[Cassidy]

"I am not saying at all that there are not genuine brothers and sisters, many whom I still pray for today and whom my family and I love, within the "Local Church". What I do not believe, however, is that membership in ANY group of believers in even the most healthy Bible believing and preaching church will automatically qualify that member as a *genuine* Christian. "

Of course, Ray. A *genuine christian* is one who is born-again, a believer in the person and work of the Lord Jesus and not because they are affiliated with or a member of a group of genuine Christians.


"The enemy planted tares with the wheat, he sent many false apostles and dressed many wolves in sheeps clothing. The Lord warned us of this repeatedly for a reason... just as he told us we would know them by their fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, Cassidy. "

However, the tares are not born again Christians. You are making a colossal interpretative leap and misapplication of scripture when you say that the brothers in the local churches, including those in leadership, are not born again believers. It is the same error that some have made here when referring to genuine believers in the local churches "Pharisees".