"Friends" disappoint, God will not (we need to do better) Psalm 118:8-9

[JonC]

Lately I have been disappointed in a few people that had warranted, I thought, my respect. I’ve been thinking about this quite a bit today. You know, people will let us down. There are brothers and sisters in our churches, our workplaces, and on these forums that we may trust only to be disappointed. I’m not going into detail, but I wanted to share a little insight.

This is a case of the human condition. Those “friends” never, I believe, intended to hurt or disappoint. They did not set out to insult, demean, or inflict at least a type of pain towards me. They probably do not realize the impact of their actions and words. I have probably done the same, and I do not realize the hurtful impact that I may have had on other people. People will let us down because they are people. like us.

I’ve been in the psalms a bit, and this verse occurred to me:

Psalm 118:8-9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.

I had always considered this verse to speak to God’s power and strength, his might. But while I think this implied, I believe it speaks more to God’s faithfulness. Where men fail, God is there.

This is also something that we need to be attentive to in how we treat each other on these forums. This faithfulness to us, his people, is reflective of God’s own character. We are also to be faithful to each other. We are to be patient, kind, and deal with each in the love of Christ. When we are not, then we disappoint, hurt, demean, and insult not only each other but Christ himself. We are the Body and we are to be faithful to Christ which is reflective in our faithfulness to each other.

I don’t always reflect that mentality, but I am trying. I apologize now if I've failed any of you in this way, and if any thought I’ve intended insult. We do not know what the other is going through. But looking through these posts, and morning the “loss” of a couple of friends, we have to do better as a whole.

 

[agedman]

Those “friends” never, I believe, intended to hurt or disappoint. They did not set out to insult, demean, or inflict at least a type of pain towards me. They probably do not realize the impact of their actions and words. I have probably done the same, and I do not realize the hurtful impact that I may have had on other people. People will let us down because they are people. like us.

I agree, with one change. There are those who do (for their own agenda) set out to insult, demean, and inflict pain. Usually this is seen when one "follows" another poster from thread to thread looking for any slight misstep and then puffing it up into some major character flaw.

For sure and certain I have been hurt and disappointed, and there is no doubt that I have been the one who hurt and disappointed.

I’ve been in the psalms a bit, and this verse occurred to me:

Psalm 118:8-9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in princes.

I had always considered this verse to speak to God’s power and strength, his might. But while I think this implied, I believe it speaks more to God’s faithfulness. Where men fail, God is there.

This is also something that we need to be attentive to in how we treat each other on these forums. This faithfulness to us, his people, is reflective of God’s own character. We are also to be faithful to each other. We are to be patient, kind, and deal with each in the love of Christ. When we are not, then we disappoint, hurt, demean, and insult not only each other but Christ himself. We are the Body and we are to be faithful to Christ which is reflective in our faithfulness to each other.

I don’t always reflect that mentality, but I am trying. I apologize now if I've failed any of you in this way, and if any thought I’ve intended insult. We do not know what the other is going through. But looking through these posts, and morning the “loss” of a couple of friends, we have to do better as a whole.

On the "Bible and Theology" forum, there is specific rules about this subject. It is not unusual to have those who are used to the typical character assassination debate tactics of other forums to bring that agenda along when coming to this part of the BB and consider it normative. But it is not, and should not be tolerated.

In the very first thread, Scandelon states:

"Additionally, with regard to the moderation of this forum, the rules actually place that expectation first to all of you, as members, to police your own remarks and to use the edit feature as needed. However, moderators are there as a last resort to edit posts and give infractions as needed to curtail such behavior."​

Personally, I sense that the moderators should be more proactive in helping some understand the lower level tolerance toward character insults when posting on the "Bible and Theology" area of the BB.

I was thrilled to read the interaction that you and Martin had on the penal substitution thread. Not only were both of you making most excellent points, but the level of character you displayed was remarkably refreshing.

Because of the manner of the debate, the reader was not pushed into either "side" but could be edified by both agreement and disagreement and draw from the Scriptures presented.

I look forward to more such debates!

 

[JonC]

I think that there were up's and down's in the argument between Martin and I. I take the responsiblity for the downs. Kahlil Gibran once commented that we can give our words but never our understanding. I think that there is truth to that statement, and that truth is often the difficulty we run into here. I look forward to discussing scripture with you and Martin again, it was for me quite edifying.

I have been around the BB since 2001, and I've seen some godly arguments and some not-so-godly arguments. My disappointment was on another forum. There was an admin. who developed habits of tossing insults my way (we disagreed on a few issues, always have...even here), and it got to the point that I "lost my cool" and basically apologized for bringing Scripture into his theology (which I still think is kinda funny.....but I have a character flaw of getting snarky when dealing with foolishness....it was funny nonetheless). Long story short, the experience allowed me to see the "not-so-godly" in a couple of people I had learned to respect. But that's fine, because I'm also not-so-godly much too often.

Anyway, looking back at the discussion with Martin, I also very much appreciated your comments. In you response to the J.I. Packer quote I offered, your explanation brought out some elements that I had previously overlooked. I wish the thread was carried in a more cordial tone as a whole, but I appreciate the information that was put forward (actually, in the several connected threads).

 

[Martin Marprelate]

I was thrilled to read the interaction that you and Martin had on the penal substitution thread. Not only were both of you making most excellent points, but the level of character you displayed was remarkably refreshing.

You are very kind, and I hope the discussion was helpful to some, but I am aware of having been unnecessarily aggressive and sarcastic. JonC, I hope you read my final post on the other thread. I wish I had been kinder, but

'The moving finger writes, and having writ
Moves on; nor all thy promises nor wit
Can call it back nor cancel half a line,
Nor all thy tears wash out a word of it.'

 

[JonC]

You are very kind, and I hope the discussion was helpful to some, but I am aware of having been unnecessarily aggressive and sarcastic. JonC, I hope you read my final post on the other thread. I wish I had been kinder, but

'The moving finger writes, and having writ
Moves on; nor all thy promises nor wit
Can call it back nor cancel half a line,
Nor all thy tears wash out a word of it.'

Martin, I did read and appreciate your comments. I also echo the words of Khayyam, and I appreciate that we can stand on common ground within the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

There are some points upon which we probably will never agree in this life, but as Spurgeon noted in his sermon on the wills, there is a need for this as our minds are but finite as we ponder the infinite.

In line with our discussion of the Cross, I will offer one last quote from J.I. Packer:

Rm 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!

“Here Paul shows, and shares, his awareness that the God of Jesus remains the God of Job, and that the highest wisdom of the theological theorist, even when working under divine inspiration as Paul did, is to recognize that he is, as it were, gazing into the sun, whose very brightness makes it impossible for him fully to see it; so that at the end of the day he has to admit that God has much more to him than theories can ever contain, and to humble himself in adoration before the one whom he can never fully analyze.”

We may have had a difficult conversation, Martin, but I am glad I had the opportunity to converse with you and learn a bit about your ministry through your blog. I wish you all the best as God continues to use you in his ministry.