Unity of the faith - at what cost?
- Thread starter St. SteVen
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David in NJ
Well-Known Member
Is not God the One who Knows???
Do you know from the Scriptures the origin and cause of 'divisions'???
i SEE God as our FATHER Above searching the hearts of every man and supplying to us who believe the Holy Spirit to empower us to live in Christ in a world that is Anti-Christ.
JESUS Says: Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that procedes from the Mouth of God = Matt 4:4
Are we not born dead to God and in need of the New Birth of the Spirit thru the Word of God???
if we refuse in whole we remain "dead in trespasses and sins"
if we only believe bits and pieces then how can one grow into "unity of the Spirit" when JESUS Says: "Thy word is Truth"
All we have is "bits and pieces". That's why it's called faith.
Leaving Room for Faith - why we don't know EVERYTHING
At one time I was bothered by the fact that we don't really have ALL the answers. There was always a loose end somewhere. I chased the apologetics in every direction, but always came up short somewhere. And frankly, I don't remember the specifics, only the moment of my release from the tyranny...
www.christianityboard.com
At one time I was bothered by the fact that we don't really have ALL the answers.
There was always a loose end somewhere.
I chased the apologetics in every direction, but always came up short somewhere.
And frankly, I don't remember the specifics, only the moment of my release from the tyranny I had inflicted myself with.
I finally realized that I needed to leave some room for faith.
To live with some mystery. To admit that I didn't have ALL the answers.
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Lambano
Well-Known Member
Tell me how these three things work? It's not obvious from the text.
Lambano
Well-Known Member
In other words, God considers us unified, even while we throw knives at each other?
David in NJ
Well-Known Member
imho = YES, but only those who are walking in the Spirit
If we are walking in accordance with His Will, regardless of imperfect doctrine, the Love of God in our hearts toward one another prevails.
i am a wretched man that can do nothing good apart from CHRIST, nevertheless the Holy Spirit was given to us so that we can SEE & LOVE
Did not God make it real simple for us by culminating all the law & prophets into TWO Commandments = Matthew 22:34-40
But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
37Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and great commandment. 39And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
40On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
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David in NJ
Well-Known Member
St. SteVen said:
9 about sin, because people do not believe in me;
10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer;
11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
Which adds another level of confusion regarding the Holy Spirit.
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9 about sin, because people do not believe in me;
10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer;
11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
They don't. It's a very awkward text. IMO
Which adds another level of confusion regarding the Holy Spirit.
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Lambano said:
In other words, God considers us unified, even while we throw knives at each other?
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In other words, God considers us unified, even while we throw knives at each other?
Say what? - LOL
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David in NJ
Well-Known Member
@Lambano
the TEXT is STRAIGHTFORWARD
sin = not believing in JESUS/GOD/TRUTH
righteousness = because I am going to the Father, = RESURRECTION = JESUS committed no sin therefore death/satan could not hold HIM
judgment = because the prince of this world now stands condemned
Why and How does the prince of this world stand condemned???
David in NJ
Well-Known Member
Those who walk in the Spirit will not throw knives BUT those who oppose the Spirit will assume/claim that knives are being thrown by those who walk and speak in the Spirit
JESUS gives us an example of this:
15Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk. 16And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not [c]regard the person of men. 17Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”
18But Jesus [d]perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? 19Show Me the tax money.”
So they brought Him a denarius.
20And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?”
21They said to Him, “Caesar’s.”
And He said to them, “Render[e] therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.
That's an answer, but NOT an explanation.
If I asked you to define "sin, righteousness and judgment"
independent of this verse, I would get completely different answers.
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David in NJ
Well-Known Member
The answer contains the definition = God does this all the time in His word
No you would not
these forums leave out face to face communication = if we were present MUCH more detail would be communicated between us
David in NJ
Well-Known Member
Not to you but to them it was for it exposed their evil hearts
God's Word is a SWORD of TRUTH that CUTS to the heart of man
David in NJ
Well-Known Member
Because they do not believe what it Says when they read it
Calling Good as evil; is from the evil one = don't be stupid
David in NJ
Well-Known Member
It sure does and now you now that True Unity can only be attained for those who seek unity in: "Thy word is Truth"
Religion, self, man-made doctrines, clinging to OT law, unbelief, mockery of the Scriptures, pride/intellect of man all these things are incompatible with 'unity in the Spirit of Truth'.
No. There is no consensus on what the Bible means.
All those things GUARANTEE there is no doctrinal unity.
And there never will be.
The only unity possible is when we ALL accept each other where we are DESPITE differences.
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