angels

[m0use]

what makes us different to them?

they know good and bad too.. why can they not sin, but we do?

wouldnt they get more then us for lasting all these yrs with not sinning? (Jesus didnt die for them right?)

n if some dont sin, why couldnt one of them just die for us?

lots of questions :P
google == no help
thanks

[bopeep1909]

mOuse, I am going to post several responses from Rev. Billy Graham. These might be helpful.

http://www.billygraham.org/search.asp?search=angels&x=15&y=13

Above is the website if you are interested.




My niece has gotten very interested in angels, and she told me the other day that she often prays to the angels and asks them to help her and direct her when she has decisions to make. Is this what the Bible says we should do? -- Mrs. D.F.


Dear Mrs. D.F.:
No, it is not -- and the reason is because we don't need to come to the angels, or to any other creature, to guide us. If we know Christ, we have everything we need in Him, and He alone is the one to whom we should come.

After all, when Jesus was taken into heaven after His resurrection, He was given His rightful place of authority at the right hand of God. Now, the Bible says, He intercedes for us -- and He is all we need, because He loves us and we are His special concern. The Bible says, "Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them" (Hebrews 7:25).

Yes, God has given us the unseen angels, who are "ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation" (Hebrews 1:14). But we are not to worship them or pray to them. When the Apostle John fell down to worship the angel who had been sent to tell him about the future, the angel rebuked him and said, "Do not do it! ... Worship God!" (Revelation 22:9).

Let your niece know you appreciate her interest in spiritual things but urge her to turn to Christ, and to trust Him alone for her salvation. He alone is "the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1 Corinthians 1:24).




© 2002 Tribune Media Services from Billy Graham's January 22, 2004 "My Answer" syndicated

[bopeep1909]

When were the angels created? Or have they always existed, just as God has always existed? I've always been curious about this. -- M.McK.


Dear M.McK.:
The Bible doesn't say exactly when angels were created -- but they haven't always existed in the same way God has. God has no beginning, but the angels did.

The Bible does indicate, however, that the angels were created long before God made the world. In fact, it tells us that before the universe was ever created, some of the angels decided to rebel against God and challenge His rule over them. They were led by the angel we have come to call Lucifer or Satan -- and as a result they were cast out of Heaven forever (see Isaiah 14:12-15). After Adam and Eve were created, Satan successfully tempted them to follow his path of death.

While it's interesting to speculate about the origin of the angels, it's much more important to remember why God created them. The Bible says one reason God made them was to help us in our journey through life by surrounding us with His protection. The Bible says, "Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14).

Thank God for His angels, for even if we don't see them, they are still with us every day if we know Christ. This should give us confidence in the midst of life's storms, and assurance that no matter what happens to us, nothing "will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:39).

[bopeep1909]

Do we become angels when we die? I've heard people say that but I wonder if it's actually true, or if we even know. -- B.F.


Dear B.F.:
No, we do not become angels when we die (although I know this is a common misconception). Angels are a separate category of heavenly spiritual beings, created by God to assist us in this life and to carry out God's work.

But don't let this discourage you, or make you think we will be second-class citizens in heaven. Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the opposite is the case, for we will not be like the angels -- but like Christ! The Bible says, "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and ... when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is" (1 John 3:2). What a glorious promise!

You see, when we take our places in heaven, we will not just be servants of God (as the angels are). We will be even more; we will be God's children! When God's saving work is complete, the Bible says, sin will be destroyed and we will share in "the glorious freedom of the children of God" (Romans 8:21). This life is filled with pain and suffering -- but in heaven we will be free of all that, for we will be part of God's family forever.

Do you have this hope in your heart? You can, by trusting Christ for your salvation. You see, only one thing will keep you out of heaven, and that is your sin. But Christ paid the penalty for your sin through His death on the cross. By faith commit your life to Him today.

[bopeep1909]

A friend of mine says angels are just ordinary people that God uses, and they don't have wings or anything like that because they are just human beings like us. Is this a possibility? -- N.W.



Dear N.W.:
No, this isn't what the Bible tells us about angels. Angels are a special order or type of spiritual being, created by God to carry out His will -- and as such, they are different from human beings.

It is true that angels in the Bible sometimes took on the appearance of men. When God sent angels to warn about His impending judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah, they looked just like men, and the residents of the city didn't recognize them as divine beings (see Genesis 19:5). The angel who rolled the stone away from the entrance to Jesus' tomb on that first Easter morning appeared as a "young man dressed in a white robe" (Mark 16:5).

But angels are spiritual beings, and often their heavenly glory and power shine through. Isaiah was given a vision of a series of angels (called "seraphs"), each with six wings, and "At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook" (Isaiah 6:4). For the most part, however, angels are unseen and unrecognized by us, given by God as "ministering spirits, sent to serve those who will inherit salvation" (Hebrews 1:14).

Angels are a reality, and this should be a great comfort to us. But we do not worship them. Only Christ is worthy of our worship, for only He died to take away our sins. Have you committed your life to Him? And are you praying for your friend to come to know Him as well?

[bopeep1909]

Do angels still do things today, or were they only active in Bible times? The reason I ask is because I had an almost miraculous deliverance from a bad car accident, and it's almost as if God (or an angel) intervened to protect me. -- J.J.



Dear J.J.:
Angels are just as active today as they were in Bible times. The Bible calls them "ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation" (Hebrews 1:14).

Because they are spiritual beings, they seldom assume physical form -- and that is why we don't see them and are largely unaware of their presence. I am convinced that when we get to Heaven we will be amazed to discover the hundreds -- even thousands -- of times they intervened to help us or protect us. The Bible says that God "will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways" (Psalm 91:11).

