The Bible is about eternal life. The meaning of life according to the bible What is written in the bible about life
Daniel D. Korner
The Bible verses I'm citing are likely to shock unconditional salvation theorists who believe in an absolute guarantee of entry into the Kingdom of God based on a one-time exercise of true faith in Christ (in the past). Moreover, they will be shocked precisely by the fact that these biblical verses are little known, not so often quoted. Moreover, the reason for their lack of publicity is that these texts present a problem for popular preachers of the doctrine of unconditional salvation. In addition, many believers in the doctrine of unconditional salvation consciously or unconsciously skip such verses in their sermons or in the course of personal Bible study, because they do not (or rather cannot) correspond to their theological views, and they simply do not know that to do with "uncomfortable passages". Faced with them, they fall into confusion. Such vagueness should immediately lead the sincere seeker to know the truth to the conclusion that there is something wrong with his present understanding of the matter, for with a correct understanding of the Bible there can be no vagueness on any subject. Please note that the following inconvenient passages are as authoritative and inspired as all other biblical verses about eternal life.
Here are the most famous verses on the theme of eternal life:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has eternal life” (John 6:47).
“He who has the Son (of God) has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that by believing in the Son of God you have eternal life” (1 John 5:12-13).
These three passages, among others not included here, clearly show that we receive eternal life the moment we have faith in Christ, and that we learn it at the same time. This is a fundamental truth, but you need to go further - get the missing piece of the puzzle.
"Inconvenient Poems" about Eternal Life
The Bible also says the following:
“And many of those sleeping in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, others to everlasting reproach and shame” (Dan. 12:2). This verse shows that eternal life is given at the resurrection. Wed: John. 5:29.
“And these shall go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Mat. 25:46). Eternal life is shown here as the future destiny of spiritually righteous people. Man goes either to eternal life or to eternal punishment.
“And I would not have received now, in this time, in the midst of persecution, a hundred times more houses, and brothers, and sisters, and fathers, and mothers, and children, and lands, but in the age to come, eternal life” (Mark 10: thirty).
“... To those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, eternal life ...” (Rom. 2:7).
“... He who sows to his own flesh from the flesh will reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit from the Spirit will reap eternal life. When we do good, let us not lose heart, for we will reap in due time if we do not faint” (Gal. 6:8-9).
“...In the hope of eternal life, which God, unchanging in word, promised before the ages…” (Titus 1:2).
“... that, having been justified by His grace, we may, according to the hope, become heirs of eternal life” (Tit. 3:7).
“...Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for mercy from our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life” (Jude 21).
See also: John. 6:27; 12:25; Roman. 6:22; 1 Tim. 6:12; 1 John. 2:24-25; 3:15.
Many people know that eternal life is given at the moment of initial salvation, but these additional truths reveal an aspect of eternal life that few people know about or think about very little.
According to the true doctrine of grace, eternal life is also a hope (Tit. 3:7) to be reaped (Gal. 6:89) in the age to come (Mark 10:30), and is available only to those who are constant in good work (Rom. 2:7) and does not weaken (Gal. 6:9). This is the clear teaching of the Bible, and it contradicts both positions on unconditional salvation, even in its most moderate form, according to which “those whom God has received in his love, called and sanctified by his Spirit, cannot completely or completely fall from the state of grace: they, without a doubt, they will endure to the end and receive eternal salvation.
In addition, those who accept the Westminster Confession believe that this is based not on our free will, but on "the immutability of the predestination of election." Galatians 67-9
According to Scripture, in order to reap eternal life, one must sow to the spirit, and not to one's sinful nature, and not to weaken (Gal. 6:8-9). Paul who wrote Ephesus. 2:8-9, wrote these lines too.
