Posted on 11/19/2001 3:31:50 PM PST by wwjdn
I would like to encourage Christians in a discussion, if you are an atheist then please go to another post.
As a Christian I wanted to discuss what I now consider false teachings that I have heard in my own churches over the past forty years. I have been in a Christian family since birth and it has been a great experience. Please know that I am learning more each day about God and I am but his humble servant trying to spread his word.
Unfortunately today churches are becoming more and more politically correct (PC) which is denying God his authority. He has been very specific in the path to redemption.
Here is the path to heaven “as I see it” in the New Testament:
Salvation: John 3:16- 18. 16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.
So salvation comes only from belief in the Son of God, Jesus
Then comes baptism: John 3:3-7 ; 3 In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again." 4 "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!" 5 Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, `You must be born again.'
Therefore, you must be born again of water and spirit.
Then comes the harder part, living for God in his body (works). Luke 9:23-26 - 23 Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? 26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
Luke 14:26-27 - "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple. 27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
Matthew 10:38-42 - 38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 40 "He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me. 41 Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet's reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. 42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."
Mark 8:33-38 - 33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." 34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37 Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."
So it would seem to me that following God's will and taking up the cross is also necessary.
I have always been taught that salvation was accepting Jesus and baptism, and yet these scriptures appear to me to state an entirely different path.
I have been a Christian most of my life and until recently I cannot say that I have been in the presence of God. The difference is following God, obediently and faithfully. To do his works, to let him work through me has been a blessing. The verse John 14:10 Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. speaks to me and lets me know that anything I accomplish is God working through me, not me by myself.
So I ask that you pray diligently and faithfully to seek God’s wisdom before you fall into today’s “feel good religions”. If you truly have God in your heart, you will be lifted up on angel’s wings. On the other hand if you go to church to feel good, then Satan is knocking on your door.
Before I started studying and living by the Bible this was not possible. The body of Christ (the church) is a very important part of being "with God".
For years I suffered as a Christian because I didn't follow God's plan for me. As I outlined above "I was not carrying the cross". I have no quarrels with those who disagree, but I can personally state that with faith alone I was not living in Christ!
It is a blessing. I don't think it is unBiblical to perform good works. You are doing it to show devotion, right? Isn't that the spirit in which you do such things?
A lot of the posts have failed to address the verses.
Thanks again for your post.
Titus 3:5
" He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
Ephesians 2:8-9
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."
I don't believe they are. As far as the second part is concerned:
1Corinthians 12:27-30
12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
12:29 [Are] all apostles? [are] all prophets? [are] all teachers? [are] all workers of miracles?
12:30 Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?
"Tweeeeeet"
Personal foul.
Illegal block in the back.
15 yard penalty.
Still third down.
Ga 2:16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the aith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Nobody can be saved by the Law, and nobody can live up to the Law, only through Christ are we saved.
In addition, Yashua advises us that to love Him and follow Him, we should be showing through our works:
John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
14:13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
14:14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
This says it all.
On a somewhat different topic, here are the four questions to ask Mormon missionaries who come to your door and will guarantee that they never return. When they show up at your door, tell them you will talk to them if they can answer four simple questions that will take no more than 1-2 minutes. They will readily agree to this proposal. After all, what could someone ask in 1-2 minutes that they don't have the answers for? Believe me, they turn pale and stammer when you get to the last question. Here goes:
Question #1: Do you believe that God was once a man? A: Yes
Question #2: Do you believe that man can become a god? A: Yes
Question #3: Did God create man? A: Yes
You will get a yes to each of these three questions, without fail.
Question #4: If God was once a man, and God created man; who or what created the first man, and why is that person or being not God?
No foul here. You just haven't been studying your catechism. Now go back to your austere cell and say 100 Hail Harrys.
Psalm 78:2 I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter hidden things, things from of old--
Proverbs 1:6 for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise.
Ezekiel 17:2 "Son of man, set forth an allegory and tell the house of Israel a parable.
Hosea 12:10 I spoke to the prophets, gave them many visions and told parables through them."
some NT...
Matthew 13:10 The disciples came to him and asked, "Why do you speak to the people in parables?"
Matthew 13:13 This is why I speak to them in parables: "Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
Matthew 13:24 Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like...
Matthew 13:31 He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like...
Matthew 13:33 He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven...
Matthew 13:34 Matthew 13 Matthew 13:33-35 Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable.
Matthew 13:35 So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: "I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world."
Matthew 22:1 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying...
Mark 4:2 He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said...
Mark 4:10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables...
Mark 4:11 He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables...
Mark 4:13 Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable?
(...and many, many more...)
CapandBall 1:1 The Bible is full of parables. Don't let another man tell you what they mean.
Romans 14:5 One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
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