[Charles Henrickson]

1 John 5:9-15 (ESV)

If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

[Charles Henrickson]

Ping.

[EliRoom8]

>>These folks say they don’t need the church and what she has to offer. But that is impossible. God has committed the testimony concerning his Son to the church. So without the church, you don’t get God’s testimony. For the gospel testimony is delivered through preaching and the sacraments.

I can't agree. Sounds too much like the false RC dogma of transubstantiation.

[EliRoom8]

Another subtle form of getting away from God’s testimony is when churches change their practice to fit popular desires. They mute the message that God wants to have ringing clear as a bell. Christ crucified is simply assumed and taken for granted. The message of the cross becomes a side note instead of the centerpiece. This is pop Christianity, Christianity Lite, with peppy performances and plenty of programs, but not much of the real Jesus. They think that the historic practice of the church, in preaching, liturgy, and hymnody--they think all that stuff is outmoded and boring, and what you’ve got to have instead is cutting-edge coolness. But that sort of thinking only leads people away from the truth of God’s testimony.

B I n g o !!!! So strongly agree.