Bible college test and answers

Shawn Colby
Peter
Rev Borg
chap 1, 2

---In chapter 1 verse 7, Peter talked about the trial of our faith. Why is the trial of our faith so important to us as believers? Why is gold used as the element to illustrate the trial of our faith?---

1.) Our Faith is always on trial. We may have Faith but how do you know it’s Faith unless it is tested? That is why this is important. A false faith is no good unto Salvation. However, proven and genuine Faith will result in a Divine Intervention and change our path of life and final destination after death. As Gold is heated, it becomes pure. It’s color (appearance) even changes as contaminants and alloys are removed. Likewise, Faith given is tested in a specially built furnace for each of those participating in the life of Faith. If there had been a true Biblical repentance experienced by the Believer, not of heartfelt emotion or of shallow confession, the Faith will remain and finish its course to the Ultimate Prize who is our Lord Jesus.

---In chapter 1 verses 15 and 16, Peter mentioned holiness. What does it mean to be holy in our conversation? How can we be as holy as He is holy?---

2.) Great question. One of many to determine the actual Biblical Spirituality of a pastor and lay person by the answer they give. Let’s start by stating what Holiness is NOT:
\tHoliness is NOT an outward act or appearance.
\tHoliness is NOT something we can produce of ourselves.
\tHoliness is NOT some goal to attain in order to achieve some emotional \texperience.
\tHoliness is NOT of ourselves by effort on our part.
Now, The Grace and Covenant mentality will give the answer to what Holiness is as this:
\tHoliness is a right standing given to the candidate by being placed \tsupernaturally IN God, through Jesus and His Sacrifice -freely given- by Faith \talone.
\tHoliness is also kept in this same manner; entering into Cov’t Promises by \tGrace.
Then, understanding these things, we can walk in obedience to the Spiritual Life IN Jesus. As we are walking IN Him (Spirit Life), as God sees fit, He can choose to manifest in us in the earth(conversation) what has taken place by/in the Spirit/Faith Life.
As we learn of our depth of wickedness, it becomes more and more clear that our soulish nature needs totally bypassed. This is what the Lord has done and that by burying us IN His Son, Jesus. That when God our Father looks down upon us from His Throne, He only would see Jesus (‘the’ Faith on our part) and not our faults, failures, shortcomings and sins that we would still be susceptible to committing ever after Salvation. The act of continual and constant Faith in the Atoning Sacrifice is the process of Sanctification. And a life long made up mindset of that ensures we in our flesh are never ‘seen’ by God. Jesus remains our constant covering in this manner of Faith.

---According to chapter 2 verse 9, briefly explain the four things Peter listed that we are as Christians. What does it mean to show forth the praises of Him?---

3.) \ta. IN Jesus, we are considered literally by God our Father, to be a New race of \tpeople.
\tb. Royal =’s Kingly and Priest =’s intercessor. The thing about that is, our Lord \tdoes not call us anything else but a King and a Priest. A Priest in the Old \tTestament never condemned but was always about the business of intercession \tand atonement.
\tc. This ‘Holy Nation’ is not of this world’s system of establishing self \trighteousness and earning merit. It does not seek to better ones self by work of \tthe flesh and use of carnal powers.
\td. A ‘Peculiar People/ Nation’ means to make something and then surround it \twith a circle, signifying ownership. Our Lord formed us through Jesus, for \tHimself.
‘Showing Forth’ is showing from where something came or where the origin of an action proceeds and ‘the Praises’ is excellencies or from another root word, a man child. So we are to praise the God-man Jesus who lived 2000 years ago and still does and always will live because He came from Heaven. It could be said as well that our Righteousness and Salvation come from Calvary by that same God-man Jesus.

---In chapter 2 verses 13-23, Peter dealt with submission to authority. As believers, why is it important that we submit to: 1) Government; 2) Those whom God puts over us as employer, pastor, etc?---

4.) In short, God has appointed these to rule and govern a land or nations that there might be some form of peace (non-Biblical however) among the unbelievers as the Believers co-dwell in this earth. Keep in mind that the person who said this is the same who tried to cut another’s head off in the garden. So he has come far in submission to Christ. AS we operate the same, we set an example for others. We witness of Christ Jesus in this manner. Enduring wrong for the sake of the Kingdom is going to get the attention of someone. If we are dead to self and really do believe the Gospel, we don’t any longer see ourselves as part of this world and rely totally and completely on God for all things, including revenge. Remember Acts! By persecution, Christianity spread like fire!

I hope you have enjoyed these answers. If any of you have theological doubt or questions in general or comments, all is welcome!

so no one agrees with what was said? Or is there anything to add?

I have a few comments about your question and answer on holiness.

The literal translation of holiness means, "To be set apart". Holiness is consecration at it's root, and from there, it expands with meaning.

