Here is what it all comes down to—- and you’d better get it right!

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marks

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I find it very sad that the legalistic bunch... compare themselves to the likes of the drunk up the street for their measure of being good.... when in all reality... we need to be comparing ourselves to the measure of CHRIST... I think that would dramatically reduce the I'm so good attitude found in so many score keeping believers.... My little thoughts for the day. LOL
That's just it, we use the wrong measure. And we don't even know how to measure!!

As if! As if we understood ourselves well enough to even know when we are and are not dipping our toes in the flesh, much less just diving in.

People talk so much about committing sins, but the real issue to me is where is my life right now coming from? Forget about describing and judging behaviors, by the time we've progressed to behavior, that's the jumping off the high dive.

What about when we are feeling superior to the guy who just replied to our post? Who feels guilty for that? Who declares themself sinful? What about when we are NOT actively loving others? NOT actively, with all the heart and soul and mind and strength, loving God?

Isn't failing to have love and worship for God right now a greater failing than anything else??

Much love!
 

marks

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The change I'm growing up into is not what needs to happen inside of me as much as it is what needs to happen day to day on the outside of me. 35 years in and the inner change seems to be very well along. Now it's just a matter of continually living on the outside what God has finished on the inside.
Are you talking here about conforming your behavior and speech to what you see inside?

Much love!
 

marks

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Any christain was told to correct any brethren that errs . AND YES they sure did use a pattern for doing so .
Brethren correct brethren . They dont just hide an eye . But if folks are fearful to correct , at least let me correct .
And pray for me as well that i follow ONLY the TRUTH , the SPIRIT .
There is a predatory way people do this.

We are to be brothers correcting each other in love, not just correcting, though, restoring. Restoring requires personal relationship, personal involvement, personal love.

When I see my brother caught in a sin. I don't see this to be talking about internet debates on right and wrong. To me it's all about getting close to someone in humility to help them get back into a closer discipleship.

Much love!
 

amadeus

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No, best worker:

"...and each will be rewarded according to his own labor." 1 Corinthians 3:8

I wouldn't even show up to a 'best Christian' awards ceremony. I wouldn't even watch it on YouTube. I'd just ask you later how it went, lol.
Even so my friend!

"Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." Luke 18:10-14
 

Truman

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I see the CHURCH denominations to be a totally separate topic from Christians... I do not attend a church... and have in total not attended many... WE have a church here... the United Church.... not only do they perform gay marriages... the pastor herself is a married lesbian... so... in my way of thinking ... I would NOT attend this church due to right off the bat false teaching.

WE see the world totally different you and I... I mind my own business... I know God is good and HE is in the business of saving and redeeming those HE saves... My job is to work out my own salvation... and this does NOT include EMBRACING sin of any kind.

I will never condone sin... even though I get accused of being a GRACE abuser.

It's been a treat sparring with you @Ferris Bueller ... Happy Labour Day.
"Where two or more are gathered in My name..."
 
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Truman

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Even so my friend!

"Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." Luke 18:10-14
Give God the glory! :)
 
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marks

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My dad used to say, "This is going to hurt you more than it hurts me." I never believed him.
He could've been telling the truth, though since I barely knew him...
My problem with the church that I know is that they insisted on cracking the whip when they only thought they understood my situation.
My response..."I'll do what you say, but since I'm not Superman, pray for my physical healing. Hello..."
I think this is behind what I see a lot. People read the Bible, learn God's way, and want to do what He says, but, they don't know the other person, they don't REALLY love them, not to the point of being afraid to hurt and not help, not to the point of being willing to not do ANYTHING if not certain to benefit,

We take the principles of what is written, but without the Spirit, and without Love. Or simply in ignorance.

Much love!
 

Desire Of All Nations

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You are simultaneously contradicting your own theology and biblical theology a thousand different ways. You say no Christian promotes sin or finds it attractive, and that Christians should strive to stop sinning. That is certainly true. However, you start introducing righteous-sounding lies in the moment you say everybody will stand in front of Christ as a sinner, which definitely isn't true. Paul taught in 1 Cor. 3:15 that God's saints will be judged like everybody else, but they will still be considered saints:

"If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire."

You then proceeded to mix more righteous-sounding lies in by saying Christianity isn't about someone's performance, which clearly contradicts what James taught:

"But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?" - Jas. 2:20

"You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only." - Jas. 2:24

"Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin." - Jas. 4:17

A person's belief in God means absolutely nothing if that person is not doing what God requires of them, hence Christ's statement in Matt. 7 that the only people who will be saved are the ones who does His Father's will. So yes, biblical Christianity certainly does require a certain kind of performance from its adherents because the way they live proves whether or not their faith is the real deal.

When people say things like "Christianity isn't a religion, it's a relationship with Christ", it's a clear attempt at removing the responsibility an individual has towards God out of the picture. Christianity is about establishing a relationship with God through religion. It does not exclude religion because Christianity is supposed to permeate every part of a person's lifestyle. There is a reason why John said the people who know God keep His commandments(1 Jhn 2:3). I suggest you start learning what dead works are and and what the real gospel is, because it's extremely obvious by your theology that you don't know enough about either subject to be telling other people that they have it wrong.
 
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marks

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Because the sign that Christ does not know you is in fact your sin. Unsaved people live in their sin. Saved people do not. They struggle with it, but they do not live in it as a matter of lifestyle like they did before they were saved.
I question the validity of this statement, as it assumes that you know all sin you commit. I doubt whether that is true for any of us.

It also assumes we all get cleaned up at the same rate. I would suggest Jesus works in different people in different ways.

Has it occurred to you that Jesus could just the same fully renew our minds in a moment? That He could completely renew our minds at the moment of rebirth? But He doesn't. For good reason, I think.

I don't believe in judging salvation based on what you perceive of someone's sin.

Much love!
 
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Truman

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That's just it, we use the wrong measure. And we don't even know how to measure!!

As if! As if we understood ourselves well enough to even know when we are and are not dipping our toes in the flesh, much less just diving in.

People talk so much about committing sins, but the real issue to me is where is my life right now coming from? Forget about describing and judging behaviors, by the time we've progressed to behavior, that's the jumping off the high dive.

What about when we are feeling superior to the guy who just replied to our post? Who feels guilty for that? Who declares themself sinful? What about when we are NOT actively loving others? NOT actively, with all the heart and soul and mind and strength, loving God?

Isn't failing to have love and worship for God right now a greater failing than anything else??

Much love!
Pride is invisible, feels good, seems right, and it blinds!
 

marks

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You know I love you and all... BUT... this is a dangerous slope you are describing. Meddling in God's business... of DECIDING who is and is NOT saved by OUTER appearance.
Christianity is all about relationship with CHRIST...
That's the difference to me in this discussion. On the one hand, sin sniffing, sin counting, on the other hand, in love with Jesus.

Much love!