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And I apologize. Very rude of me
To be honest, IMO, Christ made it a point to dissolve any notion of rank within His apostles during the Last Supper when He washed the apostles' feet. I think a lot of readers don't really understand what He was "saying" when He did that.
He humbled Himself clear down to washing the feet of his disciples which He also said "Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all the things I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you." (John 15:15)
To me, the whole Last Supper deal was Him explaining in quite clear terms that we should not consider one man greater than another, for we have all sinned, none of us are worthy of the gifts He gives (that's why we require Mercy and Grace; the former is not getting what we deserve and the latter is getting what we don't deserve).
Therefore, if one person in Christ is a priest, then that means we are all priests. If you study Revelation, the 24 elders who are sitting in Heaven in Chapter 4+ appear to be representatives of the Church and John makes a comment that they are "Kings and Priests". That would surely mean that the entire church is considered such to the rest of the world by God and Jesus.
So if you take that reasoning... then yes, priests can do exorcisms because we're all priests. The only measure of who is "better" at doing exorcisms is simply how much Faith they have in Jesus and the power that we are given by Him. A 16 year old who has incredibly strong faith and filled with the Holy Spirit would make a far better exorcist than some 60 year old preacher who is just going through the motions that he's been taught his whole life because that's what he was taught to do.
Anybody can ask Jesus to exorcise and heal; I've once heard it said that the recipe for a miracle is very simple: Believer + Sick Person = Miracle. I've heard testimonies of healings done by ordinary people who are not ordained ministers who simply have the Faith to pray and ask Jesus to heal someone. We need to remember that a Preacher is simply someone who has studied enough of the Bible to know it front and back, enough to teach on what it says. Any power a Preacher has beyond that is given by Christ, and Christ can/will give that sort of power to anybody who is a faithful believer.
There are the examples. However your response was perfectly suitable for an evangelical revivalist.
Works are not for God. They are for the neighbor. I don't witness to people at work, yet they all know my strong faith. I'm kind. I don't judge. I'm peaceful.
I don't trust most Christian causes. I donate where I feel comfortable. I don't consider changing jobs as if God will use me more. He uses people where they are. I would never guilt someone by saying, "are you sure God's putting you there?" "Are you sure your following God's lead?" "Are you sure God wants you to donate to a non-Christian cause that celebrates another religion?"
James is a book that has nothing to do with genuine salvation. It read more like a church leadership book than an all encompassing moral book for all Christians to apply to their lives. Romans has more weight for all. Good works don't prove nothing. But evil deed certainly could. In this day and age in America, many non-Christian act just as good as Christians who, by your standards, are clearly Christian. Non-Christians doing many charities, but their dead to God. So it might be difficult for you to see if they are who you think they are.
It's clear you don't hold to OSAS, but you play it off as if you do. Or you play the game "Were they really saved?". I believe in OSAS but also people can be truly saved and leave the faith only to travel to Hell in their death. It has nothing to do with works in all of this.
Our good works are to give non-Christians no excuse in this life.
To go back to the topic....somehow.....Satan is definitely powerful, but a Christian is perfect before the eyes of God because of the blood of Christ. Our sins need to be acknowledge but with the Cross in mind that they were already paid for and we are free. Our sins don't hold guilt on us.
that was very baptist answer you gave mikedsjr but i have a few questions for you and answer them honestly.There are the examples. However your response was perfectly suitable for an evangelical revivalist.
Works are not for God. They are for the neighbor. I don't witness to people at work, yet they all know my strong faith. I'm kind. I don't judge. I'm peaceful.
I don't trust most Christian causes. I donate where I feel comfortable. I don't consider changing jobs as if God will use me more. He uses people where they are. I would never guilt someone by saying, "are you sure God's putting you there?" "Are you sure your following God's lead?" "Are you sure God wants you to donate to a non-Christian cause that celebrates another religion?"
James is a book that has nothing to do with genuine salvation. It read more like a church leadership book than an all encompassing moral book for all Christians to apply to their lives. Romans has more weight for all. Good works don't prove nothing. But evil deed certainly could. In this day and age in America, many non-Christian act just as good as Christians who, by your standards, are clearly Christian. Non-Christians doing many charities, but their dead to God. So it might be difficult for you to see if they are who you think they are.
It's clear you don't hold to OSAS, but you play it off as if you do. Or you play the game "Were they really saved?". I believe in OSAS but also people can be truly saved and leave the faith only to travel to Hell in their death. It has nothing to do with works in all of this.
Our good works are to give non-Christians no excuse in this life.
To go back to the topic....somehow.....Satan is definitely powerful, but a Christian is perfect before the eyes of God because of the blood of Christ. Our sins need to be acknowledge but with the Cross in mind that they were already paid for and we are free. Our sins don't hold guilt on us.
