Sac, your believe it's possible for you to be turned from the Bible as God's work?
-Sab
Did born-in's have the capacity to "test their faith"?
by sabastious 45 Replies latest watchtower bible
-
-
wobble
Faith, according to my definition, is: " belief in something without proof".
You can test how good that is if you like, but there is no way to "put it to the test" as you would say, a car or motorcycle.
I feel that as a born-in I had the necessary tools denied to me that would have enabled me to see through the teachings of the WT/JW's.
I was not taught to think critically, to look at other points of view, or even listen to them.
What would be the point of testing if I was "In the faith" if I could not test whether the WT/JW faith was "the faith" Paul referred to ?
-
sabastious
You can test how good that is if you like, but there is no way to "put it to the test" as you would say, a car or motorcycle.
I think you are mixing up testing with proving.
Faith can be tested and it is all the time. It's more of an endurance test than anything else.
-Sab
-
sabastious
What would be the point of testing if I was "In the faith" if I could not test whether the WT/JW faith was "the faith" Paul referred to ?
Not to mention if you found something that turned you away you would lose your family.
-Sab
-
Chalam
Cool thread :)
So what's is THE test?
2 Corinthians 13:5 (English Standard Version)
5 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!
"...that Jesus Christ is in you?"
How is Jesus Christ in you?
John 14:16-20 (New International Version © 2010)
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.
Romans 8:9-10 (New International Version © 2010)
9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness.
JWs clearly fail the test because they do not to have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them, "that's only the 144, 000" is their retort.
The Holy Spirit is THE guarantee of passing the test for ALL who believe
Ephesians 1:13-14 (New International Version © 2010)
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
Colossians 1:26-29 (New International Version © 2010)
26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord’s people. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
28 He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. 29 To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.
Acts 2:38-39 (New International Version © 2010)
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, 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. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
Blessings in Christ,
Stephen
-
PSacramento
Sac, your believe it's possible for you to be turned from the Bible as God's work?
I believe that the bible does NOT JUST have the word of God in it, though there are some parts that are, the rest are stories, parables, views of historical events, etc.
-
Sam Whiskey
Can anyone share why they think the Bible is a book that could not benefit a person?
For example;
The Bible says not to commit Adultery. How is this a bad piece of counsel?
The Bible says not to steal. How is this a bad piece of counsel?
I could go on and on, but you get the idea. Now, using common sense, how are any of these "rules" bad for you?
-
-
brotherdan
Rules are the lesser form of grace. Grace showed how uneccesary "rules" were.
Anyway, to answer the question "Do born-in's have the capacity to "test their faith"? I have to think that they CAN. Faith is something that GOD gives. Romans 12:3 says that God GIVES faith to people. He also calls them out of the darkness. Why have I seen the truth and my wife hasn't? That is not an easy question. What CAUSED me to investigate? Was it an accident that I stumbled on? Or was God calling me out? Why hasn't he called HER out? Why does she have unquestionable faith in something so wrong and she has not been allowed to see the truth? To me these are unanswerable. I know what I want to say according to Orthodoxy. "She hasn't been called." But I can't believe that such a good person has not been called.
So how do you like THOSE contradictory musings of mine? And that goes on in my head ever day.
-
Darth plaugeis
"Do born-in's have the capacity to "test their faith"? I have to think that they CAN.
Someone from Work asked me to buy Cigerettes for them..... and I almost did!!!
Thats what I remember from Born-in's having their Faith Tested!
Very Well Programed that's for sure!