God made Man in all his complexity. result = a divided population

I couldnt ask for better respones.. This is great
Are you priests? if not why arent you? you are able to convince someone who finds it hard to believe, therefore you serve God better than a Priest..
Priests now-a-days turn away from someone like me who asks questions..

I respect you guys more than the supposed 'Gods servants'. Seriously

Originally posted by dbrandt
True christianity means going into the world and telling people of the salvation found in Christ. This can be done by words, actions and deeds.

Good answer. Although I see this as something that christianity, in general, falls far short of--not all, I freely agree, but more often than not the so-called ambassadors cause more emnity than reconciliation with God.

If there were such a thing as true 'Pauline' Christianity, I'd be the first to sign up (but there is not, unless it is Universalism--although often accused of being a 'Universalist,' I know so little about it that I can't say I know of any doctrine they've adopted--if they have, that is--I don't even know that much). Paul directs us in spreading the 'gospel of reconciliation' not salvation. The last part of the 5 chapter of 2 Corinthians.

There are many people and "christian" denominations that are not truthful and are false in claiming to know God and His plan of salvation for mankind.

That's what I'm screamin'! Because they don't proclaim it as, for all intents and purposes (of God), accomplished!!! And then compound that by making it a couch-potato physical kingdom rather than the glorious truth reflecting the true spiritual reality!!

Which is [color=#FF0000]GOD is LOVE.

No if, and, or buts. [color=#FF0000]GOD is LOVE

Then as with other verses from the Bible you read them and build upon them with other verses and become what God has planned for you.

Good answer. We actually concur on that one.

Do you ever consider, perhaps, that it's not so much about 'becoming' but rather more like a revelation of ourselves after God strips the blinding sin away from our eyes (meaning our selfish, separately-inclined natural souls).
I think God strips us bare (since we are covered with the blood) in order to build us up together. And so every 'man presented perfect in Christ' becomes a living board in the third temple Christ is presently building.
I think we are to be doing our 'becoming' together, after being purified and prepared for temple service...

It's God's plan for him, not fenek's plan for God. The foundation of that is faith in Jesus Christ.

Correction, my dear dbrandt: faith of Jesus Christ. The difference between two different two-letter prepositional phrases is profound...

And Paul said 'of', not 'in.'

The foundation, Christ built. His faith (trust in God and trustiworthiness toward us) is the foundation.

Originally posted by fennek77
I couldnt ask for better respones.. This is great
Are you priests? if not why arent you? you are able to convince someone who finds it hard to believe, therefore you serve God better than a Priest..
Priests now-a-days turn away from someone like me who asks questions..

I respect you guys more than the supposed 'Gods servants'. Seriously

Fabulous feedback!

External source: KJV, Public Domain
And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth.
Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father;
to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.
Amen.
(~Revelation 1:5-6)

Originally posted by queenannie38

Originally posted by dbrandt
True christianity means going into the world and telling people of the salvation found in Christ. This can be done by words, actions and deeds.

Good answer. Although I see this as something that christianity, in general, falls far short of--not all, I freely agree, but more often than not the so-called ambassadors cause more emnity than reconciliation with God.

You will get no argument that alot of denominations do not teach true salvation. But there are some that do. I have a big problem with the Roman Catholic denomination. There is a Foursquare gospel church in the town I live in. The founder of this worldwide denomination killed herself in a drug overdose. There are many false ones but not all are false.

We will continue to disagree reagarding the "in" and "of" of salvation and Jesus Christ.

Originally posted by dbrandt
You will get no argument that alot of denominations do not teach true salvation. But there are some that do. I have a big problem with the Roman Catholic denomination.

I know you do. I can see your reasons, no doubt--but still you are seeing from your self perspective and so you cannot understand, it seems, how denomination, in itself, as a state of affairs in religious affairs, is ERROR.

There is a Foursquare gospel church in the town I live in. The founder of this worldwide denomination killed herself in a drug overdose.

'Foursquare' was a game I played in elementary school...

But, what's your point with saying that? That God didn't love the founder the same as
He loved Aaron, or Samuel, or even you and me? Or are you saying that you are condemning another soul based on what circumstances you know about their demise?

There are many false ones but not all are false.

