Thread: a little sermon on how to treat your brethren..
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a little sermon on how to treat your brethren..
Posted : 29 Sep, 2009 08:17 PM
dear folks, i come to you tonight with a heavy heart.. it saddens me to see so much animosity here between the brethren.. we speak of others denominations as if our own is the only one that can be totally right.. and if folks dont quite believe as we believe we then in turn call them names and make claims as to their whole denominations line of thinkin..
if youre gonna judge a man do so righteously.. if you havent been in their church and sit in with them then you cant possibly know what their church preaches and teaches.. ya cant just go by what a bad apple or even a few bad apples of a church may of done before. and then label a whole denomination as such.. thats just not right..
now you can go by what a man tells you himself as to what he believes or what his church believes. . yep this is true..
even still ya cant expect to teach anyone anything by belittleing them or name calling.. or flooding the forums with pages and pages of material.. folks will tune you out as fast as you do that to em.. we must learn how to teach in a manner befitting of us as christians..
cause wonder how many people you might of tuned out that really may of needed to hear what you had to say. ya know..
or how many unsaved folks you may of turned off completely to being a christian just like us.. remember others are watching you closely and its not about how smart you are or how smart you may think you are.. now me im just a dumb ole country cowboy.. i believe what i believe and admit i dont have all the answers to every single little thing in the bible.. if i dont know ill tell ya.. but i cant say that you dont have the truth just because you may not agree with me.. i mean maybe you dont or maybe i need to learn something else.. it dont hurt to listen .. now this is the way i see things... once saved what are we to follow? what are we to do? what does GOD expect us to do?
matthew 22:36-40 36 "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?"
37 Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
now what does that say to us.. those two commandments hang all the law and profets.. if you do these you have done good.
now do you think that when JESUS hung from the cross that after that you dont need these two commandments? that they are no longer nesecery.? no way . you are expected to follow them. this is how you show love for your brother and for the LORD. yes you are expected to do this. GOD did not save our butts so we could continue in evil.. and be mean to our brethren and unsaved neighbors as well.. we are to love them and show them love .. not name call and such..
i dont wanna be called the least in heaven so i am gonna do my best to follow what JESUS commanded of us. and my friends and brethren you would do well to also..
i hear you brother. as Christians, we should be positive towards eachother always.
everyone of us has had to mature in the Spirit. and along the way, we get somewhat involved with all kinds of churches and teachings. then the Spirit gives us discernment and we move on. and grow up, lesson learned.
we can discuss doctine, let our views be made known... and not say one personal thing about the other Christians who are making their views known.
the posts with harsh language towards other members, or even for "all men" or "all women", are really hard to take. i would prefer to not have those persons post than to read that stuff.
but i admit that seeing people pushing false doctrine and false teachers needs to be countered with Truth. that was another view is posted to for the readers.
and we can easily do that without personally attacking the other ones that post their views.
the forums are positive... let's keep them that way.
I agree with you that we should be respectful,and love the brethren,yet I hold onto the right to defend true christians principles,heretical teachings and false teachers will be called out by me unless im banned from this site,or I go to another,Love fests are wonderful,but how better to love someone than to keep them from falling into darkness,their are essential christian doctrines that most protestants through the ages have held as key to true salvation,And i might add that anyone who truly studies the bible will see that these principles are self evedent.But first,heres something about judgement;note,the words liberal and conservative are not name calling just two oppisite extremes
. Misuse of Matthew 7 Concerning Judging. Jesus says, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged." (Matthew 7:1). This is one of the most quoted verses of Scripture. Opponents of the Bible may never have ever read the Bible, but they know this verse! Liberals twist this verse to mean that we cannot know the truth. Obviously this is ridiculous. The whole Bible is about making right judgments. In context, Jesus in this passage is telling us how to judge; that is, not to be hypocritical (Matthew 7:5). Jesus is condemning those who make public pronouncements against an activity that they themselves participate in. Upon reflection, it is the liberals who are breaking this command, as they are the first to judge conservatives! Of course, we cannot condemn others, because only the Lord has full knowledge of a person's actions and motives (John 5:22; Romans 14:4, 10). Elsewhere the Bible commands us to "judge with right judgment" (John 7:24). We are to "test all things" (1 Thessalonians 5:21) using Scripture as the standard (Acts 17:11). We should recognize and avoid false teachers (Matthew 7:15-20; 2 Corinthians 11:4; Galatians 1:6). We should discern and rebuke false bretheren who are encouraging others to sin (Ephesians 5:7,11). As put by Henry Morris in his Defender's Study Bible (page 1015), "In other words, we should be able to judge that which is wrong, in either doctrine or practice, and avoid (or correct) those who are involved, but we must not condemn them�God will do that."
