Are Protestants "saved? "

[Episkopos]

Does God prefer one religious bent to another? Or is that about us?

As in.."I can believe anything I want based on a verse taken out of context"

 

[Willie T]

Does God prefer one religious bent to another? Or is that about us?

As in.."I can believe anything I want based on a verse taken out of context"

No one can know all there is to know. And although some of us may feel we know just about everything, we may not be correct in all of it. And there are saved believers (of maybe only a few day's knowledge of God) who know next to nothing — and a whole spectrum in-between.

Is God going to give an exam, and send everyone but the most learned and knowledgeable to Hell? What are we going to do if we don't fall at the top of the grading scale? And, what if we have some things wrong? We all know more than we did last year — where would we have gone if we had died in 2018?

 

[marks]

As in.."I can believe anything I want based on a verse taken out of context"

Wouldn't you say the question answers itself?

Much love!

 

[Episkopos]

At what point in the evolutionary scale of being a Protestant do we get to damn others to hell? Is that a privilege of clergy only because of certain college courses...or can a layman also enjoy this privilege?

 

[VictoryinJesus]

As in.."I can believe anything I want based on a verse taken out of context"

are we judged by beliefs or by faith?

 

[Episkopos]

Which denomination of Protestantism protests the best or the most? I would think the better the protest the better the Protestant...since it is based on protesting.

Is it possible to protest too much? Like someone REALLY wants to deny he is gay?

(As in...thou doth protest too much
Overly insistent about something, to the point where the opposite is most likely true.
Someone emphatically stating how much one hates gossiping, that one would never engage in this sort of behavior. This implies that, "thou doth protest too much" and may in fact be a gossip.)



If there are no Catholics around...how protesting should a Protestant be?

 

[Episkopos]

are we judged by beliefs or by faith?

We are to be judged by our works.

But if we protest against God doing this...being Protestants AND ALL...and enough of us do this...will that be enough to change the bible to suit our way of thinking? Otherwise what good is it in believing we're saved by our beliefs? Shouldn't OUR voices be heard?

Can the denominations stand one another long enough to protest God's ways together...so that God can line up with Luther?

 

[Episkopos]

Wouldn't you say the question answers itself?

Much love!

The whole idea of being a Protestant is to read the bible the way YOU want...to reform it. So then this is an improvement over having to go to God constantly to figure out what He is actually saying. What if we don't like the answer...and after such a long wait? This way...the way of protest....assures the end result we desire.

Give the power back to the people.

Otherwise people might leave the pews and seek some other fix.

 

[marks]

Which denomination of Protestantism protests the best or the most? I would think the better the protest the better the Protestant...since it is based on protesting.

Is it possible to protest too much? Like someone REALLY wants to deny he is gay?

(As in...thou doth protest too much
Overly insistent about something, to the point where the opposite is most likely true.
Someone emphatically stating how much one hates gossiping, that one would never engage in this sort of behavior. This implies that, "thou doth protest too much" and may in fact be a gossip.)



If there are no Catholics around...how protesting should a Protestant be?

That's called Reaction Formation.

But seriously, instead of taking broad swipes at a lot of different people, shouldn't we keep in mind the main thing here? And who is it that is protesting so much anyway? Here, I mean?

But anyway, I understand that in your view no one is "saved". So what exactly is your question?

 

[Episkopos]

Are some denominations more "saved" than others? How about the ones that say it more often? Surely by saying over and over again..."I'm saved" you start to feel more saved. But what if you say it even MORE often? Surely God hears our conviction and the repetitions make it more so.

 

[marks]

The whole idea of being a Protestant is to read the bible the way YOU want...to reform it.

Gee. I thought the idea was to stop reading into it all those things that were being told the people by those who wanted to continue to lord over them. So the reforming was to get what had become so riddled with error back to the truth of the Bible.

Of course, not everything about the reformation was perfect, I think we can all agree about that!

 

[VictoryinJesus]

We are to be judged by our works.

But if we protest against God doing this...being protestants AND ALL...and enough of us do this...will that be enough to change the bible to suit or way of thinking?

