How to tell who is of God and who is not

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know1

Senior Member
Aug 27, 2012
3,071
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#1
Matthew 7 says, 'ye shall know them [the false prophets] by their fruits [plural]'.

This doesn't apply to baby Christians, as babes in Christ (no pun intended) cannot handle the meat of God's word. So this is to those who have been in God's word for a long time and teach others, such as myself, and not to those who don't know the word of God and who have little to no understanding of the same. Like that of a young child who is void of understanding. God does not hold a child responsible for their actions, and I believe it is the same for those who are adults, but babes in Christ.
One of the things Jesus pointed out is that a good tree CANNOT produce corrupt fruit, neither can a corrupt tree produce good fruit. Each produces after their kind.
And so it is with those who are of God and those who are of the devil.

1Jn 4:17 says, Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Which means, as the spirit is in us, so are we. If the spirit that is in us is of God, then it will eventually transform us to have some character traits more like God, and if the spirit that is in us is of the devil, then we will have some character traits more like that of the devil.
The tree that Jesus is speaking of is the kind or type of spirit that is in the person, which started out as a seed or offspring.
He said, "either make the tree good and his fruit will be good, or else make the tree corrupt and his fruit will be corrupt."
So I use a small list of scripture references to determine who is of God and who is not.
For now, I'll skip the scripture references and explanations, to keep it relatively short. And this is by no means an exhaustive list. It's just some of the things I found.

1. Those who reject and try to refute this partial list as not of God, will not be of God.
2. They cannot see or perceive the truth of God's word. Therefore they cannot come to the truth. Like what faith is.
3. They cannot, or refuses to, hear, understand, or comprehend the truths or promises of God's word. Like works of faith.
4. They will either resist, reject, twist, explain away, add a little truth to, or change the meaning of, the truth or to that which is written. Like ALL the promises that are written, AS they are written.
5. They will have a form of godliness, but deny the power of God's word in any situation but salvation. That they may blend in with the body of Christ or the church. Like the carnally minded who focus on the natural rather than the power of God.
6. They cannot renew their minds. They tend to focus on the natural only, using reasoning, logic, and understanding of how things work in this natural world. Like believing the word or promises of God over the situation.
7. They call good, evil, and evil, good. Like calling WoF of the devil, and calling sickness, a blessing of God.

The last thing I would like to point out is that Jesus is both the word of God and the truth. And if Jesus who is truth were like the ocean and a truth was a small cup of water from that ocean, and you refused or rejected that said cup of water, then did you in effect reject all the water of that ocean, or just the water that was in that cup? For two cannot walk together except they be agreed.
I ask because we are born again BY the word of God concerning salvation, yet if we reject a portion of another truth of God's word, have we said in effect that we don't agree with Jesus?
The bible also says that in Jesus is truth and NO lie. Now if you are part of the body of Christ, which would put you in Christ, and there is no lie in Him, can you have any lie in you? And if you do, then how can you be in Christ and Christ have NO lie in Him?
It's just a thought.
Has anyone noticed anyone like the above mentioned?
Any thoughts on the matter?
 
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jaybird88

Guest
#2
IMO a teacher with bad fruit would be the pharisees. you couldnt tell be looking and listening, they were experts on the law and believed what they taught. they spoke well to the crowds, but their actions showed who they truley were, full of greed, vanity and corruption.
 
W

WUKONG

Guest
#3
I have had experiences of my Church putting emphasis on the WoF thing in our retreat years ago and sometime ago.

Although I agree on what you said. There exists false teachers, yes.

Although about the phrase "Can you have any lie in you?". If it is lying on the scriptures and changing its meaning and adding something to it then that's an acceptable reason to accept that they are not of Christ.

But if it is a lie not concerning the scriptures, eg. "I didn't eat a cookie from the cookie jar, mom" kind of lie, then we all lie like this at times even when we don't notice it. We are sinners alike past, present, and future. We are imperfect yes. But we still belong to God.

But not the false teachers of course. You get what I mean.

Your monkey neighbor here. ;) God bless you.
 
