Qurestion about church attenders and true Christians

Of course I wasn't only referring to you specifically, I'm talking about all Christians, like the annoying door-to-door ones, or the ones in the street.

And how can the soul NOT be perfect? It's from God. Do you really think that's the part of us that has been corrupted? Maybe Christians think that, I never did, even when I was one. I believe our innermost nature is pure, and that it is our minds (I usually call it ego) that need healing.

I'll have to go read that to be sure, but what if Jesus was saying to those Jews who thought it was impossible, "hey, look at me, I did it. I'm human like you, so there's no reason you can't do it. It's not about following the letter of the law, it's the spirit. If you have the right mindset/spiritset, following the Law comes as second nature; you don't have to try because that is how an enlightened person acts."

And if I were a Jew, and Jesus said "I'm the fulfillment of the Law" I'd be saying, "Ok, good for you, but I'm still not fulfilling it." It doesn't follow that just because one guy upheld the Law that now following the Law isn't necessary. I mean, just because one guy follows the speed limit, doesn't mean the speed limit is not required of the rest of us.

 

I'm quite shocked by this thread!

I live in the UK and, in my opinion, almost everyone who goes to church is a Christian. There are always a few who aren't, and then you get people who just turn up at Easter out of tradition, but the vast majority of people in church are Christians.

It baffles me why anyone would go to church if they weren't a Christian. What's the point? Can anyone explain this please?

 

What makes a person a Christian?

Trippin... I'll reply to your response later tonight... I am in Baltimore coaching a 16's national volleyball team : )

 

Cool, good luck!

 

And how can the soul NOT be perfect? It's from God. Do you really think that's the part of us that has been corrupted? Maybe Christians think that, I never did, even when I was one. I believe our innermost nature is pure, and that it is our minds (I usually call it ego) that need healing.

There was a time when the whole world was perfect including people but in not too long of time the Devil corrupted people and corrupted the world... it has not been the same since... But it was not God that created this evil... it was first the Devil that chose to rebel against God as an angel. And then it was people that rebelled against God... taking the side of Satan. God did not create evil, people chose it.


I'll have to go read that to be sure, but what if Jesus was saying to those Jews who thought it was impossible, "hey, look at me, I did it. I'm human like you, so there's no reason you can't do it. It's not about following the letter of the law, it's the spirit. If you have the right mindset/spiritset, following the Law comes as second nature; you don't have to try because that is how an enlightened person acts."

Jesus was man but He was also God. No one on earth has that combination but Him. The whole point of Him being perfect was because we are not. It was to fulfill the prophecy of the OT and Jesus would become the ultimate sacrifice. No longer did it have to be a perfect bull or a perfect lamb with out defect or a broken bone (Jesus was "without sin" and "without a broken bone")... And that is why John the Baptist stated when Jesus first entered the scene.... "Behold the Lamb of God, the one who takes away the sins of the world!"


And if I were a Jew, and Jesus said "I'm the fulfillment of the Law" I'd be saying, "Ok, good for you, but I'm still not fulfilling it." It doesn't follow that just because one guy upheld the Law that now following the Law isn't necessary. I mean, just because one guy follows the speed limit, doesn't mean the speed limit is not required of the rest of us.

It wasn't so much that Jesus practice the law perfectly. Infact, that is why He was killed... He was killed because he claimed "I am the Lord of the Sabbath." Which in other words he is the Lord of the law. He was claiming He was the God of Abraham--the Jew's God! Therefore, Blasphemy was definately not following the law perefectly in the Jew's eyes.

However, little did they know that this was the New covenant of their own religion and by reject Christ they fulfilled prophecy and solidfied Christ as God.






In the OLD TESTAMENT God PREDICTS...

"A new day is coming," announces the Lord. "I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel" (Jeremiah 31:31).

In the NEW TESTAMENT Jesus states...

Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Fathers kingdom (Matthew 26:27-29)

 

Well, our perspective is too far apart for us to ever come to an agreement on this. I do not believe the incorruptible was ever corrupted. I do not consider Jesus to be the only person who was/is god (we all are, so is everything else in existence). The only problem is our failure to realize this. We "choose" "Satan" by not realizing our true nature, as being one with God. Jesus said as much, as have all the other awakened ones.

So, did you win the volleyball game/tournament?

 

Have you met a person that has gone a week with out sinning? I sure haven't... and that is the corruption I am talking about.

