Who Is Really My Brother Or Sister In The Lord?

To be honest, I'm kind struggling with this myself.

What is your take?

 

I think we have real brothers and sisters in the Lord in many other denominations, including Catholics, 7th-day adventists, etc. I picked those two as examples because I can think of Catholic and SDA people who I am confident belong to Him. That doesn't mean I believe their errors are acceptable. But you're talking about salvation, and as I've said elsewhere, salvation isn't about passing a theology test.

 

That is true. But both your examples believe in a works based salvation. And the SDA are considered by every Christian organization I know as a cult.
Not that 'a person' can not be saved there in, but that as an association they are not remotely biblical on salvation (either of them).

If we are speaking on a individual basis then it is by their testimony and what they understand it takes for a person to even be saved. But even then can a person be saved if they think Christ did just enough to get you in the door, but that they must continue living a good life or else be banished into purgitory or hell for not being as good as they should have been.

But if we are speaking of a demonination then we must go by their theological understanding of salvation.


I am preaching verse by verse through Galations and Paul hits that nail pretty HARD (about the true gospel verses another) and makes no bones about it. I just got done doing 1 Peter and he is hits it just as hard. But they both go after the teachers of the false way and not the people themselves. Paul ernestly contends for the faith of Galatians to be brought back in line with the truth and tells them just how wrong they are for even considering such myths.

 

First of all, within the Baptist faith, our church rolls are crammed with those who have not darkened the church door in decades, and show no signs of regeneration. That suggests large numbers of people who proclaim to be Baptists are going to be sitting in hell.

Secondly, within the Baptist faith, as well as here on this board, how can any of us site any differences with other denominations when we disagree to a greater degree than we do with most of them.

Several posts above allude to the fact that they have either been preaching the true Gospel or hearing a Bible study on such. Paul taught the true Gospel, as did Peter. I am not sure that translates into any one of us teaching the true Gospel. We cannot all be teaching the true Gospel as much disagreement as there is. One might be teaching his opinion of the true Gospel.

As far the the question on the op, who would you rather pray with, an unregenerated Baptist who hasn't lifted a finger for the Lord in years, or a Methodist brother in Christ who worships Him in spirit and truth? To me, the answer if obvious.

 

It is hard for me to call just anyone my brother or sister, but thats just how I feel.

 

Given the choice you laid out, the answer is, as you say, obvious. But I admit that I am inconsistent about this question.

I would not be for inviting a Methodist to preach in my church. But I have spoken and sung in several Methodist churches. I have also spoken in a 7th-day Adventist Church, a Cumberland Presbyterian church, spoken at a Catholic Funeral Mass, sung in a Lutheran choir Christmas program and at Episcopal and Catholic weddings. Yet, I would not reciprocate such invitations to my church.

Oh, I remember, we did invite a CP Minister of Music to sing in our church. That's because he was a Baptist by conviction.

My church has participated in community Thanksgiving services. We withdrew when the steering committee invited the Church of Christ to participate.

Inconsistent? Of course. But the only way to be consistent is to refuse all contact with churches of other faiths, or open wide the doors to all.

The middle ground is by definition inconsistent, because you're acting on a case-by-case basis.

So I'll take either side of this issue and give you a good argument.

 

Yes, I do, and yes I have... and proud of it.

Heaven will not just be Baptist only...might as well start practicing getting along down here...

Besides if we require someone to be part of a particular denom. in order to be saved, then we are adding a works based requirement to Salvation.

I do have a problem with Mormons, JWS, they have an incorrect view of who Jesus is.

 

Spoken like a true Baptist!!! :laugh: :wavey:

That's actually how I feel about the C/A debates...

What is the saying? Put 4 Baptists in a room, and you have 10 opinions on any topic!

 

If they are going to be in heaven with you, then they are your brothers and sisters. Of course that is something that you can't know 100% about anyone else. So I guess the standard that one would use to judge someone as not saved, that that should be the same standard for saying they are not your brother and sister. So I would conclude that if you cannot exclude someone as a brother, you should treat them as they are. (This is assuming that you know something about them and their faith, and not just any stranger)

But I don't think that means you don't still hold to standards as to whom you would worship with and what type of worship you would participate in.

 

I am with Bob

 

Well, of course, we can't call just anyone our brother or sister in Christ!

But the most enlightening thing that has happened in my life is to become dear friends with a Lutheran - one that wasn't afraid to ask me questions about being a Baptist nor answer mine about being a Lutheran and sometimes we'd wonder together about being a Presbyterian or a Methodist and we'd just start digging.

I guess I still carry a few biases from my past, but not as many as I did. I'm not stingy in who I call brother and sister if they profess a true faith in the Lord Jesus Christ! Like SN said, we go to church with folks who aren't really our brothers and sisters because they don't know our Saviour.

 

Yeah, those are two of the worst, IMO. I don't think I know any, but I bet we have some brothers and sisters who are Mormons and JWs. Maybe very, very few, but some...

 

While I do not think we should just go and call everyone our brother or sister in the Lord, I think we should also realize that God has sheep in many different groups.

Personally, I have known brothers and sisters in the Lord in different groups and I have no problem calling them my brother or sister. But I have had the chance to get to know them and hear/see their heart and their love for the Lord.

 

That's it! We have to get to know them! AND it has to be someone who legitimately recognizes that Jesus is Saviour.

---------Edited right here to separate ideas -----------

We are talking mainline protestants here aren't we? The reference in some previous posts to what I'd consider cults threw me off.

 

I am not speaking about any cults.

 

It seems like most agree, that if someone is saved you would consider them a brother. Is there anyone here who would not consider someone that is saved a brother, because of any other reason? If so what reason might that be? One example might be method of baptism, would anyone not consider someone is a brother if they were sprinkled? (assuming that they are saved) What about a woman pastor?

 

I knew you weren't. I tried to separate the two ideas. I should have made two posts.

I edited my other post.

 

Brothers and sisters are individual beings, not groups. I have dearly loved brothers and sisters in the Lord who worship in a number of different churches. Like most here, I think, I don't recognize anyone personally who belongs to LDS or JW or a non-Christian group as a sibling in Christ, but I have to admit I've been a little amazed sometimes at just who is clearly inhabited by the Holy Spirit ... and sometimes by who doesn't seem to be.