kindstuff blog

Baptsim

2007-10-23T07:17:00.000-07:00

1 Peter 3:21-22: 21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also--not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand--with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him. Niv Bible Translation

Baptism and the grace of God

A meditation of Marc Aupiais

“In the same way, all of us, whether Jews or Gentiles, whether slave or free, have been baptized into one body by the same spirit, and we have been given one spirit to drink” St. Paul- 1 Corinthians 12 Verse 13- Good News Bible.

"1 Peter 3:21-22

21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also--not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand--with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him. " Niv Bible Translation

1John 3 from Good News Bible

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23 What he commands is that we believe in his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as Christ commanded us. ^R9 24 Those who obey God's commands live in union with God and God lives in union with them. And because of the Spirit that God has given us we know that God lives in union with us.

1 Timothy 3:14-16 from the Niv Tramslation:

"if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. "

“20:23. Whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them: and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained.
Quorum remiseritis peccata remittuntur eis quorum retinueritis detenta sunt
Whose sins, etc... See here the commission, stamped by the broad seal of heaven, by virtue of which the pastors of Christ's church absolve repenting sinners upon their confession.” Douay Rheims Bible http://www.newadvent.org/bible/joh020.htm

“Those rivals of Christ came out of our own number, but they had never really belonged, if they had belonged, they would have stayed with us, but they left us to prove that not one of them ever belonged to us” 1 John 2 v 19 (quoted from http://kindstuff.googlepages.com/thecatholicequation - which quotes the Jerusalem Bible)

From Marc Aupiais, but a lowly, and humble layman of God’s true church, knowing his position is low, and small, yet knowing there are perhaps many better and greater, determined still to show what little of the truth he can be sure of.

What else could dear Saint Paul mean, when he says that we have all been “baptized into one body by the same spirit”?

Is he not showing, firstly, that there is but one church?

(For this is clear in the third letter of John. It is shown; also, where the bible says “If they were of us, they would not have left us, but they left us to prove that they were not of us” see 1 John 2 verse 19). The early church cannot have been a group of independent bodies, for the bible again states, from the apostles, “They reject us because they rejected him”. All who rejected the authority of the apostles rejected God. We read in the Holy book of Acts “Saul tried to join the disciples”, even God’s greatest teacher determined to join the physical body of the church.

John, in his third letter looks down on then man who rejected the messengers the church sent, but applauds the man, who despite the threats involved, accepted the messengers of the Apostles. When Jesus said, “He who rejects you rejects me”, was he not speaking to the apostles, and was not Judas one of the Apostles. Did not St. King David say “I will not lift my hand against the Lord’s Anointed” of the evil king Saul? Surely, God did not send his prophets to individuals in Israel, but to Israel as a whole. He sent them to her kings, and to the kings of Judah. Jude notices those who crept in unnoticed into the church. Some may have been “saved”, but their condition is worse. Why is it worse, but because their original faith means nothing. They have abandoned the way of truth, and so, the darkest death is reserved for them. The bible describes the wolves in sheep’s clothing, yet a “tree is known by its fruit”, and however they distraught the scriptures (II Peter chapter 3 verse 16), their craftiness does not change reality, but finds her followers (those who cleverly distort scripture) their destruction (verses 16, 7, 10).

And so, it is the ungodly, who do not respect authority (second (2) Peter chapter 3 verse 11 to 18), and “divisions in the church are evil” (Saint Paul). St. Augustine says that whatever they taught, the other sects of his time were not in God, for they rejected his church, and as such, they did not love. One must note of course that Jesus told his Apostles, not to stop another man from doing good deeds in his name. Those who seek the truth, and obey God as best they can, can be saved. This salvation not of ignorance, but from obedience, for that not of faith is sin, and disobedience is sin. It is also true that men and women who knowingly reject the authority created by God, also reject what God has instituted (Romans chapter 13, 1 John 3 verse 1) and that those who “lead a sinful life… belong to the devil” (adapted from 1 john chapter 3 verse 1 – Jerusalem Bible). And so, knowing, that because the Old Law, was summed in “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, and Love your neighbour as yourself”, thereby, the meaning of the Law was to love. We know that, even as many claim to come in his name, but belong to the devil (Mark Chapter 13 verses 5 to 7), yet, “he who loves knows God… he who loves not, knows not God”, and again, “anyone who claims to live in the light but hates his brother is still in the dark.” First John chapter 2 verse 9-10) But anyone who loves his brother is living in the light and need not be afraid of stumbling. Love is only Love if it acts in deeds, and is not only words (1 John 3 v 18). There are people, not in love, but sin. Of these, we know the Truth. He who is in the dark does not know where he is.

