Against Gnosticism

[GodsGrace]

Gnosticism seeks to dissociate the works of the body from the person. As in...I.m saved...but my body continues to do evil.

Where do people who are so deceived get this from?

Of course, a misreading of Paul. Note in Romans 7


Paul says...

25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Sound schizoid enough?

Or this...

20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

A call to dissociative behaviour?

But here is the truth...

21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:
23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

It's not the weak flesh that's the problem...but a LAW that causes men to sin. Gnostics have no understanding of this. They just blame their bodies for being evil. They throw the baby out with the bath water.

You seem to be contradicting yourself here...
I agree with the blue, but get lost with the green.
Please comment on the LAW and that it is this law that causes men to sin...
(sorry I can't read the whole thread and this may have been answered already).

 

[Episkopos]

You seem to be contradicting yourself here...
I agree with the blue, but get lost with the green.
Please comment on the LAW and that it is this law that causes men to sin...
(sorry I can't read the whole thread and this may have been answered already).

We need the law to be able to isolate the causes of sin. This kind of law is like a light to the truth. It is by the word. Without the law we wouldn't know that sin exists in the world.

But the law of sin has entered into mankind through the chain reaction of Adam 's sin followed by an exploitation of angelic beings in rebellion against God to dominate God's creation that is mankind. This kind of law is a power that corrupts the will of God for His creation. It brings evil into the world. It lies deep within us...until it is dragged to the cross of Christ and put to death.

This sets the stage for a new kind of life that is out of the reach of the rebelliousness of sinful flesh.


The resurrection of Jesus Christ has brought in a new law based on overcoming death. This is the law of the Spirit of life by the entering of INTO Jesus. His LIFE trumps sin and death.

So then when we walk according to the flesh...we will sin and bring death. But when we walk according to the Spirit we walk in a new kind of life (eternal life) that overcomes sin and death. We walk in life in order to bring life to a dead world. We bring light to a world in darkness. THAT is the power that is BY grace.

 

[GodsGrace]

We need the law to be able to isolate the causes of sin. This kind of law is like a light to the truth. It is by the word. Without the law we wouldn't know that sin exists in the world.

But the law of sin has entered into mankind through the chain reaction of Adam 's sin followed by an exploitation of angelic beings in rebellion against God to dominate God's creation that is mankind. This kind of law is a power that corrupts the will of God for His creation. It brings evil into the world. It lies deep within us...until it is dragged to the cross of Christ and put to death.

This sets the stage for a new kind of life that is out of the reach of the rebelliousness of sinful flesh.


The resurrection of Jesus Christ has brought in a new law based on overcoming death. This is the law of the Spirit of life by the entering of INTO Jesus. His LIFE trumps sin and death.

So then when we walk according to the flesh...we will sin and bring death. But when we walk according to the Spirit we walk in a new kind of life (eternal life) that overcomes sin and death. We walk in life in order to bring life to a dead world. We bring light to a world in darkness. THAT is the power that is BY grace.

Thanks. You're talking about the sin nature in man.
Very well explained...

I wonder if you saw this thread I posted...
Sin, Transgression, Iniquity. All the same?
Discussion in 'Christian Apologetics Forum' started by GodsGrace, Sep 14, 2018.

It also speaks about how the law exposed sin.

 

[Episkopos]

Thanks. You're talking about the sin nature in man.
Very well explained...

I wonder if you saw this thread I posted...
Sin, Transgression, Iniquity. All the same?
Discussion in 'Christian Apologetics Forum' started by GodsGrace, Sep 14, 2018.

It also speaks about how the law exposed sin.

I think I did respond to your thread and how they are quite different from each other. They are "Chata-ah", "Pesha" and "Avon".

Of the 3 it is the sin of iniquity which we must be most aware of. This is the sin of religious hypocrites.

 

[ScottA]

so then "the flesh profits nothing" right, and "to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord?"

Exactly!

 

[bbyrd009]

Exactly!

ok, ty then, the "if you need to know what God is thinking just ask me" on the other thread was enough for me wadr
i wish you the best ok

 

[jaybird]

i always liked the gnostics. Jesus warned us that there would be many false teachers, He gave us instructions on how to test them. we will know them by their fruits. when gnostics are put to this test they actually check out. when you put the roman version of Christianity to this test they dont check out. Constantine becomes "Christian" and right away we see a red flag, he gets a sign from heaven to conquer, did Israel get signs to conquer, no, they were one kingdom placed to be an example to the nations around them. gnostics invited people to worship with them, if you refused, no hard feelings. rome told you how to worship, if you refused, you and your whole family may be burned alive. how many did Jesus and the 12 burn alive because they refused to believe, im thinking the answer would be zero.
and yet the gnostics are the bad guys???