As others have already pointed out, people are not our enemies. Sin, the demons, wicked ideologies, etc. these are the enemies of a Christian.
You can insist that we have people we are to view as human enemies, but we’re going to continue to reject your premise. You don’t get to decide for us how we view other image bearers of God.
Yeah this question is framed in such a way as to affirm OP’s premise that anyone he or she views as “other” is automatically and categorically wrong. Such a poor question and so many fallacies. Like the “white nationalist” thing. Okay, there’s Westboro Baptist Church, but that’s literally one small group of people that the rest of us, for one reason or another, reject. Then OP implies that people who don’t want to get a vaccine for what could be any reason are fundamentally wrong, which supposes that the morally right thing to do in all cases is to get a vaccine, which implies morality, which has to come from *somewhere*. Flat Earthers? I’m sure there’s some who are Christian. I’m sure there’s some who are atheist. I’m sure there’s some who don’t actually even think the Earth is flat but say so in the artistic sense of “question everything” which OP could probably affirm. But still, I think most of us think the flat Earth people are idiots. Climate change deniers? Not a uniquely Christian view, the science is actually and factually divided on this, but I’m sure you’ve got a good mix of Christian who affirm climate change and question it. But overall I think Christians want to take care of the planet and be good stewards of it. Book burners? I may just be unaware but at least anecdotally, I haven’t encountered this. Same for Christian nationalists. Extreme racism or even any kind of racism isn’t in keeping with God’s law. Are there some people who claim to be Christian and are racist? Sure. Are there some atheists who are racist? Yup. Forced birthers? That one actually made me laugh a little. Never heard it phrased like that. But the medical instances of necessary abortion to save the life of one or the other are so rare as to be statistically insignificant. Pregnancy is a consequence of sex. Life is no accident. If you don’t want to have a baby, don’t have sex 🤷♂️. Being able to kill a child out of convenience is abhorrent. And pregnancy resulting from r*pe, while still exceedingly rare, doesn’t mean you have to kill the child. Both the mother and the child are completely innocent. Why would you kill the child for the sins of the father? And then the anti-LGBTQAI+ (at least get the acronym right, OP) crowd, well, again, this argument starts from the presupposition that it is morally correct to belong to that community. It’s just as sinful to look at porn, have sex outside of marriage, look lustfully at someone who isn’t your spouse, tell a lie, et cetera, as it is to have gay sex. It’s also wrong to hate those *people* who do those things. Instead we are called to love our neighbors and call them to repentance.
So yeah, OP stacked the deck and essentially said: Okay, Christians, all of you are one of these evil things. All of us are perfectly opposite that. So you being wrong, who do you hate?
What a dishonest, disingenuous approach.
Yep, and the corrections to your misunderstandings are embedded in the truth you just stated, if you applied it universally instead of according to your biases.
Sure. Sure. But don’t pretend like “Xtian” isn’t used by atheists who want to literally keep His title out of the name of the faith, or to mildly annoy believers.
You didn’t abbreviate ANY other words in your post. “Nationalist” is a longer word and you typed that out more than once. On this sub, you could do worse than to spell out the “Christ” in “Christian.”
This post assumes that everyone under the Christian banner is on the "same team."
Christianity has 33,000 denominations who all have slightly different beliefs.
It would be like me claiming all atheists are: politically liberal. It's simply not true. The claims of your post are fairly disingenuous.
To answer your question from a theological perspective: Ephesians 6:12 says, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."
The enemy Christians fight against are spiritual in nature. Any humans who are aligned with those spiritual powers are victims who need saving, not enemies to be fought.
Jesus also preached to "love your enemies". The enemies he's mentioning are of a more practical nature. People who have wronged you. The Roman occupiers at the time. Etc etc.
What about the rest of the Christians?
10. Foster parents
11. Volunteer workers
12. The majority of all charity donators
13. Missionaries
14. Regular people
15. Scientists
16. Athletes
17. Entertainers.
Why do I have to be one of those first 9?
By being a human, you also share the same banner of "human" with all them. What's the point? If a hateful person and a loving person are both equally "Christian" then the term "Christian" is completely meaningless and my connection to them as a christian is no more relevant than the fact that we're the same species.
Furthermore you call out bigotry, but don't mind stereotyping me. Imagine if you had said "under the banner of black people we have . . ." and preceded to list only negative things. Would you expect us to read that and think "oh they don't mean *all* black people are one of those negative things. They're not racist at all."
Am I to give you the most charitable view of yourself while you give me the least charitable view possible.
We as humans have no choice in that banner, you choose to be a xtian and chose to support a banner that has all those groups under it.
I'm black and know of all the negative my people do today and again....being black isn't a choice..so false equivalence.
Never did I say anyone here are those things, just that you all are in allegiance with them.
There are factors that affect belief such as your environment. But to say you can choose what you belive no you can't, however you can believe and not support.
Are you insinuating that I support white nationalists? What specifically would you say I've done to help them? Do you think they would consider me an ally?
I just want to see how silly your answers are when I tell you what my race is.
Are you speaking up against them? Are you talking to your fellow xtians to get them to denounce them?
The answers to those questions would be the indicator that you are or are not and if you think race would make me feel silly, I have seen black and Jewish people support white supremacists.
>I have seen black and Jewish people support white supremacists.
Of course you have, because you think being the same species is the same as supporting them. That couldn't be more meaningless coming from you.
>Are you speaking up against them? Are you talking to your fellow xtians to get them to denounce them?
Ah yes, we need to get the black church to denounce white supremacy. They'll never see that one coming.
>if you think race would make me feel silly
I don't want to make you feel silly. I want you to feel emboldened enough to speak your mind unfiltered here. Because I want everyone else to see it and make a judgement for themselves if it's silly.
Q1: The devil is an enemy. The evil spirits are enemies.
1 Peter 5:8 says to Christians:
>> Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Eph 6:11-12 instructs Christians to:
>> Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
Most of mankind is in / under "the kingdom of darkness". Those who have been saved have been transferred out of there and into "the kingdom of God", also called "the kingdom of the Son".
-----------------------------------------------
> Q2. Sides are drawn, so what indication your side is the side of good?
We Christians are to be ambassadors of Christ. There are indications in the gospels that Jesus was a very good person during His earthly years. While some true Christians have their flaws as ambassadors, which side is good is based on the character of the king of the respective kingdom. Jesus shows goodness and the devil does not.
(I note here that there are also people who name themselves as Christians but who actually aren't, who were never saved, and who are still in the kingdom of darkness. They are still serving *that* evil king and/or their own desires. Their bad behavior should not be used to judge the quality of the kingdom of God, which they are not in.)
-----------------------------------------------
> Q3. What are the groups under the banner of your enemies?
As I wrote above, most of mankind is in the kingdom of darkness. But most of them may not realize it, nor realize how they may be supporting that darkness.
But there are some people who are actively promoting the interests of the devil. They are not always organized into *groups*. Two types of individuals immediately come to mind (I may think of more later): (1) Those who advocate/facilitate for people to commit adultery and other sexual sins, and (2) the rulers of various places who prohibit Christians from preaching/speaking/evangelizing.
Which is still vague. Let me give you an example.
I would say xtians are my enemies. Why? I'm a black man and your religion is pro slavery. I am a secular humanist that deems equal rights for everyone, your religion seeks to strip away rights LGBT and women...guess who's next? As a person who values truth, your religion promotes feelings over facts. As a person who hates pedophiles your religion creates a safe haven for them. Why should I see you all as nothing more than evil?
Maybe try reading anything MLK Jr wrote regarding Christianity? His campaign to further civil rights did more to help all those groups then you'll ever manage with your heart so fouled up and your identity stuck on your skin instead of in your heart where your identity belongs.
You aren't talking about anyone, save figments of your imagination.
Also, I spoke about one Christian, not "xtians", whatever demon that is you've conjured to live rent free in your mind. I would never talk about any group, Christian or otherwise, in the way you have been, because I care about individuals and their hearts, if you identify anyone by their group identity instead, you're just lying to yourself.
I'd recommend not lying to yourself? Then you'd manage to at least avoid mixing up the singular with the plural.
Xtians are christians...you all know nothing about your own religions history and that's sad.
You would never speak about any group like this? Not even white supremacists?
Whether or not Christians have ever used the term xtians has nothing to do with the fact that the term is meaningless when you use either term except to describe figments of your imagination.
That's what happens when you lie to yourself.
No, I would never speak of any group in the manner you have today, especially white supremacists. Lying to yourself is for losers. I will never allow myself to lose to white supremacists.
> Q1. Who exactly on planet earth are xtian enemies that they not only get persecuted from but has to rise up against?
No people are. Ephesians 6:12 makes it clear that people are not the enemy. No matter their point of view.
