Timmy I do realize that you are on here mainly to stir up stink!! However I do know you are smart enough and have read enough of the Bible to know what Jesus told Peter!! To me this is one is the easiest to see and understand about the UPCI doctrine!!!!
So much effort to disprove the bible. Whew. Seems like what is actually hard is disproving the bible.
__________________ ...MY THOUGHTS, ANYWAY.
"Many Christians do not try to understand what was written in a verse in the Bible. Instead they approach the passage to prove what they already believe."
The way of a transgressor is what is hard. Jesus said his yoke is easy and his burden is light. Man-made concoctions added into the picture is what makes salvation hard for anyone. It could not be any easier than surrendering to the Lord and letting Him live through a person. Man made it hard. Our desire to throw our two cents' worth into the picture is what makes it hard. The longer I serve the Lord, the more I realize it is easier than I ever thought, since I am getting away from flesh doing the work.
__________________ ...MY THOUGHTS, ANYWAY.
"Many Christians do not try to understand what was written in a verse in the Bible. Instead they approach the passage to prove what they already believe."
The way of a transgressor is what is hard. Jesus said his yoke is easy and his burden is light. Man-made concoctions added into the picture is what makes salvation hard for anyone. It could not be any easier than surrendering to the Lord and letting Him live through a person. Man made it hard. Our desire to throw our two cents' worth into the picture is what makes it hard. The longer I serve the Lord, the more I realize it is easier than I ever thought, since I am getting away from flesh doing the work.
See this is what I don't understand. That goes COMPLETELY against my experiences. When I was "living for God" my life sucked beyond belief. I was miserable, hopeless, beaten down, and depressed. I spent years believing that I was intrinsically flawed, that I was a horrible terrible person because no matter what I did, it was never enough! I don't know if I can find the right words to describe how truly dark and bleak those years were.
And now, now that I am living in "rampant sin", my life is the most peaceful that it's ever been. And I am truly content with my circumstances, my strengths, my weaknesses, my limitations. And though I wouldn't mind a little more in the bank, there is little about my life I would change.
Truly I'm not bitter. I have come to see the good that came out of my time and my experiences. There are character strengths and insight that I gained. And it contributed to the person I am today. But I doubt that I would ever be able to agree that it was "easy".
See this is what I don't understand. That goes COMPLETELY against my experiences. When I was "living for God" my life sucked beyond belief. I was miserable, hopeless, beaten down, and depressed. I spent years believing that I was intrinsically flawed, that I was a horrible terrible person because no matter what I did, it was never enough! I don't know if I can find the right words to describe how truly dark and bleak those years were.
And now, now that I am living in "rampant sin", my life is the most peaceful that it's ever been. And I am truly content with my circumstances, my strengths, my weaknesses, my limitations. And though I wouldn't mind a little more in the bank, there is little about my life I would change.
Truly I'm not bitter. I have come to see the good that came out of my time and my experiences. There are character strengths and insight that I gained. And it contributed to the person I am today. But I doubt that I would ever be able to agree that it was "easy".
I'm a believer who can feel you. I rejected the false "god" of institutional religion for this reason. I'd never been more troubled or depressed than when I was jumping through the hoops of religion in effort to supposedly please God. Now, I've experienced God in the dimensions beyond religion. God isn't as hung up on most things like our religion is. The politics of our religion is also detestable in God's eyes. I see sin as not just an arbitrary "Thou shalt not..." because God said so or because God is so squeemish he can't endure sin. But I see sin as something that harms us and prevents growth into all that God desires us to be. Sin is self destructive and most bring their own temporal judgments upon us before we ever stand before the judgment seat of God.
I'm a believer who can feel you. I rejected the false "god" of institutional religion for this reason. I'd never been more troubled or depressed than when I was jumping through the hoops of religion in effort to supposedly please God. Now, I've experienced God in the dimensions beyond religion. God isn't as hung up on most things like our religion is. The politics of our religion is also detestable in God's eyes. I see sin as not just an arbitrary "Thou shalt not..." because God said so or because God is so squeemish he can't endure sin. But I see sin as something that harms us and prevents growth into all that God desires us to be. Sin is self destructive and most bring their own temporal judgments upon us before we ever stand before the judgment seat of God.
I have one friend who is still Apostolic, and we have a monthly lunch date. She is great because she really challenges me and asks me tons of questions, and really makes me think. One day she was asking me "Do you think this is a sin? How about this? Or That?"
And I finally had to explain that I don't think of things in terms of sin. You could say that the word isn't even a part of my vocabulary. I think because it hearkens back to my former life. I agree that there are behaviors that harm ourselves and those around us, and therefore should not be done, but I admit that in some cases these things can be subjective. (and I tend not to believe that "because the Bible says so" is a sufficient explanation)
I'm a believer who can feel you. I rejected the false "god" of institutional religion for this reason. I'd never been more troubled or depressed than when I was jumping through the hoops of religion in effort to supposedly please God. Now, I've experienced God in the dimensions beyond religion. God isn't as hung up on most things like our religion is. The politics of our religion is also detestable in God's eyes. I see sin as not just an arbitrary "Thou shalt not..." because God said so or because God is so squeemish he can't endure sin. But I see sin as something that harms us and prevents growth into all that God desires us to be. Sin is self destructive and most bring their own temporal judgments upon us before we ever stand before the judgment seat of God.
Is sin only temporal in your view? Doesn't sin have eternal consequences?
I believe sin is a sign of unbelief. Habitual, un-checked sin leads to unbelief. Unbelief is the opposite of how we came into relationship with Jesus, which was by believing.
Also, how do you define "religion?" I suspect you use it in a particular sense here, and not in the literal meaning of the word.
Seems like what is actually hard is disproving the bible.
Hybrid Mode
