Is Speaking in Tongues necessary for Bible Salvation

[yosemite]

Luke chapter 8 still has no relevance to the conversation about speaking in tongues though. 

Sure it does.  It's just that the people who quoted it didn't understand that they were supposed to apply it to themselves and not to others jkjk

On a serious note, that verse should really never be used in a discussion because the only purpose someone can have for quoting it is to incite the other side to anger.  When a person quotes that verse it is a claim by that person that says I'm right and your wrong.  It's a claim that I'm more spiritual than you...

i cant help how others take the scripture. I take it for truth. if scripture gets you riled up it is not my fault. I am no more spiritual than you could be, but lets call a spade a spade and quit playing patty cake with our own feelings and get to the truth. the bible says it would not be explainable to some. some will not see for their understanding is not opened to them. if you go to church it does not mean you are automatically a christian. Just because you stand in a garage does not make you a car.

Joh 15:7  If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto
you.
God is an Austere God in the old testiment. God is the same Austere God in the new testiment.He wants obedience.
Jas 2:18  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
Jas 2:20  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Mr 7:9  And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
Joh 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Joh 14:21  He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
Joh 15:10  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
Lu 3:16  John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:

what is fire?
Jas 3:4  Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
5  Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
7  For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
Ac 2:3  And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

God can tame the tongue!!!!! as a helm will be guided by a man so shall his ship be guided. As God guides a helm so shall the ship be guided. want proof?? receive ye the Holy Ghost!!!

[jfrog]

Luke chapter 8 still has no relevance to the conversation about speaking in tongues though.  

Sure it does.  It's just that the people who quoted it didn't understand that they were supposed to apply it to themselves and not to others jkjk

On a serious note, that verse should really never be used in a discussion because the only purpose someone can have for quoting it is to incite the other side to anger.  When a person quotes that verse it is a claim by that person that says I'm right and your wrong.  It's a claim that I'm more spiritual than you...

i cant help how others take the scripture. I take it for truth. if scripture gets you riled up it is not my fault. I am no more spiritual than you could be, but lets call a spade a spade and quit playing patty cake with our own feelings and get to the truth. the bible says it would not be explainable to some. some will not see for their understanding is not opened to them. if you go to church it does not mean you are automatically a christian. Just because you stand in a garage does not make you a car.

Joh 15:7  If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto
you.
God is an Austere God in the old testiment. God is the same Austere God in the new testiment.He wants obedience.
Jas 2:18  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
Jas 2:20  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Mr 7:9  And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
Joh 14:15  If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Joh 14:21  He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
Joh 15:10  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
Lu 3:16  John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:

what is fire?
Jas 3:4  Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
5  Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
7  For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
Ac 2:3  And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

God can tame the tongue!!!!! as a helm will be guided by a man so shall his ship be guided. As God guides a helm so shall the ship be guided. want proof?? receive ye the Holy Ghost!!!

if scripture gets me riled up? lol

I would explain to you what got me riled up, but you could not understand.  I mean some won't see for their understanding is not opened up to them right?

[yosemite]

jfrog you said you had the Holy Ghost, we should be on the same page here.

Heb 5:12  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.

Pr 18:6  A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes.

if scripture gets me riled up? lol

I would explain to you what got me riled up, but you could not understand.  I mean some won't see for their understanding is not opened up to them right?

acts 19:9  But when divers were hardened, and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus.

I'll not comment further for not wanting contention.

[Raven180]

Okay, I finally get what your going after, jfrog. And I see where I misled. My apologies. Please excuse my hyperbole.

Going back to the idea of "levels of faith", when I said that a person who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not have Hebrews 11:6 faith (but then said that they did have it if they had repented and been baptized) I was referring to not having the Hebrews 11:6 level of faith in regards to Spirit baptism. I used a hyperbole and misled and obviously implied that any person who does not have the Holy Ghost has absolutely no faith whatsoever. I don't believe that, as I think I pointed out in my last posts. They do have faith, whether in just the existence of God, or for repentance, etc. But, if they don't have faith to receive the Holy Spirit and therefore do not believe God for being able to live in the Spirit, then it can reasonably be said that they have "no faith" and cannot please God, in terms of what it takes to believe, receive, and walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh.

Hope this all makes sense and that I have made proper restitution to any offense given to the Word or to others who are reading/participating.

Peace and God bless,

Aaron

[Raven180]

Words coming from God does not make those words prophecy no matter how much you want them to.

Then what does it make them, especially considering Amos 3:8b?

...the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?