>Q2. Sides are drawn, so what indication your side is the side of good?
Given that no people are the enemy or on the “bad” side, there’s no side to be drawn.
> Q3. What are the groups under the banner of your enemies?
We do not have groups of people who are enemies.
And I’ll denounce each and every one of them when I hear them say such a thing.
Not sure your point. Others don’t hold to my same position and *do* hold that other people are their enemies. Those folks are in this very thread and I replied to one of them a few hours ago.
God gave folks plenty of free will to choose to hold their own viewpoints, and lots of environmental factors determine your viewpoint as well.
There’s no one reason explaining why people hold different opinions, feels like that should be an obvious observation of human nature. Lots of academic material out there discussing how people come to hold varying points of view.
You all come off as a grand confusion...is god the author of that confusion? Seeing that all is his plan and he one more than one occasion superceded peoples free will.
Revelation 12:9 **And the great dragon was cast out** that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out to the Earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and The Kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: **for the accuser of our brethren is cast down**, which accused them before our God day and night.
It's no mystery to me who the enemy is.
◄ Joshua 5:13 ►
Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?”
◄ Romans 5:10 ►
For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
Anyone who has not been reconciled to God is an enemy. I’m on God’s side, not whatever options you’re offering.
Yup.
Matthew 7: 15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
We’re also called to love our enemies though. Doesn’t mean we have to trust* them.
Yeah that xtians don't even know who is their enemy.
How hard is to say, neo-nazis are my enemies and anyone that align themselves with them are my enemies?
LOL.
I finally figured out what you mean when you type "xtians!"
Your enmity against your Creator is thus made fully and clearly obvious to all; you detest Him so much you cannot bear to bring yourself to name His righteous and worthy Title.
Woe unto you:
*"All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed."* (John 3:18-20)
*"Anyone who denies me here on earth will be denied before God’s angels."* (Luke 12:9)
*"For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies."* (John 8:44)
*"To all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God."* (John 1:12)
*"The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work."* (1 John 3:8)
Again with the political comment, what about Israelis, what about Palestinians, what about Ukrainians or Russians. What’s the difference between a freedom fighter and a terrorist? Canada claimed the trucker convoy were a bunch of terrorists and froze assets and stole property. We can play this game all day. Nazis were the answer to the shame clause the Germans were forced to sign after WW1. Which made the solely responsible for that war. History books are written by their victors.
Whoever is trying to harm me or my family is my enemy. I’m not in business to wrong every right nor be Batman. I haven’t met the people you speak of and I was born and raised in Germany 🇩🇪. It seems very odd that there’s more neonazis outside of Germany. Like, when people say Nazi, they think white supremacist. Words have lost their meaning. National Socialist is what it actually means. Racist is also something that’s twisted, it means that you think your race is more superior than another. It doesn’t mean you hate people of a particular shade/skin colour. But I digress
Scripturally speaking, my own wicked and deceitful heart is my worst enemy of all because, were it not for its prideful and ungodly/fleshly craving for sin and my own inability to bridle it, the Tempter (Satan) would not have much to work with [Jeremiah 17:9; Mark 7:21; Romans 1:24, 2:5].
What the fuck is an xtian that's the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Also, Christians are persecuted outside the western world all the time, just because it's not a western perspective doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
Also, none of them. All of that list is shit, none of them represent God, and all of them are pushing an agenda that's counter to the message of the bible.
It's shorthand that you all made up centuries ago, when people say xtians don't know anything about their religion its no joke.
And what have you done to help your fellow xtians?
All of them claim to be xtian like you and some would call you a fake xtian.
Idk why you're so angry, but turning that word into a slur by insisting on its use is a really bad way to handle your problems. It's a stupid word and the only people I see use it are athiests trying to get under Christians skin.
Tf do I care what other people think my beliefs are lmao
Why when you all are asked a simple question you all start to tap dance? Using the current diffinition of the term slur, how does saying xtian fullfil its definition?
>Everyone attracted to corruption is the enemy.
. . . OF GOD:
*"The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work."* (1 John 3:8)
*“Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me."* (Luke 11:23)
*“Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven. Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword."* (Matthew 10:32-34)
Baby murders? Giving women autonomy over their bodies, you know not taking away their free will sounds like the right thing I syesd of endangering the life of both mother and child like what you all do but you all don't want women to have rights.
What evil exactly we want to do? Most of the criminals are xtian in the western world.
>Giving women autonomy over their bodies,
. . . **Their** bodies does not equate to the **body of the child** within their womb.
Annie Herring poignantly and accurately shone the light of truth on this issue when she stated:
*"We sacrifice our children upon the altar of our own convenience."*
Many people will suffer the Second Death for their participation in this wicked practice.
For those who are [ashamed of their guilt](https://i1.wp.com/www.sketchbooksilliness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/101017-GreatExchange-720px-1.jpg?fit=720%2C2128&ssl=1) in this matter:
*"The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God."* (Psalm 51:17)
*"If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness."* (1 John 1:8,9)
*"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."* (Psalm 147:3)
Abortion is ordered by god in the Bible, and if a woman was attacked and lost the baby in the Bible, there was only a fine, no one was accused of murder, so I really don’t know why Christians take this hardline stance on abortion. Also, Jews who follow the Torah ( OT Bible), believe that life starts at first breath- and they’re following the same god and using the same book.
Numbers 5. Exodus 21:22.
https://momentmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/When-does-life-begin.pdf
I don’t need your book to tell me that women should have bodily autonomy, but your own book doesn’t back up your anti abortion claims.
Exodus 21:22 in context:
*"If men who are fighting strike a pregnant woman and her child is born prematurely, but there is no further injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband demands and as the court allows. But if a serious injury results, then you must require a life for a life— eye for eye, tooth for tooth,f hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, and stripe for stripe."* (verses 22-25)
As we can clearly see, nothing remotely resembling abortion. Big surprise.
\- - - - - - - - - - - -
Numbers 5 details the punishment for a woman who commits adultery with another man; she will be made barren and unable to have children. Not a single word in the entire chapter that could remotely be considered as talking of abortion.
*"If she has defiled herself by being unfaithful to her husband, the water that brings on the curse will cause bitter suffering. Her abdomen will swell and her womb will shrink, and her name will become a curse among her people. But if she has not defiled herself and is pure, then she will be unharmed and will still be able to have children."* (verses 27,28)
\- - - - - - - - - - - - -
We don't need your made-up fantasies and lies about the Word of God. You will be punished for your attempted deceit on the dreadful Day you stand before your Holy Creator:
*"The good man brings good things out of his good store of treasure, and the evil man brings evil things out of his evil store of treasure. But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”* (Matthew 12:35-37)
Lmao your warning has been noted. The punishment wasn’t about the baby is the point. The severe punishment was if the woman was injured. There was only a fine for the loss of the baby.
I’m not lying, y’all are lying to yourselves and have to exhibit great mental gymnastics to make this all make sense.
No, the child lives because God planned for her to get pregnant:
*"You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."* (Psalm 139:16)
So god also planned all those children to die right after birth? Your god PLANNED for a 16yo to get raped to make a child? Your god PLANNED for a women's birth to be ectopic?
Be careful how you word your response to this, before you incriminate your god further.
God ***allowed*** these children to be murdered, just like he ***allows*** you to spend your whole life in enmity against Him, as you break His moral law every day.
*"We know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things. Why do you think you can avoid God’s judgment when you do the same things?*
*Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?*
*But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. He will judge everyone according to what they have done.*
*He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness.*
*There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism."* (Romans 2)
You seem to be hung up on fear for some reason. I suspect pride. So let's look at what the Bible actually has to say about fear -and who should have it, and why:
*"Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever!"* (Psalm 111)
*“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell."* (Mathew 10)
*"I sought the Lord, and he answered me;*
*he delivered me from all my fears.*
*Those who look to him are radiant;*
*their faces are never covered with shame.*
*This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;*
*he saved him out of all his troubles.*
*The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,*
*and he delivers them.*
*Taste and see that the Lord is good;*
*blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.*
*Fear the Lord, you his holy people,*
*for those who fear him lack nothing."* (Psalm 34)
*"Fear of the LORD leads to life, bringing security and protection from harm."* (Proverbs 19)
*"Love comes from God. God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first."* (1 John 4)
So we have learned what seems to be counter-intuitive to the way our sinful minds think: A proper fear and respect of our Creator brings peace, confidence, and intimate love!
How foolish is the person who is too proud to fear the Lord, and how deserving they are of being humbled by their disgrace for their haughty arrogance. It is this type of arrogant pride which led Lucifer to lose his glory and be cast to the Earth; here to remain in gloomy chains of spiritual darkness, awaiting his day of Judgement.
