Why no Christian suicide bombers? — and other thoughts on Islamic terror

Jewish World Review ^ | April 5, 2004 | Dennis Prager

[ml/nj]

Polygamy is the logical explaination for the demographics. It is the surest way to increase a population & it will also lower the age of your demographic. On the downside, it produces "spare" males, spare *young* males, spare *angry* young males.

Aren't the Mormons are counter example? (to *angry*)

ML/NJ

[GoLightly]

They are not a majority in society. There are outlets for their "spare" young males. BTW, greater incidence of abuse (domestic violence) of women & children by the Mormons is what was used to create the case against polygamy in the US. That sorta says to me the set up doesn't exactly promote happiness.

[priceofreedom]

I wouldnt consider this an exaggeration at all. Besides those who want to kill, the number of muslims speaking out against the radicals is....well...close your eyes and tell what you see.

[AppyPappy]

Romans 3
This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

[RightWhale]

Right, but that doesn't mean they were born that way unless the first time the diapers are filled does it. It's pretty safe to say that amongst the congregation there isn't one that hasn't screwed up somehow at some point. That's all that passage means.

[nonsporting]

That is why I laugh whenver libertarians babble about guerrilla warfare for national defense. They don't seem to understand that it leads to a country ruled by gangs of teenage boys with guns as the Palestinians have found now.

Is this really what the libertarians propose? Can you point me to a source which confirms this?

And if the entrenched power refuses to let us adquately arm a "well regulated" militia, should freedom loving Americans just return to their homes, drink beer and watch reruns of "Friends?"

[Aquinasfan]

There's a difference between predestination to grace and predestination to glory. Otherwise, Jesus would not say,"He who endures to the end will be saved" (Matt. 24:13; cf. 25:31–46).

Assurance of Salvation?
Scriptural evidence against the doctrine of "Eternal Security"

[Valin]

Oh? Some do, some don't.

Names please.

[Sam the Sham]

Christians believe we are created with a fallen nature

Oh? Some do, some don't

There was a fourth century British monk named Pelagius who rejected the doctrine of Original Sin. He was condemned as a heretic. If you reject Original Sin, then obviously Christ's atoning sacrifice was completely and utterly unnecessary. If you reject Original Sin, then Christ was not the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He was a "social activist", a "great teacher" who got in trouble because he preached "social justice".

[lainde]

Bump and thanks!

[mitch5501]

"...He is able to keep that which I've committed."

Amen.

"That is the confidence the assurance that we have and should have."

I would go a step further and say it is something we actually need to have.It is a must.

God bless

[RightWhale]

That's okay. I am one of those Protestants. I suppose that makes me a prima facie heretic, and I like the idea of free will, too. The evidence continues to mount.

[DannyTN]

The word "hope" is used in the Bible in a different sense than we use it today. Today we think of hope in the sense of maybe it will happen, I want it to happen, but I'm not certain it will.

However in the Bible they used "hope" in conjunction that God would fulfill His promises. That's not "hope" in todays sense, because if it's a promise from God it's in the bank.

The following links are to Charles Stanley's website. Stanley started out in ministry believing that you could fall from salvation based on some of the passages your link quotes. It took several years, but as he came to understand them better and after much prayer, he realized they don't say that.

Rev 3:5 doesn't mean names are blotted out

Eternal Security - addresses the Hebrew passages

Losing Faith completely God's Promises on Salvation

Other Links from the same site on Eternal Security

We'll probably end up agreeing to disagree on this. However, I'll leave you with this thought. After committing adultery and murder David prayed that God would "restore the joy of my salvation". He didn't pray that God would "restore his salvation".

If your name has been written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the earth, you are in, your ticket is punched. Although some Christians will meet the description of the carnal Christian whose works are burned as of fire, yet he is saved.

There is a tremendous freedom that comes with that knowledge. I don't know whether it makes me more likely to take the Lord's gift of salvation for granted or not. I know this though. Knowing I can't screw up badly enough for God to stop loving me, makes me love Him all the more. My love for Him is not perfect, but it continues to grow. And as it grows, I find obedience is something I desire at my core to give back to Him.

[Aquinasfan]

If your name has been written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the earth, you are in, your ticket is punched.

The problem is, we can't be certain of our salvation this side of the grave. The doctrine has an obvious psychological appeal, but spiritual dangers as well, the dangers associated with presumption.

[DannyTN]

I see no danger in presuming upon the Lord's promises.

