"JoeP222w, post: 69933353, member: 382024"]The Bible says that no one seeks God on their own. You must be drawn by the Father.
---Maybe I should have added it, but I assumed that goes without saying, brother.
God wrote the Bible to know what is truth and what is not. When a denomination, congregation or individual disregards or twists God's truth, they have left the faith. The truth matters. Joseph Smith did not have the truth, so, yes for him to claim that Mormonism was the only way, yes, that was very wrong. I don't make any claims that any one denomination has the only truth to God. I state that the truth of God can be found in the Bible, through His inerrant and all sufficient word. This is not say that the church or individual have no truth. But any church or individual must come under the authority of scripture.
--That is quite true. However, when you name Christian denominations as "veering from God", you are inserting your own opinions as God's. They all follow the same Lord as we do, whether you approve of their practices or not. Each church has been given differing gifts by the same Lord. Who are we to claim they are wrong for exercising them? It may not be in a manner you accept or approve of, but God is using them to save the Lost. They all preach the Gospel where Jesus is Savior and Lord.
Sharing your opinions is simply that. You have that right, but please acknowledge that as such. I wished to remind those who are seeking what the differences between what they formerly believed and what they are now seeking in Christianity, that human opinions are not necessarily held by the Lord. Seek what He speaks to you, not what men may believe. That is too easy a groove to fall back into. Coming from a background where the only opinion was the "party line", I value the ability to freely express what is in your heart to scrutiny among brothers and sisters who share the same goal, to be like Christ. Christianity doesn't realize what a great treasure it has in being able to freely express spiritual thoughts and opinions! It just isn't done within cults. Imagine what Christianity would look like today if it weren't for so many denominations nudging each other toward the straight and narrow! It would have become its own god.
If I have access to the truth, by the grace of God alone, and I honestly believe it is the truth, and yet I do not share it with you, that is what is unloving. Sometimes the truth is very difficult to hear. I wrote what I honestly speaks to your situation. I am not seeking to be popular or for your approval. I am seeking that God will be magnified and that His truth will stand brilliantly. Often times, His truth is not comfortable and not easy, and challenges us and the way we think. Because God's ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. So we are the one who needs to change.
---I pray you will consider your own words in the above paragraph. No one can ever say they "have arrived" and know all truth. We are all learning and growing, being challenged by the Holy Spirit to see through God's eyes. Aren't we? That is true change. And that's the end of the matter.
