I'm still not clear if Arian's are considered fully Christian? Can someone more knowledgeable clear that up for me, please?
This was my experience:
I got saved while not fully shedding the Arian heresy that I'd been indoctrinated with since birth. I was a 4th gen. JW. However, I believed Jesus when he said that he posessed "all power in heaven and earth". I reasoned that if I made a deal with Jesus, that there could be nothing higher to negoiate with. Jesus honored that belief and it was enough for him to save me. Essentially, I witheld final judgmnet on the issue of deity until after Salvation.
Within, 2-3 months after salvation I was on board after researching the verse "God was manifest in the flesh". 1 Tim. 3: 16 KJV. The early church leaders freely quoted this verse as "God" and not "He". About 3am one morning while reading the bible and fretting over this verse, the Holy Spirit literally told me in my spirit "this much is true".
In the days and weeks leading up to accepting Jesus as my personal savior, The Lord was dealing with me on what he apparently believed was a much bigger isssue. The Lord was making double sure that I understood that my "good works" would have no place in the transaction. I woud not be allowed to include ANY character, abilities, or any positive intentions of any kind in the agreement.
At first, I didn't understand why I was being dealt with "so harshly". I was being dealt with in my dreams, and bible reading and had a strange mixture of elation and dread at the same time. This continued after salvation for a couple of weeks. It was like attending my own funeral and I was grieving the death of my best friend - myself.
When I finally decided to accept, it was with eyes wide open. Even though a mature Christian was leading the event and prayer, it felt like only two people were present, me and Him.
The old Sea Breeze was gone forever and would never be on the throne of my heart again. There was a sadness to see him go, if only for the comfortable familiarity of the chains I grew up with. But, I knew that Jesus and I had traded places and something new had begun.
2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV - For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Jesus became my sin (the scapegoat) and I was given the totally undeserved righteousness of a perfect man in its former place.
Rather than trying to posesses all doctrinal purity before salvation, I believe it is more important to engage the deails of the NT offer that Jesus extends to us. If we secretly try to add anything or anyone one else to the NT agreement other that the person of Jesus and your own self, the deal will not be accepted in the court of heaven, and you could end up self deceived.... again.
Luke 14 : 31-33 (Amplified Bible Calssic Edition) :
What king, going out to engage in conflict with another king, will not first sit down and consider and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand [men] to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?
32 And if he cannot [do so], when the other king is still a great way off, he sends an envoy and asks the terms of peace.
33 So then, any of you who does not forsake (renounce, surrender claim to, give up, say good-bye to) all that he has cannot be My disciple.
