Derf
Well-known member
No one here has any animosity, much less a great deal of animosity toward gt.
We have animosity against her false doctrine of 'UNbeliever has to OBEY God FIRST and then because said UNbeliever OBEY God then God will save said UNbeliever because of their work.'
I'm not sure I believe you, that there's no animosity toward GT. It shows itself everytime someone (like you perhaps?) misconstrues her words. Is it not enough for her to say:
I do not say Jesus saves unbelievers.
But if she is indeed inconsistent in her application of Jesus words, that should be pointed out to her. Just as she should be able to point it out to others. All, hopefully, given and received in a loving way. (It's hard, folks, but with the Spirit's help, we CAN show love to the brethren, as long as we're not spending all of our time trying to tell everyone that doesn't agree with us in some point that they aren't brethren.)
Surely you can do better than that! "Sell all you have" has to be one of the lamest and over-used arguments in this thread and many others. Lamest, because it is obviously a false dichotomy--Jesus did not tell everyone to sell everything, nor did many do so, yet they were still in the body of Christ. But it shows a lack of respect for Jesus' words to misuse them that way. It also shows a lack of discernment--Jesus used discernment with the young man who had great possessions, when He told him to sell all he had.Unequivocally, yes.
Just this week, I asked her to obey Jesus by selling everything she has and follow Him because she said to me specifically that she OBEYS everything Jesus commanded. She responded that that commandment was not for her, then, she turns around and say that she obeys EVERYthing Jesus commanded.
So, I asked her to get out of her house and go to every nation in the world as Jesus commanded and she also said that was impossible.
So, yes, gt, says you have to obey all Jesus' commandments and then she turn right around and does NOT obey Him.
Jesus' command to go to every nation in the world was not to one person, but to a group. So if anyone goes to any nation, he is corporately obeying that command. So if someone presents the gospel to TOL, where it is certainly needed, that helps fulfill the command to go to every nation.
Why didn't you tell GT to "Go show yourself to the priest", as that was one of Jesus' commands? But it shows the ridiculousness of the argument.
But are you so desperate to avoid Jesus commands that you twist His words in that way? Are you serious that you have no desire to obey His commands--the ones that apply to you? Don't you want to submit your very soul to the Lord of the universe? The OP makes it sound like that's anathema to the gospel, but it's not.
Don't you want to "Love your neighbor as yourself"?
Don't you want to "go to every nation" and make disciples, either by going yourself, or by sending and supporting others?
Don't you want to forgive your brother 70 times 7?
Don't you want to go to your brother when you have offended him, leaving your gift at the altar, until you reconcile with him, or at least make the attempt?
Don't you want to keep from lusting after women so you don't commit adultery in your heart?
Don't you want to call Him "Lord, Lord" and really mean it, because you know Him and He knows you, and you are willing (if not always perfectly able) to do His Father's will?
Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. [Mat 7:21 NIV]
If you don't, why are you interested in His salvation at all? Salvation to what--eternity with Him? Wouldn't that be an eternal hell if you don't want to do what He wants you to do, but you have to, since His will is done in heaven?
I question whether GT is able to perform all those things (and more) that Jesus commanded. I've shown that she doesn't do them perfectly--even when properly interpretted--and I hope she takes note and shows grace to others that don't do all Jesus' words perfectly (including me). And I would hope she would stop saying she obeys perfectly (if not, then she is bearing false witness).
But her desire to obey, and her desire to get others to obey, seem genuine. I hope they are. And I would hope everybody would want to obey Jesus in every way they can think of, even if imperfectly, just as Paul wasn't able to perfectly obey, but he still WANTED to obey the law.
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. [Rom 7:15 NIV]
For in my inner being I delight in God's law; [Rom 7:22 NIV]
For in my inner being I delight in God's law; [Rom 7:22 NIV]