Quote:
Originally Posted by Brother Price
Sabellius, so you believe that one can be raptured or go to Heaven if they live in the light they have without Acts 2:38 then? If so, then we have a major, major disagreement on this one. All these denominations and churches have a Bible, and the members read said Bible. The plan of salvation is in the Bible, clear as can be. If any soul is not saved the Bible way, they shall die in their sins. Not saved according to the light of truth they have, but one must be saved by grace through faith according to Acts 2:38. |
Bro. Price,
You are a young man, and, I would assume, also young in the Lord.
Relax a little. Take a couple of deep breaths, and think what you are saying.
This Oneness Apostolic Jesus' Name Pentecostal movement is made up of many people and has been around for a long time. I'm almost 70 years old and it was going strong before I was ever born and, if the rapture does not take place in the next 20-30 years, it will be going strong after I have gone to my reward. There is a large diversity of people and of beliefs among the members of the Body of Christ. Men and women who are much smarter than you and I and who are much better people than you and I don't agree on lots of stuff. Cut them some slack, show some respect, and let God be the judge.
By the way, I heard Bro. Norris teach about the righteous, holy, and wicked and I have read Bro. Haywood's book on the resurrection. In my understanding, neither of them taught that these folks designated "righteous" would be in the rapture but that they would go to the "new earth" at the second resurrection as a reward for walking in all the light they had. Bro. F.E. Curts, a respected Bible teacher and former Dist. Supt. of Ohio, taught the holy, righteous, and wicked doctrine. He taught that the "righteous" would go to heaven at the second resurrection, but not in the rapture. So some of those who teach what we are referring to here as "the light doctrine" or "the holy, righteous, and wicked" doctrine are just teaching that God will judge people by how well they walked in the light they had and they are not "compromising" the
Acts 2:38 (three-step) message as being required for New Testament salvation or regeneratiion.
There are, however, many in Oneness Pentecost (teachers and preachers) who believe that salvation/regeneration happens at faith in Jesus and repentance and that all those who have made that personal commitment to Jesus are part of the Body of Christ and will indeed be in the rapture. Bro. Goss, first Gen. Supt. of the UPC, plus many members of the original UPC gen. board taught that. And there are still some around today who believe that. Let's try to keep the spirit of the original "fundamental doctrine" statement of the UPC and respect one another and not contend for our personal understanding.