Before we go any further, it should be noted that one of the perversions of the unconditional salvation theory of this passage is that these verses are talking about judgment and rewards for believers. Here is what Charles Stanley wrote in this regard: “Every moment is important. Not a single thing goes unnoticed. We all must give an account of our deeds. Nobody can avoid anything. If you are a believer living for Christ, this news will be an encouragement to you. If you are one of those believers who are simply content with the knowledge that they are on their way to heaven, such information will confuse you. I pray that you will continually renew your devotion to Christ and live for Him. Listen to the words of the apostle Paul: “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked. Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap... Doing good, let us not lose heart; for in due time we shall reap, if we do not faint" (Gal. 6:7-9)." These verses refute the doctrine of salvation once and for all, for they say that we can reap eternal life only by the way we live. This is not about receiving a reward, but eternal life or corruption, as is clear from the context itself. But this truth is not revealed in Stanley's verses Gal. 6:7-9, for they omit key verse 8. The omitted words will help us clarify the question: "He who sows to his own flesh from the flesh will reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit from the Spirit will reap eternal life." Please note the difference between eternal life and corruption, depending on whether we sow to the spirit or to the flesh.
Entry into life is entry into the Kingdom of God
Look what the Lord Jesus taught in Mark. 9:43-48: “And if your hand offends you, cut it off: it is better for you to enter into life maimed, than with two hands to go into hell, into the unquenchable fire, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. And if your foot offends you, cut it off: it is better for you to enter into life lame, than with two feet to be cast into hell, into unquenchable fire, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched. And if your eye offends you, pluck it out: it is better for you to enter the Kingdom of God with one eye, than with two eyes to be cast into hellfire, where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.
Note that the expressions enter into life and enter into the kingdom of God the Lord uses as synonymous. He puts an equal sign between them, since they express the same concept, i.e. ultimate salvation. A person either enters into life, or throws himself into an inextinguishable fire.
More importantly, in the same passage, Jesus clearly teaches that sin can prevent a person from entering the Kingdom of God. The sin that separates a person from the Kingdom of God, the Lord does not limit only to the sin of unbelief. This point is especially important because it deals a death blow to the doctrine of unconditional salvation. The apostle Paul taught the same thing after the sacrifice was made on the cross (Gal. 5:19-21). Note that his warning was directed at Christians.
In contrast to Scripture, today it is taught that “sin is of no great importance to the Christian now…”1 See the chapter on “The Truth About Sin” for more information on this subject.
Among other things, from the text Mark. 9:43-48 we learn that in this world sin will always be a problem for us. The fact that sin can hinder a person's salvation will remain unchanged as long as there are people who have not yet entered the kingdom of God or have not yet been cast into eternal fire.
rich young man
The meaning of initial and final salvation was clearly shown by the Lord during a conversation with a rich young man who fell on his knees before Jesus and asked: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Matt. 19:16; Mark 10:17; Luke 18:18). Let's turn to the biblical text: “And one of the rulers asked Him: Good teacher! What should I do to inherit eternal life? Jesus said to him: why do you call me good? Nobody is good but God alone. You know the commandments: do not commit adultery; don't kill, don't steal; do not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother. And he said, All this I have kept from my youth. When Jesus heard this, he said to him: There is one more thing you lack: sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come follow me. And when he heard this, he was saddened, because he was very rich. Jesus, seeing that he was sad, said: How difficult it is for those who have riches to enter the Kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God. Those who heard this said, Who then can be saved? But He said: What is impossible with men is possible with God. Peter said, Behold, we have left everything and followed You. He said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left home, or parents, or brothers, or sisters, or wife, or children for the kingdom of God, and has not received much more in this time and in the age to come, eternal life.” "(Luke 18:18-30).
There are several important points to highlight in this passage:
1. When asked how to inherit eternal life, Jesus equated it with the Kingdom of God.
2. Entering into the Kingdom of God Jesus equated with receiving eternal life, which He said would come in the age to come. Pay attention: the age to come is not the present time in which we now live.
3. The disciples understood the entry into the Kingdom of God in terms of salvation, for they asked: “Who can be saved?”
Saved and salvation in different senses
The Lord taught different understandings of initial final salvation, using the word salvation in different senses. In the verse below, He was referring to initial salvation: “He said to the woman, Your faith has saved you; go in peace” (Luke 7:50). Another verse referring to the initial salvation is Acts. 16:31.
