Illuminator
Well-Known Member
Gotcha.So in short, Calvin himself wasn't a "Calvinist"!
Welcome to Christian Forums, a Christian Forum that recognizes that all Christians are a work in progress.
You will need to register to be able to join in fellowship with Christians all over the world.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!
Gotcha.So in short, Calvin himself wasn't a "Calvinist"!
Where would you get such a silly idea? Yes, it's entirely an act on God's part. Can I save myself? Of course not. I can never do enough good to be justified before a perfectly holy Being. If I could, I'd be on his level. Yes, God has a condition before he does the work of justification. But that condition doesn't merit us anything. It's only because of his grace that he justifies the humble.justification is an act entirely on Gods part? Then all men are justified???
God does the work of justification for those who are truly humble and cry out for mercy. This is all through the Bible, if you care to look for it.justified by humility and prayer?
What else would he call them? If I stand in front of a congregation and address them as the "church" does that mean every one of them qualifies? Of course not. Yes, I also attend the church of God. That doesn't mean that everyone who goes there is "of God." The true church are those in every congregation that are faithful.Such bad priests have automatically excommunicate themselves. It's a painful embarrassment. Scandal A.
Pretending that nothing has been done about it is Scandal B. The sex abuse card is always played when someone is losing an argument. It's an attempt to prove the Church has no moral authority.
St. Paul didn’t hesitate in calling the Corinthian assembly “the church of God” (1 Corinthians 1:2; 2 Corinthians 1:1) even though terrible sexual sin had occurred within its ranks (1 Corinthians 5:1).
He was even more harsh with the Galatian church. He charged them with “deserting” Christ and “turning to a different gospel” (Gal 1:6) and stated that they were “severed from Christ” and had “fallen away from grace” (5:4; cf. 3:1-3; 4:9; 5:7). Yet he still referred to them as “churches” (1:2), “sons” of God (3:26; 4:5-7), and “brethren” (1:11; 4:12, 28, 31; 6:1, 18).
Somehow, our Lord Jesus still called the assembly of Christians in Thyatira “the church” (Revelation 2:18), despite the presence therein of (how familiar!) wicked sexual immorality (Revelation 2:20-25).
Sounds a lot like today (including heretic and schismatic bishops and all kinds of sexual sin). If sinners in the Church were a reason to leave, there would be no Christians at all and no Church. But Jesus promised that the Church would survive -- with sinners in it — till He returned.
The Sex Scandals Are Not a Reason to Reject Catholicism
Such bad priests have automatically excommunicate themselves. It's a painful embarrassment. Scandal A.
Pretending that nothing has been done about it is Scandal B. The sex abuse card is always played when someone is losing an argument. It's an attempt to prove the Church has no moral authority.
St. Paul didn’t hesitate in calling the Corinthian assembly “the church of God” (1 Corinthians 1:2; 2 Corinthians 1:1) even though terrible sexual sin had occurred within its ranks (1 Corinthians 5:1).
He was even more harsh with the Galatian church. He charged them with “deserting” Christ and “turning to a different gospel” (Gal 1:6) and stated that they were “severed from Christ” and had “fallen away from grace” (5:4; cf. 3:1-3; 4:9; 5:7). Yet he still referred to them as “churches” (1:2), “sons” of God (3:26; 4:5-7), and “brethren” (1:11; 4:12, 28, 31; 6:1, 18).
Somehow, our Lord Jesus still called the assembly of Christians in Thyatira “the church” (Revelation 2:18), despite the presence therein of (how familiar!) wicked sexual immorality (Revelation 2:20-25).
Sounds a lot like today (including heretic and schismatic bishops and all kinds of sexual sin). If sinners in the Church were a reason to leave, there would be no Christians at all and no Church. But Jesus promised that the Church would survive -- with sinners in it — till He returned.
The Sex Scandals Are Not a Reason to Reject Catholicism
Where would you get such a silly idea? Yes, it's entirely an act on God's part. Can I save myself? Of course not. I can never do enough good to be justified before a perfectly holy Being. If I could, I'd be on his level. Yes, God has a condition before he does the work of justification. But that condition doesn't merit us anything. It's only because of his grace that he justifies the humble.