You can consecrate (set apart) yourself, and, God can consecrate you.

When peter says to be holy in conversation, he is telling them to be set apart unto the Lord in conversation.

But it is more than this, it is being set apart for the Lords purpose.

Yes, Thank you for the reply. I am always up for good conversation over such things.

In your last comment, the statement, "it is being set apart for the Lords purpose" we might deal with it to bring in focus the other comments.

For the Lord's purpose... I certainly do not imply I have all the answers but I would ask the readers to consider: When our Lord sets about to accomplish something, is that a responsibility of ourselves to produce the work of ourselves(flesh) or is that His Divine Power through an unholy vessel?

If anything has our scent on it, the Lord MUST reject it. Thus, the need for repentance and Faith. By Faith, we are placed and buried IN Jesus. This way, ALL of our soulish powers, attitudes, intelligence, prowess and ability are bypassed. And it is only His Divine 'fingerprint' that remains to whatever is the work towards a Purpose.

When the Lord purposes something, it ends up perfect. The only way it can end up perfect is to not have begun by us, operated by us or finished by us. It still is the Lord doing everything by the Power of His Spirit and not our own filthy hands touching it even after we get Saved.

So being Set Apart is not an outward action and it is not an inward will on our part. Or even logic on our part. It is simply 'not belonging to the world and it's ways.' Of coarse, through the means of the Cross and Belief in the Finished Work.

And I am not stating that we have no part in anything! Rather, the only part that the believer has is to daily die to self's willpower and acquiesce to the Gospel. Which is to go God's -Way- and the Way is a surrendered life planted IN Jesus (Rom 6:3).

I don't have enough words to convey this Spirit Truth, it is only revealed by the Spirit. Prayerfully, the Lord would give Spirit eyes to see.

Great Statement! I encourage others to follow likewise-

hi, c at best...you can do better.jimp

Hello jimp, alright, how would you answer the test questions?

Pilgrim777, I see you have some thoughts there but I could not work them down to one concise statement. I'm not following, could you clarify by making a direct statement?

Thanks again!

P.S. in thinking about Light... I might offer that seeing this Light, the flesh(foundation of morality in humans. which ='s effects of the fall) cannot ever receive Light. It is not mental(or outward separation) but of the Spirit and by the Spirit revealing. Like when Jesus told Peter he is 'blessed' because he heard from God our Father about who Jesus actually was. Flesh did not/ could not reveal that. That is Light. God is Light. God is the only One to ever 'be alive' in any Biblical sense. So to be set apart in the spiritual sense, we are not among the world's numbers of dead(darkness) but of Light(PHOS)/ light moves and it is alive then. Just a thought.

I figured I might quickly add:

during most campmeetings, most preachers would think Revival is to bring the people into a felt emotional high of their idea of Holiness(set apart). So the preachers sets about to bend the hearts of the participants using sad stories or preaching against pet sins to cause a euphoric response. And then you'll hear, "the church needs to repent! In sackcloth and ashes! time to buckle down and get serious! Show God you love 'em!" and all this is, is an act of reintroducing the LAW. Because this demands human effort to ACT in a certain way. Then, when the campmeeting is over, and faces that once 'shone' like Moses' and all that Glory fades, the people realize that campmeet did not work either and so continue to work harder to get back what they lost. Is it a viscous cycle. Law is... but as Christians, we are to be set apart from the old way of living by and under LAW! When you come into the Light, you are free from the deeds of the Law and are free to walk in a newness of Life(Zoe) THAT is -IN- Christ Jesus. IOW, while my body is still alive, it is God's Life at work for me. And He already worked everything at Calvary. So there is no more Work or Righteousness left to accomplish. That is being IN the Light. The Spirit reveals, man says it's greasy Grace... I'll go with God! (:

Another Brother and I were talking about these things and how the majority of the Church bucks against the Spirit of God. We agreed that What a person believes will determine their view of Scripture.

We also discussed:

that if a beloved believer has a view of God that says God is an angry judge (if we do not perform perfectly) and that He also has not fulfilled all requirements of Righteousness (and has offered to give us freely that Righteousness), then that believer will SOW into his/her own works and attempts to please God. Through almost anything, most of the time calling it "being set apart" on an earthly physical level.

But if the Believer be one who walks(lives) according to the Spirit(alive only IN Jesus) he/she will SOW into the Spirit and reap the things of the Spirit, into the soul and THEN ultimately out through the body.

Who still thinks their Righteousness is earned on their part? Who will stand and say being Sanctified is an outward action?

