Are you a sincere seeker who has questions about Christianity, or a Christian with doubts about your faith? Post them here to receive a thoughtful response.
Starhunter wrote:Are humans lost because they are the descendants of Adam?
Of course not.
Sometimes you succeed in making parts of Christianity look reasonable.
Whats with that?
Of all the religions, Christianity is, when properly understood, the most reasonable IMO.
I say this as someone that has studied a variety of religions before becoming a Christian and it may surprise you to know that for awhile I was close to being a Buddhist than a christian proper.
Not really. Its common with seekers.
Some aspects of Christianity make sense to me, especially the values that are held in common
with other cultures.
Some aspects dont work for me, not as being reasonable.
Properly understood..you know how that discussion goes.
Understood as makes sense to me, it wont be Christianity.
There were some parts of Christianity that I did not understand very well, I mean, I thought I did and because I thought so I condemned it from that lack of understanding ( suffering for example).
I wish I could say that I was able to reason my way into Christianity but that was not the case.
Reason and understanding came later ( of the issues that I had that I couldn't understand properly).
I came to Christ because He came to me, it was through my wife and the birth of our first daughter that I STARTED on the path to Christ but I was still very opposed to so many things, particularly because my parents and one of my sisters were/are JW's.
It was a personal situation that compelled me to open my heart to Christ and in His divine love and grace, He opened my mind to the answers to all my issues.
I don't know if I would have eventually understood these issues myself without His help, perhaps I would have, I don't know.
What I do know is that His love and grace go far beyond anything I ever could have dreamed of.
PaulSacramento wrote:
Of all the religions, Christianity is, when properly understood, the most reasonable IMO.
I say this as someone that has studied a variety of religions before becoming a Christian and it may surprise you to know that for awhile I was close to being a Buddhist than a christian proper.
Also, 7th Day Adventists support Replacement Theology, which is not Biblical whatsoever.
Replacement theology is an extreme definition invented by Evangelicals (Catholic loyal churches) and does not apply to what SDA's teach about a consistency in the church of God from Adam to Christ's return, and like you said, it is not Biblical anyway.
PaulSacramento wrote:There were some parts of Christianity that I did not understand very well, I mean, I thought I did and because I thought so I condemned it from that lack of understanding ( suffering for example).
I wish I could say that I was able to reason my way into Christianity but that was not the case.
Reason and understanding came later ( of the issues that I had that I couldn't understand properly).
I came to Christ because He came to me, it was through my wife and the birth of our first daughter that I STARTED on the path to Christ but I was still very opposed to so many things, particularly because my parents and one of my sisters were/are JW's.
It was a personal situation that compelled me to open my heart to Christ and in His divine love and grace, He opened my mind to the answers to all my issues.
I don't know if I would have eventually understood these issues myself without His help, perhaps I would have, I don't know.
What I do know is that His love and grace go far beyond anything I ever could have dreamed of.
It's so true about having faith first and having understanding added later.
If people want to learn to swim, eventually they will have to get into the water.
SoCalExile wrote:
It's not about guilt; it's about our desire for Christ.
Christianity was never about never-ending cycles of guilt; man created that to control man. We are free in Christ, and the Holy Spirit who is in us, and sanctifies us (Book of Romans).
Do you see sanctification as a way of overcoming sin? Does the gospel include the removal of sin from the life?
I'm a believer in saved by grace,that Jesus paid for our salvation in full he lived a perfect life for us something none of us can do except with Jesus taking up our slack and he takes up the slack of our shortcomings.When Jesus said " it is finished" he did everything for us as he was sent to do to save us and I do not believe any true Christian who has been saved can lose their salvation,however a lot of Christians may make it to heaven but did not lay much treasure up in heaven.But if we could lose our salvation then nobody could go to heaven because everybody wrestles with sin and only the self-righteous don't admit it.
Now just because nobody can lose their salvation does not mean there won't be consequences for being a lazy Christian because every Christian will be judged at the judgment seat of Christ,which is different than the great white throne judgment so as a Christian we will want to hear Jesus say " Well done my faithful servent and not chew us out for being lazy Christians.There are crowns to be given out and we should all want crowns.
Hebrews 12:2-3 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,despising the shame,and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
2nd Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not,lest the light of this glorious gospel of Christ,who is the image of God,should shine unto them.
These are very good points you have bought to our attention, Abel.
Recently, I have noticed that discussions of the gospel, are primarily how we or others may be saved, and I admit that has been my tune, nearly all my life, but what about the perspective of God being justified to the watching universe?
His name has been trampled down, because Satan, the accuser, has misrepresented God, and God would like someone to represent Him on earth in humanity, like Job of old did - causing Satan to be proven wrong about whether man can be loyal to God.
Apparently this glorification of God will take place on a larger scale towards the end of time, when the mystery of God is finished. See Rev 10:7.
What is this mystery?
Compare I Timothy 3:16 and the opposite in II Timothy 3:1-5.
Starhunter wrote:These are very good points you have bought to our attention, Abel.
Recently, I have noticed that discussions of the gospel, are primarily how we or others may be saved, and I admit that has been my tune, nearly all my life, but what about the perspective of God being justified to the watching universe?
His name has been trampled down, because Satan, the accuser, has misrepresented God, and God would like someone to represent Him on earth in humanity, like Job of old did - causing Satan to be proven wrong about whether man can be loyal to God.
Apparently this glorification of God will take place on a larger scale towards the end of time, when the mystery of God is finished. See Rev 10:7.
What is this mystery?
Compare I Timothy 3:16 and the opposite in II Timothy 3:1-5.
Well just off the top of my head this has to do with Christ's thousand year reign when Satan is bound so he cannot interfere and the whole creation worships Jesus.But then Satan is loosed again after the thousand years showing the influence Satan has in preventing true worship of God.
Hebrews 12:2-3 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,despising the shame,and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
2nd Corinthians 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not,lest the light of this glorious gospel of Christ,who is the image of God,should shine unto them.
We were designed by God to be in harmony with Him, to have the love of God shed abroad in our hearts.
This as intended by the gospel to fulfill the need for man to glorify God on earth in the face of the rebellion.
Once again, I listened very carefully to a video last night with friends to cross examine what was said, and we were all very impressed that it is totally scriptural without any manipulation or lies. A clear and honest message. I have never heard anything quite like it before. I have read it in scripture but it never hit home.
I cannot find what has been put forward here anywhere else, so if you want have a listen, and test it out with your Bible as you go along.
This has bought me hope and assurance of a new life altogether.