Conference lgp30::christian-perspective

Indeed, Christ indwells though who have accepted Him as
Savior and Lord.

Collis

    .1  The way I read the quote, Christ was there all along, but "hid."
    
    Richard
    

Since this is contradicted in many other places in the Bible,
I don't hold that interpretation as accurate.

Collis

    Do go on, Collis.
    
    I'm all ears.
    
    Richard
    

    I believe that Christ is within all of us, without any exceptions.

    He is that still, small voice that beckons to us to love each other, to
    forgive ourselves and our world, to recognize that we are Love.

    Ruth

    Ruth, what you have expressed is also essentially what Quakers believe. 
    Quakers often express it as "that of God within everyone".
    
    -- Mike

Here are a few samples from I Corinthians and I John which have
some relevance to the discussion.

  The world (unbelievers) does not know Christ.  (I Cor 1:22)

  We (who believe) received the Spirit of God (when we believed).
  (I Cor 2:12)  

  Those who do not have the Spirit do not accept the things of God.
  (I Cor 2:14)

  We who believe have the mind of Christ and those who do not believe
  do not.  (I Cor 2:16)

  We who believe are the temple of God's Spirit.  (I Cor 3:16)

  No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges
  the Son has the Father also.  (I John 2:23)

  If what we have heard remains in us, we will remain in the Son and
  in the Father.  (I John 2:24)

  We are children of God now that we acknowledge Him.  (I John 3:2)

  Being born of God puts His seed in you.  (I John 3:9)

  We know that God lives in us by the Spirit He gave us when we were
  converted.  (I John 3:24)

  If we acknowledge Jesus is the Son of God, the God lives in us.  
  (I John 4:15)

  He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God
  does not have life.  (I John 5:12)

Collis

Don has a little blue-covered book entitled "Christ in You" in one of 
the bookcases.  I haven't had time to really read it.  I skimmed 
through reading what Don highlighted and wrote in the margins (which
is a habit of mine also) - mostly he had noted bible references 
relating to the text.  Will put it on my 'to read' list!

Ro

    .7
    
    All good quotes, of course.  They aren't exactly contradictory
    to my understanding that Christ has been immanent, indwelling
    and active all along.

    But I can see it's sufficient for you, Collis.  So, thanks.
    
    Richard
    

Re:  .9

There's more.  How clearcut would you like it to be?

Collis

    .10  I could supply a truckload of verses, too.  But I'm not going
    to play dueling Bibles.
    
    God in Christ is both transcendent and immanent.
                                           ^^^^^^^^
    Richard
    

    "Dueling Bibles."  I love it.

    If one or Bible passages seem to suggest one position, and one or more
    other passages seem to suggest another, the obvious solution is simply
    to accept whichever interpretation has more verses behind it.  We can
    call this the Quorum Theory of Exegesis.  The verses that seemed to
    support the losing interpretation thus don't mean what they seem to
    say, but in fact mean something else.  So if someone takes at face
    value a verse that seems to support what turns out to be a losing
    interpretation, they are guilty of taking an unbiblical position; but
    if one doesn't take at face value a verse that seems to support what
    turns out to be a winning interpretation, criticize them for not taking
    the Bible to mean what it says.

    In other words, you can't lose no matter what you do.  It's foolproof. 
    :-)

    -- Mike

    It does not matter to me what the Bible says or does not say.  My
    belief in Christ is in my heart and unshaken by The New Age of Law.  I
    live in Christ in grace.

    I believe that Christianity is an evolving religion, and that "Give us
    this day our daily bread" means just that.  I do not need these outer
    methods as much as the daily communion with the Indwelling Holy Spirit.

    Ruth

    
    "Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of  the gospel of Christ...
    standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the
    faith of the gospel; in no way alarmed by your opponents - which is a
    sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too
    from God.  For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only
    to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake...".  
    Philippians 1:27-29
    
    

    .14  Good passage.  I used it as a foundation of a sermon I delivered
    sometime back.
    
    Richard
    
    PS  I hope you know we're *not* your opponents.
    

re: .14

Am I an opponent?

Steve

    
    .16
    
    >Am I an opponent?
    
    Ask I AM.
    
    jeff

    I AM says, "No."
    
    Richard
    

.17 .18

I missed something completely in those two replies...

Steve

    
    God has called Himself "I AM".
    
    Richard answered as God or for God, I'm not sure which.
    
    jeff

Jeff,

Thanks, now it makes sense!

Steve