Seems to me that there is safety in realizing the connection between God speaking (words, of course!) and prophesying. Granted God can speak without using people. In that case, "the voice of the LORD thundereth...". But, if and when God chooses to speak to, and especially through, a person, how can it not, generally speaking, be prophesying? What else is it?

...the bible differentiates between tongues and prophecy.

It only does so in terms of charismata, i.e. diverse kinds of tongues and the gift of prophecy (and the interpretation of tongues). Elsewise, when a person speaks in tongues as they receive the Holy Spirit, which is what we are talking about, it is prophesying. Peter said as much when he indicated that the speaking in tongues which happened on the day of Pentecost was the complete fulfillment of Joel 2:28, that God's sons and daughters would prophesy. While speaking languages capable of being understood, they were xenoglossalia to the speakers. And they prophesied of the wonderful works of God.

[Raven180]

If speaking with tongues is prophesy then how can Paul write that he would rather us prophesy than speak in tongues?

He can write that, if the tongues he is talking about are the private, speaking mysteries to God which is for personal edification tongues, because those only edify the speaker, as opposed to the gift of prophecy, which edifies the entire church. But, as I reiterate, Paul is not talking about the baptism of the Holy Spirit here (but we are!) which is uniformally accompanied by speaking in tongues--not the charismata of diverse kinds of tongues--but tongues as the Spirit gives utterance in light of Joel 2:28, Acts 2:4, 17, and elsewhere.

[Raven180]

Luke chapter 8 still has no relevance to the conversation about speaking in tongues though.

Well, in terms of the Spirit being the Kingdom of God, and that life in this Spirit/Kingdom contains mysteries that God does not allow the uninitiated to know or comprehend, and that speaking in an unknown tongue, according to 1 Corithians 14:2 is to speak mysteries, i.e. secrets, to God, then, how does it not apply, generally speaking? Anything Spirit/Kingdom related relates to the discussion at hand.

On a serious note, that verse should really never be used in a discussion because the only purpose someone can have for quoting it is to incite the other side to anger...

Again, is that how Jesus meant it? Surely we can quote Jesus with the same mind and understanding with which He spoke His own Words?

There are people who are right and those who are wrong, and who are more spiritual than others. As much as it might anger someone to hear that, or to be told that they are barred from understanding the mysteries of the Kingdom on a God said so basis, it doesn't make the fact that these things are so any less valid.

[nwlife]

have you had the Holy Ghost with speaking in tongues as an evidence? If not then you do not see what i see. you don't have the assurance that i have. that is how it is relative.

I have the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and yes I have spoken in tongues.   But actually I  have to say that to depend on tongues for assurance that I am saved is ludicrous.  My assurance comes from faith in Christ (Romans 4:16, acts 10:43 Eph. 2:8 ), NOT on what I may speak in a service.
Too many pentecostals  base their assurance of being saved, forgiven, and redeemed on if they "feel" the holy ghost, had a decent shout, and spoke in something that might be tongues or might be jibberish.  I  believe that most of what passes for tongues now days is truely nothing but jibberish.  For what few years I was in the pentecostal ministry, I had way too many pentecostal believers come to me and ask if they were still saved.  When questioned why they asked, Almost 100% of the time, it is because they hadn't spoke in tongues for a while and hadn't "Felt" the holy ghost for a while.

This is why I have left the pentecostal movement as a whole.

[nwlife]

Though a quick question, Looking at 1 Corinthians 14:22
Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers.

And thus Acts 2:1-4 where other languages were spoken in as unbelievers were present.  Then should not tongues be only used in public when a unbeliever that doesn't speak your language is present?

I Cor. 14:19-23
19Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

20Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. 21 In the Law it is written, "By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord." 22Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers. 23If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds?

[yosemite]

Though a quick question, Looking at 1 Corinthians 14:22
Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers.

And thus Acts 2:1-4 where other languages were spoken in as unbelievers were present.  Then should not tongues be only used in public when a unbeliever that doesn't speak your language is present?

12  And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?
13  Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.
I hold that the unbeliever,(one who is not presently of the beleif but has a will and heart to beleive) is the one who is receiving the tongues,because he now has a justifiable evidence of which when is received, he is then and only then a believer.(technically)


I Cor. 14:19-23
19Nevertheless, in church I would rather speak five words with my mind in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.
here you speak of two different gifts, gift of the Holy Ghost with evedince in tongues, and the gift of tongues.

20Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature. 21 In the Law it is written, "By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, and even then they will not listen to me, says the Lord." 22Thus tongues are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is a sign not for unbelievers but for believers. 23If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your minds?