W

WUKONG

Guest
#4
IMO a teacher with bad fruit would be the pharisees. you couldnt tell be looking and listening, they were experts on the law and believed what they taught. they spoke well to the crowds, but their actions showed who they truley were, full of greed, vanity and corruption.
Good point here.
 

know1

Senior Member
Aug 27, 2012
3,071
166
63
#5
IMO a teacher with bad fruit would be the pharisees. you couldnt tell be looking and listening, they were experts on the law and believed what they taught. they spoke well to the crowds, but their actions showed who they truley were, full of greed, vanity and corruption.
Couldn't a child of God be the same greedy, vain, corrupt person you mentioned and still be or remain a child of God?
With some of us, there is a great many things that are not right from within. Yet that in itself would not disqualify anyone from being a son or daughter of God.
But what about those who have been in God's word for decades? What do you think would happen if they started rejecting what is written while twisting what it says to fit their denomination's doctrines.
If we are born again by the word of God, which is truth, how can we continue in Christ if we don't hold to that which we heard from the beginning?

1Jn 2:24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.

Which goes without saying, that if you don't keep the truth of the gospel in your heart, or any other truth written, but reject or change it in some way, then you will not continue in the Son and Father.
Such as those who say the "if" spoken of in verse 24 is a condition that is already done. They say it's not a matter of if you do or if you don't, because to the OSAS crowd, it is impossible for anyone to lose their salvation. So they have to make change the meaning so that they appear to be correct.
 
A

Ariel82

Guest
#6
List of scriptures?

How do you determine a false teacher from a baby Christian?
 

know1

Senior Member
Aug 27, 2012
3,071
166
63
#7
I have had experiences of my Church putting emphasis on the WoF thing in our retreat years ago and sometime ago.

Although I agree on what you said. There exists false teachers, yes.

Although about the phrase "Can you have any lie in you?". If it is lying on the scriptures and changing its meaning and adding something to it then that's an acceptable reason to accept that they are not of Christ.

But if it is a lie not concerning the scriptures, eg. "I didn't eat a cookie from the cookie jar, mom" kind of lie, then we all lie like this at times even when we don't notice it. We are sinners alike past, present, and future. We are imperfect yes. But we still belong to God.

But not the false teachers of course. You get what I mean.

Your monkey neighbor here. ;) God bless you.
No no, I'm not talking about sinning or lying, but rejecting truth and replacing it with a lie within your heart.
When one is born again, where does Jesus and the Holy Spirit reside?
In one's heart, right?
And where does the word of God reside?
Also in the heart. It has to, because the word of God IS the Holy Ghost.
So if someone has a bad experience with say, WOF because of ignorance, or because they thought they believed but really didn't, they might be tempted to create a reason, through natural human reasoning, for their failure, by changing the meaning of the text to fit their experience. Rather than owning up to the fact that they were the ones who were at fault, because God NEVER EVER fails to do what He promised to do.
And because they want to believe that God is a compassionate and loving God, which He is, they concoct or fabricate a reasoning, like a pacifier, to succor themselves or other from the pain of the failure.
And in so doing have rejected the truth of God's word and replaced it with a lie within their heart.
After decades of perverting God's word, where do you think these people will be in Christ?
Jesus said, if your eye, hand, or foot offend you pluck it our or cut it off.
It just stands to reason that if the body part continues to offend Jesus, that Jesus will cut away that part of His body, as He told us to do.
 

Prov910

Senior Member
Jan 10, 2017
880
47
0
#8
How to tell who is of God and who is not
In regards to this, are clergy held to a higher standard than the rank-and-file rest of us? A while back I caught a priest in a lie--or at least in deception to the point of dishonesty. Does that mean he's not a man of God? Or is it okay for a man of the cloth to lie once in a while?
 

know1

Senior Member
Aug 27, 2012
3,071
166
63
#9
List of scriptures?

How do you determine a false teacher from a baby Christian?
If you would read my first post, it would give you some determining factors for a false teacher.
As for a baby Christian, I would put a time line on the person from when they became a Christian, like we do in the natural.
Society doesn't hold a child's inability to comprehend the gravity of his actions and the things He says against them, like they would an adult. That's why prison's hold adults only, and not children.
Who did God hold accountable when the Israelites siding with the evil report of the spies?
It was those who were over 20 years of age, wasn't it? Not the young, but the adults.
And who is it that must be born again to enter heaven?
Adults, and not children.
For it is written, "except a MAN be born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven."
And Paul also saying he was alive without the law at one time, which would have been when he was a young child, but when he was old enough to understand, he was taught the law, and the bible says at that time, he died.
God does not hold the young and those who are ignorant, of some sins.
For it is written, "to him that knows to do good and doesn't do it, TO HIM IT IS SIN."
Which means that it is not sin, or rather God does not impute sin, to those who don't know to do good when they fail to do it. But to them who do know to do good and fail to do it, it is not just sin to them, but God imputes that sin on them.
Which also means that he would hold those who have been a Christian for decades, accountable for changing the meaning of His word into a lie.
 