We too, know that as we are still under the Royal law of love, and we must leave “no debt outstanding, but that of continuous love”. The meaning of the Old Law was love, and so, it was the way in which love was shown to act to his neighbour, those parts specific to that time, faded, with that system, replaced by the death and resurrection of Christ and by the more meaning oriented law. What was not meaning orientated, were the circumstantial laws related to only that system. If we are still obligated to love God with all we are, then we must obey him as best we can, and obey the commands. This is how we treat our fellow man with love. We should study the ancient books of Law. We must do so, that we may not lag. Love, as Paul notes, does not commit adultery, nor harm his brother in any of the other ways forbidden by the law of Liberty. It obeys those commands as to how to live. That is why we need not circumcise, for we have a circumcision of the heart, and circumcision, a lesser sign has been replaced by the sign of Faith- of obedience in Baptism. He who obeys the Law, he is circumcised in his heart, even knowing nothing of the written command, but only his right conscience. For this, he obeys God, in all he can. This is why I believe in baptism of desire.

So, if God, does not change, for it is impossible for him to change, and if the early church had a specific structure, and was a physical church, then, are we loving God, if we, for our dislike of that hierarchy, should choose not to join the church? Jesus told his disciples to “do what they say, but not what they do” of the corrupt Pharisees of the time, and God Prophesied via the high priest who suggested Jesus’ crucifixion. He did this, because he was ordained as the high priest of that year. Do we have any choice, but to admit, that the church, as the text says, is indeed, but one church? As it says elsewhere- the church is the very body of Christ, with Christ as the head. To not live in active love, as we know (1 John 2 v 3, 5 - 10, 18) is to not know God. Do we live in love, if we do not obey?

Second, it says “been baptized into” when it refers to this “one body”. Are we unable to admit, that, it is baptism, which admits us into this body of Christ? If he speaks not of baptism, then, what does he speak of? Why does he use the words he does or the sentence structure. God and Paul would have noticed that they would be interpreted towards baptism. Why, if this baptism is but symbolic, does Peter, in the house of Cornelius, think that baptism of water is a great gift? He thinks it a great gift, of which- “how can we deny them” baptism of water, “if God has given them his holy spirit” (Acts 10 verse 47), this when God acted outside of the usual system, in a beautiful baptism of desire, soon replaced with the water, and admittance to the church. We also note, that, next to baptism, the text (1 Corinthians 12 v 13) says “and we have been given one spirit to drink”. The Spirit is a deposit, a guarantee to those who persevere, of salvation (“For, it is God who makes us stand”, and in Hebrews, we hear “you have not yet resisted sin to the shedding of your blood”). Those 12 men, who only received the Baptism of John, had to have Paul lay his hands on them, to receive the gift of the spirit. It is noted that they had only received the symbolic baptism of John. Peter says, having spoken of those, in Noah’s time, who were saved by obedience, by doing the illogical, and building an ark”, that the water there, symbolises our Baptism.

Saying: “and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also – not” as he notes, I repeat, not: “the removal of dirt from the body” Peter knows that the water alone cannot save, but that God exchanges obedience for grace, via “the pledge of good conscience toward God.” Baptism is an act, showing obedience to God, the act of good conscience toward God. It must be done as God describes, or cannot, surely be in obedience? In the Gospel we read “baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”.

