earthly paradise – Kanisa la Christadelphian huko Anderlecht

Essential Knowledge for the Baptismal Candidate #3 About Life and Death

avril 5, 2024 par Christadelphians, publié dans Almighty God, Bible text quotes, Jesus Christ - son of God, World events & environment

Thought - Gedachte - Pensée - Mawazo (man kijkend naar de bergen in landschap - zonder opschrift)

Jehovah God Source and Giver of Life

We expect baptismal candidates to be aware that we are being given life because the Only True God gives us the opportunity to be here on earth. It is through Him that we live and move and can realize things.

“I have made the earth, man and beast that are upon the face of the earth, by my great power and by my outstretched arm; and I give them unto whom it seemeth right in mine eyes.” (Jeremiah 27:5 Darby)

“For of him, and through him, and for him [are] all things: to him be glory for ever. Amen.” (Romans 11:36 Darby)

“24 The God who has made the world and all things which are in it, *he*, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands, 25 nor is served by men’s hands as needing something, himself giving to all life and breath and all things;” (Acts 17:24-25 Darby)

“for in him we live and move and exist; as also some of the poets amongst you have said, For we are also his offspring.” (Acts 17:28 Darby)

“And Jehovah Elohim formed Man, dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and Man became a living soul.” (Genesis 2:7 Darby)

“7 How precious is thy loving-kindness, O God! So the sons of men take refuge under the shadow of thy wings. 8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou wilt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. 9 For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light.” (Psalms 36:7-9 Darby)

“9 Who knoweth not in all these, that the hand of Jehovah hath wrought this? 10 In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the spirit of all flesh of man.” (Job 12:9-10 Darby)

Assignments for humans

The first man was created by Jehovah God, who expected them to name and care for all things, and to reproduce, so that the entire earth would be populated.

But God, who had given almost all the trees for the saturation of man, forbade the first man from eating the tree of knowledge of good and evil, otherwise they would know knowledge of good and evil, but also of death, and would definitely die.

“10 And God called the dry [land] Earth, and the gathering together of the waters he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. 11 And God said, Let the earth cause grass to spring up, herb producing seed, fruit-trees yielding fruit after their kind, the seed of which is in them, on the earth. And it was so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, herb producing seed after its kind, and trees yielding fruit, the seed of which is in them, after their kind. And God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:10-12 Darby)

“And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply on the earth.” (Genesis 1:22 Darby)

“26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over the whole earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth on the earth. 27 And God created Man in his image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them; and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the heavens, and over every animal that moveth on the earth. 29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb producing seed that is on the whole earth, and every tree in which is the fruit of a tree producing seed: it shall be food for you; 30 and to every animal of the earth, and to every fowl of the heavens, and to everything that creepeth on the earth, in which is a living soul, every green herb for food. And it was so. 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning — the sixth day.” (Genesis 1:26-31 Darby)

“7 And Jehovah Elohim formed Man, dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and Man became a living soul. 8 And Jehovah Elohim planted a garden in Eden eastward, and there put Man whom he had formed. 9 And out of the ground Jehovah Elohim made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; and the tree of life, in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” (Genesis 2:7-9 Darby)

“15 And Jehovah Elohim took Man, and put him into the garden of Eden, to till it and to guard it. 16 And Jehovah Elohim commanded Man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou shalt freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest of it thou shalt certainly die. 18 And Jehovah Elohim said, It is not good that Man should be alone; I will make him a helpmate, his like. 19 And out of the ground Jehovah Elohim had formed every animal of the field and all fowl of the heavens, and brought [them] to Man, to see what he would call them; and whatever Man called each living soul, that was its name. 20 And Man gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the heavens, and to every beast of the field; but as for Adam, he found no helpmate, his like.” (Genesis 2:15-20 Darby)

Limited life

As a result of Adam and Eve (their sinning) going wrong, the curse of death has come upon humanity and all people including Jesus have a limited life and must all face pain and death.

No one can be sure of his or her life. Life is actually short or limited in duration, with pleasant moments alternating with less pleasant periods.

“For this [cause], even as by one man sin entered into the world, and by sin death; and thus death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” (Romans 5:12 Darby)

“For if by the offence of the one death reigned by the one, much rather shall those who receive the abundance of grace, and of the free gift of righteousness, reign in life by the one Jesus Christ:)” (Romans 5:17 Darby)

“but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest of it thou shalt certainly die.” (Genesis 2:17 Darby)

“And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a pleasure for the eyes, and the tree was to be desired to give intelligence; and she took of its fruit, and ate, and gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.” (Genesis 3:6 Darby)

“And to Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened to the voice of thy wife, and eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed be the ground on thy account; with toil shalt thou eat [of] it all the days of thy life;” (Genesis 3:17 Darby)

“In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, until thou return to the ground: for out of it wast thou taken. For dust thou art; and unto dust shalt thou return.” (Genesis 3:19 Darby)

“1 Man, born of woman, is of few days, and full of trouble. 2 He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down; and he fleeth as a shadow, and continueth not.” (Job 14:1-2 Darby)

“15 As for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth: 16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone, and the place thereof knoweth it no more.” (Psalms 103:15-16 Darby)

Condition of the dead

By eating the forbidden fruit, man received the death penalty over him. After a life limited in time, man would die and the breath given by God would go out of the body and man, no longer aware of anything, would turn into dust and ashes. So at the end of our lives it is like the animals. Everything is over for us. We can then do nothing more, no longer think, and take nothing with us in our deaths. Everything, our thoughts, having and keeping us, will perish.

