And how do you reconcile your view with the example of Christ who ate with sinners, consorted with known prostitutes, and invited reviled tax collectors to be part of His closest friends?
Notice in your passage that it says one must ABIDE in the doctrine of Christ. That implies actively living out the Gospel daily in your life.
I think all my comments on this thread can be boiled down to this: Actions speak louder than words.
We can rebuke (reprove sharply) when absolutely necessary, we can admonish (express warning or disapproval, especially in a gentle, earnest, or solicitous manner), or we can condemn.
Due to the sheer number of Scripture quotes I can find about loving our neighbor and treating him with dignity and respect, and those about avoiding the temptation to feel we are better than others, I feel that indicates Christ would rather we admonish.
Eph 2:8&9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
Salvation is by faith in Christ alone. It is not of works. If salvation could be gained through some other means, be it good deeds, baptism, last rites, whatever, Christ would not have needed to die.
Melian: And how do you reconcile your view with the example of Christ who ate with sinners, consorted with known prostitutes, and invited reviled tax collectors to be part of His closest friends?
Me: HUH? I am not advocating a “holy huddle” mentality. Christ ate with what the Pharisees considered “sinners”, when in reality they were either followers or interested in Jesus’ message, it is called EVANGELISM. I have been chastised by people (ironically often LDS) because I have worked/ministered to the “less desirable” of society (homeless, prisoners, etc).
And there is a HUGE difference between “eating with sinners” and wishing them “God Speed” or “God Bless you”. I have the LDS missionaries over for dinner, but there are ground rules, since they are not my brothers in Christ, they are not allowed to pray in my house, nor are they allowed to teach. I feed them dinner, mostly to have a captive audience. My caution was against you wishing an Non-Christian “God Bless You”. That goes against scripture.
Melian: Notice in your passage that it says one must ABIDE in the doctrine of Christ. That implies actively living out the Gospel daily in your life.
Me: We must abide in Christ, but you have it backwards. We don’t actively live out our faith IN ORDER to “abide in Christ”. We actively live out our faith BECAUSE we “abide in Christ”. There is a difference there.
Melian:We can rebuke (reprove sharply) when absolutely necessary, we can admonish (express warning or disapproval, especially in a gentle, earnest, or solicitous manner), or we can condemn.
Due to the sheer number of Scripture quotes I can find about loving our neighbor and treating him with dignity and respect, and those about avoiding the temptation to feel we are better than others, I feel that indicates Christ would rather we admonish.
Me: I agree, and I am the last person to say “I am better than you”. I am actually more in agreement with Paul “the Chiefest of sinners”. But I am covered by the precious blood of Christ, and my sins are forgiven, past present and future. That does not give me license to sin or arrogance, the knowledge instead brings me to my knees before the Lord of Lords and King of Kings in gratitude and humility.
One persons “admonition” or reproof, is another’s condemnation. I don’t believe in a watered down version of the Gospel or a “can’t we all just get along”. Lives are at stake.
I seriously, VERY seriously, weep when one of my older LDS friends die believing that Joseph Smith and his false gospel will get them to Heaven, There are no ‘second chances’ after this life and there is no way that the LDS church teaches a saving faith in Jesus Christ. I know, I was one for many years. And God saved me out of it, that is exactly why I am so passionate about this.
Time is short and there are many, many lost souls out there.
And how do you reconcile your view with the example of Christ who ate with sinners, consorted with known prostitutes, and invited reviled tax collectors to be part of His closest friends?
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What reconcile? We are ALL, all of us, sinners and worthy of revile. Yet Christ invites us to His side, through faith in Him.
I don’t judge other people b/c of past or present sins, we all sin, every day. If someone is truly a Christian by their faith and belief (and the LDS are NOT - again I speak from experience), then they will ask God for forgiveness and God will deal with it.
This isn’t about sin with the LDS, although they do not believe they are sinners, is more of a “misstep” or “missing the mark”, and that they can perfect themselves rather than have God perfect us. This is about a religion that will not only not get them to Heaven to become Gods, but will bring down the wrath of God upon them for blasphemy. And their doctrines ARE blasphemy, according to the Holy Word.