AdriaanM

Hi all, The parable of Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16:19-31 has always fascinated me in that it presents and interesting moral dilemma. Let me summarize: There was a poor man called Lazarus. He is not described as righteous or religious, but emphasis is placed on his suffering and poverty on earth. He had no home, clothes nor food but lay outside the gate of the rich man. Then there was the rich man. In the parable he is not depicted as righteous or unrighteous, but emphasis is placed only on his wealth and sumptuous life. They both died. The beggar, Lazarus was taken to paradise and the rich man suffered horribly and flames of hell. At no point in time does the parable mention the sin for which the rich man ended in Hades apart from the fact that he had all the best in life. Now I can only assume that his sin was the following: During their lives the beggar laid in the entrance to the estate of the rich man. The wealthy man must have passed the suffering man daily. Now despite being able to relieve the suffering of the beggar the rich man ignored the suffering at his gate and enjoyed his life. If my interpretation is correct the parable spells a dire warning to those of us who are more fortunate than the beggar. If I ignore the suffering of my fellow man I might end up where the rich man from the parable did. On the other hand, if I give of what I have to every beggar that I pass in town I will soon be a beggar myself. Let me know how you see this. Adriaan

Arthur, We are actually in agreement in that we both want the fullness of Jesus Christ manifested in our lives. Let us agree that just like everything else that exist, our lives and times are in His hands. What wonderful hands we are in!!! Those are the Hands I fully trust. And for our quest, let us love Him with all we got and serve Him with all we got. May the Lord richly bless and guide you. Maranatha Adriaan

No not Balaam, because he refused. Adriaan

I believe that it is possible but that it is a process. People who believe in instantaneous sanctification and holiness find it difficult to explain why this is not the reality in their lives and also the lives of everyone else, including the apostles. I have met people who are far advanced on this journey and I am pleased to say that the Lord has greatly changed my life as well (To Him be all the glory), but I am not perfect and without sin. How I wish I could be! Part of why I am so in love with Jesus Christ is His amazing patience with me. He loves me despite of my imperfections. Because of His love I so strive to be holy and to love others despite thier imperfections. I think the following explains best what I believe. Php 3:7-14 But whatever things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. But no, rather, I also count all things to be loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them to be dung, so that I may win Christ and be found in Him; not having my own righteousness, which is of the Law, but through the faith of Christ, the righteousness of God by faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable to His death; if by any means I might attain to the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect, but I am pressing on, if I may lay hold of that for which I also was taken hold of by Christ Jesus. My brothers, I do not count myself to have taken possession, but one thing I do, forgetting the things behind and reaching forward to the things before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. With love Adriaan

I have recently again heard a Pastor tell his people to prophesy over their homes, businesses, lives, marriages and so on. This modern idea is those believers are supposed to

There cannot be any doubt that we ARE instructed to live holy lives and that it IS possible. The way of obeying this instruction is what is discussed here. The most anyone can achieve in the way of holiness is to become like the Pharisees. (Righteous but not in spirit and truth) What is needed is not stronger will power or better self control. What is needed is a NEW HEART. Can anyone change his own heart? If you love violence for example, can you change your heart so that when you see it on television you immediately and truly hate it? No, the best that you can do is to suppress your curiosity and switch off the television or look the other way. Even this we may find difficult to do. If you have an adulterous eye, can you change your heart so that when you see a nude woman on the television you do not look at her lustfully? No, the best that you can do is to deny your wicket heart its desires and to either switch off the program or look away. While an adulterer is not physically committing the act, did he stop being an adulterer? When the thief is not busy stealing is he not a thief. We all have the inclination and desire to do sin even if we manage to restrain ourselves and not do the act. The old self is capable of restraining its own wicket desires and to keep the law to some extend but it cannot change itself to be good. That is why we must be born again. Due to the fall of man our very nature has become corrupted and we are not able to achieve any degree of righteousness in ourselves. If we were able to be righteous why was the Cross needed. No, Jesus came because every human being lacked eternally. That is why Jesus said: Joh 17:19 And I sanctify Myself for their sakes, so that they also might be sanctified in truth. However we are commanded to be holy and it IS possible because the Lord Jesus Christ has made it possible for us to stay and live in Him, the vine. He IS the vine and He has already overcome the world. If Jesus Christ lives in us, by the power of the Holy Spirit we have the source of all goodness and holiness living in us. Now we have both the will and the power to please God. The only limitation to the manifestation of the power of God in our lives is now our free will. Shall we walk in the Spirit or fulfill the desires of our sinful nature? We must learn to choose to walk in the Spirit. (Gal 5:16) What about the sinful nature that we have in our flesh? We must through faith hold that it was crucified with Christ and that it is dead and buried with Him. 2Ti 2:11 For faithful is the Word, for if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him. We were resurrected with Him because the Holy Spirit, who raised Jesus Christ from the dead also now lives in us. Rom 8:11-12 But if the Spirit of the One who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the One who raised up Christ from the dead shall also make your mortal bodies alive by His Spirit who dwells in you. Therefore, brothers, we are not debtors to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. Just as a baby learns to walk we must learn to walk in the Spirit and not the flesh. This takes time and we by the grace of God eventually find that we are changing. Jas 3:2 For in many things we all offend. If anyone does not offend in word, the same is a full-grown man, able also to bridle the whole body. We are not changed in that we develop stronger will power or better self control. No, we discover over time that our hearts have changed. We no longer want to commit adultery etc. We have changed hearts and because it is not an effort of our will, (and performed by the Spirit) we are changed and serve God in Spirit and truth. This journey is not to make us better people. It is not to make us righteous according to our standards or that of the church or other people. No, much more. It is to make us conform to the image of Jesus Christ. This is a process called sanctification. It is the work of the Spirit. He IS our sanctification and righteousness. 1Co 1:30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who of God is made to us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption... 1Th 5:23-24 And may the God of peace Himself sanctify you, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blamelessly at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who called you, who also will do it. Php 2:13 For it is God who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. Having said this we know that we have a responsibility also. I have mentioned earlier that we can limit the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives because we have free will. We are required to Walk in the Spirit. Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all, and holiness, without which no one shall see the Lord... Gal 5:16 I say, then, Walk in the Spirit and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. I may not be able to explain this sufficiently but I know this, that when Jesus Christ apears we shall be perfect. Although I strive to please Him in all things and walk in the Spirit, I have no trust in my ability and often fail, but I know that He Who cannot fail has promised to complete the Work that He has started in me. Php 1:6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ, Jud 1:24-25 Now to Him being able to keep you without stumbling, and to set you before His glory without blemish, with unspeakable joy; to the only wise God, our Savior, be glory and majesty and might and authority, even now and forever. Amen. Adriaan

The only truth regarding race I regard worthwhile mentioning is the following: Act 10:34-35 Then Peter opened his mouth and said, Truly I see that God is no respecter of persons; but in every nation he who fears Him and works righteousness is accepted with Him. Col 3:9-11 Do not lie to one another, having put off the old man with his deeds and having put on the new, having been renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, foreigner, Scythian, slave or freeman, but Christ is all things in all. Gal 3:28 There cannot be Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is no male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. Rev 5:9 And they sang a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the book and to open its seals, for You were slain and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation. Praise the Lord Adriaan

What is holiness? In modern thinking holiness is the absence of sin. This is only partially true because even if a person lives in total absence of sin he is still not holy. Only God is holy and there exist no holiness apart from Him. No person is even good let alone holy. When a certain ruler called Jesus