Next I will lay out essential christian doctrine(you cant just define christianity as anything you want or you dont end up with anything at all)
Over the centuries, Christian leaders have agreed on certain elements that are key to the faith. While this is not necessarily all-inclusive, below is a list of the essential beliefs that are consistent with "being a Christian."
�There is one God. While there is only one God, he exists in three persons�Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Thus, these three manifestations of God exist in one divine being or essence.
�God, the Father, made everything that exists�visible and invisible�and continues to sustain it.
�Jesus Christ, is true man, and at the same time is of the same nature and essence as God the Father. As the Son of God he is truly divine. That Jesus was born of a virgin is supporting evidence of his dual nature of both man and God. He lived a perfect life while on earth, having come to suffer and die for mankind as a ransom for our sins. After he died on the cross and was buried, he came back to life on the third day after his death (was bodily resurrected), an event which had been predicted in the Bible.
�God, the Holy Spirit, is also true God and is to be worshipped and glorified as such. The Holy Spirit invites each person to partake of Christ�s blessings which are offered to us, and to experience a personal relationship with Christ. The Holy Spirit gives us the saving knowledge of Jesus, our Savior, so that we can trust and believe and rejoice in Him. The Holy Spirit also comforts, guides, and sustains us in the faith.
�God is perfectly holy and perfectly just. Mankind, from Adam on, has separated himself from God by sin and thus deserves death and eternity in hell. Nobody is good enough to meet God's standard of holiness.
�Salvation is the condition of being saved from sin, death, and God's wrath. Because Jesus lived a perfect life in our stead, by his crucifixion to take the punishment for our sins, and by overcoming death in his bodily resurrection�believers can confidently look forward to eternal life in heaven. Salvation is given by grace through a living faith in Christ; that is, it is a free gift from God to all who repent and trust in Christ as Savior and Master.
�Baptism is a means, an instrument of, or a sign of acceptance of God's grace.
�Jesus' own teaching and his attitude toward the total truthfulness and supreme authority of the Bible�God's inspired Word�make the Scriptures our final rule for faith and practice.
�All believers in Christ are members of one spiritual body, the Church.
Top of page "Christian" Cults
While there may be several kinds of cults, we are interested in the "pseudo-Christian cults." These are the groups that call themselves Christians, but really are not.
There are several characteristics of a cult. Here is a partial list of characteristics that are common to them. Every cult does not necessarily have all these characteristics, but all cults have some of them.
�Typically, there is a central human character who has a controlling influence over the cult members even years after his death. The Heaven's Gate cult, the Fundamental Latter Day Saints (FLDS) group, or the Jim Jones cult are examples.
�Behavior is cliquish to the extreme. They teach that if you are not a member of their particular group, you will not go to heaven.
�They participate in the esoteric, i.e. they may claim to have a specialized and secret knowledge that can only be apprehended by those in the group.
�Another tactic is to withhold aspects of their theology until you are well entrenched within the group. You may not learn about the strange and aberrant aspects of their teachings up front. Mormons fit into this category.
�They put extreme pressure on their members to stay in the group. They may teach, for example, that to leave their church body condemns the person, sometimes even to a hell even worse than if they had never been part of their church in the first place. In some cases, leaving the church also ostracizes you from your own family and friends. This is especially true of both Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses.
�They overbearingly warn you against reading religious materials that are not published by their group. This tactic is a method of mind control. God wants us to seek Him freely (2 Corinthians 3:17). Intellectual honesty begins with a willingness to consider evidence contrary to ones current view. A forced adherence to a belief system is artificial, thus not honoring to God. Any group that discourages you from reading other materials in order to seek the truth is almost certainly a cult. Jehovah's Witnesses are the prime example of this.
�Cults typically use Christian terminology, but pour different meanings into the words. This is why they so easily trap people. For example, heaven, hell, salvation, Jesus, faith, gospel, etc., may have very different meanings than those of the historic orthodox Christian faith (Galatians 1:6-9). Mormons are especially guilty of this.
