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I go to Church to worship God.....the Sermon is not why I go.....Worshiping God is explained in Scripture...
Psalms, Chapter 150 is a good example
I listen to the Sermon, and, based on my understanding of Scripture received through study and praying to the Holy Spirit for understanding allows me to determine if the Sermon is the Gospel of Christ. I do not rely on the Pastor to teach me.
Not all Pastors went to Seminary....many never went at all, and are excellent Preachers/Pastors/Teachers. Seminary does not make a person a more perfect man/woman of God, the Holy Spirit does that. Pretty sure none of the Apostles attended Seminary, but, I could be wrong.
Seminary serves a purpose, and graduating one should be considered when a Church is looking to hire a Pastor, but the MAIN qualification is are they filled with the Holy Spirit? I am not dissing Seminary, just saying it is only one option a person can choose to learn Scripture...but, even then, IF one does not have the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, what they learn will be meaningless.
Psalms, Chapter 150 is a good example
I listen to the Sermon, and, based on my understanding of Scripture received through study and praying to the Holy Spirit for understanding allows me to determine if the Sermon is the Gospel of Christ. I do not rely on the Pastor to teach me.
Not all Pastors went to Seminary....many never went at all, and are excellent Preachers/Pastors/Teachers. Seminary does not make a person a more perfect man/woman of God, the Holy Spirit does that. Pretty sure none of the Apostles attended Seminary, but, I could be wrong.
Seminary serves a purpose, and graduating one should be considered when a Church is looking to hire a Pastor, but the MAIN qualification is are they filled with the Holy Spirit? I am not dissing Seminary, just saying it is only one option a person can choose to learn Scripture...but, even then, IF one does not have the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, what they learn will be meaningless.
Im sure everyone else has already commented on this, but you are not a Christian if you believe this.
And yeah, I know, who am I to say whos a "real Christian", but you just denied everything taught by every writer of every book of the Bible with this " were saved if were really good" post.
We are told that none of us are righteous, that the best of our works are but filthy rags to God, that under the law we are dead, and that if we say that we are without sin, we make Him a liar.
I know its hard to accept that not everyone will be saved, but we are told that while many will be called, that few will be chosen. That on the day of judgement, there will be people who call out to the Lord mentioning their works, that will be cast away from Him.
Christ came to die on the cross for our sins. He tells us that anyone who denies Him, will he denied by Him before the Father. If we reject Christ, we will have no escape for our sins and we will not be saved.
The good news is that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life, not that whoever is really nice will have eternal life. If you cannot accept that, then you are not yet a Christian.
And yeah, I know, who am I to say whos a "real Christian", but you just denied everything taught by every writer of every book of the Bible with this " were saved if were really good" post.
We are told that none of us are righteous, that the best of our works are but filthy rags to God, that under the law we are dead, and that if we say that we are without sin, we make Him a liar.
I know its hard to accept that not everyone will be saved, but we are told that while many will be called, that few will be chosen. That on the day of judgement, there will be people who call out to the Lord mentioning their works, that will be cast away from Him.
Christ came to die on the cross for our sins. He tells us that anyone who denies Him, will he denied by Him before the Father. If we reject Christ, we will have no escape for our sins and we will not be saved.
The good news is that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life, not that whoever is really nice will have eternal life. If you cannot accept that, then you are not yet a Christian.
I go to Church to worship God.....the Sermon is not why I go.....Worshiping God is explained in Scripture...
Psalms, Chapter 150 is a good example
I listen to the Sermon, and, based on my understanding of Scripture received through study and praying to the Holy Spirit for understanding allows me to determine if the Sermon is the Gospel of Christ. I do not rely on the Pastor to teach me.
Not all Pastors went to Seminary....many never went at all, and are excellent Preachers/Pastors/Teachers. Seminary does not make a person a more perfect man/woman of God, the Holy Spirit does that. Pretty sure none of the Apostles attended Seminary, but, I could be wrong.
Seminary serves a purpose, and graduating one should be considered when a Church is looking to hire a Pastor, but the MAIN qualification is are they filled with the Holy Spirit? I am not dissing Seminary, just saying it is only one option a person can choose to learn Scripture...but, even then, IF one does not have the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, what they learn will be meaningless.
Psalms, Chapter 150 is a good example
I listen to the Sermon, and, based on my understanding of Scripture received through study and praying to the Holy Spirit for understanding allows me to determine if the Sermon is the Gospel of Christ. I do not rely on the Pastor to teach me.
Not all Pastors went to Seminary....many never went at all, and are excellent Preachers/Pastors/Teachers. Seminary does not make a person a more perfect man/woman of God, the Holy Spirit does that. Pretty sure none of the Apostles attended Seminary, but, I could be wrong.