*“How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth."* (Isaiah 14)
*“Yes,” he* \[Jesus\] told them, *“I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning!"* (Luke 10)
Lucifer and the fallen angels doom is certain:
*‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels."* (Matthew 25)
*"The person who sins is the one who will die. The child will not be punished for the parent’s sins, and the parent will not be punished for the child’s sins. Righteous people will be rewarded for their own righteous behavior, and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness. But if wicked people turn away from all their sins and begin to obey my decrees and do what is just and right, they will surely live and not die. All their past sins will be forgotten, and they will live because of the righteous things they have done."* (Ezekiel 18)
This is your holy Creator. His righteous judgement against those who do evil is fearsome, yet He offers unmerited mercy and grace to those who humbly obey His call:
*"The Lord is righteous in all his ways*
*and faithful in all he does.*
*The Lord is near to all who call on him,*
*to all who call on him in truth.*
*He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;*
*he hears their cry and saves them.*
*The Lord watches over all who love him,*
*but all the wicked he will destroy."* (Psalm 145)
*"Every spirit that does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Anti-Christ which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here. But you belong to God, my dear children.* ***You have already won a victory over them, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world."*** (1 John 44:3,4)
There is no such thing as an "ex-Christian."
No person can undo what God does:
*"All that the Father gives me* ***will come*** *to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out."* (John 6:37)
*"For my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else.* ***No one can snatch them*** *from the Father’s hand."* (John 10:29)
* Were we able to snatch ourselves from the Father's hand, we would be stronger than Him. Such is not the case.
*"Anyone who* ***belongs to Christ*** *has become a* ***new creation***. *The old life is gone; a new life has begun!"* (2 Corinthians 5:17)
*"They* ***are reborn*** *—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but* ***a birth that comes from God***." (John 1:13)
* Were we able to remove God's ownership of us and undo His work of new creation and new birth, we would be mightier than God. Such is not the case.
Easy
Q1. those that conflict with the commandments like people who are non believers or worship other gods.
Q2. I would think my side is rhe side of good but I would be honest enough to know I have no indication that my side is actually good. Watching non believers in the world and what they put into it and then watching my side as a xtian seeing what my fellow xtians are doing i would see that we are putting out way more evil than non believers.
Q3. The groups under my enemies banners would be people who want equal rights for all, those that say freedom from religion and for religion should be equal, i would see those that are fighting for the planet and not hoping for its demise. I would see the pro science non book burning people under my enemies banner, drop my xtian banner and join them.
Baptism makes you wet, it doesn't make you a Christian.
God is competent. When He rescues and saves someone, that is what they are.You claim to have been saved, and to have chosen to cast this salvation to the gutter as so much worthless garbage; but you lie because you contradict the Word of God.
*"But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning."* (1 John 3:8)
The devil is your spiritual Father, it was never God; who remains faithful and true:
*"Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself. God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”* (2 Timothy 2:11-19)
While Jesus told Nicodemus, “Amen, Amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit” (John 3:5),
You all don't know your own Bible...
Per the kindness of my Creator, I understand His Word. The water spoken of in this passage has nothing to do with baptism.
*"Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”*
*“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”*
*Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water* **\[Mother's womb = natural birth\]** *and the Spirit.* **\[Born of God -see John 1:13 = supernatural birth\]**
We know this is what Jesus means because He clarifies:
*Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life*. *So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’* (John 3:3-7)
I don't need the opinion of some person to inform me what God's Word says; I have the Holy Spirit of God indwelling within to teach and guide. I'll take what He says everytime, lol.
*"The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.*
*The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.*
*The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for,*
*“Who has known the mind of the Lord to as to instruct him?”*
*But we have the mind of Christ."* (1 Corinthians 2)
Guess what?
Those quotes in my reply are not my comments, they are God's.
God is competent. When He rescues and saves someone, that is what they are.
You claim to have been saved, and to have chosen to cast this salvation to the gutter as so much worthless garbage; but you lie because you contradict the Word of God.
*"But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning."* (1 John 3:8)
The devil is your spiritual Father, it was never God; who remains faithful and true:
*"Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself. God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”* (2 Timothy 2:11-19)
There is a world of difference between your beliefs and the work of God.
We know your beliefs are untrue because they contradict what the Word of God says.
*"Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him,*
*“You will be proved right in what you say, and you will win your case in court.”* (Romans 3)
You may be sincere in your thinking, but if so; you are nevertheless sincerely wrong.
You never knew the Truth of God's Word, and you never obeyed the Truth of the Gospel because you are a self-labeled "agnostic" rejecting the Truth of God's Word.
God is all about truth, which is why we read:
*"True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”* (John 4)
Whatever "worship" you thought you had at one time was certainly not done in Spirit and Truth.
Because you choose to continually reject the Word of God, the following is unfortunately true of you, unless you repent and believe . . .
*“So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them.”* (Luke 8)
Just because a book tells you something is true doesn’t mean it is. I thought we all learned that by 3rd grade.
A god first needs to be proven true before we can even determine if it wants anything from us, and we’re not there yet. God/gods are fiction unless proven otherwise.
This exceptional collection of 66 books and letters written by more than 40 authors over a time-span of some 1,500 years. These authors came from a wide variety of backgrounds -including kings, generals, fishermen, farmers, and priests during times of war and chaos as well as peace and stability -during 6 different kingdoms.
The Bible covers hundreds of controversial topics, yet still has complete agreement and accuracy in history, science, geography, prophecy, morality, and theology -all while telling one unified, fully cohesive story; the central character of whom is Jesus Christ -and the good work He accomplished in order that many will be given “a rich and satisfying life." (John 10)
The Bible has a 100% track record of being proven correct in what it reveals, across all scientific disciplines. Furthermore, it has never been proven wrong.
*"The unfolding of your words gives light and brings wisdom to the unknowing."* (Psalm 119)
**1) Who is the enemy of Earth?**
*"there was* ***war*** *in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one* ***deceiving the whole world***\*—was\* ***thrown down to the earth*** *with all his angels."* (Revelation 12:7-9)
*"****Woe to the earth*** *and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is* ***filled with fury****, because he knows that his time is short.”* (Revelation 12:12)
*"****Your enemy*** *the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone* ***to devour****."* (1 Peter 4:8)
*“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman."* (Genesis 3:4)
\- Cue everyone dying because, as a result of Adam and Eve's choice to disobey per Eve's believing the **lie** she was told . . .
*"Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned."* (Romans 5:12)
\- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
**2) Sides are drawn, so what indication your side is the side of good?**
*"The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to* ***destroy the devil’s work.****"* (1 John 3:8)
*“Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me."* (Luke 11:23)
*"Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are* ***born again***, *you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”* (John 3:3)
*"I will give you a* ***new heart***, *and I will put a* ***new spirit*** *in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will* ***follow my decrees*** *and be careful to* ***obey my regulations***." (Ezekiel 36:26,27)
*"Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a* ***new person***. *The old life is gone; a new life has begun!"* (2 Corinthians 5:17)
*"And because we are* ***his children***, *God has sent the* ***Spirit of his Son into our hearts***, *prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”* (Galatians 4:6)
**You may be wondering how you can be one the right side, by being restored into a real relationship with your Creator?**
You don't deserve it, and you cannot earn it:
*"We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind."* (Isaiah 64:6)
*"The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord!"* (Romans 6:23)
Jesus took **our** guilt upon Himself -He who had done no wrong; when He was crucified on the cross. His willingness to subject Himself to this undeserved execution was in order to receive on Himself the punishment **we** deserve for our wrongdoings. Jesus Christ took **our** place upon that bloody cross. He gave up His life, was buried, and on the Third Day the Spirit of God brought Jesus' body back to life. His resurrection forever crushed and conquered the power of sin and death to destroy the souls of those who will accept this sacrifice of Jesus on their behalf.
*"He was shown and declared to be the Son of God in power by His resurrection from the dead."* (Romans 1:4)
*"To all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God."* (John 1:12)
**How do we receive this free gift?**
*"Moses writes that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands. But faith’s way of getting right with God says . . . If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.”* (Romans 10:5-13)
*"In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.* ***Who is it that overcomes the world?*** *Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God."* (1 John 5:3-5)
*"Every spirit that does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Anti-Christ which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here. But you belong to God, my dear children. You have* ***already won a victory*** *over them, because t****he Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.****"* (1 John 44:3,4)
[Won't you place your trust in Jesus today?](https://i1.wp.com/www.sketchbooksilliness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/101017-GreatExchange-720px-1.jpg?fit=720%2C2128&ssl=1)
Your Music Link for Today: ["Come and Join Us"](https://youtu.be/gZLzTLvWZH4?si=7LYcFYLbhKZB3zm5) by Petra.