If baptism is done in disobedience, in a way- God does not describe. If despite that he goes to the effort to describe how it must be done- how then, can disobedience gain grace?

Was not the sin of the Jews of the time, ignoring God’s way and constructing their own? Was this not their stumbling block? The text says in succession – being baptized into a single (“one”) church (“body”) and then, it says – and being given one (“the same”) spirit to drink. (God is a God of order, can truth contradict truth? Can all these contradicting interpretations of millions be of God? Is it the same spirit that says that baptism is needed, and the same spirit that guides another to say that it is only symbolic? Can God be the one behind such contradiction?) Surely, was this spirit not given in baptism? For if “…baptism… now saves” (1 peter 3 v 21) us, and Jesus received the Spirit in baptism, and John called the baptism to come, one of “Fire”, one of the Holy Spirit? Then, surely, we receive the Holy Spirit in Baptism? Surely, if, “authorities and powers” are “in submission to him” and those who love are those who live “in union with God”, and those who “obey God’s commands live in union with God, and God lives in union with them” (1 John 2 verse 3)…

This, being because, as the bible says: “…And because of the Spirit that God has given us we know that God lives in union with us.” (1 John 3 v 24) And so, those who obey God, and know God, live in union with him, and it is impossible for a man, of his own accord- to declare “Jesus is Lord” without being prompted by the Holy Spirit. Likewise, baptism is the first act of obedience. It is “illogical” (though not contradictory). It is obedience. Obedience is exchanged for grace. Abraham was credited as Righteous, both for his faith, but more for his obedience, in “sacrificing his son” (figuratively) to God, for he must have died to the promised child, long before taking him up the hill, to kill him. He trusted that God could raise the dead. He trusted what God has promised him, and so “you can show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds” (James chapter 2 v 18), for we know that faith acts in deeds. Also, if I have “faith to move mountains” (see 1 Corinthians 13), yet do not love, then my faith is “worthless”, and so, faith without deeds is dead faith (James chapter 2 verse 17). Faith is given by God, for “none can come to” Christ “unless” his “father has enabled them to”.

Finally, he says that it is the “same spirit” that baptises them all. So, we know that baptism is supernatural. The word Supernatural means “above natural things, or reality, or above natural ability”. We know that the Godly spirit itself performs a true baptism, next to the physical sign of the water. We also know, as 1 Corinthians 12 stresses –

That we are but one body, and that all the parts care equally for one another. We know from elsewhere, that Christ is the head of the Body, and that a divided empire will fall. There is no such thing as truth contradicting Truth. The faith we follow must be one faith, the one (Jude Chapter 1 verse 3) that was once and for all handed down to the apostles, and cannot alter in message or truth. Surely, if there are a million interpretations, that contradict, we cannot say that they are all true. We must stick to the faith of that original church.

It has been said that faith alone saves, therefore – that sacraments are not needed. I say, rather, that it is not true; rather one cannot have true faith, without the acting of God. None can come, unless the father calls them. I say, however, that faith is an act of man. Grace is the bases of faith, but grace must be replied to in order to gain salvation. This reply must be done in obedience. Grace produces Faith, hope and love, and we know (1 Corinthians 13) that faith without love is worth nothing. He who loves God knows God. Those who know God Obey his commands (1John 2 v 3). Only those who do what is right belong to God (1 John 3 v 10), for love is only love, if it is active (1 John 3 v 18), and the difference between children of God and the devil is in their deeds (1 John 3 v 10), for this is the “clear difference” (previous two quoted from text). Love, of course, is shown in faith, in obedience and love (1 John 3 verse 23), and in belief in who Christ is, and in his message, and nature. For, as the text can be said to say – we are to believe in his Son Jesus Christ- and because of such belief – love one another as Christ commanded us to. This because love acts on truth, in obedience, but we must also note that it says that Jesus is both “Christ” (the Anointed one of God) and that he is his (God’s) “Son”. This we know, by believing the message of Christ.

