Bible Study Week 7 - Sharper Then A Two-Edged Sword

Here is a link to Barnes and Noble for the book Sharper Then A Two-Edged Sword.

This is the second half of last weeks Bible Study.  We are on chapter 5, The True Nature of God.  We will be starting with question 5 of the workbook.

Question 5: Doesn't the Bible say somewhere that God use hardship to teach us things and help up grow?

• No what is says is:

 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: 

for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

James 1:13

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, 

and cometh down from the Father of lights, 

with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. 

James 1:17 

• A lot of people think that the Book of Job proves that God does this, but it does not prove this.
• Job was alive after the flood, but before Abraham.
• Job did not have the knowledge of Satan.

  The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:

 I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

John 10:10

• Job did not have a covenant with God.  Because Adam and Eve sinned they gave Satan the right to this world.  When that happened God had to remove this remove his protection from this world.

• The new covenant is through blood.  The blood of Christ.he new covenant is through blood.  The blood of Christ.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: 

old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
2 Corinthians 5:17

• The workbook says that we are a temple to God, and he will not defile his own temple.
• Job did have sin.

Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, 

of the kindred of Ram: against Job was his wrath kindled, 

because he justified himself rather than God.

Job 32:2

• Job's knowledge of god was very limited, and from the oral stories.

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, 

and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given 

unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness,

 through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 

 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: 

that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, 

having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

2 Peter 1:2-4

• Jesus gave us the power to oust demons and rebuke the devil in his name.

Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, 

and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

Luke 10:19

• We do not live in fear because of Jesus, but Job did not have that so he lived in fear.

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, 

and of love, and of a sound mind.

2 Timothy 1:7

• Job did not have Jesus to petition for him.  Jesus is our intercessor with God.
• Nothing can separate us from God because of Jesus.

What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Romans 8:31

Let your conversation be without covetousness;

 and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said,

 I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

Hebrews 13:5

Question 6: If God is good and all powerful, then why is there so much tragedy and suffering in the world?

• One of the first things that we know is that when Adam and Eve sinned, man was spiritually separated from God.
• They gave Satan domain over the earth.
• Because this world is Satan's domain his is in control on earth.
• Satan comes to take the word away.

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.

John 10:10

• Most tragedy comes from our spiritual separation from God.
• Our sin causes tragedy - IE: driving drunk causes a car accident which causes suffering for you and others,  possibilities of suffering: physical, financial, emotional,  or cheating on your wife - possibilities of suffering: loss of marriage, loss of family, financial difficulties, emotional difficulties for all parties.
• God has given us free will because he only wants us to come to him of our own free will.  It must be our own choice to have that relationship with him.  Once we have a relationship with him we receive forgiveness, grace, and mercy.
• But the Bible also tells stories about God stepping in to save his people.

Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; 

and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.

Exodus 14:30

The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me.

Psalms 116:6

• I thought it was interesting in the workbook  that Andrew Wommack said, " We wont know how much evil god has prevented in our lives until we get to heaven."  I believe that is true.
• Tragedies from natural disasters are a result of our planet taking on sin.

For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

Romans 8:22

• Creation has been negatively affected by sin and wont be healed until Jesus returns.

And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: 

for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away;

 and there was no more sea.

Revelation 21:1

• Satan is responsible for the tragedy, and Jesus came to destroy him and set us free.

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.

1 John 3:8

• We are also responsible.  We have fallen natures and when we choose not to follow God bad things can happen.

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.

John 10:10

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, 

as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

1 Peter 5:8

• God sent Jesus to overcome our sufferings and sins.  Jesus said,

These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. 

In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; 

I have overcome the world.

John 16:33

• God does not cause tragedy but tries to help us have a better outcome.

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
James 4:7

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, 

to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

• The Holy Spirit is our comforter, our healer, our security.

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; 

and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, 

neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Revelation 21:4

Question 7: Does god send disaster? (terrorist attacks, war, hurricane, natural disasters as a judgement for our sin?

• No God does not send disasters.  We talked about this in the last question.
• This world is Satan's domain, he is in control of what is happening here.
• God loved us so much he sent Jesus to help us.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, 

that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

• He wants us to come to him, so for God to cause a disaster that could cause death before we have come to him, would not be "of God".

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; 

but that the world through him might be saved.

John 3:17

• God does not want us to perish, but come into his Kingdom.

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness;

 but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish,

 but that all should come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:9

• Sending disasters as judgement would be the opposite of what God wants for us.   He sent Jesus to save us, not for us to continue to be judged.

But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, 

while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

• Romans 5:8 says that God loves us even though we are sinners.
• Luke 13:1-5 says that even though someone suffers a tragedy, it does not mean that he is a sinner.  It just means that we live in a fallen world.

I hope that all of you have learned from today's Bible Study.  I would love to hear what you have to say.  

Have a great week.

Debi