Hi to my Forum Friends,
Earlier, I posted this response to Neal Hughes; but, thinking about it, I feel that I want to share this will everyone and not take a chance on it being buried deeply witin another discussion and missed by many.
I say to Neal: You have pretty much defined the difference between you and the Christian walk when you state so strongly: "Such things are not of my ken, yet I would daresay that they affect not a whit my relationship with the holy catholic and apostolic church and Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."
In your mind, and in your theology, you place "my relationship with the holy catholic and apostolic church" ahead of your relationship with Jesus Christ.
Keep in mind that He teaches us, "I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me" (John 14:6). This tells me that I am saved through and by Jesus -- not the church, not any church.
You need to realize that the CHURCH is the body of believers. It is not a building; it is not an organization; it is not a corporation -- it is the body of Christian believers -- the bride of Christ. We do not worship the church -- we are the church.
Once more, look at Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."
What does this passage tell us?
By grace: God's favor or kindness, His mercy, which we do not merit and have not earned -- yet, through love, He offers this to us. Titus 3:5 tells us, "He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy. . ."
You have been saved through faith: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). Faith in what? Faith in Jesus Christ; faith in the atoning blood of Jesus Christ; faith that Jesus' death on the cross defeated Satan; faith that Jesus' resurrection assured our resurrection into eternity -- faith in the only name by which we can be saved, Jesus Christ.
Not of yourself: "For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment" (Isaiah 64:6). We can never be righteous enough on our own to get into heaven.
It is the gift of God:[b] "For the wages of sin is death, but [b]the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). If a gift is not free; it is not a gift. If the gift is not accepted; it is lost.
Not as a result of works: Jesus has already done all the work. There is absolutely nothing you or I can do to earn our salvation. There is no work, nothing we can do that is righteous enough to earn us salvation. If you were to stand before God today and He asked you, "Why should I let you into heaven?" -- what would you say? Works cannot get you into heaven. Rituals cannot get you into heaven. Tradition cannot get you into heaven. Then how can you get into heaven? Only be receiving the Free Gift of Salvation already "paid in full" by Jesus Christ.
So that no one may boast: Jesus Christ paid your sin debt in full; He paid your ransom in full. All you have to do is to accept this "paid in full" ransom and walk out of your worldly prison. Why did He do this? Because, no matter how much we try, you and I cannot pay our sin debt. If you or I could do this -- we might feel that we were as God. And, that is what brought down Satan; he wanted to be as God -- and he will spend eternity in the lake of fire. As Isaiah 64:6 tell us, ". . .our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment"
So, no Neal, we do not place any church, any organization, any rituals or traditions, any persons -- before Jesus Christ.
In Acts 4:12, we are told that nothing and no one else can save us -- not the church, not a Pope or Archbishop, not a priest, not Mary nor any other saint, no liturgy, no traditions -- nothing and no one except Jesus Christ can save us: "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."
Neal, I pray that you can put aside your hatred of the Bible and of all Christian believers -- humble yourself before the Lord -- and find peace in Him (Romans 5:1). It is not your Episcopalian church which can save you; it is only Jesus Christ.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
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