Starting today August 7th, 2024, in order to post in the Married Couples, Courting Couples, or Singles forums, you will not be allowed to post if you have your Marital status designated as private. Announcements will be made in the respective forums as well but please note that if yours is currently listed as Private, you will need to submit a ticket in the Support Area to have yours changed.
Hmm, your response might almost be amusing if it wasn’t sad. Lots of novel ideas have managed to subvert the gospel for many. Consider this: the new covenant does not serve as a reprieve from man’s obligation to be righteous, but rather is the means to achieving that very thing. The greatest commandments are still obligatory, as is, for example, the following:
fhansen's way of understanding salvation has been in practice for 2000 years. Whereas the way you understand salvation didn't come into practice until 1500 years later when Luther and Calvin came up with it as part of Protestant reformation doctrine.
The gospel of John doesn't address the traditional 2000 year old view of salvation vs the reformation view. Although I'm sure the proponents of both views use the gosple of John to support either view.
Absolutely, qualifying it with the understanding that this love is only accessible by virtue of union with God, made possible by the reconciliation with Him that Christ accomplished on the cross, if we respond to that, if care enough to now turn to Him in faith.
It’s more than that, more than just believing a certain set of truths about Jesus. Faith is the realization of reconciliation between man and God. It’s the first right step that man can make as it places man into right stead and relationship with God now. To see Jesus is to see God, to know Jesus is to know God, to believe in, hope in, and to love Jesus is to believe in, hope in, and love God. Everything Jesus said and did was a revelation of the true God.
First of all we need to include-and understand-the whole bible. Secondly also I'd read the first letter of John to gain a fuller understanding of what he thinks God requires of us.
There's no if. It's a matter of historical fact. Before the Protestant reformation there was only the Catholic and Orthodox view of salvation throughout Christianity. Before Luther proclaimed justification by grace alone through faith alone, that wasn't taught in any Christian church.
Yes, obedience is required-after the free gift of justification. The Reformers mistakenly identified justification with strictly receiving a vicarious righteousness. But justification, along with forgiveness of sin, is to become new creations, with new hearts; it's to receive the gift of righteousness that comes only from God, which is attested to all through Romans. It's to have grace, the seed of God's life, implanted into us. Our part is to walk in that righteousness, to accept, embrace, "invest", or express it throughout our lives. Because we can also turn back away from it, from Him, and to the world and the flesh.
As I stated in that post: "Unpacked and properly understood, that's the most profound and concise summary of the gospel I've ever heard."
The view of the church of Christ was actually received and proclaimed before the new testament was written- and then they wrote it! And later they selected and compiled the writings into the canon we now have.