Seminary serves a purpose, and graduating one should be considered when a Church is looking to hire a Pastor, but the MAIN qualification is are they filled with the Holy Spirit? I am not dissing Seminary, just saying it is only one option a person can choose to learn Scripture...but, even then, IF one does not have the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, what they learn will be meaningless.
I read mixed articles on him being atheist and then, I think, agnostic? But never know what may have happened just before his death.
Isn't it a reminder. We have him as an example of one of the world's greatest, yet a worldly wisdom, which counts for nothing.
1 Cor 1:18-25:
"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”
Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world. For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men"
Isn't it a reminder. We have him as an example of one of the world's greatest, yet a worldly wisdom, which counts for nothing.
1 Cor 1:18-25:
"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”
Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world. For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men"
I just love (loathe) the cop out lame excuse "That's just your interpretation!"
In reality this is used to justify lost persons as saved who have not believed in Christ, who deny God, reject the Gospel &c because they're "nice," "they do good" and "are good" while on the other hand judging and condemning others who believe the Gospel, have been genuinely converted, are leaning on the work of Christ to save them, and believe the exclusivity iof the Gospel being that salvation is only through Christ. The latter must be judged as being judgmental and wrong for wholly keaning on God's revelation. The funny thing is the persons who do this have made themselves judge and even an authority above God and his own word!
Please note 2 Thessalonians 2:10.
There is no salvation outside of Christ, and there is no special privilege for those who seem nice, seem good &c because the verdict is they cannot please God; Romans 8:8, are under wrath and condemnation, John 3:17ff, Ephesians 2:3; Romans 5:12; just as all who are outside of Christ. Sorry, you all don't get to make the rules and set the stipulations, God has already done so and has revealed it in his Word.
In reality this is used to justify lost persons as saved who have not believed in Christ, who deny God, reject the Gospel &c because they're "nice," "they do good" and "are good" while on the other hand judging and condemning others who believe the Gospel, have been genuinely converted, are leaning on the work of Christ to save them, and believe the exclusivity iof the Gospel being that salvation is only through Christ. The latter must be judged as being judgmental and wrong for wholly keaning on God's revelation. The funny thing is the persons who do this have made themselves judge and even an authority above God and his own word!
Please note 2 Thessalonians 2:10.
There is no salvation outside of Christ, and there is no special privilege for those who seem nice, seem good &c because the verdict is they cannot please God; Romans 8:8, are under wrath and condemnation, John 3:17ff, Ephesians 2:3; Romans 5:12; just as all who are outside of Christ. Sorry, you all don't get to make the rules and set the stipulations, God has already done so and has revealed it in his Word.
D
Many Christians are wrong also. We have been handed the heaven or hell theology by tradition, for so long, that Christians read right over the real truths without a second thought. It shows God trying to save as many people as He can without success. My God is more powerful than that; He doesn't try anything.
Who are you to condemn anyone to hellfire forever. Jesus said "Judge not, lest ye be judged." Many of we Christians do not support you version of trinity or of eternal torment for unrepentant sinners. Your Bible interpretations suffer from the traditions of men.
Antichrist that got into the first and second century churches and substituted the false doctrine. 2 Cor. 11:14: "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light."
Who are you to condemn anyone to hellfire forever. Jesus said "Judge not, lest ye be judged." Many of we Christians do not support you version of trinity or of eternal torment for unrepentant sinners. Your Bible interpretations suffer from the traditions of men.
Antichrist that got into the first and second century churches and substituted the false doctrine. 2 Cor. 11:14: "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light."
But, although the first and second century did add on some bad letters along the way, which ones were bad and which weren't was handled in a miraculous and timely way in the third century -- when the people could actually tell the real stuff from the phony. That's why we know the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus, and Mary Magdalene were con jobs.
D
There are a lot of grey areas the Bible doesn't cover. There are instances each day where people die in parts of the world where they have no access to the Bible and never heard of Jesus or the concept of sin, Heaven, and hell. It's one thing to reject a concept after it's presented. To punish someone for not even knowing a concept exists, though, goes against the love, grace, and mercy of God. Again, grey areas. That is why there is speculation, and none of us know for sure what happens when a person takes his/her final breath. People are unable to talk/move any part of their body, but their minds are still sharp. The Bible does say to honor God with our minds. Grey areas. Grey areas. Grey areas. Did I mention there are grey areas?
K
The Bible says " [FONT="]For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse". God is knowable no matter where in the world you live,no matter what faith you were brought up in or none at all. [/FONT]