I can remember that I thought I was a Christian, in fact I said the prayer as a little boy in Sunday school wanting Jesus in my heart, wanting him to be my Savior but there was no genuine repentance it was only a emotional exercise because of the emotional outcry of the music and the teacher. We can all be fool note I tried to do what was right but I fail because I had not come to God on His terms. I was in sin and had done people wrong and was living like this until the age of 49 when I realize I was not on the narrow way but was on wide road to hell. In Matthew 7:13-14 it is clear what it says if you want to know the truth; "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it." Most people in the church have never read these verses much less know what they mean, this should scare you because your pastor or teachers do not teach the parables because they consider them to be juvenile or simple. Remember the disciples did not know what Christ was speaking of in these chapters, in fact He had to explain these things to them.
The question you must ask yourself are you on the narrow way? Are you dieing to yourself every day? Are your hands on the plow? Another words you can not be double minded you can not love Christ and the world at the same time or you are self-deceived. And you are on the wrong road, note must Americans claim to be born again but their lives say the opposite and those who are of the world see the phoniness of today Christianity. Be aware that once you die you can not come back and rectify the situation, you will be judge by God, to those who do not do the will of God. Pursue the Truth before it is too late.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Quotes from Early Church fathers Justin Martyr c 160AD
"In the beginning, He made the human race with the power of thought and of choosing the truth and doing right, so that all men are without excuse before God."
"Neither do we maintain that it is by fate that men do what they do, or suffer what they suffer. Rather, we maintain that each man acts rightly or sins by his free choice.... Since God in the beginning made the race of angels and men with free will, they will justly suffer in eternal fire the punishment of whatever sins they have committed."
"It was God's desire for both angels and men, who were endowed with free will... that if they chose the things acceptable to Him, He would keep them free from death and from punishment. However, if they did evil, He would punish each as He sees fit."
" I have proved in what has been said that those who were foreknown to be unrighteous, whether men or angels, are not made wicked by God's fault. Rather each man is what he will appear to be through his own fault."
Note as we look at Justin Martyr quotes they speak of free will that man has the ability to do right or wrong it is his decision and man will be responsible for his decision. It is not God fault that you choose to do evil as some would have us to think that God is the author of sin. We can see the example in Genesis, that God gave Adam and Eve the ability to discern what is right and wrong and to make a choice, that is why God had the tree of good and evil as a test to see if they were willing to make a choice (free will) to obey or disobey this was the only way that God could prove to Himself that it was fair and that the loyalty was to Him or to themselves. We also should recognize that this was the teaching of the Apostles and the Early church leaders until Augustine arrive and destroy the Truth of the Gospel. Augustine claim to have come out of a Gnostic sect but he brought the teachings of this group into the Church, which destroy the repentance message because we were born sinners and we no longer had a free will to choose but this was excuse for them to continue in sin.
"Neither do we maintain that it is by fate that men do what they do, or suffer what they suffer. Rather, we maintain that each man acts rightly or sins by his free choice.... Since God in the beginning made the race of angels and men with free will, they will justly suffer in eternal fire the punishment of whatever sins they have committed."
"It was God's desire for both angels and men, who were endowed with free will... that if they chose the things acceptable to Him, He would keep them free from death and from punishment. However, if they did evil, He would punish each as He sees fit."
" I have proved in what has been said that those who were foreknown to be unrighteous, whether men or angels, are not made wicked by God's fault. Rather each man is what he will appear to be through his own fault."
Note as we look at Justin Martyr quotes they speak of free will that man has the ability to do right or wrong it is his decision and man will be responsible for his decision. It is not God fault that you choose to do evil as some would have us to think that God is the author of sin. We can see the example in Genesis, that God gave Adam and Eve the ability to discern what is right and wrong and to make a choice, that is why God had the tree of good and evil as a test to see if they were willing to make a choice (free will) to obey or disobey this was the only way that God could prove to Himself that it was fair and that the loyalty was to Him or to themselves. We also should recognize that this was the teaching of the Apostles and the Early church leaders until Augustine arrive and destroy the Truth of the Gospel. Augustine claim to have come out of a Gnostic sect but he brought the teachings of this group into the Church, which destroy the repentance message because we were born sinners and we no longer had a free will to choose but this was excuse for them to continue in sin.
