Bible Study The Work of God: Terminal Agitation Ending in Silence

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What truth of Mark 4:15 are you referring to.
Mark 4:15 involves 25% of the unbelievers who hear the Gospel, and do not believe, because Satan is able to steal the word from their hard heart.

Mark 4:15 involves 100% of unbelievers.

2 Cor. 4:
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Eph. 2:
2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience

Since man is meant to live by EVERY WORD of God, the most likely and reasonable conclusion is that same EVERY WORD does apply to us. Matt. 4:4, Luke 4:4.

Part of the reason I consider it important for sharing is that whenever we share the Gospel we should be aware of the other party, that IS NOT MANKIND, that we have to get by to get to the captives.

IT's the same party we have to get by in order to achieve faithful unity in Christ.

 

[JLB]

and Satan can recall various sins and cause me to respond.

Yes, old friend he can, if you choose to let him.


Can Satan steal the Gospel message from your heart, so that you no longer believe?



JLB

 

[JLB]

Mark 4:15 involves 100% of unbelievers.

Mark 4:15 involves 25% of the unbelievers who hear the Gospel, and do not believe, because Satan is able to steal the word from their hard heart.


13 And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16 These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness;17 and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. 18 Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 19 and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20 But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” Mark 4:13-20

Do the ones who have the message of the kingdom stolen from their hearts believe the message or not?

11 “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those by the wayside are the ones who hear; then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. Luke 8:11-12

Those who the devil steals the message of the kingdom, from their hearts are unbelievers, not believers.



JLB

 

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14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. James 1:14-15

Sin is NO MORE I, remember? Romans 7:17-21

So using James as you try above is back to the same problem your positions have in refusing to make sin as it is shown by the scriptures to be: OF THE DEVIL.

Does James acknowledge DEMONIC influence IN believers?

You better believe James does as well, just as does Paul and John!

James 3:
14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

James does a FINE JOB connecting EVERY EVIL to the DEVIL.

Presuming of course that the information is not easily STOLEN from the hearers. Mark 4:15

 

[JLB]

Mark 4:15 involves 100% of unbelievers.

2 Cor. 4:
4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Those whose mind the devil has blinded from the Gospel message are unbelievers, not believers.


2 But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. 3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. 2 Corinthians 4:2-4


JLB

 

[JLB]

Sin is NO MORE I, remember? Romans 7:17-21

So using James as you try above is back to the same problem your positions have in refusing to make sin as it is shown by the scriptures to be: OF THE DEVIL.

Does James acknowledge DEMONIC influence IN believers?

You better believe James does as well, just as does Paul and John!

James 3:
14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

James does a FINE JOB connecting EVERY EVIL to the DEVIL.

Presuming of course that the information is not easily STOLEN from the hearers. Mark 4:15


JLB

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14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. James 1:14-15


JLB

 

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Mark 4:15 involves 25% of the unbelievers who hear the Gospel, and do not believe, because Satan is able to steal the word from their hard heart.

I'd suggest your reading of the entire parable is missing one of the vital components. Mark 4:15 isn't wiped away after belief, which is your claim.

Well, kind of. You are now acknowledging that it's possible.

I'd suggest that if sin is of the devil, 1 John 3:8, and we all have sin, 1 John 1:8, and do sin, Romans 7:17 & 20, it's a foregone conclusion that the devil is involved and that makes Mark 4:15 a foregone conclusion as well.

The real problem with this subject is that believers can't take it. They are personally and instantly insulted when this information comes to the table.

And this fact leads to the second part of parable:

Mark 4:17
And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.

So, AGAIN, the principle of the parable holds TRUE.

Yes, believers are offended when it's pointed out BY THE WORD that THEFT (affliction by Satan) does happen within their hearts. They are IMMEDIATELY offended at this WORD DISCLOSURE. Just as they are IMMEDIATELY STOLEN from.

But, for those who understand and accept the parable as TRUE, these will see WHO is really taking offense. And it's really NOT the believers.

 

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Those who the devil steals the message of the kingdom, from their hearts are unbelievers, not believers.
[JLB

I'll have to congratulate you because you MAY actually be seeing TWO PARTIES now rather than just the person, which was your usual sight prior.

Maybe keep that in mind next time you are sowing the Gospel. There is a thief involved.

We do have to UP OUR GAME in order to compete.

 

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Just who is the author of sin JLB? I believe it works like the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of Christ inspired the writing of the Word of God, like Mark 4:15. Then because the Word is written in/on my heart, the Holy Spirit can recall the Word and cause me to respond. Same with Satan. Sin is as you have quoted, "it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. Romans 7:20" and Satan can recall various sins and cause me to respond.