For everything we wanted to do it will be too late when we die. It is now, when we are on earth as living beings, that we must make it happen. Once we die, it’s too late. For us, there is the same outcome as for the animals.

“5 For the living know that they shall die; but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. 6 Their love also, and their hatred, and their envy is already perished; neither have they any more for ever a portion in all that is done under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 Darby)

“Whatever thy hand findeth to do, do with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in Sheol, whither thou goest.” (Ecclesiastes 9:10 Darby)

“His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his purposes perish.” (Psalms 146:4 Darby)

“For in death there is no remembrance of thee; in Sheol who shall give thanks unto thee?” (Psalms 6:5 Darby)

“And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto the necromancers and unto the soothsayers, who chirp and who mutter, [say,] Shall not a people seek unto their God? [Will they go] for the living unto the dead?” (Isaiah 8:19 Darby)

“[They are] dead, they shall not live; deceased, they shall not rise: for thou hast visited and destroyed them, and made all memory of them to perish.” (Isaiah 26:14 Darby)

“For not Sheol shall praise thee, nor death celebrate thee; they that go down into the pit do not hope for thy truth.” (Isaiah 38:18 Darby)

“19 For what befalleth the children of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other, and they have all one breath; and man hath no pre-eminence above the beast: for all is vanity. 20 All go unto one place: all are of the dust, and all return to dust.” (Ecclesiastes 3:19-20 Darby)

“All the fat ones of the earth shall eat and worship; all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him, and he that cannot keep alive his own soul.” (Psalms 22:29 Darby)

Life after death

Those who follow the Nazarene Jewish teacher Jeshua ben Josef or Jesus Christ have full confidence that that man of flesh and blood has given himself as a ransom to God so that humanity has been delivered from the curse of death. The followers of Jesus Christ can live with the hope of a similar resurrection as Jesus has already risen from the tomb.

After the last and greatest war, Armageddon, Jesus will call the dead from the memory graves to himself to judge them with the living. The resurrection of Christ Jesus is a guarantee and a testimony of victory over death.

“but we see Jesus, who [was] made some little inferior to angels on account of the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; so that by the grace of God he should taste death for every thing.” (Hebrews 2:9 Darby)

“5 For God is one, and [the] mediator of God and men one, [the] man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself a ransom for all, the testimony [to be rendered] in its own times;” (1 Timothy 2:5-6 Darby)

“as indeed the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28 Darby)

“28 Wonder not at this, for an hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs shall hear his voice, 29 and shall go forth; those that have practised good, to resurrection of life, and those that have done evil, to resurrection of judgment.” (John 5:28-29 Darby)

“having hope towards God, which they themselves also receive, that there is to be a resurrection both of just and unjust.” (Acts 24:15 Darby)

“And the sea gave up the dead which [were] in it, and death and hades gave up the dead which [were] in them; and they were judged each according to their works:” (Revelation 20:13 Darby)

“Thy dead shall live, my dead bodies shall arise. Awake and sing in triumph, ye that dwell in dust; for thy dew is the dew of the morning, and the earth shall cast forth the dead.” (Isaiah 26:19 Darby)

“because he has set a day in which he is going to judge the habitable earth in righteousness by [the] man whom he has appointed, giving the proof [of it] to all [in] having raised him from among [the] dead.” (Acts 17:31 Darby)

“20 (But now Christ is raised from among [the] dead, first-fruits of those fallen asleep. 21 For since by man [came] death, by man also resurrection of [those that are] dead.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-21 Darby)

Destruction of death makes an endless life possible

In our time, death is an inevitable thing. Unless the end of time in our system of life takes place, most around us will die. But because of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ that Jehovah God accepted as a sacrifice of guilt, a lifting of death is now possible for man. Under Christ’s Kingship government, people will be able to live together in peace and no longer fear death, for every tear will be erased from their lives and they will see no more death.

We should not be surprised if the end times are on our doorstep and people will rise from their memory graves, while others will be allowed to enjoy a life without end. All who are in the Book of life will be allowed as righteous to enjoy an endlessly peaceful life in the Kingdom of God in a renewed earthly paradise.

“28 Wonder not at this, for an hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs shall hear his voice, 29 and shall go forth; those that have practised good, to resurrection of life, and those that have done evil, to resurrection of judgment.” (John 5:28-29 Darby)

“5 For God is one, and [the] mediator of God and men one, [the] man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself a ransom for all, the testimony [to be rendered] in its own times;” (1 Timothy 2:5-6 Darby)

“as indeed the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28 Darby)

“[The] last enemy [that] is annulled [is] death.” (1 Corinthians 15:26 Darby)

“12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is [that] of life. And the dead were judged out of the things written in the books according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which [were] in it, and death and hades gave up the dead which [were] in them; and they were judged each according to their works: 14 and death and hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, [even] the lake of fire. 15 And if any one was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:12-15 Darby)

“He will swallow up death in victory. And the Lord Jehovah will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the reproach of his people will he take away from off all the earth: for Jehovah hath spoken.” (Isaiah 25:8 Darby)

“I will ransom them from the power of Sheol. I will redeem them from death: where, O death, are thy plagues? where, O Sheol, is thy destruction? Repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.” (Hosea 13:14 Darby)

