| Judson McClendon 2008-02-13, 6:55 pm |
| "Alistair" <alistair@ld50macca.demon.co.uk> wrote:
> "Judson McClendon" <ju...@sunvaley0.com> wrote:
>
>
> My mistake. So you admit to being a bad christian?
You said that I "claim". I made no claim at all in that regard. :-)
I honestly and sincerely desire to please God and be obedient to Him.
But I will clearly state that I have many, many times failed to live up to
what the Bible would call "Godly conduct." Fortunately, God made
provision for when Christians sin (Romans 8, 1 John 1:9). :-)
>
> If that is all it takes to be a christian then a sociopathic murder is
> who believes in christ is at least as good a christian as you are.
Why can't you get it through your head that it *IS NOT* about "how
good" I am, but about how forgiving God is? I do not deserve God's
forgiveness, but neither does anyone else. If Adolph Hitler or Joseph
Stalin or Suddam Hussein or Jack the Ripper truly came to the point
of having faith in Jesus as their savior, then God would have forgiven
them as freely as He forgave me, and they would be just as acceptable
to God as any other Christian. God *gives* this to us as a free gift.
It is through God's grace (unmerited favor). All we do is accept it, we
*do not* earn it, in any form or fashion. I desire to do God's will in
order to please Him, not to be acceptable to Him. My faith in Jesus is
all that God requires, or accepts, to make me acceptable to Him. :-)
>
> May I remind you that as a child I was a christian before doubt
> entered my mind (and my eyes were opened....)
That is between you and God. However, it is one's faith in Jesus Christ
that makes one a Christian, not going to church, or being raised in a
Christian family, or in doing good deeds, or in intellectually accepting
what one has been taught, no matter how true and accurate that teaching
may be. Belief is not faith. Faith requires belief, but faith is more than
mere intellectual belief (James 2:19).
>
> Using the authority of others is hiding behind your mother's skirts.
> You would not have quoted the authority unless you felt that it aided
> your arguments.
Behind "God's skirts" if you will. :-) And yes, God is my defense and
my refuge (Psalm 59:9,17, Psalm 91).
I would not have my beliefs without that quoted authority. That quoted
authority, the Bible, *defines* my beliefs. I willingly and eagerly read
the Bible for the purpose of knowing and believing what it says.
>
> Therefore you can not define what a good christian is because you can
> not know your god's mind. Smoking pot whilst reading the bible may
> well be acceptable behaviour to your god.
I only know God's mind as it is revealed in His Word the Bible, which
is why I quote the Bible, and by the Holy Spirit, Who gives witness to
the authenticity of the Bible (1 Corinthians 2:16).
Apparently it was acceptable, at least for a person who doesn't know
better. God deals with people according to where they are at the time.
My friend wasn't acceptable to God because he did or did not smoke
pot; he was acceptable to God because he placed his faith in Jesus
Christ. :-)
--
Judson McClendon judmc@sunvaley0.com (remove zero)
Sun Valley Systems http://sunvaley.com
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
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