ATTENTION: If you have sent us a
WRAP during
January or February, we must apologize that we haven't answered you.
During these months we have been very busy helping with the repair of last
year's hurricane damage to our facilities. For this reason, the
WRAPs piled up
and then we experienced problems with our computers and lost most of the
WRAPs.
If you do not see your
WRAP
AROUND, you can simply check the "sent"
folder in your mailbox and resend your
WRAP.
Again, we apologize for the inconvenience.
To our Cyber-visitors: the
following WRAP
is one of several that we have received from Mr. Islami. In all of
them he quotes quite extensively the Quran and the Bible. In this
WRAP
he is apparently trying to use the Word of God to prove
that Jesus is not God, but only a man. Although this
WRAP
is a little long, we're putting it up in its entirety before we make our
comments. Also, we're inserting some Scripture that he apparently
overlooked alongside the ones he has quoted. The Scripture we've
inserted will be highlighted. In addition, I'm sure our visitors can
find applicable Scripture that we have overlooked.
MOHAMMAD ISLAMI WROTE:
IS CHRIST GOD!?! BUT GOD IS GREATER!
[John - Chapter 14]
28: Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you.
If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for
my Father is greater than I.
[John - Chapter 13]
16: Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his
lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
20: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send
receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
[John - Chapter 17]
3: And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God,
and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
John 1: 1 In the
beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with
God. 3 All things were made by him;
and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
5 And the light shineth in darkness;
and the darkness comprehended it not... 10 He was in the world, and the world
was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11
He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to
become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
13 Which were born, not of blood, nor
of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word was made flesh, and
dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten
of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
[John - Chapter 12]
44: Jesus cried and said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but
on him that sent me. 45: And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.
John 3: 10
Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest
not these things? 11
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that
we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
12 If I have
told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell
you of heavenly things? 13
And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven,
even the Son of man which is in heaven. 14
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son
of man be lifted up: 15
That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
16
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.
17
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the
world through him might be saved. 18
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is
condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only
begotten Son of God. 19
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men
loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
20
For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light,
lest his deeds should be reproved. 21
But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made
manifest, that they are wrought in God.
[John - Chapter 7]
28: Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me,
and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is
true, whom ye know not. 29: But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath
sent me.
-----------------
[2 Peter - Chapter 3]
16: As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which
are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and
unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own
destruction.
17: Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest
ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own
stedfastness.
-------------------
[Luke - Chapter 21]
41: And he said unto them, How say they that Christ is David's son? 42: And
David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit
thou on my right hand, 43: Till I make thine enemies thy footstool.
* "God" said to "God", "sit thou on my right hand" !
Hebrews 10: 1 For the
law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the
things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year
continually make the comers thereunto perfect. 2
For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the
worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
3 But in those sacrifices there is a
remembrance again made of sins every year. 4
For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away
sins. 5 Wherefore when he cometh into
the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body
hast thou prepared me: 6 In burnt
offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the
volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
Matthew 1: 23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a
son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God
with us.
I John 2: 20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know
all things. 21 I have not written unto
you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie
is of the truth. 22 Who is a liar but
he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the
Father and the Son.
I John 4: 1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits
whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the
world. 2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of
God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is
of God: 3 And every spirit that
confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and
this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should
come; and even now already is it in the world.
II John 1: 7 - For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess
not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an
antichrist.
[Luke - Chapter 6]
12: And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to
pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
* "God" pray to himself ! (If you deny Christ prayers then how could you
believe on bible text !?)
[John - Chapter 17]
23: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and
that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou
hast loved me.
"God" sent "God" ! (how much "God" do we have !?)
[John - Chapter 15]
1: I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
3: Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4: Abide
in me, and I in you.
5: I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him,
the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
* Who is "vine" and who is "husbandman" !?
[John - Chapter 14]
1: Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
6: Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man
cometh unto the Father, but by me. 7: If ye had known me, ye should have
known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.
* Should I believe in "God" and "God" !?
* If I know "God" then I know "God"!
[Acts 3]
15: And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead;
whereof we are witnesses.
