JD wrote: > Who says this is not an esstential? You? > DM? And what are these "essentials/" > None of you fundies ever get around to > answering that question. Do you all think > this goes unnoticed?
Well, I'm not a fundy, but I will try to answer this for you. First, let me say that contrary to your false characterization of me, I do not believe that there is any list of doctrines that must be adhered to in order to be saved. God is not sitting at this throne with a check list of ideas that people must accept in order to enter. Rather, our doctrines determine who we are and how we live out our lives. At least this is true for those who are honest. Dishonest people are another matter entirely. So how do we determine essential doctrines? Well, that is about as easy as understanding the essential nutrients needed for a body to live. Take away water. Guess what. Kid dies. Take away all food. Guess what. Kid dies. Withhold all vitamin D. Guess what. Kid gets sick. Limit protein. Guess what. Kid becomes scrawny. Now consider alternatives. One kid drinks orange juice everyday. Another kid hates orange juice and never drinks it. Can they both grow up well? Yes. One kid drinks milk every day, another hates milk. Same conclusion. One kid eats meat everyday, but another rarely eats meat. They both can grow up fine. The point is that although there are essentials, there are various ways of getting those essentials. We best determine whether those essentials are being received by the effect on the person's growth. For a person to truly walk in love, he must put faith in Jesus Christ. Lot's of people claim to have faith in Jesus Christ, but do they really? The test is whether they walk in love and obey his commandments. I have seen people who don't understand Romans 7 one bit, or know anything about Trinity or sabellianism or flesh or spirit, but they love God with all their heart and walk in his commandments. Guess what. They have the essentials. I have seen other who deny Jesus Christ and do not keep his commandments. Guess what. They do not have the essentials. I don't know if my comments will help you see any better, but I tried. Sometimes we don't answer your questions because we expect we won't get through and will instead just get attacked for trying to answer. I hope such does not happen this time. Peace be with you. David Miller. ---------- "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 If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be subscribed.
