On Determining the Litmus for Entrance into the Kindgom

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Vanguard
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On Determining the Litmus for Entrance into the Kindgom

Post #1

Post by Vanguard »

This OP is a retread of what I had opened up with in the Holy Huddle a couple of months ago. Unfortunately, it did not garner much interest and so I thought it better to put it into more open waters of non-theists participation to see if we can generate more dialogue.
Vanguard wrote:I've struggled with this for some time now. I have made commentary on different threads about my beliefs and recognize that they divurge from the more common, accepted Christian stance (and perhaps from that of my own LDS faith) about how salvation is gained.

For starters, I would like to flesh this out with those who have any type of opinion on the matter. Specifically, on what should a Christian base his belief regards to who is "saved" and who is not?

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Post #11

Post by tyga »

You cannot enter into something that you yourself are already within.

You are the kingdom of heaven.

There is nothing one need do.

It is the doing with which you hide this truth from yourself.

So long as we insist on maintaining the delusional belief that heaven is a place apart from oneself, rather than the place from which all things become manifest, we shall never know heaven.

Know yourself and you shall know God.

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Post #12

Post by tlong »

Paul2 wrote:tlong,
You wrote:Where does it say they were added to saved Isreal? Are we not talking about being added to the kingdom which in fact is the Church?
It doesn't say saved Israel. They were added to the ecclesia in Jerusalem made up of the saved in Israel. They were Jews and proselytes who kept the law of Moses and who looked for salvation into God's kingdom on earth.

Today, we don't approach God through the nation of Israel. We don't look for salvation into life in the terrestrial domain like Peter did. We will live mostly in the celestial domain. The kingdom of God will exist in both of these domains as one kingdom.
You wrote:Matthew 3:2
" Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."


The kingdom of heaven on earth was near and would have come about, if Israel had complied with God's instruction to hear his son, Jesus. Israel did not comply and consequently they were ejected from the Land.
You wrote:Matthew 16:28
"Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom."
This occurred when some of Jesus' disciples saw a vision of the future when they were with Jesus on a mountain. The account of this immediately follows the reference you gave.
You wrote:Acts 8:12
But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike[ when the kingdom was preached]
The Samaritans were baptized during the period in which the gospel of the kingdom (terrestrial) was still being preached.
You wrote:The kingdom has come and if it is not his church, then what is it?
God's kingdom is wherever the authority of his son is recognised. Eventually Jesus' authority will be universally established when all God's enemies are reconciled to Him through the blood of the cross of Christ. (Col 1:20)

Paul

You have some good opinions, but have backed none of it up with scripture. None of our opinions matter, only what we have been told through the word.Please back up your opinion with scripture.

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Post #13

Post by tyga »

Scripture? Why on Earth would I require scripture?

Do I need scripture to confirm that I sit here now, typing messages on a computer? Do I need scripture to tell me that I live, that I breath, that I am consciously aware of my own existence?

No, all of these things are self evident, as is the kingdom of heaven.

Open your eyes.

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Post #14

Post by tlong »

tyga wrote:Scripture? Why on Earth would I require scripture?

Do I need scripture to confirm that I sit here now, typing messages on a computer? Do I need scripture to tell me that I live, that I breath, that I am consciously aware of my own existence?

No, all of these things are self evident, as is the kingdom of heaven.

Open your eyes.
In order to debate a topic, then you are required by the forum rules to back up your opinion with some sort of proof. In this forum the bible is considered authoritative and can be used for proof. So, unless you have something to back up what you say, then you have not followed the rules of this forum. Therefore, please back up what you have said with something; IE scripture.

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Post #15

Post by Goat »

tlong wrote:
tyga wrote:Scripture? Why on Earth would I require scripture?

Do I need scripture to confirm that I sit here now, typing messages on a computer? Do I need scripture to tell me that I live, that I breath, that I am consciously aware of my own existence?

No, all of these things are self evident, as is the kingdom of heaven.

Open your eyes.
In order to debate a topic, then you are required by the forum rules to back up your opinion with some sort of proof. In this forum the bible is considered authoritative and can be used for proof. So, unless you have something to back up what you say, then you have not followed the rules of this forum. Therefore, please back up what you have said with something; IE scripture.
I would thought that the passages he is referring to is quite obvious. I mean,

Luke 17:20
20Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, 21nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you."
“What do you think science is? There is nothing magical about science. It is simply a systematic way for carefully and thoroughly observing nature and using consistent logic to evaluate results. So which part of that exactly do you disagree with? Do you disagree with being thorough? Using careful observation? Being systematic? Or using consistent logic?�

Steven Novella

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Post #16

Post by tlong »

goat wrote:
tlong wrote:
tyga wrote:Scripture? Why on Earth would I require scripture?

Do I need scripture to confirm that I sit here now, typing messages on a computer? Do I need scripture to tell me that I live, that I breath, that I am consciously aware of my own existence?

No, all of these things are self evident, as is the kingdom of heaven.

