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To: woollyone
"If you have come to a strong personal conviction on one side of a doctrinal issue, please grant us the privilege of first seeing how it has helped you to become more Christ-like in your nature, and then we will judge whether we need to come to that same persuasion. Let us always be certain to look at the fruit of the teaching."

If you want to look at the 'fruit' of the teaching look at the scriptures and see if the things are so!

Sola Scriptura! Sola Fide,-good Reformation doctrine there!

166 posted on 02/18/2002 11:58:40 PM PST by fortheDeclaration
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To: fortheDeclaration
Yes, well, I have, and do read Scripture...and Scripture teaches both sides of the debate. So I agree with Scripture to accept both sides of the issue and to allow God to remain God.

The quote I pasted is directed at those who hold dogmaticly to one side or the other and legalistically pressure others to refuse opposing perspectives. The fruit mentioned in the quote refers to the fruit of your life in tenaciously holding to one particular doctrinal issue. The reason that this is asked for is because too often, those that cling to these divisive doctrines do so at the expense of the unity and love in the body of Christ.

So far, this thread has 290 posts of division in the body. Who is receiving the most glory in this bantering? That is the issue of fruit about which the quote addresses, not whether or not Scripture bears fruit, for we know that God's Word always bears fruit (Heb 4:12; 2Tim 3:16-17).

So, again, I post the quote with an expanded edition...
"Jesus said, "By their fruit ye shall know them." When a particular position on the Scriptures causes one to become argumentative, legalistic, and divisive, I question the validity of that position. I seek to embrace those things that tend to make me more loving and kind, more forgiving and merciful. I know then that I am becoming more like my Lord. If you have come to a strong personal conviction on one side of a doctrinal issue, please grant us the privilege of first seeing how it has helped you to become more Christ-like in your nature, and then we will judge whether we need to come to that same persuasion. Let us always be certain to look at the fruit of the teaching."

296 posted on 02/19/2002 9:29:56 AM PST by woollyone
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