Most people today believe the Lord will honor any kind of worship as long as it is sincere and meaningful for the person doing the worshipping. People pick and choose a faith of their choice and are very tolerant and respectful for each other's beliefs without going to God's word and see if God approves of them. Most people in Christendom believe we should always respect the other person's beliefs regardless whither we believe what they believe or not. Their thinking is we are going in the same direction and as long as its popular or seems right then it's OK.
I'm going to give an in depth look from God's word and see if God truly welcomes whatever you want to believe as long as it sounds reasonable and it feels good and is popular. Their belief system includes; no one can know for sure in this life and if you have a definite convictions from God's word; it is wrong and you a trouble maker to boot. It goes with saying people who advocate this kind of thinking are either not saved or they are saved and are ignorance of God's word. The world even in biblical times branded God's people as trouble makers. They were ether stoned to death, put in jail, fed to the lions and were hated by the people. The only difference today thank goodness, at least in this country they only make suggestion that a believer is a trouble maker and narrow minded. A spiritual believer will count it joy then they come across those who are guilty of things they judge God's people of. Then they will on the other hand say, not to judge, we don't judge you! No wonder the Lord said, Matthew 7:5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
The Lord has made it clear, there is only one faith and not the faith of your choice as most practice.
It's says in Ephesians 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
We should ask ourselves, is God wrong or is what is so popular to believe wrong?
Luke 16:15 And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.Is believing what we want the right way or is God's way narrow and has no room for believing what we want?
Matthew 7:13 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
God says His way is narrow and straight, but can we know for sure what is right and have all of God's truth on religion, both His way and the way of the world?
2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
1 Corinthians 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
God tells us wisdom does not come from man, but that which the Holy Spirit teaches by comparing spiritual things with spiritual things.
The bible is really very much alive and self explanatory if we follow God's instructions by studying to show ourselves approved by God. There is no way we can be approved if God's Holy Spirit didn't teach us God's will through His word.
I have seen so many people take two or three verses out of context and make a religion out of those verses and completely ignore the rest of God's word on the subject. God will not give us the spirit of truth and error unless we humble our hearts and minds and allow the Holy Spirit to teach us the truth of God unless we study and compare all of God's word on a subject. God also tells us, if we have the truth, the truth will set us free and indeed will be free indeed.
John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
John 8:36 If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
We can know God's truth for God himself will witness to our spirit so we will know for sure.
1 Corinthians 2:16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
1 John 4:6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
Romans 8:16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:
1 John 5:9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son.
God's way is narrow, but true, and it will set you free from the philosophies and false doctrines of man and his sects and denominations.
Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
A popular saying is join the church of your choice and God says there is only one body or church.
Romans 12:4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
Romans 12:5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
1 Corinthians 12:20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
The many members is not referring to sects or denominations but is referring to the born again believers in Christ. He is the only one who adds members to His one Body or Church. If you have to join a church it is not the one Christ is building but is a counterfeit designed by man's carnal minds and the god of this world.
Acts 2:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
If God doesn't add you to His church that is His body then you have no part with God unless you become saved. The many members are added by the Lord.
1 Peter 2:4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
The reason God said the gates of hell will not prevail against His church because there are no unsaved in it.
Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
God is also merciful and forgiving. He may be intolerant on judgment day but not until then. His grace empowers us to live righteously and his mercy enables us to continue to move closer to Him without being judged for falling. Just because you see Christ as intolerant doesn't make it right for you to be so. You say that many churches camp on particular scriptures that lead them into false beliefs. It sounds to me like you have camped on intolerance for the time being. I wonder how you live up to your own criticism. You choose to be an antagonist without taking into consideration that we are all exposed to different teachings that we believe to be Biblical . Just because you think other Believers are wrong doesn't make you right. Our duty as Christians is to build each other up in love not to tear each other down with despicable rhetoric.