[Acts 5]
29: Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey
God rather than men. 30: The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye
slew and hanged on a tree. 31: Him hath God exalted with his right hand to
be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness
of sins.
32: And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost,
whom God hath given to them that obey him.
"God" raised up "God" form dead !
"God" give "God" to them that obey "God" !
JOHN 10: 14
I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
15
As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life
for the sheep. 16
And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring,
and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
17
Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might
take it again. 18
No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay
it down, and I have power to take it again...
24 Then came the Jews
round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If
thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.25
Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in
my Father's name, they bear witness of me.
26 But ye
believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
27
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither
shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which
gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of
my Father's hand. 30
I and my Father are one.
Colossians 2: 6 As ye
have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
7 Rooted and built up in him, and
stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with
thanksgiving. 8 Beware lest any man
spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men,
after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead
bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him,
which is the head of all principality and power:
I Timothy 3: 14 These
things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:
15 But if I tarry long, that thou
mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which
is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
16 And without controversy great is
the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the
Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the
world, received up into glory.
----------------------------------------
Unfortunately, there are confusion about "words" (such as: Father, Son,
Lord, ...) as there were confusion what the "Word of God" means and it was
changed to "Son of God" consider to Greek background. (... It likes unto a
"Leopard"! ... )
If "Son" created by "Father" then he would not be "God" because he is
created (limited).
If "Son" has not created then he is not son but the "Father" or the same as
the Father (Two "Gods").
< Or say both "are" one person! >
If "Son" separated ("begotten") from "Father" then it means "Father" is
divided to two and "Changed" (none of them would be unlimited anymore ... ).
* Surely you can not both believe in first to third commandment of Ten and
believe in Christ is God simultaneously! (else, you deceive yourself!)
Hebrews 1: 1
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the
fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in
these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of
all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3
Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person,
and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself
purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:
4 Being made so much better than the
angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
5 For unto which of the angels said he
at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee?
Micah 5: 2
But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of
Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in
Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
3 Therefore will he give them up,
until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth: then the
remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.
John 8: 52 Then
said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead,
and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never
taste of death. 53 Art thou greater
than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom
makest thou thyself? 54 Jesus
answered,
If I honour myself, my honour is
nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your
God:
55 Yet ye have
not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall
be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying.
56
Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
57 Then said the Jews unto him,
Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
58 Jesus said unto them,
Verily, verily, I say unto you,
Before Abraham was, I am.
59 Then took they up stones to cast at
him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the
midst of them, and so passed by.
John 17: 5
And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which
I had with thee before the world was... 24 Father, I will that they also, whom
thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory,
which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the
world.
Hebrews 7: 1 For this
Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham
returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;
2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth
part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after
that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace; 3
Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of
days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest
continually....
20 And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest:
21 (For those priests were made
without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord
sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of
Melchisedec:) 22 By so much was Jesus
made a surety of a better testament. 23
And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue
by reason of death: 24 But this man,
because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.
25 Wherefore he is able also to save
them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to
make intercession for them. 26 For
such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate
from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; 27
Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first
for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he
offered up himself. ----------------------------------------
[Luke - Chapter 24]
19: And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning
Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God
and all the people:
[1 Peter - Chapter 1]
23: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the
word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
[John - Chapter 17]
17: Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
[John - Chapter 1]
14: And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his
glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and
truth.
[Revelation 19]
13: And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is
called The Word of God.
[1 John 5:7]
"For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and
the Holy Ghost: and these three are one."
* "one" in what ?
[John - Chapter 7]
16: Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that
sent me. 17: If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine,
whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. 18: He that speaketh of
himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him,
the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.
[John - Chapter 5]
46: For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of
me. 47: But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?
[Revelation - Chapter 14]
12: Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the
commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
[Luke - Chapter 9]
20: He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The
Christ of God.
[John - Chapter 13]
31: Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man
glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32: If God be glorified in him, God
shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him. 33:
Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as
I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.
[Jude - Chapter 1]
4: For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old
ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God
into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus
Christ.
