Quote:
Originally Posted by HotinAZ
That is EXACTLY what I am saying. Is it any clearer to you? Here are some verses for you to study:
Ps 5
For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness; No evil dwells with You. The boastful shall not stand before Your eyes; You HATE ALL who do iniquity. You destroy those who speak falsehood; The LORD ABHORS the man of bloodshed and deceit.
|
Let's consider Saul, prior to his conversion, whom you say:
Quote:
Originally Posted by HotinAZ
Saul was ALREADY a believer, in God, but didn't KNOW Christ.
|
These are some of the works recorded of Saul:
Act 22:20 And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was poured out,
I myself also was standing by and consenting to his execution,
and holding the garments of those killing him.
Act 8:3 But
Saul ravaged the assembly, entering house by house, dragging both men and women, he delivered them to prison.
Act 9:1
But still breathing threats and murder toward the disciples of the Lord, coming to the high priest,
Act 9:2
Saul asked from him letters to Damascus, to the synagogues,
so that if he found any being of the Way, both men and women, having bound them he might bring them to Jerusalem.
Act 9:4 And falling on the earth he heard a voice saying to him,
Saul, Saul! Why do you persecute Me?
Let's hear what Jesus had to say regarding Saul's hate of His followers:
Act 26:9 `I, indeed, therefore, thought with myself, that
against the name of Jesus of Nazareth it behoved me many things to do,
Act 26:10 which also I did in Jerusalem, and many of the saints I in prison did shut up, from the chief priests having received the authority;
they also being put to death, I gave my vote against them,
Act 26:11 and in every synagogue, often
punishing them, I was
constraining them to speak evil, being also exceedingly mad against them, I was
also persecuting them even unto strange cities.
And here is what Jesus said of Saul hating his followers:
Joh 7:7
The world cannot hate you; but it hates Me because I witness about it, that its works are evil.
Joh 15:24 If I did not do the works among them which no other did, they had no sin.
But now they both have seen and also have hated Me and My Father.
And not only, but Saul did more:
1Ti 1:13 the one who
before was a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and insolent; but I received mercy, because being ignorant
I did it in unbelief.
And Paul testified to being the chief among sinners, the workers of iniquity:
1Ti 1:15 Faithful is the Word and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,
of whom I am chief.
So let's recap what Saul was prior to his conversion:
1. Saul persecuted Jesus' followers
2. Saul hated Jesus
3. Saul hated God
4. Saul's heart was full of murder and threats.
5. Saul used violence to imprison the followers of Jesus
6. Saul was a blasphemer of God
7. Saul worked sin (iniquity) in unbelief.
8. Saul was faithless toward God
9. Saul was chief among sinners (workers of iniquity).
However, Paul also tells us that Jesus
loved him and
gave himself for him in order to redeem him of his works of
iniquity.:
Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of
the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Tit 2:14 Who gave himself for us,
that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
Can you explain your position: How that Saul while being a worker of iniquity (a person whom you say was HATED by God), was
loved by Jesus who
gave Himself for him?
You also said Saul was
already a believer in God but did not know Jesus. Can you explain how someone can be a believer in God but not know Jesus? Also, can a person who believes in God also threaten to murder His followers?
Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving
We've got leftovers that will last for weeks! The Lord is truly good to all!
Psa 145:9
Jehovah is good to all; and His tender mercies are over all His works.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
correctly (literally, not interpretively) translated Bibles
