You Can Fake It All

[ILG]

There is no backsliding in denominal churches. Once saved, always saved. That's why you can have people like Paula White, Deitrick Haddon and others live in sin, yet still be on platforms across America.

You are lumping all denominal churches into one lump. Not all of them believe once saved, always saved. It may be time for you to do a little research. I just had an old high school friend tell me she got kicked out of her (very liberal) church choir for divorcing her husband. I know a lot of people personally from denominal churches, Catholic, Lutheran Presbyterian, etc. Paula White and the charismatics on TV are not representative of the vast majority of churches in America. TV preachers are often the laughing stock of the religious world.

You're right. What you posted was a great many have no clue what true salvation is, not that a great many fake it. My apology.

Okay. thanks for that.

I would disagree that they don't know what true salvation is. I was the third generation in the UPC and read the Bible and it's plan of salvation when I was young. Perhaps there are a few who are lazy and don't look for themselves, but not a great many. Especially in the UPC, because of its focus on the Bible.

I'm not saying all in the next generation do not know what salvation is. I'm just pointing out that all of it can be faked and that people do fake it whether they are sincerely faking it or faking it for their own gain and that the church cannot with assurety say who is "in" and who is "out" but they feel they can say who is in and out and do it all the time.

Not in those words, but the post targeted the UPC and suggested that people fake it. Again, just because someone falls or sins, does not mean they were faking their relationship with God. Who are you to say that? I've known men and women who have committed adultery, a Pastor who shot himself, and others who were accused of embezzlement or other things. They had sin, yes, but it doesn't mean they faked it. I spoke with one minister who admitted to sin, and his response was he struggled hard against it, and wanted to do right, but had wandering eyes and got involved with a married woman. He was plagued with guilt but kept seeing her a few times before deciding he couldn't do it anymore and confessed to his mentor.

The UPC is my point of reference and there are people in the UPC that can and do fake it but the church doesn't notice because they follow the rules. So, people struggle. That's the whole point! The question is why the UPC (and others) think they are better, closer to God and all that because of their rule set. When a person points out the sin in the camp, they say "We are only human" but then at the same time they consistently point to sin outside the camp to prove how holy they are. It can't be both ways.

I don't believe for a second this man was faking it. Was he in sin and wrong, yes. Does that mean he faked it, IMO, absolutely not.

I don't know this person so I have no comment.

Sorry, I still don't see anything constructive. Of course terrible things can occur in any church of any denomination. This just sounds like bitter accusations against a former organization of which you used to be a part.

People in the organization say repeatedly that bitterness is the cause of people trying to discuss issues. You can think that if you want. It doesn't make it true. You may not see anything constructive, but I do.