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To: klossg
Will you answer my question on Mt 7:21 - "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." Does the will of God not matter or is that assumed which means it is the will of God that I kill people after I accept the Gospel understand only Christ saves me?

I thought I answered your question. 2 Philippians 2:13 explains that if one is led by the Holy Spirit, they are on the right course because both the willing and the doing of the elect is determined by God. If a man is led by some other force or by his own will, he is lost.

And further, if a man is truly led by the Holy Spirit, that man most likely will not be grieving the Holy Spirit with heavy sin, again, because the spirit of God now resides in him. As a man is sanctified by the Holy Spirit, he desires to sin less and less.

None of us knows the names of the elect, but a man can be assured his name is among them because the Bible identifies those who possess Trinitarian faith in Jesus Christ as His children.

Edifices like the church in Rome seek to obscure the clear distinction that God gives to those who are (and always have been) His.

"But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,

Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;

That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." -- Titus 3:4-7


8,647 posted on 02/02/2007 2:44:32 PM PST by Dr. Eckleburg ("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
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To: Dr. Eckleburg
And further, if a man is truly led by the Holy Spirit, that man most likely will not be grieving the Holy Spirit with heavy sin.

I know plenty o people who I can identify as those who possess Trinitarian faith in Jesus Christ as His children. Why is it not all of them do not commit heavy sin. (Heavy sin being your way of saying mortal sin). Thus, they do commit mortal sin and possess Trinitarian faith in Jesus Christ. Some are or have been in the news. Others commit sins but are not in the news.

As a man is sanctified by the Holy Spirit, he desires to sin less and less.

This I can agree with. But, people in this state are still capable of mortal sin. You apply Paul's letter to Titus to the Catholic Church. I say the Catholic Church does not fit the characterization you imply with Paul's words. "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;"

I think you paint the Catholic Church as you want it to look and be. You want it to be like the Pharisees. If you need an enemy, like Sunni's need Shias, then you have made yourself your own enemy. I am sure you have been guided to do so simply by human relations. Human beings love to justify their positions and logic. Even if a position must vilify another group of humans, it is worth it to justify ourselves. The Catholic Church does not claim that it has grace from anywhere but Jesus Christ.

The same Paul, in the same letter to Titus says "For a bishop as God's steward must be blameless, not arrogant, not irritable, not a drunkard, not aggressive, not greedy for sordid gain, but hospitable, a lover of goodness, temperate, just, holy, and self-controlled, holding fast to the true message as taught so that he will be able both to exhort with sound doctrine and to refute opponents." - Titus 1:7-9. These are descriptions of how a holy man should act. Christianity as taught by Paul is not just a call to faith but a call to acts. Not that the acts justify salvation. No not at all and the Catholic Church does not preach that, but being human we need to be reminded to follow God's commandments. And again Paul makes his point "They claim to know God, but by their deeds they deny him. They are vile and disobedient and unqualified for any good deed." Titus 1:16. Paul goes on describing the acts of good Christians in Chapter 2 as well. You say it is sanctification and you leave the Catholic Church and Catholics out of this process for the most part.

Your straight forwardness is good. I would hope that you seek more than just a villain in the Catholic Church. She is not terrible at all. Much good moral teaching comes through the Catholic Church. Many times the Catholic Church stands alone against secularism. Please reevaluate your position on the Catholic Church. I am in no danger. It is my immortal soul on the line. If there was anything to your anti-Catholic points, I would thank you and get out. There isn't. Some people may run from the Catholic Church but that is because they have not been educated or really heard or read the Bible or the Church's teachings.
8,932 posted on 02/05/2007 8:55:35 AM PST by klossg (GK - God is good!)
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