tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post5517740826167577285..comments2024-03-28T17:41:45.241+00:00Comments on Bruce Charlton's Notions: If you think you are good - you are probably evil; if you know your own evil - you are probably goodBruce Charltonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-89592805644334639022019-05-08T21:16:12.290+01:002019-05-08T21:16:12.290+01:00@Andrew. Yes, want to change. Wanting is the key. ...@Andrew. Yes, want to change. Wanting is the key. Attaining is a different matter altogether, and often more to do with personality and circumstances than anything else.Bruce Charltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-18396095513215713112019-05-08T19:00:46.957+01:002019-05-08T19:00:46.957+01:00I think it is important for Christians to want to ...I think it is important for Christians to want to change, to want to be transformed by God. God knows we can't transform ourselves in our own power. God has to do it, and He will if we ask and pray for Him to. This, I believe, is the purpose of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and, particularly, the Baptism of Fire. <br /><br />-Andrew E.Andrewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15071413357901396149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-34252792262916202172019-05-08T17:08:58.496+01:002019-05-08T17:08:58.496+01:00@WmJas - Two things I believe are wrong is that 1....@WmJas - Two things I believe are wrong is that 1. A real Christian is well behaved, his life is transformed for the better. and 2. It does not matter how people behave (especially wrt to issues approved by the Sexual Revolution) because Jesus forgave sinners. <br /><br />I think it is perfectly reasonable, and indeed necessary, to demand behaviours from priests that are higher than for laity (for Mormons this means pretty much all men; for Catholics it means men ordained in a lineage going way back). <br /><br />This is not really a matter of salvation, but of church order. All institutions that have no special selectivity for leaders will be corrupted, and will essentially dissapear in functional terms; all churches that ordain other than men and are morally lax about it, have already or will rapidly cease to be churches (i.e. in this world, here and now - this is not proposed as a law of the universe). <br /><br />But Christianity as such (which does not require churches); should not be allowed to become about behaviour. It is about (in some inner and real way, motivated by love) following Jesus through death into eternal, resurrected, divine life. <br /><br />And as such salvation is open to everybody - albeit some people don't want it, some people are dispositionally inclined to reject it. But in a strict sense, external behaviour is completely irrelevant. <br /><br />Nonetheless, in actual practice, this crystal clarity is blurred by human psychology! In this mortal life (presumably by design, not by accident) people are experiencing, developing, always changing, for better or for worse. We can only, therefore, know about here and now, and not about what will be. <br /><br />But I think love is what smooths-out all these changes. (Real) Love is far stronger and more permanent than generally realised; and it is the way in which people provide real and divine help for each other. But we must, of course, 'consent' to love, to being-loved - for love to help us. <br /><br />Nothing in this 'scheme' is compelled. Bruce Charltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-23216753951272996792019-05-08T15:19:26.974+01:002019-05-08T15:19:26.974+01:00I'm one of those people who seem to be constit...I'm one of those people who seem to be constitutionally incapable of improving their behavior -- but now I feel as if saying so will be interpreted as a covert claim to be good (because only good people know they are evil)!Wm Jas Tychonievichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07446790072877463982noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-530391655844735122019-05-08T12:19:05.003+01:002019-05-08T12:19:05.003+01:00@William - Yes indeed. That's what I was tryin...@William - Yes indeed. That's what I was trying to address in my Note. What people *say* (including what they say about themselves) is a type of external 'behaviour'; and what matters is inner, motivational, thinking. <br /><br />I am not at all convinced/ impressed by the great majority of people who 'call themselves' Christian - because I regard most/ nearly-all of them as being dishonest with themselves and/ or other people (for whatever of many reasons). <br /><br />On the other hand, 'denying Christ' is more likely to be associated with genuine unbelief - yet, even there, people can be pressured or intimidated (or 'controlled' by various means) into such declarations; and if such people sincerely inwardly repent (which God will always allow and enable them to do - we can be sure), even this may not be decisive. <br /><br />As usual, we are being thrown back onto our own personal and intuitive discernments. <br /><br />I should re-clarify that this does Not apply to things like 'church order' or other similar types of religious leadership - where there is a common sense necessity for high mimimum standards of behaviour, including speech. But church order type issues, while vital to the operation of not-corrupt groups in this-world, is not an ultimate matter of salvation. Bruce Charltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09615189090601688535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4683970826895755480.post-81505678158093538662019-05-08T11:20:53.764+01:002019-05-08T11:20:53.764+01:00In saying belief without inner transformation is n...In saying belief without inner transformation is nothing I probably went over the top. I should have said something like, is not enough. I agree that sincere belief, if coupled with genuine repentance, will always find favour with God even if there is backsliding. After all, we all back slide! But I was really referring to the almost nominal belief I often come across among people who say they believe in God but whose attitude to the world is not affected much thereby. Even Jesus said that "“Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."William Wildbloodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13231219533755925897noreply@blogger.com