Knowing that doesn't guarantee recognition of what is false and what is true. Because, obviously, when everyone thinks 'theirs' is true and all others subject to prejudiced and doubtful examination, some people are 'wrong' in their opinion...

God is not dividing us, we are.

External source: KJV, Public Domain
Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Is Christ divided?

(~1 Corinthians 1:10 and part of verse 13)

There is absolutely no division in Christ--Paul said it was so and I now understand he spoke the truth without compromise. The whole world could call themselves Christians, but as long as there remains this or that faction, subset, or flavor (as opposed to just one!), then christianity is literally
'anti'christ.

Meaning against Christ. Being divided and promoting such a condition in any way, shape, or form, is prideful and totally at odds with God said He would do (and is doing.)

Denominational religion is against what is written in Hebrews:

External source: KJV, Public Domain
Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet.
For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.
(~Hebrews 2:8)

We will continue to disagree reagarding the "in" and "of" of salvation and Jesus Christ.

If that's what you want to call it...
And, BTW, it's about the 'in' and 'of' regarding faith, not salvation.

In the end, it doesn't really matter, anyway, since it's out of our hands, anyway.

God's will WILL be done.

My point for bringing up the Foursquare Gospel founder was to say that there are deceivers and people being deceived out there about salvation.

As far as denominations, I agree that it is a label. I find deceptive things in the Catholic religion but I'm sure that there are truly saved Catholics. The church I attend teaches the truth yet I believe there are some there who aren't saved.

There really are only true believers in Christ and God knows who they are.

Good responses so far

Originally posted by dbrandt
As far as denominations, I agree that it is a label.

As much as I try to avoid labels--that isn't the actual ill of the concept of denominations.

The thing that makes them 'anti-christ' is that they are division. Even if we refused to acknowledge the divisions with labels, but yet were still divided over issues regarding God, it would still be division and against God's plan.

I find deceptive things in the Catholic religion but I'm sure that there are truly saved Catholics.

Why do you even judge another's state of salvation? Do you not trust God to do exactly what He said He would do--long, long, ago?

The church I attend teaches the truth yet I believe there are some there who aren't saved.

Only God teaches us the truth. Not through other men (who are, however, often instruments in one another's learning) but through the Holy Spirit. Being a member of a church or even an ordained minister guarantees nothing whatsoever if God hasn't yet made it so.

If the church you attend is a protestant christian church--whether you like it or not, whether you want to believe it or not--you are still inheriting, in some way, shape, or form, something from the Catholic faith of which you disapprove. This is a fact, and even so, many things seem like they've been freed, through disguise and different nomenclature. Two things right off hand I can tell you with certainty are if you participate in the Eucharist or communion (which is not the LORD's supper--passover and/or the Sabbath meal is the LORD's supper Paul speaks of)--and if you go to church on Sunday (which is not the Sabbath, but the first day of the week.) Man changed the Sabbath, not God. Say what you like, justify it with cut and paste, but the fact remains that the Papacy declared Sunday the LORD's day, not God.

Now, of course, we have the perfect law of liberty, if we so choose to take on the light yoke Christ made available, so these things (in one respect) don't matter. However, if they are used as a point to judge the spiritual relationship of others with our mutual Father, while using similar oppositions to justify one's own relationship--they are no different, one from another. It is following man's rules and serving the world rather than serving God and following His righteous law.

Originally posted by queenannie38
and if you go to church on Sunday (which is not the Sabbath, but the first day of the week.) Man changed the Sabbath, not God.

You need to read Acts ch. 20. The first followers of Christ met on the first day of the week. I also go to my church on all the other days of the week when events warrant it.

But whatever the day of the week you attend church there is a greater point. We are to be in the worship of God mode 24/7 365 days a year. It's not just for 2 hours on Sunday that people are to come together and acnowledge God. Since the Holy Spirit lives in a christian at all moments then we are to acknowledge that fact and live for God each second of every day in whatever we do.

God wanted to learn about himself/herself/itself/whatever GOD is. So he made us all different, so we could learn to be better people and grow up, and become more understanding of oursleves and understand GOD. See this is why I don't like reading theology books on Saturdays, because then I end up typing like that.