Agreed.
Again, there is no consensus of WHAT the scriptures ACTUALLY say.
Which would mean that humankind does not have the truth, only God does.
Since it isn't clear even to Christians, where does that leave us?
Don’t shoot me, I am only the messenger….!
Read John 6:44 and 65….Jesus said….
”No man can come to me unless the Father, who sent me, draws him…..“This is why I have said to you, no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
No one can come to Christ without an invitation from his Father….so, on what basis does the Father issue this invitation?…..and how does he “draw” those in whom he finds a compatible heart?
You first have to hear the truth, which no one can do with their fingers in their ears…..
Secondly, you have to acknowledge that truth in your mind and heart, even if it disagrees with what you already hold as your belief. Think back to Jesus’ first century disciples….this is what they had to do. Amid the derision of the majority, they had to be different. The road to life is cramped for a reason.
Thirdly, you have to act on what you have heard and engage in a serious study of God’s word to prove to yourself, that what you heard is actually true, and backed up by all scripture, not just some cherry picked verses given a twist by Christendom’s scholars.
Paul wrote to the Romans….
”Therefore, I appeal to you by the compassions of God, brothers, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, a sacred service with your power of reason. 2 And stop being molded by this system of things, but be transformed by making your mind over, so that you may prove to yourselves the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2)
….“the good and acceptable and perfect will of God“ is something that each one of us must prove to ourselves.
Why are we here? What was God’s first purpose for humankind? And why are we so far from what God intended for the human race to be? Do you have a big picture? If so, what is it?
You didn't take hold of the "arbiter of truth" title when I offered it to you.
It was never mine to take.
You rightly left that in God's hands. Maybe it doesn't matter that we don't have consensus.
Oh, but it does matter…..since God is the arbiter of what is acceptable to him, then he reveals to those in whom he sees an agreeable heart, the truth as he states it in his word. The correct understanding will be revealed and you will be invited into his global family of worshippers….the only ones who have the truth.
If you remember the parable of the “wheat and the weeds”, you will know that at the harvest time, there will be no similarity between them…..there will be a complete separation between the two, because the wheat have been identified by God’s appointed judge…..and so have the weeds. When the reapers come to collect all that is growing in that same “field”, they already know which is which, and will dispose of the weeds first, before gathering the wheat into the Master’s storehouse. (Matt 13:24-30; 36-40)
So are we “wheat….or are we “weeds”? How can we tell?
Perhaps we need to submit ourselves to the mercy of God. We can't save ourselves.
If we could figure this thing out, it wouldn't require faith. "Please think about that…."
All you need to do is look carefully at the “fruitage” of Christendom’s church system….what are they producing?
Are they up to their necks in the corrupt politics of their nations? (John 17:16)
Would they send their people to war with “Christians” of another nation if their governments were in conflict? (1 John 4:20-21)
Are they obeying Christ in all things, or only in some things, whilst ignoring others? (John 14:21)
Are they celebrating pagan festivals dressed up to look like “Christian” events? God saw the originals and is not fooled for a moment. He punished his people for doing the same thing….trying to mix true worship with false worship. (2 Cor 6:14-18) Are we dabbling in things that God considers to be spiritually “unclean”?
Everything is a test….and it doesn’t have to be a big one….the small tests of our faith matter too…(Luke 16:10)
No one is saved by doctrine. Not yours and not mine.
I couldn’t agree more….no one is saved by doctrine….. but if one adopts lies as truth, that is a different story altogether…..who we worship matters…..we have to know God and his Christ for who they really are. (John 17:3)
The devil is a deceiver and there is nothing he will enjoy more than taking those who thought they were “believers”, down into the pit with him.
One thing we do know for sure, is that there is just one truth, not many versions of it that are all somehow acceptable to the God we claim to worship….we cannot please ourselves and we cannot please the true God if we are unwittingly serving the pretender. If God is not drawing us, then he is rejecting us. The only reason he rejects anyone is because they are not obedient to his word through the teachings of his son.
Go back to Eden and see that all God has ever required of us humans is that we obey him…..it seems that in our sinful state, none of us can do that without his help. We need to surrender our will to his, and do it without hesitation. Hesitation only comes from not knowing the truth….once you know it, you cannot forget it….and you have the confidence to stake your life on it.