�Thus, cults usually have a different Jesus than the one of the historic Christian faith. Mormons, for example, use Jesus in the name of their organization (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) but they have constructed a Jesus far different from the one in the Bible. For example, they say that Jesus is the spirit brother of Lucifer (the devil)�denigrating the unique position of Jesus. The Bible warns about this very serious error (2 Corinthians 11:4). Mormons also say that Jesus is merely the "god" of planet earth, and that there are many gods�one for each planet. Mormons thus really teach polytheism, which is contrary to the God of the Bible. The Bible teaches that there is only one God (who appears to us in the three persons of the Trinity).
�Cults invaribly teach that salvation is by your good works. But what makes Christianity unique versus all other religions is the teaching that salvation (entry into heaven) is by faith, not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). While orthodox Christianity teaches that nobody is good enough to earn their way to heaven, every cult has developed some system of obedience that the member must follow in order to get to heaven. Biblical Christianity teaches the importance of good works in the life of the believer, good works being an evidence of a true saving faith. But good works come as a result of faith�not as an initial requirement for eternal salvation. (See I've lived a pretty good life. I'll go to heaven, if there is one, won't I? and our Christian Cram Course).
�Pseudo-Christian cults typically use the Bible as one of their source texts. But they emphasize other materials�books or pamphlets�published by their own group, as being on par with the Bible or as the last word in biblical interpretation. When you study these other works, you will find that they conflict with the Bible in key areas. (A basic law of logic says that if two things contradict each other, both cannot be true.) Such contradictions discredit these teachings. Truth is internally consistent, not contradictory. Mormons, for example, have other books besides the Bible.
�Jehovah's Witnesses have their own version of the Bible. This is another tip-off that something might be amiss. Scholarly examinations of their New World Translation Bible have shown it to be filled with purposeful errors designed to mislead the reader and conform to pre-conceived theological ideas.
�Others have simply chosen to deny the authority of Scripture, choosing what to believe is true and discard or ignore what they don't like. This may be particularly deceiving as these folks may actually be part of "main line" Christian denominations. While some might merely call their teaching heretical, other may go further and consider them cultic.
Top of page Heresy
Heresies are viewpoints of professing Christians that differ flagrantly from the Bible. These differences are unabashedly at odds with Scripture, not merely differences of opinion about interpretation. An example of a modern heretic is now-retired Episcopal Bishop John Shelby Spong. Spong has called for a fundamental rethinking of Christian belief, away from theism and from the afterlife as a reward for human behavior (Spong). He rejects the truth claims of such Christian docrines as the virgin birth and even the bodily resurrection of Jesus. This man's views are heretical, and should be condemned by all Christians as such.
Top of page Heterodoxy
There is a good bit of wiggle room within the historic orthodox Christian faith. That is, there are a number of doctrinal issues that Christians can debate but not divide over. While we believe that there are correct and incorrect interpretations on these issues, we admit that they are not absolutely clear in Scripture. Some of the issues that are legitimately debatable from Scripture include: infant baptism, women in ministry, use of creeds, worship style, the precise nature of man�s free will, and eschatology (views about what the Bible calls the "end of the age"), etc.
Thus some beliefs may be incorrect, but are not crucial to being a true Christian. Our plea is that we need to be most charitable to our Christian brothers as regards to these issues. Let's show unity, melting down the denominational barriers, going arm and arm to proclaim the gospel! We can debate these issues and others vigorously without dividing over them.
But, outside of the above listed areas are certain concepts�such as the nature of man (his sinfulness), the nature of God (his holiness), the divinity of Christ, the uniqueness of Christ, and the authority of Scripture�that should not be compromised. The central issue for Christianity is that salvation has been attained for all who believe on Jesus. Since salvation is by grace through faith, it is crucial to have a correct understanding of the object of that faith.
May we here offer a somewhat broader view of who is a Christian. This view is similar to those offered by the founders of the Restoration Movement in the early 1800's�Alexander Campbell and Barton Stone.
We consider to be our Christian brother or sister anyone who:
1) believes and confesses that Jesus is the eternal Son of God, trusting in Him alone as personal Savior (and by necessity accepts the authority of the Bible),
2) repents of his sins (thus acknowledging and forsaking his sins), and
3) surrenders to Jesus as Lord�that is, Master�seeking to conform his life to the will of God (as evidence of a saving faith, as best he understands God�s will and his duty).
