowered by the Holy Spirit within them (Acts 1:8, Ephesians 3:16), they must each and every day for the rest of their lives deny themselves, take up their crosses and follow Jesus (Luke 9:23; 2 Corinthians 5:15) by continuing in the Christian faith to the end (Hebrews 3:6,12,14, Hebrews 6:4-8, John 15:6; 2 Timothy 2:12), by repenting from every sin that they commit (Hebrews 10:26-29; 1 Corinthians 9:27, Luke 12:45-46) and by doing to the end the particular spiritual works which Jesus has given them as individuals to do (Mark 13:34, Romans 12:6-8, Titus 3:8).
But if they as Christians wrongly employ their free will to refuse to do these things, then they cannot expect to have any continued real relationship with Jesus Christ and God the Father and the Holy Spirit. For a continued real relationship with them requires that people not only continue to believe in them, but also continue to obey them (John 15:10, John 14:21,23). Faith without works is dead (James 2:20) and cannot ultimately save people from hell (James 2:14-26, Romans 2:6-8, Matthew 7:21, Hebrews 5:9).
(See also Mark 13:34 above)
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(Re: What if I hate my life?)
In one sense it is okay for a Christian to hate his life in this fallen world (John 12:25; 1 John 2:15-17). But, at the same time, Jesus Christ wants a Christian to have an abundant life in Him, here and now (John 10:10b), meaning a more abundant life spiritually (Ephesians 1:17-18, Ephesians 3:16-19) rather than a life focused on obtaining material wealth (Luke 12:15; 1 Timothy 6:8-12, Matthew 6:19-24, Hebrews 13:5) and/or power over other people (Matthew 20:25-27, Matthew 23:8-12; 1 Peter 5:3).
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(Re: I want to be *happy like others)
Others may not really be as happy as they appear. Many people merely put on a show of happiness while they are out in public, while at home in private they are miserable. Or they may take drugs to feel happy. What Christians want is to be is truly happy, inside and out, in the sense of having the joy of God's Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13).
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(Re: What does one do to be happy?)
To be truly happy, people must have a real relationship with God (Psalms 16:11). And the only way to have a real relationship with God is by being a Christian (John 14:6).
(See "If people have not become Christians yet" above)
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(Re: How does one *spend time with God?)
Every moment of our life is spent with God, no matter what we do, because "in him we live, and move, and have our being" (Acts 17:28). And Jesus Christ tells Christians: "I am with you always, even to the end of the world. Amen" (Matthew 28:20). "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5b).
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(Re: How does one get *closer to God, feel His *presence more?)
Getting closer to God/Jesus Christ requires obedience to what He commands Christians to do (John 14:21,23, John 14:15-18, Ephesians 3:17-19; 2 Corinthians 1:22). Also, if Christians have not already, they should get... (See "Holy Spirit baptized" under Mark 16:16 above)
Also, Christians will get closer to Jesus Christ as they serve Him in the particular spiritual work which He has given them as individuals to do (Ephesians 4:11; 1 Corinthians 12:28, Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:8-11). So if they have not already, Christians should pray and ask God what their particular spiritual work is for Him, and do it every day (Luke 9:23, Titus 3:8, Mark 13:34, John 12:26).
(See also Mark 13:34 above)
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(Re: What is my *identity in Christ?)
For Christians, their primary identity is as children of God (e.g. John 1:12). They also take on a secondary identity as servants of God (e.g. Romans 6:22) within the body of Christ, based on... (See "the particular" in the section above)
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(Re: Was the Gospel foretold in the Old Testament?)
Yes, see "the Old Testament foretold" under John 1:1,14 above.
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(Re: NOSAS: How can the idea that we are not once-saved-always-saved be the Gospel when it is not *good news?)
The good news is that elect sinners can repent, believe as Christians and be obedient to God unto eternal life (Hebrews 5:9, Romans 2:7). There is also bad news in the Bible for nonelect people (John 8:42-47, Romans 9:21-22) and for unrepentant Christians (Hebrews 10:26-29, Luke 12:45-46). It is important to preach both the good news and the bad (John 3:36, Romans 9:22-23; 2 Timothy 3:16 to 4:4), for it is by the fear of God (Matthew 10:28, Matthew 25:41,46) that people depart from evil (Proverbs 16:6, Proverbs 3:7, Proverbs 14:27).
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(Re: Does NOSAS makes ourselves, and not Jesus, our *Savior?)
