What Manner of Spirit Are You?

"And as they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But they did not receive Him...And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save." (Luke 9:54-56)

It seems to me that this "manner of spirit" that Jesus rebuked in James and John may be the same "spirit" which insists that God will eternally punish in hell those who do not do chose to join a local church. I wonder who is behind that requirement.  Well maybe I do...

"...Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness...." (2 Corinthians 11:13-15)

God does the saving and he is the one who adds to the body of Christ those he desires, and he desires for it to be all mankind.

"God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired...this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." (1 Corinthians 12:18; 1 Timothy 2:3-4)

And by the way, He is no longer keeping track of the sins of the world...Jesus atoned for all of them...

“He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world....God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation… God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God.” (1 John 2:2; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21)

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