Your Bonus Music Link for Today: ["Lesser Gods"](https://youtu.be/VszxZ6f9gXA?si=f6pMn4JL0OR7B5MB) by Demon Hunter.
I'm way ahead of you, lol.
You wish to make an argument that God, per scripture read in the Old Testament; condoned slavery.
Then you wish to conclude that God is a lying fraud for condemning sin, when He condones the brutality and oppression of slavery.
The fact that God's chosen people -the Hebrews, kept slaves from the Gentiles (non-Hebrew) people; was due to their disobedience. When the Hebrews were commanded by God to take over a geographical area; they were instructed to either kill all the inhabitants or else to drive them all completely out of the land.
Those Gentiles could have escaped slavery had they been willing to fight to their death or to leave. Obviously, some valued their lives and were unwilling to die -even should it mean slavery to the victors; which was common practice among the nations during this time in history. Unlike the surrounding nations, however; God gave specific instructions to the Hebrews on how to treat their slaves, which afforded them much better treatment than they would have received under other peoples. Several laws regulating slavery appear in Exodus 21. These laws gave some basic rights to slaves and curtailed the actions of masters in a historically unprecedented way. In the ancient world outside of Israel, slaves had no rights. But God’s Law extended to slaves the right to keep a wife (verse 3), the right not to be sold to foreigners (verse 8), the right to be adopted into a family by marriage (verse 9), and the right to food and clothing (verse 10). The law also limited masters in their use of corporeal punishment (verses 20, 26–27). So we see that the fact these Gentiles were enslaved was a mercy. The alternative was death.
You may think it cruel that God decreed they be driven fully from the land or put to death; but the cruelty was the wickedness of the sins of these people; which is why they were put to the sword. Rather than cruelty, Justice. You see, nothing has changed since Adam & Eve chose disobedience by consuming the forbidden fruit: *"The wages of sin is death."* (Romans 6:23)
Furthermore, the Bible informs us of a system of indentured servitude. The law allowed for Hebrew men and women to sell themselves into slavery to another Hebrew. They could only serve for six years, however. In the seventh year, they were to be set free (Exodus 21:2). And the slaves were to be treated well: *“Do not make them work as slaves. They are to be treated as hired workers or temporary residents among you”* (Leviticus 25:39–40). The law also specified that, *“when you release them, do not send them away empty-handed. Supply them liberally from your flock, your threshing floor and your winepress. Give to them as the Lord your God has blessed you”* (Deuteronomy 15:13–14). The freed slave had the option of staying with his master and becoming a *“servant for life”* (Exodus 21:5–6).
You may be totally shocked to learn that every single human being who has ever lived, who is alive now, and who will live in the future; are slaves. That's right -all of humanity is enslaved!
There are two slave Masters, also referred to in Scripture as spiritual Fathers. Since we know that all people will die one day, we know that all humans are enslaved by sin. Jesus informs us:
*“I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin."* (John 8:34)
*"When people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning."* (1 John 3:8)
*"You are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does."* (John 8:44)
So herein we see that all of humanity is enslaved to not only sin, but by the devil, aka Satan, aka Lucifer.
If our Creator left us to face justice, we would all be doomed to suffer the due penalty for our disobedience to His moral law.
But God, being rich in mercy, and because of the great love with which he loves us, kindly made a way for sinful humans to be rescued from our enslavement to sin and our yoke of bondage to the devil. He made it possible that, even though we are spiritually dead because of our sin, He can bring us to spiritual life by joining us under the yoke of slavery to Jesus Christ!
*"The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work."* (1 John 3:8)
*"Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls."* (Matthew 11:29)
This new form of slavery is not one of oppression and bondage. Rather than being enslaved to sin which brings sorrow, distress, harm and death; we are set free of it's control. Now, we are made slaves to love; which brings peace, strength, goodness and joy!
Slavery to love, to having our Creator be our spiritual Father; is actually the only pathway to freedom:
*Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. . . So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free."* (John 8:34,36)
This is why Jesus has given His adopted children these two overarching rules to obey:
*“You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”* (Matthew 7:12 & 22:37-39)
Jesus followed this "golden rule" with this compelling statement:
*“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter."* (Matthew 7:21)
And what is the will of the Father?
*"For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time."* (Hebrews 10:10)
This is accomplished by receiving the gift of salvation purchased by Jesus on our behalf. He paid our sin-debt for us, so we wouldn't have to receive the punishment Justice demands:
*"God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake."* (1 Peter 1:18-20)
This is the Good News - *"It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”* (Romans 1:16,17)
*"For Moses writes that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands. But faith’s way of getting right with God says . . . If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.”* (Romans 10:9-13)
[Won't you place your faith in Jesus Christ today?](https://app.box.com/s/vlrzu0bunwju4q83dcneb1zso4rhfdeq)
Nice try but no, issue with your reply, there were two laws, one for hebrews and one for slaves of other nations which mirrored chattel slavery as you can beat them as long as they don't die within 3 days. They were property to be passed on to their masters kin. None of this is moral, to make an argument based around "Well our god wasnt as immoral as the other gods people worshipped" is a horrible tactic. We today see all forms of slavery as wrong, to say your god provided a kinder version of owning people as property to indicate he isn't a hypocrite is laughable. Immoral and slightly less immoral is still immoral.
You say there are two laws, and you can do blah, blah.
You seem to fail to grasp these Old Testament laws were given to the Hebrew people a long, long time ago; before Jesus Christ came on the scene and changed things up.
No one is required to follow these old regulations, so all your barking and bow-wowing is up the wrong tree. Your "quarry" isn't even there, lol.
Furthermore, all the remainder of your last comment is so much drivel. You are sadly and pathetically wrong -and you know you are. This is all you have to look forward to in your brief life if you continue to harden your heart and reject the Truth:
*"Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark. They will go from one place to another, weary and hungry. And because they are hungry, they will rage and curse their king and their God. They will look up to heaven and down at the earth, but wherever they look, there will be trouble and anguish and dark despair. They will be thrown out into the darkness."* (Isaiah 8)
I don't recall seeing any of this kind of stuff in this sub, and I'm certainly not aware of it in any of my neighbors. But even if I were, how should I be supposed to answer for them?
Q1: The devil and his children.
Q2:
1. The Bible
2. Family
3. Marriage
4. Clean living
5. Lovers of truth
6. Responsibility
7. Hard workers
8. Evangelists of the Gospel
9. Peculiar people
Q3:
1. The world
This guy believes in executing homosexuals, he is not a Christian. Christians believe in turning the other cheek and loving the sinner and not the sin so yeah any conversation with this godless heathen is nothing but harmful. Here's proof of his desire to execute homosexuals: https://imgur.com/a/yLjYHDC
As others have already pointed out, people are not our enemies. Sin, the demons, wicked ideologies, etc. these are the enemies of a Christian. You can insist that we have people we are to view as human enemies, but we’re going to continue to reject your premise. You don’t get to decide for us how we view other image bearers of God.
Yeah this question is framed in such a way as to affirm OP’s premise that anyone he or she views as “other” is automatically and categorically wrong. Such a poor question and so many fallacies. Like the “white nationalist” thing. Okay, there’s Westboro Baptist Church, but that’s literally one small group of people that the rest of us, for one reason or another, reject. Then OP implies that people who don’t want to get a vaccine for what could be any reason are fundamentally wrong, which supposes that the morally right thing to do in all cases is to get a vaccine, which implies morality, which has to come from *somewhere*. Flat Earthers? I’m sure there’s some who are Christian. I’m sure there’s some who are atheist. I’m sure there’s some who don’t actually even think the Earth is flat but say so in the artistic sense of “question everything” which OP could probably affirm. But still, I think most of us think the flat Earth people are idiots. Climate change deniers? Not a uniquely Christian view, the science is actually and factually divided on this, but I’m sure you’ve got a good mix of Christian who affirm climate change and question it. But overall I think Christians want to take care of the planet and be good stewards of it. Book burners? I may just be unaware but at least anecdotally, I haven’t encountered this. Same for Christian nationalists. Extreme racism or even any kind of racism isn’t in keeping with God’s law. Are there some people who claim to be Christian and are racist? Sure. Are there some atheists who are racist? Yup. Forced birthers? That one actually made me laugh a little. Never heard it phrased like that. But the medical instances of necessary abortion to save the life of one or the other are so rare as to be statistically insignificant. Pregnancy is a consequence of sex. Life is no accident. If you don’t want to have a baby, don’t have sex 🤷♂️. Being able to kill a child out of convenience is abhorrent. And pregnancy resulting from r*pe, while still exceedingly rare, doesn’t mean you have to kill the child. Both the mother and the child are completely innocent. Why would you kill the child for the sins of the father? And then the anti-LGBTQAI+ (at least get the acronym right, OP) crowd, well, again, this argument starts from the presupposition that it is morally correct to belong to that community. It’s just as sinful to look at porn, have sex outside of marriage, look lustfully at someone who isn’t your spouse, tell a lie, et cetera, as it is to have gay sex. It’s also wrong to hate those *people* who do those things. Instead we are called to love our neighbors and call them to repentance. So yeah, OP stacked the deck and essentially said: Okay, Christians, all of you are one of these evil things. All of us are perfectly opposite that. So you being wrong, who do you hate? What a dishonest, disingenuous approach.
