The Question No One Can Answer

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Pressing-On

Okay, I will relax.

I think I might agree that some of that mindset did take place, but it if it did, it was 30 years or more ago. The whole nation was more conservative and strict in every way, which, IMO, made some churches appear less compassionate.

It was as recent as 4 years ago. Most of the time people express that they'd like to but that they are too busy.

I'm not doubting their salvation or anything. I'm just saying that when I volunteered that first time, I was deeply affected and convicted about my selfishness. I certainly didn't seem selfish in my own eyes prior to going, but after volunteering it really opened my eyes. Not to mention, Christina's passion for helping those in need is a constant thing unfolding before me because she works for St. Vincent de Paul and assists those in need daily.

[Pressing-On]

Originally Posted by Aquila

It was as recent as 4 years ago. Most of the time people express that they'd like to but that they are too busy.

I'm not doubting their salvation or anything. I'm just saying that when I volunteered that first time, I was deeply affected and convicted about my selfishness. I certainly didn't seem selfish in my own eyes prior to going, but after volunteering it really opened my eyes. Not to mention, Christina's passion for helping those in need is a constant thing unfolding before me because she works for St. Vincent de Paul and assists those in need daily.

I can see from this why you have the opinion that you do. It would have to effect you. I just think we need to be careful not to overlook or diminish other things people do to serve. Not everyone has to volunteer at a shelter to be an effective Christian.

[NotforSale]

Originally Posted by Monterrey

The greatest miracle is when I, a sinner who used to love sin, can be converted (healed) and serve God with all my heart.

Jesus said "The poor you have with you always"

There is no such person on Earth. No man can claim he serves G-d with his whole heart. Just like Peter did, claiming he would never forsake the Lord, in the next breath he is cursing and denying that he even knew Jesus.

We will always be sinners in need of mercy, no matter how hard we try to do our best in Faith and Religion. And the minute we think we are "Saved", is the minute to beware of our real nature within.

[Monterrey]

Originally Posted by NotforSale

There is no such person on Earth. No man can claim he serves G-d with his whole heart. Just like Peter did, claiming he would never forsake the Lord, in the next breath he is cursing and denying that he even knew Jesus.

We will always be sinners in need of mercy, no matter how hard we try to do our best in Faith and Religion. And the minute we think we are "Saved", is the minute to beware of our real nature within.

Ed, Peter did not have the Holy Ghost infilling when he said that. You know that. Using an unregenerated Peter for our example is not a correct example.

We do have a way to be sure, not many of us get there when we think we should but we do have an assurance through the Word of God.

2Pe 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
2Pe 1:6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
2Pe 1:7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
2Pe 1:8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2Pe 1:9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
2Pe 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

I just happen to believe the Bible more than I believe you.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Monterrey

Ed, Peter did not have the Holy Ghost infilling when he said that. You know that. Using an unregenerated Peter for our example is not a correct example.

We do have a way to be sure, not many of us get there when we think we should but we do have an assurance through the Word of God.

2Pe 1:5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
2Pe 1:6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
2Pe 1:7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
2Pe 1:8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2Pe 1:9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
2Pe 1:10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

I just happen to believe the Bible more than I believe you.

Your flesh is sinful by nature. And the flesh has yet to be regenerated. Paul wrote...

Galatians 5:16-17
King James Version (KJV)
16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

There is a war. Our un-regenerated flesh wages war against our regenerated spirit. This is why we often face such temptation to do those things which please the flesh. This flesh will be a contender against the spirit until the day we die. The only way to defeat the flesh and keep it subdued is to walk in the Spirit of God. For many, we discover that is easier said than done.

[Pressing-On]

Aquila,
I apologize for pushing so hard against your view, opinion and experience of things.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Pressing-On

Aquila,
I apologize for pushing so hard against your view, opinion and experience of things.

Awww. That's okay. I didn't take any offense.

[LadyRev]

Originally Posted by NotforSale

Gravity is not a viable comparison. Gravity can be measured and proven. And, as you even stated, Gravity has been called, "Law", and applies the same to all who live on Earth.

On the other hand, the Afterlife cannot be measured or proven. This allows the believer to presume, make up, or embellish the Afterlife to fit their own idea or Religion, because there is no Law to confine the results.

Then you have Preachers/People who tell others what will happen to them when they die, even though there is no Law to establish the reality of who really goes where. In other words, it becomes a "Crapshoot", with no definitive answer, and with no definitive truth.

In the end, it's all about opinions, not the actual experience.

Who said gravity was a "law"? Man?

Have you personally measured and proven gravity or have you just taken some scientists word for it?

How can you say that gravity is a fact when you yourself have not measured or proven it? Is it because you have EXPERIENCED it for yourself? You have accepted it as fact?

You seem to readily accept this "law of gravity" as fact but yet if you do a little research, you will find scientists are still researching this so called law and there are some scientists that state it is not a "law" but rather remains only a theory because it has NOT been proven.

Opinions? Most certainly. Based on experiences, observations, theories, ideas, feelings, but not necessarily based on any cold, hard, proven, cut in stone evidence.

We each much choose what to believe, what to accept as fact and what to accept as the basis for our choices.

[Aquila]

Gravity and it's measurements is a matter of physics. Perfectly measurable.

[Aquila]

Life after death cannot be disproven either. It's really a 50/50 chance. Their either is or there isn't. Now, I do know that researchers have studied thousands of cases of near death experiences wherein people describe very similar circumstances (tunnels of light, benevolent angels or spiritual beings, a bright loving light beyond description, the presence of loved ones, etc. There was even a story wherein a child with a near death experience tried to describe Jesus and really couldn't to a satisfactory degree. Then he saw some artwork from another country, a depiction of Jesus. He went nuts saying that the picture comes closest to what Jesus looks like. Turns out... the artwork was from another child from another country who had had a near death experience also.

So we don't have any proof... but we do have statements from those who have claimed to witness it. Each statement is strikingly similar in many facets. If the similarities from all these people who never met were compared... it might just hold up in court if they were to be treated like witnesses in a criminal trial.

So, while the chances are 50/50... we do have some who have come back with a claim that offsets the odds in favor of the afterlife.