But Christianity is about those thing (sanctification). Just because it is not only about those things (apart from faith) does not mean they are not a part of Christianity. It is like asking which blade in a pair of scissors is more important. Having faith means nothing without living the right way in accordance to God's word, because if your so called "faith" allows you to go on fornicating and getting drunk then that faith is a lie. Jesus isn't offering a get out of jail free card. Repentance is about trying as hard as you can and trusting that God will see that you become free. It is the sincere effort that God cares about. For most people that sincere effort is something they would like to avoid more than anything.
Of course, it's not the ONLY part ("Should we sin that grace may abound? Heaven forbid!") but it is often emphasized with the most important doctrines minimized or left unspoken. Look at the opening pages of this thread. Someone who isn't a Christian reading those posts would think that Christianity is about rules - just like anything else, therefore not unique or special.
Jesus said, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." He also said, "If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell." Are we really to believe that He believes in compromise or "being reasonable" in accordance with the ways of the world?
Yes, I'm going to go grab an ice pick right now, and gouge out my eye right now. You see how people can understand Scripture in different ways? Sure, we explain it as a hyperbole, but when we want to teach an eternal hell, then THOSE words are literal and not hyperbole - in other words, Christians pick and choose how to interpret Scripture to fit their doctrine.
"Narrow gate" and such are very vague terms. And through the centuries there's been a ton of different understandings of it. Narrow gate means path of heaven to you. Some might think of it differently. Again, Christians choose how to interpret Scripture, just as much as any unbeliever chooses how to represent it in efforts to deny it's worth.
I have a friend that claimed to be a Christian for years with the mentality that sex outside of marriage was natural and fine. I, at the time, didn't have the good sense to argue with him, and the time finally came where he ended up in a sexual relationship that effectively destroyed whatever faith he had. "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death."
So because your single friend felt guilt because all those years that doctrine had been presented to him and he ignored it, means that EVERYONE who ever gets sexually involved is doomed to the unbelief and the fires of hell? There are plenty of people who have sex before marriage and maintain a strong faith in Jesus and His work. I'm just saying that an argument from resulting unbelief is a subjective, relative one, that MANY don't experience.
Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers" In regards to the pharisees he said "so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice". This idea that prayer and going to church and reading your bible is the only important thing is wrong.
Yes, that's true, and LOL, I NEVER said that to begin with! And in the context, Jesus is talking about prophets, not the general believer.
G.K. Chesterton said, "Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried." But we have been watering it down as if sanctification is optional. It is not.
Christianity hasn't been tired, despite there been literally billions of Christians through history. Yeah, ok. And again, that is not an absolute statement of truth, but a general piece of wisdom in relevance to the modern world. On one hand, there have been those who tried it AND found it wanting - hence falling away. There are those who wanted a challenge (difficulty) to their current philosophy and choose to see what Jesus said - and ended up trying the faith and becoming believers. Sorry, but that statement can not be used to apply to every single case.
I'm watering down sanctification by being realistic about the issue at hand? Ok.
