Salvation

[sandy whitelinger]

Really? You sure? Sign me up.

You have to sign yourself up.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

So who should I trust?

That is the crux of man's free will to choose.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

A curious thing to me. One, why would a person seek out Christianity in the first place? I find 3 main possibilities.

1. They're born into, being indoctrinated from day one.
2. They're scared into it, by hellfire teachings.
3. They're desperate and out of choices.

This is worldy view that discounts the role that God plays in drawing all men to Him

 

[sandy whitelinger]

Other than a 4th option of intellectual curiosity, what other reasons might there be? Divine calling perhaps?

Bingo!

 

[sandy whitelinger]

Like any other behavior, it is probably motivated by a complex combination of fears, desires, social pressure, psychological schism and accomanying escapism.

Or the Truth.

 

[Misty]

One can drive themselves nuts in that vortex.

What do you mean?

 

[sandy whitelinger]

You can have all the faith you want that doesn't mean crap if the Grace of God isn't there.

Which is the second part of becoming saved, God accepting your profession of belief through faith.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

What do you mean?

I believe this but can"t trust my belief...I'm so confused...what is real...am I right...is it all wrong? Sooner or later one has to stop and accept that what they believe in is real or one will go crazy.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

Your totally correct because in the old testament you received salvation by following the mosianic law right down to the dot...

I sure would like to see the Scripture that backs this poistion up.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

Your totally correct because in the old testament you received salvation by following the mosianic law right down to the dot, but in the new testament you received salvation from grace. Most Christians don't realize this, but whatever.

You do realize that the was a time before the Mosaic law in Scripture? How were those people saved? Are you espounding dispensationism?

 

[Misty]

I believe this but can"t trust my belief...I'm so confused...what is real...am I right...is it all wrong? Sooner or later one has to stop and accept that what they believe in is real or one will go crazy.

I don't feel confused, my unbelief feels right for me, but obviously not for others. In my more whimsical moments I think I could be playing a complex and sophisticated computer game many years into the future. It is so ingenious whilst I am playing it is my reality.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

No Abraham had faith in God that God wouldn't let him kill Isaac.

What was important in the scenario was that his faith was counted as righteousness, not the act that post-ceeded the faith. Following the law is an act, or a work, ergo one is not righteous before God through works.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

I don't feel confused, my unbelief feels right for me, but obviously not for others. In my more whimsical moments I think I could be playing a complex and sophisticated computer game many years into the future. It is so ingenious whilst I am playing it is my reality.

Sanity may be a simple as finding a stable place. Others like to judge whether that place is cool or not.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

Thier is way more to it than that to recieve salvation, you have to change your entire life and orchastrate it according to God's will

That is a post-salvation process otherwise, salvation comes by work instead of faith.

 

[Misty]

Sanity may be a simple as finding a stable place. Others like to judge whether that place is cool or not.

I think I have found a stable reality for me.

 

[Wotan]

"Armed with this a believer does battle with the temptations of the flesh which lead all to sin. sometimes the flesh wins. Sometimes the will to do right wins. the best way to know which is predominant is to look for the fruits of either. The observer can determine which wins most of the time in a believer, the flesh or the correct mind.

That we may fail, and sin along the way is not a factor in our salvation, only our walk and closeness to God in this life. It may call into question whether or not God actually accepted us or not (which leads to the favorite occupation of fundamentalists, questioning your neighbor's salvation)."

So if the “observer” can make this determination why can’t the fundie?

This ENTIRE mythology is self-contradictory and foolish.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

As a Christian Universalist, I take issue with the ideas of "salvation by faith", "salvation by character" and "salvation by works" In the case of "salvation by faith and "character" both these methods say that if you have strong faith or good character you are saved and if you don't one is dammed. In the case of "salvation by works" it says that if you do a certain number of works one is saved and if you don't meet that number of works they are damned. God's grace is not merited. One can not earn God's love or grace. It is freely given of God, and has nothing to do with human effort. Salvation is a process over one's life not just a one time event. Throughout our life's journey we become more aligned with God's love, and inclusion and we are reconciled.

A good view that seems to be Biblically aligned. This is why us narrow-minded Biblist say that is salvation is a free gift but one needs to accept it in order for it to happen. Many confuse what happens after salvation as a process of coming to the point os salvation.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

So if the “observer” can make this determination why can’t the fundie?

Do you mean as a personal revelation of the believer?

 

[sandy whitelinger]

I think I have found a stable reality for me.

Congratulations. Enjoy it while it lasts. These things always seem to shake a little, periodically.

 

[sandy whitelinger]

Are you confessing your own inability?

It might be more a proffession that without the guidence of the Holy Spirit that Scripture is follishness. But, I'm only surmising and perhaps evilly so.