I am a Christian Man (Two Years Later)

JEFFHEAD.COM - GIVE ME LIBERTY WEB SITE ^ | December 18, 2003 | Jeff Head

[StonyBurk]

well said

[StonyBurk]

you ar enot referring to that oligarchy of despots are you?
why I do believe -if so-- I am inclined to agree--we've had
precious little Justice in America since FDR reinvented the
S.Ct.(1937-41) For when the unjust Judges cast aside any
interpretation giving primacy to the clear language used
and the intent of the framers-- we have a written Constitution with no more purpose than to be used as a weapon against us by the despots of the Judiciary

[StonyBurk]

Hear--here. And do agree -May Christ be your sheild and
comfort.

[Jeff Head]

It's in the works. it'll be:

THE STAND AT KLAMATYH FALLS

How rural western ranchers and farmers stoop up to entrenched
environmentalism and agencies of the fedreal government and won!

[Jeff Head]

You are both welcome...merry Christmas and may the true Peace of the season distill upon all of our hearts and souls.

[Jeff Head]

He is...and He is!

[blackie]

Amen!

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you for the blessing! And a very Merry and blessed Christmas to you and yours!

[Guenevere]

BTTT....and Merry Christmas!

[philetus]

Add me to your ping list.

[Old Student]

Jeff, please add me to your ping list.

[Texas_Dawg]

This is because people cannot truly repent and change their lives for the better when coersed. It must come from within themselves...they must freely choose.

Saving yourself? Sounds like Islam, imho.

[Jeff Head]

Sorry, but Jesus Chris himself said that he who believes and is baptised shall be saved...that believing and being baptised are things the individual must do in order to lay claim to Christ's gift of the cross.

He went on to say that if we loved Him, we would keep His commandments, love God and love our neighbors. We get ourselves into a position to be able to do those noble and good things by repenting and taking upon us the name of Christ. This is all very clear in the scriptures and does not reduce one whit the fact that only Jesus' redemption saves us, and only through faith on His name.

The peace and love and associated with the first two great commandments and the golden rule (amomg many many other principles) which Christ taught...and the fact that people themselves must freely choose to adopt these principles into their lives sets Christianity absolutely and completely apart from the coersion of Islam.

This is all very clear from the scriptures in the New Testament and was the intent of the message about Christianity. Sorry that you either misunderstood...or misconstrued that message.

[Jeff Head]

Merry Christams to you as well. May His Peace fill your heart and your household, now and always.

[Jeff Head]

Will do. Merry Christmas to you both. May His Peace and spirit be with you and yours.

[Texas_Dawg]

and the fact that people themselves must freely choose to adopt these principles into their lives sets Christianity absolutely and completely apart from the coersion of Islam.

Islam is all about rules itself. Christianity isn't though, thankfully.

[semaj]

Hear, hear!

[Jeff Head]

Not about rules...but certainly about principles that we choose to adopt. Principles like love, charity, honesty, virtue, compassion, mercy, justice, etc. In effect, the principles that Christ himself exemplified.

[Texas_Dawg]

Principles like love, charity, honesty, virtue, compassion, mercy, justice, etc. In effect, the principles that Christ himself exemplified.

Right. None of which we exemplify though, leaving us just as dead as Muslims.

"...11there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. 12All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." Romans 3:11-12.

Luckily we have someone who is perfect for us though.

"8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

[Jeff Head]

We are saved by Christ and His redemption, and He is the only name and only way for us to be saved. But he does require that we accept Him, believe in Him, and come unto Him and love Him. He has told us directly in the scriptures that those who do these things, who do love Him, will take upon themselves His name and keep His commandments.

Part of the conversion process, part of coming unto Him is the process whereby we desire to do this...and sincerely strive to do so, though being mortal and weak, we fail, thus further indebting ourselves unto Him who is mighty to save. This engenders in us a mighty love for Him. That love and our beginnning to learn to love others like He loves is the fruit of our conversion.

Jesus, Paul, John, James and others all indicated this to be true. Some might call it good works...James certainly indicated that faith in Him and such "works" (which I call fruits of our true conversion) are intricately tied together. John indicated that if we say we are His and do not love Him or keep His commandments...that we are liars.

My entire point however is not to get into the intricacies of the full meaning of conversion and faith and their ramifications in our life. My point is simply this...in Christianity, these things are accomplished through our free will choice to accept and profess Christ Jesus...not through being coersed to do so.