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According to the Lord's testimony as an expert witness in all matters pertaining to the afterlife; the majority of earth's accountable human beings haven't been making it to safety when they cross over to the other side.

†. Luke 13;22-24 . . And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. Then said one unto him, master, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them; Strive to enter in at the strait gate; for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.

†. Mtt 7;13-14 . . Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

†. Mtt 22;14 . . For many are invited, but few are chosen.

Webster's defines "many" as; consisting of, or amounting to, a large but indefinite number; while "few" is defined as; consisting of, or amounting to, only a small number; viz; not many, i.e. some, but indeterminately small in number

According to Webster's then; few indicates a small percentage, and many indicates a large percentage; in other words; many = the majority. Bear with me while I flesh this out.

As of Aug 17, 2026 @ 07:11 pm New York time, there were approximately 316,480,378 people alive in the USA with a death rate of approximately 1 every 12 seconds; which amounts to an average of 7,200 American deaths of all ages during just one 24-hour civil day.

According to 2026 US Census data; roughly 27.3% of America's daily deaths are under the age of 19, which would indicate that approximately 5,234 of the current daily death rate of 7,200 per 24 hours are adults. Giving the "many" the benefit of the doubt by setting their maximum percentage at 51%, would indicate a minimum of 2,669 American adults transferring to perdition every day; which translates to roughly 111 per hour.

That's a very conservative estimate as the Lord didn't really specify exact percentages to represent the quantities of few and many. Just think; by the time CBS completes its half-hour evening news report, a bare-bones minimum of 55 Americans cross over to the Bible's hell.

Using a ratio of 2,669 condemned souls per 316,480,378 population; computing the number of condemned souls worldwide from a currently estimated population of 7,105,423,378 people, rounds out to something like 59,922 new arrivals in the Bible's Hell every 24 hours; in other words; 2,496 souls every sixty minutes on the clock.

Those numbers would fill the 51,800 seats of the new Yankee Stadium to capacity in roughly 20 hours and 45 minutes. In other words, if those 59,922 souls started filling the stadium at 6;00 am this morning; by 02;45 am tomorrow, the stadium would be full. Meanwhile, another 59,922 souls would be lining up outside to take their place.

Christmas and New Year's are even worse. A study done of 26 years of death certificates shows that coronary fatalities are, on average, 11.9% higher on those days than any other days of the year; with non-heart deaths spiking to 12.2% higher. Perdition makes no exceptions for holidays; no, none at all. Souls never stop cascading into the dungeons of hell in an endless stream like the seemingly infinite number of broilers passing through Tyson chicken processing plants on a daily basis on their way to KFC, Wendy's, Carl's Jr, McDonald's, Burger King, Popeye, Dairy Queen, In-n-Out Burger, and every other kind of restaurant, sidewalk vendor, catering truck, and supermarket you can possibly imagine.

Buen Camino
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Hello; and welcome to the very first book of the Bible.

I'm posting a systematic, daily-bread style commentary on the book of Genesis, practically verse by verse from the creation of the cosmos to Joseph's burial in Egypt

Barring emergencies, accidents, unforeseen circumstances, and/or insurmountable distractions, vacations, difficulties, computer crashes, brute force, and dumb luck et al; I'm making an effort to post something fresh and new to read on this blog every day including Sundays and holidays.

Genesis is a one of those things that are called "foundational". What that means: there's some pretty serious ground work laid in this book and a poor knowledge of it will handicap your understanding of the rest of the Bible; most especially the New Testament portion.

All the really cool stuff is in Genesis: the origin of the cosmos, the origin of homo sapiens, Adam and Eve, the origin of marriage, the Devil, the first lie, the first transgression, the origin of human death, the origin of clothing, the first baby, Cain and Abel, the first murder, the Flood, the tower of Babel, and the origin of Yhvh's people.

Big-name Bible celebrities like Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac and Ishmael, Rebecca, Jacob and Esau, and Joseph are here too. (Sorry, but Moses vs. Pharaoh and the parting of the Red Sea are in Exodus; Samson and Delilah are in Judges, and David and Goliath are in 1Samuel)

Buen Camino
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--- For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.--- Romans 12:4-5 NIV

The illustration of the body and it's many members, shows the dependence of the church on it's varied members with their different gifts to be healthy and thriving. Not all the same, but with the same goal. Different in form and function, unity in call and purpose.

