₦airaland Forum

@all
i'm a little confused, or maybe i'm not. Just to confirm, is it that anyone's saying that the works of Cornelius was acceptable before God? If in the affirmative, please quote the verse to this effect, thanks.

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What did Jesus say?

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From experience, it does happen but it's seldom. You don't believe in miracles anyway, so don't bother yourself.

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The context conveyed of natural laws are e.g gravity, hunger, sickness, aging, death, tiredness, forgetting etc. Christians and every other person on earth are still subject to these. It's takes special miracle and purpose to escape these and it's seldom.

Jesus came to save us from SIN, not from failing exams or interviews, or businesses. God is able and willing to help us in everything we do though, if we involve Him. Note though that there're natural laws and standards already set for ALL. Anyone who sows corn would reap corn.

Theologians.

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By their fruit, we have known them.

Sorry, let me add one or two more on justification mainly. No man can be justified/righteoused by works. Justification is by faith. No matter how pious one may be, God saves. All our righteousness are as filthy rags before God. We need to dump them aside and seek god's righteousness if perhaps we might find it. We can only seek God by faith, not by power, not by brain, but by faith.
Rom 3:24  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
i like the other thread opened by frosbel on Jesus been the only way, i think it says it better.

Rom 3:28  Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
Rom 3:30  Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.

Rom 4:2  For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
i believe it safe to replace Abraham in this  verse with 'the man in the amazon forest' and the answer becomes clear.

Rom 5:1  Therefore being[b] justified by faith[/b], we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Truly, without faith, it is impossible to even take the first step in a long walk of pleasing God.

Rom 5:14  Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
Rom 5:18  Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon ALL men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
The focus on the bolded is that people have suffered in time past as a result of their ancestors, history has a way of repeating itself i think.

Rom 9:31  But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
Israel could not attain it, no man anywhere can, no matter how zealous and pious he is to do good. It brings him to a similar wretchedness of the man in Romans7.
Rom 9:32  Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
Rom 10:4  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Today, if any man seeks God and righteousness BY FAITH, we would get it. That's the good news. WE should preach the gospel, every believer should preach the gospel in season and out of season. We should preach it without mincing words, we should bring others to Jesus instead of the gloatings on doctrines and which church or pastor is doing or not doing what.

Rom 10:14  How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
Now this below is interesting and i think important.

Rom 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Rom 10:18  But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
If my comprehension is clear, the verse says that the gospel has gone into all the earth. God has considered the whole world has having heard the word of God that produces faith that produces justification that produces salvation. i think that's a serious round off if we look at it with our own eyes. So there's no one with excuse somewhere saying the preachers have not reached my village i'm free. If an individual doesn't take the word of God seriously, it would most likely affect his family and descendants. We should be serious with our relationship with God and make sure that our children and those who God has put in our care are also serious with the word of God. That's what God trusted about Abraham. That's why through him, Israel enjoyed and enjoys God. Through him, Levi paid tithes to Melchisedek. And the other way round, one man's unrighteousness can influence his future generations. gehazi committed sin and it affected his descendants. Rechab had faith and it affected the Rechabites, for life i think. The tribe of levi were on the Lor's side it affected their descendants. What about Jacob, and David, and Reuben and Joseph, and Gideon. If a man refuses education and civilisation, and migrates from others into some place, do you think that his descendants would be educated or civilized? this is history, common. Has their forefathers' decisions not made them today a backward, poor, sick and suffering continent? Some people left England and among other things brought faith and trust in God to N.America. The decisions we make today influence many tomorrows.

@JeSoul and all,
Okay, so i got the chance to 'body' what i earlier posted. BTW, i think the questions have already been answered by others. Just to add a thing or two though.
N.B: I'm not the Judge. My opinions and understanding do not have a say in who God considers justified and fit for Heaven. Jesus is the Judge and whatsoever He wills, let Him do on 'the last day'.