“54 But when this corruptible shall have put on incorruptibility, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall come to pass the word written: Death has been swallowed up in victory. 55 Where, O death, [is] thy sting? where, O death, thy victory? 56 Now the sting of death [is] sin, and the power of sin the law; 57 but thanks to God, who gives us the victory by our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:54-57 Darby)

“but has been made manifest now by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who has annulled death, and brought to light life and incorruptibility by the glad tidings;” (2 Timothy 1:10 Darby)

“but we see Jesus, who [was] made some little inferior to angels on account of the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; so that by the grace of God he should taste death for every thing.” (Hebrews 2:9 Darby)

“14 Since therefore the children partake of blood and flesh, he also, in like manner, took part in the same, that through death he might annul him who has the might of death, that is, the devil; 15 and might set free all those who through fear of death through the whole of their life were subject to bondage.” (Hebrews 2:14-15 Darby)

“And the devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where [are] both the beast and the false prophet; and they shall be tormented day and night for the ages of ages.” (Revelation 20:10 Darby)

“13 And the sea gave up the dead which [were] in it, and death and hades gave up the dead which [were] in them; and they were judged each according to their works: 14 and death and hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, [even] the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:13-14 Darby)

“9 After these things I saw, and lo, a great crowd, which no one could number, out of every nation and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cry with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb.” (Revelation 7:9-10 Darby)

“But to the fearful and unbelieving, [and sinners], and those who make themselves abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, their part [is] in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone; which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:8 Darby)

“The righteous shall possess the land, and dwell therein for ever.” (Psalms 37:29 Darby)

“But the meek shall possess the land, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of prosperity.” (Psalms 37:11 Darby)

An endless life for the righteous

For those who prove that they love the One True God and are obedient to Him, there is the beautiful prospect of an endless life after the return of Jesus Christ and the realisation of his kingdom. Then all uncertainty, pain and suffering, will be brought to an end and there will be plenty again for everyone, while there will be peace and security everywhere on earth.

“For the wages of sin [is] death; but the act of favour of God, eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23 Darby)

“and having been perfected, became to all them that obey him, author of eternal salvation;” (Hebrews 5:9 Darby)

“He will swallow up death in victory. And the Lord Jehovah will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the reproach of his people will he take away from off all the earth: for Jehovah hath spoken.” (Isaiah 25:8 Darby)

“37 But as the days of Noe, so also shall be the coming of the Son of man. 38 For as they were in the days which were before the flood, eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day on which Noe entered into the ark, 39 and they knew not till the flood came and took all away; thus also shall be the coming of the Son of man.” (Matthew 24:37-39 Darby)

“Jehovah keepeth all that love him, and all the wicked will he destroy.” (Psalms 145:20 Darby)

“The righteous [man] shall never be moved; but the wicked shall not inhabit the land.” (Proverbs 10:30 Darby)

“Overthrow the wicked, and they are no [more]; but the house of the righteous shall stand.” (Proverbs 12:7 Darby)

“In the path of righteousness is life, and in the pathway thereof there is no death.” (Proverbs 12:28 Darby)

“13 I saw in the night visions, and behold, there came with the clouds of heaven [one] like a son of man, and he came up even to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom [that] which shall not be destroyed.” (Daniel 7:13-14 Darby)

“And in the days of these kings shall the God of the heavens set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the sovereignty thereof shall not be left to another people: it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, but itself shall stand for ever.” (Daniel 2:44 Darby)

“But, according to his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwells righteousness.” (2 Peter 3:13 Darby)

“3 And his delight will be in the fear of Jehovah; and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears; 4 but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. 5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his reins, and faithfulness the girdle of his loins.” (Isaiah 11:3-5 Darby)

“12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is [that] of life. And the dead were judged out of the things written in the books according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which [were] in it, and death and hades gave up the dead which [were] in them; and they were judged each according to their works:” (Revelation 20:12-13 Darby)

“1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea exists no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of the heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice out of the heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God [is] with men, and he shall tabernacle with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, their God. 4 And he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall not exist any more, nor grief, nor cry, nor distress shall exist any more, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4 Darby)

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.” (Isaiah 65:17 Darby)

“21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof: 22 they shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree shall be the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.” (Isaiah 65:21-22 Darby)

“They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for terror; for they are the seed of the blessed of Jehovah, and their offspring with them.” (Isaiah 65:23 Darby)

“28 Wonder not at this, for an hour is coming in which all who are in the tombs shall hear his voice, 29 and shall go forth; those that have practised good, to resurrection of life, and those that have done evil, to resurrection of judgment.” (John 5:28-29 Darby)

“There shall be abundance of corn in the earth, upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon; and they of the city shall bloom like the herb of the earth.” (Psalms 72:16 Darby)

“The earth will yield her increase; God, our God, will bless us:” (Psalms 67:6 Darby)

“And the tree of the field shall yield its fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase; and they shall be in safety in their land, and shall know that I [am] Jehovah, when I have broken the bands of their yoke and delivered them out of the hand of those that kept them in servitude.” (Ezekiel 34:27 Darby)

“6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name is called Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty *God, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with judgment and with righteousness, from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7 Darby)

“And many nations shall go and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and Jehovah’s word from Jerusalem.” (Micah 4:2 Darby)

“And they shall sit every one under his vine, and under his fig-tree; and there shall be none to make [them] afraid: for the mouth of Jehovah of hosts hath spoken [it].” (Micah 4:4 Darby)