No, Jesus Christ is still our Savior, for it is only by our continuing to abide in Him that we are able to believe and do the right things (Hebrews 12:2, John 15:4-5, Philippians 2:12-13). On our own, there is no way that we can ever save ourselves from hell. Also, Jesus is both our Savior and our King, our Lord: His name "Jesus", which means "YHWH the Savior" (cf. Isaiah 43:11), points to His role as our Savior (Matthew 1:21). And His title of the "Christ", which means the "Anointed" (cf. 2 Samuel 12:7), points to His role as our King (Mark 15:32), our Lord (2 Peter 1:11).
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(Re: Is the apostle *Paul's gospel different than Jesus Christ's or the apostle Peter's? For Paul's gospel is that Jesus took our punishment for sins upon Himself, but where does Peter preach this in Acts or Jesus preach this in the Gospels?)
Note that both Jews and Gentiles are saved by believing the same Gospel (Romans 1:16), and this Gospel of Jesus Christ includes His suffering and dying for our sins, and His physical resurrection (Matthew 20:18-19, Matthew 20:28, Matthew 26:28). And this Gospel, which is the same as the apostle Paul's in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, was explained to the apostle Peter and the other apostles directly by Jesus Christ before the time of Peter's preaching in Acts (Luke 24:44-49). So the apostle Peter's subsequent preaching during the time of Acts would have included this Gospel, just as his writings did (1 Peter 2:24; 1 Peter 3:18). Just because Acts does not record the apostle Peter preaching this at the time of Acts does not mean that he did not, for Acts is not an exhaustive record of every word which was preached by Peter or the other apostles during that period of time.
(See also Ephesians 3:4 below)
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(Re: What Gospel did Jesus Christ preach before He spoke of His death and resurrection?)
Note that there is only one Gospel (Galatians 1:8-9), which includes multiple aspects. The core of the Gospel...
(See the first "is that we can" under section 1 of 1 Corinthians 15:1 above)
Before Jesus Christ acknowledged these aspects of the Gospel to His disciples (e.g. in Matthew 16:16-17, Matthew 16:21, Matthew 26:28), the aspect of the Gospel which He preached was the Kingdom of God (e.g. Matthew 4:23, Matthew 6:33, Matthew 12:28).
(See paragraphs 3-5 of Acts 1:6 above)
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*1 Corinthians 15:10b / *1 Cor. 15:10b -
This means that the apostle Paul did not labor on his own, apart from God's help (John 15:4-5, Philippians 2:13). It is not contradicting that Christians themselves labor (2 Corinthians 5:9, Romans 2:6-8, Titus 3:8) together with God (1 Corinthians 3:9, Colossians 1:29, Philippians 2:12-13).
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*1 Corinthians 15:14 / *1 Cor. 15:14 -
This does not have to do with any possibility of proving that Jesus Christ was not physically resurrected (or crucified before that). For the apostle Paul had just finished saying that Jesus' resurrection was confirmed by hundreds of eyewitnesses, including himself (1 Corinthians 15:4-8). Instead, the context of 1 Corinthians 15:14 shows that Paul was referring only to some Christians who were mistakenly denying the resurrection of the dead, not realizing that in doing so, they were denying part of the core of Jesus' saving work (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) and so were denying the only possibility of having their sins forgiven (1 Corinthians 15:12-17).
(See also 1 John 2:2 below)
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*1 Corinthians 15:19 / *1 Cor. 15:19 -
This means that if the only hope of Christians is in this mortal life, then they are (or should be) of all people most miserable. For they are not (or should not be) living for this mortal life and its pleasures (John 12:25; 1 John 2:15-17), but are (or should be) denying themselves, taking up their crosses every day and following Jesus Christ (Luke 9:23-25; 2 Corinthians 5:15), looking to that which is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18).
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*1 Corinthians 15:20-23,52-54 / *1 Cor. 15:20 -
This means that Jesus Christ was the first person to be physically resurrected into immortality (Colossians 1:18, Luke 24:39), and that no one else will be physically resurrected into immortality until Jesus' future, Second Coming.
(Re: A *harvest analogy)
The three stages of a harvest are firstfruits, main harvest and gleaning, which can typify three physical resurrections: First, the past, firstfruits physical resurrection of Jesus Christ only (1 Corinthians 15:20,23, Luke 24:39). Second, the future physical resurrection of the entire Church (of all times) at Jesus' Second Coming (1 Corinthians 15:23,52; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-16, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6, Romans 8:23-25) which will occur immediately after the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24 (Matthew 24:29-31) and right before the Millennium (Revelation 19:7 to 20:6). And third, the physical resurrection of everyone else (of all times) at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15) which will occur sometime after the Millennium and the subsequent Gog/Magog rebellion (Revelation 20:7-15, Ezekiel chapters 38-39).
