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LIBERTY ON THE ABYSS OF THE GOSPEL???
IS IT NOT OK TO OFFER A FIRM OPINION ABOUT THE BIBLE IN PUBLIC?
[This entire message in black font is an opinion about the Bible and Jesus Christ which stipulates that it is NOT ok to offer an opinion about the Bible and Jesus Christ. Doesn't that strike you as a bit hypocritical??
What is wrong with an opinion if it is indeed correctly stipulated and actually reflects what God has said in His Word? Can you prove a particular opinion offered wrong? Well then go ahead and provide that proof or let's meet with someone you trust that can and I will recant and offer a public apology.
Incidentally, there is no scriptural reference to this phrase 'Liberty on the abyss of the gospel'. The word abyss occurs at least 9 times in Scripture each time referring to a location of demonic activity and prison of demonic angels: (Lk 8:31; Rv 9:1-2, 11; 11:7; 17:8; 20:1, 3)]
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free." GAL. v. 1.
[Gal 5:1 NIV]:
"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."
Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Walvoord & Zuck, Victor Books, 1983, p. 605):
"This verse summarizes chapter 4, where the theme is bondage and freedom. It also serves to introduce chapter 5. Paul declared that Christ was the great Liberator who set believers free from bondage. The apostle then appealed to the Galatians to stand firm (cf. 1 Cor. 16:13; Phil 1:27; 4:1; 1 Thes 3:8; 2 Thes. 2:15) in that liberty, for having been delivered from slavery to heathenism, they were in danger of becoming entangled in slavery to the Mosaic Law."]
A spiritually minded man will never come to you with the demand - 'Believe this and that;'
Jesus Christ, the epitome of the spiritually minded man said the following which is in fact a demand to believe this and that or else be condemned to the Lake of Fire for all eternity:
[John 3:18]:
[Jesus said] "Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned [to hell] already because he has not believed it the name of God's one and only Son"
Compare 1 Jn 5:9-13.
A spiritually minded man will never come to you and demand - 'Believe this and that;' but with the demand that you square your life with the standards of Jesus.
Jesus Christ Himself negated the claim that one must square one's life with His standards in order to have eternal life:
The work that one must do for eternal life is exclusively a matter of faith according to John 6:27-29:
In John 6:27-29, our Lord explicitly states that the work that one must do for eternal life is exclusively a matter of faith. So to obey the Lord unto eternal salvation must necessarily be to obey His command to trust alone in Him alone for eternal life, no deeds required:
[Jn 6:27-29]:
(v. 27) "[Jesus answered] Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.
(v. 28) Then they asked Him, 'What must we do to do the works God requires?'
(v. 29) Jesus answered, 'The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent'"
[Our Lord picks up on the word 'work' which the disciples were mindful of; but He used it not in a literal sense but a figurative one and provided the answer which is no work at all: but to simply believe in Jesus Christ as Savior = the One that God sent: Faith alone in Christ alone.
We are not asked to believe the bible, but to believe the One Whom the bible reveals (cf. John v. 39-40)
[John 5:39-40]:
(v. 39) "You diligently study the Scripture because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about Me,
(v. 40) yet you refuse to come to Me to have life."
The implication here is that the Pharisees did not accept what the Scriptures testified about the Lord Jesus Christ. Yet by some unstipulated reason they held that by the Scriptures they possess eternal life. Other passages indicate that the Pharisees held that by keeping the Law of Moses they would attain eternal life. Furthermore in no way does this passage or any passage condemn searching the Scriptures or expounding upon them in public. Furthermore, no where does it say in the bible not to believe what the Bible says. This last idea is circular nonsense: then why read of what the Bible testifies of Jesus if you are not going to believe what it says???
In order to believe the One Whom the Bible reveals one must necessarily believe what the bible says about that One???? To believe what God says in His Word, the Bible, is to believe in what Jesus says and in what God has revealed in the Bible about His Son. To stipulate that believing in what the Bible says is different from believing in Jesus Christ is nonsensical. The only true place to receive information about Who Jesus is and what He has said is the Bible. To not believe in what the Bible says is tantamount to not believing in Who Jesus is and what He has commanded:
[Mt 4:4]:
"[Jesus said] " 'It is written [in the bible]: Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' "
We are called to present liberty of conscience, not liberty of view. If we are free with the liberty of Christ, others will be brought into that same liberty - the liberty of realizing the dominance of Jesus Christ.
Always keep your life measured by the standards of Jesus. Bow your neck to His yoke alone, and to no other yoke whatever, and be careful to see that you never bind a yoke on others that is not placed by Jesus Christ. It takes God along time to get us out of the way of thinking that unless everyone sees as we do, they must be wrong. That is never God's view. There is only one liberty, the liberty of Jesus at work in our conscience enabling us to do what is right.
Don't get impatient, remember how God dealt with you - with patience and with gentleness; but never water down the truth of God. Let it have its way and never apologize for it. Jesus said, 'God and make disciples,' not 'make converts to your opinions.' "
Agreed and the only way an individual can know what it takes to keep our life measured by the standards of Jesus is to study the Bible carefully and accept and obey what it teaches - so one must believe what the Bible says and obey it. And if someone else voices an opinion that clearly reflects truths from God's Word, there is nothing wrong with such opinion - it is in obedience to the leading of the Holy Spirit and should be heeded. When I do such, I am simply exercising my spiritual gift.
Have I said anything that is unscriptural? Not to my knowledge. Please point out where I have been incorrect? If I have offered an opinion that lines up with what God has said in His Word than it is true and should not be rejected, so much the more not criticized or attacked as mere opinion without any validity.
It takes God a long time to get us out of the way of thinking that unless everyone sees as we do, they must be wrong.
I suspect you have the impression about me that I believe that I am always correct when I speak of what God says in His Word. Perhaps it would be best to indicate where you think I have deviated from what the Bible teaches. If I have not deviated from what God has said in His Word then I would suggest that you be silent in your criticism of what I have said in spite of what you think my motivations are, for you place yourself in jeopardy of disagreeing with what God has said and placed in my heart to testify about to you and others.
You may further investigate 'my theology' and find fault if you like right on the internet:
http://www.biblestudymanuals.net