[rocket955]

No you didn't. I forgot to put an I infront of deleted
I deleted my own post and Thrash didn't.

[Thrash]

Originally Posted by rocket955

No you didn't. I forgot to put an I infront of deleted
I deleted my own post and Thrash didn't.

I didn't mean to discourage you in the least. I think the topic you brought up is a very interesting, and confusing, one. I do think it deals peripherally with what is being discussed, just may not be central to what they are trying to discuss. So, if I offended you or hurt your feelings, please forgive me.

[rocket955]

I was addressing the first post. I felt like Dr Worm was thinking that being Christian is all about going to heaven. I could understand his comment about being under whelmed or bored. So I posted a hard thought for him to realize it isn't what he thinks but to strive to know God and who He is. I'm not discouraged or offended. I just feel like I put out more than he could digest so to speak.

Hope I didn't leave out any important words this time.

[Dr. Worm]

Sorry I haven't gotten back to this thread for so long. Work has been very busy. I'm so glad to see productive conversation going on here in my absence. I want to respond to a lot of people, but it will likely be in a very random and poorly thought out manner. Just a heads up.

Originally Posted by rocket955

I was addressing the first post. I felt like Dr Worm was thinking that being Christian is all about going to heaven. I could understand his comment about being under whelmed or bored. So I posted a hard thought for him to realize it isn't what he thinks but to strive to know God and who He is. I'm not discouraged or offended. I just feel like I put out more than he could digest so to speak.

Well, sort of. But the problem goes beyond the superficiality of my own understanding. I've been around the church for most of my life. I've read the bible cover to cover a couple of times, and most of it I am much more familiar with than that, though it has been quite some time since I've really read much at all. I've had many conversations about God's existence in relation to time, as you brought up, and many conversations about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin, and I used to actually find these things interesting and intellectually stimulating. But if that is the shining example of the richness and profundity of Christianity, then frankly, I'm bored. I'm not antagonistic, I'm just not interested, and there are a lot of real things going on in my real life with real people that really seem to deserve my time and energy far more. Simply put, I just don't care that much anymore.

[rocket955]

I'm not wildly enthusiastic but certainly not bored. My life is full of real people that a real Creator has set into motion that I don't really understand.The emotion that I feel is not important considering all that. So I go on with what I have until something else presents in my life...so far.



My plan was not to post in this thread.

[Leviathon]

Originally Posted by loriborealis

Leviathon, I'd be interested to know if you believe in eternal salvation or do you believe one can lose one's salvation?

Thankfully, I am convinced that Scripture is extremely clear that once saved, nothing (not even yourself) can separate you from the love of God.

So if Scripture is true, then I do feel very assured that I will not fall away eternally, but one day God will bring me back to himself, somehow in some way. (And, well, if it is not true, I suppose I've not lost anything in the first place.)

That is the one thing that gives me hope.

(And, no, I'm not advocating a 'once saved always saved' devil-may-care lifestyle. But in my own life, I feel comfort knowing that my present inability to believe will not keep me from eternal salvation, should it be true.)

Also not sure I agree with you on your theory that no one is saved yet. What about Romans 8:30? That is all present tense. Maybe I just don't understand the point you are making.

We have to agree that there is compelling evidence on boths sides of the coin.

2 Peter 2:20-22
20 If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning. 21 It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. 22 Of them the proverbs are true: "A dog returns to its vomit," and, "A sow that is washed goes back to her wallowing in the mud."

Peter clearly warns about those that escaped the corruption of the world through Jesus Christ and are now entangled in and are overcome by the world.

It is hard to harmonize that with Calvin.. is all.

I don't want to derail this thread so going back to my thoughts. As Christians, we focus to much on a single salvific event, rather than Discipling, mentoring, leading. To much "Pray this Prayer and life will be fine", stuff going on. I believe that leads to the original poster's thoughts.

Even internent forums are a place of rampant elevated spiritual egos. Let's be real with people once in a while. Life sucks sometimes... I make mistakes.. I'm quick to judge. I'm very skeptical of people. I have almost no patience. I'm overweight, that makes me a glutton and a host of other things. Yet, in this carnal carcass of a man, resides a hope. And with prayer, the Holy Spirit is working on me and has been working on me as long as I let him.

The new me resides in the spirit. Unfortunately it contends and battles with the carnal side of me. Yet there will be a day when the blessed hope and faith I have put into Christ will make all things new.

Until then, let's be real with people. Scars are meant to be shown and shared, not to be covered up. I would love to know who the original poster is hangin' with and the body of believers he is surrounded by.