know1

Senior Member
Aug 27, 2012
3,071
166
63
#10
In regards to this, are clergy held to a higher standard than the rank-and-file rest of us? A while back I caught a priest in a lie--or at least in deception to the point of dishonesty. Does that mean he's not a man of God? Or is it okay for a man of the cloth to lie once in a while?
This is not so much about sinning, but rejecting the truth of the gospel and replacing it with a lie. Or calling good evil and evil good. Which is the same as perverting truth.
Because we are born again by the word of God, which is truth.
For example, some say that word of faith, is of the devil or a doctrine of devils.
That is calling the spoken word of God, which is good, evil, when that is what Paul preached.
What about sickness?
Many teach that it is a blessing of God, because some good can sometimes come from of it, and it keeps you humble. When God calls sickness and diseases, works of the devil.
The very thing Jesus came to destroy.
How did they come to side with the devil and reject the work of the cross?
Calling good, evil, and evil, good.
 
J

joefizz

Guest
#11
well my church still goes by the phrase youll know a tree by the fruit it bares referring to ones actions that they are obvious by what comes from their works and as for priests it is a bit silly to have them still when we have jesus to confess to for paul wrote to the quote churches for them to either carry on or change but as for priests I noticed after the last priests the,levites,it is not said that there is anymore reason for priests but it is made clear that after jesus' crucifixion,burial,resurrection,and ascension that jesus would be the mediator between us and god as in we confess our sins to jesus and jesus speaks to god on our behalf so it still makes me wonder where having priests and popes came about there after now that is the curious thing are they people that overlook jesus or blasphemers that twist the bible to their will for I don't see what fruit they bare nor the point of their high seats ,any explanation would be welcome if there is an answer to this that is.
 
C

CeileDe

Guest
#12
If you would read my first post, it would give you some determining factors for a false teacher.
As for a baby Christian, I would put a time line on the person from when they became a Christian, like we do in the natural.
Society doesn't hold a child's inability to comprehend the gravity of his actions and the things He says against them, like they would an adult. That's why prison's hold adults only, and not children.
Who did God hold accountable when the Israelites siding with the evil report of the spies?
It was those who were over 20 years of age, wasn't it? Not the young, but the adults.
And who is it that must be born again to enter heaven?
Adults, and not children.
For it is written, "except a MAN be born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven."
And Paul also saying he was alive without the law at one time, which would have been when he was a young child, but when he was old enough to understand, he was taught the law, and the bible says at that time, he died.
God does not hold the young and those who are ignorant, of some sins.
For it is written, "to him that knows to do good and doesn't do it, TO HIM IT IS SIN."
Which means that it is not sin, or rather God does not impute sin, to those who don't know to do good when they fail to do it. But to them who do know to do good and fail to do it, it is not just sin to them, but God imputes that sin on them.
Which also means that he would hold those who have been a Christian for decades, accountable for changing the meaning of His word into a lie.
Someone could remain a baby Christian all of their life if they never grow. So a timeline wouldn't necessarily work in all cases.
 
May 20, 2016
66
3
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#13
There is no one who exactly knows who is of God and who is not .
Rev2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it


Indeed actually there are two kinds of human beings in this planet according to God;
1 they are His people /the chosen /born of God/ names that were written in the book of life before the creation of the world/ men that God intended to bring glory to Him/men that have spiritual ears/ men that God has been sending to sojourn to this perishable world.

Zec12:1 The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.

