Interesting, in your testimony you spend more time explaing why we differ than time spent explaining why Jesus is your savior.
More time explaining why we are wrong and less time explaining why you are right.
You also talk of committing future sins, not as if that's bad but like "Whew, Glad I've got that get out of hell free card.
To me this is an important diffrence. I do not see Jesus as a Celestial Santa Claus, who gives his believers salvation, just becasue they believed, but because they believed enough to do something about it.
Jesus Gave Commandments, God always has. Jesus did not give these commands because he liked to hear himself speak, but becasue he expected us to actually believe enough to keep his commands. Mormons believe Jesus saves us from our sins, not in our sins. You can tout the "Get out of Hell free card" Christianity all you want, here, print this out and carry it with you:
Good luck, you'll need it!
God is not your patsy, repent, and that goes for me too.
Interesting, in your testimony you spend more time explaing why we differ than time spent explaining why Jesus is your savior.Did Joseph Smith in his original pimply-faced "first vision" give us an eternal testimony "explaining why we differ...and why we were wrong" as to what makes ANY of our creeds so putrid to the Mormon god? (No!)
Did Smith in that vision give us an eternal testimony "explaining why we differ...and why" as to what makes our believers 100% corrupt -- and Mormons NOT corrupt? (No!)
Did Smith in that vision give us an eternal testimony "explaining" where & why Presbyterianism -- which he mentioned by name -- was not "true?" (No!)
So you hold me -- somebody Mormons regard as an open "apostate" -- tho I was never Lds...to a higher standard than your own founding "prophet?" (Really???)
I do not see Jesus as a Celestial Santa Claus, who gives his believers salvation, just becasue they believed, but because they believed enough to do something about it.
Well, then have a fit with Romans 6:23 (not me): For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Have a fit with Paul & Silas (not me): He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I DO to be saved?" They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household." (Acts 16:30-31)
Have a fit with Jesus (not me): Then they asked him, "What must WE DO to do the works God requires?" Jesus answered, "The work OF GOD is this: to believe in the one he has sent." (John 6:28-29)
(Jesus wouldn't even let the questioners take credit for their work -- He said even to believe goes ONLY to God's credit! Paul reiterated that in 1 Cor. 12:3-- giving the Holy Ghost 100% credit for believing in Him)
And if you don't think it's 100% God's grace and 100% God's gift, have a fit with Paul, not me (see Eph. 2:8-9).
And the next time you don't want to treat your earthly father as an earthly "Santa Claus," then just start paying him back for all the gifts he gives to you IN THE FUTURE -- in the present -- in the past. (Otherwise, you wouldn't want him to start resembling that "Celestial Santa Claus" you so despise).
Jesus Gave Commandments, God always has. Jesus did not give these commands because he liked to hear himself speak, but becasue he expected us to actually believe enough to keep his commands.
Well, you started to get on the right course at the end of that statement when you said "actually believe enough to keep his commands" -- Another way of saying that is "faith works."
(If we were to have a careful Bible study together, I could point out all the verses that show that we're not expected to carry out those commandments according to our own wisdom, our own skill, our own energy, our own anything -- That's what the Holy Ghost living in us as a temple is all about -- something that gets short-shrift among Mormons because their "temple focus" is almost all 100% building and 100% ritual)
Bottom line. When we obey, we don't get the credit or glory. I thought Jesus has already made that crystal clear: So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'" (Luke 17:10)
DU...you and I are mere servants. Unglorified ones at that. Until He lifts us from this earth and GIVES the 100% gift of glory. Anything we did in this lifetime, as long as wasn't done to audition for godhood & self-glory or done to parade before men, was merely what unworthy servants do. Mormons are trained to focus exclusively on worthiness. Jesus wants repentant, self-acknowledge 'unworthy servants.'"
Won't you join me, a poor, sinful, unworthy servant?