Marriage advice

[bearbear]

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."

[PeterG]

Originally Posted by bearbear

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?

[bearbear]

Pistis (lexical form) [noun], Pisteos (possessive version of pistis) – Pistis in most translations is rendered as faith but instead should probably be rendered as vow to faithful relationship as the truer understanding of the word in the early church. It probably could just be rendered as vow (or pledge) and it stems from the idea of covenant loyalty. It is therefore probably best linked to a covenant (think like a wedding vow or a pledging of allegiance) but faithful relationship (or covenant loyalty) could be added for emphasis and further clarification considering the English world’s vast misunderstanding of the word.

https://thelogosofagape.wordpress.co...ek-word-study/

The idea that faith in the NT could be understood as a kind of "allegiance" to the god you worship is consistent with the mark of the beast being the ultimate test for faith. A Protestant can go to church every Sunday and tithe and a Catholic can attend mass every week, recite the rosary, do confession etc but when presented with the choice of dying as a martyr or saving their own life to take the mark what will they do? Their choice will depend on the real god they worship.

Luke 17:33
Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.

Matthew 10:28
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

There was probably a similar test during Elijah's time in Israel. Jezebel like Nebuchadnezzar may have created an environment where anyone who did not worship Baal was at risk of being put to death. Only 7,000 out of a nation of hundreds of thousands had never bent their knee to Baal.

1 Kings 19:18
Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.

[bearbear]

To bring this topic back to marriage advice, I also recommend OP to read "Till Death Do Us Part?" by Dr. Joseph Webb to understand that marriage is truly for life. If you do marry, God will supernaturally join you to your wife and that bond will exist until either of you dies (1 Cor 7:39, Romans 7:2-3). So if you choose a wife, do so carefully because you may only have one chance in this lifetime and make sure you do it because you truly love her and not out of social obligation because it won't be fair to her otherwise.

Matthew 19:6 (KJV)
"Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."