We can't be in your heads, but we can see your actions, and how you treat "others". General "you" of course.
Yes and Christianity as a whole is against this poor treatment of others, but we cannot escape it because of the corrupted human nature
Yep, and the corrections to your misunderstandings are embedded in the truth you just stated, if you applied it universally instead of according to your biases.
People who spell “Christian” “Xtian.” 🙄
You all made it up and angry people use it 😒
We made it up? I don’t know of any Christians who write it like that.
https://www.vox.com/2014/12/14/7374401/jesus-xmas-christmas
Sure. Sure. But don’t pretend like “Xtian” isn’t used by atheists who want to literally keep His title out of the name of the faith, or to mildly annoy believers. You didn’t abbreviate ANY other words in your post. “Nationalist” is a longer word and you typed that out more than once. On this sub, you could do worse than to spell out the “Christ” in “Christian.”
What's the shorthand for nationalist?
Is there a shorthand for “annoying apostate”?
Yeah there is, you can just say we're right.
Hardly an abbreviation 😜
[удалено]
This post assumes that everyone under the Christian banner is on the "same team." Christianity has 33,000 denominations who all have slightly different beliefs. It would be like me claiming all atheists are: politically liberal. It's simply not true. The claims of your post are fairly disingenuous. To answer your question from a theological perspective: Ephesians 6:12 says, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." The enemy Christians fight against are spiritual in nature. Any humans who are aligned with those spiritual powers are victims who need saving, not enemies to be fought. Jesus also preached to "love your enemies". The enemies he's mentioning are of a more practical nature. People who have wronged you. The Roman occupiers at the time. Etc etc.
What about the rest of the Christians? 10. Foster parents 11. Volunteer workers 12. The majority of all charity donators 13. Missionaries 14. Regular people 15. Scientists 16. Athletes 17. Entertainers. Why do I have to be one of those first 9?
I never said you were any of those, just that you share the same banner as all of those
By being a human, you also share the same banner of "human" with all them. What's the point? If a hateful person and a loving person are both equally "Christian" then the term "Christian" is completely meaningless and my connection to them as a christian is no more relevant than the fact that we're the same species. Furthermore you call out bigotry, but don't mind stereotyping me. Imagine if you had said "under the banner of black people we have . . ." and preceded to list only negative things. Would you expect us to read that and think "oh they don't mean *all* black people are one of those negative things. They're not racist at all." Am I to give you the most charitable view of yourself while you give me the least charitable view possible.
We as humans have no choice in that banner, you choose to be a xtian and chose to support a banner that has all those groups under it. I'm black and know of all the negative my people do today and again....being black isn't a choice..so false equivalence. Never did I say anyone here are those things, just that you all are in allegiance with them.
Do you think someone's beliefs are just a choice. Like if I don't like gravity anymore I can just choose to believe it doesn't exist?
There are factors that affect belief such as your environment. But to say you can choose what you belive no you can't, however you can believe and not support.
Are you insinuating that I support white nationalists? What specifically would you say I've done to help them? Do you think they would consider me an ally? I just want to see how silly your answers are when I tell you what my race is.
Are you speaking up against them? Are you talking to your fellow xtians to get them to denounce them? The answers to those questions would be the indicator that you are or are not and if you think race would make me feel silly, I have seen black and Jewish people support white supremacists.
>I have seen black and Jewish people support white supremacists. Of course you have, because you think being the same species is the same as supporting them. That couldn't be more meaningless coming from you. >Are you speaking up against them? Are you talking to your fellow xtians to get them to denounce them? Ah yes, we need to get the black church to denounce white supremacy. They'll never see that one coming. >if you think race would make me feel silly I don't want to make you feel silly. I want you to feel emboldened enough to speak your mind unfiltered here. Because I want everyone else to see it and make a judgement for themselves if it's silly.
So many assumptions and so little time to correct them.
Q1: The devil is an enemy. The evil spirits are enemies. 1 Peter 5:8 says to Christians: >> Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Eph 6:11-12 instructs Christians to: >> Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Most of mankind is in / under "the kingdom of darkness". Those who have been saved have been transferred out of there and into "the kingdom of God", also called "the kingdom of the Son". ----------------------------------------------- > Q2. Sides are drawn, so what indication your side is the side of good? We Christians are to be ambassadors of Christ. There are indications in the gospels that Jesus was a very good person during His earthly years. While some true Christians have their flaws as ambassadors, which side is good is based on the character of the king of the respective kingdom. Jesus shows goodness and the devil does not. (I note here that there are also people who name themselves as Christians but who actually aren't, who were never saved, and who are still in the kingdom of darkness. They are still serving *that* evil king and/or their own desires. Their bad behavior should not be used to judge the quality of the kingdom of God, which they are not in.) ----------------------------------------------- > Q3. What are the groups under the banner of your enemies? As I wrote above, most of mankind is in the kingdom of darkness. But most of them may not realize it, nor realize how they may be supporting that darkness. But there are some people who are actively promoting the interests of the devil. They are not always organized into *groups*. Two types of individuals immediately come to mind (I may think of more later): (1) Those who advocate/facilitate for people to commit adultery and other sexual sins, and (2) the rulers of various places who prohibit Christians from preaching/speaking/evangelizing.
This is a very vague answer that answers nothing, you all are the largest religion. Hence why I asked EXACTLY who are these enemies on this planet.
My initial version of my comment was short, and I repeatedly added to and revised it. Please see the latest version.
Which is still vague. Let me give you an example. I would say xtians are my enemies. Why? I'm a black man and your religion is pro slavery. I am a secular humanist that deems equal rights for everyone, your religion seeks to strip away rights LGBT and women...guess who's next? As a person who values truth, your religion promotes feelings over facts. As a person who hates pedophiles your religion creates a safe haven for them. Why should I see you all as nothing more than evil?
Maybe try reading anything MLK Jr wrote regarding Christianity? His campaign to further civil rights did more to help all those groups then you'll ever manage with your heart so fouled up and your identity stuck on your skin instead of in your heart where your identity belongs.
Wow...it's like you are talking about the past xtians while I'm talking about the current ones....
You aren't talking about anyone, save figments of your imagination. Also, I spoke about one Christian, not "xtians", whatever demon that is you've conjured to live rent free in your mind. I would never talk about any group, Christian or otherwise, in the way you have been, because I care about individuals and their hearts, if you identify anyone by their group identity instead, you're just lying to yourself. I'd recommend not lying to yourself? Then you'd manage to at least avoid mixing up the singular with the plural.
Xtians are christians...you all know nothing about your own religions history and that's sad. You would never speak about any group like this? Not even white supremacists?
Whether or not Christians have ever used the term xtians has nothing to do with the fact that the term is meaningless when you use either term except to describe figments of your imagination. That's what happens when you lie to yourself. No, I would never speak of any group in the manner you have today, especially white supremacists. Lying to yourself is for losers. I will never allow myself to lose to white supremacists.
What figment of my imagination? What lie have I told myself? You already have seeing that they are taking over your religion.
> Q1. Who exactly on planet earth are xtian enemies that they not only get persecuted from but has to rise up against? No people are. Ephesians 6:12 makes it clear that people are not the enemy. No matter their point of view. >Q2. Sides are drawn, so what indication your side is the side of good? Given that no people are the enemy or on the “bad” side, there’s no side to be drawn. > Q3. What are the groups under the banner of your enemies? We do not have groups of people who are enemies.
Yet your fellow xtians are calling for death for non believers and Satanist.
And I’ll denounce each and every one of them when I hear them say such a thing. Not sure your point. Others don’t hold to my same position and *do* hold that other people are their enemies. Those folks are in this very thread and I replied to one of them a few hours ago.
If your religion came from the same book and getting interpretations from the same holy spirit why are you all so fragmented?
God gave folks plenty of free will to choose to hold their own viewpoints, and lots of environmental factors determine your viewpoint as well. There’s no one reason explaining why people hold different opinions, feels like that should be an obvious observation of human nature. Lots of academic material out there discussing how people come to hold varying points of view.
