Hi all I would like to post some questions and their answers regarding what was taught to me in the old church I left and would like the correct answer from the bible please.
What would that church be, SDA, or something else?
Question
In what respect is the Bible important to us?
Answer..
The historical chapters of the Bible give an account of past events. However the report is not a substitute for the effect of the works of Christ and the acts of the Apostles. No person can attain salvation by merely reading the Bible.
In other words:
The accuracy of the Bible is thus limited to the things done in history, and the accuracy of the teachings of the Apostles is irrelevant. "Listen to us, but not to the Bible" is the implied message in those words.
2 Timothy 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
In execution of His counsel, the Lord will fufil the promises of God recorded in the Bible. They are therefore indications of the Lord's work of redemption in the Future.
"Indications" are not the same as "promises". The term "Indications" is vague and mealy mouthed, but the term "promise" is solid, and based on the character of God, Who means what He says, then DOES what he says.
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith
Romans 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus
Romans 4: 3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
The doctrine proclaimed by Jesus and His Apostles as recorded in the bible, is the Bible, is the foundation of the faith our church. As a whole the word of the bible is useful and important as a record of past as a reference to present and future and as testimony of the doctrine of Jesus.
2 Timothy 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
The words "inerrant" and "trustworthy" are missing from their description of Scripture, and again, the word "reference" is mealy-mouthed and platitudinous. It degrades the Bible into something on the level of encyclopedia Britannica, a work of men, and not the words of a just, righteous and holy God unto his children
Jesus Christ, as He is described in the Bible, is NOT a "teacher of doctrine". Instead, he is the Only, begotten Son of God, fully God and fully man without division or parts in those two natures He possess. He is 100% God, and 100% human with no mixture or confusion of His natures. As such , He did not come to teach, but He came to redeem sinful humanity.
But the Bible cannot replace the activity of God's messengers: the proclamation of the doctrine, the bestowal of the acts of grace and the care of the children of God.
Your thoughts comments, bible based answer to this.
This is the most pernicious part of your former church's doctrines. it elevates the "messengers" above the Bible itself. that is because the word "but" is a contravening conjunction, and it essentially means, "everything else is secondary, BUT this is what is important: God's "messengers"--whomever they are supposed to be".
1 Corinthians 16: 22 If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be Anathema. Maranatha
Galatians 1: 6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
The Bible iis verysharp about the condemnation of these people who pervert the Bible, and use it to furtheir goals, not the goals of Jesus Christ
Revelation 22:17 :let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
In other words, the people who do as they are doing, as posted by you, are risking eternal damnation. I am not saying it, but the word of God says it.
They are merely following the example of their leader Satan, who first tempted Eve and Adam by saying "God
really didn't mean
that" I know better than God what is good for you: follow me".
Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked;
and we all know the rest
Without a doubt the place you were in was a god-hating cult, full of charismatic and self-appointed leaders who in their perversion, exchanged the freedom we have in Jesus into slavery to their whims and to Satan. May God bless you in your faith journey outwards, and towards the thruth found only in Jesus Christ
Please consider looking at these web sites below. I selected the former SDA sites because from your post, and especially the part about "
activity of God's messengers" it seems as if there are similarities between their "group culture" and yours. Leaving any cult is difficult, but leaving authoritarian cults is most difficult because they "make all the decisions for you", and all you have to do to be safe is to obey them. Surely no one can find such a heresy taught in the Bible!
http://www.exadventist.com/Home/Testimonies/tabid/59/Default.aspx
http://www.exadventist.com/
May God bless you and keep you during this change. BTW obeying "them" is not the same thing as obeying Jesus Christ, and they WILL try to make things nasty for you, and call you all sorts of evil names, so I close with these verses:
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of God...