My name is Harriet Jolanda Oosterhuis and I am very very new here in this community. I am from Europe (Holland) and I joined this site to meet new friends and share opinions about life and faith. I discovered this forum a few days ago and I am very impressed with the quality, and even more with the humble attitude of christians on this site. I think what makes this forum so attractive is that it pretends to be open to all: new converted, recently saved, babies, children, matured and of course the supreme knowers.
I expect from an author of a thread that he/she is aware of its function on this forum as it is not a preaching site, but a discussion site. And now I finally come to what I have to say about you as AN AUTHOR (and not as a person, believer or publisher)
I am simply stunned with the way you treat your fellow christians on this forum.
You certainly have knowlegde and even understanding of the Scripture but you fully lack leadership!
This forum is NOT an arena where the author beats everyone to death, untill there is only himself left which, to his own conviction, makes him a winner and will be granted a prize from the Supreme Ruler of this universe.
It is so obvious you want to be right and recognized as an examplous walker in the truth. But sadly enough, the opposite is happening. People respond no more, once you have "treated" them with a personal answer....
I have no doubts about your good intentions to save the world and to prevent people from going the wrong way. However, the way you go about is not helping. People open their mouth and you slap the bible in their face... Why?
Look at this thread! Your post was not bad at all. But your attitude towards reactions shows so much anxiety (hope I spell that right) to be recognized as a knower of truth, that people probably wonder why you would ask the questions in your initial post if you know all the answers anyway.
That is a real pity Gary. Like this we cannot learn neither from you nor from the people who react to your words. As there is no discussion in this thread you authored, but only people strongly opposing to your way of reply.
Gary,it is 3:12 AM now. You have managed to keep me from my beauty sleep and that proves something! I hope you keep sharing your knowledge with me on this site. I am really looking forward to your postings and threads but please I am not a gladiator and I do not want to be treated as one.
Have a blessed day and may the Peace of the Lord be with you and your beloved ones.
You succinctly said what I would have Loved to have said. It is a shame to see such Narrow Minded Tunnel Vision from what is obviously a Learned Mind. I prayer is that maybe he will"see" what he is doing and Opens up his mind.
When Jesus went to the well to see the woman there he already knew she was a harlot.He spoke of grace and not continueing in a life of sin.This shows great love and tolerance.When the pharsees brought the woman who commited adultery to Jesus a tolerant christ said do not do it again. His love and understanding shows compassion and love.Also, it made him flexable.
Intolance is not flexable.Since you called me out Gary, I did check your profile.What church do you attend.As I a a nazerene. What are you? We all must have a place of fellowship. I am just curious,ok.Peace, :peace: Dennis
dgrimater, The only church I belong to, is the one Christ has added me to as a sinner saved by grace, Act 2.47. Paul refers to it as the body of Christ, church, Church of Christ, {not the denomination church of christ} its the one all believes in Christ belong to and put into when they are saved. The head of it is Christ, there are no unsaved in it and it is not a denomination or sect. Paul revealed it as an apostle to the gentiles. It is the dispensation that Paul describes Christ taking out the natural Olive branch {Israel} and grafting in wild olive branch {Gentiles} into the Olive tree mentioned in Romans the 11th chapter. It makes both Jew and Gentile a new creature in Christ. When the time of the gentile is ended God will graft Israel back in and they will no longer be blinded in part as they are now.
When I meet with other believers, we meet only in the name of Christ as I do believe God wants all believers only to be Identified with his name and no other.
Colossians 3:17 �And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
Gary,..after reading this thread based on the subject matter being, "The Intolerance of Christ".... I'm cnfused, (shaking my head) I'm like, what in the missst are you talking about?:zzzz:
You rant in your comments talikng about worshipping God, and people picking a faith, their tolerance and respect/disrespect toward others beliefs, and thier belief systems; then you speak about people viewing others as troublemakers, and you go from there to God judging other, etc, and then you go to choosing a church of your choice, and on and on. Where are your comments about the Intolerance of Christ.
Then you use a long list of scriptures to try and make your point which are all over the place AND out of context, and have nothing to do with THE INTOLERANCE OF CHIRST, nor do they have anything to do with anything you say in your rambling comments leading up to the scirtures your quote.
