Subject: To whom do we belong? |
Bible Note: "Just keeping my nose in God's word, and TRUSTING that the Holy Spirit will give us discernment, and help us spot truth from error, is what is needed today." And when two people claim to be doing just that and arrive at contradictory conclusions, then what? Being taught by the Holy Spirit is no guarantee against error. In such cases, the problem is not the Teacher, but the fallibility of the student. Surely you are not claiming that when it is just you, the Bible, and the Holy Spirit, that you are infallible in your understanding of Scripture. Jesus Christ established the CHURCH for a reason, and while I do not hold any church to be infallible, completely rejecting the church as an interpretive authority in favor of any form of alleged individual infallibilty is simply foolish. "If I sound negative, thats because I only see negative things happening within EVERY church I have tried." One reason for that is that the church is composed of people like you and me. If you are expecting perfection in the church, you will have to wait till we are in heaven. On the other hand, I would not put the doctrine of eternal security/perseverance of the saints in the category of "heretical doctrine," even if I disagreed with it. There are countless saints of God in church history who held to this theological perspective, and whom God used to extend His kingdom in significant ways. --Joe! |