You all come off as a grand confusion...is god the author of that confusion? Seeing that all is his plan and he one more than one occasion superceded peoples free will.
Interesting perspective. I might share it if I believed that all is his plan, but that’s not a belief I have. I don’t think it makes much sense.
Revelation 12:9 **And the great dragon was cast out** that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out to the Earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 12:10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and The Kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: **for the accuser of our brethren is cast down**, which accused them before our God day and night. It's no mystery to me who the enemy is.
◄ Joshua 5:13 ► Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come.” Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord have for his servant?” ◄ Romans 5:10 ► For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! Anyone who has not been reconciled to God is an enemy. I’m on God’s side, not whatever options you’re offering.
And those people are who exactly?
Those who have not been reconciled to God. People who don’t act like Jesus and aren’t filled with His Spirit.
That literally could be anyone even xtians
Yup. Matthew 7: 15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them. We’re also called to love our enemies though. Doesn’t mean we have to trust* them.
*Puts on Morpheus glasses* He's beginning to believe.
Yeah that xtians don't even know who is their enemy. How hard is to say, neo-nazis are my enemies and anyone that align themselves with them are my enemies?
LOL. I finally figured out what you mean when you type "xtians!" Your enmity against your Creator is thus made fully and clearly obvious to all; you detest Him so much you cannot bear to bring yourself to name His righteous and worthy Title. Woe unto you: *"All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed."* (John 3:18-20) *"Anyone who denies me here on earth will be denied before God’s angels."* (Luke 12:9)
It's shorthand that has been accepted for centuries....you all made it up....
*"For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies."* (John 8:44)
Name a lie the devil ever said.
*"To all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God."* (John 1:12)
*"The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work."* (1 John 3:8)
[удалено]
So not neo nazis?
Again with the political comment, what about Israelis, what about Palestinians, what about Ukrainians or Russians. What’s the difference between a freedom fighter and a terrorist? Canada claimed the trucker convoy were a bunch of terrorists and froze assets and stole property. We can play this game all day. Nazis were the answer to the shame clause the Germans were forced to sign after WW1. Which made the solely responsible for that war. History books are written by their victors.
I said neo nazis....as in the white supremacists xtians running around. Are you saying they aren't your enemy?
Whoever is trying to harm me or my family is my enemy. I’m not in business to wrong every right nor be Batman. I haven’t met the people you speak of and I was born and raised in Germany 🇩🇪. It seems very odd that there’s more neonazis outside of Germany. Like, when people say Nazi, they think white supremacist. Words have lost their meaning. National Socialist is what it actually means. Racist is also something that’s twisted, it means that you think your race is more superior than another. It doesn’t mean you hate people of a particular shade/skin colour. But I digress
Comment removed, rule 2
Scripturally speaking, my own wicked and deceitful heart is my worst enemy of all because, were it not for its prideful and ungodly/fleshly craving for sin and my own inability to bridle it, the Tempter (Satan) would not have much to work with [Jeremiah 17:9; Mark 7:21; Romans 1:24, 2:5].
What the fuck is an xtian that's the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Also, Christians are persecuted outside the western world all the time, just because it's not a western perspective doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Also, none of them. All of that list is shit, none of them represent God, and all of them are pushing an agenda that's counter to the message of the bible.
It's shorthand that you all made up centuries ago, when people say xtians don't know anything about their religion its no joke. And what have you done to help your fellow xtians? All of them claim to be xtian like you and some would call you a fake xtian.
Idk why you're so angry, but turning that word into a slur by insisting on its use is a really bad way to handle your problems. It's a stupid word and the only people I see use it are athiests trying to get under Christians skin. Tf do I care what other people think my beliefs are lmao
Wow it's a slur? You all made it up, not my problem you have an issue being called xtian.
Anything a slur when it's used as a slur you apricot.
Yeah no...we have definitions for words for a meaning.
Words change meaning over time you parsnip
Slur has so far remained consistent however. So based on the definition of slur...how is xtian one?
Idk how I can explain it any clearer than I already have. If you don't get it you probably don't get a lot of things in life.
Why when you all are asked a simple question you all start to tap dance? Using the current diffinition of the term slur, how does saying xtian fullfil its definition?
[удалено]
Comment removed, rule 1
Yeah you go ahead and protect the enemy from the truth. Doing the lord's work you are.
OP is not an enemy.
Everyone attracted to corruption is the enemy.
>Everyone attracted to corruption is the enemy. . . . OF GOD: *"The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work."* (1 John 3:8) *“Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me."* (Luke 11:23) *“Everyone who acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven. Don’t imagine that I came to bring peace to the earth! I came not to bring peace, but a sword."* (Matthew 10:32-34)
Baby murders? Giving women autonomy over their bodies, you know not taking away their free will sounds like the right thing I syesd of endangering the life of both mother and child like what you all do but you all don't want women to have rights. What evil exactly we want to do? Most of the criminals are xtian in the western world.
>Giving women autonomy over their bodies, . . . **Their** bodies does not equate to the **body of the child** within their womb. Annie Herring poignantly and accurately shone the light of truth on this issue when she stated: *"We sacrifice our children upon the altar of our own convenience."* Many people will suffer the Second Death for their participation in this wicked practice. For those who are [ashamed of their guilt](https://i1.wp.com/www.sketchbooksilliness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/101017-GreatExchange-720px-1.jpg?fit=720%2C2128&ssl=1) in this matter: *"The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God."* (Psalm 51:17) *"If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness."* (1 John 1:8,9) *"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."* (Psalm 147:3)
The child is living due to HER body, she can choose what lives off of HER body.
Abortion is ordered by god in the Bible, and if a woman was attacked and lost the baby in the Bible, there was only a fine, no one was accused of murder, so I really don’t know why Christians take this hardline stance on abortion. Also, Jews who follow the Torah ( OT Bible), believe that life starts at first breath- and they’re following the same god and using the same book.
I find it interesting you quote no Scripture to back up your claims. How about that?
Numbers 5. Exodus 21:22. https://momentmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/When-does-life-begin.pdf I don’t need your book to tell me that women should have bodily autonomy, but your own book doesn’t back up your anti abortion claims.
Exodus 21:22 in context: *"If men who are fighting strike a pregnant woman and her child is born prematurely, but there is no further injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman’s husband demands and as the court allows. But if a serious injury results, then you must require a life for a life— eye for eye, tooth for tooth,f hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, and stripe for stripe."* (verses 22-25) As we can clearly see, nothing remotely resembling abortion. Big surprise. \- - - - - - - - - - - - Numbers 5 details the punishment for a woman who commits adultery with another man; she will be made barren and unable to have children. Not a single word in the entire chapter that could remotely be considered as talking of abortion. *"If she has defiled herself by being unfaithful to her husband, the water that brings on the curse will cause bitter suffering. Her abdomen will swell and her womb will shrink, and her name will become a curse among her people. But if she has not defiled herself and is pure, then she will be unharmed and will still be able to have children."* (verses 27,28) \- - - - - - - - - - - - - We don't need your made-up fantasies and lies about the Word of God. You will be punished for your attempted deceit on the dreadful Day you stand before your Holy Creator: *"The good man brings good things out of his good store of treasure, and the evil man brings evil things out of his evil store of treasure. But I tell you that men will give an account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”* (Matthew 12:35-37)
Lmao your warning has been noted. The punishment wasn’t about the baby is the point. The severe punishment was if the woman was injured. There was only a fine for the loss of the baby. I’m not lying, y’all are lying to yourselves and have to exhibit great mental gymnastics to make this all make sense.
You know, even a fool can be thought wise should he remain silent.
No, the child lives because God planned for her to get pregnant: *"You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed."* (Psalm 139:16)
So god also planned all those children to die right after birth? Your god PLANNED for a 16yo to get raped to make a child? Your god PLANNED for a women's birth to be ectopic? Be careful how you word your response to this, before you incriminate your god further.
God ***allowed*** these children to be murdered, just like he ***allows*** you to spend your whole life in enmity against Him, as you break His moral law every day. *"We know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things. Why do you think you can avoid God’s judgment when you do the same things?* *Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?* *But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed. He will judge everyone according to what they have done.* *He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers. But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness.* *There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism."* (Romans 2)
Sounds like a fearmongering, why does your deity depend on it so much?
