My Brothers And Sisters In Christ, Could You Help Me Out With These Questions?

Question

Hello to all my brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ! I hope you are all doing well.

I have some questions, however, these questions are only for those who are mature in the faith, who have been Christians for awhile, and who know their Bible really, really well. No offense, but I am looking for solid answers, not conjecture and personal opinion. I hope you will understand. Also, please back up your statements with Scripture. Thanks!

1. Do ghosts exist, or are they really demon spirits? I know that the words "ghost" and "ghosts" are mentioned in the Bible and I also know that the Bible says that people die once and after that comes judgment. However, the subject of ghosts has always been a source of confusion for me as a Christian, and I am hoping that someone can put this confusion to rest for me once and for all with answers from the Bible.

To be continued. If you could, please wait until I have asked all of my questions, or come back later for the others. Thanks!

2. God's will for our life and God's purpose for our life. Same, different, and why?

3. Is God's will the same for all Christians, like confessing our sins and seeking his forgiveness when we sin (1 John 1:9), and obeying his commandments if we love him (John 14:15, 21)?

4. If the two *are* different, then does God's purpose for our life have to do with knowing our spiritual gifts? If so, how does one go about discerning one's own spiritual gifts and putting them to use for God's Kingdom?

5. Is praising God and worshiping God the same, or are they different? If they are different, *how* are they different?

6. What does it mean to...?

A. Examine ourselves to be sure we are in the faith? What should one be looking for specifically?

B. Strive to enter through the narrow gate?

C. To deny one's self and pick up our cross daily and follow Christ? What are we to deny specifically?

D. Love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength?

7. What does it mean to work out our salvation with fear and trembling as the Bible talks about?

Thanks for your help everyone. It is greatly appreciated!

If you would, please address each question separately. Thanks again.

CM,

Your screen name is "Captain Macaroni"...and you call *me* five years old!:D

yeppers,

No, I mean ghost ghosts. Please feel free to post again. Thanks!

Answer 1

I will attempt to answer each question, but I will warn you in advance that the answer will be long. I will give you biblical quotes but I will expect you to look them up yourself.

1. The wages of sin is death. But God, who alone is immortal, will grant eternal life to His redeemed. Until that day death is an unconscious state for all people. When Christ, who is our life, appears, the resurrected righteous and the living righteous will be glorified and caught up to meet their Lord. The second resurrection, the resurrection of the unrighteous, will take place a thousand years later. (Rom. 6:23; 1 Tim. 6:15, 16; Eccl. 9:5, 6; Ps. 146:3, 4; John 11:11-14; Col. 3:4; 1 Cor. 15:51-54; 1 Thess. 4:13-17; John 5:28, 29; Rev. 20:1-10.)
God never promised eternal life to the wicked. The soul is something you are not something you have. Body and breath = soul (Genesis 2:7) Even animals are called souls (Revelation 16:3) Attempting to contact the dead is strictly forbidden eg, Saul and the witch of Endor (Isa. 8:19, Lev 19:31) Saul did not see Samuel come up from the grave, but a demon (evil angel) who was immitating Samuel. God forbade contact with the dead to protect us from the lies of spiritualism which is the realm of Satan.

2. God has revealed His will to us through Jesus Christ, to love the Lord with all our heart, souls and minds, and to love our neighbors as ourselves( Matt 22:37-40). To do justly, love mercy, walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8) To spread the gospel to the world (Matthew 28:18-20) God's will and God's purpose are one and the same although he may have different plans for each one to bring about His perfect will or purpose. Not all are evangelists or healers or teachers or speak in tongues, or prophesize. But, all work in unity in the body of Christ with Christ as the head to bring about the maturation of the church to fulfill the purpose of God

3. God's will is not only the same for all Christians, it is the same for all people. He does not wish any to perish, and that all might come to a knowledge of Him so they can be saved (2 Peter 3:9)

