Churchwork
03-21-2008, 06:42 PM
Recently, I had to make a long a trip, made a stop and in passing said "hello" to this fella and he did as well. As I went on my way again, I noticed he was hitchhiking ahead of me. Something drew me to stop when before I had never picked up a hitchhiker.
He was older Indian fella, my elder by at least 10 years on his way to other side of the country which could take up to a week. We got to talking over a couple of hours and to my good pleasure discovered he was a Christian. We read several passages of the Bible together. Even though he had 6 payments of $3000 coming to him for governmental mistreatment of Indians, he only had $11 so I gave him $100.
The only doctrine in length we discussed was that of OSAS and non-OSAS. I tried to convince him that once we are saved we can never lose salvation and if you think you can lose it, perhaps you are not saved, because I am saved by God who when He gives eternal life at new birth would never take it away. That is how foreknowing and perfect my God is.
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave [them] me, is greater than all; and no [man] is able to pluck [them] out of my Father's hand" (John 10.27-29).
We agreed to correspond and discuss proofs for either view.
How I was benefited was by thinking about the disciples how they traveled with nothing but the clothes on their backs sharing the gospel as this brother in Christ was doing. He use to have a job paying $60,000/year in the oil industry, but now what was more important was the saving of his soul that in order to lose it he would have to gain it first. Doctrine aside, I respected this man and was touched by him like no other I have ever met on earth.
He was older Indian fella, my elder by at least 10 years on his way to other side of the country which could take up to a week. We got to talking over a couple of hours and to my good pleasure discovered he was a Christian. We read several passages of the Bible together. Even though he had 6 payments of $3000 coming to him for governmental mistreatment of Indians, he only had $11 so I gave him $100.
The only doctrine in length we discussed was that of OSAS and non-OSAS. I tried to convince him that once we are saved we can never lose salvation and if you think you can lose it, perhaps you are not saved, because I am saved by God who when He gives eternal life at new birth would never take it away. That is how foreknowing and perfect my God is.
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any [man] pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave [them] me, is greater than all; and no [man] is able to pluck [them] out of my Father's hand" (John 10.27-29).
We agreed to correspond and discuss proofs for either view.
How I was benefited was by thinking about the disciples how they traveled with nothing but the clothes on their backs sharing the gospel as this brother in Christ was doing. He use to have a job paying $60,000/year in the oil industry, but now what was more important was the saving of his soul that in order to lose it he would have to gain it first. Doctrine aside, I respected this man and was touched by him like no other I have ever met on earth.