The church will only prosper when each individual operates within this rule; others before ourselves. With Christ as the head and all others members of the body operating in conjunction with Jesus. We can become the church that God intended, but only when we being different can come together and operate in unity.

--- even as I try to please everyone in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved. --- 1 Corinthians 10:33 NIV

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“Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:18 NIV

---But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts.
—1 Thessalonians 2:4

As believers we have the sacred trust of the gospel message. Jesus has given us our command to "go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). Everyone is called to do that. Everyone should get the gospel out.

In his letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul mentioned "the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to [his] trust" (1 Timothy 1:11). Again emphasizing the sacred trust of the gospel, Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 2 that "we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts" (verse 4).

Here is what it means. As Christians we all have the same gospel. And we each have to ask ourselves the question, "How am I getting the gospel out?" It is not about how someone else is getting the gospel out. How are we doing it? That is our call as followers of Jesus. We need to think about our family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and our sphere of influence and ask, "Am I getting the gospel out?"

Jesus said, "And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work" (Revelation 22:12).

That reward will be directly connected to how faithful we were in this life. We place far too much stock in this life alone. We act as though everything that is going to happen happens here. A lot of significant things do happen here. The most important decision we ever will make happens in this life: the decision about what we do with Jesus Christ.

Our faithfulness here will result in rewards there—in heaven and when heaven comes to earth, when we go home.

http://www.harvest.org

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--- I love the Lord because he hears my voice, my pleas for mercy. I will call on him as long as I live because he turns his ear toward me. --- Psalm 116:1-2 GWT

In the first verse the psalmist declares his love for the Lord, and then he explains why: BECAUSE HE HEARS MY CRIES FOR MERCY! The writer knew God's love extended far beyond his circumstances, deliverance might come in the form of a falling giant, but it may just come in the calm assurance that the Lord was with him always!Either way he was convinced his cries did not fall on deaf or uncaring ears!
Now, since God was both willing and able to hear his plea, the psalmist would continue to call on Him. In our times of trouble, who else can we trust? Who better than the one who loves and hears us to turn to in times of distress? Lifelong gratitude and praise should be our duty, and live in the assurance our God hears us!

--- I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer. --- Psalm 17:6 GWT

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Are you a "Bondo Believer"?

Have you ever bought a used car? One thing you have to beware of is a car that has been in collisions and has a lot of "Bondo" on it. Bondo is a resin product that is used in the place of proper body work or to cover up some kind of problem with the body of the car. Sometimes I wonder if we have some "Bondo believers" out there. By that, I mean people who appear to be one thing but really are another.

The apostle Paul wrote what his prayer was for the believers living in Philippi. "And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ" (Philippians 1:9-10).

A definition of the word sincere that Paul uses would be "without wax." The origin of this goes back to ancient Rome, when they would make fine pottery, which was relatively thin, and fragile cracks would develop after firing. So, rather than remake the piece, unscrupulous shops would fill the cracks with hard, dark wax (first-century Bondo). This would be revealed when the object purchased was placed in bright sunlight, as the wax would melt.

So Paul uses this phrase "without wax" to speak of being a genuine, not a fake believer. As we wait for Christ's return, let's pray that we are not "Bondo believers," but rather genuine followers.

http://www.harvest.org

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--- When I said, “My feet are slipping,” your mercy, O Lord, continued to hold me up. When I worried about many things, your assuring words soothed my soul. --- Psalm 94:18-19 GWT

This is further evidence in which the godly, even though suffering affliction, are blessed. God upholds their tottering feet, and, when they are in danger, keeps them from falling. A person cannot be more miserable than his own wickedness will make him. For God is our safety and our support.

Internal comfort is given by God himself to the perplexed and troubled in spirit, whereby they are "delighted," or, rather, "soothed and solaced." Anxiousness is a enemy to peace and joy, our comfort is found in the Lord.

--- I have seen their ways, but I will heal them; I will guide them and restore comfort to Israel's mourners, --- Isaiah 57:18 GWT

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The List of David’s mighty warriors in 1 Chronicles 11:22 introduces us to Benaiah, whose exploits included overcoming two of Moab’s best men. He also killed a lion in a snowy, slippery pit. Perhaps most amazingly, he took on an Egyptian tall enough to be a starting center for the Chicago Bulls. This seven-and-a-half-foot giant wielded a spear with a shaft as sturdy as a lead pipe while Benaiah had only a wooden club.

