The Greatest Christian Doctrine

Sea Breeze

The WT likes to quote ad infinitum that the central doctrine of the Christian faith is the Trinity. They quote some Catholic sources, yadda, yadda, yadda. It is a great misdirection. "Look here and not there" sort of thing.

The deity of Christ is really a by-product of historical facts - the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ. Obviously, if Jesus raised himself from the dead, while he was dead like he predicted that he would do - then that is something ONLY God could do.

But, the real central doctrine of the Christian faith that the Watchtower goes to great lenghts to obscure, confuse, and misdirect is the doctrine of Substitution.

John MacArthur explains in less than 1 1/2 minutes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZuVt7qWO80

FragrantAddendum

the real central doctrine of the Christian faith

love

Sea Breeze

Of course, God is the personification of love. Why he would take on the punishment for sin in himself just so someone like me could fellowship with him is beyond my understanding. So, that goes without saying.

But, the doctrine of substitution turned Catholicism on it head and is the basis of the Christian faith for hundreds of millions. Hopefully, may Catholics as well get it.

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

The gospel message is that God offers us the opprrtunity to trade places with his perfect Son.

That way, for people that don't want to face a trial for their moral crimes against God, they get a free pass.

FragrantAddendum

i like that it's about family too

in jesus' prodigal son illustration

he welcomed back the son before the son had time to "show repentance"

even though 10 of jacob's sons were liars, kidnappers, and violent

they didn't apologize until after finally faced with joseph years later

but they still received an inheritance from their dad and joseph made provisions for them

god has made provisions for us way before we knew about it

way before we were sorry

way before

and even though it takes time

the family will be reunited

he doesn't make it complicated like the religions do

he makes it simple

we just have to talk to him

he's right there

Sea Breeze

Yes, it is great.

But remember: The Jews were the prodical sons because they were in a covenant relationship with God through the Old Covenant mediated by Moses (still in force BTW). For, gentiles like me, my ancestors and I never were in the blood family of Abraham as far as I know. I never was a son. God had no legal responsibility toward me at all.

Speaking to gentiles like me who have no inheritance, or obligation from God, and who are OUTSIDE the family, Paul writes:

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

God went way beyond his obligations to his friend Abraham and extended the opportunity of reconciliation to his enemies as well.

Now, that is very cool and has special meaning for us gentiles.

FragrantAddendum

god loved humans way before abraham even existed

god made arrangements to fix the eden thing before there was the mosaic law

god made the way before judah was born

god is not impartial

we are his family

he is Our Father

FragrantAddendum

https://mylordandmygod.quora.com/According-to-the-Scriptures-what-is-the-purpose-of-the-Law-of-Moses-3

Sea Breeze

Some are children of God, some are not.

1 John 3: 10 says: In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil: whosoever does not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loves not his brother.

Romans 3: 22 explains how to "do" righteousness: even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;

There is NOW (since Calvary) no difference between Jew and Gentile.

I noticed that you are still using the NWT.

In Acts 17; 20-28, the greek word Fred Franz translated as "children" in these NWT verses is genos. It is better translated as "offspring" and not children... since it denotes we are all of the same geno-type or species.

For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. - KJV

In 1 John 3: 10 I cited above in the 1st paragraph, the greek word for children is teknon. It means a son or daughter, a family member.

None of us start out as a child of God. We are born into a state of condemnation.

John 3: 18 - He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

This is why in a conversation with Nicodemas, Jesus 3 times says that we must be "born-again".

Family and genotypes are not the same. A person must be grafted in (adopted) to the family of faith (trust, belief) started with Abraham. This is one of the key Christian doctrines the WT seeks to hide and deny to "whosoever".

FragrantAddendum

i use a lot of translations

most of the people i talk to online are exjw or current jws

anyway, kids are kids

jesus died for god's "children" before they were redeemed

so what you're saying is just semantics

when jesus was talking to the sadducees about the faithful ones of old

he said "they're all living to him"

because those dead ones were as good as already resurrected

it's the same here

god can view whoever he wants as his kids

because the ransom is powerful

and they're already as good as redeemed

which is why we show grace

to everyone

jesus will judge who will get life at the appointed time

but in the meantime we don't make distinctions

the rain and sun and love extend to everyone

it doesn't matter if they are "born-again" or pagan or atheist

Sea Breeze

jesus will judge who will get life at the appointed time
but in the meantime we don't make distinctions
the rain and sun and love extend to everyone
it doesn't matter if they are "born-again" or pagan or atheist
Yes, God loves everyone and everyone gets rain and sunshine, and everone has an impartial invitation from God to accept his offer and be born-again to avoid the condemnation they were born into.

Your message sounds like you are reccommending that people just love each other and hope for the best.

Because self-deception is so easily experienced, the bible commands:

"study to show theyself approved"
"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates"?
Scripture says that believers should check to see if they really are born again, or if they are just reprobates acting as if they are. For the believer, there is an inner knowing of who they are. The Christian hope is looking forward to the day when their flesh and souls are perfected and made new like their spirit was the day they surrendered to Christ.
For a Christian, hope is not like rolling the dice and then waiting to see if 7 or 11 comes up. I couldn't live a "Christian" life like that. Everyone can be sure is what the bible says:
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

The Greatest Christian Doctrine

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