And in Matt. 10:22 Jesus told those already saved that they would be hated for His name, and warned of the need to endure to the end of their lives in order to receive salvation: “... And you will be hated by all for My name; whoever endures to the end will be saved.” This verse is one of the clearest passages in Scripture regarding the believer's conditional security. In it, Jesus speaks of final salvation or actual entry into the Kingdom of God. Here, as in the passage about the rich youth, the word salvation refers to entry into the kingdom of God (Luke 18:25; cf. v. 26).
In letters to believers different churches the apostle Paul also meant final salvation: “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always been obedient, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling ...” (Philippians 2: 12). “So act, knowing the time, that the hour has already come for us to wake up from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we believed” (Romans 13:11). In the last verse, Paul speaks of salvation, which is closer to Christians than when they first believed. This is the final salvation, and in order to reap eternal life, we must sow to the Spirit, not to our sinful flesh, and not be weary (Gal. 6:7-10). it true doctrine about grace.
Elsewhere, Paul wrote: “Give no offense either to Jews or Greeks, or to the church of God, for I also please everyone in everything, seeking not my own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved” (1 Cor. 10:32- 33).
Let's take a closer look at this text. Paul says that he does not seek profit for himself, but for many, that they may be saved. Who does he mean? In verse 32, surprisingly, we read that the reference is to Jews, Greeks, and the Church of God, i.e. both about those who did not come to saving faith, and about those who came to it, for in verse 33 he told everyone. The bottom line is that Paul wanted the members of the Church of God to be saved in the sense of actually entering the Kingdom of God. This thought of the apostle echoes what he wrote in 1 Cor. 8:10-13: “For if someone sees that you, having knowledge, are sitting at the table in a temple, then his conscience, as if he were weak, will he not also eat something offered to idols? And because of your knowledge, the weak brother, for whom Christ died, will perish. And by sinning in this way against your brothers and hurting their feeble conscience, you are sinning against Christ. And therefore, if food offends my brother, I will never eat meat, lest I offend my brother.” It is quite clear that, according to Paul, a believer in Christ can be tempted and perish, following the example of another Christian who, having knowledge, eats in a temple.
Daniel D. Corner, Eternal Salvation by Faith
All Scripture is divinely inspired and useful: it helps to teach, rebuke, correct, instruct how to live an honest life.
2 Tim 3:16
In some of the verses I have used a modern translation.
love loved ones
Beloved! If God so loved us, then we must also love one another. No one has ever seen God: if we love each other, then God abides in us, and His perfect love is in us.
1 John 4:11-12
Your attitude towards people determines your true attitude towards God. How can you love someone you can't see if you hate someone you can see?
Love people. Take care of them. Right from today, start with a simple smile and a kind word for those around you. Then, as the Bible promises, love will increase in your heart.
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love your enemies
But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you.
Matthew 5:44
Remember: negativity causes negativity. If we react negatively to some bad things, the fire will only flare up. The only way to extinguish it is to return good for evil. Moreover, not only apparently, but sincerely, from the bottom of my heart.
Think about those who offended you, hurt you, betrayed you. Understand, it is worse for them than for you, because if they hurt others, then they themselves are hurt too. Why be offended by those whose soul is already “on disability”? Ask God for healing and peace for your offenders, and you will see amazing changes!
Trust God
Do not worry about anything, but under any circumstances, whether through prayer, whether through petition, or through thanksgiving, let your requests become known to God, and the peace that comes from God, which surpasses your understanding, may it guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Phil.4:6-7
To trust means not to worry. At all. No way. Open before God your requests, needs, desires, and expect answers with faith! They will definitely be!
But if you always worry, doubt, slander yourself and your life negatively - this often blocks God's decisions for you. Trust in God brings deep peace to the heart.
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Goodbye
And when you stand and pray, forgive everything that you have against someone, so that your Heavenly Father will forgive you your sins.
Mark 11:25
You can pray even for days, but if unforgiveness lives in your soul, you are cut off from God's mercy, and therefore from His blessings. I repeat once again: your attitude towards people determines the attitude of God towards you!
Do not give up!
