What it Means to Believe in Christ

[Paidion]

George MacDonald wrote:

Let a man trust in [Christ’s] atonement to absolute assurance, if he does not do the things He tells him—the very things He said—he does not believe in Him.
—What’s Mine’s Mine, Chapter XV, Page 103


Sixteen Commandments of Jesus

1. Do not get angry. (Matt 5:22)

2. Do not commit adultery. (Matt 5:28)

3. Do not separate from your spouse. (Matt 5:32)

4. Do not take an oath (Matt 5: 34)

5. Do not resist an evil person (Matt 5:39)

6. Give to the one who asks you for something. (Matt 5:42)

7. Love your enemies, pray for them, and do good to them. (Matt 5:44)

8. Do not give alms, pray, or fast in order to receive praise from people.(Matt 6:1,5,16)

9. Pardon others for their blunders. (Matt 6: 14)

10. Do not hoard goods or be a slave to money. (Matt 6: 19,24)

11. Do not be anxious about your physical needs. (Matt 6:31,34)

12. Do not condemn people. (Matt 7:1)

13. Do not give holy things to those who cannot appreciate them. (Matt 7:6)

14. Ask for what you need, and you will be given it. (Matt 7:7)

15. Whatever you want people to do for you, do for them (Matt 7:12)

16. Beware of false prophets. (Matt7:15)

[Seballius]

Interesting post. MacDonald also believed in the universal reconciliation. Do you have any interesting quotes from MacDonald about that?

Did MacDonald lean towards Calvinism? In order words, did he believe that God would cause all people to totally believe in Christ’s atonement?




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Paidion]

I

nteresting post. MacDonald also believed in the universal reconciliation. Do you have any interesting quotes from MacDonald about that?

Hell is God's and not the devil's. Hell is on the side of God and man, to free the child of God from the corruption of death. Not one soul will ever be redeemed from hell but by being saved from his sins, from the evil in him. If hell be needful to save him, hell will blaze, and the worm will writhe and bite, until he takes refuge in the will of the Father. "Salvation from hell" is salvation as conceived by such to whom hell and not evil is the terror.
—Hope of the Gospel 8

Did MacDonald lean towards Calvinism? In order words, did he believe that God would cause all people to totally believe in Christ’s atonement?

NO! He believed that every person will eventually choose to become a disciple of Christ. He didn't regard "believing in Christ's atonement" as the means of getting right with God, but rather doing the will of God.

Doing the will of God is the way to oneness with God, which alone is salvation. —Unspoken Sermons, Series II 249

[Seballius]

Thank you for replying with the interesting quotes. I have been very busy with work and family (kids ending the school year), so I have not been able to post here a lot.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Homer]

Hi Paidion,

I was recently reading the Roman Catholic view of justification/sanctification and was struck by the similarity of your view and theirs.
Were you aware of this?

[Paidion]

I was recently reading the Roman Catholic view of justification/sanctification and was struck by the similarity of your view and theirs.
Were you aware of this?

No, I wasn't. Whereas I do see the Eastern Orthodox view as similar, I have never seen the Roman Catholic view as such.