The Most Common Theological Error in the Western Church Today

[AlexDTX]

Don't go asking for speaking gobble-de-gook as one may cause evil to come.

And you know not what you speak of.

 

[Goatee]

And you know not what you speak of.

I am glad. I don't want to temp evil. I have enough already in my life.

Speaking in tongues is a gift to preach the Gospel to non believers in a tongue that they can understand.

But that's going off topic, so sorry about that OP.

 

[Haipule]

The the most clear one is the sinlessness in the flesh preachers who believe that if you are a real Christian then the Holy Spirit will cause you to stop sinning and you will become a sinless person in this life.. Of course if you sin they preach that this is a sign that you have not received the Holy Spirit and thus you where never saved to begin with..

The second type is a blend of grace and works.. They preach that God will forgive you, But have to ask God for forgiveness each and every time you sin, woe to you if you miss a sin and forget to ask..

Then there are those who say you are saved, but if you sin too much then your going to get booted out.. They never actually explain what the level of sinning is. This preaching just keeps people in a state of fear always uncertain if they have been good enough to maintain their salvation status..

Works salvation in all it's forms declares the Atonement of the LORD Jesus Christ to be in the end insufficient to save people.. They teach that the believer must also perform up to a certain level of goodness to pay their part of the cost of their own salvation..

My favorite one is, "Poor old Joe, he had a head faith but not a heart faith: 18 inches from salvation."

 

[Haipule]

And you know not what you speak of.

My "spiritual gift" is interpretation of tongues. But, it is a set-up for a joke. Don't take the bait!

 

[Haipule]

The Calvinist does good works but does not know why!

He is in a state of confusion and is counting on things ending up well for him!

Quote
Allow me, if you will, a moment of autobiography, for reasons similar to those of Paul in Galatians 1 and 2. In my early days of research, before Sanders had published Paul and Palestinian Judaism in 1977 and long before Dunn coined the phrase ‘The New Perspective on Paul’, I was puzzled by one exegetical issue in particular, which I here oversimplify for the sake of summary. If I read Paul in the then standard Lutheran way, Galatians made plenty of sense, but I had to fudge (as I could see dozens of writers fudging) the positive statements about the Law in Romans. If I read Paul in the Reformed way of which, for me, Charles Cranfield remains the supreme exegetical exemplar, Romans made a lot of sense, but I had to fudge (as I could see Cranfield fudging) the negative statements about the Law in Galatians.

By N.T. Wright
New Perspectives on Paul

Great post! I have studied Paul in Romans (and Galatians) referring to [ ]Law, and thee Law. When he says, [ ]Law--with out the definite article, he is referring to the character and nature of Law which is referring to the pharisaical religious nonsense that was in practice at that time. That that would get you nowhere. He said this in contrast to thee Law which is a specific articular identification of God's actual instructions.

 

[Albion]

Well that's the dilemma faced by Calvinists, that when they realize the implications of their views, it shocks them.

?? Why would it shock anyone? More to the point, DOES it actually shock anyone?

 

[AlexDTX]

I am glad. I don't want to temp evil. I have enough already in my life.

Speaking in tongues is a gift to preach the Gospel to non believers in a tongue that they can understand.

But that's going off topic, so sorry about that OP.

Becareful. To say that speaking in tongues is evil is to call the Holy Spirit evil. And you err in your assumption that tongues is a gift to preach the Gospel to non believers. Prophesy reaches the non believer. Tongues are for the believer.

 

[Haipule]

Becareful. To say that speaking in tongues is evil is to call the Holy Spirit evil. And you err in your assumption that tongues is a gift to preach the Gospel to non believers. Prophesy reaches the non believer. Tongues are for the believer.

Huh? To quote Paul, "tongues are for a sign" and they spoke in the known tongue of the hearer! Jews came from all over, speaking many languages, and were in Jerusalem for the Holy days(on this day: Pentecost). It was a sign to the Jews 1 Corinthians 14:21 spoken of by Isaiah. To "unbelievers" 1 Corinthians 14:22. Tongues would cease in 1 Corinthians 13:8.

Whereas prophecy, well, the word prophet is from the Greek prophEtEs. It is transliterated and not translated for you. It simply means: in-front(as in standing in front of someone)-to-tell. It may, or may not include eschatological statements. The root of the Hebrew word is crazy man. Do I fit!? Paul wished that all could prophesy: stand in front of people and give words of, edification, exhortation and consolation 1 Cor 14:3. I would say that just about everyone on this forum is doing just that--to believers!

 

[rjs330]

Or, what if you stole a man's wife, and then have that man murdered, certainly God would cast you aside, or maybe He would call you, "King David".

King David repented of his sin.

 

[rjs330]

By which I think you mean willfully continue to sin because you are confident that you will still be safe. I don't know anyone who has said that here on CF, but if I've seen the claim made one time by others I've seen it a hundred times.

Yes you understand that I am talking about continually willfully sinning.

 

[JohnRabbit]

is?

IS the seeming inability to identify the modern nations in "end time" prophecy!

 

[jimmyjimmy]

King David repented of his sin.

Yes. I've read the story.

 

[rjs330]

Yes. I've read the story.

Then I guess I missed your point. It seemed that you were saying you could do a lot of horrible things and still get to heaven without repenting.

 

[Haipule]

King David repented of his sin.

David merely acknowledged

 

[Haipule]

IS the seeming inability to identify the modern nations in "end time" prophecy!

Yeah, the "New Babylon" in the early church was Rome. That has since been changed to...to...to...to Now it's the USA! Could it possibly be the rebirth of the Old Babylon south of Bagdad where they are preparing to do just that, and have been doing just that for years?

 

[Haipule]

The biographies I checked say that he learned Greek in college.

My bad, yes 18mos and apparently continued his study of koinE Greek to the point of translating the book of Romans which is impressive!

 

[jimmyjimmy]

Then I guess I missed your point. It seemed that you were saying you could do a lot of horrible things and still get to heaven without repenting.

Can I be certain that I've confessed all of my sins? No.

I place no faith in myself or my ability to keep the law of God, because keeping God's law means not failing in one point - ever.

To be clear, I am not condoning flagrant sin, but who among us can stand before God on the basis of our performance?

 

[Haipule]

Can I be certain that I've confused all of my sins? No.

I place no faith in myself or my ability to keep the law of God, because keeping God's law means not failing in one point - ever.

To be clear, I am not condoning flagrant sin, but who among us can stand before God on the basis of our performance?

I am able to stand before God because Paul said that God is able to make me stand. It's a Shepherd and sheep thing.

 

[cloudlight93]

The ever cancerous belief system spreading in the Western Church that takes "New Age" spirituality and teaches people that Christ came to teach you how to use the creative power of thought to create your every dream, now.

Also known as Prosperity gospels, Law of Attraction teachings that lift God's Word from the Bible and place them in the context of a worldly teaching about financial gain, health, international travel, and "abundance".

 

[rjs330]

Can I be certain that I've confessed all of my sins? No.

I place no faith in myself or my ability to keep the law of God, because keeping God's law means not failing in one point - ever.

To be clear, I am not condoning flagrant sin, but who among us can stand before God on the basis of our performance?

None of us can. You are correct in that. But it is in our walk that we show our live and commitment to serve Christ and live for him. Not perfectly but trying. Walking in the spirit is different than living in sin.