DO You Believe That We Have A Guardian Angel Today

[paidforinfull]

Yes, and the following verse ought to cause us to wonder who David was writing about:

Psalm 91:11-12 NLT - "For he will order his angels to protect you wherever you go. 12 They will hold you up with their hands so you won't even hurt your foot on a stone."

An extract from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible:

"Psalm 91.12:
They shall bear thee up in their hands
Which denotes the strength and power of angels to carry the saints in their hands; their tender care of them, such as a parent or nurse have of children; the helpless condition of the people of God, who are like infants, and need to be dealt with after this manner; the condescension of angels to take such an office on them, in submission to the will of God; the constant view they have of the saints, being always in their hands, and so in sight: thus they bear them, up in life, and at death carry their souls to Abraham's bosom:
lest thou dash thy foot against a stone;
lest they fall into sin, or into any calamity and distress; lest the least hurt or mischief befall them, or the least injury be done them; see (Proberbs 3:23). The Targum interprets it of the evil concupiscence, or corruption of nature, which is like a stone; see ( Ezekiel 36:26)."

Psalm 91 speaks about Christ, but it is also applicable to all Christians.

 

[paidforinfull]

Does "little ones" actually mean Children.????

Excellent observation!

If it doesn't, it would mean all Christians who have become like 'little ones', as Jesus taught us. Even more evidence that God still commands His angels concerning us.

Any thoughts?

 

[Siloam]

My (mis??)understanding is that yes, indeed angels do act in God's will in our interests for protection or other benefit.

That does not mean one or more are "assigned" to each for life.

Also, as messengers from God, we must remember that angels fighting for our benefit is in enabling us to fulfill our part in God's plan, and not necessarily in our comfort.

 

[crossnote]

With the following verse and idea that I offered shortly thereafter. They are:

"Romans 5:12 NLT - "When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned."

I've only had one Transformation, not two. But . . . that's just how see things I suppose."

I still fail to see how Romans 5:12 and Mt 18:10 can be reconciled.

 

[crossnote]

Does "little ones" actually mean Children.????

Well, looking at the context...

Matthew 18:1-9 (KJV) At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.

Matthew 18:10 (KJV) Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

 

[crossnote]

Okie doke.

I guess that means you don't know how Romans 5:12 and Mt 18:10 can be reconciled?
I would really like to know, but...

 

[paidforinfull]

Children, prior to a certain point of their lives, are incapable of making mature decisions. Hence, blessed are infants that never see the light of day:

Ecclesiastes 6:3-5 NIV - 3 A man may have a hundred children and live many years; yet no matter how long he lives, if he cannot enjoy his prosperity and does not receive proper burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. 4 It comes without meaning, it departs in darkness, and in darkness its name is shrouded. 5 Though it never saw the sun or knew anything, it has more rest than does that man"

Perhaps children are under the Exception of Grace until a certain age of human maturity has been established . . . whatever that is.

1 Cor. 7:14 - "For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy."

So we know from the above Scripture that the children of the righteous are saved by God's grace. I like to believe that the children of the unsaved who die at a very young age will be dealt with mercifully by God, because God is merciful and just. (Rom. 9:15 - "For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.")

The Bible does not make it clear at what age personal accountability starts. For all we know it depends on the maturity and understanding of each individual child.

 

[paidforinfull]

1 Cor. 7:14 - "For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy."

So we know from the above Scripture that the children of the righteous are sanctified by God's grace. I like to believe that the children of the unsaved who die at a very young age will be dealt with mercifully by God, because God is merciful and just. (Rom. 9:15 - "For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.")

The Bible does not make it clear at what age personal accountability starts. For all we know it depends on the maturity and understanding of each individual child.

NOTE: I made a correction to my above post and changed 'saved' to 'sanctified' - otherwise it would mean that the unbelieving husband or wife can be saved by being married to someone who is saved - which is, of course, not the case. In any case, it doesn't change the fact that believers' children are considered sanctified (or holy) by God, and until they are old enough to either choose or reject Jesus Christ, God will judge them fairly, and justly.

This is a very interesting topic by itself.

 

[Major]

Well, looking at the context...

Matthew 18:1-9 (KJV) At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.

Matthew 18:10 (KJV) Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

So then, it seems that the phrase “little ones” does not refer to children but to “Jesus disciples” the ones that believe in him. Therefore, Jesus did not mean that children or individuals have a guardian angel, but that angels show interest in his disciples.

 

[Major]

Lol . . . that really did make me laugh out loud. From the looks of your children, I'm sure that I'm older than you, thus I understand, fully, your funny comment.

Speaking of LOL.......Falling down and LOL...........Those are my grandchildren and that picture is 20 years old!!!!!

 

[Major]

You got that right. At least you're here with a good head on your shoulders. haha - I appreciate the way you align your thoughts with Scripture. So important.

Amen!

You got that right. At least you're here with a good head on your shoulders. haha - I appreciate the way you align your thoughts with Scripture. So important.