25: To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and
power, both now and ever. Amen.
[Titus - Chapter 3]
4: But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man
appeared,
5: Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his
mercy he saved us, by the washing of
regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6: Which he shed on us
abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
-------------------
[sura 4 : 171]
O people of book! do not transgress the limits of your religion and do not
say about God except the truth. The Messiah Jesus the son of Mary was a
messenger of God and His word that He had sent to Mary and a spirit from
Him. Therefore you shall believe in God and His messengers. You shall not
say Trinity. You shall refrain from this for your own good. God is the only
god. Be He glorified; He is much too glorious to have a son. To Him belongs
everything in the heavens and everything on earth. God suffices as Lord and
Master.
[sura 3 : 45]
The angels said O Mary God gives you good news: a Word from Him whose name
is `The Messiah Jesus the son of Mary. He will be prominent in this life and
in the Hereafter and one of those closest to Me.'
[sura 5 : 17]
Certainly disbelieve indeed are those who say that God is the Messiah the
son of Mary. Say Who then could control anything as against God if He will
to destroy the Messiah son of Mary and his mother and everyone on earth? To
God belongs the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth and everything
between them. He creates whatever He will. God has power over all things.
DON
WROTE:
As I look at the logic you used to choose your Scriptures, it appears
that you have a few problems with your approach to the Bible.
The
foundation for your logic is quite common to man...i.e., grandmother's knee/lap
of learning.
That is, most all of the children born into this world are taught by their parents
and grandparents a way to live. Most all of these ways include some
form of religion and, of course, the parents and grandparents all believe in
the ways that they have been taught. In turn, they teach them
to their own children. Of course, everyone caught up in this
cycle believes their religion to be "right" while all other religions are "wrong."
If we will think it through, surely we can see that there is something wrong with this approach!
As I read your
WRAP,
it seems to me that you are approaching the Bible with
the intent of making it agree with what you have been taught. To do
so, it appears that you are trying to apply
logic and reason...but these tools are inadequate and faulty when
we think on spiritual things. In the natural, think about how our bodies feed us
false data so that we can function in this world. For example, even
though we are hurling through space at a tremendous rate and even though the earth we
are standing on is far from still--spinning in a complete rotation once
every 24 hours, yet we feel as though we are standing still on a solid
unmoving earth. This has been accomplish by a Divine adjustment of the
inner ear so that we perceive things in a way that they are not! Likewise, the natural
man, too, has been subjected to limitations which limit his understanding of
things in the spiritual realm.
An example of our limitations is the omnipresence of God: i.e., He is
everywhere at the same time. At first, this seems easy to grasp until
you consider just what "everywhere" entails. How much space does God
fill? Well, if we were able to travel in a geometric straight line in
any given direction, we would have to travel forever and still find no end
for who is out there to tell God He must stop!?! Then there's the
matter of his eternity. How can God always have been? With our
limited reasoning, there must first be something to make something or there
can be nothing! In other words, our reasoning tells us that it is
impossible for us to be here, yet we are. Our natural logic, like our inner ear,
gives us false information--so do we dare trust the future well-being of our soul
in the life to come to such faulty logic??? The Bible has much to say
about the spiritual understanding of the natural man. Here are some
examples.
Isaiah
55: 8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither
are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than
your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
I
Corinthians 2: 11 For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the
spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man,
but the Spirit of God. 12 Now we
have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of
God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God... 14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit
of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned.
John 12: 37 But though he had done so many miracles before
them, yet they believed not on him: 38
That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he
spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of
the Lord been revealed? 39
Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again,
40 He hath blinded their eyes, and
hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor
understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.
41 These things said Esaias, when
he saw his glory, and spake of him.
I understand your having trouble grasping the concept of the Trinity: i.e., God the
Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit--the three being individuals,
yet one. This is
not unusual for it falls into the same category as "Where did God come
from?" Some things we are not intended to understand. But God
does want us to understand His Love for us. That's why Christ had to
come to this earth and die the awful death of the Cross. As the
songwriter put it: it wasn't the nails, but love that held Jesus to the
Cross.
