Sublime

we need to move beyond “belief only” Christianity. I think that’s what Jesus meant when he said, “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:20).

I’m not who I used to be; I’m on the way to being who I’m called to be; but I’m not there yet, Augustine counsels.

Smith suggests the following tenants of moralistic therapeutic deism, which form its core beliefs: A God exists who created and orders the world and watches over human life on earth. God wants people to be good, nice, and fair to each other, as taught in the Bible and by most world religions. The central goal of life is to be happy and to feel good

God knew we would never be enough. So He became enough for us. Jesus is our enough. Now before you glaze over like you are in sixth-grade Bible class, stop. If memorizing that truth was enough to change us, we could end this thing right here. The problem with all of our souls is we think we know a truth, but we don’t live like it.

I believe the discussion itself is divine.

“Let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God — what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect.” ROMANS 12:2B (TEV)

What would you say makes someone a real Christian? How do you know they are really saved?