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fivepointer
newbie
Registered: 08/03/02
Posts: 1,428
Last seen: 7 years, 4 months
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A damnable heresy has infected Christendom
#1380735 - 03/16/03 09:42 AM (21 years, 8 days ago) |
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A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
What is this leaven? The lie of human merits in justification.
Oh so sneaky, propounded by many who claim to be ministers of righteousness. I'm sure you have heard the smooth words "Jesus loves you, now its up to you". This makes salvation a conditional proposition. All you have to do is XYZ and then you are justified. The gospel is not a milder form of the Law. The gospel is the Law fulfilled every jot and tittle. Jesus Christ perfectly obeyed and satisfied Law and Justice for each one of His chosen people. He came under the wrath of God for the sins of His people, thereby, justifying them on the cross. This is the good news, that sinners are justified, without respect of their goodness. In fact they are not capable of goodness, and are called ungodly. The love of God to the ungodly, while they are ungodly, demonstrates His unmatchable love.
The damnable heresy of merits (free willism) makes God's love dependant on foreseen deeds of goodness (sinner's acceptance). This destroys the demonstration of love to the ungodly, as some goodness was the deciding factor in the love given.
The righteousness of God is absolute and is revealed in the true gospel. Only Jesus Christ could meet every demand of the Law perfectly. The damnable lie of free willism makes personal obedience the factor in justification. If personal obedience is the factor in justification, then it must be done absolutely perfectly. The fact is, this is impossible. The whole concept of personal obedience shows a complete ignorance of the righteousness required to be acceptable to an infinitely Holy God.
The gospel is good news for those included in the Lamb's Book of Life. For those predestinated to eternal life. Those elect sinners, who are freely justified by grace. Grace excludes any form of works, otherwise it would not be grace.
The damnable heresy of free willism is idolatry. It creates a god who tries and fails and is frustrated most of the time. It is the work of men's hands, a vain product of the imagination. The true gospel reveals the true and Living God, who speaks through His Word. Who declares the beginning from the end and orders all things to His glory.
So slick is this heresy, with a form a godliness, but without the power thereof. The gospel comes in power and truth to those ordained to eternal life. A person must be converted before he can see the kingdom of God. For each one who is ordained, the Spirit will reveal sin, righteousness and judgment, will transform and make a new creation, will write His laws into their hearts.
Those who know and love the truth will never call those who profess a gospel of human merits "brother". To call idolaters spiritual "brothers" reveals ignorance of the True and Living God, and shows lostness.
The Great Day approaches, when all outside of Christ will stand for judgment, and be found wanting of righteousness, and will be cast into the Lake of Fire forever and ever.
Oh that He might put in your heart the reason why you need to be saved, and give you His highest blessing!
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Middleman
Registered: 07/11/99
Posts: 8,399
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Re: A damnable heresy has infected Christendom [Re: fivepointer]
#1380779 - 03/16/03 09:57 AM (21 years, 8 days ago) |
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blessed are the carrots... for they shall be eaten by the giant rabbit.
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Evolving
Resident Cynic
Registered: 10/01/02
Posts: 5,385
Loc: Apt #6, The Village
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Re: A damnable heresy has infected Christendom [Re: fivepointer]
#1380923 - 03/16/03 10:44 AM (21 years, 8 days ago) |
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Quote:
...The Great Day approaches, when all outside of Christ will stand for judgment, and be found wanting of righteousness, and will be cast into the Lake of Fire forever and ever. Oh that He might put in your heart the reason why you need to be saved, and give you His highest blessing!
Can you try appealing to our ability to reason instead of using fire and brimstone mythology in an attempt to scare us. What can you rationally present to us that could convince us this is any more believable than any of the other numerous religions that humans have made up? Why are these points any more valid than those espoused by Muslims, Wiccans, or The Church of Bob?
-------------------- To call humans 'rational beings' does injustice to the term, 'rational.' Humans are capable of rational thought, but it is not their essence. Humans are animals, beasts with complex brains. Humans, more often than not, utilize their cerebrum to rationalize what their primal instincts, their preconceived notions, and their emotional desires have presented as goals - humans are rationalizing beings.
Edited by Evolving (03/16/03 02:10 PM)
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AislingGheal
A wave on the ocean
Registered: 02/22/03
Posts: 988
Loc: Northern Ohio
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Re: A damnable heresy has infected Christendom [Re: fivepointer]
#1381436 - 03/16/03 01:32 PM (21 years, 8 days ago) |
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Two words for you; Jimmy Swaggart.
-------------------- "I hate having to pick between the lesser of two evils. But I'm glad Obama was elected. McCain was another war monger. I'd rather deal with our country going into debt than trying to take on afghanistan...oh wait FUCK!" - Fungus_tao
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MarkostheGnostic
Elder
Registered: 12/09/99
Posts: 14,279
Loc: South Florida
Last seen: 3 years, 1 month
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Re: A damnable heresy has infected Christendom [Re: fivepointer]
#1381554 - 03/16/03 02:26 PM (21 years, 8 days ago) |
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Chill out, Brother. It's a metaphysical conundrum, this predestination-free will paradox. Guess what?...Both principles operate in God's cosmos, and anyone can align themselves to either vector into Reality and witness their respective operations.
Moral action does not curry God's favor, moral action is the result of one's being having been 'run through' with God's "Uncreated Energy," as the Orthodox like to refer to Grace. However, once again - a paradox. Grace is the reponse to Faith, but one doesn't will oneself to have Faith. Faith itself is a gift of God's Grace. The ability to pray for Faith, is the result of Grace. It's a loop, a paradox, and the paradox is not soluble in any amount of rational thought. It ceases to appear paradoxical only from a transrational, transcendental perspective.
Cherishing any doctrine, free will or predestination, or any other rational explication of a transcendental factor is 'shirk' (in Islam) or simple idolatry, or 'wrong view,' otherwise translated as 'heresy.' But only men are screaming these things at one another. God is forgiving of our misguided attempts to comprehend His Infinitude and Eternality. So...lighten up...conceptually. One's justification, sanctification and salvation are NOT determined by the Councils at Nicea, Chalcedon or elsewhere. All of this is out of the hands and judgements of men, it belongs to God alone. So relax. It is not "reason" that God puts in one's heart - He "made his light shine in our hearts" (2 Corinthians 4:6).
-------------------- γνῶθι σαὐτόν - Gnothi Seauton - Know Thyself
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