Originally posted by @thinkofoneHave you not stated and do you not believe that Jesus was just a man?
Interesting how those who believe in "salvation by faith alone" so often misrepresent the positions of others. Seems likely that it's not a coincidence.
Have you not refused to answer how salvation after Jesus Christ is different from salvation before Jesus Christ in your “Jesus was just a man” belief system?
Originally posted by @romans1009Another fool that asks the same thing over and over.
Do you believe Jesus Christ was/is God in the flesh or not? Why not just answer “Yes” or “No?”
ToO says “No.” What do you say?
I answer over and over ... damn fool
I believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
I will not be answering again.
Originally posted by @rajk999The problem is you then have said that we’re all sons of God and atheists go to heaven.
Another fool that asks the same thing over and over.
I answer over and over ... damn fool
I believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
I will not be answering again.
Instead of playing word games, why not just say you don’t believe Jesus was/is God in the flesh?
Why don’t you just say you don’t believe in the Trinity, that God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Ghost are all God?
Be proud of what you believe. Don’t obfuscate with semantics and word games.
As far as you’re calling me a “damn fool,” if you knew Jesus Christ’s teachings as well as you claim to, you would have known these verses from the Gospel of Matthew:
“Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”
(Matthew 5:21-22)
Originally posted by @rajk999And FWIW, I’d be happy to answer all day and every day that Jesus Christ was/is God in the flesh.
Another fool that asks the same thing over and over.
I answer over and over ... damn fool
I believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
I will not be answering again.
Why does the question upset you?
Originally posted by @thinkofone
Jesus clearly stated His purpose. The purpose for which He was anointed. The purpose for which He is the Christ (Christ means "anointed one" for those who are unaware):
Luke 4:18-19 was indeed fulfilled REAL TIME and on the spot as Jesus was the very object of the prophecy.
The announcement is wonderful and should have filled everyone present with enthusiasm and hope. Right?
But they were somehow infuriated instead at other things He said in the same proclamation. And they sought to murder Him right away.
"And all in the synagogue were filled with anger when they heard these things. (v.28)
And they rose up and cast Him out of the city and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built so that they might throw Him down the cliff. (v.29)
But He, passing through their midst, went away." (v.30) (Luke 4:28-30)
In the spiritual warfare over men's souls, how quickly the welcomed prophetic message generates irrational opposition.
So too, ThinkOfOne's welcome party soon turns into wanting to completely get rid of Jesus the Anointed One coming to set men free, with another Jesus more to his liking.
Originally posted by @rajk999<<In all cases the gospel preached is the good news of the Kingdom of God.
So we have the core of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Started by John the Baptist:
Continued by Christ as per post by ToO.
Then preached by the disciples:
In all cases the gospel preached is the good news of the Kingdom of God.
Repentance, baptism and living righteously are the requirements for entry into the Kingdom.
Almost all of the teachings and ...[text shortened]... preached by John the Baptist, by the hundreds of disciples is the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.
Repentance, baptism and living righteously are the requirements for entry into the Kingdom.>>
Nothing in your false gospel about believing in Jesus Christ? Is Jesus Christ anywhere to be found in your false gospel?
Let’s listen to Jesus Christ in this passage from the Gospel of Luke:
“And there were also two other, malefactors, led with him to be put to death.
And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary, there they crucified him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand, and the other on the left.
Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.
And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar,
And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.
And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, This Is The King Of The Jews.
And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
(Luke 23:32-43)
Did the thief on the cross repent of his sins? No.
Did the thief on the cross get baptized? No.
Did the thief on the cross live righteously? No.
Did the thief on the cross believe in Jesus Christ? Yes.
Did Jesus Christ say the thief would be in paradise with Him? Yes.
Belief in Christ = Salvation.
Good works and an aversion to sin = Evidence of salvation.
Would the thief on the cross have lived a changed life had he somehow survived the crucifixion? Yes.
“Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come.
Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come.
And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world.
I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”
(John 8:21-24)
Belief in Jesus Christ = Salvation.
Good works and an aversion to sin = Evidence of salvation.
“For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.
And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.
And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
(John 6:38-40)
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.”
(John 6:47)
Does this account have any meaning in the gospel of Jesus Christ?
“And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.
And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him.
And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:
For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.
And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves:
For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.
And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.”
(Luke 22:13-20)
Originally posted by @romans1009In other words, what is needed is not only belief but also evidence of the impact of the belief on the believer which indicates sincerity.
Belief in Jesus Christ = Salvation.
Good works and an aversion to sin = Evidence of salvation.
So the recipe for salvation is belief + works by the believer + and the believer stops wilfully "sinning".
Right?
The power of faith in Jesus Christ cures one woman of a longstanding disease in her blood and raises a 12-year-old girl from the dead.
Good works didn’t do that. Living righteously didn’t do that. Getting baptized didn’t do that.
Believing in Christ did that.
“And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus' feet, and besought him that he would come into his house:
For he had one only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she lay a dying. But as he went the people thronged him.
And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,
Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.
And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.
And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.
And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.
While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master.
But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.
And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden.
And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth.
And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.
And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise.
And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat.
And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.”
(Luke 8:41-56)
Originally posted by @fmfI’ve said before (I think numerous times) that the distinction arises when one believes in Jesus Christ very shortly before his or her death.
In other words, what is needed is not only belief but also evidence of the impact of the belief on the believer which indicates sincerity.
So the recipe for salvation is belief + works by the believer + and the believer stops wilfully "sinning".
Right?
A few decades ago, the Readers Digest, which was assiduously fact-checked back then, ran a story about a Christian woman who longed for her husband to accept Christ and be saved but he refused. She prayed every night for him to accept Christ.
The man was out hitchhiking one day and a devout Christian stopped to pick him up. While they were in the car, the devout Christian led the woman’s husband to Christ and he accepted Him.
A very short time later, the car was involved in a head-on collision and the woman’s husband died but the devout Christian survived and told the woman that her husband had accepted Christ before the crash.
I believe the woman’s husband was saved.
Originally posted by @fmf<<So the recipe for salvation is belief + works by the believer + and the believer stops wilfully "sinning".
In other words, what is needed is not only belief but also evidence of the impact of the belief on the believer which indicates sincerity.
So the recipe for salvation is belief + works by the believer + and the believer stops wilfully "sinning".
Right?
Right?>>
The recipe for salvation is belief in Jesus Christ a la John 3:16 and Romans 10:9.
Originally posted by @romans1009Yes, I know about your fixation on "belief". But there needs to be evidence of it, right? It has to translate into good works and an end to or avoidance of willful "sin", yes? Belief without evidence of it is not enough, correct?
<<So the recipe for salvation is belief + works by the believer + and the believer stops wilfully "sinning".
Right?>>
The recipe for salvation is belief in Jesus Christ a la John 3:16 and Romans 10:9.