Trinity (fwd)

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On Thu, 4 Jul 1996 13:20:36 +0700, you wrote:

> Yes, we believe in the importance of the Oneness
>belief in relation to salvation but this does not qualify us to judge and
>sentence  all the trinitrians to hell! 

This is a sad misconception. In fact, believing that there is an
essential gospel and none other, and a single God who we embrace
through the name of Jesus Christ is a light to the world. If we
believe the gospel, then we KNOW there is no other way to salvation.

I do not see why people insist on repeating the notion that
understandin that there is no other means of salvation is "judgement
and sentancing".

It seems very strange to imagine that human kind has any such power,
despite their opinions and understanding, through the Jeus DOES say to
those who have the KEYS of the Kingdom, " Whose soever  sins  ye
remit, they are  remitted  unto them; and whose soever sins  ye
retain, they are  retained", speaking of the exclusive power of the
church to apply the name of Jesus Christ for remission of sins (John
20:23, Luke 24:47, Acts 2:38)


>  By doing so, we might even put some willing  listeners off totally ? > from the Oneness truth. It is going to be the Lord
>  of Salvation (Jesus) who is going to sit at the Great White Throne and
>  judge from His own Word. Let Him does the judging and sentencing while we
>  do our preaching and believing. 

We do no sentancing in spite of the fact that responsible preaching
and witnessing strips away the hope that decieved people have in
doctrines and gospels which will not save and exposes the certain fact
of hell for those who do NOT escape the judgement and the condemnation
of sins throught the ONLY gospel.

>  The Oneness message will be and must be preached to all nations,
> but with the right attitude.

Well, that is nice sentiment, and a good thing to apply to oneself,
but it sure varies from Paul's notion:

"Some indeed preach  Christ  even of envy and strife; and some also of
good will:  The one preach  Christ  of contention, not sincerely,
supposing to add affliction to my bonds:  But the other of love,
knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.  What then?
notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretence, or in truth,  Christ
is   preached ; and I therein do rejoice, yea, and will rejoice. Phil
1:15-18

While it is easy to imagine an uncomfortable conflict being labeled as
"judgement", it is not so easy to understand that the power of the
gospel is SO GREAT that it is NOT dependant on the "attitude" of the
individual who delivers it. God works through and in spite of people
with personal faults.

When we get the notion of personal power being greater than the power
of God, something is amiss.

I can both place someone in heaven, AND place them in hell. Not
through legal judgement, as you said, God will determine that. But, I
CAN determine whether a person will hear the truth, and whether I will
give of my life for their sakes. People have different ways of doing
this, and have more or less to give, but the LORD of the HARVEST is
well able to divide and severally use his instruments, whether or not
they are mentally esteemed by other instruments.

Yours in Jesus Christ,

MW Bassett, Pastor
Life Tabernacle United Pentecostal Church
Milford, CT
http://eli.warit.org/~mbasset/life.htm
Acts 28:31, Acts 2:38