Posted on 02/24/2020 6:54:56 AM PST by Kaslin
According to a new Lifeway Research survey, while 47 percent of “mainline” pastors now support same-sex “marriage,” only 8 percent of evangelical pastors do. More specifically, “Presbyterian or Reformed (49%), Methodist (47%), Lutheran (35%) and Christian/Church of Christ pastors (20%) are more likely to see nothing wrong with same-sex marriage than Baptist (3%) or Pentecostal pastors (1%).”
None of this is surprising in the least.
First, as noted by Scott McConnell, executive director of LifeWay Research, “The movement we see among pastors’ views of same-sex marriage has less to do with their denominational tradition than their view of the Bible.”
Accordingly, those who hold most faithfully to the authority of Scripture will be the least inclined to change their views on homosexuality. Put another way, those who believe the Bible to be God’s inspired, unchanging Word will be the least likely to compromise their convictions based on societal changes.
“An evangelical distinctive,” McConnell continued, “is the ultimate authority the Bible has over one’s beliefs despite changing cultural perspectives. It is not surprising then that evangelical pastors across different denominations continue to view same-sex marriage as wrong through this lens.”
That’s because the Bible is unambiguous in its condemnation of homosexual unions. Under all circumstances, regardless of how much love or commitment is involved, they are sinful in God’s sight and contrary to His established order.
At the same time, mercy and forgiveness are offered for all, including practicing homosexuals. The Word is equally clear on this (see 1 Corinthians 6:9-11).
That’s why, when I had a mini-debate with “gay Christian” poster boy Matthew Vines, he could not offer a single Scripture verse in support of his position. (For a graphic illustration of the scriptural bankruptcy of the “gay Christian” argument, see here.)
When it comes to “mainline” pastors, which these days primarily refers to “progressive” or “liberal” pastors, they are more inclined to interpret Scripture through the lens of contemporary culture than to evaluate contemporary culture through the lens of Scripture.
As a result, they are more likely to disbelieve fundamental, biblical truths, including: the Bible as God’s infallible Word; salvation coming only through Jesus; the virgin birth and the resurrection; eternal reward and eternal punishment.
That’s why it’s no surprise that these same pastors, who have waffled on the most foundational issues, will waffle on things like gay “marriage” too. What else could we expect?
Ironically, it is the Pentecostals, who are often derided for their belief that the Spirit continues to speak today, who are the most conservative of all, with only 1 percent of their pastors affirming same-sex “marriage.”
But that, too, should come as no surprise. That’s because the reason Pentecostals believe that prophecy and tongues are for today is because they believe that the Word of God means what it says. That’s also why they reject same-sex “marriage.”
Pentecostals also emphasize the importance of the new birth and life in the Spirit. This means that the vast majority of their adherents will have a greater devotion to the Lord and His Word than those of “mainline” churches, which often downplay the concept of personal relationship with God.
All this would be in keeping with a 10-country religious survey published in 2006, titled, “Spirit and Power – A Ten Country Survey of Pentecostals.”
The survey indicated that, “In addition to their distinctive religious experiences, renewalists also stand out for the intensity of their belief in traditional Christian doctrines and practices. For instance, in eight of the 10 countries surveyed (all except the U.S. and Chile), majorities of nonrenewalist Christians believe that the Bible is the word of God and is to be taken literally, word for word; but this view is even more common among pentecostals than among non-renewalist Christians. Similarly, large majorities of all Christians, renewalists and nonrenewalists alike, believe that miracles still occur today as in ancient times. But this belief tends to be even more intense among pentecostals and, to a lesser extent, charismatics than among nonrenewalist Christians.”
It is true that, according to the recent Lifeway Research survey, the more educated the pastor, the more likely he (or she) was to accept same-sex “marriage.” Specifically, “Those with a doctorate (27%) or a master’s degree (32%) are more likely to support same-sex marriage than pastors with a bachelor’s degree (9%) or no college degree (6%).”
But, once again, it is also more likely that many of those who pursued more advanced degrees view the Bible through a more modernist lens than those who chose not to pursue such degrees. Education, in and of itself, does not guarantee orthodoxy. This is especially so when the seminaries attended are themselves liberal.
Interestingly, “Pastors of churches with fewer than 50 in attendance are more likely to see nothing wrong with two people of the same gender getting married (33%) than those at churches with 100 or more in attendance (19%).”
This would confirm what I have written about numerous times, namely, that “progressive Christianity” is doomed to fail.
That’s why, while 47 percent of “mainline” pastors now affirm same-sex relations, they represent an increasingly small minority of American pastors as a whole as their congregations are dwindling. In stark contrast, Pentecostal-Charismatic Christianity is exploding around the globe.
One group adheres more faithfully to the Word and relies on the Spirit’s power. The other does not.
The results are as expected.
Purgatory is not about salvation. Purgatory has no effect whatsoever on salvation. It is not efficacious for salvation.
The salvation in God's Grace has God's Holy Spirit seed abiding in the born again spirit. The flesh remains unregenerate, for the transforming by the renewing of their behavior mechanism mind. The mind is a part of the fleshy soul.
Jesus died on that cross so that those who believe in their heart Jesus is Messiah and God with us, who are born again in spirit, they need no further cleansing of their spirit, even as their behavior mechanism is slowly transformed through faith in the New Born spirit director Who is Within ... 'It is God Who is in you, both to will and do of His purposes'.
