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To: Mr Rogers
Yes, I’m a Christian. Based on your church’s theology, you are not.

I'll readily admit that some of what I believe disagrees with the traditions of some Christian churches. But they are tradition and as such they're not the benchmark of Christianity.

It's the indwelling spirit of Christ that makes me a Christian. Not what you believe or what any other man believes. Christ alone is able to make a righteous determination of whether or not God's spirit dwells in me.

However, there are inward and outward evidences of the spirit of God:

Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Gal 5:23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

While not having God's spirit or ignoring God's spirit is:

Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,
Gal 5:20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,
Gal 5:21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told [you] in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

As far as doctrine, I've been on this board a long time and I've discussed each one of those points many many times. You're welcome to go through my posting history and see my views on them. But this thread is specific and I'd like to keep it to the subject at hand.

Oh...and here's what the first century church considered foundational doctrines of Christianity:

Hbr 6:1 Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,
Hbr 6:2 of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

93 posted on 11/02/2009 5:44:09 AM PST by DouglasKC
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To: DouglasKC

COG placemarker


94 posted on 11/02/2009 5:54:21 AM PST by aMorePerfectUnion
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To: DouglasKC
But DKC Hebrews 6:1&2.... makes no sense if you do have have the ‘foundation’ of what is said before. Not limited to but in particular Hebrews 5:11-14

Paul plainly says there is the ‘milk’ of the Word ... Salvation.. and the ‘meat’ of the Word. And the idea is that once the receiver of the ‘milk’ then matures and moves into the ‘meat’ of the Word. Soul sleep is neither milk or meat.

When was Christ resurrected? And if the soul is sleeping how could Lazarus be seen in Abraham's bosom?

In John 3 Christ told Nicodemus what is required just to ‘see’ the kingdom of God. And in verse 10 Christ makes clear that what he was telling Nicodemus was not new as he asks him, “Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things. Then Christ plainly explains what he is saying in verse 13... And no man hath ascended up to heave, but He That came down from heaven, even the Son of Man Which is in heaven.

Paul says in Hebrews 2:14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.

Do you think the devil is sleeping, and will get a second bite at the proverbial apple?

See Solomon penned in Ecclesiastes 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God Who gave it. And it was obvious that Nicodemus was not familiar with this teaching else he would have understood what Christ was saying that Unless one be born from above they would not see the kingdom of God.

And as well when Moses wrote Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. The spirit is the intellect of the soul and it was the ‘spirits’ that Christ offered salvation to in Peter all the way back to the beginning. NOT demons.

95 posted on 11/02/2009 6:21:46 AM PST by Just mythoughts
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