Comments on: Are You a True Christian? 11 Sure-Fire Ways to Know

By: Jonathan Roy

Jonathan Roy — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:25:37 +0000

“It is clear that there is a church-state separation in the NT vs. the OT, but how did that come about?”

Didn’t it start when Israel wanted a king like the nations around them? At that point you had Saul in civil authority, and Samuel in spiritual authority?

By: Demian Farnworth

Demian Farnworth — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 18:02:27 +0000

Oriana: No reason t be scared…Christ died so that there is now no condemnation for those who believe.

You can have total and final assurance that God is not evaluating you, but accepts you as he sees you through Jesus..

Here’s a resource from this website to help you: Official Guide to Sharing Your Faith.

Let me know if that helps.

By: Oriana

Oriana — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 20:35:12 +0000

I did your test and I got 3 out of 11. I guess I’m to scared of God to try to be his friend even though I love him, I know It sounds weird but… how can I love someone that’s evaluating me all of the time? how can be friends with someone that asks me to change who I am just to be with him? I always felt like a failure because I want others to experience God’s love but nobody listens to me and now I know It’s because I’m not a reflection of God’s love. =(

By: How do you know if your really born again? - Christian Forums

How do you know if your really born again? - Christian Forums — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 09:03:06 +0000

[...] out the 11 questions by Pastor John MacArthur that can be found at the following site. Click here: ARE YOU A CHRISTIAN? 11 SURE-FIRE WAYS TO KNOW Yours and His, [...]

By: Francis Schaeffer on Spiritual Growth « Kowalker.com

Francis Schaeffer on Spiritual Growth « Kowalker.com — Thu, 28 May 2009 04:52:15 +0000

[...] this means is attending a Bible-believing church or studying the Bible with authentic Christians. In fact, Schaeffer goes so far as to warn his former student not to fellowship with someone who [...]

By: Demian Farnworth

Demian Farnworth — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 17:42:00 +0000

But I’m still curious on how moral repugnance leads to unbelief…cause as much as pedophiles disgust me, they still exist. Not believing in them doesn’t make them go away. Robert?

By: Latest Links | blog of dan

Latest Links | blog of dan — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 13:43:29 +0000

[...] Are You a True Christian? 11 Sure-Fire Ways to Know [...]

By: al

al — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:30:25 +0000

Excellent discussion! On the church/state issue, let’s be clear first of all that what Daniel has brought up is NOT the same as the so-called U.S. Constitutional separation of church from state. That concept is grossly misrepresented by many, but is not the topic for this thread.
~
It had not occurred to me to study this matter, but here’s what I’ve picked up by observation: In the OT, God’s people was a physical nation, a people recognized by its ancestry OR by the inclusion of outsider individuals and families through acts of conversion and acceptance. This latter means was a forerunner of the broadscale inclusion of the gentile world into the blessings of Abraham that would be ushered into being by Jesus Christ and those who would follow Him.
~
What has happened since the cross, resurrection, ascension, and Pentecost is that the people of God is no longer merely a physical nation, but a spiritual nation of kings and priests whose homeland is not physical Canaan, but a city and country which is “eternal in the heavens.”
~
There is still death for those who claim citizenship yet choose to live in opposition to the Lord’s commandments. It is no longer physically administered or suffered, but spiritually (“the second death”).

By: Daniel

Daniel — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:38:14 +0000

On another note, I just wrote a similar post on questions the Christian should ask himself.
I would add that a true Christian not only can answer the questions affirmatively, but also shows progress in his/her spiritual walk. Not a linear path upward (as Richard points out above), but nonetheless, an upward trend. This is not to say that if you are not showing progress, you are not a true Christian. Our growth is compared to a tree many times in Scripture, and it is possible for an unhealthy tree to at times cease growing for a tough season.
However, a Christian that has ceased to grow is unhealthy, and makes it more difficult to defend the validity of his/her professed faith.
See: http://tinyurl.com/10-Questions-to-Diagnose

By: Daniel

Daniel — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:25:49 +0000

Here are a few notes on the topic of moral repugnance of Deuteronomy:
1. Keep in mind, that the church and state were not separated at that time. Because they were one entity, a sin against the church was also a sin against the state. The state was given authority by God to kill people. (this doesn’t by any means clear the whole thing up, but keep it in mind.)
2. If we object to the killing of a sinner, what grounds do we use to do so? Are you claiming that the sin was not serious enough? If so, by what standard? The truth is, every sin sentences the transgressor to death apart from Salvation.
3. I also see the harsh punishment for rebellion against the institution of the family to mean that the protection of the institution of the family was taken far more seriously than we take it today. While today, we’d say that that treason against your country is worthy of death, and rebellion against the family is no big deal, I think the Old Testament shows that God placed a higher priority on the family than we do now. I take this to mean that God was serious about protecting the family because the family itself was foundational to all of society. We do not see it that way today, and wonder of all wonders, we have a society that is falling apart while rejecting God’s plan for the family (rejecting God’s plan in the sense that we do not value the family as we should, not that we don’t kill children for rebellion).

An honest question: When the law said to stone the rebellious son, how far did that rebellion have to go? Because at some point, rebellion could be serious enough to make death seem at least a little more “reasonable”.

At some point in the transition from the Old Testament / Old Covenant to the New Testament / New Covenant, the death penalty for rebellion was revoked. I think that is partly due to the fact that Christ separated the church from the state, but how that worked and why I am honestly unable to explain. (I have been asking for an answer to this, still haven’t found it. It is clear that there is a church-state separation in the NT vs. the OT, but how did that come about?).

In light of all of the above, Deuteronomy is a set of commands to protect the people, the family, and the state itself. If we challenge God’s way of handling things, by what ground do we do so? I am not saying we can’t, but what grounds do we use?