Originally posted by sonshipWere Paul's companions consigned to "damnation" if "the Spirit of Christ indwelling them" didn't result in good works "spontaneously flowing out of them"? Did their "salvation" not depend on them actually doing something and not merely having "faith"?
Paul and his companions had NO CONFIDENCE in the natural flesh - the fallen man. All their confidence for work was in the Spirit of Christ indwelling them, empowering them, spontaneously flowing out of them towards those for whom they labored.
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Originally posted by FMFScrutinize it.
Were Paul's companions consigned to "damnation" if "the Spirit of Christ indwelling them" didn't result in good works "spontaneously flowing out of them"? Did their "salvation" not depend on them actually doing something and not merely having "faith"?
Atheism has to be more sensible than loving Jesus.
Originally posted by sonshipAgain, an artless dodge.
There's a logical contradiction in there somewhere.
Scrutinize.
Here is the question which arises from the very words you used to make your claims.
Here it is once again: But the "well pleasing" aspect is meaningless without works, right? Faith alone is not enough, yes?
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Originally posted by FMF[b]That is not an answer.
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Scrutinize it man !
Once again: Is it impossible to please your god figure without works?
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Get the weakness. Get the illogical.
Scrutinize that Gospel !
Surely you made the right decision to discard with God and Jesus Christ.
Scrutinize that thing.
It's a point blank question.
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More questions.
Line them up.
More scrutinizing !
Originally posted by sonshipDoes a Christian need to both "faith" and "good works" for "salvation"?
[b] [b]That is not an answer.
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Scrutinize it man !
[b] Once again: Is it impossible to please your god figure without works?
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Get the weakness. Get the illogical.
Scrutinize that Gospel !
Surely you m ...[text shortened]... .
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More questions.
Line them up.
More scrutinizing ![/b]
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The subject is about the blessing of being in the corporate pursuit of God.
While FMF tallys up his trophies for being the best Spirituality master scrutinizer, I would
add something about the mentioned book of James that agrees with the OP.
James advises the believers to confess their sins to one another so that they may be healed.
No, i don't think this is a legality. Some denominations made public confession a legal "must do".
But it good and grace releasing to have some one or two to whom you can open up and confess your problems to.
" Therefore confess your sins to one another and pray for one another that you may be healed.
The petition of a righteous man avails much in its working." (James 5:16)
You cannot always open up to a large group of Christians. But it is good to have some one or two that you trust to open up to.
Like you can say "Brothers, I can't get through on this matter. I need you to pray for me."
Like you can say "Sisters, this thing I cannot get victory over. Can we pray together? Can you petition the Lord Jesus on my behalf on this?"
This may be humbling. But God has a purpose to build His saints up together in the mystical body of Christ. He will honor our coming to gain help through the petition of other believers.
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Christians should have some spiritual companions that they trust to confess besetting problems to.
We Christians should not gossip but cover one another.
My wife knows things that I cannot get her to tell me at all for YEARS.
She can keep things in confidence in a very strong way.
We Christians do well to have a few that we can trust more so to open up to about our weaknesses. And others should feel that they are able to open up to us as well.
Anyway. this meets the Christians need. But better still it also meets God's need to build the Christians up together into a unity in life and in Spirit. For this is His purpose. This meets the need of His eternal purpose to build up His church - the dwelling place of God in spirit.
" Being BUILT ... upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone;
In whom all the BUILDING, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord.
In whom you also are being BUILT up together into a dwelling place of God in spirit." (Eph. 2:20-22)
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How about going to fellow Christians with a view that this is for the building up of the habitation of God in spirit - the church ?
So I come to some fellow believers. I do confess that I need some help. The help I need is Christ. Even if the help I need is very practical it has to come with the dispensing of Christ to me as well.
But the greater purpose is the building up of the living temple of God. The greater purpose is that we are being knit and joined together in love for the building up of His Body.
I come not just to have my need met. I do come for that. But there is something larger here. I am being built up in Christ with other Christians. God gets what He needs - the building up of His eternal habitation of God in spirit.
God's purpose is to build Himself into a corporate vessel and to blend them with Himself.