What's the difference between 'unregenerate' and 'sinner'?
Are 'spring' and 'water' the same thing?
No, they are not perfect in the flesh.
:nono: As with A4T, it isn't what I said either. I don't believe in loss of salvation, EE :nono: Neither does A4T. You seem to be emoting more than listening today, or perhaps two or all three of us aren't as clear as was intended. I'll try.
A thorn isn't a sin. Galatians 6:11, likely eyesight. God wants us healthy but some humility is good for us.
A4T isn't a Calvinist
My Scripture understanding of this is certainly Calvinist. Careful not to throw all Calvinism out lest you stop trusting in the Salvation of our Lord and Savior altogether. Theology isn't like Politics, we shouldn't be tossing everyone out of the church. I certainly don't do this with MAD or Arminians. We share a lot of truths. I try to err on the side of Grace wherever I can. So do I, I think you misread me, and are reading salvation loss where absolutely none exists in my posts. All I said is: If they are His trusting Him --> discipline and deliverance, one way or the other. He is gracious and pulling for us. If they don't belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, then that is their need and calling upon the Lord is the answer. I've said nothing else, simply that I think there are two groups that use drugs, those who are saved and struggling, and those who need Salvation.
:nono: Not at all, we haven't. Please reread it all, I was very careful and am very careful talking about sin and a believer's life. You will never hear me say that 'unsaved' is the mark whereby we know if one is saved. I only said that it is true of some sinners, remember? IOW, if you see someone in a sin, the Christian, you can encourage and pray for and cry for. The nonChristian, he/she first needs their sins forgiven then you are back to encouraging them in their walk and praying for them. In a nutshell, we either evangelize the lost, or encourage a brother or sister. I do apologize for not making this incredibly clear, but it was my endeavor to do so in trying to put what you were saying and Ang was saying, together. I highly suspect, this is what she was saying as well. I'd have to ask further about any discrepancy. Whatever stance I am, I don't think it Calvinist specific that another cannot be blessed. :idunno: Still trying to serve, -Lon
Yes.
:nono: As with A4T, it isn't what I said either. I don't believe in loss of salvation, EE :nono: Neither does A4T. You seem to be emoting more than listening today, or perhaps two or all three of us aren't as clear as was intended. I'll try.
A thorn isn't a sin. Galatians 6:11, likely eyesight. God wants us healthy but some humility is good for us.
A4T isn't a Calvinist
So do you, you missed the point, I think and are reading salvation loss where absolutely none exists in my posts. All I said is: If they are His trusting Him --> discipline and deliverance, one way or the other. He is gracious and pulling for us. If they don't belong to us, then that is their need and calling upon the Lord is the answer. I've said nothing else.
:nono: Not at all, we haven't. Please reread it all, I was very careful and am very careful talking about sin and a believer's life. You will never hear me say that 'unsaved' is the mark whereby we know if one is saved. I only said that it is true of some sinners, remember? IOW, if you see someone in a sin, the Christian, you can encourage and pray for and cry for. The nonChristian, he/she first needs their sins forgiven then you are back to encouraging them in their walk and praying for them. In a nutshell, we either evangelize the lost, or encourage a brother or sister. I do apologize for not making this incredibly clear, but it was my endeavor to do so in trying to put what you were saying and Ang was saying, together. I highly suspect, this is what she was saying as well. I'd have to ask further about any discrepancy. Whatever stance I am, I don't think it Calvinist specific that another cannot be blessed. :idunno: Still trying to serve, -Lon
No difference in God's eyes. If you are regenerate, your sins are seen through His blood, not there. Washed away. Rather, a Christian struggling is a struggling Christian. God is working on that person to conform Him to His image, Romans 8:29 Ephesians 2:10 now, as a way of getting him/her ready, then, in perfection when we see Him face to face. 1 John 3:2
"Spring" is the source of water. When the Lord Jesus Christ talked with the Samaritan, He told her she'd ask Him for Living water.
When we've talked before, I think we are always pretty close. What is done in the flesh, is of no profit and counts for nothing. Rather, what we do as new creations brings others into His new life, and so He uses us for this and we become vessels for His use and glory, even a drug addict, and even in some cases, the unsaved as well (couple of stories come to mind). John W, by example was talking about his cigarettes he gave up and struggled with for a long time. There was no point in his life he 'stopped' being a Christian. We can't stop being saved any more than we can stop breathing. That is why whoever is in Christ is a new creature. EE's saved friends are just needing help and/or discipline from him, their families, and the Lord. God helps us in our weakness. When we are weak, He is strong, so in a sense, I am OSAS but I never want to tell a person "You are saved" if they are struggling with whether they are or not. Rather, I think we need to be ready to answer the hope we have to anyone who asks us. I'm never trying to say 'by their fruit we'll know them' as to becoming an arbitrator of who is and isn't saved. I simply believe we are New Creations at the point He makes us New Creations in Christ Jesus. Romans 10:13 In Him and thank you for asking -Lon
No I didn't reread me again. All I said is that some people on drugs aren't saved and some people are. In that, I said if they were His, God is going to deliver them one way or the other. How is that not good news? :idunno: Please, please, reread me. I never said your friends weren't saved. I simply said this about anyone caught in drugs and pertaining to the thread also. Those pastors are either 1) Not saved, or 2) going in for correction, discipline, and/or deliverance. Very briefly, these are my only points I've said in thread.