I also see that you are having trouble with Christ's humanity, how that
He entered into this life being born of a virgin, and how that He willing
submitted himself to the way of life His heavenly Father had laid down for
mankind. But he had a reason for this.
Hebrews 2: 17 Wherefore in all things
it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a
merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make
reconciliation for the sins of the people.
Hebrews
4: 14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is
passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our
profession. 15 For we have not an high
priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was
in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace,
that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
It is important that we understand that God the Father did not create
God the Son. When Christ came to this earth, He did so by laying aside
His divinity and taking on Himself the form of man. He did this so
that He could experience what we go through; and so that we can know Him to
be a caring and understanding Savior--One who endured all temptation and was
without sin. He also did this to be our example: obeying every command
and wish of God, being careful to give His heavenly Father all the glory for
those things He did, and being careful to rely totally upon God for the
power to do good. This is why He always prayed before He did anything
in the flesh.
There is much more I could say about the divinity of Christ,
but I'll defer to B'Ann.
I'll finished by saying that
I hope I have given you enough to show you that you cannot use the Bible
to justify the teachings of Islam--for in truth, they are direct opposites.
Just one example of this would be how that
your god would have you to kill and destroy. This is not the nature of
the God of the Holy Scriptures. In fact, one of God's names is Love.
(I John 4:16 - And we have
known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that
dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.)
Also, Jesus commanded us to love our
neighbor and our enemy and to do good unto those who despitefully use us.
How can killing or maiming someone who disagrees with your adopted belief be
an act of love??? Indeed, the God of the Bible in no way even suggests
that we should have our children to die for Him!!! The truth is, He
send His only Begotten Son into this world, born of a virgin, to live a
perfect life and die a perfect and unblemished sacrifice for our sins.
In the light of such glaring contradictions, I find it hard to understand how you think you can use the Scriptures
to justify Sura and the writings associated with Mohammad--especially when
the Book of Revelation
plainly says:
Revelation 22: 18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of
the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall
add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the
book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life,
and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this
book. 20 He which testifieth these
things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
B'ANN WROTE:
God knew the beginning from the end.
He discussed all of this with the Trinity: God, Jesus and Holy Spirit.
Why is it hard to accept Jesus as the Only Begotten Son of God?
Perhaps this can be answered by the mandate given by God Himself. He
says that Jesus was "born of a virgin." This is what we have to accept
as the underlying difference between Christ and the prophets that followed
Him. Other prophets cannot make this claim. This is not intended as a
"worship Mother Mary" message for she did nothing that a born again
Christian cannot do. She carried Him in the flesh form. We carry
Him in the Spirit form. We sometimes have to move further into the
Spiritual realm than she. Many Christians have to die when they "carry
the Word." She did not. Why would you chance all of eternity for
a prophet that is earth/earthly??? Man has tried to live by rules,
creeds, building of towers, false deities, etc. Rules can make the world a
better place as long as the rules are good and fair, and can be kept. However, someone
always comes along and makes a new set of rules and restrictions. The
only "rules" in the New Testament can be found in these Scriptures:
John 3:1
- There
was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2
The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou
art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou
doest, except God be with him. 3
Jesus answered and said unto him,
Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a
man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4
Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter
the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? 5
Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of
water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
John
3:16 - 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 3:18 -
He that believeth on
him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already,
because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of
God.
Matthew 1:23 - Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall
bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being
interpreted is, God with us.
Matthew 16:17 - And Jesus answered and said unto him,
Blessed art
thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto
thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
I Corinthians 15:50 - Now this I
say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of
God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
(Parallel
explanation of the Trinity. When people build a house, they choose an
architect, contractor and themselves as the group that will decide what will
be built. . Each one takes their particular tools and build the house.
The architect can say to his associates, "Look at the house I am
building". So can the contractor and and the owner. Together
they are creating a house. One has the deed to the house and land.
But the other two designed and constructed the house. God throughout
the Scriptures tries to explain how He, Jesus and the Holy Spirit create
"worlds without end". Ownership is not an issue with the Trinity
because they all share equally.)