Are you a good person? Take the Bible challenge.

by jesusisgod 149 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Brother Apostate

  Jesusisgod,

  I do believe your heart is in the right place, however, as someone who has God’s Holy Spirit and reads His Word Daily by means of His Spirit, I must correct you on a few things:

  1)- "Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone." - Mark 10:18 The reason that Christ said this is that ALL goodness comes from God, without God, there is no Goodness. It is God’s Holy Spirit dwelling within the Christ that made Him perform the fruitages of that Sprit, including, but not limited to, goodness.

  2)- The Ten Commandments, being part of the Mosaic Law Covenant, were done away with (to the letter, though not in spirit), by the institution of the New Covenant through Christ. The perfection of the sprit of God’s Law is this:
  26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" 27He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'[a]; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[b]" 28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live." - Luke 10:26-28

  3)- Remember this as well: “36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 37Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." - Luke 6:36-38
  4)- 6Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the meaning of the saying, "Do not go beyond what is written." Then you will not take pride in one man over against another. - 1 Cor 4:6
  AND:
  18I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. 19And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. - Revelation 22:18-19

  What I am saying is be careful of teaching something that is NOT Christian, but based on Mosaic Law, be careful you do not judge, becareful you do not go beyonf what is written or fail to recognize the import of Scripture, omitting necessary things.
  If I were you, I’d replace the Ten Commandments with the Two Rules, replace “Are you a good person?” with “To what degree are you filled with Holy Spirit?” and reply In a non-judgmental way. Also, the best test is simply to review the fruitages of the Spirit- do we have these qualities crowding out the evil spriits, or vice versa? That is the truest test of being Christlike, next to martyrdom.

  BA- You can catch a lot more flies with honey than you can with vinegar, methinks.

  PS- Keep on growing in the knowledge of the Christ!
• 

  Satanus

  jesusisgod
  
  What evidence is there that your god is more holy than say, good minded, honest, loving humans?
  
  S
• 

  Seeker4

  JIG, sorry I didn't respond sooner. I've not been to this site for a few days.

  You wrote: "Seeker4, May I ask you a question? You said, "We might have believed at one time, as you still do..."

  So I will assume you once professed to be a Christian? Let me ask you, did you know the Lord?"

  I was a Christian, and certainly, in my imagination, like all true believers, created a "relationship" in which I "knew" Jesus and Jehovah and felt their influence in my life. That all changed when I realized everything in that relationship came out of my own mind and needs.

  You speak of Adam and Eve in your posts as though they really existed. Like I said, you need a couple of good science courses and some serious instruction in critical thinking. If there is one thing for sure, it's that we did not descend from a specially created man and woman who came into existence some 6,000 years ago.

  With no Adam and Eve, the whole basis of Christianity disappears - just like your imaginary relationship with mythical gods.

  S4
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  Anti-Christ

  When I received the H.S. it was a feeling of great forgiveness and the burden of a guilty conscience was lifted

  I got that same feeling when I rejected the bible and it's teachings as coming from god, then I realised I was not a sinner and the idea of sin was created to control the masses. I do not feel shame for being a human, I am who I am and I am learning to make the most of the time I have to experience what life has to offer. Life is to precious to waste it on religion. I don't need the fear of an all powerful god to make me want to help my fellow human beings.
• 

  jesusisgod

  Brother A,

  Mark 10:18 I don’t disagree with you on this point but did explain this in my recent post on pg 4 or 5 here. The man who called Jesus "good teacher" was using it in a flipant way and didn’t know whom Jesus was. The man also didn’t know what goodness was, hence him misusing or misapplying the word. Jesus wasn’t saying that he wasn’t good, but the man should look to God as the sole good one, the perfect one. Christ came to glorify the Father, so He pointed to God as the one who is good. Jesus could have pointed to Himself and said he was good. But again this man didn’t know who Jesus was, and was calling what he might have thought was just another rabbi "good teacher." I could go on by I think you get the point.

