Replies

How do you know that you are actually following God? You already asked that and I answered it at post 2315

Is that knowledge or belief that it applies to you?

If you are filled with the Holy Spirit, then you can resist; if you are not truly filled, then you can succumb.

A person who does not have the Spirit indwelling him is not a Christian:

Does that mean that you believe that the Spirit can only come upon an infant? Or are you going over to the Reformed hijacking theological thought?

The rest of your post is exalting the Catholic Church.

Exalting? I am trying to point out its responsibilities. And I have occasionally mentioned the predicted results of failure by individuals within the Church.

No wonder -- I didn't put a < b r > before the center, gnaah, markup languages:

Gamecock:
"This goes to what the Reformers taught; that is the "enthusiasts" or what we call today
Pentecostals, are really no different from the Roman Catholics."

Owing to Cronos’ testimony in another sidebar, I am convinced that the “we wrote it” posts I’ve seen around here is neither the Catholic Church doctrine nor attitude concerning Scripture. The reason I keep hammering on the point of giving God the glory for the Scriptures – even while exalting its caretakers as you wish - is that it is no small matter to fail to give God the glory for His own words.

And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them. And the people gave a shout, [saying, It is] the voice of a god, and not of a man. And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.

But the word of God grew and multiplied. – Acts 12:21-24

The other matter is in the question you raised:

Is that knowledge or belief that it applies to you?

It is a very common tactic of the spirit of anti-Christ to raise those two words and fabricate an imaginary wall between them when speaking to our youngers in Christ.

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. – Colossians 2:8

If he can succeed in building that artificial wall, then he often equates knowledge to sensory perception and reasoning (empiricism) and thereby defines belief apart as neither - whereupon he often quickly equates belief to hypothesis and from there to delusion, e.g. saying that if a person can believe in God he can also believe in pink unicorns, flying spaghetti monsters and so on.

This is a terrible, terrible insult to the Blood of Christ.

And for that reason I never allow an atheist or agnostic to control the rules of engagement, including the dictionary – and I always begin my reply with my testimony:

God is not a hypothesis. He lives. His Name is I AM. I’ve known Him for a half century and counting.

I know Him as I know my husband, daughter and brother. I don’t simply “believe” they exist, I know them.

For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. – 2 Timothy 1:2

I am the good shepherd, and know my [sheep], and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. – John 10:14-15

[Even] the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. – John 14:17

Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. – John 8:55

I urge you, dear brother in Christ, to not use the “belief v. knowledge” argument anywhere around young Christians. All you will accomplish is setting them up like dominoes in the path of the spirit of anti-Christ because many are not yet ready to debunk the empiricist’s epistemology or withstand the ridicule.

A child’s faith is simple, trusting, and it is both treasured and protected by God.

At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?

And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.

But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and [that] he were drowned in the depth of the sea. – Matt 18:16

God’s Name is I AM.