dear Tammy...
the universal church consists of all the blood bought believers in Jesus Christ. There is, of course, the matter of being "found" in Him or abiding in the doctrine of the Christ...not some other personal version of "the Son of God". 2 john 10-11.
the matter of settling who He is was needed precisely because there were various "opinions" about who He is...this authoritive settling of who He is and articulating it to the congregations was a measure taken early on to stave off a GREAT apostasy...until the end times which the apostles spoke about more.
you asked: "I mean, anyone can claim to have the seal of the living God. I am curious how you know this 'church' has this seal? "...God has been and is adding to the numbers of the orthodox or accepted christian church everyday all over the world without long hours of indoctrination for generation after generation...isaiah 59:20-21, 60:1-22...Praise the Lord!
you said: "A consensus might be the mark of unity, but that does not make it the mark of truth."...it is when God is intimately involved in leading His church.
you said: "But we were not speaking of these groups, were we? While interesting for another discussion, we are speaking of those who are for Christ and God, but who might differ on a doctrinal matter."...I was responding to your statement that as long as people are practicing... "if it is the spirit of love, compassion, mercy, faith, forgiveness, that dwells within you and that you act upon... then good for you."...then they are looking to or following Christ. As well, you have stated on more than one occasion that there are people who belong to Christ who don't even know it because they have these characteristics when Jesus states that you have to believe in Him to belong to Him.
you said: "I did not say they were not his sheep... I would not make that judgment. YOU say that I cannot be his sheep. YOU say that I cannot hear His voice."...I'm saying that I don't think you are hearing the voice of the Lord but some other voice. And that your opinion of who God is is rather irrelevant to those who don't hear that audible voice as there is no confirmation what-so-ever as to the validity of what you are stating...the boreans, as an example, did have confirmation as to the truth of what the apostles were saying...in the written hebrew texts...
you said: "By extension, they might have. [heard His voice] But that does not mean that they are limited to this, does it? They CAN hear HIS voice, themselves. Is there some reason to believe otherwise?"...think about your statement, Tammy...why would they go to other sources, that you call corrupted, to get confirmation of something they can hear directly from the voice of the Spirit?...what would be the point of them doing that, you don't???
you said: "Denying that He is the Christ... is just that. Denying that He is the Messiah. Simple. Not complicated."...o.k. how could members of the christian congregation who believed in the Father and the Son, at the same time, be "accused" of not believing the doctrine of Christ and that He came in the flesh?...(2 john 7, 9)...the Saviour, of which the OT states is the LORD God (isaiah 43:3...came in the flesh...1 john 5:6.
love michelle