Posted on 01/27/2008 7:56:14 PM PST by Manfred the Wonder Dawg
Maybe because he said so?
Sad
Yes, indeed, jumping to conclusions is sad.
Okay, what abut people by whose "fruits" you recognize Christ in them and they are not even Christian?
Oh, boy! Please explain what did this "time" measure? Don't you know that eternity is "timelessness?"
Taoists say "Life is the way it is even if you don't understand it." and if God is not rational(measured by our stick)? What are you going to do about it? Hold your breath?
Or don't you believe that?
All believers are the lively stones of His congregation.
Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy." -- 1 Peter 2:5-10"Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
If one takes on the role of clergy, then there are many things that one must take on above and beyond the role of laity.
The role of the clergy is clearly spelled out in Scripture, and it does not include anything about being "another Christ" or sacrificing Christ anew with every worship service.
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." -- Ephesians 4:11-16"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Who are these Saints,Dear Sister?
I have been told by other protestants that all who believe in Christ are Saints
Is Saint Irenaues,Saint Polycarp,Saint Ignatius,Saint Athanasius “perfected” Saints in your mind?
They all taught completely opposite of John Calvin and protestant teaching on Eucharist and the Catholic Church.
Do you think God allows a Saint to be a lier or is God truth?
Either the Saints I mentioned are TRUE Saints and John Calvin is Not a Saint from Christ or vice versa, or God is NOT truth.
Take your Choice?
Dear Saint, even a saint can be wrong, after all, they are only human :>)
I agree.
I may also add... that a Saint is not a pluralist,Dear Brother.
Christianity is unconditional love, even if it means being being separated from the ones you love, because TRUTH is being willing to accept God's will for those who you love and withstand persecution for it even though we might not understand it at the time..
This ,my Dear Brother is what Saints are.
***I may also add... that a Saint is not a pluralist,Dear Brother.***
???????
That's just how God has purposed life to be -- for His glory and the merciful welfare of His family.
As hosepipe is wont to say, Jesus Christ didn't come to establish a religion but a family. Indeed, that is the flow of Scripture from Genesis to Revelation.
God didn't "need" this heaven and earth, we the adopted children needed it to prepare as members of His family in the new heaven and earth.
To God be the glory!
That was an excellent post as well as your complement to it.
God, as the ground of all being, means there is no such thing as brute or chance facts.
All facts have their basis in Providence.
Why? If the Holy Spirit indwells whomsoever He will, of what use is your witness? If you witness to the elect, that is of no use, since the HS will indwell at His timetable. If you witness to the non elect, are you taunting them with what they cannot have?
We are to share the Gospel because Christ sent us to do so. God uses us as His instruments to preach the word so that others can hear. Those who were predestined will eventually believe. ....... If I preach to a non elect, then it is not a taunt because my witness will be nonsense to him. In addition, as Irish said, we can never know whether we are witnessing to an elect or not. We are commanded to witness to everyone.
There is a huge difference between the reality of the world and what you believe. If you believe something to be true, then shouldn’t you ought to state it that way?
I believe that if I drop a hammer it will fall. I know that the faith God gave me in our Lord Jesus Christ is true. How's that? :)
Exactly to prepare.. Human life "IS" a preparation, a testing..
Not that God needs to know but that WE need to know who we are..
This human experience tests us for our proclivities and quails..
We sort ourselves into groups as herds, flocks, pods and gaggles..
With as much selectivity as any animal, bird or insect..
Yes some humans prefer the Hive.. with drones, queens and workers..
We as humans are being tested whether we like it or not..
Even atheists, agnostics, and pagans of all sort..
All self sorting themselves into groups..
Its quite wonderful really.. God has to do nothing but monitor it..
[ God didn’t “need” this heaven and earth, we the adopted children needed it to prepare as members of His family in the new heaven and earth. ]
Exactly to prepare.. Human life “IS” a preparation, a testing..
Not that God needs to know but that WE need to know who we are..
This human experience tests us for our proclivities and quails..
We sort ourselves into groups as herds, flocks, pods and gaggles..
With as much selectivity as any animal, bird or insect..
Yes some humans prefer the Hive.. with drones, queens and workers..
We as humans are being tested whether we like it or not..
Even atheists, agnostics, and pagans of all sort..
All self sorting themselves into groups..
Its quite wonderful really.. God has to do nothing but monitor it..
= = =
INDEED.
***On what basis do you accept that the Bible is the word of God? On the basis of your faith that it is!***
No, I base it on the activity of the revealed triune God not the abstract god of the greeks. Because God revealed himself and those facts are known through Scripture I can trust his promises. The a priori lies only within the self-revealing God. Without the triune God as the starting point all other (natural) theologies must start with man and are nothing more than tail chasing.
***No, that’s only Church phobia that so many Protestants seem to suffer from. The Greek Church makes no such claims. However, the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church is the Church that defined Christain God as Divine Trinity, and Christ as one Person, in two natures.***
Ya, that’s an example of tail chasing.
Don't be distorting things now. FK said there was a time before the earth existed. What "time?"
I have seen more "refuse" in Christians then in any other faith because they pretend to be "like Christ," possessed of the Holy Spirit and what not, and being like Ann Coulter. I, certainly, do not exclude myself in that group. We all do things we preach others shouldn't!
Those who are not Chirstians are just who they are. They have no reason to be Christ-like. Christians have no excuse. But, I have not recognized Christ in 99.99% of Christians, and the 0.001% that may be, I have not met.
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