Amen, Hope this helps-

hi, if you are into Christ and He is in you;you are holy as you will ever be.holy ground was only holy because of the prescence of the thrice Holy One...Gold is only increased in value when fire heats out the impurities that are within it...our lives are changed only by the conviction of the Holy Spirit and not by anything to do with the flesh. whatsoever is born of flesh is flesh and what is born of the Spirit is spirit...jimp most preaching on sin has us take inventory of our lives and makes us self and sin conscious and self and sin can do nothing to help us...only Jesus and faith in what He did on the cross has any power to redeem us (buy us back)this great Love has great power.in closing ...we sin in the flesh and we will pay for our sin in the flesh for the bible teaches clearly that our sin will find us out.if a man overeats all his life he will become obese and have hip and leg joint problems and other ailments.etc.

Amen Mr Jimp,

I like what you said about the gold. A loving wise man told me something else about gold. He said that as it cools, it does not loose any more value. But it actually increases as things have been removed. That's us!

This means that since our Father has made the legal means to dwell in us, He has the power to Sanctify us while still in the body.

The soul is bypassed according to God's eyes. Though from our corrupt 'heart of hearts' still proceeds sins in the plural. But our immaterial man is replaced by His Perfect Spirit(by Thee Faith). And that's what God views us by. And as long as we continue to have that Faith, God has the legal right and ability to adjust the soul and then therefore the body will produce proper actions.

Many teachers will teach their congregations to manipulate the soul(the way of flesh) in order to produce proper results. This is false and leads one right back into idolatry (self worship) and ultimately condemnation when they realize their efforts will never be good or powerful enough to Sanctify themselves.

step programs will never work,

confessing things out will never work,

writing sins on paper and stomping them will never work,

sacraments will never work,

a euphoric experience during a song will never work,

memorizing Scripture will never work,

quoting scripture will never work,

you words of, "just try harder brother" will never work,
(in fact they are very condemning)

saying, "If I only believed like so-n-so" will never work,

or, "if You only believed like me" will never work

Anything but simple Faith in the Death of Jesus will never work. But God will always consider anything else than that as the thing that grieves His Holy Ghost.

Now, we are sinners not because we do sinS but because of unbelief in our sinful nature. That is 'The Sin' ... that we are judged already for. Likewise, we do not go to hell as Christians if we experience an act of sin right before we die. One might go because of rank unbelief.

Now, as we sin on the body, we will reap consequences in the earth. If you cheat on your wife, you destroy the family. If you steal, you loose testimony. Like Jimp said, if you over eat, you get to be pleasantly plump. If you smoke, you develop lung issues, if you go snow skiing barefoot, you loose your feet... and etc.

So instead of using the ways of man (soulish manipulation) God operates on a totally different level. He considers us IN His Son via the Sacrificial Atoning death on Calvary.

And as we preach Jesus as Beautiful and Lovely, that Jesus manifest on the outward because the threat of Law is then removed. But if the listener hears God as an angry judge, we will set about to please Him, thinking that being set apart is in what we do or don't do. There is no glory meter that we can make go up or down. I know we do not think of it like that but that's exactly what we have been taught!

I sure hope these posts are "imparting a spiritual blessing" on the readers. For that is the goal. Your questions and challenges help to develop the progress for the other readers. Please feel free! POST!

In chapter 1 verses 15 and 16, Peter mentioned holiness. What does it mean to be holy in our conversation? How can we be as holy as He is holy?---

Interesting questions...

Re: How can we be as holy as He is holy?

My understanding: We can't be holy as God is because we are human and not God. However, we are called to be Holy because He is holy. Big difference, don't you think?

So, how are we to be holy? v.14 says (NASB) As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance...To be holy means we must be obedient to Him. Seems simple to me....but not always easy to do when our lusts gets in the way. :-(

ginnyrose

---In chapter 2 verses 13-23, Peter dealt with submission to authority. As believers, why is it important that we submit to: 1) Government; 2) Those whom God puts over us as employer, pastor, etc?-

This concept is challenging, at the least.

Why is it important that we submit to employer?

My understanding: Your submission to your employer demonstrates to your employer about your faith.

As an employer we hire PT help. A very religious gal destroyed her testimony by purloining: stealing time from us by talking unnecessarily on her cell phone. After my husband confronted her she decided to quit. Her work otherwise was excellent.

Our work is to be one that works for the betterment of all who we come in contact with, regardless who it is: the gov, the pastors in the church, our spouses, our neighbor. If one is arrogant, proud, unsubmissive, rebellious it will reflect on who you claim to be. Always. It will destroy your testimony quicker then anything else. This is why submission to all authority above you is essential.

Too many folks think the best way to witness for the LORD is by preaching, teaching. This is all essential. However, one of the most effective way to preach, teach is to live it where the rubber meets the road. Too many testimonies have been destroyed by arrogance, rebellion, unsubmissiveness. It is in our work where the test of our faith comes into play. If one's faith will not enable one to withstand the pressures of work, you have demonstrated that you are nothing but a hypocrite. Too many ungodly folks have said if that is what a Christian is I never want to be one!
This is why submission to authority is essential for the furtherance of the Gospel. If the Gospel does not impact life where it meets the road it is useless.

ginnyrose

hi,ginnyrose gets an a...jimp

Yes, Ginnyrose did well.

