Are our actions influenced by our carnality or Satan?

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by OP_Carl

Yes.

Occasionally they are influenced by God.

So true!

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by Chewy

People don't necessarily have to be part of the church in order to give, in fact, very little of this story even has to do with the church.

That is a good point, although the scripture leaves you believing they were a part, IMO.

Perhaps they were wanting the fishes and loaves and not the cross.

[DividedThigh]

it can happen both ways, some things we do are a result of our own carnality, and in some cases it is the devil, but that old the devil made me do it thing, wont fly at the judgement, it is us, no joke, dt good post

[Felicity]

Originally Posted by RevDWW

Influenced yes, made them no. If the legion that possessed the man in the tombs could not keep him from Jesus, just how much power do they have? The enemy's greatest tools is lying.

I like DWW's comments (as I so often do).

[tbpew]

Kinda of an interesting journey in thought here.
It evokes in my thinking a need to consider causation and opportunity, within a singularly responsible entity.

Jesus told the folks in John 8 that their (his audience of scribes?) father is the devil and that they are from BELOW.

If carnal-mindedness is the realm in which Satan has influence, when the carnal-mind makes a conclusion and acts upon that conclusion, it does so from a heart that given space to the tempter to bare fruit from within the subject/vessel.

So who is responsible, the tempter or the vessel. Obviously BOTH, otherwise there would be no Lake of Fire or a need for a redeemer.

If a demonic force is in possession of a vessel, the "devil made you do it". But this is not the likely condition/setting that involved the Congregation of Israel and Aaron when Moses came down from the mountain. Even this may not limit what CHOICES are available deliverence for the person/vessel possessed but I do not think the poor guy whose son was injuring himself and burning himself was making those choices to do so (since no man hateth his own flesh).

The responsible entity has to be the individuals whose hearts were needing a visible god to approach, but without the tempter, their imaginations would not have taken the gold (which God told them to borrow from the Egyptians) and fashioned the calf.

God leaves these opportunities in our lives so that our own hearts can be revealed to our own selves NOT as a type of "canary in the mines" for the presence of demonic forces.

[Felicity]

Originally Posted by tbpew

So who is responsible, the tempter or the vessel. Obviously BOTH, otherwise there would be no Lake of Fire or a need for a redeemer.

Agreed.

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by tbpew

Kinda of an interesting journey in thought here.
It evokes in my thinking a need to consider causation and opportunity, within a singularly responsible entity.

Jesus told the folks in John 8 that their (his audience of scribes?) father is the devil and that they are from BELOW.

If carnal-mindedness is the realm in which Satan has influence, when the carnal-mind makes a conclusion and acts upon that conclusion, it does so from a heart that given space to the tempter to bare fruit from within the subject/vessel.

So who is responsible, the tempter or the vessel. Obviously BOTH, otherwise there would be no Lake of Fire or a need for a redeemer.

If a demonic force is in possession of a vessel, the "devil made you do it". But this is not the likely condition/setting that involved the Congregation of Israel and Aaron when Moses came down from the mountain.

The responsible entity has to be the individuals whose hearts were needing a visible god to approach, but without the tempter, their imaginations would not have taken the gold (which God told them to borrow from the Egyptians) and fashioned the calf.

God leaves these opportunities in our lives so that our own hearts can be revealed to our own selves NOT as a type of "canary in the mines" for the presence of demonic forces.

Very deep, tbpew.

Hmmmm,......

So, you are saying that the dishonesty was already in the hearts of the people of Israel, Ananias and Sapphira and Satan saw opportunity to advance that further.

Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Eph 4:27 Neither give place to the devil.

[tbpew]

Originally Posted by Pressing-On

Very deep, tbpew.

Hmmmm,......

So, you are saying that the dishonesty was already in the hearts of the people of Israel, Ananias and Sapphira and Satan saw opportunity to advance that further.

Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Eph 4:27 Neither give place to the devil.

I am a firm believer that the entire equity and wisdom of God is to:
1. Provide space and a means for us to see our own hearts revealed
2. Provide space and a means for us to have a heart transplant
3. Provide space for us to grow with this new heart (aka "mindedness")
4. provide a means that our lives will be judged by our own journey

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by tbpew

I am a firm believer that the entire equity and wisdom of God is to:
1. Provide space and a means for us to see our own hearts revealed
2. Provide space and a means for us to have a heart transplant
3. Provide space for us to grow with this new heart (aka "mindedness")
4. provide a means that our lives will be judged by our own journey

Excellent! I agree!

[Barb]

Originally Posted by Pressing-On

I was following the thread by Bro. Strange - "Any One Know What This Scripture Means?"

Being that a lot of things are being discussed there, I especially wanted to focus on this portion of the discussion.

I was reading in Acts 5, concerning Ananias and Sapphira. I found it interesting that Peter would say in Acts 5:3, "But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?

I heard Jeff Arnold saying, once, that we didn't understand. It is the Devil that is working with people's minds.

It seems, IMO, that we would normally view Ananias and Sapphira as just being selfish and carnal, but the Bible says that "Satan filled their hearts to lie.""

So, is everything we do influenced by Satan?

Here's a post I was working off of - courtesy of Digging!




Thanks for the imput!

Good thread, PO...

While reading the comments of others, this Scripture dropped in my inner beings...

James 1:14

14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
KJV

Not sure where this verse is leading us here, but wanted to share it anyway...