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Posted on 03/10/2004 9:37:27 PM PST by malakhi
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
All them heathens giving "glory to God" eh?
Now is probably a bad time to point out that this verse contradicts any notion of "faith alone." :-)
SD
A question.
Is the measure of any religious activity indicated solely by the number of converts it generates?
It would seem to me that if this were the standard, then bible study in a group made up entirely of believers would be a waste of time.
What I'm suggesting is, there is a place for preaching and teaching, but also there should be a place for studying, learning and growing.
Not to steal Kevin's thunder, but this assumes we have a natural "neutral" destination and that He11 is a "punishment".
It also presupposes than - apart from the fall - our natural destination would be Heaven. This is simply not the case.
The problem here, for certain elements, is that if we are not trying to convert each other and are instead trying to learn and grow, we are guilty of fellowshipping with "evil."
Apparently we should only study along with those who agree with us completely.
SD
But did God know how it would all turn out before He created?
A better question is why would a just God make eternal torment the destination for creatures following their natures? Assuming, as the Calvinist does, that the creature can do no other but to sin.
Hell as a punishment for freely chosen disobedience makes sense. As a natural end to human nature as we are born into it, less so.
SD
Well you all disappeared form here and did not come back for several weeks, until it was "safe". Darkness hates the light.
If you'd done anything more than pop in ocassionally over the last year, ... you would know that those whom you speak of have been in and out of the thread several times over the course of the last year.
It may very well be that your arrival and their departure was coincidental.
Believe it or not, ... there's a lot that happens here of which you know nothing.
Sure. The difference is that you believe God either forces grace upon you or deprives you of grace.
I believe God gives everyone sufficient grace, but that He can freely choose to give overabundant grace to some. None is deprived. None can point to God.
SD
... you show me the scripture that says God will use your walk will bring anyone to a saving knowledge of Christ
I wait with baited breath .Colossians 4:5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.
6 Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer each one.
1 Peter 3:1 In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives,
2 as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior.
I do agree that studying and learning very important which is what I mostly get from these threads. However if I went to a church year after year that didn't bring in new members, old ones dropping out, and no one accepting Christ I would wonder what was going on. I think all of us can grown in the Lord and even though I think the Calvinists are the kettle calling the pot black I still try to listen to what others say. Ex: Johnnys post really got my attention.
Dangerous times for the faith warriors.
2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.
Now is probably a bad time to point out that this verse contradicts any notion of "faith alone." :-)
I am of the opinion that there is no such thing as ... 'faith alone'.
True faith is always a motivator to works, ... including the work of love.
All true believers manifest their faith.
I'm not sure who this puts me in doctrinal contention with.
Our disobedience is freely chosen.
Everyone! :-)
SD
Y'all don't really get what "free" means. It means you could choose to do somethign or another. Since you believe we are incapable of choosing to do other than bad, it isn't "free."
SD
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