Hallmark of a Christian

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NIV)

Characteristic of Love

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love does not dishonour others, neither does it keep records of wrongs.

Jesus says to Love your Enemies, it is quite hard for some to do and yet many Christian fail on this account. I wonder what gives them the right to to claim so many things and yet never practises any of these but the opposite.

The Bible explains that when we do not adhere to the characteristic of Love, whatever we do, we become nothing. In essence empty religion takes over. Because there are times people have an intellectual knowledge of God, they know "about" God much better than others but do not have the power of God in their life. And they persecute other, when they think there's a conflict against what they intellectually understand about God, to me, this is hardly the trait of a practising Christian.

I believe as Christians we need to adhere to this because over all Jesus did say to obey this command. When one fails this and claim that He Loves God and brush others and Hate his brother is a liar. God made this equation because He wants everybody to live in harmony as much as possible.

And Christ made this command simple. You can test and gauge yourself whether we are living and having the Hallmark of a Christian.

God Bless.

What Error, what darkness?

You mean to say the corruption of the Gospel is that If there are miracles proclaimed just like the brother share his testimony just above that God still works miracles today? That is corruption of the Gospel?

There are so many recorded testimonies, I'm just baffled at your statement.

If you don't agree that Miracles still happen today and you believed it stop in 1800's I'm fine with what you believe but I cannot agree with what you say the Gospel is corrupted if I preached a God who still works miracles today and you accuses me of spreading a corrupted Gospel. That is really insulting if not demeaning IMO. I live, breath and pray to God everyday and you have the gumption to agree with the other fella thinking that I'm a cult, etc. You just really have no idea how much of an insult that is.

I rather that you clarify this first before talking about YEC or OEC.

The only dissatisfaction I would say that I cannot accept (when regards to prosperity) is when church workers / pastors, etc abused the funds to use for their personal gain. That's the only issue that I have regarding this "prosperity" agenda.

I don't know about the others but its fine when God blessed us with prosperity or vice-versa.

I think that scripture is taken out of context if you say do not store up treasure on earth....do you have a bank account?

Because if you do, then you are storing treasure...on earth.

I find that people who went to the Rally will disagree with your views.

I'm unhappy because of propaganda like this because it causes Christians to draw back and live and practise "safe christianity" where they do not believe in God for miracles anymore because fear of being disappointed and hurt when the problem has been solely on the stuff written on propagation which thrive on doubt..much judgment and criticism fling at people causing the focus from believing in God for miracles in believing in people to doubt God. This is why I'm unhappy, you're right.

People hardly read the bible for themselves to understand it's truth anymore but they read articles like yours.

Focus has been diverted from Christ to which pastor is sheep which person is a fake, etc. Focus is on people, no wonder Faith is stifled.

I'm sad that you do not understand this.

The kind of Faith that the people of the Bible lived through has a lot of disappointment with God but the Faith to believe in was quite supernatural and demands to move beyond our comfort zone of believe.

So what happens is that Christianity has dwindled to just believing in Salvation so people just hold on in suffering until they die.
For me this is what Satan wants. A no victory but mundane Christian life. One that lacks the power of the divine Lord God Almighty.

I won't delete your video because I want Christians to know also what is wrong with this sort of videos.

I'm having trouble reconciliating two things. How is it possible that God wants us to live an abundant life, but the Christian path is not meant to be a happy one?

Many Christians believe that life is all suffering as a side effect of going against the world. Is life on Earth unhappy by default? Or a happy life is a sign of getting too comfortable?

What does it mean by 'working out your faith in fear and trembling'? Some Christians/Catholics believe that nobody truly knows if they're saved until they die. When you ask them why, that's what they will quote.

Romans 8:26 (NLT) - And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.

It's interesting the word Help in the Greek = sunantilambanomai which means: lend a hand along with, take interest in (a thing) along with (others), assist jointly to perform some task, cooperate with, take my share in, help, aid.

Word study defines it like this: to give assistance with full initiative

How is it the Holy Spirit helps us to pray with full initiative and with groans that's too deep for word? Remember the point here is that the H.S is the one taking the full initiative leading us in prayer with groans that cannot be expressed. And the expression is through our vocalising..that is what it means assist jointly or lend a hand along with.