By people of strange tongues(language they dont know) and by the lips of foreigners(people that were not of Israel) will I speak to this people. this is a prophesy verse, and should be understood as such. this verse deals not with the initial tongues of evidence. all though it done pretty well with the Apostles when they saw that the gentiles had received the Holy Ghost same as they. But of course the Apostles had understanding of the field of tongues.
Jas 3:4  Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
6  And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
7  For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

who is the governor of your helm? what better evidence of the infilling than tongues. God is showing that he created the tongue and He can tame the tongue. He now controls the ship. we have to stay humbly submissive.

[yosemite]

I have the baptism of the Holy Ghost, and yes I have spoken in tongues.   But actually I  have to say that to depend on tongues for assurance that I am saved is ludicrous.(tongues aint a god, it is from God. depend on Jesus. tongues is a gift, a reward.) My assurance comes from faith in Christ (Romans 4:16, acts 10:43 Eph. 2:8 ), NOT on what I may speak in a service.
Too many Pentecostals  base their assurance of being saved, forgiven, and redeemed on if they "feel" the holy ghost, had a decent shout, and spoke in something that might be tongues or might be jibberish.  I  believe that most of what passes for tongues now days is truly nothing but jibberish.  For what few years I was in the pentecostal ministry, I had way too many pentecostal believers come to me and ask if they were still saved.  When questioned why they asked, Almost 100% of the time, it is because they hadn't spoke in tongues for a while and hadn't "Felt" the holy ghost for a while. did you ask them if they had ernestly saught for the face of God as they had saught for the Holy Ghost? feeling good is an afterward experience. you have to make the connection first. besides, God is the same yesterday today and forever. what he done yesterday he can do today. if a refreshing is what you need and desire and you abide in the word, you have but to ask. To seek!!

This is why I have left the pentecostal movement as a whole.   SAD

Ac 3:19  Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

faith comes by hearing, but that don't mean you get it!!
Heb 4:2  For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

by all means if there is no worship or praise or repentance going on then there will be no reward. when a church stops doing it starts dying. that don't mean Pentecostals as a whole, is wrong. salvation is an individual walk. why judge salvation of another or even whether it be jiberish. that aint my burden nor is it the cross i bare. i have to bare my own faults, not everybody Else's.

you have a grain of faith, then there is word of faith. you have to mix them in order to profit. you cant sit on yo duff and get points. those who set on their duff, the pigions are looking for you. you don't get nowhere by being a statue. you have let the sense realm deceive you like Issac did. feels like Esau, smells like Esau, must be Esau!!  NOT!!

[nwlife]

I will come back to address some other things, but this had to come first.

1. It is not sad that I left the pentecostal movement. For since I have left, I have had more joy in my life, more peace, a true assurance and confidence of my salvation.  I have had more spring in my step, more freedom in lifting my hands in praise as I sing the psalms and great hymns,  and more freedom when worshipping in decency and order then ever before because I no longer have to worry about  the emotional aspects of pentecostal worship to be my judge/guideline to see if I am touching the foot of the throne of God, that I am in his presence, or that I am approved by him.

2. I never was judging the salvation of others, but it is the normal pentecostal position to judge the salvation of people as "have you spoke in tongues", and if they haven't ever or haven't in a while, they automatically assume that person is not saved, when the scriptures point to it being clearly totally by faith and trust in the grace of God through Christ Jesus.  Not by works or speaking in tongues.

[yosemite]

I will come back to address some other things, but this had to come first.

1. It is not sad that I left the pentecostal movement. For since I have left, I have had more joy in my life, more peace, a true assurance and confidence of my salvation.  I have had more spring in my step, more freedom in lifting my hands in praise as I sing the psalms and great hymns,  and more freedom when worshipping in decency and order then ever before because I no longer have to worry about  the emotional aspects(didnt God create us as emotional being?) of pentecostal worship to be my judge/guideline to see if I am touching the foot of the throne of God, that I am in his presence, or that I am approved by him. Even david had to seek God's face.

2. I never was judging the salvation of others, but it is the normal pentecostal position to judge the salvation of people as "have you spoke in tongues", and if they haven't ever or haven't in a while, they automatically assume that person is not saved, when the scriptures point to it being clearly totally by faith and trust in the grace of God through Christ Jesus.  Not by works or speaking in tongues. to me it is abnormal to judge others salvation for the bible says to keep the plank out of your own eye.
Jas 2:18  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.
Pr 3:5  Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

[nwlife]

James 2:18 doesn't prove we are saved by works.  only that works are what should result from our faith.

