Posted on 01/14/2011 5:57:52 PM PST by topcat54
Evangelical book catalogs promote books such as Planet Earth: The Final Chapter, The Great Escape, and the Left Behind series. Bumper stickers warn us that the vehicle’s occupants may disappear at any moment. It is clear that there is a preoccupation with the idea of a secret rapture. Perhaps this has become more pronounced recently due to the expectation of a new millennium and the fears regarding potential Y2K problems. Perhaps psychologically people are especially receptive to the idea of an imminent, secret rapture at the present time. Additionally, many Christians are not aware that any other position relative to the second coming of Jesus Christ exists. Even in Reformed circles there are numerous people reading these books. Many of these people are unaware that this viewpoint conflicts with Scripture and Reformed Theology.
(Excerpt) Read more at reformed.org ...
God has endued the will of man with that natural liberty, that is neither forced, nor, by any absolute necessity of nature, determined good, or evil--> Namely that the Church has always believed in the free will of man to freely choose to reject or accept God's grace (the grace that saves). The WC has taken this from Church teachings.
Man, in his state of innocency, had freedom, and power to will and to do that which was good and well pleasing to God;[2] but yet, mutably, so that he might fall from it
As there is no sin so small, but it deserves damnation;[8] so there is no sin so great, that it can bring damnation upon those who truly repent.[9]It takes further from Church beliefs that good works ".....strengthen one's assurance"(of salvation) and play an important part in "....that, having their fruit unto holiness, they may have the end, eternal life...."
k-Now, you may wish to believe otherwise, but your Bible says it's not your will or choice.
No, you're missing the point. It IS your will. Your will is to do the things that are not of God. God must pry your heart open to hear His word. When the scripture tells us God hardens a person's heart, such as He did with Pharaoh, what it is saying is that God is not prying their hearts open. He just leave it as it is. The result is a further hardening.
Cronos-Exactly -- and the Original STAIN would count as an unintentional sin and on our part non-premeditated.
Our Lord said that all the laws could be summed up in two commandments,
2) Love your neighbor as yourself.
Does anyone think they really intentionally do these two things?
Don't try loop holes with God. It doesn't work.
Kosta — that’s only by the extreme loons among the Protestants, many of whom are no longer even Christian. They believe that they can sin more and more to get more grace.
betty: so the question is, why do they close their souls?
Spirited: Romans 3: 9-20 provides the answer-—their souls are partly to mostly closed to begin with. Plato certainly understood this, as did Tertullian, Irenaeus, Augustine, etc.
kosta: But God made the final decision. My question was who makes the final decision if you will believe or not? Man or God and betty boop said she, of course! If that’s the case then God is a mere provider and man is the final decider.
Speaking of Pharoah and Paul, kosta said: God decided for him (set him apart) when he was born. What sort of a choice is that and where does man’s will come in? And what does it count for?
Spirited: While God the Father “knows the heart of men,” which means that He knows who will ultimately accept His invitation and who will ultimately reject, men do —NOT-—know. This knowledge is not given to men. But if they presume to know-—to read the mind of God the Father-— then by their presumption they will ultimately condemn themselves.
Kosta: I didn't know Jesusits now set up Orthodox seminaries!!! :-P
I saw that in passing and just went "Oy!" and shrugged my shoulders. I suppose the Orthodox and Catholic Churches are a loot closer than we thought, huh? :) LOL!
Yes, it sure seems like --> Lera, when you read Georgian Orthodox, did you think Orthodox and Catholic are similar? If you do, then perhaps I should re-evaluate your sentence. However, do note that Jesuits don't run seminaries teaching people to become Georgian Orthodox priests
That's true. One has to keep in mind that CS Lewis was Angelican. That doesn't mean there are gems of inspirations we can get from his writings. After all, Augustine was Catholic and I like his works. ;O)
that statement "many..." is false. I believe they are inerrant and all of the religious I know believe the same. Furthermore, it is the dogma of the ChurchAnd you would also read that only an animate entity can be infallible or fallibleThese books [of the canon] the Church holds to be sacred and canonical, not because, having been composed by human industry, they were afterwards approved by her authority; nor only because they contain revelation without error; but because, having been written under the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, they have God for their author (De Fide Catholica 2:7).We have rejected any form of limited inerrancy. This is repeated in VIIit follows that the books of Scripture must be acknowledged as teaching solidly, faithfully, and without error that truth that God wanted put into sacred writings for the sake of salvation
Quite frankly, I don't give two hoots what the Church has stated in writing. Shall we go back to the 4th Lateran Council of 1215 and discuss the Catholics obligations of marching to the Holy Lands? This is a pat answer of Catholics-it's in writing.
You seem far more eager to say that I made an error when I assert that Catholics no longer believe in the infallibility of scripture than you are to correct Mark's assertions that the scriptures are not infallible. Mark is not alone and it's not the first I've encountered this. There are many Catholics on this site that do not believe in the inerrant word of God. If this is representative of Catholics in the Church today, which given writings I have read, I'll stand by my statement.
Having Catholics post to me the scriptures are not infallible and then for you to turn right around and tell me that I don't know Church teachings because the Church states they are infallible is a bit disingenuous. You're talking to the wrong person.
Isn't that a bit like how many angels can dance on the head of a pin?
HELLO!!!! What thread are you on???? From Mark's Post 2342:
Scriptures cannot be infallible. Their interpretation can be and is under the Church as Scripture itself illustrates.
? We’re talking about sins, those which are intentional and those which aren’t
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