Charles Perry Locke wrote:
Izzy, how do you know who is a believer to decide if you should take
him at his word? Some on this group say they are believers but you do
not believe that they are. If they are believers, regardless of
whether you think they are believers or not, aren't you breaking 1 Cor
13 if you do not take them at their word?
Perry
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The truth is, Perry, that we don't know. Satan can appear as an angel
of light. Common folks like me have to be very careful or we will be
deceived. All the devil has to do is mix two percent lies with
ninety-eight percent truth and almost anyone will buy it as coming from
God. If he simply said good was evil, we would see the lie, but he is
smarter than that. He can cover the stink with enough rosewater that
no one will know he is peddling filth.
I think that is why we are repeatedly warned to beware of false teachers
and wolves that appear to really be sheep. That becomes especially hard
to do on a computer. Sexual predators are conning young girls into
running away from home and becoming victims simply by pretending to be
what they are not. It should not take too much imagination to believe
that there is a person or persons among us who appear to be what they
are not. Whether that person has been confused by what Satan has taught
him/her or is a willing servant of the devil would make little
difference if Satan could use that person to lead others off the path.
I think that is why Izzy, or me, or John or anyone else on here would
look at a statement from someone else, that does not agree with what
they themselves believe, and would wonder if the other person was
correct, or mistaken, or evil.
Bill got upset last week when I said I did not know enough about him to
tell if he is a mature Christian. The truth is, I do not know that he
is a Christian at all. All I know is that he claims that he is, and the
probability is that he is, but the possibility is that he is not. I
know my own heart but I do not know his. There is no way that I can
through such limited contact, so when we disagree on what scripture
says, my first thought has to be, "Where is his heart? Who is he
serving?"
He is plagued with the same lack of information that I find troubling.
Why should he accept my interpretation? I claim to be a sold out
follower of Christ, but I could be the local leader of a gay rights
group or the KKK. How would he know? How would you know? I suspect
that it might take a real long time picking apart every word written to
even have a good hunch.
Too cynical? Too suspicious? Possibly, I don't know. If Satan were
not working so hard I might think so, but those warnings are there for
good reason, or they would not be part of God's word.
I would not assume that everyone is always what they claim to be. I do
not think the Bible teaches that.
Terry
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"Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you
ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org
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