Even so … Benaiah “snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear. Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada … He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty” (1 Chronicles 11:23–25).

It was not a Ph.D. degree that brought honor to a person in those days. Honor did not necessarily flow to the person with money or leverage or media access. Honor came as a result of doing exploits for the king.

Who is doing exploits for God today? Where is the enemy being driven back? That is the great yearning of all spiritually minded people. They are not enchanted with polished sermons and slick organizational technique. Where are the mighty men and women anointed by God to truly make a difference?

What is it really that stops us from becoming mighty warriors in the Lord? God has not changed. He is still superior to anything the enemy can throw against us.

No personal or church situation is too hopeless for the all-sufficient power of the Holy Spirit. God will be no more eager to act tomorrow than he is right now. He is waiting for us to take his promises seriously and go boldly to the throne of grace. He wants us to meet the enemy at the very point of attack, standing against him in the name of Christ. When we do so, God will back us up with all the resources of heaven.

--- Whatever you do, do it wholeheartedly as though you were working for your real master and not merely for humans. You know that your real master will give you an inheritance as your reward. It is Christ, your real master, whom you are serving. --- Colossians 3:23-24

From "THE NIV DEVOTIONS FOR MEN"
http://www.biblegateway.com

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--- God didn’t spare his own Son but handed him over to death for all of us. So he will also give us everything along with him. --- Romans 8:32 GWT

The Bible story of Abraham furnishing his only son Isaac as a sacrifice offers us a glimpse into the affection God has for us. He did not keep His only Son, but because we had to have Him to live, God offered Him for us. Self- sacrifice is one thing, but to offer up innocence in the place of guilt in the death of His only [from the Father] Son. If God will not keep the precious gift of His Son from us, the what can we say he will keep from us, only that which we do not need. All other gifts pale in comparison to the greatest gift of the Son. Thank you God that you did not keep your Son for yourself, for without Him I would be lost!

--- God had Christ, who was sinless, take our sin so that we might receive God's approval through him. --- 2 Corinthians 5:21 GWT

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---And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ--everything in heaven and on earth.
—Ephesians 1:10

From the beginning of time, mankind has searched for peace. He has joined peace movements. He has marched for peace. He has awarded prizes for peace. He has even gone to war for peace. And when you hear of someone being arrested for disturbing the peace, you wonder where they found any to disturb.

There are people today who put bumper stickers on their car that say, "Visualize world peace." Then they cut you off on the freeway.

One day there will be peace. But it won't be brought about by the United Nations. It won't be brought about by any nation. It will be brought about by God Himself. It will happen when the Creator Himself returns, takes possession of what is rightfully His, and hangs a sign over this war-weary planet that says, "Under new management." Christ will return, and He will bring lasting peace.

God's perfect plan, according to Ephesians 1:10, is to "bring everything together under the authority of Christ."

Peter preached in Acts 3:21 that Christ "must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his holy prophets." God is going to make earth into heaven and heaven into earth. Just as the wall that separates man and God was torn down as a result of the Cross, so too will the wall that separates heaven and earth be demolished.

Have you ever seen a completely restored classic car cruise down the street? It catches your eye. You think, That is awesome! That is beautiful! That is incredible! That is because you love to see something restored to its original condition.

God is into restoration. He is into restoring lives. He is into restoring bodies. And He is even into restoring our planet.

http://www.harvest.org

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†. John 6:53 . . Jesus said to them: I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.

Regardless of what people believe they are eating and drinking when they dine upon Jesus' flesh and imbibe his blood in order to obtain the life about which he spoke in the 6th chapter of John-- whether transubstantiated elements, or symbolic elements --one thing is biblically certain: they only have to do it one time, and one time only. Here's why.

†. John 6:54 . .Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life

Eternal life is an infinite level of life that's impervious to time, decay, death, and the aging process. So then, it isn't necessary to replenish it from week to week because infinite life never wears out. If that were not true, then God would have died of natural causes long before now.

FYI: since eternal life is impervious to death, then people who have it are impervious to the wages of sin.

†. Rom 6:23 . .The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Since people with eternal life are impervious to the wages of sin, then it only stands to reason they have immunity; viz: they needn't ever again fear hell for their sins.

†. John 5:24 . . I assure you, those who listen to my message, and believe in God who sent me, have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.

