I was re-reading an excellent apologetics book called "More Than a Carpenter" by Josh McDowell this week. This book played an important role of my conversion to faith in Jesus back in the 1984. (Highly recommend it if you are looking to strengthen your ability to always be able to give an articulate, compelling reason for the hope in your heart.) Something new, at least for me, jumped out at me this morning as I read the chapter about the conversion of Saul of Tarsus to the Apostle Paul. It had to do with WHY he hated Christianity so much before his conversion. As the son of a Pharisee and one who had studied the Jewish law under the premiere Rabbis of the day, Paul himself had grown into a man who relied totally upon the Old Testament law for his sense of self-righteousness. Biblical Christianity obliterated his belief system and attacked the very foundation upon which he had built his perception of how he thought he had attained right-standing with the Lord. That's why he so passionately, vehemently, and violently opposed it. (Understanding this makes his epistle to the Galatians all the more miraculous as a testimony to the radical transformation he had undergone following his encounter with the living Christ on the Damascus road.) As I may have shared before on this board (can't remember for sure), not too long ago the Lord gave me a picture of how I believe He views the gospel of grace and its relationship to works. In this picture, genuine biblical salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone is represented as a glass of pristine, pure, life-giving water. Good works, on the other hand, when being viewed specifically in the context of being a basis for salvation, is depicted by dog poop (aka filthy menstrual rags in Isaiah). Just as none of us would ever consider drinking a glass of water with "only a little dog poop" in it, so it is that the Lord would never accept a salvation outside of grace with "only a few good works" tacked on to it. This is no small thing. Think of all the ways that sinful man attempts to pollute the purity of salvation by grace by adding laws to it. You must speak in tongues. You must be baptized and fully immersed in water. You must worship on Saturday. And on and on it goes. And when people do this, they metaphorically add dog poop to the glass of salvation's pure water, thereby destroying its life-giving, soul-saving property. Whether folks realize it or not, by adding poop to the water, they are proclaiming that the work of Christ on the cross was somehow insufficient and needs our good works to finish the job. In truth, His work on the cross was and is both fully and exclusively sufficient. To drink from a cup that does not maintain the purity of the water is to drink from a cup that is inherently incapable of imparting life-giving, soul-saving grace. I shutter to think how many people who knew ABOUT the grace of God but polluted it with various quantities of dog poop will one day tragically realize that to do so had inevitable eternal consequences that will leave one separated from God forever. And the moral of the post is...a little dog poop ruins the purity of the entire glass of salvation's living water. (I recognize that I am likely "preaching to the proverbial choir" with this post, but I sense perhaps a "lurker" reading this may be challenged by the Holy Spirit to reconsider their understanding of the gospel of grace while there is yet still time.) Watchman, always good to hear and prayerfully our witness here will be seen and read by others after we are gone on flt 777. Preach on brother! God’s Grace is truly amazing! :prayer-hands: Good illustration, Watchman. It ties in with a recent experience. I was watching a youtube video where the guest stated that only prepared Christians will go in the rapture. Apparently, there are carnal christians and spiritual christians in the church, and only the spiritual ones will be worthy of the rapture. I think this is a commonly held position. My issue is that the line of demarcation between the two groups is unclear. Wouldn't that mean that our works would determine if we are left behind rather than our faith in the Lord? Aren't we sealed by the Holy Spirit upon believing in Jesus for our salvation? The teaching I heard was that the body of Christ and the bride of Christ were not the same group of people... How can the believers sealed with the Holy Spirit be separated at the rapture? Can you help identifying the poop in this teaching? That removes grace from salvation. We can do nothing, it is ALL about what Jesus did through His death on the cross as the sinless savior, his burial and resurrection. The righteous for the unrighteous. :wacko: I agree with you Tammie, wholeheartedly! I find it disconcerting that some big names in the evangelical world hold to a posotion that sees the unprepared born again believers being left behind... Indeed, well stated! TR Well, in keeping with the analogy, I guess I would add that if it looks like poop and smells like poop, it's probably poop! The whole partial rapture thing, including some sort of supposed distinction between the body of Christ and bride of Christ (?) just never resonated with me because I cannot find it anywhere in scripture. The idea that the rapture is a reward for just some holier-than-thou folks, again, shows up no where that I can find in the Word. Where in the world would you draw this imaginary line? 97% church attendance is in, but 96% is out, and do you round up or down on 96.5%. It is such a silly notion and slippery slope when you begin to actually try to specifically define the ambiguously mythical criteria that would supposedly make the distinction. Our carnal, prideful flesh just loves to figure out some way that we can be better than, more qualified than, more holy than, the other guy. "I thank God I am not like that 95 percenter." Feels like nothing more than a variation on the theme of Pharisee-ism to me. Just like a little leaven leavens the whole lump, so a little bit of poop pollutes the whole glass of water. SMH. Tammie, I agree with all you said except for “Mother” Theresa. She was an absolute monster, Mary worshipper and a total hypocrite. She was a terrible human being that benefited from a well orchestrated media campaign. So, Not good and very large poop. https://knowledgenuts.com/2013/09/27/mother-teresa-was-a-crook-and-a-fraud/ https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/human-rights/2014/04/squalid-truth-behind-legacy-mother-teresa The partial rapture theory tickles the pride and it leads to legalism. It is absolute erroneous teaching. All who have put their faith in Jesus Christ, sealed with the Holy Spirit and have been reconciled to God will be taken in the Rapture. <p style="text-align: left;">Another example of how the world evaluates things much differently than the Lord. Seems to me many are going to be stunned by who ends up with the Lord and who does not.</p>
My opinion, the “poop” just shows that we are sinners. It doesn’t. take a great amount, a small drop or a large amount, we are born with the very sin nature of Adam’s race, we are all filled with the sin nature (poop heads). Nothing we can do will save ourselves from God’s judgement except by accepting the finished work on Calvary by faith.
Many people thru time have been declared great examples of good and bad, Mother Teresa (good but a sinner - small poop) and some very bad people Hilter (very bad sinner - large poop) “All have sinned and fall short (poop of any size) of the glory of God”. It is nothing we have done - not of works (shoveling poop away), or we would boast.
Never have explained it quite like this before, strictly my opinion and I apologize if I have offended anyone with some terminology used.