I will agree I have missed something if you take a shot at answering my last post to 5Star, especially the Amazonian man & Romans 2:

Quote from: JeSoul on August 03, 2011, 03:11 PM
Consider a man who lives in the Amazon rainforest in one of the indigenous tribes that have still been untouched by the outside world. Like his ancestors, he has never heard of Jesus or the "word of God" or the bible but he follows the imprinted laws of God on his heart and loves his fellow man as himself. It is such a person that Romans 2 is talking about:

Romans 2 "For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. (Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.)

Can you still insist that such a man cannot be justified because he has not first had this "faith" that comes by hearing the "gospel of Christ"? Is that Romans is saying? See this verse also below . . . from every nation God will accept people who do what is right:

Acts 10:34 Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right.

Romans and the entire NT (and even OT self) is all about Justification through Christ - the operative word being 'through'. The problem is our limited and flawed understanding of the totality of what this 'through Christ' really means. A man may have never 'heard of' Christ - but if as Rms 2 says - he obeys the law of God in his heart and by his conscience, such a man indeed has Christ and will be saved through Christ.

Before i talk on the above, i feel there's still one thing to say on the below quote

Infact, when God spoke to Peter in the dream He said "do not call unclean what I have made clean" (refering to Cornelius & the other gentiles). And after Peter met with him, he made this ultimate declaration: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right." Meaning God had already accepted Cornelius. Leading him to Peter was to lead him to a greater walk and ultimate revelation of truth. Teaching him about the sacrifice of Christ to me was to bring to glorious fruition what was already started by God in Cornelius. He was already walking with God - now he could know Christ and understand the greatest sacrifice for his sake and accept it and then walk in it - in even greater love & works borne from faith.

If Cornelius (with his great record of love) had died never having the chance to hear the gospel, are we going to say he was never "born again" or "saved"?

Please lets examine the Scripture briefly on this again.

Act 10:6  He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.
There was something Cornelius had to do, his good works and sincerity wouldn't suffice.

Act 10:15  And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.
WHat God hath cleansed here was the uncircumcision, not Cornelius. God had opened the way that even the uncircumcised could be saved.

Act 10:22  And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by a holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee.
There you have it again in clearer frame. Cornelius was WARNED by God despite his works. No man's work can save him.

Act 10:28  And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
Compare this to the below
Act 10:17  Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate,
You see that Peter now had a clearer understanding of the vision. And it was not that Cornelius was now clean but that all men (whether clean/unclean i.e circumcised/uncircumcised) should hear the gospel. The Jews still had and do still have a hard time with this understanding though.
Peter is even more lucid below.

Act 10:34  Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:
Act 10:35  But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.
This is similar to Paul's "there's neither male or female, Jew or greek etc".  I believe that's clear but incase there are still doubts sha, see Peter's explanation when he got back to Jerusalem and the boys were not smiling at him.
Act 11:13  And he showed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter;
Act 11:14  Who shall tell thee words, whereby THOU and all thy house shall be SAVED.
And
Act 15:7  And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
Act 15:8  And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;

Okay to the other issue on amazonia and Romans and hopefully other questions. First view change is that the letter to the Romans isn't only to gentiles but to all rome, actually i think it was directed more at Jewish Romans and Jewish christians in Rome. Paul himself was a roman btw.
Romans 1:7 To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Act 22:27  Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea.
One major thing that the letter was addressing was that all men were sinners whether Jew(circumcised/clean) or non-Jew(uncircumcised/unclean). And that being clean or keeping the law could save no man but faith(i.e grace through faith). the epistle shines through with FAITH as the operative/force for all nations.

Rom 1:5  By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name;
Rom 1:8  First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.  
It is in Romans that we see the popular "the just shall live BY FAITH" emphasized.