Do you not believe God is abiding in the born again? Do you believe GOD would send His Seed to your imaginary purgatory?
I suspect there is a good chance Elsie’s wife probably DOES wish he would remain silent in church. He probably gets on his wife’s nerves sometimes. 😁😀😆
Elsie, how about a good limerick. 👍🤗
I don’t do purgatory. There is only one Purgatory. It’s a ski resort in Colorado. 😁👍
yup
That would depend on what 'salvation' means.
I take it to mean being in heaven with Jesus for eternity.
Rome says I HAVE to get thru purgatory FIRST.
A limerick here might be A crime;
(As many are; some of the time)
No time to be silent,
(I’ll soon be Soylent)
The sky is still dark; not my prime.
“I don’t know that you’d call us “evangelical” though. I don’t really know what that label means any more.”
One (or more) of our pastors has said how we have to adapt our wording to the present day view of certain words. “Of course we are Evangelicals - it is up to us to spread the good news - the Gospel. Although in today’s world that name gets a bad rap because people don’t understand it. So we try to stay away from that word. But it doesn’t mean we will stop doing it!!”
More fundamental is the spiritual gift of pastor-teacher.
There would be 0% of churches which believe homosexuality is OK, if they identified their spiritual gifts with faith in Christ.
Even moreso with pastors.
If a “pastor” condones homosexuality within the church, he is foregoing any spiritual gift which would place him in his office, for worldly acceptance.
As soon as he accepts it, he falls out of fellowship with God and isn’t able to perform his duties with the gift from the Holy Spirit.
After all this time, still refuting things nobody is saying.
That's why you should make ask questions, not make statements about things you don't understand.
The priests and nuns told me exactly that, when I was a catholic. I don’t accept it anymore, cuz the only Purgatory that exists, is in Colorado. They also told me I might go the Limbo. Whatever happened to Limbo? 🤗
Bravo ... and so quickly penned!
Hear here! And some of those pastors fall into sin so deeply that God gives them over to reprobate minds.
The fork in your teacher tongue is getting wider ...
Then purgatory is useless because there remains no sin held to the account of someone who is saved, so there’s nothing to purge the soul from.
Say you have a very wicked (lengthy description with lurid details) in-DUH-vidual who cultivated all kinds of deforming spiritual/moral vices and always successfully evaded all consequences in his life:
He has his eternal destiny of bliss with the Lord. Granted. Free gift. No question.
But do you think he ought to have faced some temporal (not eternal) consequenes? Which he deserved (as the Good Thief on the cross said) for his crimes?
If he was truly repentant, would HE admit that he ought to have gotten oh, just a smidge of temporal consequences? Especially since he had not, not by a long shot, severed every possible attachment to habitual sin which was still part of his personality?
So. Does he crown his life of escaping all consequences, by once more escaping all consequences? Why or why not?
I still don’t believe in Purgatory. 😆😁
Are you aware that the spirit is not the same as the soul? Are you aware that it is the spirit which God cleanses by the blood of Jesus and then abides therein? You keep playing bait and switch. What did Paul tell you is the source of sin in a born again member of Christ’s Body? HINT: once born again, the spirit cannot sin; the flesh continues to be a source of sin. At death the flesh is shed, not refurbished by some mythical place called purgatory. ... And you’re a teacher in Catholicism!
Maybe but only here on earth.
Not in the afterlife because Jesus paid the penalty for his sins. ALL of them.
And even if he does rightly go to jail for breaking the laws of this country, it does NOTHING to clear his sin debt with God.
That is dealt with by Jesus.
Since that debt has been paid off, there's nothing left for him to pay.
That would be unjust on God's part to require double payment for sin, to require suffering on the part of the individual to pay for sin that Jesus paid for on the cross and unjust to Jesus to say that what He endured on the cross was not good enough.
Jesus Himself said that the debt was paid, that His work of redemption was finished.
The whole concept of purgatory makes a liar out of both God and Jesus.
If he was truly repentant, would HE admit that he ought to have gotten oh, just a smidge of temporal consequences? Especially since he had not, not by a long shot, severed every possible attachment to habitual sin which was still part of his personality?
Maybe he could think that, but in light of the atrocities committed, there is NO WAY that anything he could do could ever come close to repaying what he owes someone for destroying their life and the lives of those around them.
That's the problem. What's done cannot be undone.
Nor is the fact that every last attachment to sin in a person's life not severed at death relevant. Death severs that final connection.
So. Does he crown his life of escaping all consequences, by once more escaping all consequences? Why or why not?
Because.... forgiveness.
Forgiveness from Merriam Webster.
to give up resentment of or claim to requital (see requital sense 1) for
to grant relief from payment of
Catholicism does not teach forgiveness. They teach payment for sin.
Penance, purgatory, etc, is all forms of payment for sin, to work off the sin debt.
Forgiveness is canceling the debt saying that no payment for wrong done is owed.
Colossians 2:13-14 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.
When all our sin was nailed to the cross, the righteous wrath of God that Jesus bore for that sin, dealt with it once and for all.
The sin had been paid for by JESUS, who then offers it to those who put their faith and trust in Him for salvation, as a free gift.
It's no different than someone going to court to pay for a crime, and having the judges son say, I paid for that. All you have to do is ask and I will cover it for you.
It's a matter of throwing yourself on the mercy of the court.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.