In fact, we know that “when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away” (1 Corinthians 13 v10), and that in the end- “faith hope and love” (1 Corinthians 13 v13) remain, but that the greatest of these is love. Love is active, so deeds are of love (1 John 3 v 18).

“The greatest of these is love”

Faith believes in the unseen based on the authority of God. Hope is the act welcoming the things of faith from a distance. When we see the unseen, we need not hope for it. When we taste the truth, there is no longer need to believe on authority, for the reality is here. We can then believe on our own senses. Of these three, we know that love remains. The others are not needed when the time arrives. “Love is eternal”, and love maintains belief and hope (1 Corinthians 13 verse 7). Love acts in deeds (1 John 3 v 18). Love, also causes our endurance, for it “endures all things”, and it is our love that prevents us from failing. God also is love, and as love, we know he created us in his image. If he had no physical form, then, perhaps we were created as love, but distorted it by disobedience, which is foreign to love. Thereby, to conform us to his image – could in truth be to conform us to love, to act in love, and even perhaps be, by our very nature - love. We know also that love is active, and not just words (1 John 3 verse 18), as Love is Active, God is active. As love endures all- God endures all.

Peter, speaking for God, said that the followers must not only repent, but be baptised, to receive the Holy Spirit and be “saved”. To be saved from this corrupt generation. A generation is characterised by the actions of her people. Baptism must be done, as the scriptures testify (Trinitarian baptism – Matthew 28 verse 19). God appeared on Earth, not to do away with the Law, but to complete the work God started in Israel via the Law. The Law helped fight the Devil, as with the Nation that Yahweh (God) created and named: Israel, but the Son Of God (The Son of Man) came to free us, not from obedience to the command of God, but from our slavery to sin. To be a slave to sin is to be a slave to the Devil (1 John 3 v 9). Thereby, he freed us from the clutches of the devil, for baptism is an act of obedience, and those who have God’s spirit are those who obey. Those who disobey, and baptism is not the only command, and live in sin, belong the Devil (1 John 3 verse 9), but those who do what is right belong to God. As we receive the Spirit in Baptism, and as we live in union with God and obey him, thereby, we do what is right, and as we do what is right, we belong to God. So, by baptism, we come out of the control of Satan and into the domain of God. That is why Baptism is called a minor Exorcism. In Exorcism, an object is removed from Satan and given to God.

God instituted the law; it was not and is not the Devil who did. If He (God) came in the flesh (fully man, fully God) “to destroy what the Devil had done” (1 John 3), then it cannot have been to do away with the Law. God made the Law. The Son of God did not come to do away with obedience. He came to do away with the work of the Devil. Jesus gave a Gospel of Repentance, of freedom from sin. To gain this freedom, one must obey. The commands are there. The command for baptism is one of the first. In fulfilling the Law, the circumstantial command passed away, as with the sacrifice of animals and goods. The Sacrifice was no longer needed, for the sacrament replaced it.

Verses of note:

1 John 3

“v7 – Let no one deceive you, my children:

Whoever does what is right is righteous.

V8- Whoever continues to sin belongs to the devil

because the Devil has sinned from the very beginning.

The Son of God appeared for this reason, to destroy what the Devil had done.”

Good News Bible

1 Corinthians 13 v 2

“And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing.” New American Bible

Mark 16 v 16

“Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. “ New American Bible

Acts 2 Verse 38

“Peter (said) to them, "Repent and be baptized, ⁷ every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit.” New American Bible

- Note – Name and Nature are related in the bible.

web ring

2007-09-21T07:45:00.000-07:00

see catholicaffiliated.googlepages.com

Answers on Christianity

2007-02-24T23:34:00.000-08:00

Verses of Bible on salvation

2007-02-24T23:33:00.001-08:00

1 john 4

Good news bible
14 And we have seen and tell others that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If we declare that Jesus is the Son of God, we live in union with God and God lives in union with us. 16 And we ourselves know and believe the love which God has for us.

Mt 7:8 - Show Context
For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
Niv
John 3 V
15 that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. 16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

Joh 6:40 - Show Context
For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."