Everyone here is here to learn and be friends and friendly!

 

[Major]

1 Cor. 7:14 - "For the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy."

So we know from the above Scripture that the children of the righteous are sanctified by God's grace. I like to believe that the children of the unsaved who die at a very young age will be dealt with mercifully by God, because God is merciful and just. (Rom. 9:15 - "For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.")

The Bible does not make it clear at what age personal accountability starts. For all we know it depends on the maturity and understanding of each individual child.

NOTE: I made a correction to my above post and changed 'saved' to 'sanctified' - otherwise it would mean that the unbelieving husband or wife can be saved by being married to someone who is saved - which is, of course, not the case. In any case, it doesn't change the fact that believers' children are considered sanctified (or holy) by God, and until they are old enough to either choose or reject Jesus Christ, God will judge them fairly, and justly.

This is a very interesting topic by itself.

The only reason I posted it was because of a conversation with a Bible School teacher. I reminded him that the consideration he was giving Angels could be better spent on the study of the Holy Spirt who is God!

I thought I would see how deep this Angel idea goes with all of here on the forum.

As for your question of age......there is NO Bible age of accountability that I know of.

I agree 100% with you in that the child must KNOW and be able to make a conscious decision for Christ knowing all the facts available to them.

 

[Major]

Excellent observation!

If it doesn't, it would mean all Christians who have become like 'little ones', as Jesus taught us. Even more evidence that God still commands His angels concerning us.

Any thoughts?

Yes. I just read this post after I posted a responce in post #43.

crossnote also posted on the same thing. CONTEXT demands that the "little ones" were NOT children but the disciples of Jesus.

 

[Major]

Nice!

Matthew 18:3 NLT - "Then he said, "I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven."

What is it about children that we are to emulate? Innocence, or, the lack of understanding and experience in sin. And isn't it amazing, therefore, that we refer to adults as "mature"? So backward.

Excellant question!

Jesus exhorts the disciples (and us) to seek to possess a childlike modesty in addition to their faith. Those who willingly take the lowest position are the greatest in heaven’s eyes. A young child is destitute of ambition, pride, and haughtiness and is therefore a good example for us. Children are characteristically humble and teachable. They aren’t prone to pride or hypocrisy. Humility is a virtue rewarded by God; as James says in 4:10,,,, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up”.

 

[crossnote]

So then, it seems that the phrase “little ones” does not refer to children but to “Jesus disciples” the ones that believe in him. Therefore, Jesus did not mean that children or individuals have a guardian angel, but that angels show interest in his disciples.

I must be farmhouse slow today, please explain.
(btw, I'm not arguing for or against guardian angels)

Matthew 18:2 (KJV) And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,

Matthew 18:4 (KJV) Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 18:10 (KJV) Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

 

[crossnote]

I doubt that Jesus was carrying around Peter, etc.

Funny, but then...

John 21:18 (KJV) Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.

 

[Tall Timbers]

I've looked at this thread a few times in interest. I suspect we have guardian angels, but I don't know for certain. I know for certain that I've received lots of heavenly help and I can imagine that there are angels doing their jobs providing that assistance as needed. Assuming angels are helping us, it'll be wonderful to know all the times there was heavenly intervention in our lives. We may be aware of many such occasions, but there are probably thousands more where we didn't even realize we were getting help. God could do it all himself but I imagine he has his angels keeping busy doing chores such as helping us...

 

[crossnote]

Most believe that angels (plural) do minister to believers, but the question posed is, "is ONE angel assigned to one believer (hence a guardian angel)?

Hebrews 1:14 (KJV) (speaking of angels). Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

Some may argue that Heb 1:14 was the arrangement in the OT before the Holy Spirit dwelt each believer, thus replacing any need for a guardian angel.

note: 'ministering spirits' in Hebrews is in context of ministering God's Word.

Hebrews 2:1-4 (KJV) Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

 

[YeshuaFan]

Most believe that angels (plural) do minister to believers, but the question posed is, "is ONE angel assigned to one believer (hence a guardian angel)?

Hebrews 1:14 (KJV) (speaking of angels). Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

Some may argue that Heb 1:14 was the arrangement in the OT before the Holy Spirit dwelt each believer, thus replacing any need for a guardian angel.

note: 'ministering spirits' in Hebrews is in context of ministering God's Word.

Hebrews 2:1-4 (KJV) Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

think that the Holy Spirit authority and power exceeds by far any guardian angels!maybe they are just assigned to watch over babes and children?

 

[Major]

I must be farmhouse slow today, please explain.
(btw, I'm not arguing for or against guardian angels)

Matthew 18:2 (KJV) And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,

Matthew 18:4 (KJV) Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 18:10 (KJV) Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

My responce was to the post about "little ones" meaning children.

I asked......."Does Little Ones actually mean Children.

Then I posted in #43.........
"So then, it seems that the phrase “little ones” does not refer to children but to “Jesus disciples” the ones that believe in him. Therefore, Jesus did not mean that children or individuals have a guardian angel, but that angels show interest in his disciples."