From: Don Murphy <don@...>
Subject: Re: [earlychristianstoday] Love is the fruit that we are to produce
To: earlychristianstoday@yahoogroups.com
Date: Tuesday, July 14, 2009, 9:09 PM



Jeff, you're saying that we have no universal agreement on what the teachings and commands of Jesus are?

 

Can we try to come to a brotherly agreement on what the teachings and commands of Jesus are?

a brother in Christ,

 

Don Murphy
Tucson, AZ
www.AnabaptistChurc h.org

 

Jesus said, "People will know that you are my disciples by your love for one another."  (John 13:35)

 

 

----- Original Message -----

From: Jeffrey Cobb

To: earlychristianstoda y@yahoogroups. com

Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2009 5:03 PM

Subject: Re: [earlychristianstod ay] Love is the fruit that we are to produce

So far we have no universal agreement on what those are. P Please consider the environment before printing this email --- On Tue, 7/14/09, Don Murphy <don@AnabaptistChurc h.org> wrote: From: Don Murphy <don@AnabaptistChurc h.org> Subject: Re: [earlychristianstod ay] Love is the fruit that we are to produce To: earlychristianstoda y@yahoogroups. com Date: Tuesday, July 14, 2009, 7:25 PM  Clifford asked:  "and many do not want to do this and that's why the gate is narrow?" I think that many people, many Christians, want to go in but fail to do so because they don't want to pay the cost of living according to the teachings and commands of Christ. a brother in Christ,   Don Murphy Tucson, AZ www.AnabaptistChurc h.org   Jesus said, "People will know that you are my disciples by your love for one another."  (John 13:35)     ----- Original Message ----- From: Clifford George Harper To: earlychristianstoda y@yahoogroups. com Sent: Monday, July 13, 2009 4:05 PM Subject: Re: [earlychristianstod ay] Love is the fruit that we are to produce Okay, folks, I'm confused.  I never understood how "many are called, but few are chosen" or the "narrow door."  Having survived a few extraordinary traumas and seeing the true nature of people, including many who call themselves, and believe they are, Christians.  I keep thinking of the Old Testament and how God always blessed obedience and was patient with disobedience but always there was chastening and disciplining.  In the New Testament the greatest of the commands is to love one another and our neighbors and of course we must love God.  Scripture teaches us we show our love for God by our obedience.  We're stuck with this Adamic nature, so then we have willful sin and sin that is not willful; it just happens because we are human with sinful natures.  And we have the Holy Spirit which comes into us when we believe, right?  So my thinking (obviously I am not on the same level as you guys) is that though many profess to be followers of Christ and do things in His name (many will say to me Lord, Lord, did we not ... and I will say depart from me, ye worker of iniquity...) but God knows those who truly are and those who truly are not -- we are not to judge -- so some will not get in -- the narrow door is the one that is hard because the Christian walk is hard.  It is hard because we are in the world but not of the world and we must always choose the way that is opposite of what the world chooses and choose to please God and not man...   and many do not want to do this and that's why the gate is narrow? From: Richard Mummau <rmummau@redrose. net> To: earlychristianstoda y@yahoogroups. com Sent: Monday, July 13, 2009 6:35:53 PM Subject: RE: [earlychristianstod ay] Love is the fruit that we are to produce Who will try to enter through that "narrow door"?  Only Christians, right?  Non-Christians would not try.  Only a few Christians will make every effort to enter through the narrow door.  Isn't that what Jesus is saying? ============ ========= ========= ========= ========= =  No, this is not what he is saying.   The person who is standing and looking at the two gates an deciding which gate he wants to enter is not a Christian.  He can choose the broad gate and *think* that he is a Christian, or he can choose the narrow gate which is true conversion.   Jesus is showing us that if a person decides that they truly want to become a Christian, they will need to enter at the narrow gate.  It involves repentance and dying to self.   The broad gate is what is offered by many churches today.  Just come and you don’t have to change a thing.  Just give a mental assent to the truth and you will be a Christian. These people end up on the broad way  but think that they are on the way to heaven.   People who enter the broad gate believe that it will lead them to heaven, but when they get to the end of their journey, they will be in hell.   Or he can choose neither and just go on his way as an unbeliever.   Richard