Rom 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Rom 1:17  For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written. The just shall live by faith.
Of course the Bible teaches that faith without works is dead faith or no faith or fake faith, but it is very clear that faith is paramount in the two. Work is rubbish and useless without faith, and there's no faith without works following.
Rom 1:20  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

The Bible here in ROMANS says that men are without excuse, whether in Amazon or Jalingo. Then he begins to talk of man's fullness of unrighteousness till he gets to 2v1.
Rom 2:1  Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.
Take 'Therefore' as the operative word. He's saying because all men are unrighteous, no man has an excuse, not even mr.Jew. The jews think they are ok, and worthy of salvation but the epistle says no, they are not, actually nobody is ok.

Rom 2:9  Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
Rom 2:10  But glory, honor, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
Rom 2:11  For there is no respect of persons with God.
Rom 2:12  For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
There's no partialty with God, everyone would be rewarded or punished both Jew and Gentile.

Rom 2:13  (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
The jews thought that they had the law and prided themselves in hearing the law and having it on their clothes, lintels, palms, forehead everywhere physical. But God was saying through Paul that it is only the doers of the law that would be justified. The clause and trouble though is that no man can do the law, whether Jew or Gentile. It is only God that can do/keep the law, it is only through Jesus that any man can do the law. This is the gospel. It is only those who have a new nature(coming from Christ) that can do the law. He was showing them the gentile(uncircumcised/without the law) who could do the law. The only reason why he can do the law is because of his new nature in Christ.
Rom 2:27  And shall not uncircumcision which is by nature, if it fulfill the law, judge thee, who by the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?
Rom 8:4  That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom 8:7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Rom 8:8  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.  
Please note that i'm quoting only from the book of Romans.
Rom 2:15a  Which show the work of the law written in their hearts
i believe you know of the promise of God to write His law in the hearts of His children. It's not something that any man is born with. We both know what man is born with. Man is degenerate.


Rom 2:17  Behold, thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God,
The above verse been One of several reasons why i said He was addressing Jews who thought they had arrived through keeping the law. Similar stuff in Galatians.
Rom 2:24  For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.
Rom 2:25  For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.
You can read through the whole passage, its not my aim to write another commentary. All have sinned, all have sinned, including Cornelius, myself and the man in the Amazon forest.
Rom 3:9  What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin;
The bolded is what He was trying to prove all the while in the previous 2 chapters, not the otherwise. Now he begins to quote other scriptures to buttress his 'reasoning. you can read through the chapter,
Rom 3:19  Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
i believe you know how the bolded is expressed in Galatians. the law cannot be kept by any man. Only God can do it in us through Jesus i.e grace through faith in Jesus.
Rom 3:20  Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Rom 3:21  But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
Rom 3:22  Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Note the bolded and what i said earlier that "no man can be justified by keeping the law".

Rom 3:28  Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
Wish to conclude here too but Paul went on till chapter 16, so let me add another passage, thanks.

Rom 8:7  Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Rom 8:8  So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

Good message @OP, thanks.

@JeSoul
i'd need some time to give some 'body' in answering your question on amazon and romans 2. But know though that no man can be justified by keeping the law, and that even no man can keep the law whether it be imprinted on the heart, head or toes.

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Please what's your question? i saw two question marks but i don't see/get the question.

frosbel1:
The post was made in the Christian section, not sure how it got to the Muslim section.

Will post it here shortly.

The TRUTH must be told.

In a nutshell it is about how women are treated in ISLAM.

You go stubborn gan o! How does a re-post save anyone?

@OP
Believe it, what you need is Jesus. He's the One that truly satisfies. That can give you water and you'll never thirst again. As you seen/said, life achievement is vanity. No matter the goal one sets in life, after it what next? You, we're all created for God. No one can be truly fulfilled outside God. I read of Soyinka the other day and it all brings to fore how we ought to seek God, if perhaps we might find Him.
You can find God by inviting Jesus into your life in a simple even short prayer. Jesus loves you, and He's the Friend closer than a brother. The best Friend.

@Idehn
REM atonia, okay. Physiology, very well. Not interested in the discuss or details like i earlier stated. I'm not saying that i've never experienced 'sleep paralysis'. I've proffered a good cure, simply try it next time. Santa and fairy tooth wouldn't work, there's no such power in those names.
@dorox
On second thoughts, no comment.