Ask and you will be rewarded, seek and you will find. Knock and the door will open for you. Who asks will receive; who seeks will always find; and the door will be opened to him who knocks.
Matthew 7:7,8
Don't give up on your dreams, goals, calling, mission! Do not be ashamed to ask, seek, knock, seek. Such perseverance leads to great results!
Cry from the heart
Call to Me - and I will answer you, show you great and inaccessible things that you do not know.
Jer.33:3
Sometimes, in order to reach a new level of life, you need to cry out to God with all your heart. scream. scream. What is tired, that there is no strength, that it is no longer possible.
Such sincere "cries of the soul" open the door to the "inaccessible", to something that you did not know before. A new understanding, a revelation, a new turn will come. God promised so, and He never lies.
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Define your measure
Give, and it will be given to you; a full measure, so that it will even spill over the edge, it will be poured for you, for with what measure you measure, the same measure will be measured to you.
Luke 6:38
This verse is clear that you determine what you get in life. The way you measure will be measured to you. As you judge something or someone, you will be judged the same way.
You will be greedy - do not expect generosity from others. But if you are a "giver" in life (time, energy, finances) - it is not surprising that even more will return to you!
Study the Bible
Always remember what is written in this book of laws. Study it day and night so that you can fulfill everything that is written in it. By doing so, you will be wise and prosper in all your endeavors.
Joshua 1:8
Studying the Word of God will ensure you success in every area of your life. It is from the Bible that true wisdom comes, the understanding of how things really work.
Do you want to be wise, efficient, happy? Right from today, start reading the Bible, at least a verse a day, and meditate on what you read. Your thinking will begin to change, and accordingly, the quality of life.
Seek comfort in God
Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will fulfill the desire of your heart.
Ps.37:4
When it's bad, it hurts, it's not good - run to God. If you run to people, alcohol, drugs and other doping, you will get a temporary effect that will not affect reality in any way.
But if you turn to God, this guarantees not only deep consolation, but also the fulfillment of your innermost desires! This is how the Lord appreciates your fellowship with Him!
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Problems will run away
So submit to God; resist the devil and he will flee from you.
James 4:7-10
The devil exists. Curses exist. And many problems in life (diseases, failures, pain, disorder) are precisely his work. And therefore, the devil sometimes needs to be driven away, otherwise he is such an impudent guest.
How to do it? First of all, submit to (obey) God and His plan for you, His commandments, His word. The devil hates such people, but he cannot approach them either!
Everything will apply! :)
Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all this will be added to you.
Matthew 6:33
One of my favorite poems and principles in life. When we seek God, everything we need is included!
What does it mean to seek God? It means to strive to where He is (church, sermons, songs, books, etc.), study His character, long for His presence and put Him on the pedestal of your life.
Give the Lord time, strength, show reverence and respect. Love Him. And then - everything will be fine! The necessary will itself float into your hands, as if with the tide. The right doors will open for you, you will always be at the right time in the right places. Such a GPS of fate will turn on :)
I believe that these Bible verses are helping you realize something important right now. Let your life change God's love will fill your heart!
Human life is a mystery. For centuries, scientists, historians and philosophers have tried to understand what a person is and what is the meaning of human existence. Man tries to understand the secrets of the universe, but the universe remains a mystery. Many consider the universe and the destiny of man on earth an unsolvable mystery, but the Bible, one of the greatest gifts received by mankind from God, reveals this mystery. The Bible is the revelation that God gives to man. It reveals the reality that is connected with God, the universe, man, the relationship between man and God, the relationship among people and the duty of man to God. This reality can be seen through creation and through Scripture.
THE PURPOSE OF HUMAN.
God's Word tells us that God is self-existent and everlasting. God has existed for eternity in the past. At some point, He decided to create man. God's desire was for this man to express Him in His image and represent Him with His authority on earth (Gen. 1:26-28).
God created man differently than He created everything else. He created man in his own image. An illustration is a glove. A handkerchief cannot be put on the hand, because it does not have the image of the hand, its shape. The glove has the image, likeness and shape of a hand, and therefore is able to contain a hand. The glove is shaped like a hand and designed to contain the hand. Similarly, human life was created in the image of God so that God could dispense Himself as Divine life into human life.