NIV

Joh 6:40 - Show Context
For my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."
1Jo 3:3 - Show Context
Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

Niv
http://Crosswalk.com

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Proof Of being saved
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Love
Article on salvation

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Saved?
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Confess/believe
Salvation

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Salvation Is

2007-02-24T23:31:00.000-08:00

salvation

An essay on Christian Salvation

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"¹¹My dear friend, never follow a bad example,

but keep following the good one;

whoever does what is right is from God,

but no one who does what is wrong has ever seen God. " 3 rd letter of John by St. John - New Jerusalme Bible

"It is not doctrine (alone), or assumptions, or words, that we preach, when we speak of this Jesus, who we True Christians believe, is not only the Incarnation of God, but also his Son. " http://scripturelink.googlepages.com/jesusis

"1 Peter 3:21-22

"1 Peter 3:21-22

21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also--not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand--with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him. "Niv Bible Translation

1John 3 from Good News Bible

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23 What he commands is that we believe in his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as Christ commanded us. ^R9 24 Those who obey God's commands live in union with God and God lives in union with them. And because of the Spirit that God has given us we know that God lives in union with us.

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The article below answers the question as to the moment of salvation. It excludes factors such as sacraments, or perseverance. To see the Gospel, click here (link).

To understand Salvation- one must first understand the context in which it is offered. God had a people, Israel, who obeyed him. When they disobeyed, they were exiled throughout the world. It was now that he said that he would send someone to fix his relationship with us, to that we can be his again. The offer, though orignially only for Jews, was extended also, to all who believe the Gospel and act on it.

The truth I know is this- Jesus was sent to earth. He told us how to live. He commanded us to love, obey, and believe his message. We are to love one another as another self. He then, as he predicted, was caught by evil men. These men had him killed in a horrific way. Like an iron snake, that Moses, a Jewish man made, while in the desert, that cured people of snake bites- Jesus claimed to cure us of death. If a man dies of a disease over twenty years, he is dying. We die because of sin. We die, because we reject the source of our life, God. God, in dying, cruxified those who believed with him. What he kills in us, is our pride. One can only teach another how to do something if you have done it. God could not kill his own sin, he had no sin, so he died. In his death, we who believe can surrender to him. Our salvation is in surrender to good. It is admitting that we are wrong, and unable to escape on our own. It is then, in obeying the steps God gives us. Asking his help, and obeying in baptism, we are given grace. Grace in this context is the ability to do the impossible, to obey God. His crucifixion is the source of the grace that we get by the 7 sacraments. These change us to what we should be- love, and makes us good. Only the pure can enter God's presence. God's nature means that he cannot accept us if we are evil. We cannot escape our physical death, with few exceptions, but, by dying to our own interests, and obeying God as best we can, and becoming his learners, and children- we can insure that we live again after death.

Also, it may be noted, that the Language, are you saved? used by certain churches places too much attention on single ceremonies, without the realization that "Salvation" as the first step is simply the stepping out of the Devil's domain, and the start of the long road towards heaven, so to speak, and this does not mean that one cannot again return to evil, and lose all they have gained.

Our hope is also in this-God himself controls both deceiver and deceived. We hope that he will make us stand, and save us that we may become godly, not evil. As we live forever, the slightest evil now, could mutate endlessly, until we are nothing good. That is why we need to be saved. We are evil, and need to become good, least we continue our pattern, and must be placed where evil belongs, which is out of God's site.

The language, "Are you saved?" does not cover the lifelong process in which salvation is fulfilled. It acts as though the process is complete, which it is not. It ignores the possible continuing of this turn-around, even after death, which certain churches subscribe to (hebrews 12 v 6). The Idea, is that via belief, trust, and trying our best, to reply- God turns us from evil into good. He changes us entirely. When I first wrote this article, I wanted to show biblical proofs, but these are only proofs of the greater. We stop sinning, and eventually, after death, even - become like God- perfect and loving.