“8 Come, behold the works of Jehovah, what desolations he hath made in the earth: 9 He hath made wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariots in the fire. 10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. 11 Jehovah of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our high fortress. Selah.” (Psalms 46:8-11 Darby)

“25 And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause evil beasts to cease out of the land; and they shall dwell in safety in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. 26 And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in its season: there shall be showers of blessing. 27 And the tree of the field shall yield its fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase; and they shall be in safety in their land, and shall know that I [am] Jehovah, when I have broken the bands of their yoke and delivered them out of the hand of those that kept them in servitude.” (Ezekiel 34:25-27 Darby)

“6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the fatted beast together, and a little child shall lead them. 7 And the cow and the she-bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the adder, and the weaned child shall put forth its hand to the viper’s den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea.” (Isaiah 11:6-9 Darby)

“And I will make a covenant for them in that day with the beasts of the field, and with the fowl of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground; and I will break bow and sword and battle out of the land; and I will make them to lie down safely.” (Hosea 2:18 Darby)

Preceding

Find also to read

Essential Knowledge for the Baptismal Candidate #2 About Jesus and our position

avril 2, 2024avril 2, 2024 par Christadelphians, publié dans Bible text quotes, Christadelphian, Faith, Jesus Christ - son of God

Thought - Gedachte - Pensée - Mawazo (man kijkend naar de bergen in landschap - zonder opschrift)

If people would like to join the Brothers in Christ or the Christadelphians, they must do so to prove that they want to follow Jesus Christ and that they also accept all Biblical beliefs. To become a full member of the Christadelphian community, we ask candidates to answer some important questions so that we get a clear picture of what they really believe.

A Biblical faith is essential before one can be baptised. The main points concern God. For this we look for what the candidate thinks about God. We also want to see whether they have a clear picture of Who or What the Holy Spirit is.
Then we want to see that the baptismal candidate clearly realizes who Jesus Christ is and what this person has done for humanity.

Holy Scriptures or Bible, inspired Word of God

We expect those who want to become Christadelhian to believe that by the grace of God here on earth he or she can be a member of His family who wants to be faithful to God’s Word, which we know to find in the Holy Scriptures.

“to the holy and faithful brethren in Christ which [are] in Colosse. Grace to you and peace from God our Father [and Lord Jesus Christ].” (Colossians 1:2 Darby)

“16 Every scripture [is] divinely inspired, and profitable for teaching, for conviction, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; 17 that the man of God may be complete, fully fitted to every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 Darby)

“20 knowing this first, that [the scope of] no prophecy of scripture is had from its own particular interpretation, 21 for prophecy was not ever uttered by [the] will of man, but holy men of God spake under the power of [the] Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:20-21 Darby)

Sins of man and the Sent son of God

In that inspired book we can find the history of God’s People and of His sent son, who has given himself their faults for all humanity, so that they can be saved and offer themselves again to enter God’s Kingdom or the earthly Paradise, even though we are all sinners by nature.

“21 For from within, out of the heart of men, go forth evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 thefts, covetousness, wickednesses, deceit, licentiousness, a wicked eye, injurious language, haughtiness, folly; 23 all these wicked things go forth from within and defile the man.” (Mark 7:21-23 Darby)

“13 ¶ Let no man, being tempted, say, I am tempted of God. For God cannot be tempted by evil things, and himself tempts no one. 14 But every one is tempted, drawn away, and enticed by his own lust; 15 then lust, having conceived, gives birth to sin; but sin fully completed brings forth death.” (James 1:13-15 Darby)

Debtless

Even though we are all sinful persons, there is one person who has committed no sins at all. He never gave in to the adversary of God (whatever symbolic figure Satan mentions).

“And going forward a little he fell upon his face, praying and saying, My Father, if it be possible let this cup pass from me; but not as *I* will, but as *thou* [wilt].” (Matthew 26:39 Darby)

“Since therefore the children partake of blood and flesh, he also, in like manner, took part in the same, that through death he might annul him who has the might of death, that is, the devil;” (Hebrews 2:14 Darby)

“For we have not a high priest not able to sympathise with our infirmities, but tempted in all things in like manner, sin apart.” (Hebrews 4:15 Darby)

“Whom God has raised up, having loosed the pains of death, inasmuch as it was not possible that he should be held by its power;” (Acts 2:24 Darby)

“(But now Christ is raised from among [the] dead, first-fruits of those fallen asleep.” (1 Corinthians 15:20 Darby)

The beloved son who dealt with death

While sin and death have come into the world through one man, born of a woman, sin has been exposed and the punishment of death has been nullified by completely putting aside his will to do God’s Will. Because Jesus was fully human, he also knows how we feel and act and can now best defend us before his and our Heavenly Father, Jehovah, the Only True God, who recognised and listened to him as His beloved son.

