I can't just "like" button this. Thank you for the acknowledgement. Thank you for the encouragement. And to elaborate on why some don't want to understand it...
It is because the truth of the Gospel is, especially at first, uncomfortable to say the least. Real belief begins with the understanding that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that our sin has separated us from Him, and that He paid the ultimate price to atone for our rebellion. It is the realization that we are in need of the salvation which only He can offer. This discomfort was expressed by those who first made the realization at Pentecost. They were "cut to the heart". As if the Gospel had stabbed them in the chest. Not an image of warm fuzziness. It is called guilt. Likened to how one feels or should feel, when they hurt (or more accurately: kill) someone for whom they genuinely care, multiplied exponentially. That's precisely what they (and we) have all done to the Messiah.
When one approaches the Savior from that appropriate perspective, it is only then that they can truly come to appreciate how much He loves us. It is then that they purpose to be reconciled back to Him on His terms, because He has already made the path to reconciliation available. It is then that they seek to find out what
He said the path is is based on where
He said it, not what someone else has told them their entire life, not what their preacher/pastor/adviser says. Not what reassures them that they have no part in all of it. What
He says motivates the contrite heart to obedience.
But modern churchianity is only interested in warm and fuzzy. They only want to hear about the love of God and nothing of His justice or wrath. They want their own standard of authority instead of His. They want Godly joy without Godly sorrow. They want eternal security without taking up their cross. They want their sinful lusts and desires along with the license their "grace" gives them to pursue those things. They don't want to hear that they can fall from grace. That it is possible to abandon Him who they first loved. That a lion seeks to devour them, that they are his chief target, ambition, and goal, and that he in fact CAN devour them if they allow it. Just like Eve did when he convinced her "you shall not surely die". As if he has stopped his murderous crusade against the Father of Light and the crown of His creation...us...His children. As if they become immune to those things when they "believe". That's exactly what the father of lies wants us to think. We are immune.
So they systematically remove anything from scripture at all that has to do with their responsibility. They can fill up their "sanctuaries" and coffers with people and money that serve those interests. Hence, "that's not Christians", "that's not water", "that's not fallen from grace", "that's not severed from Christ", "that's not twice dead", "that's not dead faith", "Paul was concerned about disqualification, but we need not be" ad infinitum. It is literally the primrose path to destruction.
Man I hate false doctrine. Sorry. Rant complete. For now.
