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The heart of many controversies here boils down to one matter: born again or not, a possessor of the Holy Spirit, or a dead professor of some private faith. Charles Spurgeon said this,
You can scarcely meet with a man who does not call himself a Christian, and yet it is equally hard to meet with one who is in the very marrow of his bones thoroughly sanctified to the good work of the kingdom of heaven. We meet with professors by hundreds; but me must expect still to meet with possessors by units. The whole nation appears to have been Christianized in an hour. But is this real? Is this sincere? Ah! we fear not. How is it that professors can live like other men? How is it that there is so little distinction between the church and the world? Or, that if there is any difference, you are frequently safer in dealing with an ungodly man than with one who is professedly righteous? How is it that men who make high professions can live in worldly conformity, indulge in the same pleasures, live in the same style, act from the same motives, deal in the same manner as other do? Are not these days when the sons of God have made affinity with the sons of men? And may be not fear that something terrible may yet occur unless God shall send a voice, which shall say, "Come out of them, my people, lest ye be partakers of their plagues?" Take our churches at large -- there is no lack of names, but there is a lack of life. Else, how is it that our prayer-meetings are so badly attended? Where is the zeal or the energy shown by the apostles? Where is the Spirit of the living God? Is he not departed? Might not "Ichabod" be written on the walls of many a sanctuary? They have a name to live, but are dead. They have their piety? Where is sincere religion? Where is practical godliness? Where is firm, decisive, puritanical piety? Thank God, there are a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; but charity itself will not allow us to say that the church generally possesses the Spirit of God.
And playing church, doing religious narcissism, is no evidence of a true faith, either (2 Timothy 3:1-5). The Bible is replete with admonitions and warnings to that part of the congregation without the Spirit, virgins without lamp oil (Matthew 25) and "Lord, Lord" the Lord does not know (Matthew 7), those who are apostates who go out from the congregation (1 John 2:19): lack of the new birth is the source of all problems in the Christian community, regardless the reasons.
Whether a person is narcissistic, a devil's tare or a troll, none of these are of the Holy Spirit. Hence, this is why you see so little true scripture understanding on messages boards. There's little assurance you're communicating with any sort of mainstream Christian, at all, much less even one who's at least part of a congregation with proper teachings. Much of that argued here are not matters of varying plausible explanations of complex scripture, rather ignorance and refutations of sound Bible doctrines.
So, some people simply need to repent and be saved, first and foremost, as true of all people. Until then, the discussions will be like cats chasing tails. If certain people were seeking true exegesis, they'd research it, as commentaries and teachings from true, Reformed spiritual giants of the ages are available on the web. It's not about truth: they reject all teachings that don't suit their personal religions. It's about cult doctrines, whether an official cult, or Lone Rangers with private, errant interpretations they try to foist on others, who must mistake the voices in their heads for the work of the Holy Spirit.
Again, some of you: you had simply better repent, humbly come to agreement with the Lord of your sin at the foot of the cross and believe the true gospel, not some concocted gospel of man, or you will be lost.
Mark 1:14-15 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Isaiah 5:21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!
1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
1 John 1:10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.
Luke 16:15 And He said to them, You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.
2 Corinthians 10:18 For it is not he who commends himself that is approved, but he whom the Lord commends.
Proverbs 20:9 Who can say, I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin?
Proverbs 16:2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, But the LORD weighs the motives.
Proverbs 30:12 There is a kind who is pure in his own eyes, yet is not washed from his filthiness.
Zephaniah 3:11 In that day you will feel no shame because of all your deeds by which you have rebelled against Me; For then I will remove from your midst your proud, exulting ones, and you will never again be haughty on My holy mountain.
Jeremiah 2:35 Yet you said, 'I am innocent; Surely His anger is turned away from me.' Behold, I will enter into judgment with you Because you say, 'I have not sinned.'
Ezekiel 28:2 Son of man, say to the leader of Tyre, Thus says the Lord GOD, Because your heart is lifted up And you have said, I am a god, I sit in the seat of gods In the heart of the seas; Yet you are a man and not God, Although you make your heart like the heart of God--
Luke 18:9-14 And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get. But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, God, be merciful to me, the sinner! I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.
John 9:39-41 And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.
Revelation 3:17-18 Because you say, 'I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,' and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.
[video=youtube;lm24pnw_DD8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lm24pnw_DD8[/video]
