Here's the difference: A Scotsman is universally identified, not by his behavior, but by his place of origin/residence. If guilty of heinous crimes, he is simply a diabolical Scotsman, so Flew's example is sound. A true Christian however, is identified (by Jesus Christ) as one who knows and abides in Christ and bears fruit accordingly (Matt 7:15-23). This criteria was established by the Lord before group membership started and is therefore not a subcategory but the category, and cannot be equivocated with No True Scotsman. Yes, there are those who claim (like Hitler) to be disciples of Jesus Christ, but clearly according to Jesus, they are not.
So the world was given the right and means by God Himself to distinguish true Christians from false ones. I hope you will take this into consideration and not use the "church hypocrite" reason for rejecting Jesus and the salvation He offers. Of course the church has plenty of hypocrites (1 Pet 4:15-18) - don't follow them; follow the Prince of Peace - the One and Only, and fear death no more!
Bit,
ReplyDeleteJust a couple of questions:
Is it possible for someone who 'knows and abides in Christ' to sin?
Does the God of the Bible see hate as being the same as murder?
Is it possible for a Christian to misinterpret Scripture?
I'd really appreciate your thoughts on these questions.
Now, I'm not at all suggesting that Hitler was a Christian. If anything, he was a cultural Christian at best, but far more than that, he used and warped Christianity to his own ends.
Cheers,
Matt,
ReplyDeleteI'm not trying to sound like a know-it-all, since I am quite aware I am far from it. My guide in such matters is of course, scripture.
[abiding in Christ] 1 John 1:5This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all[b] sin.
So one abiding in Christ can sin. But this passage shows us that there is a diff btw missteps while walking in His light, and deliberately accepting a sinful lifestyle, equivalent to walking out of His light, into the darkness.
[Hate = murder]
Human society has a (necessary) tendency to categorize the gravity of crimes, whereas any violation of God's commands (even eating a forbidden fruit) separates us from Him. Being holy, overlooking sin is something He simply cannot do. If it were otherwise, Jesus didn't have to make the ultimate sacrifice. Any hatred (or even wrongful anger) toward another is contrary to the will of God. The Bible is replete with indications how important our motives are to God - the posture of our heart. It's possible to obey someone you despise, but another thing to love them from the heart.
So then, your answers would be:
ReplyDeleteIs it possible for someone who 'knows and abides in Christ' to sin?
Yes.
Does the God of the Bible see hate as being the same as murder?
Yes.
Is it possible for a Christian to misinterpret Scripture?
And Yes.
By that rationale, it is possible for someone who is born again to:
- misinterpret Scripture
- believe that they are 'walking in light';
- sin (of any magnitude as they are all the same in God's eyes); and
- still be saved.
As long as the person in question honestly feels that they are interpreting Scripture correctly, they're not 'deliberately accepting a sinful lifestyle'.
As with you, I'm not claiming this is true or correct; just what came into my head when I read your comment.
Cheers,