Open your eyes.
In order to debate a topic, then you are required by the forum rules to back up your opinion with some sort of proof. In this forum the bible is considered authoritative and can be used for proof. So, unless you have something to back up what you say, then you have not followed the rules of this forum. Therefore, please back up what you have said with something; IE scripture.
I would thought that the passages he is referring to is quite obvious. I mean,

Luke 17:20
20Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, 21nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you."
LUKE
21nor will (V)they say, 'Look, here it is!' or, 'There it is!' For behold, the kingdom of God is in your midst."
MATTHEW
18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed[d] in heaven.�


LUKE
27 But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God.�

REVELATIONS
9 I, John, both[e] your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

COLOSSIANS
. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood,[c] the forgiveness of sins.


The point here is that the kingdom of heave, the church, is something we are conveyed into, not something that just is. As in Acts 2 where God adds us .


Acts 2
38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church[h] daily those who were being saved.

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Post #17

Post by tlong »

goat wrote:
tlong wrote:
tyga wrote:Scripture? Why on Earth would I require scripture?

Do I need scripture to confirm that I sit here now, typing messages on a computer? Do I need scripture to tell me that I live, that I breath, that I am consciously aware of my own existence?

No, all of these things are self evident, as is the kingdom of heaven.

Open your eyes.
In order to debate a topic, then you are required by the forum rules to back up your opinion with some sort of proof. In this forum the bible is considered authoritative and can be used for proof. So, unless you have something to back up what you say, then you have not followed the rules of this forum. Therefore, please back up what you have said with something; IE scripture.
I would thought that the passages he is referring to is quite obvious. I mean,

Luke 17:20
20Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, 21nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you."
Col.
19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Notice the word if in verse 23. That means it is conditional. The conditions are listed in the rest of the verse. We are not just gonna be reconsiled. We have to do our part.

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Post #18

Post by Goat »

tlong wrote:
goat wrote:
tlong wrote:
tyga wrote:Scripture? Why on Earth would I require scripture?

Do I need scripture to confirm that I sit here now, typing messages on a computer? Do I need scripture to tell me that I live, that I breath, that I am consciously aware of my own existence?

No, all of these things are self evident, as is the kingdom of heaven.

Open your eyes.
In order to debate a topic, then you are required by the forum rules to back up your opinion with some sort of proof. In this forum the bible is considered authoritative and can be used for proof. So, unless you have something to back up what you say, then you have not followed the rules of this forum. Therefore, please back up what you have said with something; IE scripture.
I would thought that the passages he is referring to is quite obvious. I mean,

Luke 17:20
20Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, 21nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you."
Col.
19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Notice the word if in verse 23. That means it is conditional. The conditions are listed in the rest of the verse. We are not just gonna be reconsiled. We have to do our part.
Yet, that does not counter Luke 17:20, or even have anything to do with it.

All it means is that the different Gospel writers had different theologies and different agendas
“What do you think science is? There is nothing magical about science. It is simply a systematic way for carefully and thoroughly observing nature and using consistent logic to evaluate results. So which part of that exactly do you disagree with? Do you disagree with being thorough? Using careful observation? Being systematic? Or using consistent logic?�

Steven Novella

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Post #19

Post by Paul2 »

tlong,
You wrote:You have some good opinions, but have backed none of it up with scripture. None of our opinions matter, only what we have been told through the word.Please back up your opinion with scripture.
All will be saved:

Ro 11:32 For God locks up all together in stubbornness, that He should be merciful to all.

1C 15:22 For even as, in Adam, all are dying, thus also, in Christ, shall all be vivified.

Ro 5:19 For even as, through the disobedience of the one man, the many were constituted sinners, thus also, through the obedience of the One, the many shall be constituted just.

1Ti 4:10 (for for this are we toiling and being reproached), that we rely on the living God, Who is the Saviour of all mankind, especially of believers.

1C 15:28 Now, whenever all may be subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also shall be subjected to Him Who subjects all to Him, that God may be All in all.)


If it is true, as you claim, that baptism is necessary for salvation, all mankind will be baptized in water.
You wrote:Col.
19 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
21 And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled 22 in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight— 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

Notice the word if in verse 23. That means it is conditional. The conditions are listed in the rest of the verse. We are not just gonna be reconsiled. We have to do our part.

If they continued to believe in their hearts that God roused Jesus from among the dead they would be presented holy, and blameless, and above reproach in Christ's sight when he comes. This in no way contradicts the other verses which I have quoted which indicate that all mankind will be saved. This is about conditions along the way to the consummation of the eons and not about the final outcome. The final outcome is that God will be All in all. Since God intends to reconcile all, it is impossible that this will not come to pass, in due course.


Paul

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Post #20

Post by tyga »

tlong wrote:
tyga wrote:Scripture? Why on Earth would I require scripture?

Do I need scripture to confirm that I sit here now, typing messages on a computer? Do I need scripture to tell me that I live, that I breath, that I am consciously aware of my own existence?

No, all of these things are self evident, as is the kingdom of heaven.

Open your eyes.
In order to debate a topic, then you are required by the forum rules to back up your opinion with some sort of proof. In this forum the bible is considered authoritative and can be used for proof. So, unless you have something to back up what you say, then you have not followed the rules of this forum. Therefore, please back up what you have said with something; IE scripture.
Oh but I wasn't debating, I was only offering up my opinions for consideration.
None of our opinions matter, only what we have been told through the word.Please back up your opinion with scripture.
That my good Sir, is an opinion. Would you mind backing it with scripture?

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