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...you have to be able and willing (definately able first...which is a gift from God) to read the entire book of Scriptures as a beautiful, woven cloak of threads that come together to make a whole TRUTH...as opposed to picking out a few threads you may like the best..."pure heart" and "sincerity" are spoken of throughout Scripture and both do, most definately apply in this instance...God gives believer's understanding (He opens the eyes of their heart) and His truth by His Spirit. You are not a believer, therefore you do not read with understanding....
Verna your sincerity is never questioned . . . why do you question the sincerity of others? I do not believe you have seriously sought what God has "written in our hearts" when addressing the more obvious "evils" in the ignorant and superstitious descriptions men have created about God's motives and actions. If you did . . . you could not defend the literal and uninformed interpretations that seem to dominate Christianity (and Judaism and Islam for that matter).
You feel strongly about the Sabbath and the few commandments issued to our ancient forebears. For me and those who have listened to what God has "written in our hearts" . . . Christ's two commandments are far more extensive and ALL involve a loving heart, period. The commands to "love God and each other" daily and repent when we don't . . . affects our entire lives and actions toward life and others . . . not just ten. You adhere to the Sabbath commandment with love in your heart . . . that cannot be wrong . . . but it is the "love in your heart" that makes it important and valuable to God. Others feel that way about other ways of taking that day of rest . . . but you do not believe they have love in their hearts nor do you think God looks upon their sincerity in the same way he does yours. That is not your call.
...you have to be able and willing (definately able first...which is a gift from God) to read the entire book of Scriptures as a beautiful, woven cloak of threads that come together to make a whole TRUTH...as opposed to picking out a few threads you may like the best..."pure heart" and "sincerity" are spoken of throughout Scripture and both do, most definately apply in this instance...God gives believer's understanding (He opens the eyes of their heart) and His truth by His Spirit. You are not a believer, therefore you do not read with understanding....
....line upon line...line upon line...comparing Spiritual things with Spiritual things....precept upon precept....
I will pray for you...as I have done so many times thrill....I do hope you find HIS truth.
Verna, really I appreciate your concern for my well-being and eternal destiny but your beliefs and responses are fraught with subjective opinions. You let you deep emotional gut responses to what you read guide your replies here, which is why little of it is based on what the Bible actually says but how you feel people should be behaving towards what you perceive God wants from them. As I said, this business of "pure heart and sincerity" sounds nice and I agree with you to a point, but it is simply not Biblical because it is not stated that God demands these before someone comes before him as a sinner. You reach a conclusion based on how YOU would respond to the invitation to accept Jesus. Each person is an individual. Many people accept the invitation with confusion, trepidation, doubt, and yes even insincerity and an impure heart. God alone judges the state of their heart, not you. The important thing is that they speak the words and make the attempt because it is a first step, like an alcoholic willing to admit he has a problem. He may not want to go to the AA meetings but the first step is to just get him there. Let the counselors deal with the problem of his doubts afterward. Same thing with God. Just get a person to take the first step and let the Holy Spirit deal with whatever impurity of heart and insincerity he may be harboring.
If you ask me the "kingdom of heaven is here" the way we live here -but NOT in it, as aliens in a world we must travel through, but not really be a part of. Heaven is at some point after judgemnt and whose name is actually written in the lambs book of life. I think we all will get bits n peices of the truth as God reveals it to us and we then are accountable for what we know. So not to argue.
...you have to be able and willing (definately able first...which is a gift from God) to read the entire book of Scriptures as a beautiful, woven cloak of threads that come together to make a whole TRUTH...as opposed to picking out a few threads you may like the best..."pure heart" and "sincerity" are spoken of throughout Scripture and both do, most definately apply in this instance...God gives believer's understanding (He opens the eyes of their heart) and His truth by His Spirit. You are not a believer, therefore you do not read with understanding....
....line upon line...line upon line...comparing Spiritual things with Spiritual things....precept upon precept....
I will pray for you...as I have done so many times thrill....I do hope you find HIS truth.
You are on it, Verna - take all Scripture into account, the Holy Spirit gives understanding.
Romans 10:13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Acts 2:21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved
Matt 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, â€Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Thoughts?
Good point, Legoman!
My thought: the early church had a higher message than what Jesus gave in the gospels. That is because Jesus came to fulfill the Law, and put an end to it.
What came after His resurrection was a New Gospel: Love.
Remember: the veil of the Temple was torn in two. I believe that is telling us that at that moment, all of the fulfillment of the Law had been accomplished. A new era had begun!
I'm trying to figure out the difference between entering the kingdom and being saved. According to this thread, they seem to be two different things.
...they are DRob4JC.
Saved is to abide in God. The Greek word "sozo" implies saving from danger and represents the act or activity of saving someone, as in "rescue".
Depending upon the context of the verse, "saved" can be referring to any one of the three following stages of spiritual growth:
* Coming Out of Egypt..."By Grace are ye SAVED through faith." Ephesians 2:8
Through faith, we are born again and have God's promise that if we endure we shall inherit eternal life. We are SAVED (rescued) from both the penalty of our past sins and the power that sin has over us.
* Through The Wilderness..."Work out your own SALVATION with fear and trembling." Philippians 2:12
Now, begins the process of BEING SAVED from the doing of sin by the power of the indwelling HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD. To cease from sin...the process of being washed and cleansed from doing all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
* Into Canaan..."But he that shall endure unto the end (Gk. telos - the goal reached) the same shall be SAVED." Matthew 24:13
We must fully surrender our self-life to Jesus. We must overcome our bondage to the world and sin. Then, our goal is reached. That is: our adoption as a son of God who inherits eternal life.
"He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son." Revelation 21:7
Salvation is a spiritual journey...a process that includes ceasing from sin.
No one can continue to commit willfull sin and still inherit eternal life.
My thought: the early church had a higher message than what Jesus gave in the gospels. That is because Jesus came to fulfill the Law, and put an end to it.
What came after His resurrection was a New Gospel: Love.
Remember: the veil of the Temple was torn in two. I believe that is telling us that at that moment, all of the fulfillment of the Law had been accomplished. A new era had begun!
Peace,
brian
Amen
That new era being Christ in you . Or more to the point a new era begins in us when we know Christ and His kingdom is within us, not outside of us.
No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.
That new era being Christ in you. Or more to the point a new era begins in us when we know Christ and His kingdom is within us, not outside of us.
No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest.
Amen!
The whole purpose of our experience here on Earth, is to learn to trust in the Lord. Not always an easy lesson.. Psalm 23..
Peace,
brian
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