“Going back to this Dan the Pastor guy who runs the bookshop, do you suppose he's not a real believer, or he perhaps is and is just muddled in the head with bad doctrine and ideas about God?”
A fair question, deserving a fair answer.
He is as much a Christian as I was when I was in those churches for years. 100%-even if he disagrees with me doctrinally.
Someone recently mentioned brother Rand, who once declared his belief that very few Pentecostals are actually Christians. I disagree.
Remember the rhubarb a few weeks ago, when I stated that Salvation is instantaneous, but santification and learning of God is a lifelong process? I am no smarter than Dan, am certainly not more ‘Holy’ or righteous. In my life, I went from being an unbeliever to a believer who fell in among Pentecostals, to being a Pentecostal myself, and then being taught by God through His Holy Spirit of the errors and abuses of Pentecostalism. He moved me out of those churches and now into a Baptist church. That’s been my journey, but not Dan’s…so far.
I believe that God has His own good reasons for all that He does.
With that said, there is a world of difference between a true Christian like Dan who does not agree with my doctrines and false Christians.
How do I know the difference? Judging by God’s Word. Dan and I may disagree on the meaning of some passages of Scripture, but a false Christian will pervert/distort/add to/reject Scripture all while pretending to believe in God.
I pray that God will open Dan’s eyes as He did mine…and if Dan is praying the same about me, that my eyes would be opened to what he perceives as the Truth…I wouldn’t be a bit surprised. He’s a good man, a compassionate brother. You and I can judge the actions, but God sees our hearts.
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