bluedog1us
Well-known member
So how do we get back to God?
So we can do that with a depraved nature?We were made to know Him, love Him and serve Him in this world with the goal of being happy with Him forever in the next. That is the driver of our soul.
The question is: How do we get back to God?We were made to know Him, love Him and serve Him in this world with the goal of being happy with Him forever in the next. That is the driver of our soul.
Protestants have a flawed idea of human nature in that they believe that it was completely corrupted by original sin and it is totally depraved.So we can do that with a depraved nature?
How did we become separated from God? Are you saying as the title implies that it is in our nature to be separated from God?So how do we get back to God?
Yes. And Scripture affirms it. For example...So we can do that with a depraved nature?
It is now. We now have a sin nature. When Adam sinned he, and thus we, became slaves to sin. Sinful from birth.How did we become separated from God? Are you saying as the title implies that it is in our nature to be separated from God?
Who is Peter addressing there?Yes. And Scripture affirms it. For example...
2 Pet 1 3 His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and excellence. 4 Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust and may become participants of the divine nature. 5 For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with excellence, and excellence with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love. 8 For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For anyone who lacks these things is blind, suffering from eye disease, forgetful of the cleansing of past sins. 10 Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble. 11 For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you.
The Churches of Asia Minor.Who is Peter addressing there?
Protestants believe that human nature became totally corrupted by original sin. Therefore man can do no good work and is a slave to sin and cannot help but sin and actually has no free will to resist sin. One of your founders famously described himself as an ass, and some days he is ridden by Satan and some days he is ridden by God. Therefore your soul is a dung heap of sin that can never be removed, by merely covered up by God's grace based on your profession of faith.It is now. We now have a sin nature. When Adam sinned he, and thus we, became slaves to sin. Sinful from birth.
Protestants believe that human nature became totally corrupted by original sin. Therefore man can do no good work and is a slave to sin and cannot help but sin and actually has no free will to resist sin. One of your founders famously described himself as an ass, and some days he is ridden by Satan and some days he is ridden by God. Therefore your soul is a dung heap of sin that can never be removed, by merely covered up by God's grace based on your profession of faith.
The Catholic position is that human nature was wounded by original sin, not totally corrupted, and has a proclivity towards sin. Through God's grace and through the sacraments, prayer, penance and pius works our souls can be objectively pleasing to God and sin can be removed and not merely covered up.
Your premise is wrong. We are not "by nature" separated from God. That is a Protestant heresy.Scripture says we are DEAD spiritually. And we can't know anything spiritually.
Eph 1:1-3....we were all destined for wrath.
2 Cor 2:14
14¶The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.
So the question still stands. How do we come back to God?
By Grace. This is God's initiative, not ours. No one can even want to think about God without His Grace. When God gives us Grace we either accept this Grace and move toward Him or we reject this Grace and move away. It's all about the Grace.So how do we get back to God?
What point are you trying to make? All the letters and epistles that comprise the NT are written to Christians and Christian Churches.How does a dead man do that? Romanism lies. Works, works works! Nothing bud filthy rags...Isaiah 64:6
By the way, Peter was speaking to those who were already made Christian. NOT unbelievers.
Yes but they are explaining biblical doctrines. And there are many points to those doctrines. And points of those doctrines are found in every N T book. So, how does a person get back to God?What point are you trying to make? All the letters and epistles that comprise the NT are written to Christians and Christian Churches.
Phil 2:13: "For it is God who worketh in you both to will and to accomplish, according to the good will."By Grace. This is God's initiative, not ours. No one can even want to think about God without His Grace. When God gives us Grace we either accept this Grace and move toward Him or we reject this Grace and move away. It's all about the Grace.
To ward off any attacks about works [absent any Grace] - "Yeah, well, the Catholic Church says we can work our way to God." No it doesn't and no we can't.
Respond with obedience when we are called.Yes but they are explaining biblical doctrines. And there are many points to those doctrines. And points of those doctrines are found in every N T book. So, how does a person get back to God?