Oh my, in just a few days here, I sense the spirit that has and ever will divide we who are known as Baptists! :tonofbricks:
We know the serpent comment refers to Christ's triumph over Satan and has nothing to do with killing snakes though I run over or shoot any rattler I come across. Last thing we need is some old snake a sneakin' up on us.
It would seem that the serpent has done plenty of sneakin' up on a lot of people who call themselves Baptists and perhaps we could learn a might from the holiness people.
I've always foun it interesting that we holler out GRACE! GRACE! when we're looking for an excuse to sin or an excuse to not follow what the Bible says.
If I want to drink, I holler out GRACE!
If I want to be a hog, I holler out Grace!
If I want to go dancing or to the movie house I holler out Grace! Free from the law!
When I want to listen to worldly music or bring the devil's music into the church we holler Grace!
When women want to usurp authority over man or any of us don't want to follow clear biblical standards, we holler "Legalism" I'm under Grace!
We might do well to read what Paul says on the subject. Have we been bought with a price in order that we might sin?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you ought to eat only herbs. We've been freed from much of the OT laws.
Howsome-ever, I do believe in work. And to the one with the comment about eating that which comes from the sweat of my brow, we have bought very little in our married life in the line of groceries. We have most of our own meat. We have eggs and milk. Praise God our place flows with milk and honey and we have our own bees. We raise a huge garden and Mrs. cans over a thousand jars a year. We go to the grocery store and there's no crime in that, however we don't buy any more than necessary and we try to take care of ourselves as much as possible. Too bad a few more folks out there don't get off their back side and do some productive work. You got a back yard, grow a garden. God planted the first one you know, so it's a scriptural principle. :godisgood:
I know God looks at the heart, but I remember an old Swedish preacher saying they'd have to have garbage cans along the route to heaven for the women to dump in their cosmetics and jewelry.
I desire the good old ways when to be a Baptist meant something. We didn't try to be like Protestants.
I'm afraid we're living in a luke warm age and people don't stand for hardly anything any more. We try to be all things to all people. Scared to be judgmental. Have to be politically correct. May God have mercy on this generation of weak kneed so called Christians who are more concerned with being like the world than they are with living for Christ, reading and following His word and winning the lost.
Let me ask, Have we won multitudes to Christ by dragging our standards down to the world's level?
I think not.
Yours seeking the old time way,
Dan