“21 And it came to pass, all the people having been baptised, and Jesus having been baptised and praying, that the heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form as a dove upon him; and a voice came out of heaven, *Thou* art my beloved Son, in thee I have found my delight. 23 And Jesus himself was beginning to be about thirty years old; being as was supposed son of Joseph; of Eli,” (Luke 3:21-23 Darby)

“16 And Jesus, having been baptised, went up straightway from the water, and lo, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him: 17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I have found my delight.” (Matthew 3:16-17 Darby)

“For he received from God [the] Father honour and glory, such a voice being uttered to him by the excellent glory: This is my beloved Son, in whom *I* have found my delight;” (2 Peter 1:17 Darby)

“For this [cause], even as by one man sin entered into the world, and by sin death; and thus death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” (Romans 5:12 Darby)

“And going forward a little he fell upon his face, praying and saying, My Father, if it be possible let this cup pass from me; but not as *I* will, but as *thou* [wilt].” (Matthew 26:39 Darby)

“Since therefore the children partake of blood and flesh, he also, in like manner, took part in the same, that through death he might annul him who has the might of death, that is, the devil;” (Hebrews 2:14 Darby)

“For we have not a high priest not able to sympathise with our infirmities, but tempted in all things in like manner, sin apart.” (Hebrews 4:15 Darby)

Son of man Jesus less than God

The baptismal candidate is expected to believe that the son of man Jesus, who is less than God, actually died, rose from the grave through the Power of Jehovah and was later received into heaven to sit at the right hand of God as a mediator for us.

“Ye have heard that I have said unto you, I go away and I am coming to you. If ye loved me ye would rejoice that I go to the Father, for [my] Father is greater than I.” (John 14:28 Darby)

“5 For let this mind be in you which [was] also in Christ Jesus; 6 who, subsisting in the form of God, did not esteem it an object of rapine to be on an equality with God; 7 but emptied himself, taking a bondman’s form, taking his place in [the] likeness of men; 8 and having been found in figure as a man, humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, and [that the] death of [the] cross.” (Philippians 2:5-8 Darby)

“Jesus therefore answered and said to them, Verily, verily, I say to you, The Son can do nothing of himself save whatever he sees the Father doing: for whatever things *he* does, these things also the Son does in like manner.” (John 5:19 Darby)

“Jesus said to them, If God were your father ye would have loved me, for I came forth from God and am come [from him]; for neither am I come of myself, but *he* has sent me.” (John 8:42 Darby)

“Whom God has raised up, having loosed the pains of death, inasmuch as it was not possible that he should be held by its power;” (Acts 2:24 Darby)

“And having said these things he was taken up, they beholding [him], and a cloud received him out of their sight.” (Acts 1:9 Darby)

“But being full of [the] Holy Spirit, having fixed his eyes on heaven, he saw [the] glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,” (Acts 7:55 Darby)

“For God is one, and [the] mediator of God and men one, [the] man Christ Jesus,” (1 Timothy 2:5 Darby)

“Whence also he is able to save completely those who approach by him to God, always living to intercede for them.” (Hebrews 7:25 Darby)

“For the Christ is not entered into holy places made with hand, figures of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear before the face of God for us:” (Hebrews 9:24 Darby)

“the new and living way which he has dedicated for us through the veil, that is, his flesh,” (Hebrews 10:20 Darby)

“But now he has got a more excellent ministry, by so much as he is mediator of a better covenant, which is established on the footing of better promises.” (Hebrews 8:6 Darby)

“and to Jesus, mediator of a new covenant; and to [the] blood of sprinkling, speaking better than Abel.” (Hebrews 12:24 Darby)

“(But now Christ is raised from among [the] dead, first-fruits of those fallen asleep.” (1 Corinthians 15:20 Darby)

Jesus the truth-telling Messiah who paid ransom price

The baptismal candidate should be aware that it is only through Jesus the Messiah or Kristos, who offered himself as a ransom price to his heavenly Father, that we are saved and can obtain endless life.

“21 And it came to pass, all the people having been baptised, and Jesus having been baptised and praying, that the heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form as a dove upon him; and a voice came out of heaven, *Thou* art my beloved Son, in thee I have found my delight. 23 And Jesus himself was beginning to be about thirty years old; being as was supposed son of Joseph; of Eli,” (Luke 3:21-23 Darby)

“40 Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard [this] from John and followed him. 41 He first finds his own brother Simon, and says to him, We have found the Messias (which being interpreted is Christ).” (John 1:40-41 Darby)

“25 The woman says to him, I know that Messias is coming, who is called Christ; when *he* comes he will tell us all things. 26 Jesus says to her, I who speak to thee am [he].” (John 4:25-26 Darby)

“Pilate therefore said to him, Thou art then a king? Jesus answered, Thou sayest [it], that I am a king. I have been born for this, and for this I have come into the world, that I might bear witness to the truth. Every one that is of the truth hears my voice.” (John 18:37 Darby)

“Jesus who [was] of Nazareth: how God anointed him with [the] Holy Spirit and with power; who went through [all quarters] doing good, and healing all that were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.” (Acts 10:38 Darby)

“as indeed the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28 Darby)

“who gave himself a ransom for all, the testimony [to be rendered] in its own times;” (1 Timothy 2:6 Darby)

“whom God has set forth a mercy-seat, through faith in his blood, for [the] shewing forth of his righteousness, in respect of the passing by the sins that had taken place before, through the forbearance of God;” (Romans 3:25 Darby)

“and *he* is the propitiation for our sins; but not for ours alone, but also for the whole world.” (1 John 2:2 Darby)

“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son a propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:10 Darby)

Essential Knowledge for the Baptismal Candidate #1 About God

Additional reading

A world where one must make oneself clearly known #4 Still better look forward to a better New World

février 18, 2024février 12, 2024 par obligingworldviewer, publié dans Faith, Jesus Christ - son of God, Words of encouragement, World events & environment

Photo by Porapak Apichodilok on Pexels.com

Full of high expectations, the Europeans had descended on America, « the promising country » But once they got there, it didn’t all seem to be as easy as they had hoped. Once settled, the immigrants looked for work, but that turned out not to be so easy either, because there was a shortage of possible jobs.