Buen Camino
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--- The Lord commands his mercy during the day, and at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life. --- Psalm 42:8 GWT

The Lord will command - Every day the Lord will give an special commission to his loving-kindness to visit me. During the night I shall sing of his mercy and goodness; and alternately mix my singing with prayer for Him to continue His mercy, and for power to make the best use of this great mercy.
The Psalmist knew of God's mercy. He had experienced God's love and mercy working hand in hand all through his life. He would absorb the mercy like a dry sponge does water, and he would then praise and thank God for the gift that had been given. His mercy is ours, to enable us to live a life free from the guilt of sin, and free from the fear of the wrath of God.

--- Be my rock of refuge, to which I can always go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. --- Psalm 71:3 GWT

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---Heaven on Earth
Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.
—Ephesians 1:11

What does it mean when we say that God is sovereign? It means that God is ultimately in control. Nothing happens without His permission.

While it is true that God is sovereign, it is also true that God allows us to exercise our free will. God actually respects the free will of mankind. Some people think that mankind will solve all its problems. They are foolish enough to believe that a politician can fix things . . . or technology . . . or psychology . . . or a focus on ecology. But it isn't politics or psychology or technology or ecology that will fix it. It is only theology, the study of God.

We need to turn to God. One day the Lord will right all the wrongs in our universe. He will take this sin-sick world and turn it right side up. Today it is upside down. Everything is topsy-turvy. What once was perceived as good is now viewed as bad. What was once thought of as bad is now being elevated to a position of good.

But one day it will be made right. God will right all of the wrongs. God won't abandon His creation; He will restore it. Christ has not yet established His kingdom on this earth, but one day he will return to our planet and bring it back to its Eden-like state. Known as the Millennium, it will last for one thousand years.

In his book called Heaven, my friend Randy Alcorn writes, "We won't go to heaven and leave earth behind. Rather, God will bring heaven and earth together into the same dimension, with no wall of separation, no armed angels to guard heaven's perfection from sinful mankind."

A new world is coming. One day, heaven will come to earth.

http://www.harvest.org

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Before I try to answer that question directly, let me make a distinction that is important at the outset. There's a difference between objective proof and the persuasion or conviction that follows. John Calvin argued that the Bible carries both persuasion and conviction in terms of its internal testimony—the marks of truth that could be found just by an examination of the book itself—as well as external evidences that would corroborate that substantial evidence to give solid proof for its being the Word of God.

Yet the last thing people would want is a book telling them they are in desperate need of repentance and of a changed life and of bowing in humility before Christ. We don't want that book to be the truth. Calvin claimed that there is a tremendous bias and prejudice built into the human heart that only the influence of God the Holy Spirit can overcome. Calvin distinguished between what he called the undicia—those objective evidences for the trustworthiness of Scripture—and what he called the internal testimony of the Holy Spirit, which is necessary to cause us to surrender to the evidence and acknowledge that it is the Word of God.

But I think this is a critical issue upon which so much of the Christian faith depends. The Bible makes the claim that it is the unvarnished Word of God, that it is the truth of God, that it comes from him. God is its ultimate author and source, though indeed he used human authors to communicate that message.

In speaking with people about this, we have to go through the laborious process of showing first of all that the Bible as a collection of historical documents is basically reliable. The same tests that we would apply to Herodotus or Suetonius or any other ancient historian would have to be applied to the biblical records. The Christian should not be afraid to apply those kinds of historical standards of credibility to the Scriptures, because they have withstood a tremendous amount of criticism from that standpoint, and their credibility remains intact. On the basis of that, we come to an idea. If the book is basically reliable, it doesn't have to be inerrent or infallible; it gives us a basically reliable portrait of Jesus of Nazareth and what he taught.

We move from there in linear fashion. If we can on the basis of general reliability come to the conclusion that Jesus Christ did the things that history claims he did, it would indicate that Jesus is more than an ordinary human being and that his testimony would be compelling. I would move first to a study of the person of Jesus and then ask the question, what did Jesus teach about Scripture? For me, in the final analysis, our doctrine of Scripture is drawn from the teaching of Jesus and from our understanding of who he is.

From "TOUGH QUESTIONS WITH R.C. SPROUL"
http://www.biblegateway.com

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--- And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience.
—Ephesians 2:1–2

Years ago I had a German Shepherd named Irlo. One night when Irlo and I were out walking, we saw a cat. Now, I believe that it's a dog's right to chase a cat, so I said to Irlo, "Go get it!" As I watched him take off in pursuit, I noticed the cat had suddenly stopped. I thought, That's a pretty bold cat. But then I heard a loud pssshhh! and saw Irlo racing toward me. I looked at the cat again and realized something: It wasn't a cat at all.