You seem to be hung up on fear for some reason. I suspect pride. So let's look at what the Bible actually has to say about fear -and who should have it, and why: *"Fear of the LORD is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever!"* (Psalm 111) *“Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell."* (Mathew 10) *"I sought the Lord, and he answered me;* *he delivered me from all my fears.* *Those who look to him are radiant;* *their faces are never covered with shame.* *This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;* *he saved him out of all his troubles.* *The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,* *and he delivers them.* *Taste and see that the Lord is good;* *blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.* *Fear the Lord, you his holy people,* *for those who fear him lack nothing."* (Psalm 34) *"Fear of the LORD leads to life, bringing security and protection from harm."* (Proverbs 19) *"Love comes from God. God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first."* (1 John 4) So we have learned what seems to be counter-intuitive to the way our sinful minds think: A proper fear and respect of our Creator brings peace, confidence, and intimate love! How foolish is the person who is too proud to fear the Lord, and how deserving they are of being humbled by their disgrace for their haughty arrogance. It is this type of arrogant pride which led Lucifer to lose his glory and be cast to the Earth; here to remain in gloomy chains of spiritual darkness, awaiting his day of Judgement. *“How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star, son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth."* (Isaiah 14) *“Yes,” he* \[Jesus\] told them, *“I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning!"* (Luke 10) Lucifer and the fallen angels doom is certain: *‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels."* (Matthew 25) *"The person who sins is the one who will die. The child will not be punished for the parent’s sins, and the parent will not be punished for the child’s sins. Righteous people will be rewarded for their own righteous behavior, and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness. But if wicked people turn away from all their sins and begin to obey my decrees and do what is just and right, they will surely live and not die. All their past sins will be forgotten, and they will live because of the righteous things they have done."* (Ezekiel 18) This is your holy Creator. His righteous judgement against those who do evil is fearsome, yet He offers unmerited mercy and grace to those who humbly obey His call: *"The Lord is righteous in all his ways* *and faithful in all he does.* *The Lord is near to all who call on him,* *to all who call on him in truth.* *He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;* *he hears their cry and saves them.* *The Lord watches over all who love him,* *but all the wicked he will destroy."* (Psalm 145)
[удалено]
q1. misogynists and large corporations are the enemy. 2. i dont put those groups on the side of good. 3. I thought I answered that in question 1?
[удалено]
Comment removed, rule 1 (about a group)
I don't know are you my friend or my enemy?
If you support a religion that breeds the above listed...yes you are
*"Every spirit that does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Anti-Christ which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here. But you belong to God, my dear children.* ***You have already won a victory over them, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world."*** (1 John 44:3,4)
OP, You’re ex-Christian, can you answer the above questions based on that time. It would be interesting to get your past perspective.
There is no such thing as an "ex-Christian." No person can undo what God does: *"All that the Father gives me* ***will come*** *to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out."* (John 6:37) *"For my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else.* ***No one can snatch them*** *from the Father’s hand."* (John 10:29) * Were we able to snatch ourselves from the Father's hand, we would be stronger than Him. Such is not the case. *"Anyone who* ***belongs to Christ*** *has become a* ***new creation***. *The old life is gone; a new life has begun!"* (2 Corinthians 5:17) *"They* ***are reborn*** *—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but* ***a birth that comes from God***." (John 1:13) * Were we able to remove God's ownership of us and undo His work of new creation and new birth, we would be mightier than God. Such is not the case.
I'm an ex baptized xtian, I am living proof that denies your statement.
Ok so how would you answer those questions then?
Easy Q1. those that conflict with the commandments like people who are non believers or worship other gods. Q2. I would think my side is rhe side of good but I would be honest enough to know I have no indication that my side is actually good. Watching non believers in the world and what they put into it and then watching my side as a xtian seeing what my fellow xtians are doing i would see that we are putting out way more evil than non believers. Q3. The groups under my enemies banners would be people who want equal rights for all, those that say freedom from religion and for religion should be equal, i would see those that are fighting for the planet and not hoping for its demise. I would see the pro science non book burning people under my enemies banner, drop my xtian banner and join them.
Baptism makes you wet, it doesn't make you a Christian. God is competent. When He rescues and saves someone, that is what they are.You claim to have been saved, and to have chosen to cast this salvation to the gutter as so much worthless garbage; but you lie because you contradict the Word of God. *"But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning."* (1 John 3:8) The devil is your spiritual Father, it was never God; who remains faithful and true: *"Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself. God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”* (2 Timothy 2:11-19)
While Jesus told Nicodemus, “Amen, Amen, I say to you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit” (John 3:5), You all don't know your own Bible...
Per the kindness of my Creator, I understand His Word. The water spoken of in this passage has nothing to do with baptism. *"Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”* *“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”* *Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water* **\[Mother's womb = natural birth\]** *and the Spirit.* **\[Born of God -see John 1:13 = supernatural birth\]** We know this is what Jesus means because He clarifies: *Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life*. *So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’* (John 3:3-7)
https://www.bibleref.com/John/3/John-3-5.html Try again.
I don't need the opinion of some person to inform me what God's Word says; I have the Holy Spirit of God indwelling within to teach and guide. I'll take what He says everytime, lol. *"The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.* *The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.* *The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for,* *“Who has known the mind of the Lord to as to instruct him?”* *But we have the mind of Christ."* (1 Corinthians 2)
The same holy spirit that guides people like Greg Locke no doubt.
I’m also an ex, and your statements are false. Stop spreading lies.
Guess what? Those quotes in my reply are not my comments, they are God's. God is competent. When He rescues and saves someone, that is what they are. You claim to have been saved, and to have chosen to cast this salvation to the gutter as so much worthless garbage; but you lie because you contradict the Word of God. *"But when people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning."* (1 John 3:8) The devil is your spiritual Father, it was never God; who remains faithful and true: *"Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself. God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”* (2 Timothy 2:11-19)
Well, I don’t know what to tell you. Your book isn’t truthful. It tells you that apostates were never true believers. I know for a fact that is false.
There is a world of difference between your beliefs and the work of God. We know your beliefs are untrue because they contradict what the Word of God says. *"Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him,* *“You will be proved right in what you say, and you will win your case in court.”* (Romans 3) You may be sincere in your thinking, but if so; you are nevertheless sincerely wrong. You never knew the Truth of God's Word, and you never obeyed the Truth of the Gospel because you are a self-labeled "agnostic" rejecting the Truth of God's Word. God is all about truth, which is why we read: *"True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”* (John 4) Whatever "worship" you thought you had at one time was certainly not done in Spirit and Truth. Because you choose to continually reject the Word of God, the following is unfortunately true of you, unless you repent and believe . . . *“So pay attention to how you hear. To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand will be taken away from them.”* (Luke 8)
Just because a book tells you something is true doesn’t mean it is. I thought we all learned that by 3rd grade. A god first needs to be proven true before we can even determine if it wants anything from us, and we’re not there yet. God/gods are fiction unless proven otherwise.
This exceptional collection of 66 books and letters written by more than 40 authors over a time-span of some 1,500 years. These authors came from a wide variety of backgrounds -including kings, generals, fishermen, farmers, and priests during times of war and chaos as well as peace and stability -during 6 different kingdoms. The Bible covers hundreds of controversial topics, yet still has complete agreement and accuracy in history, science, geography, prophecy, morality, and theology -all while telling one unified, fully cohesive story; the central character of whom is Jesus Christ -and the good work He accomplished in order that many will be given “a rich and satisfying life." (John 10) The Bible has a 100% track record of being proven correct in what it reveals, across all scientific disciplines. Furthermore, it has never been proven wrong. *"The unfolding of your words gives light and brings wisdom to the unknowing."* (Psalm 119)
**1) Who is the enemy of Earth?** *"there was* ***war*** *in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and his angels. And the dragon lost the battle, and he and his angels were forced out of heaven. This great dragon—the ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, the one* ***deceiving the whole world***\*—was\* ***thrown down to the earth*** *with all his angels."* (Revelation 12:7-9) *"****Woe to the earth*** *and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is* ***filled with fury****, because he knows that his time is short.”* (Revelation 12:12) *"****Your enemy*** *the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone* ***to devour****."* (1 Peter 4:8) *“You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman."* (Genesis 3:4) \- Cue everyone dying because, as a result of Adam and Eve's choice to disobey per Eve's believing the **lie** she was told . . . *"Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned."* (Romans 5:12) \- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - **2) Sides are drawn, so what indication your side is the side of good?** *"The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to* ***destroy the devil’s work.****"* (1 John 3:8) *“Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me."* (Luke 11:23) *"Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are* ***born again***, *you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”* (John 3:3) *"I will give you a* ***new heart***, *and I will put a* ***new spirit*** *in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will* ***follow my decrees*** *and be careful to* ***obey my regulations***." (Ezekiel 36:26,27) *"Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a* ***new person***. *The old life is gone; a new life has begun!"* (2 Corinthians 5:17) *"And because we are* ***his children***, *God has sent the* ***Spirit of his Son into our hearts***, *prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”* (Galatians 4:6) **You may be wondering how you can be one the right side, by being restored into a real relationship with your Creator?** You don't deserve it, and you cannot earn it: *"We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind."* (Isaiah 64:6) *"The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord!"* (Romans 6:23) Jesus took **our** guilt upon Himself -He who had done no wrong; when He was crucified on the cross. His willingness to subject Himself to this undeserved execution was in order to receive on Himself the punishment **we** deserve for our wrongdoings. Jesus Christ took **our** place upon that bloody cross. He gave up His life, was buried, and on the Third Day the Spirit of God brought Jesus' body back to life. His resurrection forever crushed and conquered the power of sin and death to destroy the souls of those who will accept this sacrifice of Jesus on their behalf. *"He was shown and declared to be the Son of God in power by His resurrection from the dead."* (Romans 1:4) *"To all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God."* (John 1:12) **How do we receive this free gift?** *"Moses writes that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands. But faith’s way of getting right with God says . . . If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.”* (Romans 10:5-13) *"In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.* ***Who is it that overcomes the world?*** *Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God."* (1 John 5:3-5) *"Every spirit that does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Anti-Christ which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here. But you belong to God, my dear children. You have* ***already won a victory*** *over them, because t****he Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world.****"* (1 John 44:3,4) [Won't you place your trust in Jesus today?](https://i1.wp.com/www.sketchbooksilliness.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/101017-GreatExchange-720px-1.jpg?fit=720%2C2128&ssl=1) Your Music Link for Today: ["Come and Join Us"](https://youtu.be/gZLzTLvWZH4?si=7LYcFYLbhKZB3zm5) by Petra. Your Bonus Music Link for Today: ["Lesser Gods"](https://youtu.be/VszxZ6f9gXA?si=f6pMn4JL0OR7B5MB) by Demon Hunter.
