The emphasis should be on learning what Christ's words mean, and having his doctrine. That is so important, and the most lacking.
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The Bible is not what Jesus left us when He ascended to heaven. He left us the church He created. That church is still here, being guided and protected by the holy Spirit.I did not know the Bible called it that.
The Bible is not what Jesus left us when He ascended to heaven. He left us the church He created. That church is still here, being guided and protected by the holy Spirit.
This depends on what church your talking about.
Is it the meeting-place for Christians to meet and encourage one another in the faith, and fellowship with one another and participate in things like baptisms and the Lord's Supper?
Or is it individuals who belong to Christ and in word and deed take their faith with them to the lost?
Both are the called the church... I think having the meeting place be for the unsaved is a mistake, because that's a place for believers to encourage one another in the faith.
The church as a group can certainly reach out to their local community, go door to door to share Christ with the lost, feed the poor, help those in need...
But to neglect one another is neglect, the assembly is for believers...while the unsaved can visit to learn more about our faith, that's not the primary purpose of assembly.
Being Christian in this world isn't easy, and we need one another.
Oh I do agree with loving Christ first. There is no motivation unless you love Him. I can personally attest to that. I loved Christ since second grade yet I did not have the Holy Spirit [Catholic]. It was not until I went off into Eastern Philosophy and Hinduism that I realized there was no room for Him. So I seeked Him only and found salvation. Now that being said, I was sinning with fornication even though I loved Him. Then there was an ah-ha moment. How could I hurt my Lord with my sin??? Hypocracy was revealed to me. Anyway, my story. Be blessed.For believers, it's different. We have an obligation to hold each other accountable. For the nonbeliever, we should be focusing on one thing: the love of Christ.
So you don't believe the Bible to be the word of God.? The church is not a reference point that I can go to that is without sin since it can be corrupted and is filled with sinners. The Bible is Holy and without sin and there I can find truth. Anything outside of the Bible is false doctrine.The Bible is not what Jesus left us when He ascended to heaven. He left us the church He created. That church is still here, being guided and protected by the holy Spirit.
So you don't believe the Bible to be the word of God.?
The church is not a reference point that I can go to that is without sin since it can be corrupted
The Bible is Holy and without sin
?Where did that come from?
So again, where in the Bible does it say Mary was the " immaculate conception". ?
~2 Timothy 3:15-17 (ICB)15 You have known the Holy Scriptures since you were a child. The Scriptures are able to make you wise. And that wisdom leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching and for showing people what is wrong in their lives. It is useful for correcting faults and teaching how to live right. 17 Using the Scriptures, the person who serves God will be ready and will have everything he needs to do every good work.
~1 John 1:5-10 (ICB)5 Here is the message we have heard from God and now tell to you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. 6 So if we say that we have fellowship with God, but we continue living in darkness, then we are liars. We do not follow the truth. 7 God is in the light. We should live in the light, too. If we live in the light, we share fellowship with each other. And when we live in the light, the blood of the death of Jesus, God’s Son, is making us clean from every sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 But if we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins. We can trust God. He does what is right. He will make us clean from all the wrongs we have done. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, then we make God a liar. We do not accept God’s true teaching.
~Galatians 5:13-26 (ICB)13 My brothers, God called you to be free. But do not use your freedom as an excuse to do the things that please your sinful self. Serve each other with love. 14 The whole law is made complete in this one command: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” 15 If you go on hurting each other and tearing each other apart, be careful! You will completely destroy each other.
The Spirit and Human Nature
16 So I tell you: Live by following the Spirit. Then you will not do what your sinful selves want. 17 Our sinful selves want what is against the Spirit. The Spirit wants what is against our sinful selves. The two are against each other. So you must not do just what you please. 18 But if you let the Spirit lead you, you are not under the law.
19 The result of sin’s control in our lives is clear. It includes sexual immorality, impurity and wild living, 20 worshiping false gods, doing witchcraft, hating, making trouble, being jealous, being angry, being selfish, making people angry with each other, causing divisions among people, 21 having envy, being drunk, having wild and wasteful parties, and doing other things like this. I warn you now as I warned you before: Those who do these things will not be in God’s kingdom. 22 But the Spirit gives love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. There is no law that says these things are wrong. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their own sinful selves. They have given up their old selfish feelings and the evil things they wanted to do. 25 We get our new life from the Spirit. So we should follow the Spirit. 26 We must not be proud. We must not make trouble with each other. And we must not be jealous of each other.
Jesus didn't focus on sin and what sins not to commit. Why do we focus on it?
His whole message was about love, not sin. Salvation from sin through that love. We are to spread that message of love. God will deal with the sin. Call out someone spreading a false message, of course, but it is not our place to go around accusing people of sinning.
Yes, but just like a parent teaching a child not to run out into the road lest they get run over, the church also guides people in their walk by advising them what pitfalls to avoid which in turn deepens their walk with Christ.Churches should be guiding people on how to deepen their walk with Christ. Without that walk, that relationship, people don't care that they sin.
So many churches spend all their time focusing on sin and believers shouldn't sin. It's a pointless focus.
Jesus didn't focus on sin and what sins not to commit. Why do we focus on it?
Our ministry should have one focus: love. Let the world know we are Christians by our love, not our rulebooks. If we love God and love one another, we will detest sin and be a lot happier.
Jesus didn't condemn the world and neither should we. Stop focusing on sin, and start loving like Jesus.
What about Jesus' treatment of the wicked Pharisees?So many churches spend all their time focusing on sin and believers shouldn't sin. It's a pointless focus.
Jesus didn't focus on sin and what sins not to commit. Why do we focus on it?
Our ministry should have one focus: love. Let the world know we are Christians by our love, not our rulebooks. If we love God and love one another, we will detest sin and be a lot happier.
Jesus didn't condemn the world and neither should we. Stop focusing on sin, and start loving like Jesus.
If we are instructing people on how not to sin, then we are missing the point of discipleship. We should be instructing people on how to love and deepen their walk with Christ. Their personal habits are none of our business. The rest will come from that relationship.
Sadly, people don't understand what is means to love Jesus Christ or God. When you lie, you don't love God. when you are greedy, you don't love God. We must not just love God but obey him too.So many churches spend all their time focusing on sin and believers shouldn't sin. It's a pointless focus.
Jesus didn't focus on sin and what sins not to commit. Why do we focus on it?
Our ministry should have one focus: love. Let the world know we are Christians by our love, not our rulebooks. If we love God and love one another, we will detest sin and be a lot happier..
Jesus didn't condemn the world and neither should we. Stop focusing on sin, and start loving like Jesus.
Teach people to love God and their neighbor. Teach them how to find Christ. The Holy Spirit will figure out the rest.
I have heard this before from a local pastor and fellow minister only to sit and hear his frustration that people continued as they were when they needed to change.
His favourite statement when he preached [because he was schooled this way] was, "God loves you just the way you are."
This is an unfortunate statement for it leads the hearer to believe there is no need for change and the gospel of Jesus Christ is all about change.
When you are instructing people on how to love and deepen their walk with Christ you will often find it necessary to make them aware of their faults.
According to Paul their personal habits are our business for he said,
1Co 5:11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
1Co 5:12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?
1Co 5:13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.
So, you see, such doctrine that you speak of here is the tradition of men and not the word of God. I will not pay much mind to it.
What about Jesus' treatment of the wicked Pharisees?
Doesn't he stray from your "guidelines"?What about it?
Yes, but just like a parent teaching a child not to run out into the road lest they get run over, the church also guides people in their walk by advising them what pitfalls to avoid which in turn deepens their walk with Christ.