Irlo had taken a direct hit of skunk spray to the face. I started running, knowing that Irlo was headed for home. I tried to outrun him, but as we got to the door, he pushed right past me into the house. Immediately the entire place reeked of skunk.

It took a long time to get that smell out of the house.

That is what sin is like, too. It seems as though your whole world is infected with the stench of sin, with no remedy in sight. You can try to escape it, but it doesn't work.

The Bible calls the devil "the god of this age" (2 Corinthians 4:4) and "the prince of the power of the air" (Ephesians 2:2). The devil is behind all the wickedness, depravity, and violence in this world. All of the horrible things you hear about are orchestrated by or motivated by Satan himself. He wants to wreak havoc. He wants to bring as much destruction as he can.

Why does the devil want our destruction? Answer: because Jesus Christ is coming back. For the devil, that is bad. But for us, that is good. And it is an incentive for us to share our faith and live a holy life.

http://www.harvest.org

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--- Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. --- 1 John 5:12 NIV

Eternal life is not granted to the whole world, or even to all Christians en masse; it is given to individuals, soul by soul, according as each does or does not accept the Son of God. Faith is the means by which the regenerate HAVE Christ as a present possession, and in having Him have life in its fullest reality now, and shall have life in its completely developed manifestation at the resurrection.
Apart from Jesus there is only the hope of life on earth, nothing to be worked toward. Without Christ there is only death and it's promise of separation. Christ is life and life eternal.

--- I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. --- 1 John 5:13 NIV

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--- Either way, Christ's love controls us. Since we believe that Christ died for all, we also believe that we have all died to our old life. He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.
—2 Corinthians 5:14–15

There are people who say that God is very harsh, that He is very hard to follow. But the problem is they have a faulty view of God.

I never had a dad growing up, but I will tell you this: I have known my heavenly Father for a while now, and He always has dealt with me in love and never has been inconsistent. I don't always understand (or even agree with) what my Father in heaven does. But I have submitted to Him because I know He is looking out for my best interests.

In Luke 19, Jesus told a parable about a nobleman who went away and entrusted some of his servants with an equal amount of silver to invest while he was gone. When he returned from his journey, one of the servants told him, "Master, I hid your money and kept it safe. I was afraid because you are a hard man to deal with, taking what isn't yours and harvesting crops you didn't plant" (verses 20–21). Even when the day of reckoning arrived, there was no sense of regret on the servant's part and no sorrow over his lack of productivity. In fact, he actually blamed his boss for his shortcomings.

A lot of people today are like that servant: It is not my fault. . . . All of my teachers are bad. . . . All of my bosses are bad.

Our view of God affects everything we do in life. If we have a warped view of God, it will affect the way that we live. As A. W. Tozer said, "Nothing twists and deforms a soul more than a low or unworthy conception of God."

The proper motivation for serving the Lord should be a love for Him.

http://www.harvest.org

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In the first chapter of Romans, the wrath of God is revealed against distortions of God that culminate in various religious practices called idolatry. God is by no means always pleased with the operations and functions that we call religion. I would say that Christianity first and foremost is not a religion, even though we use that term to describe it from a sociological perspective.

The term religion describes human practices—practices of worship, of cultic involvement, of belief in a god, and of obeying certain rules that come from the god or gods. There are various kinds of religions in this world.

There is a religious aspect to Christianity. We do worship, and we are involved in certain human activities, such as prayer and Bible studies and devotions. Our religious practices are similar to the practices of other religions. But Christianity is much more than a religion; it's life.

The very fact that a person is religious does not necessarily mean that he is pleasing God; the primordial sin of man is idolatry, and idolatry is the worship of something that, in fact, is not God. The worship of idols involves the practice of religion. This is exactly what Romans 1 is speaking about; God is not pleased by any and all types of religious activity. Our religious activity may at times be insulting to God. Christianity itself can degenerate into being merely a religion; that is, it can have the external formal activities and sociological practices without the substance that motivates all these things—a profound love and devotion to God himself and a profound trust in Christ's work.

From R.C. Sproul's "TOUGH QUESTIONS"
http://www.biblegateway.com
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