Again, TRUE. Satan knows our weak spots in the flesh because Satan was involved with them the first time around, and every subsequent time.

And, at some point, we say, HEY! IT really wasn't ME. I've been gamed and duped by "no more I." The LIGHT comes on!

It is much easier to "divide from, depart from iniquity" when we see the fact that sin really IS DEMONIC.

The real difficulty comes to our minds when after we (quite falsely) think we are not sinners because we've been behaving, in our own minds, nearly perfectly, we then LIE and say we don't sin. And we can easily be turned into hypocrites by that sight.

And what then happened? Yep! Lost the game AGAIN!

That's why it's critical to always keep our adversary in the picture, TILL the adversary is wiped out, DESTROYED, by God in Christ. And THAT really is a promise of the Gospel, the ELIMINATION of our enemy from the picture of mankind.

In the meantime we have to keep our armor on and our guard UP.

 

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and, for what it's worth, all you who are trying to destroy your fellow believers in potential hell are also being GAMED by our adversary. Get a LIFE.

There is a party, NO MORE I, standing with us, in our own flesh, that IS going to suffer the fate of eternal torture in the LoF. So start there and you won't be so QUICKLY APT to damn other believers.

Paul was saved. The other party, NOT.

2 Corinthians 12:7
And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

Why do you think that when JUDGMENT FALLS, it falls ON US first? We are actually to look FORWARD to the party in red being SEVERED from us!

1 Peter 4:17
For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

Now, go read Jesus with OPEN EYES:

Matthew 13:49
So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,

Read 2 Cor. 12:7, then Matt. 13:49

CONNECT DOT.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

The tempter DOES tempt, and does so INTERNALLY. So do the math on the location. It seems rather obvious.

I don't think a single Christian in the whole universe doesn't know this.
What you don't seem to be grasping is satan appeals to the desires of the flesh, provoking us to act upon them in unholy, unlawful ways.
Satan is not those desires, he is the coach that stirs them up inside of us. Sexual desire is not from satan. Unlawful sexual desire is from satan in that he's the one trying to get us to use our God-given biological sex drive for evil, like a coach on the side lines motivating us to do what he wants us to do.

Jesus had sexual urges for women that He had to fight off.

Why would Jesus not have sexual desire?
He was hungry. He got tired. Why would he not also have normal male desire for sex?
What you don't seem to understand is Jesus did not give in to the tempter to use his body and it's desires for evil.

Because he's so acquainted with the struggle with the flesh and it's desires he is able to be a compassionate and sympathetic High Priest who we can boldly say to, "hey, I'm being badgered to fulfill my sexual desires in an unholy way, help!" Since Jesus has been there, too, we can have confidence that he will understand and not shame or condemn us but instead provide mercy for us to deal with it.

 

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And allll this time, how many have sat in the pews, looked at the people ONLY, and said in their hearts, "There are some tares sitting in here that won't be saved."

I know you've thought this same thought because I HAVE.

That is, until I saw what I'm observing in this thread. That there is us as believers, and there is NO MORE I, SIN, OF THE DEVIL. It wasn't just ME sitting in the pew, was it?

I was sitting there in that pew just like Paul would have been:

2 Cor. 12:
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

You see, ALL that time you were thinking the other people had the possible problem, the problem was much closer to home, even in our own sorry hides. See how BLIND we can be?

Was Paul sitting in the pew, ALONE?

Nope!

Now, go read Jesus with OPEN EYES:

Matthew 13:38
The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

Read 2 Cor. 12:7, then read Matt. 13:38

CONNECT DOT.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

and, for what it's worth, all you who are trying to destroy your fellow believers in potential hell are also being GAMED by our adversary. Get a LIFE.

There is a party, NO MORE I, standing with us, in our own flesh, that IS going to suffer the fate of eternal torture in the LoF. So start there and you won't be so QUICKLY APT to damn other believers.

Paul was saved. The other party, NOT.

2 Corinthians 12:7
And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

Why do you think that when JUDGMENT FALLS, it falls ON US first? We are actually to look FORWARD to the party in red being SEVERED from us!

1 Peter 4:17
For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

Now, go read Jesus with OPEN EYES:

Matthew 13:49
So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,

Read 2 Cor. 12:7, then Matt. 13:49

CONNECT DOT.