I love all christian brothers,but as long as I have breath I will defend the truth of christ,with my life,if need be
Manofgod, I feel the same way about my beliefs as you do about yours, I would think that was apparent. The difference is I don't think you're going to hell for your beliefs...there's a big difference between witnessing/defending your faith, and condemning others for theirs. As long as I believe that Jesus came in the flesh and that His sacrifice alone covers my sins, then I should be fine unless I willingly reject something new that I come to know as the truth. You have not proven to me that your beliefs are truer then mine, and by your treatment of me I'm being turned off you to what you believe completely. Even if you may have had some truth, you're going to have a really hard time convincing me of it now. You're just cementing my stubborn faith in my beliefs. You didn't just defend your beliefs, you attacked mine with what I view as slander.
:devil::devil:
I'm sorry for doing this again on your nice post, cattle. The battle rages on. I'm becoming fairly certain I've found what I was looking for on this site, so I'll probably be leaving soon anyway:hearts::prayingm:. The cult will be out of your hair.:ribbit:
�There is one God. While there is only one God, he exists in three persons�Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Thus, these three manifestations of God exist in one divine being or essence.
**Agreed
�God, the Father, made everything that exists�visible and invisible�and continues to sustain it.
**Agreed
�Jesus Christ, is true man, and at the same time is of the same nature and essence as God the Father. As the Son of God he is truly divine. That Jesus was born of a virgin is supporting evidence of his dual nature of both man and God. He lived a perfect life while on earth, having come to suffer and die for mankind as a ransom for our sins. After he died on the cross and was buried, he came back to life on the third day after his death (was bodily resurrected), an event which had been predicted in the Bible.
**Agreed
�God, the Holy Spirit, is also true God and is to be worshipped and glorified as such. The Holy Spirit invites each person to partake of Christ�s blessings which are offered to us, and to experience a personal relationship with Christ. The Holy Spirit gives us the saving knowledge of Jesus, our Savior, so that we can trust and believe and rejoice in Him. The Holy Spirit also comforts, guides, and sustains us in the faith.
**Agreed
�God is perfectly holy and perfectly just. Mankind, from Adam on, has separated himself from God by sin and thus deserves death and eternity in hell. Nobody is good enough to meet God's standard of holiness.
**Disagree, but it's a matter of interpretation, not direct disagreement. Mankind is separated from God by sin, and mankind will burn in hell for their sins. But not for Adams sin, and not for eternity. There are more scriptures against that belief then for it, from what I have studied anyway. Yes, I do study.
�Salvation is the condition of being saved from sin, death, and God's wrath. Because Jesus lived a perfect life in our stead, by his crucifixion to take the punishment for our sins, and by overcoming death in his bodily resurrection�believers can confidently look forward to eternal life in heaven. Salvation is given by grace through a living faith in Christ; that is, it is a free gift from God to all who repent and trust in Christ as Savior and Master.
**Agreed
�Baptism is a means, an instrument of, or a sign of acceptance of God's grace.
**Agreed
�Jesus' own teaching and his attitude toward the total truthfulness and supreme authority of the Bible�God's inspired Word�make the Scriptures our final rule for faith and practice.
**Agreed
�All believers in Christ are members of one spiritual body, the Church.
**Agreed
Well, I think I did pretty good. Only missed one on a disagreement of interpretation. Am I still a in cult?
Thanks, Cattle. And Manofgod, I know I seem a little angry...but really, it's just frustration...ok, maybe a little anger...I just hope that you can see that I am a christian, and that just because someone doesn't believe the way you do, doesn't mean they will be going to hell. You disagree with my beliefs in a major way on some points, but I still give you the benefit of the doubt when it comes to salvation. I am not going to say I know all truth. I could be very wrong. But I think you could be as well. And maybe you didn't even actually say I was going to hell...I was getting a little confused as to what you were posting vs. pasting.
Im no authority on whos going to hell and I do call you brothers,peace,Im glad to hear you might have found a girl,and,dont let me chase you off this site,I told you I like you.Im just driven to get the gospel right.I do respect you.I think your an awesome guy,you really care about the things of the lord,your bright,and you will most likely succeed at anything you do!
In Christ
Steven
(hey I didnt copy or paste anything that time,LOL)
