Reincarnation and christianity
I read a book that in passing stated that the early church believed in reincarnation. Whoa! Stop. There must be something amiss here. Reincarnation, which says that we keep coming back over and over again until we get the experience of life done the right way, and salvation, completely to the uttermost forgiveness of sins, and righteousness offered through the blood of Jesus, are diametrically opposed to one another.
Hebrews 9:27 (Amplified Bible)
27And just as it is appointed for [all] men once to die, and after that the [certain] judgment.
I found out the reference in the book was due to the early heresy of Gnosticism, which took many forms from one extreme of beating the sinful body into submission to the other extreme that it just doesn’t matter what one does after the initial salvation experience. None of these were acceptable as the truth of the New Testament.
Revelation 2:6 (Amplified Bible)
6Yet you have this [in your favor and to your credit]: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans [what they are doing as corrupters of the people], which I Myself also detest
Irenaeus taught that Nicolatians were Gnostics who believed that once accepting the gospel truth, then actions no longer mattered. Please read this link to understand that salvation is the essential first step to a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ, but is ever active and demands our response in daily life
http://www.wordoftruthradio.com/questions/38.html
Hebrews 7:24-25 (Amplified Bible)
24But He holds His priesthood unchangeably, because He lives on forever.
25Therefore He is able also to save to the uttermost (completely, perfectly, finally, and for all time and eternity) those who come to God through Him, since He is always living to make petition to God and intercede with Him and intervene for them.
We are saved to the uttermost. Praise the Lord! There is no doubt of being part of God’s Kingdom. I have talked to many who just can’t believe that God is going to forgive the unspeakable, secret, and detestable deeds they have committed. And yet as we are broken in spirit from our unrighteousness, Jesus is before the Father interceding on our behalf. What can be more powerful than the blood of Jesus! Let us not take lightly the great gift of atonement.
This does not mean that we can sin presumptuously thinking that God will excuse anything since we’ve believed in Jesus. After all, even demons believe in the atoning work of Jesus’ death on the cross. A contrite and broken heart is central to forgiveness. Then there must follow activity that reflects the example of Christ, and testifies of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Do not be fooled: do not believe in reincarnation. Jesus’ blood can atone for our sins to the uttermost. It is appointed man once to die and then the judgment.
Go Steelers!
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Great Grandfather Humes
Great Grandfather, Charles Humes, started the family interest in trucks. He is in the center of the picture and Great Grandmother, Eva Humes, is to the left of him.
9 comments:
Amen Vicki! Yet so many continue to believe in the lies...I am always amazed when people choose to believe is things like reincarnation, horoscopes, laws of attraction...ANYTHING but the one true God! I just do not get it, I really don't! But it's all in God's Word - He told us this would happen. And so we pray...
Thanks for your comment, Gigi. Finding truth and security in Christ when all the other paths lead to uncertainty just doesn't make sense to the oommitted believer in Jesus. We will pray for those who believe in a second chance in the blind hope of reincarnation.
Blessings,
Vicki
Hi Hun,
Thanks for the informative post. I was not aware that one of the struggles in the faith of the early church was to believe in reincarnation.
When we read statements such as, in James, where he says; "a double minded man is unstable in all his ways"; I wonder if he was addressing this kind of belief.
How can we say we are Christians, but deny the power of Christ and the need for atonement by believing in such things as reincarnation?
Dearest,
I'm not even sure the Gnostics, heretics at best, really believed in reincarnation or if modern hopefuls interpreted their beliefs into reincarnation beliefs.
At any rate, Atonement and reincarnation do not agree on any level.
Thanks for taking care of me. I feel better and comforted from the chicken noodle soup you served me tonight.
Always,
Vicki
Certainly reincarnation does not work within a Christian context.
You wisely note Hebrews 9: 27 and therefore we can conclude that God's dealings with the individual will include judgment. This will not be a new 'redo' life within this exact same realm.
I hope all is well Vicki.
Hi Hun,
Here is a new blogger for you to visit. Her name is Randi Jo. Here is a link to her page:
Seeds in My Heart.
Ask her to exchange in hosting links.
Jim
Hi Russ,
Indeed Christianity and reincarnation do not believe the same thing. One reason I don't believe in reincarnation, is that I don't remember any past lives. how could I be improving if I don't know about what I am supposed to fix!
Atonement is so fantastic. The older I get, the more precious and important this concept becomes.
Blessings,
Vicki
One day the Word of God will be totally revealed and all will see clearly and realize just how crazy their own ideas were! I am looking forward to that day! :)
Me too, Tamela! While here in the mortal state, I try so very hard to open my spiritual ears and to listen to the Holy Spirit talk to me and to tell me anything. Oh, how I long to have better perception to listen and to obey. I am practicing now so that when I am immortal, I will appreciate so very much what truth is.
Blessings, Tamela
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