Galations 5:6 (ESV) 6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
(KJV) 6For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

Eph. 2:7-10 (ESV) 7He did this through Christ Jesus out of his generosity to us in order to show his extremely rich kindness in the world to come. 8God saved you through faith as an act of kindness. You had nothing to do with it. Being saved is a gift from God. 9It's not the result of anything you've done, so no one can brag about it. 10God has made us what we are. He has created us in Christ Jesus to live lives filled with good works that he has prepared for us to do.

(KJV) 7That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.  8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  9Not of works, lest any man should boast.  10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

That word translated as unto, also means toward....not by or because of.  It does not show we are saved by our works rather that good works is a natural progression of our life after we are saved!

[yosemite]

James 2:18 doesn't prove we are saved by works.  only that works are what should result from our faith.

agreed, but if ya take your faith and it mixes with the word of faith, you will proceed in doing what the word says to do.
Ro 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Ro 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Galations 5:6 (ESV) 6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
(KJV) 6For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.
he talks of the ones who are circumcised in the flesh and not seeing the cicumcision of the heart leaning toward tradition of the old covenant.
a few verses after.
7  Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
8  This persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you.
9  A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.


Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph. 2:7-10 (ESV) 7He did this through Christ Jesus out of his generosity to us in order to show his extremely rich kindness in the world to come. 8God saved you through faith as an act of kindness. You had nothing to do with it. Being saved is a gift from God. 9It's not the result of anything you've done, so no one can brag about it. 10God has made us what we are. He has created us in Christ Jesus to live lives filled with good works that he has prepared for us to do.

remember the epistles were writen to the churches of whom already had the Holy Ghost.
Ro 8:9  But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
this brings us back to, "how do ya get the spirit of Christ in ya?"
Joh 15:7  If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Joh 15:10  If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

(KJV) 7That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.  8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:  9Not of works, lest any man should boast.  10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

That word translated as unto, also means toward....not by or because of.  It does not show we are saved by our works rather that good works is a natural progression of our life after we are saved!

did you kneel down at an alter to ask forgiveness? that took an effort. did ya voice a prayer to ask for it? that took an effort. did ya drive to church that day? that took an effort. you did a lot of work to get to salvation just in that day. it is by grace we have an oppertunity for salvation. faith is what we stepped out on toward salvation and saught for the gift and the promise. No man is saved untill he hears "well done my faithful servant" and  the gate clicks shut behind him. we are on a constant rout toward salvation.
Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
there is no once saved always saved or we would not have verses like:
heb 6:6  If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
7  For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:
8  But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned.
9 ¶  But, beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak.
10  For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
11  And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:
12  That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

[Steve.Elsenrath]

So, maybe this topic should have been broken up into many different threads. This was painful to read even the first page, which is why I stopped when I saw 3 pages...

I believe when you come into the full knowledge of Christ and the Bible, you cannot dispute that tongues is the initial sign of receiving the Holy Spirit. With that being said, I do believe that there are some out there who may never receive the full plan as we have and then the Judge of their Hearts would be the ONE in Heaven. Some will hear it an reject it, those are not the ones I speak of. The Bible teaches us to submit our whole selves to Christ, later it also says that the tongue is the most unruly member of the body. Before you can be fully submissive to Christ, you must submit your tongue to Him. Then again, One can speak in all the tongues they want and still not be saved in their hearts. I know plenty who are self proclaimed saints, speak in tongues and then go do whatever in the world that they want. Salvation is the beginning but you are truely saved through your lifestyle change FOLLOWING the EXPERIENCE.

"Out of your bellys, shall flow river of living water; this spake He of the spirit...." Someone mentioned that Jesus did not teach this, but in Luke it says that He spake of the spirit but they could not recieve because He had not been crucified (glorified). The church that Peter addressed in Acts were established followers of Christ's teachings before His death, burial and ressurection. Once crucified, they were shown the completed messege of when Christ opened the understanding of His disciples.

If we want to believe it or not, there will be more people in heaven than Pentecostals. I am glad that I have this wonderful truth and will spread it to all I can with love and compassion, but the only one who can determine when and where Grace is used... is not me.... is Jesus Christ.

Anyways, I find it amusing when we as Pentecostals debate eachother cause that really makes our mission a complete one. If you feel that I am out of line, so be it. I have an open mind and once I was the same as you until I found the Love in and of Christ. If we follow after the Gospel of Christ, then we will demonstrate love rather than condemnation.


EDIT: LoL, I also just realized that this is a dead topic from June 2010... Haha, no wonder.