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That's an interesting statement to make. In my opinion, the Bible pretty clearly does state that it is the Word of God.
John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
2 Timothy 3:16, "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."
1 Thess 2:13, "For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe."
2 Peter 1:20-21, "But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God."
I just stuck to the New Testament but there are plenty of supports in the Old Testament as well.
That's an interesting statement to make. In my opinion, the Bible pretty clearly does state that it is the Word of God.
John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
The bible was in the beginning, and the bible became flesh?
Quote:
2 Timothy 3:16, "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."
1 Thess 2:13, "For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe."
2 Peter 1:20-21, "But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God."
I just stuck to the New Testament but there are plenty of supports in the Old Testament as well.
None of those passages claim that the bible is the Word of God.
There's a few points. For myself, I'm having to constantly defend my faith. The bottom line, is that gender identity and sexual orientation cannot be changed. I've spent a vast majority of my suppressing both, at great cost to spiritual and emotional and physical health. The Bible doesn't address gender identity or sexual orientation as such. The authors had no knowledge of either. When you call someone's very identity a sin, it's damaging. It hurts me, and other LGBTQ folk, and it upsets our allies, and we wonder how you can truly love and care about us when you say things like that.
Calling yourself a Bible believing Christian, infers that we don't. It's offensive. Please check your language. I believe the Bible as much as you do, even though I can't buy the inerrancy claim. Certainty isn't faith. Faith is the absence of certainty. I love the Bible. I wouldn't know God without it. For all of it's authors faults and foibles, it's carried the Gospel message through the ages. I believe in the Bible too. I just interpret it differently. Not everyone will have the same interpretation.
Some of us have been deeply wounded by the church. We find solace with one another. When someone comes along, and questions our loyalty, and faith, it's very much a personal attack. It doesn't get more personal. Look at it like this, if someone questioned your fidelity to your SO, day after day, if someone made the inference that you don't love him or her enough, or that your relationship is false and non-existent, you'd be defending yourself and your relationship, and you'd be mad as hell. You should be. A relationship with Christ is the same thing.
I'd like to invite you to step into our lives. As much as possible online. The same Christ that lives in you, is waiting to be encountered in us.
Well to be honest, I live in an enviroment where it is common to doubt whether or not someone is truly a child of God. And people can and do easily judge wrongly, tell others they don't have true faith when the Lord has just begun working in someones heart. So I know that can be a battle, but I know my relationship with the Lord is real because of the fruit in my life, I don't fear people judging me or denying my relationship. The outward fruit is there, I didn't touch a cigarette for 4 years now for example, but more importantly the inward fruit of the Holy Spirit is there - besides my weaknesses - I now hate the sins I once loved, and I love the God and His Word, I once ignored. And I just find a sheer joy in believing, I find joy in reading about my Lord in the Gospels and thinking about Him. More joy than this world with all it's pleasure and entertainment, can ever offer.
One of the things I think is very dangerous is denying Biblical inerrancy. The Bible claims Divine Authority for itself, the Holy Spirit wrote it using men, what makes you think there are errors in it? All flesh is as grass, but the Word of the Lord will stand forever, the Bible says. Why don't you believe that? What makes it tough, when you deny Scriptures authority, is to judge yourself spiritually against it. You don't give it ultimate authority, so, you can live against Gods Word, and still be okay with God, still have that relationship with Christ. But Christ spoke out against this quite radically!
Luke 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
Matthew 7:21 Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
And where can we find the will of the Father? In the Word of God, which is like a two edged sword.. not like a blunt kitchen knife that can have errors and mistakes, and be open for interpretation.. no it divides soul and body miss. And that's really the truth, I don't say it because I hate you.. but because Gods Word doesn't change, yes it hurts.. it hurts to be confronted with sin, it hurts to have to repent and admit we are sinful. Hurts just as much for me, but it's necessary, the Lord says 'Be ye Holy, for I am Holy!', we gotta listen if we truly love Him. And we have to sincerely have His Word to rule our lives in humble obedience, or we will be cast out with those that said 'we do not want this Man to reign over us'..
Luke 19:14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.
What is puzzling to me is that you don't like people to quote from your bible that you think is the Word of God when it doesn't agree with what you believe.
That's how you need to portray it in your own mind when people say that since you who claim you speak for God can't explain how a committed same sex relationship/marriage is harmful or unloving, it isn't reasonable to expect others to agree with you that it is a sin. Or that, according to your bible, it is the job of the Holy Spirit to convict people of their sin, not you. Somehow, to you, that's people "approving of everything". Overstate your case much?
Just what specifically can't you understand that "committed" is irrelevant to anything that God declares as one of many actions which sends the practitioner of such activity to their condemnation?
What did the agape love man Jesus say:
"For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander." ~ Jesus
"Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood." ~ Jesus
"But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who
practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of
burning sulfur. This is the second death.” ~ Jesus
Last edited by twin.spin; 07-19-2016 at 09:55 AM..
I am a little surprised to hear you say that gender and sexual orientation cannot be changed -- isn't change implied by words I often hear like gender fluid, genderqueer, questioning, etc? Just curious, not trying to be argumentative.
No, those words only refer to the degree of commitment. "Questioning," for instance might refer to an interest, but not an orientation. When a person has a solid orientation, it has been shown to be permanent.
Kudos to geekigurl, Pleroo and nate for demonstrating kindness, patience and reason in the face of deliberate obtuseness, judgmentalism and pompous self-righteousness.
Keep shining your light on the dark-spirited bible-worshipers who inhabit this forum.
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