"anyone ever asked you the question,

"are you saved?""

Wondered why they think you know what it means, or why they're talking to you?

Saved means that you aren't currently going to hell?

Gospel of John-

John 3

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its savior.

18 Those who believe in the Son are not judged; but those who do not believe have already been judged, because they have not believed in God's only Son.

19 This is how the judgment works: the light has come into the world, but people love the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds are evil.

20 Those who do evil things hate the light and will not come to the light, because they do not want their evil deeds to be shown up.

21 But those who do what is true come to the light in order that the light may show that what they did was in obedience to God.

Good news Bible

(note: that believes in this case is in the active present tense.)

Ok, so you're saved if you believe?

One must of course note that the verse here talks of belief written in greek. The opposite of belief is disobedience.

It is the evil people in the passage that reject the offer, and the good (those who do right) who accept the offer, and in accepting it, act on it. For, to believe in Christ, is to believe, either that he is God, in which case He cannot lie, and his entire message is to be believed, or that his words are true, directly, or it could also refer to trusting in God.

Jesus Commanded us to treat others in a loving way (The word charity of old english could better describe "love"), to trust and love God, and to obey him. To obey him is to love, and to believe, that Jesus is the promised messiah, and that God rose him from the dead. If this is true, then he has opened the way to heaven. If it is so, then death has no sting. In conquering death for all who believe who he is, and his message, and in that imitate him, by loving, he allows a peace treaty between man and God. Those who persevere can be saved. God is love. His purpose is to transform the chosen into his Son's image. His Son is God, and in union with God.

In essence, salvation is by believing the Gospel, and in that, following the prescribed way offered by such- to be reunited with God.

In any case, many denominations have different beliefs about this matter of salvation, so I'll keep it simple, and let you decide for yourself. Look at the link roman's to get what the Bible says about salvation, or look at my links on salvation, saved shows results of salvation, belief/confess shows how and when one is "saved", while love shows the demands on a christian.

Personally, I see love as the core command of Christainity, that those who believe that God died for them on a cross, the most painful death imaginable, should love others. Also, I believe in the need for baptism, and obedience in the church and sacraments. For, to be "saved", or rather- in salvation - is to be freed from slavery to evil, and made a slave of what is good.

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Core commands of Christainity

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Good News Bible

from Crosswalk

1John 3

on those who seek devisions in christianityAn article against Chick publishers

2007-02-24T23:23:00.000-08:00

Before I became Catholic, when I was still Protestant in many doctrines, I wrote this article.
Parts of It I disagree with extensively, none the less, it proves from within the system Chick claims to serve, that Chick cannot be justified in attacking Catholicism.

Do not accept this article as one written by a Catholic, I was still in need to fuller communion when I wrote this.

