Posted on 12/19/2016 7:24:12 PM PST by DWW1990
Pleased with the efforts of his demonic protégé, Screwtape nevertheless cautioned Wormwood not to waken his waffling churchgoing “patient” to “a sense of his real position.” In chapter XII of C.S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters, Screwtape further warns Wormwood that his patient “must not be allowed to suspect that he is now, however slowly, heading right away from the sun on a line which will carry him into the cold and dark of utmost space.”
Screwtape goes on to contend that the man’s church attendance could even be used as an advantage in their demonic schemes. He explains,
"As long as he retains externally the habits of a Christian he can still be made to think of himself as one who has adopted a few new friends and amusements but whose spiritual state is much the same as it was six weeks ago [before he became a Christian]. And while he thinks that, we do not have to contend with the explicit repentance of a definite, fully recognized, sin, but only with his vague, though uneasy, feeling that he hasn’t been doing very well lately."...
Fewer and fewer Americans these days seem willing “to contend with the explicit repentance of a definite, fully recognized, sin.” Of course, to a great extent, this is because fewer and fewer Americans are able to recognize what is sin—or, many Americans are simply becoming comfortable with their sin, and are eagerly strolling along the “gentle slope” to hell.
Thus, no one should be surprised that a nation so deceived about sin is steeped in “fake news.” Tragically, peddling what I’ve dubbed “fake Christianity,” many in the church today are responsible for this widespread confusion and deception.
(Excerpt) Read more at trevorgrantthomas.com ...
Amen. MegaChurches are the place that fosters this
Yeah, I guess when you’re telling people what they want to hear, it’s a lot easier to draw a crowd.
You sure about that?
Considering who the evangelical church in America embraced this past election season, I think it is too late to talk about real Christianity confronting the difficult issues of our time and telling the truth with courage, conviction, and love. Most of the Christians I know compromised everything they know as right simply to win. I am embarrassed for the current state of the evangelical church in America.
Most of my circle went with Hillary as well,,,
the cuts will be long and deep.
Trump actually got less evangelical support than Romney: http://www.christianpost.com/news/donald-trump-did-not-win-more-evangelical-support-than-romney-barna-poll-finds-171932/
Was voting for Romney (a Mormon) any better decision for an evangelical Christian? And look at Trump’s cabinet. Can you honestly say (other than maybe a couple of choices) that the country is not much better off than it would be under Clinton?
One might equally well (perhaps even better) talk about what being clothed in righteousness is like.
Righteousness is driven by love of God.
Sin is driven by hating God.
Looking at the topic from the negative end is kind of like trying to talk about gases in terms of degree of vacuum.
There is no need for repentance . ZERO , John 3:16-18 from the ONLY eye witness to Jesus in the bible. Get THIS!! If you “believe” in Jesus as the Son of God— YOU HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. If you don’t— you go to hell ( oblivion, because there is no eternal life there in HADES) . Accept Jesus as the absolute SON of GOD right now and you are SAVED!!
That’s a picture at one point in time. It will be interesting to note whether those who didn’t get the point of Donald Trump now, see it dawn on them later. Some may be like starving people who have starved so long that they only think of tree bark and not real food.
A different way to put it, perhaps clearer in the context of this discussion, is that repentance is inevitable in accepting Jesus. It’s another side of a multi faceted coin, to use a bad metaphor. Jesus won’t transform those who won’t welcome the transformation.
As for Jesus personally, yep he refers to repentance copiously.
And not sure what you are laying out as a criteria for “eye witness in the bible.” Can you explain more? As it stands, Matthew, Mark, and Paul would count.
Try not to be too clever by half.
Funny how people who love 3:16 never bother to mention all of what Christ said there.
I appreciate your lack of finality of salvation. It is colloquial. It is wrong. The Thief never repented — DID HE ? Jesus said , who we need to hear, said “Because of your faith, TODAY, you will be with me in heaven” . This argument is OVER! Don’t stack stuff on salvation — WHICH IS SIMPLE —BELIEF IN JESUS AS THE SON!!
- http://www.gty.org/resources/questions/QA163/what-is-repentance-and-how-does-it-relate-to-salvation
Well, their descendants, especially from Spain. ;)
Can you read? You just made the WORD sing!! John 3:21 But he that doth truth, cometh to the light, that his works may be made manifest, because they are done in God.
GOD HAS DONE OUR WORKS THOUGH THE ATONEMENT OF JESUS!! READ IT OVER AND OVER!!! “DONE IN GOD”!!!!!! Open you eyes!!
You do not have to repent!! The THIEF DID NOT!! Did he? You are driving a false doctrine of the institutional “church” to get money. AMEN
Didn't he? "Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes".
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