***At Solid Rock Bible Church, if you have a question about the Bible, doctrine, faith or anything related to your spiritual walk with God, we have a “Question Box” where you can deposit those questions. Pastor Ed then researches each one and give answers from the Word of God to help you grow in your faith !
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QUESTION:
“What is the difference between the Lord’s mercy and His grace ? Please be specific.”
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ANSWER:
DISTINCTION BETWEEN MERCY AND GRACE.
LOT KNEW BOTH TERMS AND UNDERSTOOD THEM.
Genesis 19:19 Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:
WE UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF THESE WORDS BY THE WAY IN WHICH THEY ARE USED. ESPECIALLY TRUE IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.
- MERCY = TO WITHHOLD PUNISHMENT WE DESERVE.
- GRACE = THE GIVING OF GOOD THINGS THAT WE DO NOT DESERVE.
MERCY
THE PUBLICAN ASKED FOR MERCY, NOT GRACE WHEN HE WENT INTO THE TEMPLE.
Luke 18:13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
Matthew 20:30 And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David.
Ephesians 2:4 -8 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
WE DON’T DESERVE TO BE HERE AT THE THRONE, BUT WE ASK FOR YOUR MERCY….EVEN THOUGH WE DON’T DESERVE THE OPPORTUNITY.
GRACE
Genesis 6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
GOD COULD HAVE TAKEN HIM TO HEAVEN ALLOWED HIM TO BE THE ONE THROUGH WHOM THE EARTH WAS REPOPULATED.
GRACE IS OFFERED TO ALL MEN. BUT, THEY MUST RECEIVE IT BY FAITH.
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Titus 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
GRACE IS NOT FOR EVERYONE. IT IS OFFERED TO ALL, BUT THOSE WHO RECEIVE IT ARE THE HUMBLE ONES. OTHERS REJECT IT. THINK THEY DON’T NEED TO DEPEND UPON GOD’S GRACE AND CAN WORK THINGS OUT ON THEIR OWN.
James 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
SOME PEOPLE TAKE ADVANTAGE OF GRACE, THINKING IT IS UNLIMITED AND WILL ALWAYS BE THERE.
Jude 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
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QUESTION:
“When did Lot repent for his sin ?”
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ANSWER:
2 Peter 2:8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)
THERE IS NO AREA OF THE BIBLE THAT TELLS US. EVEN IN FLEEING FROM SODOM, LOT WAS RELUCTANT TO FOLLOW THE WILL OF GOD FULLY. HE WAS BACKSLIDEN MOST OF HIS LIFE.
MOAB= “THE SON OF HIS MOTHER’S FATHER.”
BENAMMI= “THE SON OF HIS PEOPLE.”
BACKSLIDDEN PEOPLE DON’T GET THEIR PRAYERS ANSWERED.
Genesis 19:29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.
**LOT MAY HAVE THOUGHT GOD WAS LISTENING TO HIM, BUT THE BIBLE SAYS GOD DELIEVERED HIM FOR ABRAHAM’S SAKE, NOT BECAUSE OF LOT’S PRAYERS.
WITHOUT REPENTING, THEIR LIVES USUALLY GET MORE COMPLICATED, AND WORSE OFF.
Genesis 19:36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.
BACKSLIDDEN PEOPLE RAISE THEIR CHILDREN WITHOUT A GOOD EXAMPLE, AND THE CHILDREN GENERALLY GO ASTRAY.
Psalm 83:4-8 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee: The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes; Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah.
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QUESTION:
“Exactly what is the ‘doctrine of devils’ ? Can you name them specifically so we can recognize them immediately when we’re confronted with them ?
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1. EXACTLY WHAT IS DOCTRINES OF DEVILS ?
1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
DECEPTIVE DOCTRINES. Can’t be deceptive unless similar to the real thing.
–These are lies.
John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
SO, ALMOST ANY DOCTRINAL LIE COULD BE ATTRIBUTED TO SATAN STARTING IT.
2. CAN YOU NAME THEM SPECIFICALLY SO WE CAN RECOGNIZE AND CONFRONT THEM ?
- THE PROSPERITY GOSPEL. Gets people away from their purpose and the true identity of god. they make him Santa Claus instead of the Almighty Creator.
- DENY THAT JESUS IS THE ONLY MESSIAH, THE ONLY SAVIOR.
1 John 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
- ANOTHER JESUS. ANOTHER WAY OF SALVATION.
2 Corinthians 11:4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
Galatians 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
- THE DOCTRINE THAT SAYS YOU CAN HATE OTHERS, BUT LOVE GOD IS A DOCTRINE FROM THE DEVIL.
1 John 4:20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
- THE DOCTRINE OF SINLESS PERFECTION IS OF THE DEVIL. (Others can see your sin, but you can’t).
1 John 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
- THE DOCTRINE THAT SAYS MAN WROTE THE BIBLE AND DO NOT ATTRIBUTE ITS WRITING TO GOD.
1 John 5:10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son.
THIS IS A SMALL NUMBER OF THE MANY LIES SATAN HAS THROWN AT THE WORLD TODAY.