To let Peter know that the Gentiles were clean, God said, “do not call what God has made clean, unclean.” And Paul, the Apostle, and writer of much of the Bible’s Letters, said, do not say” I follow Paul or I follow Silas”, for he had planted and Silas had watered, but God had given the increase. In the same, when some believed that it was wrong to eat meat, Paul again told his readers that it is between you and God what you think, it was God who made us stand, and God would make those who thought eating meat to be wrong, stand. He said that he who doubted and ate was condemned; for all that comes not from Faith is sin. In light of this, some churches of our lord have some beliefs, such as a need to ask Jesus to save them before they are saved, or as others believe, one should confess their sins, and God will forgive (“if we confess our sins… we have an Advocate with the Father”) Others believe that Faith in its self is enough. Whatever their beliefs, the Bible says “ whoever confesses (this apparently- I speak no Greek- comes from a Greek word or perhaps the Hebrew translation meaning to acknowledge the truth) with their mouth, Jesus Is Lord, and believes in their Heart that God rose Him from the dead, will be saved.” It also says that whoever Loves Is Born of God, as God is Love, and that he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God, Is born of God. I say this, as some misguided people have infiltrated the church, seeking to divide the flock of God, and creating divisions between brothers for their own purposes. Before I get to the point, I must remind you that we are told not to ask who is going down or who is going up, I say this as I desire not to insinuate that these people are going anywhere. Only God knows the heart, and even in the surest of circumstance, man can only estimate where another lies, or where He himself is, and where man is going, no one on their own can tell. Paul himself once thoroughly apposed the church, and Saint Peter denied Christ three Times, yet they are those who turned back to God, and were placed in charge of the church.
I came into contact with these deceptive heresies when a friend handed me a book recommended by a creationist named Kent Hovend, in a catalogue of books which one may order from America. This book, deviously pretending to focus on Islam, in fact says that the Catholic church (and at the beginning, a character in this comic lets the reader understand that Orthodox, and Catholic and many other religions are “basically all just roman catholic”) is a plan of “Satan” to “stop the gospel”, it also calls the Catholic Church, the creature who is responsible for leading the world away from the Lord (as I interpret it), the Mystery Prostitute of Babylon. In its front page, it openly states that its author was “converted” from being a Catholic priest to what it deems a “Christian”. Unfortunately, according to those who have researched the matter for me, the Church apparently denies his ever being a priest, as well writing a letter against this “heresy”.
The authors recommendations include those who claim to attempt to convert people from Catholics, who by the Nicene Creed
( Nicene Creed-
We believe (I believe) in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, and born of the Father before all ages. (God of God) light of light, true God of true God. Begotten not made, consubstantial to the Father, by whom all things were made. Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven. And was incarnate of the Holy Ghost and of the Virgin Mary and was made man; was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, suffered and was buried; and the third day rose again according to the Scriptures. And ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of the Father, and shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead, of whose Kingdom there shall be no end. And (I believe) in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father (and the Son), who together with the Father and the Son is to be adored and glorified, who spoke by the Prophets. And one holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. We confess (I confess) one baptism for the remission of sins. And we look for (I look for) the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen." )
Clearly state a belief in Jesus and his resurrection, exactly as scripture, and many protestant churches portray it, and as we stated earlier, the bible says that this belief and confession is all that is required for salvation.
The book also claims to its reader that the Catholics are directly responsible for Islam, and apparently created it. But on the note that it says that Satan devised and created the Church, If indeed Christ is worshiped by the Church and is its founder, as I and many Catholics believe, then the writers of this comic, which the creationist, Kent Hovend recommends, along with a book named something like –“answers for my Catholic friend”, are in fact doing as the Pharisees did in Jesus’ time, and giving the attributes of God to Satan, and saying that what God has made, is In fact the work of Satan, and could in fact insinuate that Catholics (and those like them such and Anglicans and Orthodox, as I see this comic to insinuate) are worshiping the devil, and are going to hell. This of course is highly unscriptural and if it were true, then why would Satan cast out Satan, for Jesus said that if a kingdom is divided, it will fall, and that it just wasn’t something to suggest. He also said that If he were called (The Lord of The Flies) the king of Demons, then so would his household. He also gave the biggest warning ever, which I fear to utter in word written or spoken. Paul warned us to warn a divisive man, (those who argued about genealogies and such things that cannot be proven) and then to have nothing to do with him. In one of his letters he also said, that if your eating causes your brother to fall, you are not acting in love, yet Creationists insist that Christians must accept a direct and literal version of creation, with no room for interpretation, and with no room for the possibility that God was explaining things as man can comprehend. Whether Creationist are right or not, Kent Hovend gives many arguments that are impossible to prove, and if anything discredit the case of Creation, and if a man were to follow any such developments, surely it should not be via one who clearly appose most of Christianity and more that clearly recommends books that like those books of Dan Brown, create only further doubt in people, or divisions between groups that at this time, as any should unite in the true and only cause of love and faith, and in this perhaps help others. Paul said that if one part of Christianity hurt, then all in Gods body hurt, and if one part rejoiced, it was the same. Should we take idly these slanderous accusations against the majority of Christianity, ignoring that we are one in Christ, or should we defend the truth against such heresies?

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