(See also Matthew 27:52 above)
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*1 Corinthians 15:22 / *1 Cor. 15:22 -
This does not assure a resurrection to eternal life.
(See section 2 of 1 John 4:8 below)
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*1 Corinthians 15:23-28 / *1 Cor. 15:23 / *1 Cor. 15:25 -
This does not mean that Jesus Christ will deliver the Kingdom to God the Father immediately at Jesus' future, Second Coming, only that Jesus will do that sometime subsequent to His Second Coming. For right after Jesus' Second Coming, "he must reign" (1 Corinthians 15:25) on the earth with the physically resurrected Church for 1,000 years (Revelation 19:7 to 20:6, Revelation 5:10, Revelation 2:26-29). Then He must defeat the Gog/Magog rebellion (Revelation 20:7-10, Ezekiel chapters 38-39). Then He must physically resurrect and judge non-Christians of all times at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). Only then will He have "put all enemies under his feet" (1 Corinthians 15:25), including the first-death itself (1 Corinthians 15:26) which will be cast into the lake of fire (the second death) at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:14). Only after that will Jesus deliver up the Kingdom to God the Father (1 Corinthians 15:24). Then a New Heaven (a new first heaven/sky/atmosphere) and a New Earth (a new surface for the earth) will be created and God the Father will descend from heaven to the New Earth in the literal city of New Jerusalem, God the Father's house (John 14:2), to live with the Church on the New Earth (Revelation 21:1-4).
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(Every man in his own order)
1 Corinthians 15:21-23 means that all Christians will be physically resurrected at the same time: at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6).
(See also the "Full preterism?" section of 1 Thessalonians 4:17 below)
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*1 Corinthians 15:24 / *1 Cor. 15:24 -
Here the "end" will be at the end of all of the future, never-fulfilled events of Revelation 19:7 to 20:15.
(See also 1 Corinthians 15:23 above)
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*1 Corinthians 15:26 / *1 Cor. 15:26 -
Jesus Christ will not destroy death immediately at His future, Second Coming, for 1 Corinthians 15:26 refers only to when the first-death will be cast into the second death, the lake of fire, at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15) which will be after the future Millennium (Revelation 20:7-15). The resurrection at the Great White Throne Judgment is the resurrection at "the end" (1 Corinthians 15:24) and it will include everyone who will not be part of "the first resurrection" (Revelation 20:5) which will be the physical resurrection of the Church at Jesus' Second Coming (1 Corinthians 15:21-23, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17), which will be before the Millennium (Revelation 19:7 to 20:6) and immediately after the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24 (Matthew 24:29-31, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6).
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(Destroyed)
In 1 Corinthians 15:26 the original Greek word (katargeo: G2673) translated as "destroyed" does not have to mean annihilated, for it can be translated simply as "put away" (1 Corinthians 13:11). And someone can put something away by, for example, placing it in a box in the basement, without annihilating it.
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(Re: Is death conquered in the end for all, because Jesus Christ conquered death?)
Are you referring to universal salvation in the end? If so, note that the future, ultimate defeat of the first death (1 Corinthians 15:26) at the casting of the first death into the lake of fire (the second death) (Revelation 20:14) will not cause non-Christians to ever escape the second death (Revelation 20:15, Revelation 20:10,15, Revelation 14:10-11, Matthew 25:41,46, Mark 9:45-46).
(See also Matthew 25:41 above)
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*1 Corinthians 15:27 / *1 Cor. 15:27 -
Regarding "he hath put all things under his feet" (1 Corinthians 15:27), note that it, like...
(See Ephesians 1:22 below)
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(Re: Universal salvation?)
1 Corinthians 15:27, like Philippians 2:10-11, does not say that everyone will be saved, for while everyone will eventually be made subject to Jesus Christ, not everyone will be saved (Matthew 25:41,46, Matthew 13:38-42), but only a relatively few people (Matthew 7:14, Matthew 22:14) compared with all of humanity.
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*1 Corinthians 15:33 / *1 Cor. 15:33 -
The original Greek word (homilia: G3657) translated as "communications" can mean "companionships" (Strong's Greek Dictionary).
The Greek word (ethos: G2239) translated as "manners" can mean "moral habits".
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*1 Corinthians 15:40 / *1 Cor. 15:40 -
(*Celestial bodies)
The glorious heavenly or "celestial" bodies referred to in 1 Corinthians 15:40 are objects like the literal sun, moon and stars in 1 Corinthians 15:41, which are gloriously bright physical objects which reside in the second "heaven", which is outer space (Deuteronomy 4:19).
