Quote:
Originally Posted by Sons to Glory!
The Lord says to let the wheat and the tares grow until the harvest, and then it can be determined which was actually the weeds. Tares closely resemble wheat, especially at first, but later on it becomes more apparent - we don't always know one from the other. So is it possible some of these folks in the LC aren't actually born again? Sure. But how to tell? First Corinthians 12:3 says, "No man can say 'Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit." So what do we do with that?
If we had "magic glasses" and could see each one as God sees them, then we could tell whether they were His children or not. Personally, I consider that they are born-again, just far off in left field. Regenerated ones get into all kinds of things, and many for long periods of time, that don't seem to demonstrate much genuine fruit of the Spirit. Are they still born again? Sure . . . just not much current evidence that we can see.
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And based on all that I read in the NT, it seems that in some places we should allow things to be what they are and leave the pruning, separating, etc., to God. But in other places, it appears that we are to make a judgment and therefore take a stand. And, like so many other things I point to, we need to understand the kinds of context for each kind of action to take (or not take).