Brother Epley-
With all respect to you as a minister, and not wishing to appear argumentative, but I haven't see the evidence of "closet agnostics" posting here. As I understand the definition of an agostic, I see no one
.... who believes that it is impossible to know whether there is a God.
....who is skeptical about the existence of God but does not profess true atheism.
....who is doubtful or noncommittal about something.
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=agnostic
I stand corrected. Perhaps the last difinition of an agnostic does apply here. But if I, or anyone else, have doubts and are noncommittal on an issue, it is because of the inconsistencies expressed in regards to those issues. In previous posts you stated quite emphatically that a person who did not partake of foot washing would be lost because it was a direct command of the Lord to do so. But then you said they would NOT be lost if they did not have the opportunity to obey this "command" they would not be lost. Then, in answer to my last post you said :
If tithing , church attendance, and foot washing are direct commands, then they would carry the same weight as baptism. What you are suggesting is that while foot washing IS a direct command, it is of lesser importance than water baptism. However it was Jesus who said these words:
Mat 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach [them], the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. It was James who added this:
Jam 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one [point], he is guilty of all. According to your interpretation, it is permissible to break the lesser commandments. But, as we can clearly see, there are no lesser commandments. You say a person may die before having the opportunity to pay their tithes, and they would make it to heaven. Following that logic, and allowing that concession, wouldn’t it also be true for one who dies after repentance and BEFORE he is baptized? Or a Trinitarian, who dies before understanding the revelation of the Oneness of the Godhead?
No, Bro. Epley, there are no agnostics here. No one doubts the existence of God here. I haven’t seen where any one professes themselves to be wise, so there are no fools here.
There are some, though, who question. Not the Bible. The Bible speaks for itself. There are some question faulty logic, and incorrect interpretations. I don’t know who you were referring to as a closet agnostic. And that doesn’t really matter. But just know this: I respect you as a minister of the Gospel.