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imnowhere
Member



Joined: 2009/8/1
Posts: 69


 The big guy

Heard a bit about Samson on a couple of threads. Was he a great man of faith or great sinner?

 2009/8/3 0:54Profile
yoadam
Member



Joined: 2009/2/10
Posts: 97
OREGON

 Re: The big guy

1 Tim 1:15,
[b]15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.[/b]
Are there really any "great men?" I think if we are honest, we will all confess there is only a great God who is rich in mercy & grace towards great sinners. The Apostle Paul believes he is the chief of sinners.

Ephesians 3:7-8,
[b]7 Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.
8 Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ;[/b]
The Apostle Paul honestly believes he is "the least of all saints".

Matt. 6:11-12,
[b]11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.[/b]
We are instructed to pray daily for forgiveness of our debts to God from our Lord's prayer.

Luke 18:19,
[b]19 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God.[/b]
Jesus Himself questions a person who called Him good-- (I believe in order to search out the motives of the man's heart...)-- We know that Jesus is good because He is God. This verse is also a proof for the divinity of Jesus. However, we can see that since no one is good except God, we certainly should not be calling mere men, "good" or even great....

Luke 18:9-14,
[b]9 And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:
10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.[/b]
The Pharisees are the ones who trust in their own greatness and righteousness to maintain a (non-existent) relationship with God. Men of God will always be as the Publican, in saying, "God be merciful to me a sinner."


_________________
Adam

 2009/8/3 22:50Profile









 Re: The big guy

To imnowhere:

Samson was a man, like you and me. I remember how disappointd I was as a young man reading about Sampson spending the night with a harlot:

(Judges 16:1)

Then went Samson to Gaza, and saw there an harlot, and went in unto her.

Sampson indeed was "A he with she weakness" that cost him his eyes.

However, while he was blind, and being used as a beast of burden to grind wheat for the Phillistines, Samsons hair started to grow again. At this point of his life, at the end, after being used by God in mighty ways many times, but always slipping back into sexual sin, he finally came to his senses when he prayed to the Lord:

"And Samson called unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes."

And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood, and on which it was borne up, of the one with his right hand, and of the other with his left.

And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.

Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down, and took him, and brought him up, and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the buryingplace of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.

(Judges 16:28-31)

Samson is no different than you or me. He was a mudball, and so are we. The only good thing about him and about us is our belief and faith in Messiah, in Jesus Christ- "The One who knew no sin, but became sin for all those that believe".

Sincerely,

Walter


Quote:

imnowhere wrote:
Heard a bit about Samson on a couple of threads. Was he a great man of faith or great sinner?

 2009/8/3 23:16
yoadam
Member



Joined: 2009/2/10
Posts: 97
OREGON

 Re:

The extremely flawed man, Martin Luther, whom so many believe was a great reformer, penned his final, last words as follows:

"We are beggars; this is true."


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Adam

 2009/8/3 23:23Profile
imnowhere
Member



Joined: 2009/8/1
Posts: 69


 Re:

Not really a question about 'good' to get in heaven, save oneself etc. but rather, why is Samson considered by many to be the biggest failure in the bible yet listed by name in Heb 11? That's no small honor.

I wonder how many that have run him down would themselves have wound up in Heb 11?

What is the tension between most men's view of Samson and God's?

 2009/8/4 10:50Profile









 Re:



God is the only One who knows the hearts of men. Man does not have that knowledge. When we look at other men & women, all we see is the outside, the flesh, inherited from Adam.

Sincerely,

Walter

Quote:

imnowhere wrote:
Not really a question about 'good' to get in heaven, save oneself etc. but rather, why is Samson considered by many to be the biggest failure in the bible yet listed by name in Heb 11? That's no small honor.

I wonder how many that have run him down would themselves have wound up in Heb 11?

What is the tension between most men's view of Samson and God's?

 2009/8/4 12:36









 Re:

Oh... sorry... I saw the title "The Big Guy" and I thought this was a thread about me!

Sorry 'bout that!

Krispy

 2009/8/4 16:55
imnowhere
Member



Joined: 2009/8/1
Posts: 69


 Re:

Phil Johnson did a sermon titled, 'How to fail as a Son' about Samson. No comments on why this seemingly despised man is listed by name in Heb 11?

 2009/8/4 19:37Profile
Theophila
Member



Joined: 2007/1/15
Posts: 365


 Re: Why Samson in the Hall of Faith

What waltern said....


_________________
Tolu

 2009/8/4 20:45Profile
imnowhere
Member



Joined: 2009/8/1
Posts: 69


 Re:

Quote:
God is the only One who knows the hearts of men. Man does not have that knowledge. When we look at other men & women, all we see is the outside, the flesh, inherited from Adam.



That would be a fine answer if I asked about a neighbour, Waltern or another poster, but the question is about Samson whom God has decided to chronicle his life (much of it) and then record his name in the 'hall of faith'.

It seems God has more for us to learn from these men than, 'nobody knows but God'.

If that were true, the church would have no business studying any men of the bible.

Examples they are.

Food for thought: Why do pastors berate the man God listed in the hall of faith as they do? What is different about him? Why do none of the others (except by a fraction, Issac) get near the lashing that Samson does?

He's the only man in all of scripture, other than Christ, that is never once aided by another in all his warfare of the deliverance God called him to start.

Seems he's still somewhat left alone today.

 2009/8/5 0:33Profile





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