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Bondman · 04-29-2008, 03:49 AM

It was so lovely of Bonnie to think to put in The Inner Room the list in the post above. A list with some really GREAT verses that it's excellent to be reminded about. But (does there always have to be a 'but'?!!) there are problems with some of the wording - some serious - which was put together by Dr Neil Anderson who, as someone else commented, sometimes 'plays a bit fast and loose with the Scripture truths'!

Because I am an unashamed and serious truth-seeker and have been for virtually my whole life (I hope you are too) here are some corrections to bring the list in line with what the New Testament really says:

1.'but are you really a sinner? Is that your scriptural identity? Yes it sure is! 'God doesn't call you a sinner,' He most certainly DOES, over and over! There are so many verses showing this that it's hard to choose! Here's a strong one: 1 John 1: 8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. And to clinch the deal, the Apostle Paul, arguably the greatest of all Christians, clearly accepts this, calling himself 'The CHIEF OF SINNERS!' (1 Tim 1:15)

2. '(God) calls you a saint.' Correct!

3.'A saint who occasionally sins.' Occasionally?!! - what a DREADFUL travesty of the truth! We barely need to go any further: sadly everything he states has to be looked at as possible error! Because how can any man who has read the Scriptures with God's help, PLUS looked at his own life in the light of those Scriptures state such an awful and obvious untruth!

4. 'I am chosen and appointed by Christ to bear His fruit' (John 15:16). Not 'bear His fruit'. It doesn't say that, but simply 'bear fruit'.

5. 'I am a son of God and one in Christ (Gal. 3:26,28).' Very poor wording. In context (which is how we must ALWAYS read the Word!!) Paul is saying: I am a son of God, and we who are sons of God are all one in Christ.

6. 'I am a prisoner of Christ (Eph. 4:24).' Maybe I've chosen to be a prisoner of Christ, but no Scripture I can find says this. This is PAUL speaking here! - where quite a number of times HE calls HIMSELF a prisoner of Christ. It's quite clear that just because Pauls says this of HIMSELF, that is NOT the same as saying that you and I are prisoners too!! (Dr Anderson probably used verses Eph 3:1 and 4:1, not Eph 4:24)

7. 'I am an enemy of the devil (1 Pet. 5:8).' I think "I am an adversary of the devil" gives a more correct indication of what the Greek text is saying here. (And if you want to use the word 'enemy', then the devil is OUR enemy.)

8. 'I am an expression of the life of Christ because He is my life. (Colossians 3:4)' This verse says only that Christ is my life, nothing about being 'an expression of His life'.

And there may be other errors that I've missed.

As I said, this is a great list Bonnie shared with us. The other things are tops! However, the errors above are a stinging reminder to us all to take GREAT CARE with what the Word of God REALLY says - NOT what someone else "says it is". NOR what we would like to THINK it says.

I always check and check and check! - while trusting the Spirit to be my revelator of His truth. That's the way to get to know New Testament properly and well.