Concerning the trinity. When I read most of the verses that people use to “prove” the trinity, I do not see the same thing. When Jesus says ” if you’ve seen the son you’ve seen the Father”; and “the Father and I are one”; I always took that as meaning that they are very similar. Kind of like when someone says that your son is a chip off the old block. Could those verses like in John ch. 1 have been mistakenly copied or corrupted on purpose? I read a book about how other societies had their version of the trinity before Christ was even born. I want to say that I’m not taking anything away from Jesus and what he did for us. I truly believe he is God’s son and that he died for my sins and rose from the dead. He is my savior! It’s just that if the trinity is so hard to understand, maybe it’s because we’re trying to read it into the scriptures.

Just when I think I have finally understood and accepted OSAS, someone comes along and throws me a curve ball and steals my joy. Please help me understand 2 Peter 3:17, as that is the most recent curve ball thrown at me!!!

Therefore, dear friends, since you have been forewarned, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of the lawless and fall from your secure position. –2 Peter 3:17

I am hoping that you can clear an answer you gave, where you state “… that in some way we don’t understand He gave up His God-like powers when He came to Earth and became fully (and only) man.” However, in one of your earlier answers, you state “Spirit led study will bring one to the conclusion that Jesus is God, and Hebrews 1:8 the Father is quoted as calling Jesus God, and the fact that Jesus is God in the flesh is well documented.”

Please forgive me if I seem somewhat confused, but it seems to me that in your answer to me you say that Jesus was only a man and not God in the flesh, but in the other answers you cite Jesus as being God as well as Man in His human form. Of course, Jesus was fully God and Man, that is why I cannot understand your first quote above.

I have been told that the ancient Rabbis call the first 4 books of the Bible the Song of Moses. They also believed that the verses in this group of books could be numbered for the years of life on earth. Each verse says something about what is going on on earth in that co-responding earth year. I also understand that there are some verses that we have in our Bible that the Jewish Bible does not have; so we have to take that into consideration. All this is very confusing and kind of far fetched. What are your thoughts on this?

While visiting a local church, we were introduced to the idea of “a 2nd work of grace”. We were told that you can obtain perfection through sanctification while still on earth, at which point you no longer sin. Instead, you only make mistakes. In addition, you can lose your salvation before you are perfect but, you can also be saved again. This goes against everything we have ever studied and we just don’t buy it. We would appreciate your comments.

Could you explain the message given by John the Baptist to “bear fruit in keeping with repentance?” Is that more referring to salvation or proof of salvation? Would you explain the principle of repentance and the significance to the Christian life?

Re: The Watchman. What’s the difference between being a ‘watchman on the wall’ specifically appointed by God as Ezekiel was or a watchman in society watching the signs of the times? If we are all to watch and wait, seems like all God’s kids are appointed to be aware and share that awareness with others. I don’t see a big difference other than one is very specific and one is general.

In your article entitled Fruit Inspectors you stated that “It is humanly impossible to tell who is saved and who is not…” Is it safe to assume that we do not know if Hitler was saved or if the mass murderers of Islamic terrorism are saved? You get my point. We are commanded to exercise righteous judgment which must be based on conclusive evidence. We may not judge on the basis of appearance, personal opinions or unsubstantiated suspicions.

Question, both Mattew and Luke talk about “Judge not and you will not be judged” but we are to inspect for good fruit, right? I have a sister that I try to witness to but she makes me feel guilty because of this. She is a great person but used to be part of a church that thinks everyone is going to heaven.

I love the OSAS (once saved, always saved) view but it would seem that Paul’s statement in Colossians 1:21-23 is a proof-text against the notion that it is impossible to forfeit your own salvation through disbelief. It seems that there is no way to tie this statement of Paul’s to rewards rather than to salvation. Can you help here?