That's a very good thread post, Robert, some deep truths. But this is TOL. You must be trying to ruin your reputation, or, like me, don’t care. (I most glory in getting slandered, nothing quite like it to make your day, Matthew 5:11-12.)
Regarding message boards, you see a lot of the natural man trying to conform scripture to prejudices and philosophies, nothing of God, rather false doctrines of men. You see much from people hiding the cult they subscribe to, still a number of others who've invented their own religion, often a hybrid of the cults, some repeating junk from the likes of YouTube false prophets, who fancy their subscribers are the chosen few. Then there are simply tares and trolls.
The main point is that most all the arguments are futile. The natural man clings to his error as much as a Bible believer clings to the truth, that is, the Bible believer of the Spirit, who understands the whole counsel of God, can understand the things of scripture through spiritual vision. Proof of this is how one can cite plain and clear scripture that refutes false doctrines, and it's like throwing a rubber ball, that bounces off a wall. Whether a person is of a cult, or just a tare, a troll, doesn't make any difference the reason, unsaved means spiritually dead and blind, 1 Corinthians 2:14, Ephesians 2:1.
There are many, many who need to get saved, who think they're Christians, and they're not. Mega churches packed with a herd, headed over a carnal cliff, in bed with lies and the world, Matthew 7:22-23. Those of us who've been born again for many years know that, in fact, people of the Spirit agree on all basic doctrine and most eschatology, because we've been led into all truth, John 16:13. The frequently seen comment that Christians don't agree on anything is only true, if you throw in the entire world of cults and apostate denominations, all the false doctrines of men, etc. The fallacy of the argument is that these are not Christians. People who make this claim may as well be saying, "Christians and fake Christians don't agree." Or, "The born again and the spiritually dead don't agree." Or, "The realists and the deluded don't agree." You can either believe they are Christians, and the Holy Spirit just fails a lot of people, or that they don't have the Holy Spirit, in the first place. Again, John 16:13 states we are led into truth, and, obviously, this verse is truth, and the Holy Spirit, the power of God, is not possibly a failure, leaving only one other possibility, when that truth and power are lacking.
Instead of arguing for page after page with some of these people, they need to get saved, first. They have no business talking about anything but repentance from evil and Jesus Christ crucified, humbled into the dirt before Almighty God, getting saved at the foot of the cross, Matthew 5:3-5, Luke 18:13-14. Then they can grow in the Spirit and will begin to understand the Bible. Something else important for Christians to realize, when they see tares and trolls doing what they do, tearing at peoples' throats: they aren't fooling God's elect. We have to choose what to believe as baby Christians, but we see the truth and see the lies by the Spirit. The lies don't stick. You don't need to debate these looking for fights, day and night, are even wasting your time, thinking you need to refute every lie. The liars are only fooling other liars, who aren't of the truth, Matthew 15:14. They aren't converting anybody to false religion and things Satanic, as they may fancy they do, who are not already in a spiritually dead state. You don't need to protect born again Christians from lies, for this reason. This is the job of the Holy Spirit. We live in an entirely deceptive world system of masses of spiritually dead and blind people you're not going to have a useful theological conversation with. A message board is not even an attempt at a unified congregation of the same faith. Stating the truth will do, if you need to say anything at all, but it's not worth endless debate, this not even Christian, Philippians 2:14, 1 Timothy 6:5, Matthew 7:6.
The bottom line issue is the one, lost in lies, needs to get saved, before the scales will ever fall off their eyes. Until then, you're just arguing with blind ignorance that is going to remain blind ignorance, without the Holy Spirit, will have accomplished nothing. Show me one place where somebody here said, "You're right! It's right there in scripture, plain as day! I've been such a fool all this time. Thank you!"
If somebody simply insists the earth is flat, and is not of the mind to repent of that false belief, talking earth as a globe will only be futile talking, until you're blue in the face. And does that make sense? Are you going to talk about the deeper science of the globe, its poles, its rotation and ocean currents, satellites, any such things, with somebody who doesn't accept it's a globe? What are your chances of having a profitable conversation on such things with a flat earther?
Lastly, many people have anger management issues, evil temperaments, and are here solely to pick fights. Is there anybody here who hasn't noticed this, that you could say the sky is blue and some dumb crackpot would want to debate it? It actually gave me a good laugh. I recall one person calling me a liar and a devil, for posting nothing but scripture in this post, scripture that went to the thread topic, resolved all issues, scripture, of course, the word of God, absolute truth. I didn't say one word my own, anywhere in the thread. But this is a good illustration of what you're often dealing with, not exactly the type to have a meaningful conversation with? Remember those milk ads, "Got milk?" How about, "Got the Holy Spirit?" Don't leave home without Him.
You who are not born of the Holy Spirit, this is your debate topic, your word for the day repent, the only real topic that concerns you, the only word that concerns you:
Luke 13:3 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.
John 4:24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.
John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
Mark 1:15 ..."The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel."
Acts 2
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