Man can express God and represent God only if he accepts God as his life and thus becomes a mate for God. Man is created in such a way that he is able to receive and contain the Divine life of God. All the human virtues of man, such as love, honor and goodness, were created by God for the purpose that man should have God's life and express the Divine attributes.
THE CREATION OF MAN.
Man is a vessel, a container (Rom. 9:21,). Because we are God's vessels, God wants to be our content. Just as bottles are made to contain milk and various drinks, so we are made to contain God. That is why knowledge, wealth, material possessions, and various kinds of achievements cannot satisfy us - because we were created to contain God.
All people, regardless of their race or nationality, are God's vessels. The Bible, the Word of God, divides this vessel into three parts: spirit, soul, and body (1 Thess. 5:23). Everyone is aware that he has a physical body. It is something tangible, concrete, temporary, and amenable to scientific investigation. Man manages to prolong biological life, but for each person there comes a moment when he is forced to admit that the body is a dead end. God's plan for man is not primarily about physical body person.
Having studied a person in accordance with his views, a psychologist can say that a person, in addition to his body, has an inner hidden component. The person has intelligence, thinking organ. In addition, he has the senses, the inner ability to feel, allowing him to love, hate, feel depressed or uplifted. Perhaps he will also say that a person has will the ability to make a decision. In short, man is a living, thinking, feeling, and decision-making being; it is not just animated dust, but a real, living person with a unique and distinctive personality. He would say that our inner self, our psychological self, is our real self, and our body is just the outer shell of our being. Psychology is the study of the soul. The three faculties—mind, will, and feelings—comprise our individuality and are merely components human soul. If you're looking for meaning human life inside the human soul, this search will never succeed.
Hidden and little known, deep within man is a faculty that has remained a mystery throughout the ages. It is deeper than the soul. Just as the life-giving marrow is hidden within the bone, so the human spirit is hidden within the soul. The spirit of man was created specifically to contain God himself, to be filled with God. A person never feels satisfied, because the deepest part of his being is not yet filled. Through the mind, man can only think about God and know God objectively, but through the spirit, man can come into contact with God, contain God within himself, and enjoy God.
THE TRAGEDY OF MAN IS THE FALL OF MAN.
Before a person takes communion God's life and nature in the tree of life (Gen. 2:9), he was tempted by Satan, the main enemy of God, as a result of which the person turned out to be corrupt and fell into sin. The fall of man is the greatest tragedy in the universe. We are still seeing its consequences in the form of wars, injustice, poverty, crime, oppression and disease that surround us every day.
Because man disobeyed God's word, he fell under God's judgment, became separated from God, lost the right to fulfill God's plan, and was doomed to eternal death in the lake of fire.
Moreover, because of the fall, man was internally corrupted in his nature. Man was made in the image of God, and therefore has a good nature, which corresponds to God's nature, and possesses such virtues as truthfulness, goodness, holiness, wisdom, kindness and valor. However, because of the fall of man, an evil nature has entered into man, which is now at war with good nature. Man, because sin is in him, cannot exercise his good intentions. Moreover, man cannot run away from his evil nature. The Bible says that no good dwells in man, that is, in his flesh (Rom. 7:18). Man wants to do good, but he simply cannot do it.
As a result of the fall, Satan entered into man as sin. He corrupted his body and turned it into flesh, defiled his soul so that it turned into a human self, and made the human spirit dead.
In his fallen state, man is like a broken radio that cannot be tuned. Such a radio receiver cannot receive and play music, but only emits meaningless noise. In addition, it is like a beautiful and skillfully made cup that has fallen into the gutter and is covered with mud. Throughout history, man has tried in every possible way to avoid sin, but as a result he has found that good deeds, education, morality, ideology, and materialism cannot save him from sin. Man is completely captured by Satan, and is under his control, completely helpless and unable to save himself.
