The True Church

[Aqualung]

athanasius: The "universal" Church is not the same as the Roman Catholic Church. When the Bishop of Rome took power he created the Roman Catholic Church a Denomination. The Pope's power was by force, The Roman Supporters Killed all who would not go along with the power grab of the Roman Bishop. The universal (catholic) Church is made up of those who obey the ONLY WORD OF GOD-The Bible.

Oh, hi, you're back. Care to answer my first question, which is the second reply to this thread? It's gone unanswered for pages and multiple reposts, and since you started this thread I'm sure you must certainly have a pretty good response.

 

[thedictator]

Sorry do not understand what you are asking???

 

[sojourner]

athanasius: The "universal" Church is not the same as the Roman Catholic Church. When the Bishop of Rome took power he created the Roman Catholic Church a Denomination. The Pope's power was by force, The Roman Supporters Killed all who would not go along with the power grab of the Roman Bishop. The universal (catholic) Church is made up of those who obey the ONLY WORD OF GOD-The Bible.

Your facts are a little skewed here.

"The Bible is the only word of God" is a purely sola scriptura viewpoint and not held by the majority of Christians. Additionally, your last statement is not Biblical. The Bible never says that "the Church is comprised of those who obey the Bible."

 

[Mickey Mouse]

“Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.”
37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” 40 And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” 41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. 42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.



You can not join the ONE TRUE CHURCH, God must add you to the ONE TRUE CHURCH.

If God adds people to the one true church, salvation must be from God. Therefore, the Calvinist must be right. Those who God adds to the one true church were the ones God foreknew, predestined and chosen to believe, do you agree?

Romans 8

28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

 

[sojourner]

If God adds people to the one true church, salvation must be from God. Therefore, the Calvinist must be right. Those who God adds to the one true church were the ones God foreknew and choosen to believe, do you agree?

Romans 8

28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

The Calvinists were right about predestination, but they were woefully myopic about who has been predestined.

 

[Aqualung]

Sorry do not understand what you are asking???

Did you read the post? The second reply?

 

[thedictator]

If God adds people to the one true church, salvation must be from God. Therefore, the Calvinist must be right. Those who God adds to the one true church were the ones God foreknew, predestined and chosen to believe.

Yes God foreknew who will be saved, but he did not predestined anyone to be saved.
God adds you to the church ( the body of the saved ) after you obey the Gospel. :rainbow1:

 

[sojourner]

God adds you to the church ( the body of the saved ) after you obey the Gospel.

Don't be too sure about that statement.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

Yes God foreknew who will be saved, but he did not predestined anyone to be saved.
God adds you to the church ( the body of the saved ) after you obey the Gospel. :rainbow1:

Which Gospel?

 

[doppelganger]

Which Gospel?

 

[Guitar's Cry]

Interestingly, it was this Gospel that led me to become a tree-hugger!

 

[thedictator]

Don't be too sure about that statement.

Yes I'm sure about that statement.

Acts 2:47 "And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved."

 

[sojourner]

Yes I'm sure about that statement.

Acts 2:47 "And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved."

God adds you to the church ( the body of the saved ) after you obey the Gospel.

What is there to obey about the gospel? "Change your ways because heaven's imperial rule is closing in." "Changing our ways" is to obey the gospel. Repentance. One doesn't (cannot) repent until one has already come to the realization that one is reconciled. Otherwise, there would be no compulsion to repent.

When one comes to believe, one is added to the Body of Christ. Then one "changes one's ways."

Help me out here, buddy: :yes:

 

[doppelganger]

Never in the 41 years of my life have I ever received or greeted a Catholic missionary at my door preaching any news, good or otherwise.

You apparently weren't a pre-20th Century native of North America, South America, Australia, Africa or Asia (the army and navy were usually a few days behind).

 

[thedictator]

What is there to obey about the gospel? "Change your ways because heaven's imperial rule is closing in." "Changing our ways" is to obey the gospel. Repentance. One doesn't (cannot) repent until one has already come to the realization that one is reconciled. Otherwise, there would be no compulsion to repent.

When one comes to believe, one is added to the Body of Christ. Then one "changes one's ways."

Help me out here, buddy: :yes:

In the book of Acts, they were added after they were baptized.

 

[sojourner]

In the book of Acts, they were added after they were baptized.

But we're not talking about baptism here. It isn't the baptism that saves. Only God saves. It was not until the candidates recognized that they had been reconciled that they asked for baptism. Once they recognized that, they were part of the Body, they changed their ways, and they were baptized as a sacrament of that spiritual truth.

 

[thedictator]

But we're not talking about baptism here. It isn't the baptism that saves. Only God saves. It was not until the candidates recognized that they had been reconciled that they asked for baptism. Once they recognized that, they were part of the Body, they changed their ways, and they were baptized as a sacrament of that spiritual truth.

Wrong! The Bible teaches nothing about sacraments. Baptism is an act of Faith.The group recognized that they were sinners, that they had killed the son of God.Belief was only the first step to salvation. They had to Believe in Jesus, repent, Confess Jesus is the Christ and be baptized to have their sins removed, and receive the Holy Spirit, and be added to the Church. Acts 2

 

[sojourner]

Wrong! The Bible teaches nothing about sacraments. Baptism is an act of Faith.The group recognized that they were sinners, that they had killed the son of God.Belief was only the first step to salvation. They had to Believe in Jesus, repent, Confess Jesus is the Christ and be baptized to have their sins removed, and receive the Holy Spirit, and be added to the Church. Acts 2

Sure it does! Christ said, "Do this in remembrance of me," indicating that the Eucharist was to be in part, a sign, or a sacrament. A sacrament is an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace.

Baptism is such a sacrament, because it is an outward sign of what is happening inside us. It is required that one repent before one is baptized. Having repented, we have obeyed the command present in the gospel message. Therefore, it is not the baptism that saves us, for we are saved already, before the baptism occurs.

Just because baptism is the sign that we have been reconciled does not mean that we have not already been made part of the family. A baby is part of the family, even before it receives a name, even before it comes home from the hospital. The baptism is the public recognition of the new member of the family, not the act that makes one part of the family.

 

[thedictator]

The Word sacrament is not in the Bible. So it is not a Biblical teaching. 1 Peter 3:21 tell us we are saved by the waters of Baptism. I believe the Word of God not some false teacher of a Denomination. My trust is in what God said in his word not denominational teaching.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

The Word sacrament is not in the Bible. So it is not a Biblical teaching. 1 Peter 3:21 tell us we are saved by the waters of Baptism. I believe the Word of God not some false teacher of a Denomination. My trust is in what God said in his word not denominational teaching.

How do we decide what is the Word of God and Denominational thinking, though?