It is just dawning on me......
This really did confuse me at the beginning, but now I think I finally understand
The more I talk about sanctification and life as a Christian, the more resistance I get.....
the more I have to hear about the differences between Catholicism and real Christianity (choke) and if that doesn't work, I get the 'you are undermining the faith of the CC community' or 'you are accusing us of all these things because we do not agree with you'
how interesting
I think it is time to started ignoring all questions about Catholicism.......they aren't questions anyway, they are only meant to derail or attack
It leaves me wondering......why is talking about love so threatening?
Yay! You are finally coming to this realization. There are many posts on here that when I see them, the only thing I can ask is "Why? What possible benefit is this thread to anyone?"
For me personally, I am honored to be side by side in battle with you for the glory of Christ. You Love Jesus, He is your Lord and Savior, and you have devoted your life to Him. That's all I need to know that you are my brother in Christ. The other details aren't so important from heaven's perspective because God judges your heart. If you really believe you are following God and are doing things with the intention to honor and to be relationship with God, then God honors that even if it is not 100% correct. This applies to both the Protestant and Catholic sides. When an Earthly Father sees their child not do something 100% correct but knows they were well intentioned, do they ridicule their child an focus only on what they did wrong? Why do we feel that God is any different and not much better than us? (Matthew 7:9-11)
I think Romans 14 sums this up pretty well how we should handle this kind of stuff (this applies to people on both sides, this is not to target either side but both should meditate on how this applies to our arguments and discussions):
Romans 14(NASB)(emphasis mine)
1Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but
not for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions.
2One person has faith that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables only.
3The
one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him.
4Who are you to judge the servant of another?
To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike, Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind.
6He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God.
7For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself;
8for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.
9For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
10But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.
11For it is written,
"AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME,
AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD."
12So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
13Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this--not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother's way.
14I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
15For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are no longer walking according to love Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died.
16Therefore do not let what is for you a good thing be spoken of as evil;
17for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
18For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.
19So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.
20Do not tear down the work of God for the sake of food All things indeed are clean, but they are evil for the man who eats and gives offense.
21It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles.
22The faith which you have, have as your own conviction before God.
Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves.
23But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.
So in other words, one person regards the 7 sacraments as Holy and unto God, one does not. Another regards a certain day Holy, the other does not. Another regards the sanctification process endorsed by their church the other doesn't. Do not cause your brother to stumble, because if he has any doubt in his mind about it, then it no longer is honored by God when they have doubt. God looks at the person's faith and their heart. Sure there may be biblical problems in each of our churches, but since when is anyone's church perfect? If the problem is with the church, then these kinds of disputes should only be directed towards the leadership of their church, lest you cause your brother to stumble, because they may have no where else to go, and if you bring about doubt in their devotion to God you are cursing them.
