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Archive - Spirit of the Word - Covenant Eschatology - Introductory Note - New Stuff
"Hating "legalism" while clinging to the ET dogma."
Hi gang,I've ministered for years in many churches that detest "legalism" while yet clinging to the dogmas of the endless punishment OR the extermination of billions who did not accept Christ in this lifetime. In Britain the popular catch phrase is "We celebrate NONreligious Christianity!"
Interesting, isn't it?
I love that catch phrase. Problem is, there is NO WAY to believe in these damnation dogmas SERIOUSLY--and at the same time--see non-legalistic Christianity thrive in this world. For as long as the bottom line belief structure is "God gets rid of those who fail to perform correctly by a certain deadline" (via faith AS SHOWN by works of obedience)--there WILL be legalism.
And that is because there WILL be people who TAKE SERIOUSLY that toxic bottom line belief no matter HOW MUCH their fellow ET-based and CI-based (conditional immortality-based) Christians would seek to keep their bottomline belief buried under a load of grace and love "whipped cream."
If either of these doctrines are actually TRUE, how could people NOT take them seriously???
It's sad that those who take them seriously and are always hyping obedience (performance and behavior and appearance) even in the smallest matters are labeled as "legalists" by their fellow ET-ist, isn't it?
For if God really plans to trash and burn billions of people "forever" who fail in their earthly lifetime to demonstrate GENUINE faith (as demonstrated by obedience)--then, one CANNOT be too careful.
You DO NOT mess around with this kind of god, folks, if this indeed is what he is like.
The folks who take these doctrines seriously are NOT legalists--not if these doctrines are really true. They are REALISTS. It is their double-talking fellow Christians who SAY they believe in ET and CI who are in one big heap of trouble. These folks are playing "nonreligious" games about "grace and love" while--
***ETERNAL DESTINIES ARE AT STAKE!!!***
And the psuedo-grace hype of "once-saved-always-saved" does not alleviate this situation either. For if one has been "truly" saved--then he or she would take his/her Lord's words SERIOUSLY. He or she would NOT be talking grace and love all the time but instead would be devoting MOST of his or her time saving him/herself AND OTHERS from the grim fate that awaits most of humanity.
Their EMPHASIS would HAVE TO BE on how diligently and successfully people are "performing."
But is this what we find happening among most ET-ists and believers in conditional immortality?
Nope. Not from my own experience and observations, it isn't.
I see ET-ist Christians and ministers (in my acquaintance) at the malls and movies just hanging out, looking at the latest technology and fashions, casually enjoying meals and wine, wearing tank tops and shorts and 24 carat gold, fitting in quite nicely with the "world" that they should be rescuing from ETERNAL FLAMES.
I've heard some of them talk for hours on how to invest in real estate for retirement and how to get a few plastic surgery 'tucks' for the least amount of bucks. And all the while these important conversations are happening among ET-ist... MILLIONS daily are slipping into the flames of an ENDLESS HELL...
(Supposedly! Or else they are being preserved for a future date in the age to come where they will be FORCED to bow the knee and confess Christ's lordship and then be annihilated!)
So what are we universalist Christians expected to do? Should we take the hell-fire dogma of our fellow "grace-oriented" Christians SERIOUSLY and thereby be labeled as "legalists"? Or should we take it "seriously" as "doctrine to be believed" but NOT taken seriously in everyday practice as their attitudes and life style would advocate?
How could "truly" born again Christians who SINCERELY believe these doctrines LIVE as though they DO NOT believe them?
Believe it or not...
I have ET-ist friends who ADMIT that they don't go to certain hell-fire and brimstone (Assembly of God and sundry charismatic) churches because they detest "legalism." And yet would you believe that they STILL think my wife and I are "weird" because we believe in universal reconciliation..?
Astonishing... Perhaps there are lots of "closet universalists" out there...hmmmm?
I think so.
Love to all--
CharlieSpirit of the Word - Covenant Eschatology - Introductory Note - New Stuff