GOD REACHES MAN.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the Savior sent from God into the world to solve the problems of fallen and sinful people. He came to the Middle East nearly 2,000 years ago as the incarnation of the Triune God. The Bible says that in Jesus Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Col. 2:9). Moreover, He is God incarnate, therefore He is full God and perfect man. He is more than good man, great person, a highly moral person or a holy person. He is a God-man. It was the God-man who was nailed to the cross to do the work of redemption. According to the Bible, He died: 1) as the Lamb of God to take away the sin of man (John 1:29), 2) as a bronze serpent to destroy God's enemy, Satan (John 3:14-15), 3) as a grain of wheat to release the divine and eternal life of God and put it into us (John 12:24).
So God took two steps. He first became flesh by being born as a man named Jesus. Having lived a perfect and sinless life, and having died on the cross to redeem sinful man, He rose from the dead and in the resurrection changed His appearance, turning from flesh into the Spirit. So the Lord Jesus became the Spirit. This Spirit is called the life-giving Spirit. One important verse in the Bible says that the last Adam (Christ) became the life-giving Spirit (1 Cor. 15:45). God the Father is impregnable. Having come in the Son, He dwelt as a man among people, but God the Son still could not enter into a man, because He had the form of a man with flesh and blood. Through the death and resurrection of the Son, His appearance changed and became spiritual instead of physical. As a great Spirit, that is, as spiritual air that we can breathe, Christ was able to enter into his disciples. Thus, the entire Triune God: Father, Son and Spirit reaches man. In other words, when the Triune God reaches his redeemed people, He is Spirit.
Today God is the Spirit of life (Rom. 8:2). If you ask people on the street or in stores who God is, some may say that God is the Creator, others will answer that He is their Redeemer and Savior, but few will say that God is a Spirit. God is not just a Spirit, but a life-giving Spirit.
To be a Christian means to receive the Holy Spirit into your human spirit. Man can be likened to a radio receiver, and the Spirit of God to radio waves. There is a receiving device inside the radio. In the same way, within each person there is a human spirit as a receiver that allows a person to receive the Spirit of God. If the radio is turned off or if the receiving device is not working properly, the radio will not receive radio waves. Today, many human "radios" do not work because their owners do not "turn on" them through the exercise of their spirit. Today, people are not able to come into contact with God, because the receiving device, the human spirit, does not work inside them.
MAN'S RESPONSE TO GOD'S REDemption and Salvation.
In order to receive and enjoy this amazing Person, we must turn our hearts to God and repent. Repentance means turning to God. We used to have our backs to God. Whether we did good or evil, we turned away from God. To accept God, we must first turn to Him, then we must believe in God and accept Him. God requires our heart to believe and our mouth to confess. The Bible says that if we confess with our lips, "Jesus the Lord," and believe in our hearts that God has raised Him from the dead, then we will be saved (Rom. 10:9).
Christian life- this is a life that every day, from morning to evening, seethes with the Lord. In the morning, as soon as we wake up, we can call on the Lord and, with the help of the Bible, contact the Lord by praying in the spirit. Since there are 365 mornings in a year, we can have a new beginning each morning by being quickened in our human spirit. It is possible not only to revive ourselves, but also to talk with others about what we have enjoyed in the Lord. This can be done face to face at home, in the market in the city or at work, in a factory.
This wonderful all-inclusive Spirit brings into us the Divine eternal uncreated life of God. This life allows us to enjoy Him, experience Him, and manifest Him in our Everyday life. Whether we are workers, housewives, peasants, mental or manual laborers, we can enjoy this Spirit and live the unsearchable richness of this Divine life. May the Lord bless you and make you live according to God's plan.
To simply answer a difficult question, it is worth turning to Jesus. After all, only He managed to answer very tricky questions so easily and accessible that the greatest minds of that time were surprised.
Light and salt
Here is an example of the meaning God has laid out for His children.
13 You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its potency, how will you make it salty? She is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out to be trampled by people.
14 You are the light of the world. A city on top of a mountain cannot hide.
15 And when they light a candle, they do not put it under a vessel, but on a candlestick, and it gives light to all in the house.
16 So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
(Matt.5:13-16)
I will not comment on the examples Jesus uses. I invite you to reflect on such simple and capacious images of the Savior on your own. It is surprising that Jesus used the well-known salt and an ordinary candle for comparison.
