People don't get to believe whatever the hell they want and still get to rightly claim themselves to be a believer of the gospel.
but they do
People don't get to believe whatever the hell they want and still get to rightly claim themselves to be a believer of the gospel.
This is consistent with Jesus' teaching in Matt. 7.I don't like judging people. Reason for that is because I'm afraid I'm not fit to, and I don't want to judge someone for making a small mistake when I'm much worse.
I'll judge actions based on circumstances, though.
but they do
No they don't.
Read what I said again...
"People don't get to believe whatever the hell they want and still get to rightly claim themselves to be a believer of the gospel."
Are you suggesting that right and wrong, true and false, good and evil, are matters of opinion?so who is the judge of rightly?
Are you suggesting that right and wrong, true and false, good and evil, are matters of opinion?
Our Lord admonishes us not to feed that which is sacred to dogs and not to cast pearls before swine. Hence, we must make some judgment as to who exactly the dogs and the swine are, no?I don't like judging people. Reason for that is because I'm afraid I'm not fit to, and I don't want to judge someone for making a small mistake when I'm much worse.
I'll judge actions based on circumstances, though.
Then in that case you ask the wrong question, it isn't a "who" question, its a "How" question. In other words, it isn't who is interpreting Scripture is how they are doing it. The theological term is 'hermeneutics'. Since we agree in absolutes and in the existence of objective truth, the goal, of course, would be to use a hermeneutic that is as objective as possible.no
I believe in absolutes just as you do
but
we don't agree on what they are
so how do we resolve this?
I think few could have put it better.csuguy has an appropriate view of this topic. The distinction in judgment comes with the distinction between justification and sanctification. I'm not the judge of a person's relationship, or lack thereof, with the Father through Jesus, but I am to help other believers move forward in that relationship, which means that occasionally I will have to point out the sin of others. When I do so, though, I ought to do it in a spirit of humility ("but for the grace of God there go I") and with the hope of restoring my erring brother or sister to a proper relationship.
This is simply idiotic. It makes no sense for you to even call yourself a Christian, which, by the way, comes as no surprise since you claim to be 'more left than right'.
The Bible is either the divinely inspired Word of God or it is worthless because it claims to be exactly that. What it says can either be trusted to be accurate and true or it cannot, you can't have it both ways. The Bible is very exclusionary in this regard. People don't get to believe whatever the hell they want and still get to rightly claim themselves to be a believer of the gospel.
If you accept that the Bible is God's Word and not just a history book written by mere men then you are forced to accept not only that whatever it says it true but that anything found to be in contradiction to it must be rejected as false. .
Thus the truths found in the Bible, being the word of God Himself, is the standard by which we can rightly judge, not only various truth claims but also the character and spiritual condition of those making the claims. Without such a standard any judgment a person makes concerning the beliefs or character of another is relegated to the status of mere personal opinion and can be discarded with the same flippancy as one might drop a penny on the sidewalk..
y:
You don't witness the Gospel. You witness the love of God. The Gospels are just guides to understand our daily communion with God, if in fact you commune with Him. Truth is revelaed through Him, not in the words in any book. If the truth is in the words of the Gospel, why are there literally thousands of interpretations and who knows how many different christian denominations.
You support fire fighters, but oppose fighting fires. You support the troops, but oppose all of their missions.
You love the sinner, just not the product the sinner produced. Got it.
jjkky:
"Beware of false prophets." "You shall know them by their fruit."
Mat 7:20-23
(20) Therefore, by their fruits you will know them.
(21) Not everyone who says to me, 'Master, Master,' will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
(22) Many will tell me in that day, 'Master, Master, didn't we prophesy in your name, in your name cast out demons, and in your name do many mighty works?'
(23) Then I will tell them, 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work lawlessness.'
Isa 8:20
(20) To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.
While we're on the subject, what is your suggested approach to sinners? Do you hate them?
jjkky:
You don't witness the Gospel. You witness the love of God. The Gospels are just guides to understand our daily communion with God, if in fact you commune with Him. Truth is revelaed through Him, not in the words in any book. If the truth is in the words of the Gospel, why are there literally thousands of interpretations and who knows how many different christian denominations.