You are perverting the word of God.
The tares among us are other people who do not have the fruit of righteousness (the proof of their union with Christ, the vine) and who will be cast into the fiery furnace at the end of the age. Just as Jesus explains in John 15.

 

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I don't think a single Christian in the whole universe doesn't know this.

You know it when you CONFESS the fact.

Here is my confession.

I am a sinner. My sin is of the devil. At no time does the indwelling sin in my flesh or the evil present with me, which is of THE TEMPTER, become sinless or obedient or under grace/mercy in Christ. My own flesh is factually against and contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit likewise against my own flesh.

Now, do you have a confession likewise? Or do I have to continue to entertain every demonic obfuscation available?

Got a confession?

Nah, I didn't think so. It'll choke in the throat every single time when a believer has to admit they have been personally gamed in their heads by THE DEVIL.

 

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You are perverting the word of God.
The tares among us are other people who do not have the fruit of righteousness (the proof of their union with Christ, the vine) and who will be cast into the fiery furnace at the end of the age. Just as Jesus explains in John 15.

The fact that those who are BLINDED by Satan also seek to DESTROY other believers is no mystery is it?

JOHN 10:10

That's another thing blinded by the god of this world people have in common. DESTROY BELIEVERS. Besides their various heresies.

 

[JLB]

I'll have to congratulate you because you MAY actually be seeing TWO PARTIES now rather than just the person, which was your usual sight prior.

Maybe keep that in mind next time you are sowing the Gospel. There is a thief involved.

We do have to UP OUR GAME in order to compete.

All you have to do to make a valid point is to post a scripture that shows us, Satan steals the message of the kingdom from believers.

Not unbelievers, but believers.

I haven't found a scripture, that teaches us, the devil steals the message of the kingdom from believers.



JLB

 

[JLB]

The fact that those who are BLINDED by Satan also seek to DESTROY other believers is no mystery is it?

JOHN 10:10

That's another thing blinded by the god of this world people have in common. DESTROY BELIEVERS. Besides their various heresies.

Please show us a scripture that teaches us believers can destroy other believers by giving them the truth of God's message.

If I preach the message of the kingdom by saying, Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand, that is a life giving message of salvation.

Why would you claim this destroys believers?

Mark 4:15 teaches us Satan steals the message of the kingdom from unbelievers, not believers.

And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.

13 And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. 16 These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness;17 and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. 18 Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, 19 and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. 20 But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” Mark 4:13-20

The word is the Gospel Message of the Kingdom.


Likewise when we see a brother who has wandered from the truth, we should try to turn them back.

Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins. James 5:19-20

This is the way of love... for love covers a multitude of sins.



JLB

 

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The Work of God in Christ:

Terminal agitation ending in silence.

Feeling it yet?

Romans 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.

1 Corinthians 15:24
Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

How does this come about?

God turns up the agitation level between THE LAW and THE LAWLESS:

Romans 7:
13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

1 Cor. 15:
56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.

The components are and have been in place for quite some time.

And the dynamic between people and the Word isn't even required. The LAW AGITATES Satan and his messengers. There is the ADVERSE DYNAMIC.

Mark 4:
15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

Many a sinner has laid on their faces before God, pleading to God in Christ to save them from the ravages of sin, and didn't even know who or what was behind it. A few may have sensed it was demonic manipulations that was not them.

God saved them anyway, in His Mercy in Christ.

Imagine the VOLUME of the Word being TURNED UP.

Do you see the results? Uh huh. CONNECT DOT.

And here believers sit, hopelessly divided into every big and little sect and cult imaginable, ALL damning the others to potential hell.

And NONE even saw what hit them.

And still don't.

No surprise. It's actually going to GET WORSE.

 

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Please show us a scripture that teaches us believers can destroy other believers by giving them the truth of God's message.

Let me introduce you to JUDGMENT FALLS:

2 Corinthians 12:7
And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

1 John 3:8
He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

Romans 7:
17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

Matthew 13:49
So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,

Get the picture yet? Nah, I didn't think so.

Why?

Mark 4:15 is REAL.

Deuteronomy 28:29
And thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness,

Isaiah 59:10
We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes: we stumble at noon day as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men.

Colossians 3:3
For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

 

[JLB]

1 John 3:8
He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

Yes, I agree, the person who sins is of the devil.

No more I is sin that dwells in me, not Satan.

2 Corinthians 12:7
And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

Yes, Paul was given a messenger of Satan to buffet him, lest he should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations.


How does this apply to all Christians?

Romans 7:
17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

yes, I agree, the no more I in Paul was sin, not Satan.



JLB