13 Oct 18
@sonship saidAnd yet you took the trouble to mock my claim that my question to you is a checkmate question and ever since have been waffling and waffling in a pathetic attempt to avoid it 🙂
I couldn't care less about how many victory laps you make bragging about your (supposedly) checkmate questions.
@dj2becker saidVarious posters have claimed it at various times. Eladar, whodey, Romans1009, sumydid, robbie carrobie, SecondSon, lemon lime, galveston75, leunammi, josephw, yoctobyte, roigam, Pudgenik, FreakyKBH and others.
Who thinks he is not a Christian?
@dj2becker saidI don't need to. I have answered your question.
Could you quote their exact words?
13 Oct 18
@sonship saidSo you Don't know who is a 'brother in Christ' but you DO know who the 'believers' are ?
@FMF
Strictly speaking I don't know who here is a brother in Christ and who is not. I may have some feeling about it. My feeling could be mistaken.
I don't think I have to tell people who is my Christian brother or sister with absolute infallibility. If someone teaches something that I think I should point out correction to, that's not pertaining to their status as ...[text shortened]... goes with me being corrected by some other believers.
What do you mean by "a better Christian" ?
@divegeester
I think its time to just leave you to your delusions of grandeur and monotonous self appreciation. Drive carefully now. The forum can wait until you're out of traffic.
One other thing. Asking me if I shared the Gospel lately away from here is much more interesting. You can remind me of that now and then.
So you Don't know who is a 'brother in Christ' but you DO know who the 'believers' are ?
I wrote this:
I don't think I have to tell people who is my Christian brother or sister with absolute infallibility
Substitute "believers" there is you wish. My meaning is the same.
I don't think I have to tell people who are [ believers in Christ ] with absolute infallibility.
Essentially, the same meaning. The key phrase there is absolute infallibility.
Do you expect to get more "rewards" in "Heaven" than him?
Okay, I'll humor this little gem. Expect FMF just to hunt for fault with it.
The question seems to suggest that Christians go to heaven to get rewards. I don't like the leading assumption because it undercuts that the spiritual battle is over "the earth" .
So let's adjust it a bit - Do I expect more rewards in the millennial kingdom on the earth than Divegeester ?
The salvation and eternal redemption is assured, I believe, in the New Testament. Reward is not.
Paul, up until only the time to be martyred, said he expected a reward. Before that, his expectation was merely to forget the things which were behind and to continue to fight the fight of faith, stretching forward, seeking always to experience more and more of Jesus.
"Not that I have already obtained [reward] or am already perfected, but I pursue, if even I may lay hold of that for which I also have been laid hold of by Christ Jesus.
Brothers, I do not account of myself to have laid hold, but one thing I do; Forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before.
I pursue toward the goal for the prize to which God in CHrist JEsus has called me upward.
Let us therefore, as many as are full-grown, have this mind, ..." (See Philippians 3:12-15a)
So in the middle of his ministry life he was even concerned that he would be disqualified concerning reward. Read it here.
"... , lest perhaps having preached to others, I myself may become disapproved." (1 Cor. 9:27)
See? In the middle of his apostolic service to Christ he had a sober realization that he could still be "disapproved" pertaining to "reward" ... NOT pertaining to the assured eternal salvation.
If the Apostle Paul did not speak of assurance of being rewarded mid-way his course, I don't think I have the right to boast that I just KNOW I will be rewarded more than someone else.
Now toward the very close of his life, Paul did tell Timothy he expected a reward. But he did not do so really in competitive comparison with any OTHER Christians - which I think is the proper attitude.
Right here in his final epistle of the New Testament:
" For I am already being poured out, and the time of my departure is at hand.
I have fought the good fight; I have finished the course; I have kept the faith.
Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, with which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will recompense me in that day, and not only me but also all those who have loved His appearing." (Second Timothy 4:6-8)
So you see, asking me NOW if I will be more rewarded then some other Christian is the wrong time, for me to feel assured one way or the other. I am still in my race, still on the course. That's the first thing.
The second thing is that if I come to a point, like Paul, that I am assured of a "crown of righteousness" for righteous LIVING, I would want to have the same attitude as Paul.
Instead of bragging "Na, Na, Nana - Na!! My reward's bigger than your reward !" I would simply like to say.
"A reward awaits me. And not only me but awaits ALL THOSE who love the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ."
@sonship saidYes, thats why I asked ...
@karoly-aczelSo you Don't know who is a 'brother in Christ' but you DO know who the 'believers' are ?
I wrote this:
I don't think I have to tell people who is my Christian brother or sister with absolute infallibility
Substitute "believers" there is you wish. My meaning is the same.
I don't think I have to tell people ...[text shortened]...
Essentially, the same meaning. The key phrase there is absolute infallibility.
btw 'infallibility' is by definition absolute.
Someone asks me "Do you expect more rewards in Heaven then so-and-so?"
A more proper attitude for a Christian to have when he comes before Christ, if has served exceptionally well, he should still admit that he only did what was his responsibility to have done. He still feels unworthy of gracious grace.
He only came up to the standard and did not exceed the standard.
So also you, when you do all the things which are ordered you, say,
We are unprofitable slaves; we have done what we ought to have done." (Luke 16:10)