"Sin No More"
As we examine the Word of God, there was something that leap out at me when I was reading scripture when I began to see the Truth of the Bible unlike what I was told in a church. You see the Church does not preach the Truth because they are blind and teach false doctrines that allows themselves to continue to live in sin. Let us look at John 5:1-15 as Jesus heals the man at the pool of Bethesda; why does Christ heal this man on the Sabbath because the religious leaders were obeying their rituals but had nothing to do with obeying God. Another words their rituals became a stumbling block for them to understand the Kingdom. Another factor that stands out is Verse 14, note these words are of Christ "See, you have been made well. Sin no more lest a worse thing come upon you." Interesting from the mouth of Christ he is saying to this gentlemen that you are capable (man) to no longer sin. That not even discuss in church, why are you able to stop sinning? Because you have free will you are not born a sinner, which is taught by the Catholics, and the Protestants guess where they get this doctrine from it is not in the Bible, but was taught by Augustine who was a gnostic and he brought there teaching into the Catholic Church. This occur in the 4th century and the Church at first refuse this teaching but later they compromise and allow it in their midst. Many protestants don't know that Augustine is consider the Father of their Church which is where many doctrines come from plus Lutherans revere him too. Unfortunately, few in these denominations have any idea that he has brought in false doctrines.
But there is another example in John 8:1-11, as we see that the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery in the act and they wanted to stone her as they were conversing with Christ. They were trying to test Him and see what He would do, So He made the comment "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." At this point He wrote something in the ground and they were convicted in their conscience left one by one until there was no one there except the woman. In verse 10, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?" Then in verse 11, "Neither do I condemn you; and sin no more." So the concept of Christ's teachings was that man has free will and he is not born a sinner (original sin) at the age of accountability (that is when a child is able to understand what is right and wrong) then he chooses to do good or bad. Note in scripture there are verses that give support that children are born innocent and that our souls come from God: Psalms 139:13-14, Isaiah 49:5, Ecc 7:29, Jeremiah 1:5, Ezekiel 28:15, Deut. 1:39, 2 Chr. 25:4. Note another false doctrine was introduced by Augustine it was called Infant Baptism because if children are born in sin by (necessary you must produce another lie to cover the first lie) which is transfer from your parents (sin is matter or flesh) according to Augustine which is a gnostic teaching then you must be baptize as a baby or you will go to hell if the child dies as a infant. That is why the Catholics, Lutherans, and others practice infant baptism. Another words, Augustine believed that sin came from the flesh or matter, but scripture disagrees with this assumption, that sin comes from our hearts because it is part of our motives. This is the reason we have the teachings of Christ in Matthew 5 with two example: In verse 22 Christ speaks of murder but this occurs within your heart with anger toward your brother without a cause. Another example in verse 28, he speaks of a man who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in hie heart. You see God looks upon your heart and your motives which reveals sin and that is why God will judge mankind. Again let us remember that men have created these doctrines because his desire is to be in darkness and gives excuses that he is not able to be obedient.
But there is another example in John 8:1-11, as we see that the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery in the act and they wanted to stone her as they were conversing with Christ. They were trying to test Him and see what He would do, So He made the comment "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." At this point He wrote something in the ground and they were convicted in their conscience left one by one until there was no one there except the woman. In verse 10, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?" Then in verse 11, "Neither do I condemn you; and sin no more." So the concept of Christ's teachings was that man has free will and he is not born a sinner (original sin) at the age of accountability (that is when a child is able to understand what is right and wrong) then he chooses to do good or bad. Note in scripture there are verses that give support that children are born innocent and that our souls come from God: Psalms 139:13-14, Isaiah 49:5, Ecc 7:29, Jeremiah 1:5, Ezekiel 28:15, Deut. 1:39, 2 Chr. 25:4. Note another false doctrine was introduced by Augustine it was called Infant Baptism because if children are born in sin by (necessary you must produce another lie to cover the first lie) which is transfer from your parents (sin is matter or flesh) according to Augustine which is a gnostic teaching then you must be baptize as a baby or you will go to hell if the child dies as a infant. That is why the Catholics, Lutherans, and others practice infant baptism. Another words, Augustine believed that sin came from the flesh or matter, but scripture disagrees with this assumption, that sin comes from our hearts because it is part of our motives. This is the reason we have the teachings of Christ in Matthew 5 with two example: In verse 22 Christ speaks of murder but this occurs within your heart with anger toward your brother without a cause. Another example in verse 28, he speaks of a man who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in hie heart. You see God looks upon your heart and your motives which reveals sin and that is why God will judge mankind. Again let us remember that men have created these doctrines because his desire is to be in darkness and gives excuses that he is not able to be obedient.
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