What else would he call them? If I stand in front of a congregation and address them as the "church" does that mean every one of them qualifies? Of course not. Yes, I also attend the church of God. That doesn't mean that everyone who goes there is "of God." The true church are those in every congregation that are faithful.
Multitudes have been taught that God's true church is made up of a building, or a denomination, which has been devoted to the worship of God. With this understanding in mind, there is an urgent desire to find some denomination to join; but which one? With the 100 or so denominations to choose from, and with all these declaring most positively that they are the one and only true church of God, this can be quite an unnerving and difficult task to have to decide between! But with this idea, people have been led to believe that they must be members of, or otherwise connected to, some denomination in order to worship God, be part of His true church, and thus to have their salvation assured. But this is not what the Scriptures teach regarding God's true church!
Jesus, in speaking of Himself and God's true church, declared:
"I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine....and I lay down my life for the sheep...and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." John 10:14-16.
Even in Christ's time this battle of denominationalism was raging. Various church followers were battling with each other for converts and the right to declare themselves the one and only church of God. Each denomination was declaring that only they had the truth, and only in their church could God be truly worshipped. But did Christ sanction this belief? Did Christ choose one denomination over another for His people to worship God in? One person directly asked Christ this very question, and please read carefully what answer He gave:
"The woman (of Samaria) saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain (the temple at Mount Gerizim); and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for (the message of) salvation is of (was committed to) the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." John 4:19-24.
God's true church is not made up of this denomination or that denomination but is made up of individuals who worship God in spirit and truth.
The most serious consequence to those who believe this way, is that their denominational leaders can be as corrupt and wicked as the devil himself, their denomination can even apostatize from the truths of the Bible and exchange these for the doctrines of hell, and yet it would not matter one bit! Why? Because you believe that your denomination is the true church of God. So even if you can be shown evidence that reveals your church to be controlled by the Devil himself, it would not shake your blind faith in the denomination in the least! This is because you believe that your church is going through to heaven, and that by your remaining connected to it your ticket to heaven is thus assured, but if you would be separated from it, you would be lost!
This sad scenario, of the denominational church being made into the object of worship instead of Christ, is exactly what the Jewish people were led into. And what is even more disheartening, is that the majority of religious people today are being led to believe the very same thing.
The Jewish people accused Stephen of speaking "blasphemous words against this holy place" or against their temple (see Acts 6:13). And what were Stephen's words?
"But Solomon built him (God) an house. Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest? Hath not my hands made all these things?" Acts 7:47-50
"For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts, and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people." Hebrews 8:10.
"...for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." 2 Corinthians 6:16.
So the Bible is very clear that God's true church is not made up of any denomination--no matter how exalted their name, no matter how much Bible truth they may claim to believe or to have followed for decades, no matter how loudly they may proclaim to be God's chosen, because what constitutes God's true church is individual people.
God does the work of justification for those who are truly humble and cry out for mercy. This is all through the Bible, if you care to look for it.
ACTS 20:29. 30The Catholic Church you belong to was the union of church and state, that institution that had the civil authority granted it by the Emperor Justinian in the 6th century. It was this church that had power to lord it over other Christian congregations and actively persecute heretics using her civil authority, (the second sword) which practice you condone. So no. Not circa 30, but specifically 538ad.
They crept in fast too dear sister . The lambs will test all things men do and say , against bible sound doctrine .ACTS 20:29. 30
"For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them."
The invisible church.
The invisible church is the true church, which only God can see: born-again believers, past, present, and future. Because not everyone who attends church or performs religious deeds is saved, the visible church includes unbelievers. The invisible church is comprised of the redeemed and sealed by God.
Can either one of you show me where the BIBLE tells us that the "Invisible" Church is the TRUE Church?Amen to that one
No one is saved in this life? Matt 24:13Matt 5:14
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
(The church founded by Christ on Peter and the apostles and their successors!)
Matt 5:14
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
(The church founded by Christ on Peter and the apostles and their successors!)
Can either one of you show me where the BIBLE tells us that the "Invisible" Church is the TRUE Church?
Because, as @theefaith pointed out - Matt 5:14 says that Christ's Church is a VISIBLE entity that cannot be "invisible":
Matt 5:14
"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill CANNOT be hid."
I'll wait right here for an answer from either one of you . . .
"The church of the living God"
1 Tim 3:15