How well do you know your Bible?

[Agur3046]

Dear Brother Petro

       I understand what you are saying and yes, it may seem that she (Heidi) is making a judgement call; however it only seems that way, and i think your attitude was un-called for.  While God knows who is saved and who isn't, no believer can truely know whether one is saved or not; thats why James stressed works (2:14-16, 18 to show others your faith is real).  Works are the only clue to us believers that the individual may be saved (but again keep in mind, it's not proven test).
       Individually, it is easier because you know yourself better than others:

5   Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
2 Corinthians 13:5 (1 Corinthians 15:3, "...if you hold fast...unless ye believed in vain...(or didn't believe at all)"

        Your intentions are good, but you were unecesarily rough.  From what I can see, Heidi until now has been on your side of the issue but it was only then when she shared her opinion that you came against, and not only her, forrest too.
       I know there are a lot of damnedable heresies, but let me tell you that even in among bretherans, there are views that may be contrary to your own.  Im not talking abouit the Gospel, im talking about the little things like these.  The Bible is such that no man's wisdom can equal (nor any so called god for that matter), thats why we hold the Bible as our absolute truth.  Therefore, we deny any tradition, practice, and doctrine outside of Scripture (after all, scripture says so).  But because we hold the bible as true source, it allows certain amount of autonomy that each believer has.  As a result, we are independants, we do not owe any allegiance to any denomination or organization lest we fall into a trap of traditional creeds and the "love of" denomination placing second, the love of Bible.  
       Does that mean we can interpret the Bible anyway we please?  Absolutely Not!!!  It is one thing to owe allegiance to scripture as priority to Church doctrine but it is quite another to ignore any passage you did not like.    

agur

[nChrist]

Oklahoma Howdy to Brother Agur3046,

I think that you just described something that many of God's children struggle with on a regular basis, and I am certainly one of them. Belief can be so strong on certain issues because of the extremely personal nature of our fellowship with our Lord and Saviour. It is personal to the point of being sensitive to many.

The root of your post is something I have been studying about and praying about for some time. I'm not talking about any specific brother or sister in Christ, rather all of them that I have reason to believe belong to Jesus Christ.

The subject is a very difficult one for me: (1) unity in and of the Spirit, (2) the bond of peace, (3) Biblical love, (4) and any Scriptures that deal with Christian love and behavior toward others, ESPECIALLY OTHER BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST.

I sometimes give myself the excuse that it was a time to be bold and blunt, and that excuse is only true part of the time. I also give myself the excuse that I am too bold and blunt because of 25 years in police work, but that is not the truth either. I've told myself that God may have use of someone bold and blunt, but that is only true part of the time. The rest of the time, I'm wrong. I've been praying about this and studying the issues of Christian love for some time. It seems sometimes that I make progress and then slip backward again. I've prayed for forgiveness and guidance.

The commandment to love one another as Christ has loved us is a challenge to say the least. I know there are appropriate times for boldness, times for rebuke, and time to stand firm and unmovable. However, these Biblical times are rare compared to the number of times I slip into that mode. I fail, and I fail again. These are times to pray for one another that God will grant us patience, wisdom, and forbearance to love one another as Christ has loved us.

In Christ,
Tom

[Agur3046]

       Thanks BEP.  I see what you are saying and I agree.  For me, I fell in love with the idea of grace and it became my own belief - one I hold dear (I never knew what grace was before  ).  In consenquence, I am less willing to be wrong, "Well...uh...well...um...(eh-hem), this is what I believe, so there! "
       I think as time goes on, we become attached to what we believe.  Through many victories our faith in our doctrine is solidified until one comes along and blows our faith out of the water - who saw that coming?  Therefore, we must at all times before embracing a doctrine or new, be objective and not lean to what we fancey or feel for that matter - even our heart.

Jeremiah 17
9   The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

7   Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.  - Proverbs 3:7

      And if the doctrine is embraced, give graceful attention even if, "OH-its sooo obvious!!!"  I'm not saying to open your mind completly, there should be a healthy amount of skepticism, but be ready, the Bible is clear, but you may be reading it wrong (2 Timothy 2:15).

agur