  Next I also agree the law is written on all believers hearts in the New Covenant (Jer 31:33). The law wasn’t abolished, it was fulfilled through Christ. However all non-believers are still under the law (Rom 3:19), not for justification, but for condemnation. For the law speaks to and condemns the unregenerate. It stops every mouth from justifying themselves and demonstrates they are accountable to God. The reason I use the 10 Commandments, and sometimes the two greatest commandments is for several reasons. First, its not to judge anyone, for the ungodly are already condemned or judged. John 3:18 "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemnedalready, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." Secondly, the law converts the soul Ps 19:7, Thirdly, the law acts as a tutor to bring people to Christ Gal 3:24, Forthly, why would someone who thinks they are a good person need Jesus? The Bible says Christ died for sinners, but if someone thinks they are "good" versus sinners deserving hell, why would they accept Christ unless they are first told about sin? If they don't know what sin is (1 John 3:4), well sin is lawlessness. The reason why I use the law is to show what sin is, lawlessness. Fifthly, we have the example of Jesus and the disciples using the law to bring a knowledge of sin. John 4, Jesus uses the 7th Commandment then reveals himself to her. But you also have examples where they don't use the law, but who is their audience? Pentecost, Peter spoke to Jews who already knew God's law, so Peter preached grace, the gospel. Give law to the proud and grace to the humble in heart.

  Last, I always include myself as guilty of breaking all 10 of the 10 Commandments and I to am deserving of hell.

  Robin
• 

  jesusisgod

  Satanus,

  Well before I answer your question would you accept that God can and has chosen to communicate to humanity via His written word in the Bible?
• 

  Satanus

  No. That has already been considered, and found wanting, in the holiness dept. Any other evidence?
  
  S
• 

  jesusisgod

  S4,

  So you are saying that God, whether Father, Son or Holy Spirit, that a man named Jesus, called Christ, who walked the earth, died on a cross and rose again was imaginary? That the Christian faith is something born in the minds of human beings? Is this what you believe now? Do you then believe that all belief systems originate in the mind of man?

  Next I can agree with you that if there was no Adam and Eve, Christianity would disappear. Many people have made claims that Christianity would die out, I think John Lennon was one of them. But its still alive and growing.

  When you were a professing Christian did you read your Bible? I’m just wondering because Mark 4 and Matthew 13 explains much concerning a genuine believer versus an unbeliever or make believer. I’m not putting you down. I mention this because I have met people in the past who professed to be Christian then some time passes and they arent anymore. The Bible does talk about this and tells us why this happens. In essence they were never born again. The Bible does tell us that "whom God called, He also justifies, and whom He justifies He also glorifies" meaning that God calls some to salvation and all who is called in the end is glorified. Whom God calls He loses none of them. There is no backsliders in heart amongst the people of God. Why because God has changed their hearts, its not the work of man. This is very different from imagining or feelings which change.

  Have you thought why the apostle Paul whom had power, influence, money, had it made so to speak, was a Pharasee on his way up the corporate ladder and was a Roman citizen which allowed him much in a Roman world, to turn from all this and give it up as worthless? Paul persecuted Christians, throwing some into jail and participated or oversaw the stoning of Stephen the first Christian martyer. He thought he was doing God’s will by persecuting Christians and stamping out a false sect. Paul had everything one could dream of back then.

  What made him give up all this? The answer is in the book of Acts, the resurrected Jesus who came to him.

  For me if this was mere feelings I think I would have left Christianity with you. But its more then this. Anyone can learn about God but knowing God because He lives in you through the gospel of Christ is much different. I didn’t grow up in the Church, I once loved my sin, sex outside of marriage, partying and a whole lot more. But I lost a love for sin and gained a love for God through Christ. God supernaturally changed me and He does this for everyone who repents and believes the gospel.

  Robin
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  jesusisgod

  Satanus,

  Lets see then, evidence that is not within the pages of the Bible. All Christian writings, from the early Church until now. Jewish Talmud and writings, also speak of God's holiness. If you don't accept them, the Quran may speak of God being holy. But this isn't the same God of Christianity. Many other religious writings.

  What evidence is there that people are really good?

  Robin
• 

  eclipse

  What evidence is there that people are really good?

  When they treat others with kindness, respect and love and a giving spirit,

  without being a christian,

  without having a religion,

  without having god,

  without being told that this is ''the way you should act''.

  that is TRUE goodness.

  All the rest is based on an old book of rules (bible, qu'ran),

  or based on fear,

  or based on self-righteouness,

  or if they are a truly GOOD person, and it comes from their HEART (some just happen to be also christian at the same time).

  Being a good person for no other reason other than wanting to be a good person - That's your evidence.

  Following a bunch of rules, no matter how good the rules are, does NOT make a person good.

  It merely makes them OBEDIENT. (a robot)

  BIG DIFFERENCE.