Here is what it all comes down to—- and you’d better get it right!

[Ferris Bueller]

All of this choosing sides that goes on in these discussions really makes me nervous.

Putting up fences over meaningless doctrinal issues is not good. Putting up fences between believers and unbelievers is good. And John tells us how we can tell who is an unbeliever and who is not, and to not be deceived by anyone about this.

"...let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous. The one who practices sin is of the devil..." 1 John 3:7-8
​

I find it ironic that in the church today you will be canceled for pointing this out, but you will not be canceled for practicing sin. Go figure. It's a sign of the times......the end times.

 

[BarneyFife]

It's the distinction between believers and unbelievers. John tells us how to make that distinction. Why are so many Christians afraid of John's words?

Because they cut across cherished errors.

8The one who practices sin is of the devil...
9Anyone born of God refuses to practice sin, because God’s seed abides in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.
10By this the children of God are distinguished from the children of the devil: Anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God
1 John 3:8-10​

How do you know the difference between those who are practicing sin and those who are not? We all sin. Man looks on the outward appearance, you know.

 

[BarneyFife]

Putting up fences between believers and unbelievers is good.

Why are we here? Are we not in the highways and hedges?

 

[BarneyFife]

Welcome, welcome, @bbyrd009

 

[BarneyFife]

I find it ironic that in the church today you will be canceled for pointing this out, but you will not be canceled for practicing sin. Go figure. It's a sign of the times......the end times.

AMEN

 

[Grailhunter]

This is a nice post, but I personally don't think style has much to do with the fracturing of God's Church. I'd say the love of sin is more responsible.

To understand the concept of the style....you look at the topics, and the statements that they made at the extreme ends...both ends...the same person.
You can see it in motion here where people debate and throw scriptures at each other from the same person that seem to contradict each other. It happens all the time. So the understanding level of the vast majority is to explain away each other scriptures or reinterpret them. Christ and the Apostles were not trying to talk in circles or confuse people. It was the religious literary style of the time period.

Once you prove it exist, then the challenge is understanding it. That is a different type of study. You start with categorizing the over all spirit of the New Testament and that will help put the scriptures in context.

Now Christ said that you have to hate your father and mother...and pretty much anybody you love to be a disciple of his. Most people are going not going to incorporate that into their religious beliefs.

 

[marks]

Everyone who is in Christ, and stays in Christ is in fact eternally secure.

This turns it into a tautology.

It makes "eternally secure" without any real meaning.

Much love!

 

[marks]

AMEN

Can I just cancel every rubbish argument?



Just venting . . .

Much love!

 

[marks]

But purposely living in the lifestyle of a drug addict, or an adulterer, or a pedophile in the church gets a pass because all these are covered by God's super over abundant grace as long you have believed somewhere in the past, right? Just as long as you're not a legalist! Please make sure we all understand this Hyper Grace theology correctly.

Even your behavior gets a pass!

Seriously . . . you are just parsing sins. All sin kills. None is without penalty of death. Not one single sin. So what kind of grace is required?

Much love!

 

[BarneyFife]

Can I just cancel every rubbish argument?



Just venting . . .

Much love!

lol

 

[amigo de christo]

I used to do a lot of witnessing at work and I would only encounter this kind of stuff from unbelievers.

This is the exact response that i too heard from many unbelievers . To the WORD man .
The thing is most people have forgotten a simple truth . THE reason most do not come to the BIBLICAL JESUS
and rather another jesus or no jesus , IS cause they hold on to that sin . THEY make excuse for it and always say
HEY nobody is perfect stop judging . That is the common response i always got from so many myself .

 

[marks]

And for what purpose that God disciplines His children? The passage says, “so that we may share in His holiness “.

Would you say it is possible that God will fail to achieve that purpose?

Tong
R4182

Well, considering that it says, and afterward, the peaceable fruits of righteousness, then that's how it's going to happen. So no, God will not fail.

Much love!

 

[amigo de christo]

Even your behavior gets a pass!

Seriously . . . you are just parsing sins. All sin kills. None is without penalty of death. Not one single sin. So what kind of grace is required?

Much love!

The biblical grace is required . Its not like we come to JESUS and then HE leaves us on our own in our sin . HE CHANGES US .
NEVER , EVER , and never ever ever , FORGET THAT . MANY folks are following satan and making excuses for their sin .
Coming to a jesus that is in no way compatible to the biblical one .
Their jesus would call the bibilcal JESUS a hater and a monster as well as those apostels . Cause lets face it , THE FLESH
NEVER WANTS CORRECTION . SO it will invent its own god that gives it a false peace of feelin saved , and doing dirty .

 

[marks]

Please let’s have a simple, fair and clear discussion. Don’t you want that as well?

Actions provide a truthful answer.

Much love!

 

[marks]

Oh, when I want to be good do good, I find that something in me causes me to do the opposite. Oh who will save me from this wretched man.?!

The entire Bible, from beginning to end, screams out, trust Me! Trust Me! DO YOU TRUST ME??

Would you perfect in the flesh what you started by faith?

Much love!

 

[marks]

I disagree... that is exactly what some are saying... otherwise WHY the loss of salvation??? One side is saying it's all about CHRIST and HIS SHED BLOOD and the other side saying.... CHRIST's SHED BLOOD plus their GOOD WORKS.... This is absolutely the problem.. and why these debates always go sideways as you say.
Not to mention the fact that because some of us REST in the PROMISES... we are accused of living like pigs... and condoning all sorts of sin.

As I see things, you are exactly correct here.

Much love!

 

[marks]

But I thought God had no obligation to anything. That's a recurring theme in the Bible, isn't it? Wouldn't obligation negate grace?

It shows a false view of God what what He is doing.

He created us to share Himself with us, and He's never swerved from that intent.

Much love!

 

[marks]

He has the obligation as a Father to discipline his children. He does not have that obligation to those who are not his children. Hebrews 12. I'm confident you know the passage.

But to His children His discipline does not fail. To those who would stop being His children, well, that would mean His discipline failed.

You have to skew the timeline to make your argument work. So it's not right.

Much love!

 

[stunnedbygrace]

I honestly don't think anyone on this thread believes that good works are meritorious toward salvation.

mmm…humans are quite able to hold two conflicting and incompatible views in their mind at the same time. It’s very easy for them to say one thing but do the opposite while having no idea they are doing it.
David did it - he burned with anger against the man Nathan told him about, didn’t he?

The problems are always caused by the pride and selfishness of others. Right…?

 

[Psalm51]

Everybody has the right to believe whatever they want to believe....until they start to prey on the innocent.

If you are knowingly "preying on the innocent" with intentional manipulation and confusion, that might put your heart in danger upon pondering by the Lord...

When I say "trying their best," I mean everyone is making purposeful and genuine efforts to understand and spread the Word.

You know they have a saying for that, that would help....If you cannot stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.

This kitchen doesn't have to be hot...