[quote=CaptArab]
If you've seen Jesus, you've seen the father.
There is no other antiseptically judicially holy disappointed distant dirty hiding behind Jesus' back....
Jesus is in every single person right now. Ask him.
I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in Me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers. Such branches are gathered up, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.…
So, no. He is not in all nor are all in Him.
Thats why many need to pray and ask Him to come into them, their heart, that they may believe and be reborn.
All are not reborn. Some will never be. They will go to hell, and He will not be in or go with them. They will suffer the ultimate misery, and that will be to be eternally seperated from Him.
You know this of course, but for anyone reading this without going back to my quote of Cpt. Ahab....
The way the box says me, then quotes him without my response, will be confusing. At midnight I guess my last statement was probably confusing to most too. 😉
The reason I mentioned that is that I don't agree that Christ lives in every person. I'm not sure what he was saying with the other statement. It sounded like he doesn't believe in the unique unity and distinct persons of God...Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
I might be wrong, so was asking him.
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Anyhow, it looks like your quote is from John 15, if I'm not mistaken. When I read it, I try to determine if Jesus is speaking to His disciples about how to walk with Him and bear fruit as believers or if He is giving a salvation teaching. The gospel of John is focused a lot on salvation, more than any other, so I think I see where you are coming from.
When He says,
"If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned."
I ask myself, who casts unbelievers into hell?
Are there any other passages that talk of men gathering others and throwing them into hell?
7
"If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you."
This is a conditional prayer promise to those who abide in the words. It reminds me of the end of Matthew 6 and many other promises to believers.
He goes onto say,
"8
Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples."
Not all believers are disciples.
Discipleship occurs with christian growth like bearing fruit and putting His words first.
Since unbelievers don't bear good fruit. God isn't telling them to bear more. I think this part of the chapter is written to believers.
As to salvation, I think you are on the right track by going to John. We just finished studying the book.
Do you happen to know how many times the word believe, believes (ed), (th) are used in that one gospel alone?
