In Reply to: Re: Do you think Berg was saved? posted by lydia on November 03, 2002 at 18:15:57:
I acceept what you explained below, that knowing where the line is is important. Obviously once the line is defined both sides of the line are also defined. Thank you, I hadn't seen that before but it calls for deeper questioning.
We could naturally be concerned about the salvation of people we care about but aren't we called to be concerned about our own salvation? Don't we have enough trouble with our own path? I say this because The Berg question comes to mind every so often and I must confess that it bothers me to think that he may be saved. I understand your position but I am still uneasy about it because it is about somebody else's salvation. Who am I to define it when God is the one who will have mercy upon whomever He wants to have mercy upon?
So, don't I know the Scriptures well enough? Perhaps I don't. In any caase, my response has been to avoid the question altogether but that also has its problems.
I am getting convinced that no amount of Bible verses will solve it one way or the other and that what we believe on the matter is more or less a mix of whatever we wish upon Berg and the mercy we would like to get in that day. Meanwhile, I am leaning more and more towards considering the more pressing and important question about my own salvation and to Hell with Berg's. But, how can we be unconcerned about a deceiver and false prophet and not be unconcerned about others, or my own?
What is the difference between he and me and the others? That we know that he crossed the line? That he never actually crossed the line to become a true Christian?
Is this an example of how easily we can judge others and not ourselves? If we interpret the world, including the Bible, based on our own perceptions and desires, do we need a revelation to understand these things? How can we know with all the many different interpretations of things, event, people, experiences? What about non-Christians? In fact, it is non-Christians and fringe Christians who are of interest. They don't believe like we do and why are they excluded? Are Christianity and salvation the same thing?
I am not looking for a scriptural debate, or for a debate on Christianity but for the practical applications and implications of spirituality in our daily life. Is it possible to go there?