I note that the above passage is enough to direct the heart to the true path and find out what is the meaning of life.
And for comparison, I will give a few places that will show another meaning in life.
13 Now listen to you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and we will live there one year, and we will trade and make a profit”;
14 you who do not know what will happen tomorrow: for what is your life? vapor that appears for a short time and then disappears.
(James 4:13,14)12 They are like dumb animals, led by nature, born to capture and exterminate slandering what they do not understand, they will be destroyed in their corruption.
17 These are waterless springs, clouds and haze driven by a storm: the gloom of eternal darkness is prepared for them.
(2 Pet. 2:12 and 17)
See the difference?
There is a meaning of life, which in the eyes of God is sinful. Such people live like steam that disappears, like pigs fattened on a barbecue.
A person decides for himself which way to follow, what meaning to choose for his life. What is worth becoming: the chosen one in the hands of God or the vapor that will dissipate?
You will not even believe how many places in the Bible there are that will tell us about the meaning of life. These places are hidden from most hearts and accessible only to a small number of people. Why?
Kliklin to reveal the verses of Matthew 6:19-34
19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal,
20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal,
21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 The lamp for the body is the eye. So if your eye is clear, then your whole body will be bright;
23 But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be dark. So if the light that is in you is darkness, then what is the darkness?
24 No one can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one and love the other; or he will be zealous for one, and neglect the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
25 Therefore I say to you, worry not for your soul what you should eat or drink, nor for your body what you should wear. Is not the soul more than food, and the body more than clothes?
26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you much better than them?
27 And which of you, by taking care, can add one cubit to his stature?
28 And why are you concerned about clothing? Look at the lilies of the field, how they grow: neither toil nor spin;
29 but I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory did not dress like one of them;
30 But if the grass of the field, which is today, and tomorrow will be thrown into the oven, God so clothes, how much more than you, you of little faith!
31 So worry not, and say, What shall we eat? or what to drink? Or what to wear?
32 because all these things are sought by the Gentiles, and because your Father in heaven knows that you have need of all this.
33 Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow [himself] will take care of his own: enough for [each] day of his care.
(Mat. 6:19-34)
With what we can fill our vessels, we will discuss in the next chapter.
Water and vessel
First of all, I am interested in, but is there an answer to any of my questions in the Bible?
The more I ask this question, the more convinced I am that there is an answer. No matter how ordinary it may sound, but "YES", the Bible has all the necessary answers to vital questions for a person. And once again, answering the question of this post, I propose to turn to the Bible and find out what the Word will tell you.
I will refer to my research on the topic, but perhaps you already have your own answer. Comment on the post, let's discuss!
Well, now to the Old Testament. I'll start right away with the conclusion.
13 Let us listen to the essence of everything: fear God and keep his commandments, for in this is everything for man;
(Eccl. 12:13)
Despite the complexity Old Testament and a lot of incomprehensible and not always interesting history, there are places that hit right at the heart of our issue.
My opinion is that the author of this passage, the most wise king- Solomon. And to agree with his conclusion, I had to read the entire book of Ecclesiastes. And behind it, God turned my attention to the book of Proverbs. Truly wise books that shed light not only on our question, but also on many other questions.
The following passage is also from the Old Testament:
15 Woe to those who think to hide themselves in the depths to hide their plans from the Lord, who do their work in darkness and say, “Who will see us? and who will recognize us?
16 What recklessness! Is it possible to consider a potter as clay? Will the product say about the one who made it: “he did not make me”? and will the work say of its artist, "He does not understand"?
(Is.29:15,16)
Isaiah is a prophet and in his appeals to the people of Israel, he conveys the words of God. We have read about condemnation, but notice what comparison God has shared with us. The Apostle Paul expands on the image:
20 And who are you, man, that you argue with God? Will the product say to the one who made it: “Why did you make me like this?”
21 Does not the potter have power over the clay, to make from the same mixture one vessel for honorable [use], and another for low?