(See also 2 Corinthians 12:2 below)
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*1 Corinthians 15:44-49 / *1 Cor. 15:44 -
(*Spiritual body)
When obedient Christians' bodies will be raised/resurrected into spiritual/heavenly bodies (1 Corinthians 15:44-49), they will still be fleshly bodies, but no longer "natural", that is, no longer mortal, fleshly bodies (1 Corinthians 15:44,53). Instead, they will be immortal fleshly bodies like Jesus Christ Himself was raised/resurrected into on the third day after His death (Luke 24:39,46; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4,21-23,51-53, Philippians 3:21, Romans 8:23-25), by the spiritual/heavenly power of God's Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11,23-25, Romans 1:4; 1 Corinthians 15:44).
(See also Luke 24:39 above)
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*1 Corinthians 15:45 / *1 Cor. 15:45 -
This does not require that there were no humans on the earth before Adam. For just as "the first day" in Philippians 1:5 does not have to mean "the first day" of Genesis 1:5, and just as "the first works" in Revelation 2:5 do not have to mean the first earthly works of Genesis 1:1, so "the first man" in 1 Corinthians 15:45 does not have to mean the first man ever to exist on the earth. Instead, Adam can be the first man of the Adamic line of humans which is alive on the earth today.
(See also the "Gap" part of Genesis 1(space) above)
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*1 Corinthians 15:46 / *1 Cor. 15:46 -
This refers to the order of the type of body which Christians will inhabit (1 Corinthians 15:44). It does not mean that everything in the Old Testament was literal and everything in the New Testament is symbolic. Even John 6:63b does not mean that.
(See John 6:63 above)
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*1 Corinthians 15:50 / *1 Cor. 15:50 -
This refers to people in mortal/corruptible, flesh and blood bodies as opposed to immortal/incorruptible, resurrection "flesh and bone" bodies (possibly without blood as we know it) like Jesus Christ was resurrected into on the third day after His death (Luke 24:39,46; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4,21-23,51-53, Philippians 3:21, Romans 8:23-25).
1 Corinthians 15:50 means that people in mortal bodies will not inherit the eternal aspect of the Kingdom of God which will be on the New Earth (as in a new surface for the earth) and in the descended New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:1 to 22:15) after the future Millennium and subsequent events (Revelation 20:7 to 22:15).
1 Corinthians 15:50 does not require that no people in mortal bodies will inherit the Millennial aspect of the Kingdom which will be on the present earth. For the elect Jews who will not become Christians until Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming (Romans 11:25-29, Zechariah 12:10-14) could inherit the Millennial aspect of the Kingdom (Zechariah 14:5-21, Matthew 19:28, Luke 22:30) in their mortal bodies. For the resurrection/changing of Christians into immortal physical bodies (1 Corinthians 15:21-23,51-53) could be experienced only by those who had become Christians before the Second Coming.
Also, 1 Corinthians 15:50 does not require that no people in mortal bodies will even enter the Millennial aspect of the Kingdom, that is, without inheriting it. For just as people can enter someone's house and stay there for awhile without inheriting that house, so the people left alive at Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming (Matthew 24:39b-40) who will not become Christians at that time will enter the Millennial aspect of the Kingdom in their mortal bodies, without inheriting the Kingdom. Instead, they will be its forced subjects (Zechariah 14:16-19, Psalms 66:3), ruled over with a rod of iron by Jesus and the physically resurrected Church (Revelation 2:26-29, Revelation 5:10, Revelation 20:4-6, Psalms 2).
Similarly, 1 Corinthians 15:50 does not require that no people in mortal bodies can even enter the third-heaven aspect of the Kingdom, that is, without inheriting it. For at the time of Revelation 11:11-12, at one point during the future Tribulation of Revelation chapters 6 to 18 and Matthew 24, God's Two Witnesses will be in resuscitated mortal bodies, like, for example, the resuscitated mortal bodies of Lazarus and Tabitha (John 11:43-44, Acts 9:36-40). For the resurrection of Christians into immortal physical bodies will not occur until Jesus Christ's future, Second Coming (1 Corinthians 15:21-23,52-53; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-16, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6), which will not occur until after the future Tribulation (Matthew 24:29-31, Revelation 19:7 to 20:6). And when Revelation 11:12 shows that God's Two Witnesses will ascend into the third heaven in their resuscitated mortal bodies, it does not say that they will inherit the third heaven, just as when the apostle Paul said that he at one point during his lifetime could have been taken into the third heaven in his mortal body (2 Corinthians 12:2-7), he does not say that he inherited the third heaven. And just as when Enoch and Elijah were taken into the third heaven in their mortal bodies (Hebrews 11:5; 2 Kings 2:11), it does not say that they inherited the third heaven.
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