There were never enough jobs, and employers often took advantage of the immigrants, men from Europe or China were generally paid less than other workers, and women less than men, causing social tensions, which became a known part of the immigrant experience, often stereotypical and discriminated against, many immigrants faced verbal and physical abuse for being « different, while large-scale immigration caused many social tensions, it also provided a new vitality in the cities and states in which the immigrants settled.

It must be said, the newcomers helped transform American society and culture, demonstrating that diversity, as well as unity, is a source of national strength.

But there was a lot of hard work to be done and sometimes it didn’t take much time to think about God and commandment, although many still worked to keep their Sunday duty.

John Thomas‘ studies in the years 1830-40 formed the basis for many of the beliefs he came to embrace as Brother in Christ or Christadelphian, a name he had chosen according to the words delphos (brother) and delphia (city) with the connection with Christ.

In the « certificate » John Thomas wrote for Samuel Coffman and « the brethren of Ogle County » (ten men in all), Thomas refers to the Antipas Association of Christadelphians in New York as the publishers of a pamphlet called « Yahweh Elohim » He cites this as evidence that a denomination named « Christadelphian » already existed. But to register the pacifists so that they did not have to fight in the American Civil War, he made the name official so that they can continue as a Christian denomination.

The Anglicized fusion of the Greek words represents the close relationship between Christ and his believers.

« To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ. » (Colossians 1:2)

For Dr. Thomas, it was important that as believers we try to imitate Christ and that we follow his doctrine, while like him we take the Word of God as our great guideline.

For Dr Thomas’s followers, be it by the name Thomasite, Bible students or Christadelphian, it was important to grow together and go through life as brother and sister in Christ, it was also of the utmost importance that people started following the Bible rather than an ecclesiastical power, they regarded the Bible as the inspired and infallible Word of God, too, in which we had to look up the knowledge.
They also understood from Jesus’ speeches that it was important to go on to spread the Good News, so they also learned the importance of preaching, and so they went around the country proclaiming God’s Word, thus small biblical Student Groups could be formed in multiple places and continue to grow independently.

One of Thomas, his students, would found a larger Bible Student movement that resulted in several groups, of which the millennialist, Restorationist faith community of Jehovah Witnesses was a breakaway that later became a very strong unitary movement.

The followers of those Bible students realized that the time had not yet come for them to see the realization of the much better New World.

They learned about the Earthly Paradise where the Garden of Eden was full of pomp and circumstance, and where there were no problems That Garden was a part of God’s Plan, which has been interrupted because of the choice of the first man But we can insist that God wants to complete His Plan.

None other than the Nazarene Jewish preceptor, Jeshua ben Josef or Jesus Christ, has become the great example towards us, whose words of a better world are truly to believe Paradise is no more a myth or legend than it is. Many people doubt his existence, but more has been written and known about him than about other historical figures, but, no one doubts that they existed.

The historical evidence is overwhelming that he was on earth twenty centuries ago as a perfect human being, eyewitnesses and personal companions of his have left us a written testimony of what he has said and done — his spotless life, his unjust, violent death and his miraculous resurrection from Jesus’ lineage is even fully recorded in the archive of the city where his human mother Mary, the daughter of Eli, the son of Matthat, dwelt.

Jesus taught and believed that the original home, the « Paradise of Pleasure », had once existed and that Adam and his wife were driven out of it for disobedience to God, their Creator, but he also believed, as some other prophets told him about the future, that that better world will be realized in God’s Plan.

Jesus also looked forward to the restoration of Paradise for humanity and also expected to play a role in that restoration. Dr. Thomas had a lot of work to make it clear to people from different denominations that they would not go to heaven or hell at their death, but that a resurrection from the dead would take place, where Jesus would judge people and whether or not he would let them into his Kingdom.

Most religions indicate that man only has a temporary stay on earth, after which he either reincarnates or goes to purgatory before it ends up in heaven. Because of this, many see Earth as little more than a transit house, a way station on the way to another life. Some clergy wrongly claim that God will one day destroy this planet. As a result of such teachings, many people feel that they should get the most out of life, because they only face death.

We must realize, however, that God has a splendid intention with the earth and humanity, it is wrong to think that the Creator would have created the earth merely for nothing The Divine Maker formed the universe and formed the earth to be inhabited as well.

“This is what Jehovah says, who created heaven – He Who is the True God – who made and formed the earth and who founded it – not as chaos did he create the earth, but to inhabit it He formed it: I am Jehovah, there is no other.” (Isa 45:18)

Scripture also tells us that

“The righteous will possess the land and inhabit it all their lives.” (Ps 37:29)

“for those who are righteous will dwell in the land of the living, those who walk their way blamelessly will find a steady abode.” (Spr 2:21)

“Blessed are the meek, for they will possess the land.” (Mt 5:5)

Yes, those who are gentle will have the earth before them, in order to live a life there that will have no end.

“… in the time and world to come, there will be endless life.” (Mr 10:30)

In going through the Bible, we can learn those things about God’s purpose for the earth and humanity, and through a thorough Bible study, you will also be helped to understand why we are here and why everything is going as it has been going for centuries.