This is the worse case of misuse of scriptures, confusion, and ranting I think I have seen in all the days of my 25 plus years in ministry. lol:rolleyes:
I have yet to see in any clarity of sound teachingrightly dividing the Word of God, of any thing in your comments or the scriptures you quote, wherein you prove that Christ is tolerant or intolerant. Even your responses back to those who have made comments, you quote scriptures and make comments , and as far as I can see they have nothing to do with what is being said.... wow! am I missing something here?
Maybe I am missing something, or need new eye glasses or can't read too clearly this morning -lol.. but for sure, whatever it is, it all sounds like rambling and much confusion on your part in your comments and misuse of scriptures, which has nothing to do with your subject of the thread or the scriptures you use.
Now, in an effort to try and make my comments in response to your post, I need to make sure make I'm clear as to your meaning, because I might have it alll wrong (sigh) .
The Intolerance of Christ... I would like to know first of all, what you mean about this ? because your comments leading up to the misuse of the scriptures have nothing to do with the Intolerance of Christ. So, Are you trying to prove that God is intolerant or that He is tolorant? If so, then you've missed the mark.
So let's get spiritually real here, If you're saying that God is INTOLRANT, then you for sure have missed the mark... and to prove my point that you are confused about a lot of things concerning God and especially, Him being Intolerant..
Your post: The Intolerance of Christ.
My response to you: If God is INTOLERANT... Has God ever punished you according to the measure of your sins against Him or other?
PLEASE CONSIDER THIS BEFORE YOU SHOOT OFF:
If you say that you have fellowship with God, yet you walk in darkness, you lie, and do not know the truth.
If you say you have no sins, you are a deceiver, and the truth is not in you...
If you say you have not sinned, you make God a lair, and His word is not in you..
I'm just asking... hopefully your answer will clear up things for me regarding your comments on this subject matter as to whether or not God is INTOLERANT OR IS TOLERANT...:zzzz:
Thunder, I would appreciate some pacific references to all of your allegations so I can reply to them. My only thought I can give you at this time is that it seems your own rhetoric is far more judgmental of me as a person rather then my doctrine.
Matthew 7:1 �Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2 �For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3 �And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4 �Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
5 �Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.
Even if you should feel attacked, never get defensive like this. There are a thousand different ways to say the same thing to Thunder. Why do you prefer to put it this way?
The spelling out of Mattew 7:1-5 regarding motes and beams is fully redundant. By doing so, you are not only implying that Jesus would say these words to Thunder, you are also implying that Jesus would protect you with these words. This is way out of line.
But worst of all, the result is, that people will not even consider if you are right or not. They just wonder if this is a christian forum.
Ella, thank you for y our comments. You will have to give something concrete from scripture that proves what I have given as being wrong. So far you haven't given anything pacific. Not one verse of scripture other than your own views. If you will kindly do to that I will be glad to give you some replies.
Gary, sorry, I don't needs a list of scriptures to ask you the question or prove what I'm asking you, you just answer my question. You're the one who started the thread with the subject matter as being The Intolerance of Christ, then you go on with a long list of scriptures in an effort to make your point, which the scriptures you have posted have nothing to do with whether or not God is Intolerant or Tlerant, and are not even related to any of your coments in your post.
Therefore, I asked you the question: What are you trying to communicate? Are you trying to make proof that God is INTOLERANT OR THAT HE IS TOLERANT?... its your post, so you tell me something concrete and informational about what you're trying to say...
Plain and simple question: If you think God is intolerant...
1!) DO YOU THINK GOD HAS PUNSIHED YOU ACCORDING TO THE MESAURE OF YOUR SINS before Him and toward others?
(2) If you think God is tolerant: DO YOU THINK GOD HAS PUNISHED YOU ACCORDING TO THE MEASURE OF YOUR SINS? If not, WHY NOT?
Again, I say I think you are very confused in your misinterpretation and misuse of scripture in an effort to try and make your points.
Sorry, but Sound doctrine and rightly dividing the Word of God is not what you are doing.
