Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Christianity could possibly become a minority religion in US as early as 2045…

James was a Jew who wrote to Jews under the Mosaic Law, James 1:1. As he was under the gospel of the kingdom, faith plus works were bound together for Jews. Salvation by faith alone (the gospel of grace later by Paul) was unknown to the Jews at that time.

Since James was written between 45-50 AD and is one of the earliest books, James had no knowledge or understanding of Paul’s gospel of grace yet. James zealously believed in the Mosaic Law and having faith plus works, James 2:18. Old Testament salvation required required faith and works, and James was written like an O.T. Book to Jews, not Gentiles. The salvation doctrine by faith alone was unknown before Paul was commissioned by the ascended Lord. Since Paul, we are now saved by having faith alone in the finished work of Jesus.

Bottom line....you keep saying prove that God exist....and we (Christians) keep saying, there is enough evidence that we believe God of the Bible exists......and so it keeps going and going and going....and yes you are hounding the believers in God the Bible.

mauserand9mm and his ilk seem to think history began on the day they were born.

It was unknown to everyone until Luther invented it.

Here to respond to the OP's question. Just highlighting some issues as I see them. No need to feel persecuted about it all.

Not at all. You think it began 6,000ish years ago?

Now wait a minute. Is this to say there will be social divisions and rank in heaven among the few that make it? "narrow is the way... and few there be that find it"

That's often overlooked.

Given that god and Jesus did all the hard yards, and the dire consequences for those failing to meet the entry requirements to heaven, is eternal free-loading really the acceptable outcome for the successful believers? Sounds somewhat ungrateful and disrespectful for doing so little to recieve such a reward. Like they say, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

If Hitler made it to heaven then there must be some awkward conversations going on up there. I guess they probably just sit back and laugh about it now when they recall the old times. Hitler was one crazy nazi back in the day.

I'm not saying prove God exists. I'm pointing out that evidence is lacking, that what is written in our holy books is not evidence for what is written about God and the supernatural in their pages.

Which is why believing in the existence of a God or gods a matter of faith, not evidence.

That's all.

It's not how we've lived because we are all sinners (Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God) but it's the condition of our soul when we die.

We all deserve hell, but are only justified by His grace not works. Romans 3:24

In which case, being Divine Grace, everyone can be saved.....

Bell is sure going to be overcrowded

As a practitioner of good works what are you working toward?

Do you have a grade that your working toward like in a pyramid company?

Since your good works have to be directed at men I wonder how the humanity that you are “working for or on” to Jack up your reward count and coup in heaven feel about being nothing more than objects in a scheme?

Is God so screwed up that He would design a system that depended on such predation?

I wonder how God feels about your use of his other created children as you use them to “earn crowns” at their expense?

Seems to me that your idea of good works are self centered and predatory. Get in with God so that you are rewarded. You gonna sit on the right hand or the left hand side?

Paul clearly teaches that the covenant of Grace was what saved Abraham. He quoted what Moses was inspired to write, “Abraham believed God (the promise of the messiah and the forgiveness of sin) and it was COUNTED to him as righteousness”. Abraham was saved by grace. Imputation, while not named, was taught in Genesis. Paul simply expanded on the teaching in his writings.

Abraham lived before the dispensation of the law and was saved by his faith, Roman’s 4:3. God established His plan with Israel beginning with Abraham and began a new plan later with Paul. Before Paul, no one was saved by faith alone except for Abraham. Abraham was saved by believing what God said in Genesis 15.

Weird... no one was saved by faith, except Abraham, before Paul...

Maybe you meant before Jesus.

Kent

I think he actually meant Paul.

Dispensationalism is weird like that.

And yet Abraham picked up everything and moved, as God willed him.

Sounds like work to me. I hate moving!

I can sort of relate to that....I contend there is much evidence but no earth-shattering positive proof.... The bible is unique in many respects. Not only was it composed by at least 40 writers, on multiple continents, over a span of 1,500 years, but it is not what we would expect to find were it “made up".......just 2 examples follows below....

***Dr. Nelson Glueck was the president of Hebrew Union College and a highly respected archaeologist whose reliance upon the historical accuracy of Scripture led to the discovery of 1,500 ancient sites. Regarding the Bible and archaeology, he stated the following:

"It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a Biblical reference. Scores of archaeological findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or exact detail historical statements in the Bible. And, by the same token, proper evaluation of biblical description has often led to amazing discoveries."

***The distinguished archaeologist Dr. William F. Albright also asserted the accuracy of the Bible’s history.

"Thanks to modern research, we now recognize its substantial historicity. The narratives of the Patriarchs, of Moses and the Exodus, of the Conquest of Canaan, of the Judges, the Monarchy, Exile, and Restoration, have all been confirmed and illustrated to an extent that I should have thought impossible forty years ago."

I find the above 2 examples as evidence, but not bulletproof PROOF, which is why believing in the existence of God of the Bible is a matter of my faith, and not PROOF.

Luke documented that God told Ananias that Paul was His chosen instrument to proclaim His name to the Gentiles ‘and’ to the Jews. God recruited Paul, and he made it clear that everyone’s ‘always’ been saved by faith, one is ‘never’ saved by works, not even Jews in the Old Testament.