[VOA]

Prager bump

[DannyTN]

Ran across this verse researching for a different thread. Not sure which version it is.

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. (Romans 11:29)

[Aquinasfan]

The danger of presumption is that a person can take the attitude that "no matter what I do I will be saved."

[Aquinasfan]

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. (Romans 11:29)

Catholics call this predestination to glory. God knows who is predestined to glory. We don't have the same knowledge. We can't know ourselves, with certainty, whether we're predestined for grace, or predestined for glory.

Matthew 7:21

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

James 2:19

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that–and shudder.

[DannyTN]

I don't see a difference between predestined for grace and for glory. If you have grace, then "Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin". If you have no sin, because you have the "imputed" righteousness of Jesus, how can you not achieve glory???

I'll deal with James 2:19 first then come back and present an even stronger explanation of Mathew 7:21 than I presented before.

James 2:19

If you lift James 2:19 out of context it would appear to be a contradiction of Paul.

Ephesians 2:8 - For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

>Romans 3:24 - Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Romans 4:4 - Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

Romans 11:6 - And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work is no more work.

James would also appear to contradict the many times Jesus referred to those believing in himself as having eternal life and having already passed from death to life.

John 3:15 - That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 4:13 - Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: 14 But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

John 11:26 - And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

John 12:46 - I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness. So how do we reconcile this? The answer is in a closer examination of James in context. James has some people in his church who claim to "believe" but there is no evidence of any change in their life. True faith ought to produce works. So James makes the comment

2:18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

James isn't disputing the fact that it's Faith not works that saves, he's just saying that my faith produces works and so you can see the evidence that I have faith. But I see no evidence that you have faith. He compares their faith to belief that Demons have that Jesus is God.

James 2:19 Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

So what's the difference between "saving faith" and what the demons belief? Well the demons know that Jesus is God, but they don't have faith in Him. They know He is, but they don't put their trust in Him for salvation. When Jesus talks about "believe in me" or Paul talks about "faith not works", they aren't refering to mere knowledge but trust.

So do we know that a person who doesn't have works doesn't have faith? I don't think so, and even James never comes out and says, "You don't have faith", "You don't believe". He just challenges them to reexamine whether or not they do. The reason I say that we don't know is that it takes time for the spirit to bear fruit. Few people become Christian and instantly switch to a perfect righteous lifestyle. It takes time for the fruit of the spirit to manifest itself. It takes growth from "babe" status to "mature status. It takes study of scripture before a person is "prepared for every good work". So works don't manifest instantly. You can't look at a person who doesn't have works and say with certainty that they don't have faith. Some are babes in Christ and need growth. Some are carnal Christians who "are saved yet as a man running from a house on fire".

At the beginning of James. James starts out with in James 1:5 telling us to ask in faith and not to doubt.

James 1:6 (RSV) but let him ask in faith, nothing doubting. For he that doubts is like a wave of the sea driven by the wind and tossed about;

John tells us that we should "know" that we are saved.

1 John 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. 14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

Matthew 7:21

Matthew 7:21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." "

Again we need to reconcile that with a number of scriptures like the following which have no conditions other than belief (trust not mere mental acknowledgement like the demons as James points out).

John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. ... 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

First what does Jesus mean by "Does the will of my Father".

I already showed you one verse in a prior post that showed that the will of the Father is that you believe on the Son. But in the following passage people ask Jesus point blank what is the "work" that we should be doing?

John 6:28 (RSV) Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" 29 Jesus answered them, ...34 They said to him, "Lord, give us this bread always."5 Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me; and him who comes to me I will not cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me; 39 and this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day."

Also go back and look at that verse in context:

Mathew 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Notice that it is in the context of talking about false prophets. Can we generalize it to all men. Sure, but again, I've shown you that the "work" that God requires is to "believe in Jesus" from that all other works flow and without that all work is in vain. "I am the vine and ye are the branches...apart from me you can do nothing".

Also noticed that the verse immediatly following they hold up their works that they did in the name of Jesus. Again these are false prophets that did works in the name of Jesus, but never trusted Jesus, never formed that relationship. Jesus's response is that I "never" knew you. It's not "I knew you but you failed.". I NEVER knew you. If you look back at the passage I quoted in this post before that John 6:28... Jesus not only confirms that he won't cast out believers but that he will not lose any of them!!!! Everyone that puts their trust in Jesus will be raised at the last day. Without exception!!!