Just How Many?

[Genevanpreacher]

I would think that if you are going to use the church that an OB member (Bro Scott Markle) pastors as an example then you should address him personally.

 

I guess you assumed I hadn't from this statement?

 

What if I had, would it be ok then?

 

I am not a respecter of persons, so if I disagree with someone

and want to discuss an issue that appears questionable on the gospel,

it matters not to me if he was on OB or on Jack Van Impe's program.

 

I think Bro. Scott can handle being used as an example.

[HappyChristian]

Someone sounds a wee bit grumpy.

[Genevanpreacher]

Me?

 

 

[Alimantado]

I find it humorous that some preachers have a list of things you have to 'fulfill' before one can claim to be saved.

I know they prOBably occur at the same moment in time, but it seems so 'much' to put on someone who doesn't 

know exactly what in the world they are talking about.

 

Example: http://www.melvinbaptistchurch.com/gods-way-of-salvation.html#.VM5zHvnF-Vo

 

That seems like a pretty short list to me--I think I agree with what it contains and what it is limited to. Just on this forum I've heard plenty of additional things stated as needing to be understood and believed in order to be saved. Some off the top of my head (just from this forum):

 

--Doctrine of OSAS.

--OT/NT as innerant scripture.

--Jesus' virgin birth.

--Mature understanding of the Trinity.

--Eternal conscious torment

 

And although you say that your list contains only one item, GP, I suspect that this item is actually short-hand for a longer list.

[Covenanter]

The OBvious prOBlem with the OP question is that we all have different testimonies of our salvation. 

 

Compare the Samaritan woman with Lydia or Mary Magdalene.

 

Saul/Paul with the 3,000 at Pentecost, or the Philippian jailer.

 

Paul gives an outline in Acts 26:

20 But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

21 For these causes the Jews caught me in the temple, and went about to kill me.

22 Having therefore OBtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:

23 That Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles. 

[Pastor Scott Markle]

Brother Pittman ("Genevanpreacher"), and to all others who may be concerned,

 

The fact that Brother Pittman used my site for his negative example has caused no direct offense to me.  My site is in the public venue; therefore, he has the right to handle it as such.  Certainly, I disagree with his dispute, and thus have no intention to change the presentation of the site.  Indeed, I believe that everything which has been presented on the site is Biblically supported, and is thus the Biblical truth for lost sinners.  How God the Holy Spirit chooses to use that presentation in the heart of each lost sinner is certainly under His divine authority, and I shall praise the name of the Lord our Savior for every lost soul whom the Holy Spirit might draw unto Christ thereby.

 

On the other hand, I do find it interesting how I came to realize that the site of the church that I pastor had become a focal point for a discussion.  It is possible that I would not have known, except that I learned through the record of my "statcounter" that I had a number of hits on the site yesterday.  My "statcounter" also informed me that these various hits found their sending source from this thread.  Actually, one such hit did not move me to curiosity.  However, after a number of such hits, my curiosity moved me to check things out.  I suppose that it might have been nice for someone to inform me that I and our church site had become a focal point for a (negative) discussion.  I also suppose that this might yet have been done if things had continued longer.  Therefore, I am not at all presenting this with a spirit of offense against anyone, but simply as a point for consideration concerning the future.

[wretched]

How many times I have heard of a good preaching Church or preacher, go to their site and read the statement of faith and see the vagueness of it and come to the end of their statement not really knowing what they believe.

 

You can go to many rock n roll church sites and get the seemingly correct words and phrases of salvation but are they really?

 

I think Pastor Markle was being very thorough in his descriptions for a reason and not that of works but that of understanding.

[John81]

How many times I have heard of a good preaching Church or preacher, go to their site and read the statement of faith and see the vagueness of it and come to the end of their statement not really knowing what they believe.

 

You can go to many rock n roll church sites and get the seemingly correct words and phrases of salvation but are they really?

 

I think Pastor Markle was being very thorough in his descriptions for a reason and not that of works but that of understanding.

Very true, This is why I pointed out in a post above that I believe on a website, where there can be no interaction between the reader and the one giving witness (through the website) it's good to have more information rather than less.

 

Many churches have VERY poor statements of faith, or statements of any other kind on their websites. I've seen websites with as little information as "We believe in Jesus and Bible" and "if you want to be saved just ask Jesus into your heart". That was it.

[Alimantado]

and "if you want to be saved just ask Jesus into your heart". That was it.

 

Hmmmm, I'm sure I've read a very similar short and all-encompassing statement somewhere very recently.