The God I am talking about is the one that fulfilled 300+ messianic prophecies recorded in the OT... Jesus was the only man to do so.

We choose satan by not accepting the God of the Bible as the True God. It is choice many faily to accept. And that is stated numerous times in the Bible.

(I coach a club out of West Michigan... This weekend was are first tournament and it consisted of 96 teams! We are considered the second national team of the club and for our first tournament we are doing exellant. We are playing in the Bronze division tomorrw meaning we are going for 25th place out of 96... the worst we can do is 31 : )

 

Your sin is believing in the bible more than you believe in God.

 

God is the devil, Sin is the bible. Burn a witch why dont you you crazy NUTJOBS.

 

It not like I worship it. I follow the words in it strictly because they are the words of God.

YOU on the other hand, rather believe in a form of "God" but not in what He says...

That is why it states in the Bible many people accept God with their mouths but by their actions they deny Him. (those actions that make them deny God are found in the Bible). The same book that YOU choose not the follow.

You lean on your own understanding and shy away from the Book of Truth.

 

I have listened to exorcisms before... that is exactly how they sound... everything opposite of what is true.

 

You know, you (JD4U) started this thread asking us a specific question-I was one of the first people to reply to your question-you ignored my reply and most others, and have simply spent most of your time telling us what YOU think-if you didn't want to know what we thought, or weren't going to reply to it, why did you ask us in the first place?

 

It's not like I never read them... I just did not reply to them. There was a lot of good points that I read but I did not reply too. Sorry : (

 

Ok, well, apology accepted, but I made a post on page 1, and it was an answer to your original question-sometimes I feel like I'm talking to myself on here. You actually asked a very good question, and I gave you an honest answer-I'd appreciate it if you would read it and tell us what you think.

 

Actually, I made 2 posts on page 1-the second one was the serious answer.

 

I replied to this on yesterday... it must not going through.

Here is what I basically said...

I am not disappointed... but rather I agree with most of what you said. I believe many people at church are "Church people" and not true Christians that the Bible and Christ talks about. These church people go to church more for the social aspect of it. That is why Jesus stated: "This people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me."

 

You could just rely on God.

Like you.

I follow God. You should too.

I rely upon God's understanding.

There are passages in the bible that are not true.

 

to the origional question. No, there are many people who attend church who are not true christians they just go because it is expected of them or tradition or just to look right to certain groups. There are also true christians that do not go to church at all or not on a regular basis. I am a christian and I do not go to church very much. I do read and believe my bible and I do pray and have a relationship with my God. It is more important for christians like me to have sprituality in God instead of just a religion based on going to church or an outward appearance of christianity. By the way the basis of Chrisitanity is love and forgivness not perfection.(how I learned anyhow)
I also wanted to point out that many people use generalizations when speaking about and forming opinions about christians based on only the bad things that they have seen or heard in the media or through experience. In a psych. class I learned that most people will remember a negative expeience far better than a positive maybe this is the reason, but as the human race we must look at people based on their qualities as humans not just their religious preferences. peace and love ...and forgivness.

 

I agree with a great deal of what sunshine and pearls said. I basically feel the same way. Christianity has had a lot of very positive influences on societies throughout the years, even transforming them. I was just responding to the original question about 21st Century American Christianity, especially the Evangelical Protestant version, with which I identify with very little, and which I believe has become too aligned with th right-wing agenda of the Republican Party. Peace, love and forgiveness is exactly what the whole thing is supposed to be about, as sunshine and pearls said-that's exactly what I don't see too much of.

 

Accepting God with their mouths but not their actions, eh? Kind of like someone reading and believing these words (the bible) but not actually living as such?

And why is one book true and another is not (yeah, you'll say prophesey, but who's to say if they were just WRITTEN to have been fulfilled? Your only source for the Bible's veracity is the Bible)? Why is one man's understanding right but another's is not? These books were, after all, written by men (like the apostles, Paul, etc). What makes them so reliable?

The Bible is the biggest idol ever invented by mankind. You won't ever say you worship it, but do you think God is defined by some ancient book? God's word and wisdom stops there? God is that small? Yeah right.


(Now, I don't know you aside from your posts here, so I don't know how well you put your faith to practice. So read this not so much directed at you, JD4U, but more as a general post in regards to christians in general.)