FrankForum (Frankness IS Forum)

Someone (years) ago asked me "well how do you know which is the truth", alluding to the fact that there are many religious beliefs.

One of the biggest things that makes 'the Bible' different from religions is Grace. The fact that salvation is absolutely free and there's nothing you need to do for it: the fact you 'believe' for a second to get it is just saying yes you want it. All religions, all of them-- mandate some sort of effort for salvation--or imply that you must 'do' something. Generally involving physical garb / postures / chanting etc. It's always something generally physical.

The second would be the way the Bible presents itself; in that you study it by thinking. It's entirely a mental process and nothing else. And there's a particular emphasis on mental digestion-- you often see in Judaism and Islam where they memorize the Torah or Qu'ran. What good does memorization information if it's not metabolized or believed?*

*The Qu'ran cannot be used for epignosis since it's doctrinally inverted, but they just happen to devote individuals to memorize the whole bloody thing like some sects of Judaism.

The third being it's consistent, and has information that's applicable.


Of course not all sects of Christianity share these characteristics, they instead retrograde back down to the same characteristics of religions and IGNORE the Bible--or so grossly misread it in painful ways. After all, if you want to believe something, you'll make anything mean what you want it to mean. Even if ridiculous.

I find that when you point out the simplicity and uniqueness of salvation by faith alone, people see it as a license to sin. Therefore they reject it because they think grace makes us hypocrites. They fail to realize that we are hypocrites by nature. Grace then becomes an offense in their minds.

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HEB 4:12
The word of God is alive and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit, of the joints and marrow, and is a critic of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Excellent point. Religion is the flesh's default mode, so, yes, it reacts negatively to free salvation. We hear that nothing is really free in life, but that's not true from the biblical pov. God makes the rain to fall on saint and sinner alike. I have not had to pay an oxygen or sunshine tax either. Of course, I'm sure Satan's working on it.

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"Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?'---Jesus Christ


"You seem to think because you have chicken to go you're in luck."---G. Lightfoot

Soon enough we'll all be breathing canned air like Space Balls.

_________________
HEB 4:12
The word of God is alive and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit, of the joints and marrow, and is a critic of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

lol. We can always hack it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5B6m11x5iA

_________________
"Do not worry then, saying, 'What will we eat?' or 'What will we drink?' or 'What will we wear for clothing?'---Jesus Christ


"You seem to think because you have chicken to go you're in luck."---G. Lightfoot

Lol, nice. Feels illegal alread

_________________
HEB 4:12
The word of God is alive and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit, of the joints and marrow, and is a critic of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

They also fail to realize that the flesh always sins, so... it's *impossible* to stop sinning. The opposite could be argued that salvation isn't a license to force yourself to stop sinning, or hallucinate and self-deceive yourself to the point you think you're indefinitely sinless. Oh but you need to have an outward profession and show OTHERS your human works so they can physically "see" that you're a Christian... because clearly salvation from God requires that other people (who have nothing to do with God) visually see your works. Oh, but if they're blind then I guess you're screwed.

But yeah I guess soon as grace as mentioned, the natural hypocrite in everyone has to jump out and start going on about how you must stop sinning--because how could anything truly be "free"?