If you are a Christian, do you get to pick and choose which parts of the Bible to read and believe?
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Hidden In Him
Well-Known Member
Wow indeed, LoL.
Do not misunderstand. The sword of the Spirit is painful. There is loss, pain, humbling and humiliation. It has not finished its work yet in my own life, and likely not in any of ours on this forum. But those who think it has in MacCarthur's are in their appreciation for him blind to very obvious signs that it has not done it's work in him fully yet either, and he stands before the entire world as a teacher of the truth. His judgment will be greater.
Do you feel it is a sin for me to point out that with such position comes responsibility?
Riverwalker
Active Member
You must accept the whole word as God has given it to us and you cannot comprise the word to justify your Desires
2nd Cor 10:
2 Corinthians 10:4-5
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
2nd Cor 10:
2 Corinthians 10:4-5
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
I personally step back from making such declarations, "But he has not allowed the Sword of the Spirit to pierce his heart fully yet."
When I hear some making these kinds of declarations of other people, I mean, do you actually know him? Personally met, spent some time?
Do you routinely listen to him teach, read his books, his study Bible notes, things like that?
I'm just wondering what your basis for this assessment is. And what is the meaning of doing so? Put the man down? Impugne his teaching? Based on some comment about his person, which, frankly, well . . .
It sound's like what you are calling "the sword of the Spirit" is the chastening from God, like in Hebrews 12, is this what you mean?
Much love!
I just caught this. It looks like I've been painted with your brush also.
Blind. Oh well!
Much love!
Hidden In Him
Well-Known Member
I know you do : ) We are different men.
I don't have to Mark. And good morning, btw.
You see, the problem here is that when a man is engaging in sin according to the scripture, it is a red flag in and of itself, regardless of the condition of his heart. His intentions might be good (notice I said might), but his actions are incorrect.
Suppose you see a brother committing fornication with a young girl yet identifies as a Christian. Is he not sinning if his conscious is somehow pure about it, or is he still sinning regardless?
I've read some of his stuff. I was glad to see him recant on teaching that the Antichrist was going to come out of Europe and turn to the truth that he will in fact come out of Islam. It takes guts for a man with that kind of visibility to do that. But I have read some of his commentaries before, and while I consider him relatively solid in some respects (again, the key word being relatively), he is not that strong in others.
Simply agreeing with an assessment already made by Victory. I believe he is in error in that.
If you mean the passage below, no. I am referring to the sword not made by human hands; the sword of the Word of God. This passage is about the discipline of the Lord in the form of earthly chastisements like afflictions, sufferings and persecutions especially, which the Lord allows for our good to conform us to His image.
God Disciplines His Children
4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,
“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when He rebukes you,
6 because the Lord disciplines the one He loves,
and He chastens everyone He accepts as His son.”
7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as His children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in His holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
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I believe that doors of understanding and revelation will open up bible passages as we mature in Christ. This takes time depending our willingness to allow the Holy Spirit to be our teacher. This same Holy Spirit which inspired men to write these scriptures in the first place. The same Holy Spirit that dwells in all believers. We may argue that same parts of scripture have been written wrong or have missing bits or are leaning a certain way but the Holy Spirt who teaches man to become more like Christ and less like the world, he is never wrong.
People are too much in a hurry and want to advance and get to the good bits. To their discredit, they tend to lean on their own understanding rather than allowing the Holy Spirit to guide and direct them...jm2c
I'm still just guessing what you mean here.
Being fully transformed by the Word?
Much love!
Hidden In Him
Well-Known Member
And is so doing, lose the blessing of the parts they didn't think were "good bits"!
Much love!
Hidden In Him
Well-Known Member
This might explain it a little more here:
What is the importance of this prophecy
I mean when the Lord speaks in such a way (sometimes directly, but often through others) that our soulishness is revealed, and exposed to be not of the Spirit.
That's always good!
I think this is what should always happen when we are in the Word, to learn of God, which teaches us about us as well.
People often live in deception, I think, not realizing where that dividing line is. I think that many people who have incomplete ideas about justification tend to blur the line, and confuse flesh with spirit, and spirit with flesh.
Much love!
That sounds pious but it is false. If a preacher of the Gospel becomes inordinately wealthy, there is a huge question mark right there, and every Christian should make a judgment. And unfortunately the preachers who are public figures have generally become wealthy on the backs of Christians. When they display a lavish lifestyle it gets even worse.
Now if a man has a profitable business and becomes rich, while he preaches the Gospel and shares his wealth with others -- without taking a dime from Christians -- that is another matter. He is self-supporting and also sharing the Gospel as well as his wealth. God will approve of this. Abraham and Job were wealthy and also sharing their wealth.
Getting back to Scripture (1) we are not permitted to pick and choose what to believe and (2) we are not to take verses out of context to make a point. Which brings us to the matter of corrupt bible translations.
If your modern version picks and chooses what to include and what to exclude, you are already on the wrong track. That is why many of us stick with the tried and true King James Bible. Today, you cannot divorce the Bible from which translation should be used.
Hidden In Him
Well-Known Member
No, it's Scriptural.
Not to mention, smart.
Abraham and Job were EXTREMELY wealthy. Mega-rich. And God didn't have a problem with them.
I would suppose that God is able to work in John MacArthur to lead him in a good way. "Every Christian should make a judgement"? About people I don't know? Of things I'm not participating in? When I'm not qualified in any way shape or form to give a Reasoned, Knowledgeable, True, Fair judgment?
Just take a handful of surface facts, media reports, what not, and judge another man's heart? No, that's not for me. I don't know where he got his money, I don't know what he does with it. I don't know what God instructs him in his heart.
I don't see where I'm called to condemn anyone, much less someone I've never even met. I don't defend, I don't accuse, I leave that for God to do, and in that I'm not wrong.
Much love!
We are working hopefully on eating the whole loaf. If my loaf was partially moldy I should certainly not eat those parts, but this is not a natural loaf of bread we are to eat, is it?
"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled" Matt 5:6
People eat their own flesh which is unclean, but what part of Jesus is unclean?
"And he shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry; and he shall eat on the left hand, and they shall not be satisfied: they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm:" Isaiah 9:20
"For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." Heb 4:15
"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."John 1:14
"Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him." John 6:53-56
"Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel.
So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll.
And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.
And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them" Ezek 3:1-4
NayborBear
Active Member
The O.T. especially is a book of God's Loving Kindness Which Endures Forever! Despite His "sottish(stupid)" children Jeremiah 4:22!
And it covers a length of time of some 4,000 years!
And also includes the point at which God could not " YIELD (bend over backwards) to the Covenant He made with Abraham/Issac/Jacob, and their seed. And the "point" where Christ called Israel "Wicked Generation!"
So? God sent His Christ to tell them how far they were "missing the mark!" Which obviously angered them to the point where they "righteously thought" they were doing the right thing in crucifying Jesus!
So, gives us the N.T. Which in comparison to the O.T.? Covers only about 30 years! And the "letters and epistles" only extends to some 40 years after that!
Some 70 years verses some 4,000 years!
And yet? The N.T. shows us again the Loving Kindness of Our Father in Heaven which endures MUCH longer then the Love of His stupid children!
We see only several "sects" in "Judaism" over the course of some 4,000 years?
And how many "sects(denominations)" do we see in only half this time period?
Todays Bible can be (yes, even the KJV) every much an idol as any idol to baal, or molech, or any of the myriad idols, to someone who doesn't know HIStory, let alone Jesus of Nazareth!
Ecclesiastes 8:
11 Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.
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