Matt13:9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Rom9:7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
9:8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed

Eph1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:

1Pet1:17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:

Jer1:5 Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations


John1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God






2 Born of flesh/not written in the book of life before the creation of the world/the daughters of men Gen6 /Abraham seeds that were not of God John8:44/has no spiritual ears/dust Gen3:14/ ei : Cain 1John3:12, Judas John6:70, Esau John9:13/void camp (God did not put spiritual being in the body when they were born) parabled as swine or animals Mark5:7-11 Ecc3:19, / all the men beyond Noah’s families (devils had already abode within them with no exception from babies till the oldest )/Sodom and Gomorrah communities except lot’s families /the native citizen of Canaan in Joshua age except Rahab and her families Joshua6:21

The born of flesh men are possible one day will be the devil’s camp to manifest their deed (through these evidences then the devils surely shall be judged in GWT judgement , without them then : devils will never be able to be judged, there will never be devil that able to transform to be the angels of light , His people will never be able to judge the angels 1Cor6:3 ).


Mat13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
13:14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
13:15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them

Gen6:1 And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,
6:2 That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

Rom9:8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.

Rev17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is

John8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it


Gen3:14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

Ecc12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it


Ecc3:19 For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity


Mark5:8 For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit.
5:9 And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many.
5:10 And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country.
5:11 Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding.
5:12 And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them.
5:13 And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea
 

MadebyHim

Senior Member
Dec 17, 2016
572
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#14
[SUP]22 [/SUP]And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
[SUP]23 [/SUP]But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come.
[SUP]24 [/SUP]The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.
[SUP]25 [/SUP]It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?
[SUP]26 [/SUP]Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.
[SUP]27 [/SUP]What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.
[SUP]28 [/SUP]And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Matthew 10:22-28


1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

[SUP]2 [/SUP]Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
[SUP]3 [/SUP]And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
[SUP]4 [/SUP]Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
[SUP]5 [/SUP]They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them.
[SUP]6 [/SUP]We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
[SUP]7 [/SUP]Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
[SUP]8 [/SUP]He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.



[SUP]9 [/SUP]In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
[SUP]10 [/SUP]Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
[SUP]11 [/SUP]Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
[SUP]12 [/SUP]No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
[SUP]13 [/SUP]Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
[SUP]14 [/SUP]And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
[SUP]15 [/SUP]Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
[SUP]16 [/SUP]And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
[SUP]17 [/SUP]Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
[SUP]18 [/SUP]There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

[SUP]19 [/SUP]We love him, because he first loved us.
[SUP]20 [/SUP]If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
[SUP]21 [/SUP]And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. 1 John 4:1-21
 

MadebyHim

Senior Member
Dec 17, 2016
572
15
0
#15
yes nay-sayers even the devil and his army know who Christ Jesus is, only they won't tell a person the truth, its been seen from the beginning with eve. They get a person beieving what they are saying then slowly but surely adding in evil, seeming almost un noticed then comes discernment. so yes satan and his army can say anything, but thats when testing where the fruit comes in.
Just wanted to add this since its such a common thing for people to throw that in the mix.
 

know1

Senior Member
Aug 27, 2012
3,071
166
63
#16
well my church still goes by the phrase youll know a tree by the fruit it bares referring to ones actions that they are obvious by what comes from their works and as for priests it is a bit silly to have them still when we have jesus to confess to for paul wrote to the quote churches for them to either carry on or change but as for priests I noticed after the last priests the,levites,it is not said that there is anymore reason for priests but it is made clear that after jesus' crucifixion,burial,resurrection,and ascension that jesus would be the mediator between us and god as in we confess our sins to jesus and jesus speaks to god on our behalf so it still makes me wonder where having priests and popes came about there after now that is the curious thing are they people that overlook jesus or blasphemers that twist the bible to their will for I don't see what fruit they bare nor the point of their high seats ,any explanation would be welcome if there is an answer to this that is.
Not everything the devil does through a person is obvious. I would say there are more subtleties used in the church, particularly in those interpreting and teaching the word of God, than obvious or blatant lies.
Most lies aren't believable unless or until there's a little truth interjected in it.
But to answer your question is the whole point of this thread.
There are those posing to be godly and of God, melding in the the church, even teaching and leading some churches in error.
Back in Jesus' time on earth, the Pharisees we considered holy men of God, like the pope and priests, yet called them a brood of vipers, and blind guides. They themselves believed they were righteous and holy, going to heaven, and Jesus was of the devil. They were unaware of the condition of their heart. That is the state of many who teach the word of God. They are not of God, and so without the Spirit of God guiding them into all truth, they who are ever learning but never able to come to the truth, teach the same error to other.
Most people are ignorant of the truths of God's word, and so seek teachers to lead them to the truth. And just as an atheist professor could study the original Hebrew and Greek languages and tell you what each verse is saying, so can those who feigning to be ministers of God do the same.
One major difference between a child of God and that of the devil is that a child of the devil CANNOT, I repeat, CANNOT accept or receive truth.
They have to inject some type of lie or error in with the truth, because the spirit that is in them prevents them from even seeing the truth.
But there is a problem with this as well, because there is another thing that would cause one from seeing the truth, and that is when a person is in an unrepentant sin. As sin blinds the eyes from seeing and the heart from hearing and understanding. Again, it is because of the spirit or the sin that is in them, preventing the them from receiving truth.

