According to the Bible sin is what separates us from God.
But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear (Isaiah 59:2).
Sin is failing to do the things we should, and doing those things we should not. Sin is anything short of perfection.
According to the Bible, we have all sinned and deserve God's judgement. However, God loves us so much, that He sent His Son to satisfy that judgement (on our behalf), by paying the penalty for our sins on the cross. For Jesus lived the perfect life which we could never live, and He offers us His righteousness (his sinless perfection) in exchange for our sin, as an absolutely free gift. In other words, in place of our sin, God wants to give us His righteousness, so that He can treat guilty sinners as though they never sinned at all, when they trust in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life (John 3:16).
God's omnipotence does not mean He can do what is actually impossible,only that He has the power to do anything that is actually possible,even if it is impossible for us.
For example: Any mountain that God makes ,He can control,put where He wants,and destroy it if He likes. You can't ask for more power than that.
From those two "self evident" premises we conclude an eternal Being.
God is all powerful,He is all knowing,He is all loving. He is an infinite and eternal Spirit,who created this universe for His glory and for our good. These are some of the things I've drawn from the Bible.
Hello. As to your question about the first cause,I think it helps to understand what is meant by the law of causality.
For the law of causality does not say everything needs a cause,but that everything that has a "beginning"needs a cause. For when you get to something that does not have a beginning(not finite) it does not need a cause. For if something doesn't have a beginning it's eternal, and therefore,is outside of time.
Time began at the moment of creation,when God decided to create a space time,finite universe.
Something exists
Nothing cannot produce something
Therefore,something always existed.
Why does that have to be true?
Imagine,if nothing ever existed.
No God,no universe,no world. What if once upon a time, nothing ever existed.
It would always be that way. Why? Because nothing can't produce something.
Therefore,something always was.
I appreciate that you take the time to understand the law of causality,for alot of Atheist and Skeptics attack a straw man( attacking an argument that one does not hold) for if everything needs a cause then God would need a cause. But everything can't be finite. For there has to be an infinite uncause being as the grounds for everything that comes to be(has a beginning).
"Nothing can't cause something." This is undeniable. Why would anyone deny the obvious. Even the greatest skeptic of all time David Hume said...I never asserted such a proposition as that anything should arise without a cause."
As to who caused God. No one caused God. He is the uncause cause of everything that exists. For He is the first cause,and you can't ask what's the first cause of the first cause. It's a meaningless question.Lol. For the first cause is the first cause,there's nothing before a first.
And a infinite series of causes (as you suggested) reaching back into infinity is not possible because there needs to be a cause to get the series of causality going.
By definition in every infinite series of causes every cause is being caused by a prior cause. If this is the case,then the one cause that is causing existence is also causing it's own existence,since every cause in the series including itself,is being caused.
But it's impossible to cause one's own existence. For a cause is ontologically prior to it's effect,and something can't be prior to itself.
So if a self caused being is impossible and its self evident that things don't come to be without a cause,then the only third alternative is left is an eternal infinite necessary cause as the grounds for finite,limited,and dependent creatures(as well as the whole universe).
So which premise do you deny in my argument for God's existence? For in order to deny the conclusion of the argument you have to deny one or more of the premises.
For something exists. Do you deny this?
Nothing can't cause something(out of nothing,nothing comes) Do you deny this?
Therefore,something always existed(God). When applying the law of causality to reality, you arrive at an eternal cause.
Sorry that I made a typing error in my reply,for this is what I originally wanted to say.
The relativists argument is self defeating. For in the process of denying absolutes,you affirm them in your denial(namely that your absolutely certain of "uncertainty").
Amazing how one mispelled word can make a difference in what a person means. Lol.
The relativist arguement is utterly self defeating. For in the process of denying absolutes,you affirm them in your denial(namely that your "absolutely certain" of certainly).
The argument slits it's own throat. I rest my case.
If something is true,it is true for all people,in all places, at all times,regardless of a person's awareness or beliefs.