Can the denominations stand one another long enough to protest God's ways together...so that God can line up with Luther?

Was considering yesterday all the different denominations and how, it sometimes appear, as if our common beliefs and perspective is what binds us together(joined) in groups with others like-minded. Similar to in schools where “labels” are created and sit together and even run together. How this familiarity of same beliefs becomes “the bond that binds together“ instead of Colossians 3:14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.


if those bonds that bind us together is all the denominations and doctrines...then having begun in the Spirit (the bond of perfectness and doctrine of God) are you now made perfect by (denominations and doctrines of men)?
Galatians 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?

 

[marks]

Are some denominations more "saved" than others? How about the ones that say it more often? Surely by saying over and over again..."I'm saved" you start to feel more saved. But what if you say it even MORE often? Surely God hears our conviction and the repetitions make it more so.

Again, if no one is saved yet - your view, as I understand it - then no, none are more "saved", then, to you, correct?

But it sounds like what you're saying, maybe, is that, are there more of the "unsaved" who convince themselves they are saved in some denoms over others? More deluded people in this denomination, compared to that denomination?

Hard to say, at least for me. I think delusion is fairly widespread.

Do you convince God with many many empty words? I don't think so.

 

[Episkopos]

Now the bible does say that we can't have a private interpretation. But if we make our own interpretations public...then they're not private anymore are they? So then by loopholes such as this we can find ourselves making the list in the book of life. We go AROUND the truth..instead of trying to confront the truth directly...and in this way we get into heaven by sheer belief in oneself and the ability to "make God not see us" and our true condition.

Like fresh snow on a dunghill as Luther put it.

 

[Episkopos]

Do you convince God with many many empty words? I don't think so.

The idea is not to convince God of your salvation...but yourself. So then if you are judged by your beliefs...then if you hold those beliefs strongly enough...what can God do about it?

 

[marks]

The idea is not to convince God of your salvation...but yourself. So then if you are judged by your beliefs...then if you hold those beliefs strongly enough...what can God do about it?

Who is judged for beliefs? We are all judged for our works, not our beliefs.

But yes, there are many who tell themselves things over and over until they forget they are only hearing their own voice.

What can God do? Rock their boat!

:)

 

[Episkopos]

Back to sending people to hell. Now this is a controversial one... Do we consign people to hell from other religions at birth...or from conception? A real test for the theologians on that one.

And what about reforming the commandments to read...honour thy "SAVED" mother and father. (who cares about unsaved parents) If we would do this then more unsaved people would begin to properly disrespect parents and the religions they grew up under...and more could "get saved!"

And that's the name of the game!

Can I get a protest and a call for more reformation? Gotta get the OT more "saved."

 

[marks]

Now the bible does say that we can't have a private interpretation. But if we make our own interpretations public...then they're not private anymore are they?

Of course that passage is speaking of the origin of prophecy, not that each comes up with their own idea reading it.

2 Peter 3
20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

I think you are referrencing this?

Here is a more literal translation:

20 this first knowing, that no prophecy of the Writing doth come of private exposition,
21 for not by will of man did ever prophecy come, but by the Holy Spirit borne on holy men of God spake.
(YLT)

But even in the idea that he's speaking of our own private understandings of the Bible, I don't think the apostle was referring to whether we keep these to ourselves or not. Though frankly, I think some are better kept private in that way.

So then by loopholes such as this we can find ourselves making the list in the book of life. We go AROUND the truth..instead of trying to confront the truth directly...and in this way we get into heaven by sheer belief in oneself and the ability to "make God not see us" and our true condition.

Like fresh snow on a dunghill as Luther put it.

Our true condition. That's what it's about, isn't it? Either we are, or we're not. You can't pretend with God.

Much love!

 

[marks]

Do we consign people to hell from other religions at birth...

No We do not.

 

[Episkopos]

Why does exegesis sound so much like "exit Jesus"?

And...You can't get into hermeneutical 2nd gear unless you do a paradigm shift.