(Rom.9:20,21)
It turns out that if I made a chair out of wood, then I have the right to paint it green or yellow. It is clear that I will not ask about this my product. And I will need a chair in order to sit, and not for another.
I do not want to say that a person has no choice, there is!
I'm trying to show that man was created for a specific purpose, there is a purpose in our life! For God, we are like an expensive vessel that we fill on our own. For example:
7 Likewise, you husbands, treat your wives wisely, as with the weakest vessel, showing honor to them, as joint heirs of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered. (1 Peter 3:7)
Now it remains to deal with the question of how to fill the vessel. If you look at a person as a vessel, then our hobbies, hobbies or affections are comparable to liquid?
For example, a woman goes to yoga on Tuesdays and Thursdays, spends time and effort, but then gets the result and good mood. Yoga filled her vessel. The man is passionate about football. Training and victories in games are also time, effort and result. Football is soul food for him. There are also negative examples, such as alcoholism, drugs or theft. I believe that if we do not fight, they can seize our vessel.
Agree that we always want to fill the void inside ourselves, and when it becomes smaller, we feel comfortable. Time passes and we feel like hunger - the desire to be fulfilled, successful. Like food, our hearts will always be full and hungry. This is human nature and there is nothing wrong with it. But when the moment comes and we are thirsty again, we can, for example, say how it is:
8 Vanity of vanities, said the Ecclesiastes, all is vanity!
(Eccl. 12:8)
13 Jesus answered and said to her, Everyone water drinker this, thirst again,
14 but whoever drinks the water that I will give him will never be thirsty; but the water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water springing up into eternal life.
(John 4:13,14)
When our vessel, the body becomes unusable, serve its time and the ashes return to the ashes, only the jewels that we have saved all our lives, the most expensive and important, will remain. The vessel should be filled with the Glory of God.
The meaning of our life is to become a source of eternal water, which will exist even if the vessel is broken.
Andrey asksAnswered by Victor Belousov, 11/10/2008
Peace be with you, Andrew!
What is the meaning of the life of any living being? If it is written here that the meaning of life is to love God, then many unbelieving people will say that this is wrong - in their understanding, the meaning of human life is different - self-realization, pleasure, procreation, etc. etc. To some extent they will be right, because the meaning of life is comprehended and changes in the process of life. At some stage, a person feels that his life will lose its meaning (after all, it is in such categories that people most often perceive this issue) if he does not achieve something, does not achieve some result, does not receive satisfaction of some of his needs, does not will do something - in a word, if he does not become happy. It seems to such a person that as soon as he achieves what he wants, he will find happiness. But happiness is very changeable... Today you see the point in achieving career growth, you achieve it - you are happy... But tomorrow this happiness disappears, because you saw the girl of your dreams, fell in love with her, but she did not reciprocate. And happiness from a career has disappeared ... And "the world is not nice" without this beloved. This is just an example, of course. For some, the pursuit of happiness comes down to greater and greater achievements, and so on ad infinitum... Therefore, happiness cannot be called meaning. Meaning is our purpose. A person is happy because he realizes what is already in him - relationships, opportunities, productivity and many other aspects of life.
What is the point of talking about the meaning of life, but not becoming happy from this meaning? (a pun turns out) A person does not pursue meaning and purpose at all, but for happiness. But happiness is not a result, but only a side effect. Because a person needs the fact of fulfilling the purpose. To implement it, you first need to know it.
But then another question arises - who determines my purpose? I myself? But even the fact of "pre-destination" suggests that someone else gave forward my destination. Parents? They may not even know what their personal destiny is, since they can determine the true destiny of the child ... The Creator determines the destiny - Who laid in His project in our great-great-great-great... parents our DNA and possible ways of its development.
Only in relations with the Creator can I understand who I am (because I was created in His image and likeness), what my purpose is, find out the ways of its realization and actually realize it. In this process, I am happy. I do not expect happiness to come sometime, the process itself brings happiness.
The Bible gives commandments for a successful, happy, and meaningful life. When Christ was asked: "What is the greatest commandment in the law?" He answered:
"Jesus said to him, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.this is the first and greatest commandment"
()
Blessings
Victor
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