Yes, God may well have used an angel to protect you on this occasion. But why? One reason may be because He is trying to show you the brevity of life, and convince you of your need to turn in faith to Him and give your life to Christ. Don't consider this a "lucky escape," because it wasn't. Behind it all, God was working to preserve you. Don't turn your back on Him or miss the lessons He wants to teach you.

When we know Christ, we know that our lives are securely in His hands forever. Even when difficult or dangerous times come, we have the assurance that nothing "in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:39). Do you have this assurance? You can, by giving your life to Christ today.

[bopeep1909]

Are angels just a myth, or do they really exist? I never thought about it much, but a few weeks ago I was almost miraculously delivered from a serious accident, and I think God must have had something to do with it. -- P.F.


Dear P.F.:
I'm thankful you were delivered from this accident -- and yes, I certainly believe God was watching over you. Have you thanked Him, and have you also asked Him why He delivered you?

No, angels are not a myth, although some of the things people have imagined about angels are not true; only the Bible should be our guide. Angels are real, and God has given them to us to help and protect His children. The Bible says, "Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14). For the most part, their work is unseen and unknown by us -- but it is nevertheless very real.

But let me return to what I said at the beginning: Why did God deliver you? I don't know the exact answer to that -- but I urge you to think and pray about it. You see, far too often God does something like this for us, and once it is over we forget all about it -- and about Him. Don't let that happen to you.

Perhaps God is reminding you how brief life is, and how important it is to put Him first in our lives. He may also want to convince you of His love, and His care for you as an individual. Whatever the reason, may this incident turn you toward Christ and cause you to open your heart to Him. Life is short -- live it for Christ!

[bopeep1909]

Does each person have a guardian angel that watches over them? I'd like to think so, but if we do have a special angel protecting us, then why do we still have accidents and things like that? -- Z.G.



Dear Z.G.:
Whenever I'm asked why bad things happen to us, I have to admit that I don't have a full answer to that question. Evil is real, and none of us are free from its devastation.

But the Bible does tell us that for the believer nothing happens outside God's control -- and yes, if we know Christ, His angels continually watch over us. The Bible says that God "will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways" (Psalm 91:11). It also teaches that the angels -- although they are largely unseen -- watch over us and work for our good. The Bible says, "Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?" (Hebrews 1:14).

Rather than only one angel, therefore, God surrounds us with a host of angels to protect us and go before us. Even when hard times come, Satan can never snatch us away from their protection -- and some day they will escort us safely to heaven. The reality of God's angels should give us great confidence in the Bible's promises.

While the angels are real, we are not to become preoccupied with them or to worship them. Only God is worthy of our worship, and only Christ saves us. Trust Him alone as your Savior, for "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

[bopeep1909]

I hope the series of questions and answers regarding angels are helpful to you mOuse. God Bless:angel

[ConservPride]

Originally posted by m0use
what makes us different to them?

they know good and bad too.. why can they not sin, but we do?

wouldnt they get more then us for lasting all these yrs with not sinning? (Jesus didnt die for them right?)

n if some dont sin, why couldnt one of them just die for us?

lots of questions :P
google == no help
thanks

Why do you believe angels don't sin? That seems to contradict the bible

2Pe 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast [them] down to hell, and delivered [them] into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

Gal 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

[Timothy]

Originally posted by m0use what makes us different to them?

Angels are spirit beings that are clothed in spiritual bodies, whereas man is a spirit being clothed in a material body. Man will one day have spiritual form.

I Corinthians 15:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

Originally posted by m0use they know good and bad too.. why can they not sin, but we do?

As someone stated above, there are "angels that sinned." Search this board on that, and you will find previous threads.


Originally posted by m0use wouldnt they get more then us for lasting all these yrs with not sinning?

Here is the interesting part, which blows me away...

In our earthly materialistic form, we are lower than the angels.

Hebrews 2:7 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands

But in eternity, we will judge (be above) the angels.

I Corinthians 6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

Originally posted by m0use if some dont sin, why couldnt one of them just die for us?

At the cross, God accomplishes himself what we could not do for ourselves. I'll have to think about that one, but I don't think an angel would be "capable" of carrying the sin of the world.

It is interesting to note that angels celebrate each time someone is saved.

Luke 15:10 Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

[CMclaurin]

Angels can sin. Look at the Enemy and his bunch.
The giant-kind of the Bible are the result of fallen angels interbreeding with men. ( Nephilim; Fallen ones, princes. See Genesis 6:1-4 ).

Angels have different types. The Cherubim are known in the Bible as protectors, usually engraved in Jewish temples. A Cherub protected the Tree of Life after Adam and Eve were driven out. Seraphim , only mentioned once, seem to be like body-guards or warriors. While unlean spirits are angels who fell through their arrogance and rebellion.

[Timothy]

Originally posted by CMclaurin ...Cherub... [/B]

Just some additional info on Cherubim...

In Ezekiel 10:1-20, it appears that four Cherubim have something to do with safeguarding and protecting the throne of God.

In Ezekiel 28:12-19, it indicates that before falling, Satan was apparrently the fifth Cherub, "the anointed Cherub that covereth." Some take this to believe (including me) that he resided above the throne, "covering" the top of the throne and the other Cherubs.

[blitzkreig]

Just a note about sin and the angels. I think mankind on earth basically sins continuously. I am. I am continuously short of God's requirement for perfection.

I think sin in heaven was basically a revolt. A one shot occurrence. I think that by-in-large there is not the ubiquitous sin as there is on earth.

There is scripture, I just know it, but can't lay my hands on it, that suggests that the heavenly are not as privileged as mankind, as they do not get the chance to reject evil in favor of God...

...anyone know where that thought came from? Maybe I'm losing it :doh

[m0use]

thanks alot guys, great help..

p.s- i know they sin!!! i said "some dont" as in the one in heaven now!