James: Wisdom from above is "firstly pure". \nPaul: "Grace unto you...from God our Father".\n\nOnly firstly pure grace is peace-able, etc.\nIf not firstly pure, then peace is not able.\nContrary things cannot co-exist, not in peace.
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AMEN!\n\nThe pure Wisdom from above, brings peace by "Destroying the works of the Devil", that do not come from above.\n\nHow can Light live with Darkness?
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The word pure simply means whole, honest, without blemish, without flaw, real, genuine.\n\nReligion attempts to formulate our relationships with one another and with God.  Relationships are real.  Prophets are concerned about how we treat one another and get along with one another.  People come closer to God by coming closer to one another.\n\nChurches are big on preaching what to do, but churches (all of them) are human institutions and flawed.  Churches are often the worst when it comes to practicing what is preached.\n\nSo a true prophet is interested in our relationships, and in people.  Churchs are interested in the business side, the money, the rules, the restrictions.  God never intended to start any business.
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To be truly at peace you cannot be at odds with God. Since one of the Commandments is to love your neighbor as yourself, the man that despises his neighbor has neither peace or wisdom while the man who loves his neighbor has both. The Bible also states that " the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom". It doesn't mean to be afraid of God , but reverence Him.
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1) This was Socrates, and he made this statement at his trial.  (Read the "Apology" by Plato.  Or take my word for it.)  What he meant was something like, "If we just go through life never asking why, what's the point?"  He believed that to truly find "the good life" we need to be willing to ask hard questions and come to know the truth.\n\n2)  This is another statement that leads toward the same basic idea.  The speaker (I can't remember who said this one off the top of my head) is suggesting that we cannot be successful until we come to know who we really are--why we do what we do.  So examining one's self is the first step that we must take if we are to live successful lives.
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There is Wisdom and Knowledge which passeth all Understanding. This is a Gift of the Holy Spirit (insert here your understanding, as I was raised Catholic).  I prayed for the Gift of Wisdom in my youth. My experience is that there are two types of Wisdom, (or maybe they are one and the same as some people seem stuck), the other comes with age which allows retrospect, introspection and greater personal change. My Love has grown from Wisdom and my Wisdom had grown from Love.\n\nI say this with all humility. As anyone who has ever tried on their own to grow in love and wisdom will tell you it is easier to be impulsive, retaliatory, and filled with resentment.  My Love, Peace and Wisdom come not from me. They are cherished Gifts.\n\nVery nice question you have posed. Thank you.
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God's Salvation is His free gift to everyone who will accept it because no mere human can keep God's Law perfectly. Grace does not supersede the Law. The Law (the Torah) tells faithful believers how God wants His people to live a holy (i.e. 'set apart' from worldliness) lifestyle. Those who seek to do his will "on earth as it is in heaven," don't have to be perfect as Yeshau (which means "God's Salvation") the Messiah - they will be imputed with His Righteousness, made Perfect, before entering the Perfection of Paradise. Embrace the Law of God! And be saved by His Grace!
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If there is no such thing as an absolute truth, then, how can there be order in the world?  Before Jesus left His disciples, He told them that they are fortunate to have seen and believed in Him.  But to those who have not seen Him and yet believes, He greatly favors.  Yes, it is difficult to believe in something that we do not see.  Yet, in everything that surrounds us, wont we not find it amazing that there is a logic, an order, a purpose for everything that is created?  And of course, the Bible is created for the purpose of enlightening us about the God we worship!  That He did not create us to stay here on earth for no reason at all!  In all of the scriptures in the Bible, we find the nature, the existence and above all the love God has for us!  Whether we believe this book or not is up to us, but the absolute truth about God, as stated in the Bible, is forever!