The test is already turned in but I thought it would be a good idea to post the topics covered.

Now, let's say we see a Believer that is having an issue with like the cell phone. And the believer knows it's wrong and says, "I've tried to stop but I can't no matter how hard I try."

how would we best tell that believer the way to have victory over sin issues in a Christian's life?

To go back to my original point, the hebrew and greek definition of holiness, is to be set apart unto the lord. Not a debated point.

Being set apart unto the Lord is not a dead work, or an act of the flesh as you referred to it earlier, but rather, it is a choice made under influence of the indwelling (Holy) Spirit.

To equate holiness with an act of the flesh, is to do exactly what the pharisees did when they attributed the works of Jesus to the devil, to which Christ then told them that they were in danger of blaspheming the Holy Spirit.

Freedom from fleshly acts, dead works, or sin as you may call it, comes from absolute reliance on the spirit of God to change our desires as we submit to Him. Christ said, be ye holy, as I am holy. Or, be set apart, even as I am set apart.

I finished a book about holiness and the author explained holiness. (1) Positional sanctification as oneness with Christ (ye in Me). (2) Progressive sanctification as likeness to Christ(I in you) and personal sanctification as Fullness of Christ (much fruit).

The parable of the True Vine is a good illustration of what it means to be holy and bear fruit.I'm only a branch and i cant do nothing without the Vine and if the Father will not prune me ill not bear much fruit.

There is an objective and subjective meaning for holiness. We are chosen befor the foundation of the world to be holy and we are exhorted to "work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure". Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith but we as a nea creation in Jesus Christ our Lord need to work out our salvation with fear and trembling according to his power working in us.

2 Corinthians 3:18 - "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." Being christlike is a lifelong process starting at regenaration and continuing to the end of our lifelong journey of faith.

William Macdonald said, "a sanctified person or thing is one set apart from ordinary uses to be for God's own possession, use & enjoyment".

Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and we have been bought at the cross with the precious blood of our Saviour to be vessels of honor in the House of God."Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work." - 2Timothy 2:20,21

As for the scope of holiness it includes a complete sanctification of spirit, soul and body, "Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Sanctification is more than an experience, its a Person - Jesus Christ and Him alone is the source of our sanctification and its all by grace thru faith.

Sanctification includes consecration and surrender to God and it require a lifelong abandonement to the will of God. We die to self and the life of the flesh to live for Christ. We crucify our flesh with its passions and desires by taking up the croos and following Jesus.

Sanctification is Christ in me who is the hope of glory. We rise up with Christ to a new dimension of a higher life in Him. We fix our eyes on Jesus in glory and by faith receive his light so that we can walk in the light.

To be holy as God is holy it means to be partakers of his divine nature by believing his great and precious promises (1Peter 1:4). His divine power has enabled and granted us all things that pertain to godliness. To be holy it means to walk in the Spirit and not fulfill the desires of the flesh. It means to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

I purpose of writing another post about holiness is to admonish and exhort by brothers and sisters in the Lord, and i am being buil up also by the insights shared here.

The Scripture says, "without holiness no one shall see the Lord". We know that the works of the flesh are evil and an abomination to the Lord. It is not by might, not by power but by my Spirit says the Lord. The Holy Spirit is the Sanctifier. Is the Spirit really dwelling in us, do we have the witness of the Spirit that we are the sons of God? If we have greived and quenched the Holy Spirit, than we need to deal with us and examine ourselves in the light of God's word and confess our known sins and look by the eyes of faith to Jesus on the cross. The way to restoring the fellowship with God is always thru the cross and the blood.

The apostles addressed the believers as saints in their letters not as sinners. Christ died on the cross to save us from sin and make us saints.His blood shed on the cross once for all for us is all sufficient to cleans us from sin. Jesus is the ever present Saviour to save us from sin. He came to save his people from their sins and we are part of the chosen people of God.

Now, let's say we see a Believer that is having an issue with like the cell phone. And the believer knows it's wrong and says, "I've tried to stop but I can't no matter how hard I try."

I would love to hear your take on this question! Really!

I have read that some people are addicted to it and/or the Blackberry and its cousins. But then I do not have to look far to see it - I have a sister-in-law who is addicted to her Blackberry which contributed to her marriage failure.

how would we best tell that believer the way to have victory over sin issues in a Christian's life?

I would love to hear you answer to this question. Too many do not seem to be aware they have a problem or if they do do not care. But you said some say they cannot quit..at least they are honest. What is your suggestion?

ginnyrose