A kernel of truth from a lost person

Some may like what Harris wrote, but better than that, the truth is found in scripture. James gives no room for party alliances. Paul wrote about party alliances causing division in 1 Cor.

James hit the nail on the head when he wrote, James 1:22 "But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves."

The he elaborates later in James 1:23-26, "For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless. "


Anyone James missed?

I might add that Jesus was not a conservative, liberal or moderate but radical. What party is that?

 

We have a local preacher who is always preaching against theologians or theology. I've been wanting to tell him what it means but he get's such a AMEN from the Church that it makes me wonder if I'm wrong.

His view is just study the word as the word and it will be revealed to each believer. I believe that would fit, "theologically bankrupt".

 

And yet.....preaching against theologians and theology is a type of theology! :laugh: But I guess he would not like being called a theologian!

Yes! :thumbs: Wasn't there one of those liberal theologians who taught this - the Bible becomes God's word as each person believes it? There is no meaning in the text except what it means to each person. This idea is not absent among evangelicals, unfortunately.

And Sam Harris is right - God is not a moderate!

 

He is radical. God wants radical Christians not a bunch of party folks who uphold alliances. God will not be mocked. He is God.

 

Define radical.


In the 80s' there was a movie called "Back to School" with Rodney Dangerfield. A wealthy man that decided to go to college to be close to his son. He was given an assignment to write a paper on a poem in one of his classes. Being rich and being used to taking short cuts he hires the author of the poem to write his paper for him. He received an F on the assignment from his teacher. She told him he knew nothing about the poem or its author. So Rodney fires him and refuses to pay him.

People want to treat the Word of God like a book of poetry. "What does it mean to us". We believe in autonomy, one mediator between God and man, and the Preisthood of the believer, so it gets abused by those with an agenda. To say that all we need to understand the bible is the Holy Ghost sounds good at first but falls apart with just a little thought. We cannot understand it without him for sure. But we dont get up on Sunday morning and sit on the couch and say "Alright Lord take me to church". We get in the car and drive our selves over their. True study of Gods' Word 2000 years out requires some tools.

Proverbs 2:4,5
If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures; Then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

In speaking of wisdom the author gives an analogy of the appropriate level of desire and the amount of work needed to have godly wisdom. And this true search for wisdom always leads to godly fear. When one has true godly fear then he doesnt bash theologians he lifts up Jesus Christ. When one truly has godly fear he doesnt call God radical he calls him Glorious, Holy, Magnificent, and is promted to fall to his knees at his presence rather than refer to him in a childish way.

The lack of Unity isnt because of denominations. If anything denominations are a symptom. Lack of Unity comes from a lack of godly fear. When we get that straight then we will get our theology straight and all will be in line with Gods' will. Fear God first and line everything up behind that.

 

:thumbsup: :1_grouphug:

Where were you when they still had the C/A forum where the Calvinists bashed Arminius and the Arminians bashed Calvin and Augustine ?

Thank you for that, Rev. And I am as equally guilty of bashing theologians one way or another.

But truth is truth, and like Paul said, "we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth". (2 Corinthians 13:8).

 

Nothing like a lost person telling us how Christians should live.

Lost people do NOT understand the things of God - they just think they do.

If he read the Bible enough to know that God is not moderate, then I feel sorry for him that he missed the most important part and is still going to hell...

 

This is true, Joseph.

I just don't understand how someone can read the Bible and not realize what they must do to be saved.

 

What's really sad is he's not alone;

Hebrews 4:2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

 

1 Cor 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. KJV

And he, that is Mr. Harris, cannot understand how you can read the Bible and buy into its fables...... they are foolishness to him.....


Matt 13:11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. KJV

And I say it is because to you he has given ears to hear, eyes to see, and a mind to comprehend....... and to him it has not (hopefully will someday) been given.....

And if you have it, it is because HE gave it. Not because you will it, and not because you run after it.... ..... but simply because HE has mercy....

 

Consider Judas.

 

That's scary! And he had the Living Word!

 

Indeed, an unbeliever may very easily see the "radical" nature of the Gospel, if they are intelligent and dwell on it long enough. No middle ground with God. In fact, the queen of atheists, Madalyn Murray O'Hare, in a debate with Carl McIntire, although she considered fundamentalists to be irrational kooks, commended him for being consistant in his doctrine, in contrast to some liberal theologians she had debated. She said "when you and I read the Bible, we see the same thing. The only difference is, you believe it, and I don't."