phipps
Star
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2017
- Messages
- 4,776
So my explanation of how my beliefs are not those of the Jehovah witnesses just because they too teach that Halloween is not Christian, has lead you to judge that because I believe in those things means I've been over complicating the Bible? But they are written of in the Bible so we know about them.Sounds like you've been over-complicating the bible mate, Jesus said the same thing to people-
"You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life." (John 5:39/40)
And Paul said it in a nutshell - "I'm worried lest you be led astray from the simplicity of Christ" (2 Cor 11:3)
I don't understand how you would think that saying obeying God's commandments and knowing about what Jesus does in the heavenly sanctuary as our High Priest for example, over complicates things? Doesn't Jesus say we should be obedient just as He was? Isn't the heavenly sanctuary written of so we understand what Jesus is doing for us in the heavenly sanctuary and how its relevant to our salvation?
And I do know that studying the scriptures does not lead to eternal life. The verses you quoted say, "These are the Scriptures that testify about me." Reading the scriptures leads us to get to know, submit and have a closer relationship with Jesus. He is the only means of Salvation. The Bible is God's communication to us. The Bible is Jesus since He is the Word (John 1:1-4, 14). Jesus said, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17).
The simplicity of Christ is doing what Christ has asked of us in His Word and to rely on Him completely. If we stray away from that by celebrating pagan festivals for example, that is when we stray away from the simplicity of Christ. This is supported in 2 Corinthians 11:1-4 from which you quoted verse 3. Paul says in verses 1-4, "Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly—and indeed you do bear with me. For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!"
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