How much o! Web based flood warning, wahala see problemHow much o! Web based flood warning, wahala see problem

Good article @OP.
Wish this could spread more. i love my country

Sista JeSoul
The whole of Romans is harping about justification by faith in Christ Jesus, it seems you've managed to miss that. Was Cornelius justified or saved before he met Peter?

You can be very rich and enter God's kingdom. You can also be very poor and enter God's kingdom.
You can be very rich and miss God's kingdom. You can also be very poor and miss God's kingdom.
The lesson in this truth is that a man's life does not consist in the things that he possesses. What you physically have or don't have is not a reliable measure/indicator of God been pleased with you. But we're warned to be more careful if we're rich(everyone's got to be careful btw), excess luggage can cause issues on your flight.

Who are these our super pastors and how would their 'walking on water' add to your life? 2questions.

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They are two expressions of the same thing, the Word. If you've seen Jesus, you've seen the Word of God and vice versa.
Or if you'd understand it this way, it's the same thing in different formats. Jesus is the Living format, the Word is the letter format.

Haha, so "sleep
paralysis is a part of a
mechanism necessary to
human health". I've been so healthy to God's glory without experiencing this sleep paralysis which is now a part of a good health mechanism. And you parallel sleep paralysis to sleep walking? No story again.
Simply call the name JESUS next time you have an healthy sleep paralysis. That's a solution at least you could make use of till W.H.O gets a 'scientific' alternative na.

necta o, is it the ramadan or what?

Pastor AIO:
What is the difference between the bible as 'the word of God' and Jesus as the Word (logos)?

The Bible is the word of God written. Jesus is the word of God personified or demonstrated.

Image123:
This is tough and unpopular, but how do you read Acts 4v12?

There's no good deed that can wash away sins or change the nature of any man anywhere anytime, or make him fit for God's kingdom.
That's why it behooves true christians to preach the word, instantly in season and out of season. Instead of engaging in fruitless exercises looking for scammers and heretics that only exist in the imagination.

So he didn't know when he was applying and doing interviews and tests that it was a brewery? Now he needs the people's consent since he can't get his conscience.

Where did they first use cellphones if not in the cell?

emofine:
hehe omo, u know say Naija no dey carry last pijin na world wide lingo now ooh!

I was chatting to a guy from Equatorial Guinea the other day, hin dey gbandun pijin wella - we for package am and sell am abi? lol we don start already sha

nufin do us abeg

Pidgin is not just a nigerian language o, it's also spoken even stronger in some other parts of the world.

necta
Don't convulse over nothing my man. Just sit and be looking since you don't have any idea. All of the Bible, whether Peter, Moses, Isaiah or Paul are all the words of Jesus. Jesus is the word personified.

Well done yommy. In tune with the scripture that THE TOUGHT OF FOOLISHNESS IS SIN. We need to watch our thoughts so they don't damn us.

There's the truth about every life no matter how rich. Jesus still has this to say "One thing thou lackest". Oh, that each was poor enough to see and acknowledge this.

There are obviously people
who have lived and died -
and were justified in the
sight of God going by these
'natural' laws in their
hearts, they never heard
the name Jesus or of His
great sacrifice . . . what
"Faith" did these people
have first?

This is tough and unpopular, but how do you read Acts 4v12?

@Idehn
I've not said that's it's sensible to ascribe sleep paralysis to the supernatural. I said its good for the sensible to be CAUTIOUS seeing that many in different areas of the world ascribe it to some spiritual cause. I'm not too interested in the cause or discussing it. My point is that there is a simple cure.
I don't even think i said prayer will cure it. I said a call on Jesus, the name of Jesus will put an immediate stop to it. And if you have faith in God, you don't have to ever experience it again.
You've not given a cure, have you? I proffered one to those who care for.