That was hardly a baptist answer. Maybe anti-Pietist answer or anti-Revivalist answer. Hardly a set in stone Baptist answer.that was very baptist answer you gave mikedsjr but i have a few questions for you and answer them honestly.
1. Would you say people can you apart from a non-believer?
2. Are you operating in the gifts of the Spirit?
3. How much time have you spent in the presence of the lord lately?
That was hardly a baptist answer. Maybe anti-Pietist answer or anti-Revivalist answer. Hardly a set in stone Baptist answer.
1. Some yes. Some no. Depends. But most people I see react in a Judea-Christian value system whether Christian or not, until they go out at night time activities. I'm never with them in those activities so I'm not sure what to say. Those non-Christians at work may have noticed me mocking other Christians for their stupid bad theologies.
2. I've been in church my entire 45 years with a great love for doctrine and still I have no clue what operating in the gifts of the Spirit even means.
3. Well I was at church yesterday.
Romans 12:6-81 Corinthians 12:8-101 Corinthians 12:28Ephesians 4:111 Peter 4:11That was hardly a baptist answer. Maybe anti-Pietist answer or anti-Revivalist answer. Hardly a set in stone Baptist answer.
1. Some yes. Some no. Depends. But most people I see react in a Judea-Christian value system whether Christian or not, until they go out at night time activities. I'm never with them in those activities so I'm not sure what to say. Those non-Christians at work may have noticed me mocking other Christians for their stupid bad theologies.
2. I've been in church my entire 45 years with a great love for doctrine and still I have no clue what operating in the gifts of the Spirit even means.
3. Well I was at church yesterday.
thank you that is what i was trying to say. I AM NOT RELIGIOUS. I HAVE A CLOSE AND PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THE MY CREATOR VIA THE HOLY SPIRIT. I TALK TO GOD LIKE HES STANDING RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME BECAUSE I AM NOT ASHAMED I KNOW THE GOD I STUDY ABOUT. I CAN SPEND MY WHOLE LIFE READING AND ADMIRING THE SCRIPTURE BUT IF I DONT APPLY IT THEN ITS JUST ANOTHER BOOK. THERE IS A LOT OF PEW WARMERS WHO MAY BE GOING TO HELL BECAUSE THEY LIVE LIKE HELL MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY AND COME IN AND PLAY CHURCH ON SATURDAYS. ITS OUR JOBS AS CHRISTIANS TO REACH THOSE PEOPLE.You were... mocking... other Christians for their "stupid bad" theologies?
Did Christ ever mock anyone in any of the Gospels? He corrected, he told them where they were wrong, but did He ever do so in a mocking, snide, snippy, rude, etc manner? If He didn't, should we be doing it?
Perhaps instead of loving Doctrine, you should be loving Him instead?
Not counting Church, have you spent time with the Lord? Daily prayer, reading your Bible, or even just plain talking to Him as if He were standing right next to you? Listening to worship music? etc?
So many Christians think that God (or Christ) only exists for an hour or two on Sunday and the other 6 days... God (or Christ) barely even enters their mind whatsoever....
Now, I'm not perfect myself.. I know I could be spending more time with Him myself, everybody could... but I will say that I do so more than once per week.
It's so typical they one can say a person is saved by faith alone, then punk slap them afterwards with pious living or you go to hell. Why not just start out by saving, "If you don't do repent, say a prayer, live in a way I can validate your in, and reject Scripture for an invisible buddy that I call the Spirit your hell bound".
Conditions you place on salvation, no one can live by. You can't either
The Holy Spirit is like the wind you cant see but you feel it when it is present and you don't fully understand that my beliefs are backed up by scripture and I can honestly say I live by them.
Xalith, if you don't like mocking, don't listen to Pirate Christian Radio on the web. Don't do it. I'm warning you. Mocking abounds and probably against pastors you may have heard of.
It's so typical they one can say a person is saved by faith alone, then punk slap them afterwards with pious living or you go to hell. Why not just start out by saving, "If you don't do repent, say a prayer, live in a way I can validate your in, and reject Scripture for an invisible buddy that I call the Spirit your hell bound".
Conditions you place on salvation, no one can live by. You can't either
Whenever you do something wrong, and the devil starts accusing you, say:
"Oh nooo! I've sinned! I'm in biiiiiig trouble NOW! God's going to throw me in hell right now! Oh my! Oh my!"
"I'm a bad baaad baaaaaaad person. I'm just a terrible terrible person, oh my!"
"Ohhh! I just -- I just -- I just feel so terrible for what I've done! Oh my. Oh my. I am such a bad bad bad bad bad person!"
Mock that blankety blank! Foil that son of a you-know-what.
Folks we were called to FREEDOM! Not BONDAGE.
You have not received the spirit of bondage again unto fear, but a Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry abba, Father.
Jesus Christ paid for all our sins on the cross, so that through him, we have everlasting freedom.
Who is he that accuses you? It is God who justifies.
God justified us freely by the blood of his Son, Jesus Christ.
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