For example,if it is true that George Washington was the first president of the United States,then it would be true for everybody in all places and at all times.
If something is true,it extends to all regardless of the person's perspective or religious beliefs. Two plus two equals four for everyone everywhere!
Indeed,truth exists indepentent of weather we belive or not. If something is true,then it's absolutely true. Absolute truth is undeniable,for those who try to deny it, affirm it.Lol.
Jesus said... "I tell you the truth,whoever hears my word and believes in him who sent me "has" eternal life and will not be condemned;he has crossed over from death to life(John 5:24).
This is a promise that can be claimed by anyone, who is willing to trust in Jesus Christ alone in receiving eternal life, as a free gift.
The Bible is a divine book because God is the "source" of everything that was written. "All scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching,rebuking,correcting,and training in righteousness,so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work(2 Timothy 3:16).
For prophecy never had it's origin in the will of man,but holy men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit(2 Peter 1:21).
God guided the process, by which the Holy Spirit moved the authors to write down everything he wanted them to write down, in their own words. An infinitely perfect God is certainly capable of preserving his Word. God bless!
A belief(subjective) is true if it corrisponds to reality(objective). Therefore, not any belief can be true. My whole point,is that you should not say that something can't be true, simply because of it's source(religious).
The name serendipity has special significance in your life. I appreciate you sharing that with me! For there is a Divine design, in how things happen in life. God bless you!
Yes. If God exists,then it logically follows that a spirit world exists,for either we will be in the right place forever(heaven) or we will be in the wrong place forever(hell). Our choice will determine where we will spend eternity(Revelation 21:1-8).
The good news is that you can prepare your free ticket to heaven in advance,by trusting in Jesus Christ alone for eternal life(John 3:16).
The Bible is a Spiritual book. Since "All scripture" is given by inspiration of God(2 Timothy 3:16) it is therefore, an Authority on spiritual matters. God bless you, on your search for the truth!
The evidence is there for those who have an open mind. All one has to do is look into the manuscrpt evidence, eyewitness testimony,archaeological support for the New Testament.
Frank Morrison who was a former skeptic looked into the reliabilty of the New Testament and then wrote a book titled "Who moved the Stone",and in his book he writes his conversion to Christianity as a result of the evidence.
All the people I've quoted were former Atheists and Skeptics. Perhaps,you can follow their example, in following the evidence where it leads. God bless!
In other words, the eyewitnesses were'nt telling the truth in regards to what they have seen and heard?
For it is conceivable that some people die for something they believe to be true,but turns out to be false,but it is inconceivable that someone should die for what they know to be false.
The atheist John A.T.Robertson,admited that the New Testament documents were written early. He was known for his role in launching the "Death of God" movement,and he wrote a book titled Redateing the New testament,in which he posited that most New Testament books including all four Gospels,were written sometime between A.D 40 and 65.
Futhermore,if the major works of the New Testament are eyewitness accounts written within two generations of the events,then they are not likely to be legend. Why? Because historical research indicates that a myth cannot begin to crowd out historical facts while the eyewitnesses are still alive.
For this reason,Roman historian A.N.Sherwin-White calls the mythological view of the New Testament"unbelievable."
William Craig writes,"The tests show that even two generations is too short to allow legendary tendencies to wipe out the hard core of historical fact." Inside of those two generations,eyewitnesses are still alive to correct the errors of historical revisionists.
The claim that Christ was raised physically from the dead,leaving an empty tomb and appearing in a physical body over a 40 day period to hundreds of people is historically verifiable.
The evidence is there, for those who want to look into it. God bless!
serendipity615 Forum Posts (43)
RE: Praise for the Lord God Almighty
Hi SoonerGal. Nice thread!God deserves our worship. Anyone who has ultimate worth deserves the recognition that He's ultimately worthy, of our love and praise. Thank you Jesus!
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD (Psalms 150:6).
In regards, to prayer requests...Please pray for a safe journey on the road, as I drive 6 hours to visit a friend's house on Sunday.
God bless! Serendipity