Featured What do you think is the most important the point of disagreement?

“Deity of Christ” … which defines “genuine Christians” (ie. JW)
“Role of WORKS and SACRAMENTS in Salvation” … among genuine Christians.

 

The fact someone may be a "genuine" Christian (actually born anew) does not preclude mistaken belief about various biblical teachings.

1) Does one treat the other person with truth or with disinformation based on bias or conjecture?
2) Does one treat the other with the presumption of innocence?
3) False doctrine should not be tolerated, even at the expense of treating the false teacher as belonging to the world.

 

BIBLE INTERPRETATION!

 

Supralapsarianism vs Infralapsarianism

 

There is no need not to adhere to all three, as all thee are commanded by God's word.
We are to believe fully in Christ, rather than picking and choosing, such as saying His virgin birth is more important than His sinless life.

 

Total Depravity regarding How God Saves Souls, (most important)

(and What a 'church' is regarding How God is to be Worshipped.)

 

The lost sinner is undone and helpless and hopeless and must be brought by the Word/Law/Gospel (describing our sins being the cause of Christ' death) and must see their sin bringing them to the end of themselves, when they see they have broken God's laws, aren't Perfect like God, and that they must look outside of themselves for the Remedy for having offended their Creator/Maker and are every bit bound for Eternal ruin in the Lake of Fire.

That would be the conviction of their Total Depravity that is when The Holy Spirit uses the law of God like the School Master Paul talked about that 'drove' him to Jesus and the cross.

"All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God"

They must know that they come up as short with God, as if they were trying to throw a rock across the Atlantic. It would come up short, as they do in their sins before God.

God predestinated, called, justified and glorified the lost sinner, with Jesus being the Author and Finisher of our faith.

The opposite is never taught in the Bible, when soundly interpreted with the awareness of the sinner's Total Depravity.

The opposite is when Total Depravity is pretended to be believed (and still gets 'reestablished' for the ultimate punishment of the lost who remain lost).

Total Depravity of the sinner is sometimes pretended to be believed, while at the same time there is an envisioning that God has dismantled the operation of Total Depravity in everyone's soul, by 'Creating' a new Garden of Eden economy where "Jesus death, burial, and resurrection makes life where an individual lost soul now has the opportunity, on their own to choose The Tree of Life, again, or The Tree of the knowledge of good and evil."

That reality no longer exists, as great as it might sound, for a lost soul to somehow have a vote, much less a final decision, in choosing whether they go to Heaven or Hell.

God runs Heaven. God says the lost sinner is dead and must be Made Alive or Quickened, by the Activity of God.

God accomplishes this through the preaching of the Gospel, being witnessed to the Holy Spirit, in the New Birth when He grants the convicted sinner repentance and faith.

Any idea that a lost soul has some say or ability to cast a lot toward their own salvation is a denial of Total Depravity ( taught in a most every chapter of the New Testament), of course, and the route to deceive the unregenerate into a false profession, by which they stay unregenerate, but also even more deceived.

A.) Something other than the New Birth enabling a convicted Totally Depraved sinner to Come Drawn to Jesus, by the Power of God,

+ B.) Something religious sounding, like "accept Eternal Salvation that Jesus made possible by His Resurrection", meaning the sinner is not Totally Depraved,

= C.) A false profession of mental consent by the superficial flesh that does not contain The Regeneration of The Holy Spirit.

That's the problem with not having a sound belief and practice regarding the Total Depravity of the lost sinner.

They are lost.

They must know they are lost before they can know they must be Born Again.

Jesus came to seek and to save the lost (someone Totally Depraved).

You must be born again (someone Totally Depraved).

 

We are having this discussion on a "Christian Forum" and there are "Christian Forums" where the "TRINITY" may not be debated because Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons are declared "fellow Christians" and that topic is too divisive and causes "discord among brothers". Therefore, it is THE ISSUE that defines "Genuine Christians" in an age and culture when that very definition is under attack (often with depressing success). I address THIS by standing on Romans 10:9-10 and believing that John 1:1 is as important as Paul claims it is.

I address the “Role of WORKS and SACRAMENTS in Salvation” by remaining a Baptist and rejecting the Catholic "Traditions co-equal to scripture" reinterpretations of the words of God concerning "Mystical Synergism" or "Eucharistic Alchemy". Thus when asked, I state the truth supported by scripture "you have been saved BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH, and that not of yourselves; it is the GIFT OF GOD, not of works, lest anyone should boast." and "do this in REMEMBRANCE of me". [no Baptismal Regeneration or Transubstantiation as essential to Salvation (gained and maintained).]

 

Supralapsarianism vs Infralapsarianism was intended as humor.
It is so far down the list on issues that should divide ... just above the color of the carpet in the Sanctuary in importance.
(or maybe just below it ... very ugly orange shag carpet could scare away "seekers")