Thread: Marriage advice
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Old 06-22-2025, 05:34 AM   #20
PeterG
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Join Date: Sep 2024
Posts: 83
Default Re: Marriage advice

Quote:
Originally Posted by bearbear View Post
My theology has shifted after leaving the LCs. I hold to a traditional true/false Christian dichotomy and not to overcomer/non-overcoming believer/unbeliever trichotomy which Lee and Nee inherited from a faction within the Brethren (Govett, Lang and Panton). Some of the reasons for this are described by George Zeller (who is a traditional dispensationalist) here: https://www.middletownbiblechurch.or...e/hodgesgn.htm

For me an overcomer is synonymous with a truly born again Christian (1 John 5:4 because everyone born of God overcomes the world). The implication then is that few are actually saved as Jesus warned many times (Matthew 7:13–14, Luke 13:23–24, Matthew 22:14). So someone who claims to be a Christian but lives a sinful lifestyle is not actually saved (https://static1.squarespace.com/stat...eally+Free.pdf)

I also lean towards a pre-wrath view of the rapture and like the early church fathers, think the church will be around to face the anti-christ. Meaning if we are alive during that time, we will have to choose between taking the mark of the beast to save our life or martyrdom (Revelation 13:16–17).

I think it will be a time of testing and many who are not true Christians will take the mark to save their own life and betray other Christians which may be the apostasy that Paul warns about (2 Thessalonians 2:3). So the true church will consist of a tiny remnant of believers who refused the mark. Jesus seems to describe this chaos in Matthew 24:9-13.

"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved."
That's certainly a good and solid position which I don't really want to disagree. But there are some nuances - in the Bible as well as in reality. For example, what do you think about an average Catholic today who wants to remain loyal to his church with its many strange teachings, but is saved because he believes in the forgiveness of his sins through Jesus? Do you consider him a "truly born again Christian”? And is he in the same category as someone who will steadfastly refuse the mark in the future?
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