Let's assume for a moment praying in tongues is not what is meant here...how does this happen for the believer? If anyone were to see the believer praying in such spirit would be shocked to think he's mental isn't it?

Think about it. Let me know your thoughts you Anti-Speaking in tongue denomination. What does this verse means?

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. (KJV)

It's interesting you mention groaning of the Christian.

There are 2 parts to this. There are....Help us and intercede for us. Agree?

The word "help us" is "sunantilambanomai" which means "jointly help us".
The word "intercede" is "huperentugchanó" which means "to make petition for", of course the rescuing part ...the resource comes from God, hence "no resources of our own" comes into place.

The petitioning part.....does not discredit the praying in groans. And.....How can the Holy Spirit helps us if we don't jointly pray in the spirit. You do agree that Holy Spirit does not act if we do not pray. So praying is the core matter here. But how? Do we groan or it's just the Holy Spirit who is groaning. What is the point of letting the reader know..if it's just the Holy Spirit groaning in the spirit realm....for me there are no insignificant details in the Bible.

The question I think which is the contention.....

So what is the "through wordless groan"?

Isn't that participation on our part? If it isn't, why use the phrase "through" or "with" ...the verb "groans"? How can it be through us or with us as you can see in most of the word translation used.

Wouldn't it sound weird that you or the spirit prays through groaning?

I don't see where in the Bible that says groaning is the result of sin.

you're not really attending to the question I've asked...With us..through us.

not really.

1 Corinthians 14:2 (NIV) - For anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit.

How can you be suffering because of sin? Unless you're telling me Christ did not liberate you from sin.

This suffering is a different context. It's not about sin. This groaning is our waiting for the blessed hope of our new body. Hence the phrase waiting for liberation from bondage and decay (v21) because our current body is corruptible physical body with the nature of the flesh. Why is there an agitation on our part? It's because we have been (past tense) made a new creation. We are a new clean spirit (no sin) made righteous permanently but living in the old body. The Flesh in our body is not our identity anymore. Hence the suffering.

No, that forbidding is speaking in tongues before mass congregation if there is no interpreter, 1 Corinthians 14:2 refers speaking in tongue before God meaning it's a personal one to one.

Apostle Paul also said he speaks in tongues more than all of you in his personal time with God, which goes to say he does indeed speak a lot of tongues So you're telling me paul speaks in other human language to God? How can that be utterless mystery? It's utterable language.

To be liberated from bodange and decay means that the awaiting is for the blessed hope, more accurately our new Body, it's more in the context of this world passing away it's not we suffering due to sin. If you say that groaning is because we are suffering due to sin, you're also saying Christ's blood did not wash away your sins, hence your stigma of sin is stuck with you. Think about.

The discouraging of speaking in tongues if there is no interpreter .....The key verse is in 23...(the whole church). The speaking in tongues that I've mentioned is a personal one to one (verse 2) because the speaking is to God and the key phrase used...(not to people but to God), do you see that?..Not to people means it's not for the Mass congregation. Further more, Paul also mention this;
The speaking in tongues for the edification of ourselves. (verse 4).Paul put a difference..edification of ourselves vs the Church. What is the point of equating edification of ourself = mass congregation? It would be meaningless to try and differentiate that with speaking in tongues and prophecy...else there can be no differentiation.

One more thing. Do you realize the way Paul expressed about tongues in 1 Corinthians 14:9, the way he equates speaking in tongues =  unintelligible words and he used the phrase;
how will anyone know what you are saying?..meaning to say speaking in tongues, nobody can understand the babbling or expression ...only God knows, so you can't say the way we speak in tongues = Other language of other nation as in books of Acts. Those are intelligible words.

No, it's not about we can speak perfectly in normal human language. The problem is that sometime we can out of God's will type of prayer in our normal language. Praying in the spirit and praying in tongues is to allow the Holy Spirit helps us pray to the perfect will of God. The Holy Spirit knows how to pray better but through us.

It's up to you. The above explanation is quite simple to understand but you don't want to.

Hi,

I think we learnt this world is there for 4.5 billion years in science. so when you learn this in science, what do u feel when bible say our world is only here for 6000 years?

We can start a thread to see how sure we are if your position of a 6000 years old earth is correct or science is right, if you want. Here as I understand is not appropriate.