Originally Posted By: Chief Renegade
"This is the chief aim of an unbeliever's assaults: to get rid of Christ, to get rid of the Atonement, to get rid of His suffering in the place of men! They say they can embrace the rest of the Gospel, but what 'rest' is there? What is there left? A bloodless, Christless Gospel is neither fit for the land nor the dunghill; it neither honors God nor converts the souls of men." - Charles Spurgeon 1894.

**Yep. Spurgeon. He rocked! He woke smoke his cigars to the glory of God! Not mocking him. He said and wrote this in regard to his freedom in Christ.

That sermon just came to mind Dean. I do appreciate you "brother" and your enthusiasm for wrestling.

**Thank you Eric. Likewise!

I mean no disrespect just as you mean no disrespect with your literalist comments.

**Agreed.

In my opinion, if we wind up picking parts of the Bible that we "like" and other parts we take out of context and claim we don't "like" it, we are then guilty of fashioning a god in our own image. He becomes the grandpa upstairs that is all accepting. That is a tragic minimizing of the God that we all will stand before in judgement, just one hearbeat away. Take all of scripture as authority and truth or call it a paperweight.


**Understood. That is one way of looking at it. But then one has to go into the whole drama of the Canon. What makes the canon so special? So holy?

**I still love God and Jesus. I just don't get wrap around the axle about the details anymore. I try to be 'good' not to get to heaven but because I know the Gospel and believe strongly in the truths (as I see them!) of Romans 4:5, Romans 8, Eph (the whole letter!!!), I Cor 13 (AWESOME CHAPTER), and all the Gospels. Applying and trying to understand just that 1/30th of the Bible is enough to keep me pondering and joyful and busy for the rest of my life. Trying to understand every single sentence is impossible and dilutes the 'stuff' that is really good. Yeah, I know Eric. It is ALL GOD INSPIRED! ;-)

**I get the big picture. That is enough for me. I don't need to see and know every single tree in the forest up close and personal to see/appreciate ALL of the forest.

Chow bro,

Dean


D. Dean Welsh, Junction City
***Dean plays well with others!!! ;-)