Joh 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
Joh 8:47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

You can still be born again but prevented from seeing or receiving truth due to your sins. They would in effect be in a fallen state in the sin, which is away from God, and yet they can still be a child of God.
Though you may have a seed of and from the Spirit of God, when you sin, you have a seed of and from the devil. And that seed or spirit can interfere with your ability to see and receive the truth of God's word.
So you have at least two conditions that would cause one to teach a lie or a partial truth. One is that they never were born again, and the other is that the one teaching is in some kind of unrepentant sin.
The word of God is spiritually discerned, and therefore requires the Spirit of Truth to lead them into all truth.
And understand that knowledge is not the same as truth.
One can have knowledge of the word of God, but miss the truths in it.
A true man of God accepts what is written as it is written without adding conditions like, it might not be the will of God, or that's not how things work in the real world, or I tried that stuff and it don't work, or so and so tried that and they died, and the like.
If Jesus said "what things soever YOU DESIRE...", then the truth of the word of God is, what things soever you desire. Not what God's will or desire is, but what you desire.
Especially when Jesus starts the verses with, "Verily" or "Truly".
That is to say, this is a true statement in and of itself, and to add to it would make it a lie.
Those who are not of God or those who are in some unrepentant sin, CANNOT receive this or other simple truths in the word of God. They cannot help but add a condition to verses like this one, that is written somewhere else in the bible to "MAKE IT THE WHOLE COUNCIL OF GOD".
As though God gave us a half truth, and we need to search elsewhere in the bible to make it the whole truth.
These are false teachers.
One thing I look at to determine who might be of the devil verses one in sin, is how much they hate certain truths and how many truths they continue to screw up.
The devil hates truth, and will appose it vehemently through the person.
I believe those who are in sin will just disagree, as it won't make sense to them.
 

Locutus

Senior Member
Feb 10, 2017
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#17
You need one of my "elect detects" - $49.99, batteries not included, shipping and handling extra.





:p

Disclaimer, may not work on Calvinists, Dispensationalists, Messianics, East or West Baptists.
 

know1

Senior Member
Aug 27, 2012
3,071
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#18
Someone could remain a baby Christian all of their life if they never grow. So a timeline wouldn't necessarily work in all cases.
Agreed. I don't know to what extent, but yes, many don't grow.

Heb 5:11 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
Heb 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
Heb 5:13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
Heb 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
 
Dec 12, 2013
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#19
Would anyone know that the following men were saved child of God at the particular moment when...

a. David took Bathsheba and had Uriah murdered
b. Peter denied the Lord three times while using descriptive, vulgar language
c. The Corinthian brother was taking his dad's wife
d. Noah lay in a drunken stupor
e. Moses in anger disobeyed the Lord and struck the rock twice instead of speaking to it
f. Aaron lied about his part in the golden calf
g. Lot slept with his daughters while drunk
h. Abraham and Sarah attempted to help God resulting in Ishmael while lacking faith

There is not a JUST man upon the earth that DOES GOOD AND SINS NOT! ZERO!
 
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Dino246

Senior Member
Jun 30, 2015
24,555
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#20
... As for a baby Christian, I would put a time line on the person from when they became a Christian, like we do in the natural. ...And who is it that must be born again to enter heaven? Adults, and not children.
For it is written, "except a MAN be born again, he cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven." ...
If you're going to use individual words to support a position, it's worth checking those words in other translations, or in the Greek. In this case, the words for 'man' (anthropos, aner) are not used here. It's a neuter noun; "anyone" is a better translation, it appears. I'll leave it to the Greek experts to confirm or correct me on this.