4. Spiritual gifts are given to each Christian by the Holy Spirit according as He sees fit. They are to be used for the maturing of the church into the full measure of Christ so that the message of the gospel can be proclaimed with power and unity. Spiritual gifts are discussed in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4. Our lives are linked with the purpose of God in that we are yoked with Christ in the work of the gospel. When we are baptized we are dead to self and alive in Christ. His mission becomes our mission, that is the salvation of lost souls. To this end, we are equipped with gifts from the Spirit to enable us to work for God. Each person has at least one gift and most have many gifts. As with the body, not all gifts are the same or equal. However, each is important to the function of the church. There are tests that you can take to find out what your specific gifts are. Ask your pastor. However, if he does not have them, ask others in your church what they perceive your gifts to be. They will give you an objective answer. You will find that your gifts are usually in areas that you have strength. Are you a strong teacher? Do you feel the call to evangelism? Faith is a gift. Love also. Are you someone who has the gift of generousity? The gift of helps? God will reveal your gift to you if you ask for it. In addition, gifts are to be nurtured with effort from you. You can not teach unless you have studied, for example.

5. Praise is a form of worship, but worship is more than praise. All praise of God is worship, but all worship is not praise. Other forms of worship are: gifts of tithes and offerings, prayer, petition, repentance, thanksgiving, studying the Word of God, studying the Creator through nature, obedience to the law of God.

6a. Examining oneself means to compare our lives with the life of Christ, our example. This is the purpose of the law, a mirror to examine our characters. This why David said that in the law does he meditate day and night. The law of the Lord is perfect converting the soul. The testimonies of the Lord are right, making wise the simple. The law has no power to save, but leads us to calvary by making us realize our helplessness to save ourselves, and points us to a Redeemer.

6b. Striving to enter through the narrow gates refers to not following the crowd through the easy way. God calls us to a life of self-denial, looking always to Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, putting away earthly desires and laying up our treasure in heaven. This is not easy in a materialistic society that espoused the here and now. The way of the world is wide and easy. Take up your cross and follow me says the Saviour. All who follow Christ will ultimately face persecution. Truly, the way of the cross is steep and narrow and few there be that find it. But, the rewards are eternal. It is not enough to say, I believe. Even Satan and his demons believe in God. Faith that does not bring forth works is like a tree that bears no fruit. Why encombereth the ground? True faith will bring forth fruit.

6c. Denying self, I believe was covered above. Specifically, the materialism of the world, the lust of the flesh, overindulgence in appetite, any sin that separates you from God. We are to be in the world but not of the world. Lay up your treasures in heaven where moth and dust do not corrupt.

6d. Loving God is our first and and most important obligation. This mean nothing comes before Him. He is our Creator, our Sustainer, our Recreator. In Him we have our substance and move and breath. Worship of God was given for our protection because God knew that within us is the inherent need to worship something. In God we have eternity, a lasting relationship with the source of life. Nothing else can offer that, not money, sex, earthly achievements, the praise of men, drugs, alcohol, jobs, not even children or spouses. All these are temporary.

7. Working out your salvation with fear and trembling means to allow God access to your life, understanding the inablility to work your way to heaven, you offer God control of your life. For it is God that worketh in you to do will and to do His good pleasure (Phil 2:13) It is God that justifies us and God that sanctifies us. Both are His works. But we must resist temptation. God can not make that choice for us. God will not allow us to be tempted above that which we are able to bear, but with each temptation will make a way of escape (1 Cor 10:13) We are to offer up our lives a living sacrifice to Him to do with as He pleases, to fulfill His eternal purposes. We are to not use His name in vain, calling ourselves Christians if our desires match the desires of the world. We should not consider ourselves saved because of one declaration, but seek God daily, surrendering daily, walking with God lest we be lost and cast off from the Root, our life source. We are to grow in the grace and knowledge of God, running the race toward the eternal prize, not trusting in our good works for salvation, but looking to the righteousness of Christ, and laboring for lost souls.

I apologize again for the length of the answer. God bless you as you seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness

Answer 2

well, bcooper i guess it depends on which translation one uses.

some Bibles use the word ghost and others use spirit and some Bibles use both.

Job 14:10 But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where [is] he?

