- Mar 15, 2020
- 1,046
- 384
- Country
- United States
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Single
With respect, your comments on my ignorance are irrelevant to the questions I've raised, for I have yet to appeal to myself.I read post #6. It tells me that you are not yet aware that the Lord wants you to learn thousands of doctrines in your lifetime.
Keeping it limited to what you have makes it seem that maturity in Christ is to be some sort of one shot deal. Those whom the Lord warned against were not regenerate. They were never born again. They receive their power to perform miracles not from God. Yet, they are duped into believing the power was from God.
The Lord will tell them.. "I never knew you."
Never knew them? They were never saved.
Its not a matter of obedience to the Lord's commands. Its was a matter of the command to enter into regeneration. For these religious ones will take certain commands from the Lord. Then they misinterpret them, because they are lost to the context. And, they will obediently follow those commands of Jesus. Commands that will no longer apply to our day and age of the Church.
That shows how human obedience is not what the Lord seeks. The Lord is not seeking loyal and faithful boy scouts to follow commands extracted from the Bible. He is seeking those who will worship Him in spirit and in Truth. Being able to make the Bible become alive in their being. By worshiping Him in an abundance of knowledge of sound doctrinal teachings. Teachings that God will provide through a few qualified pastor-teachers. Pastor-teachers who found the true meaning of the spiritual life, and have remained loyal to study and teach for all their live. Their congregations will grow in Christ as the pastor-teacher grows.
Not to "preach." But, to teach. Preaching should only be as a sidebar, not the means to spiritual growth.
But be continuously growing in the grace and knowledge
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both
now and forever! Amen." 2 Pet 3:18
Now.. That is the commandment of commandments!
To never stop growing in gaining more and more in learning sound doctrinal teachings. Because, we must decrease so that He can increase in the expression of our lives in Christ.
grace and peace...
Many things, however, do concern me greatly about your post, first of which is your assertion that the non-believers Jesus spoke about had power to do miracles that were not from God. This is highly problematic, because in the short list of miracles they performed was the casting out of devils, which is specifically from God, as explained by the Lord:
"Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: and if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad. Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men." --Matthew 12:22-31
Secondly, and please correct me if I'm wrong, you seem to be unaware that knowing God, and Jesus Christ, is the actual definition of salvation:
"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." --John 17:3
"And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day." --2 Thessalonians 1:7-10
Thirdly, and perhaps the most concerning, is your advocation that obedience to Christ is not required, save in one command, "the command to enter into regeneration." I will briefly quote the Holy Spirit on this point:
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him." --John 3:36
"He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him." --1 John 2:4-5
Fourthly, your assertion that Christ is not looking for loyal and faithful "boy scouts" to obey His word, but is rather looking for those who would worship Him in spirit and in truth, is also very concerning; because one can only worship God in spirit and in truth if they reject the doctrines of men and obey the Doctrine of Christ, otherwise, He calls them hypocrites, and regards their worship as vain:
"Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." --Matthew 15:7-9
These, and many other points, and underlying presuppositions in your post, serve to illustrate just how necessary it is to question convention, and to always appeal to the word of the Lord as the basis for our faith.
I hope my response is of service to you.
PS: The Greatest Command, before all, is spelled out by the Lord:
"But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." --Matthew 22:34-40
"And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he: and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question." --Mark 12:28-34
Let me know what you think, thanks.
Upvote
0