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This was a little hard to follow, though I think I understand what is going on. There is obviously some bitterness going on; otherwise they wouldn't feel the need to insult this person. Show them I Corinthians 13, where it gives the characteristics of Christian love. And Philippians 4, where it speaks of thinking on "whatever is true, pure, right..." You shouldn't have to say much, the Holy Spirit will. Much prayer for wisdom on your part is necessary. James 1:8 says if we ask for wisdom, God will give it to us. Lastly, don't accuse them. Just tell them kindly that you felt that it may not be loving of them to do these things. Hope it goes well!
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Hi Rodney. Good evening/day.Very good subject! First of all, in case anyone does not know what sin is, let's define it.  Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. or MKJV- Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness, for sin is lawlessness-1John 3:4. Myself included, we need to ensure that we know what sin is so that we can be sincerely repentant and strive to not commit sins. You are correct everyone sins, that is why Jesus - the perfect Son of God who was sinless died for our sins and rose from the dead. Second, the word rapture is not in the Bible. Jesus will return to raise the dead and claim those of us who are saved. John 3:13 says  -And no one has ascended up to Heaven except He who came down from Heaven, the Son of Man who is in Heaven. May God Bless  you.
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ok \nRomans12:1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
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True peace... hmmm.\n\nI would have to say peace come from not identifying with form.\n\nKnowing, truly knowing, that all power and abundance comes from\n\ninside.
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"...can it be backed up with scripture?"\n\nCertainly not; it's not Scriptural.  It's a pseudo-religious phrasing of an old conservative attitude.
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BC & AD are just man's traditions; they have no context in Scripture, faith, Salvation, etc.\n\nLaw & Grace are NOT opposites.\n\nGod's Law, the Torah, shows us how He wants us to live. & it's shows that we are not capable of being good enough to be saved - for God is perfect, His Law is perfect, heaven is perfect... & only those who are Perfect gain entrance to Paradise.\n\nThat gives man one viable option for his salvation - choose to accept God's free gift of Grace. Those who love God, love His Word and seek to do His will "on earth as it is in heaven" will be imputed with the Righteousness of the Son of God, Perfect, ready to be ushered into Eternity with the Creator.\n\nLaw & Grace work together. Those who embrace the Law are the faithful followers of the 100% Torah-observant Messiah who was the Ultimate Passover Lamb of God sacrifice for our sins - all who believe and follow Him.\n\nFollowing the pagan Emperor Constantine, Popes who claimed the authority & power to change God's Law, Reformers who maintained the vain traditions of man... or following any charismatic charlatan sounds like you're betting your soul that those who you follow will be able to save you.
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There are a lot of good suggestion already written here, and frankly I don't think which version you use will make a lot of difference when you read it. It may down the road when you start to study and look for teaching in it. Then you will want to get an accurate version and stay away from paraphrases versions like the NIV.  The important thing is that you allow God to teach you while you read. In James 1:5 it says, "...if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him." This is a promise from God that if you ask Him He will give you wisdom as you read. So, when you read it, pray in your heart and ask God to open it up to you. It is a spiritual book and needs the Spirit of God to direct you.
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It makes sense, but what about the Old Testament times when there was no Grace (in the sense of Christ)?\n\nThose people couldn't follow His law perfectly, either. The Old Testament speaks of those who were considered righteous by God because they believed. Not necessarily because they did the right things all the time. Look at David - he broke every one of the 10 Commandments! Saving grace wasn't part of the equation then - at least not the way we understand it from the Gospels. \n\nBut since God still loved the righteous (believers), I suppose you could consider that Grace. It becomes a matter of semantics. It just makes me wonder why - if He intended to provide saving grace from His law - He couldn't have just explained the gospel of grace to those people?
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Is this what you're getting at?\n\nRomans 5:1-21\n\nTherefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.\nFor when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.\nTherefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—(For until the law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the offense. For if by the one man’s offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abounded to many. And the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned. For the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation, but the free gift which came from many offenses resulted in justification. For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)\nTherefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.\nMoreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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These are not rules, just statements. As statements I do agree. God is, I am not He.\n\nAs for other replies, it is written: "Only a fool says there is no God." There has been a lot of fulfillment to that statement.