Mar 15:37 And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.

oh btw .. i've had some interesting experiences concerning "ghosts". i can't say i know exactly what it was i thought i saw but my pet theory is "time line bleed through". perhaps a "ghost" is a spot in which parallel time lines intersect and one catches a glimpse of activity from a previous or future time which is, of course, running parallel and simultaneously to your present tense. the "ghost also being in it's present tense. (precognition (prophecy) may occur due to a similar kind of phenom.)

fun stuff to imagine but there is absolutely no way to prove out such a theory.

isn't it strange that some Christians are offended by the use of the word "ghost" which is INDEED IN THE BIBLE (depending on the version) but have no problem with the word "spirit". what's the difference between a "ghost" and a "spirit"? none. a "ghost" is a disembodied "spirit". irksome nit picky Christians even try to enforce some kind of silly political correctness on the word "ghost". "ghost" "spirit" same thing. maybe the word "ghost" isn't printed in the version of the Bible you use but like it or not the word "ghost" is in the Bible.

Answer 3

Good question, when we die we are supposed to ascend to the light ( assuming u were faithful to God, and loving of mankind ), now in my mind, ghosts haven't chosen to ascend yet. God doesn't seem to make us do anything, everything is free will. Even going to heaven. I do believe that they still have the chance to go home, but at the risk of sounding "Hollywood", perhaps they had unfinished business or people they love that they can't leave. I'm sorry I cannot give u scripture for that, it's just my gut telling me.

But no I don't think they're demons.

Answer 4

Ghosts' is NOT in the Bible, and I believe you KNOW that.
Demons do exist and are very real. They will put thoughts in your head, they will make things fail to work, they make you do clumsy things, when you are trying really hard to not make a mess,.. and so on.

Will and purpose are the same--you can see that.

I praise God, by saying, "Praise God", I praise Him with the things I do FOR Him.
I worship Him at church---this is when my mind is on nothing else, but the sermon, or the Bible, if I am reading it.
I worship Him by the things I do for Him also.
Praise and Worship may be the same, yet different.
I praise Him in song, in the choir, I worship the One Who gave Me Salvation!!

Praise God!
I'm getting fired up talking about God!! I LOVE God-- He is sooo good!

We deny ourselves, by forgetting about ourselves and look toward the cross and the One who gave us Salvation.

Answer 5

yes a ghost or Spirit is a person without their body,some are earthbound and become familiar spirits while others have fear and left over things holding them back the rest of us move onward and upward. when jesus returns they will have no where to hide. Demons are completely different as some are fallen angels and some are the unjudged spirits of the giant races at the second recreation of the world Genese speaks of this saying the sons of God came unto the earth and found the daughters of comely and mated with them and there were giants in the land. their spirits were judged but sided with lucifer who is known as Satan.

Answer 6

Ghost are most definitely real, and no they're not demons. There's mounting scientific evidence that proves it, Yes, I said Scientific, and I know how much Xian fundie wackos just love that word, and exactly how they'll respond. They're so predictable, they never offer anything new. Forget what the bible says, its nothing but propaganda put together by the Council of Nicea in 325.

Answer 7

Yes we must be completely satisfied in all we do. Let all that ye do be performed in love. I Corinthians sixteen:14 The American Standard Version Real Christian persuade others to serve God via their tradition being proven to others. That ye is also innocent and innocent, the sons of God, with out rebuke, in the middle of a crooked and perverse country, amongst whom ye shine as lighting on the planet; Philippians two:15 King James Version Holding forth the phrase of lifestyles; that I might have a good time within the day of Christ, that I have now not run in useless, neither worked in useless. Philippians two:sixteen King James Version

Answer 8

No indications that ghosts exsist in the Bible. But it acts as a way for people to deal with the earliest stages of grief so good for them. And some people just believe in them anyway. Not such a great sin, really. I don't think demons wander the earth. What would be their purpose?

Answer 9

I don't recall anything about ghosts in the New Testament, except that Jesus' apostles feared that Christ was a ghost when he was walking on the water.

There is no mention of a ghost regarding Lazarus, but Lazarus was indeed dead and was indeed returned to life. Where his spirit was in the meantime, it doesn't say.

Answer 10

The Bible does not have all the answers you seek. The bible is just a book. I think if you really want an answer you should pray for the answer. And it will come to you Just have faith. Just keep searching........

Answer 11

I know you said wait but please try this site for some answers.
www.amazingfacts.org
it will give text and verse for everything plus it saves me from all that cut and paste work.
Ecclesiastes 9:5 & 6 is a good starting place for your first question.