Believers in the one True God who are also gentle have a good prospect because

“10 Just a little while, and gone is the sinner, you look where he is, but do not find him. 11 Those who are humble will own the land and live happily in abundance and peace.” (Ps 37:10-11)

For a little while longer we will be confronted with war, pain and sorrow, but after the very Great War (World War 3 or Armageddon) the end will be in sight and the wars will end until the end of the earth.

“(46:10) worldwide he bans wars, breaks bows, shatters lances, burns chariots in fire.” (Ps 46:9)

“He will judge between the nations, judge mighty nations, He will set things right in connection with many nations, They will forge their swords into plough irons and their spears into pruning knives No nation will draw the sword yet against another people, no man will know what war is.” (Isa 2:4)

Now it’s still a big soup, but we can trust that there will be a much better world than this. We won’t lack anything in that world either.

“Then there will be an abundance of corn in the land, even on the tops of the mountains, ripe ears will wave like the forests of Lebanon From his city prosperity will blossom like young greenery on the earth. (And in the cities people will blossom like vegetation on earth)” (Ps 72:16)

There will even be peace between humans and animals.

“6 Then a wolf will lie down next to a lamb, a panther will sit down with a goat; calf and lion will feed together and a little boy will herd them. 7 A cow and a bear will graze together, their young are gathered together; a lion and an ox eat both straw. 8 An infant plays at the den of a viper, a child grabs with his hand to the nest of a serpent 9 No one does evil, no one makes mischief in all my holy mountain For knowledge of Jehovah fills the earth, as the water covers the bottom of the sea.” (Isa 11:6-9)

“Wolf and lamb shall feed together, a lion and a ox shall eat both straw, and a serpent shall feed on dust: no man shall do evil, no man shall make mischief in all my holy mountain-says Jehovah the Lord.” (Isa 65:25)

Additional reading

Expulsion from the paradise garden

janvier 22, 2024janvier 20, 2024 par Marcus Ampe, publié dans Almighty God, Behaviour or attitude towards others, History & news feed, Reflection - Meditation

The test commandment

The man was placed in a paradise garden (the Garden of Eden) in which he was allowed to name animals and plants. The Garden was located near the Euphrates estuary and east of the Tigris. Eden indicates « lovelessness » and it was among all living things. Jehovah, the God of order, had created order out of chaos. He revealed His Will that man should reproduce or multiply in that beautiful garden that man could manage.

God wants to be obeyed in freedom and has created man in such a way that he can make free choices. The Tree of Life symbolizes eternal life (see Revelation 2: 7; 22: 2, 14, 19; Proverbs 3:18; 11:30) The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil indicates that those who eat from it will get to know good and evil.

“8 And Jehovah God planteth a garden in Eden, at the east, and He setteth there the man whom He hath formed; 9 and Jehovah God causeth to sprout from the ground every tree desirable for appearance, and good for food, and the tree of life in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. 10 And a river is going out from Eden to water the garden, and from thence it is parted, and hath become four chief [rivers]; 11 the name of the one [is] Pison, it [is] that which is surrounding the whole land of the Havilah where the gold [is], 12 and the gold of that land [is] good, there [is] the bdolach and the shoham stone; 13 and the name of the second river [is] Gibon, it [is] that which is surrounding the whole land of Cush; 14 and the name of the third river [is] Hiddekel, it [is] that which is going east of Asshur; and the fourth river is Phrat. 15 And Jehovah God taketh the man, and causeth him to rest in the garden of Eden, to serve it, and to keep it.” (Ge 2:8-15 YLT)

Adam first saw the tree. He could choose whether to eat from that tree or not. God had given him the freedom to choose. And so today we all have the freedom to choose what we want or will do and whether or not we will follow God’s commandments.

The two trees in the garden are, as it were, a challenge to the right choice. The choice for obedience included a reward: an eternal stay in the paradise garden. When choosing disobedience to God, the sad consequence was that one would have to work hard to survive and eventually die.

God had warned Adam and Eve what the consequences would be if they ate the fruits of those trees. But the forbidden fruit seemed too attractive to just hang it without eating it.

Degeneration of the covenant chief

Eve dared to doubt God’s sincerity. Man’s first lie makes her appearance when Eve in turn tries to seduce her partner. She makes him doubt.

Would God withhold anything from them?

God is also presented as a liar who tries to scare them by saying that they would die if they eat those fruits.

“1 And the serpent hath been subtile above every beast of the field which Jehovah God hath made, and he saith unto the woman, ‘Is it true that God hath said, Ye do not eat of every tree of the garden?’ 2 And the woman saith unto the serpent, ‘Of the fruit of the trees of the garden we do eat, 3 and of the fruit of the tree which [is] in the midst of the garden God hath said, Ye do not eat of it, nor touch it, lest ye die.’ 4 And the serpent saith unto the woman, ‘Dying, ye do not die, 5 for God doth know that in the day of your eating of it—your eyes have been opened, and ye have been as God, knowing good and evil.’” (Ge 3:1-5 YLT)

It was tempting to have such knowledge and to equate with God.

Adam followed his wife and ate the forbidden fruit.

As soon as they had eaten that fruit, their eyes opened and they felt shame towards each other and towards others. Their innocence was gone.

