Posted on 02/23/2010 9:25:41 AM PST by stfassisi
God says you can’t.
Our Lord warned of such of these. I will pray for his soul but with his obvious religious judgementalism and pride, I fear prayers are wasted.
I'm also sorry for the poster, who is using the words of another to post hate, in the name of God to those of us here at FR.
I'm very aware that many at FR are of the Catholic faith but never, have I, a Protestant, felt unwelcome or "unworthy" of being included here.
Lastly, only those who will be found in Heaven will be "believers," be they Catholic, Baptist, Episcopalian or those who espouse no "religion" at all.
It will also be a shock to many who are certain that they are "deserving," to wonder why they missed out.
David Korish and many others based their beliefs on their own INTERPRETATIONS of the Bible as well. Nothing new
And the pope is infalable, right?
A heartbreaking thought, but then the thought of anyone missing out on being with Jesus for eternity is horrible.
By the way, don’t confuse people who distort the Bible for their own purposes, and those who read, study, and believe the Bible and seek God.
It’s obvious that you did not read the whole article.
Like this part...
“”Finally, let us remember that practically no one in our unhappy age knows anything at all. Catholics have generally not got the faintest clue as to the meaning of Catholicism; Protestants are no different. Present-day Protestants are as much unwilling victims of Luther’s ideas as we Catholics are. They cannot be attacked for supporting what they do not even understand. If ecumenism has been devised to appeal to the good faith of believing Protestants, to guide them lovingly back to the True Church, without rancor and accusation, then ecumenism is a good thing.”
This is very accurate from Scripturecatholic .com
Calvin’s doctrine of total depravity was his own invention; it was never taught by the Church or any early Church father for 1,500 years prior to Calvin coming on the scene. Calvin based “total depravity” on verses such as Eph 2:1,5 and Col 2:13 where Paul refers to us as “dead in our trespasses.” But in these verses, Paul was teaching about our condition prior to baptism (cf. Col 2:12). Before baptism, we indeed were dead in our trespasses. After baptism, we are no longer dead, but alive in Christ. As St. Peter says in 1 Peter 3:21, baptism now saves us, and as St. Paul describes, this is done by the “washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit,” which is baptism (Titus 3:5). Man is still encumbered by concupiscence, which is the proclivity to commit sin, and often succumbs to sin, but he is not totally depraved. This is because we have received the grace of filial adoption in Christ through baptism (cf. Titus 3:7).
Calvin argued for total depravity because he did not believe that man had freewill. Thus, he believed that God predestined some to heaven and some to hell. Calvin could simply not reconcile the truth that God’s sovereignty includes human free will. While it is a mystery how God’s sovereignty and our free will interact, the truth is that they do, as the Scriptures teach. But Calvin could not comprehend this, and thus concluded that we are totally depraved, unable to respond to God’s grace, and so God had to predestine some to heaven and others to hell.
Calvin’s teaching makes God a liar. For example, God so often pleaded with Israel to turn away from their sins and repent (cf. Ezek. 18:30; 33:11). But if these people were already predestined to hell, then that would make God’s pleading superfluous. He would be revealing His desire for Israel to repent, knowing all the while that they did not have the ability to do so. This is not the God of the Christian faith, for God cannot lie (Titus 1:2; Heb. 6:18). When you follow Calvinism to its ultimate end, it makes God the author of sin (since there is no more freewill, but sin exists, God must be its author).
Regarding Rom. 3:23, Paul is saying that all people are subject to original sin, and that we all would have died in that sin had it not been for the new life of Christ which we receive in baptism. Paul is not saying that all people commit sin (as I said, even though infants are subject to original sin, they do not commit sins by their own free will choices; not until they reach the age of reason).
Note also that the Greek word for “all” (pantes) does not mean every single person. For example, the same word is used in 1 Cor. 15:22 where Paul says that just as in Adam “all” have died, so in Christ “all” shall live. But we know that not all people have died (Enoch and Elijah were assumed into heaven), and we also know that not all people will live because Jesus taught us that some people will choose hell. Note also that in Rom. 5:19 Paul says “many” (polloi) were made sinners. He changes the word from “all” to “many” which underscores that, when Paul says “all,” he means “many.”
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God has left the acceptance of His FREE Gift of Life, up to us.
He will "knock at the door of our hearts" and if we "hear and invite Him, He will come in."
Blessings
I'm not at all interested in being a "member of the True Church" as I am the "true faith of Jesus Christ."
There is no "true church" only the true belief in Jesus Christ, His atoning for my sins on the cross, and my acceptance to His once and for all time, forgiveness and Gift of Life with Him.
***Calvin’s doctrine of total depravity was his own invention; it was never taught by the Church or any early Church father for 1,500 years prior to Calvin coming on the scene. Calvin based “total depravity” on verses such as Eph 2:1,5 and Col 2:13 where Paul refers to us as “dead in our trespasses.” But in these verses, Paul was teaching about our condition prior to baptism (cf. Col 2:12). Before baptism, we indeed were dead in our trespasses. After baptism, we are no longer dead, but alive in Christ. As St. Peter says in 1 Peter 3:21, baptism now saves us, and as St. Paul describes, this is done by the “washing of regeneration and renewal in the Holy Spirit,” which is baptism (Titus 3:5). Man is still encumbered by concupiscence, which is the proclivity to commit sin, and often succumbs to sin, but he is not totally depraved. This is because we have received the grace of filial adoption in Christ through baptism (cf. Titus 3:7).***
This is where you get into problems. The total depravity of man is PRIOR to regeneration. It means that man in his NATURAL state will not come to God, will not seek God, cannot PLEASE God. Calvin believe, just as Paul does, that we are alive in the Spirit and not dead in sin after regeneneration. You seem to think that Calvin thinks that man stays in total depravity at all times. He doesn’t say that. Try readin Calvin sometimes, instead of what some peopel think of Calvin. You might be suprised.
One question for you. Can any man seek God all by himself, without God’s interaction?
I will disagree only in this: There is one true church, and that is the church of all who trust and believe in Jesus as their savior. No one church on earth can make the claim.
“”There is no “true church””
Dear Friend,If you ever decide to seriously study Christian history through the lives of the early Christians you might think different. I was once a protestant and had the humility to realize my error.
Here is a good conversion story from another humble person
The conversion story of Marcus Grodi
http://my.opera.com/catholicfaith/blog/show.dml/231913
You define my thoughts correctly. Thanks.
You’re welcome.
Wow, that’s quite a find...
One question for you. Can any man seek God all by himself, without God’s interaction?
He has placed the "law of love on our hearts" already,so we are not depraved. He has acted and now it's up to us to co-operate in love and TRUTH with Him
Snow is piling up here in NY, so I have to get up and plow out in the morning
I wish you a Blessed evening!
I'm also eternally grateful that I "found" the Gift of Life, from Christ Jesus and happy to be a member of a Protestant church that preaches and teaches His Word. My church also is intent teaching every believer so the Great Commission, so that we all may help to spread the Gospel throughout the world.
Have a nice day.
***Most of your post is gibberish and unhistorical in Christianity ***
Hahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha...
No, most of my post is beyond your comprehension, that’s all.
I am glad you got some snow, we got none.
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