Post "Who is God?" Debate discussion

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these are my thoughts after debating AJ

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Hi there, welcome to Reformed Ex -Mormon. I'm Pastor Brayden and we are just getting done with the debate
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I had with AJ on the topic of who is God. And I want to be clear again,
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I thank you if you were able to watch that live or if you're watching it after the fact, I thank you for watching those things. I would encourage you to share and like and subscribe as we seek to glorify
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God and advance the kingdom of God through those means. And so I appreciate very much
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AJ coming on and being bold in what he believes as he is an active LDS member and you don't see that very often.
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You don't see LDS that are willing to be engaging in a debate format like this. Not saying that they don't exist, but you don't see it as often.
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And so I appreciated the kindness that AJ had in those regards and I hope to do that again with him in the future.
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But as far as what AJ said, it's damning.
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If somebody dies believing in the beliefs that AJ has, they are to go to everlasting fire.
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They are not of the vine. Their doom is the second death. And that worries me.
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And so when an LDS person is using the word and terms that a
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Christian is, it seems that they are using the same language, they're speaking of the same being.
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But as we can see from these kind of debates, these kind of talks, these kind of terminologies that are being used, their definitions, we can see how far and distant our conclusions are.
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And I would argue that I myself very clearly have been built upon the word of God to get that conclusion.
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And I do think that AJ was speaking of Gnosticism, that he was getting at this
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Gnostic idea of gaining knowledge and elevating and getting better and better and better in those ways.
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Now, I want to read here my definition of who God is again in a
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Trinitarian perspective of using the word of God alone. And so this is what I said during the debate. There is only one and true living
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God, whom there are none before nor after. He exists in and of himself and is not dependent on anything or anyone, as he is the one and only self -existing being and essence.
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Yahweh is his name, or I am in the New Testament. In the divine, infinite being,
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God, there are three subsistences or persons. The eternal father, the eternal son, and the eternal
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Holy Spirit. These three persons or subsistences are co -equal, co -eternal, and undivided in essence, but distinct in their subsistences or persons.
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Christians are to worship God in trinity and trinity in unity. There are not three eternals, nor are there three almighties, nor three essences, but there is only one eternal, one almighty, and one essence.
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But, we as Christians do not confuse the father with the son, nor the son with the Holy Spirit, nor the
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Holy Spirit with the father. But we confess that there is one eternal God in three co -equal subsistences.
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This is important, as this has been in the idea. This has been what every
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Orthodox Christian and creed has been professing since the day Christ arose from the grave and ascended to the
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Father. Using God's word alone, we see that there is only one God, yet we see three persons claiming that deity, claiming to be that one and only
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God. How do you make those things work? Well, you come to the conclusion that God is a trinity, a triune
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God, that he's three persons, one being. Now, as I am quoted many times during that debate, and I'll read it here one more time for us.
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John, chapter 17, says this, These things
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Jesus spoke, and lifting up his eyes to heaven, he said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify thy Son, and the
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Son may glorify thee, even as thou gavest him authority over all mankind, that to all whom thou hast given him he may give eternal life.
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And this is eternal life, that they may know thee, the only true
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God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. Eternal life is not something that happens in the future.
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Eternal life is today, if you have knowledge and know who Christ is, and you have a relationship with God in flesh, and you know who that true and only
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God is, you have everlasting life today. I want to read Acts, chapter 4, verses 10 through 12.
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Acts, chapter 4, verses 10 through 12, says this, And let it be known to all of you, and to the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the
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Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by this name this man stands here before you in good health.
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He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the very cornerstone.
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And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved.
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I'm going to turn now to Romans, chapter 3. And this is something that we did not discuss in the debate, but it's important to understand where Mormons are coming from.
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In Articles of Faith 3 and 4, they say that Christ, and let me actually pull it up here so I don't misquote it.
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So Articles of Faith, Articles of Faith 3 and 4.
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We'll just read Articles of Faith 3. Let's see here. It says in here, in the
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Church Doctrine, or the third Article of Faith, it says, We believe that through the atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved by, so this is how you are saved, it's through the atonement, and by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel.
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I want to read Romans, chapter 3, verse 28. It says this,
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For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the law.
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Galatians, chapter 2 next. Galatians, chapter 2, verse 21.
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It says, I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then
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Christ died needlessly. If anybody is changing the character of who
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God is, like Joseph Smith fundamentally did, and has done, and every
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LDS since then has been proclaiming, that there are three separate beings working in the office or in the
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Godhead, and that's their understanding of what they decide to define as the
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Trinity, which is not a Trinity, that's a triad, that's not what Christians believe. And so they would say that the
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Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three separate beings, as we saw A .J. start to talk about a little bit.
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If anybody changes the character of who God is, they have created for themselves an idol. They've changed the incorruptible image of God into that of a corruptible man, like Romans 1, 20 through 23 says.
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And if we have done this, what do we see as the fruits of the teaching of the gospel?
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Well, it's through your obedience that you are saved, is what somebody would say. And that's not the gospel.
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According to Galatians 1, 8, and 9, if anybody comes to you and preaches to you a gospel contrary to the one that you have yet received, even if it be an angel, let him be accursed.
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So I want to remind everyone that watches this, as this is something I must preach to myself, and something that you should be preaching to yourself as well.
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The gospel is Jesus Christ, His death, burial, and resurrection, according to Scriptures.
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And according to Scriptures, it is God in flesh, the perfect Lamb, our High Priest, and our King, and our
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Prophet, who has done these things. And anything other than that would be worshiping a false idol.
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And so we must worship Jesus as the God that He is. I hope that that debate blesses you.
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I hope it encourages you to be bold in your faith and to proclaim Christ crucified amongst your
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LDS neighbors and friends and loved ones and even family. And I hope that you are blessed by these kind of videos, as I hope to do more debates in the future with different religious affiliations.
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So God bless. Go in peace. Tell the world of the Christ that we are undeserving of.