“6 And the woman seeth that the tree [is] good for food, and that it [is] pleasant to the eyes, and the tree is desirable to make [one] wise, and she taketh of its fruit and eateth, and giveth also to her husband with her, and he doth eat; 7 and the eyes of them both are opened, and they know that they [are] naked, and they sew fig-leaves, and make to themselves girdles.” (Ge 3:6-7 YLT)

Removal from the paradise garden

God is a God of word. If He has said anything, He will stick to it. When He has promised something, He will always keep His promises. This holds true for promises that hold something good, but also for warnings of something bad that God has given.

The first people needed to know better. They couldn’t hide from God. God sees everything. He even knows our inner thinking. It is impossible to hide from Him.

But the knowledge that they had done something wrong made them hide in the bushes like little children, with the thought that God would not notice them there and overlook or forget their mistake.
That guilt is an alarm that God has given man so that he would know when he would do something wrong. If you go against or sin against God, that alarm will go off.

Eating the forbidden fruit against the will of God was an act of disobedience, but by hiding they indicated that their relationship to God had now been damaged and that they suspect that God would no longer trust and punish them.

The sentence did not last. The God of word, guard against His Word. He informed the woman that in order to give birth to new life, she would have labour pains. God also indicated that equality between men and women had come to an end. God also told them that from now on they will eat with toil from the face of the earth all the days of their lives. Thorns and thistles will also emerge that will not make it easy for humans.

God also condemned man to work the earth to eat the crops of the field. Through their act of disobedience, they were now told what the saying of God meant. Until the day of their death, they now had to sweat the land to live. And eventually after so much effort to live, that life would end, with their bodies decaying to the dust of the earth. For man is made of dust, and man will become dust again.

“16 Unto the woman He said, ‘Multiplying I multiply thy sorrow and thy conception, in sorrow dost thou bear children, and toward thy husband [is] thy desire, and he doth rule over thee.’”

“17 And to the man He said, ‘Because thou hast hearkened to the voice of thy wife, and dost eat of the tree concerning which I have charged thee, saying, Thou dost not eat of it, cursed [is] the ground on thine account; in sorrow thou dost eat of it all days of thy life, 18 and thorn and bramble it doth bring forth to thee, and thou hast eaten the herb of the field; 19 by the sweat of thy face thou dost eat bread till thy return unto the ground, for out of it hast thou been taken, for dust thou [art], and unto dust thou turnest back.’” (Ge 3:16-19 YLT)

The worst happened to them now that they were banished from that paradise garden, which they could never return to, and so that they could not eat from the Tree of eternal life to live forever again.

“22 And Jehovah God saith, ‘Lo, the man was as one of Us, as to the knowledge of good and evil; and now, lest he send forth his hand, and have taken also of the tree of life, and eaten, and lived to the age,’ — 23 Jehovah God sendeth him forth from the garden of Eden to serve the ground from which he hath been taken; 24 yea, he casteth out the man, and causeth to dwell at the east of the garden of Eden the cherubs and the flame of the sword which is turning itself round to guard the way of the tree of life.” (Ge 3:22-24 YLT)

Preceding articles

Additional reading

A possession on earth in all bliss

janvier 13, 2024janvier 12, 2024 par Bijbelvorsers, publié dans Almighty God, Bible text quotes, Reflection - Meditation

The Bible says of God that He created everything. Jehovah our God is worthy to receive the praise and the honour and strength. Thanks to His Will and His Word, we came into existence and were created.

“Thou art worthy, O our Lord and [our] God, to receive glory and honour and power; for *thou* hast created all things, and for thy will they were, and they have been created.” (Re 4:11 Darby)

Jehovah, God created life for a purpose. Jehovah would like us to have a happy life. When he made Adam and Eve (the first people), he put them in a beautiful paradise, the garden of Eden and gave them an order.

“And God blessed them; and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the heavens, and over every animal that moveth on the earth.” (Ge 1:28 Darby)

Jehovah wanted them to have children, to make the whole earth a paradise and to take care of the animals. His goal was for all people to live in perfect health forever.

Jehovah made man with ‘ spiritual needs ’, which means that we have a desire to get to know and worship Him. He would like us to have a close friendship with him, that we

‘ always follow the path he shows us, love him ’ and serve him ‘ with all our heart ’ (Deuteronomy 10:12; Psalm 25:14).

Nothing has changed in the purpose of God yet, inviting man to love Him. If we follow His prayers and requests, we can be really happy even if we have problems. Worshipping Jehovah really gives meaning and meaning to your life.

God also assures us that the meek will possess the earth, and will be able to enjoy peace in abundance intensely.

“But the meek shall possess the land, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of prosperity.” (Ps 37:11 Darby)

God is also willing to help us grow and come closer to Him. To this end, He has given man a Guide to life, a Book of books: the Bible. Sat Word of God is available in all countries and very many languages. Almost everyone has the opportunity to read the Bible. It does not matter where you live or which language you speak.

In that Book of Books, the Bible, you can find out how to get closer to God and thus even be His best friend. When you get closer to God, He wants to get closer to you.

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse [your] hands, sinners, and purify [your] hearts, ye double-minded.” (Jas 4:8 Darby)

When we read God’s message to us in the Bible, we get an ever better bond with him, even though we’ve never seen him.

If you would like a good relationship with Jehovah, you can safely speak to Him. You can do that by praying to Him. Prayer can help you with all those things. You shouldn’t be shy about broaching some subject with God. It is true that you can pray almost anything. But if you want God to answer your prayer, it must be in accordance with His will.