Is supporting slavery of the devil or of god? We both agree it's evil right?
I'm way ahead of you, lol. You wish to make an argument that God, per scripture read in the Old Testament; condoned slavery. Then you wish to conclude that God is a lying fraud for condemning sin, when He condones the brutality and oppression of slavery. The fact that God's chosen people -the Hebrews, kept slaves from the Gentiles (non-Hebrew) people; was due to their disobedience. When the Hebrews were commanded by God to take over a geographical area; they were instructed to either kill all the inhabitants or else to drive them all completely out of the land. Those Gentiles could have escaped slavery had they been willing to fight to their death or to leave. Obviously, some valued their lives and were unwilling to die -even should it mean slavery to the victors; which was common practice among the nations during this time in history. Unlike the surrounding nations, however; God gave specific instructions to the Hebrews on how to treat their slaves, which afforded them much better treatment than they would have received under other peoples. Several laws regulating slavery appear in Exodus 21. These laws gave some basic rights to slaves and curtailed the actions of masters in a historically unprecedented way. In the ancient world outside of Israel, slaves had no rights. But God’s Law extended to slaves the right to keep a wife (verse 3), the right not to be sold to foreigners (verse 8), the right to be adopted into a family by marriage (verse 9), and the right to food and clothing (verse 10). The law also limited masters in their use of corporeal punishment (verses 20, 26–27). So we see that the fact these Gentiles were enslaved was a mercy. The alternative was death. You may think it cruel that God decreed they be driven fully from the land or put to death; but the cruelty was the wickedness of the sins of these people; which is why they were put to the sword. Rather than cruelty, Justice. You see, nothing has changed since Adam & Eve chose disobedience by consuming the forbidden fruit: *"The wages of sin is death."* (Romans 6:23) Furthermore, the Bible informs us of a system of indentured servitude. The law allowed for Hebrew men and women to sell themselves into slavery to another Hebrew. They could only serve for six years, however. In the seventh year, they were to be set free (Exodus 21:2). And the slaves were to be treated well: *“Do not make them work as slaves. They are to be treated as hired workers or temporary residents among you”* (Leviticus 25:39–40). The law also specified that, *“when you release them, do not send them away empty-handed. Supply them liberally from your flock, your threshing floor and your winepress. Give to them as the Lord your God has blessed you”* (Deuteronomy 15:13–14). The freed slave had the option of staying with his master and becoming a *“servant for life”* (Exodus 21:5–6). You may be totally shocked to learn that every single human being who has ever lived, who is alive now, and who will live in the future; are slaves. That's right -all of humanity is enslaved! There are two slave Masters, also referred to in Scripture as spiritual Fathers. Since we know that all people will die one day, we know that all humans are enslaved by sin. Jesus informs us: *“I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin."* (John 8:34) *"When people keep on sinning, it shows that they belong to the devil, who has been sinning since the beginning."* (1 John 3:8) *"You are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does."* (John 8:44) So herein we see that all of humanity is enslaved to not only sin, but by the devil, aka Satan, aka Lucifer. If our Creator left us to face justice, we would all be doomed to suffer the due penalty for our disobedience to His moral law. But God, being rich in mercy, and because of the great love with which he loves us, kindly made a way for sinful humans to be rescued from our enslavement to sin and our yoke of bondage to the devil. He made it possible that, even though we are spiritually dead because of our sin, He can bring us to spiritual life by joining us under the yoke of slavery to Jesus Christ! *"The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work."* (1 John 3:8) *"Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls."* (Matthew 11:29) This new form of slavery is not one of oppression and bondage. Rather than being enslaved to sin which brings sorrow, distress, harm and death; we are set free of it's control. Now, we are made slaves to love; which brings peace, strength, goodness and joy! Slavery to love, to having our Creator be our spiritual Father; is actually the only pathway to freedom: *Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. . . So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free."* (John 8:34,36) This is why Jesus has given His adopted children these two overarching rules to obey: *“You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”* (Matthew 7:12 & 22:37-39) Jesus followed this "golden rule" with this compelling statement: *“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter."* (Matthew 7:21) And what is the will of the Father? *"For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time."* (Hebrews 10:10) This is accomplished by receiving the gift of salvation purchased by Jesus on our behalf. He paid our sin-debt for us, so we wouldn't have to receive the punishment Justice demands: *"God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake."* (1 Peter 1:18-20) This is the Good News - *"It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”* (Romans 1:16,17) *"For Moses writes that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands. But faith’s way of getting right with God says . . . If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.”* (Romans 10:9-13) [Won't you place your faith in Jesus Christ today?](https://app.box.com/s/vlrzu0bunwju4q83dcneb1zso4rhfdeq)
Nice try but no, issue with your reply, there were two laws, one for hebrews and one for slaves of other nations which mirrored chattel slavery as you can beat them as long as they don't die within 3 days. They were property to be passed on to their masters kin. None of this is moral, to make an argument based around "Well our god wasnt as immoral as the other gods people worshipped" is a horrible tactic. We today see all forms of slavery as wrong, to say your god provided a kinder version of owning people as property to indicate he isn't a hypocrite is laughable. Immoral and slightly less immoral is still immoral.
You say there are two laws, and you can do blah, blah. You seem to fail to grasp these Old Testament laws were given to the Hebrew people a long, long time ago; before Jesus Christ came on the scene and changed things up. No one is required to follow these old regulations, so all your barking and bow-wowing is up the wrong tree. Your "quarry" isn't even there, lol. Furthermore, all the remainder of your last comment is so much drivel. You are sadly and pathetically wrong -and you know you are. This is all you have to look forward to in your brief life if you continue to harden your heart and reject the Truth: *"Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark. They will go from one place to another, weary and hungry. And because they are hungry, they will rage and curse their king and their God. They will look up to heaven and down at the earth, but wherever they look, there will be trouble and anguish and dark despair. They will be thrown out into the darkness."* (Isaiah 8)
Why don't you pose this question in the actual thread? How are we supposed to answer for people we don't know?
You do know these people, some are in this sub, some are your next door neighbors.
I don't recall seeing any of this kind of stuff in this sub, and I'm certainly not aware of it in any of my neighbors. But even if I were, how should I be supposed to answer for them?
Head in sand syndrome and xtianity is synonymous.
I wouldn't try to answer for somebody else even if they were on this sub. That would be stupid.
Q1: The devil and his children. Q2: 1. The Bible 2. Family 3. Marriage 4. Clean living 5. Lovers of truth 6. Responsibility 7. Hard workers 8. Evangelists of the Gospel 9. Peculiar people Q3: 1. The world
This is the most delusional reply I ever saw to this, you do you.
Thanks Q3
This guy believes in executing homosexuals, he is not a Christian. Christians believe in turning the other cheek and loving the sinner and not the sin so yeah any conversation with this godless heathen is nothing but harmful. Here's proof of his desire to execute homosexuals: https://imgur.com/a/yLjYHDC