Everyone,
I thank you all for graciously putting up with my comments this past month and a half.
I've learned quite a bit in my interactions on this board, and much that I can take away that he been positive.
I must confess, however, to being extremely discouraged about the present state of the visible body of Christ, and there are some things that have become very apparent to me the longer I am here, on other forums and in various comment sections, and the longer I have been a believer ( over 40 years now ) in our Blessed Saviour, Jesus Christ:
1) One gets less friction when they rub two sticks together to create a fire, than when a group of professing believers gets together and discusses any one subject.
2) Ask any two Christians what they believe from the Bible and why, and you will almost always get two conflicting answers.
3) When asked " What does the Lord say?", any two English-speaking believers ( nowadays ) will undoubtedly point to differing translations of God's word and say, "That is what He says"...even though when carefully compared, the two translations may actually
differ, not only in language, but may actually have pieces missing or added when compared to the other. When asked about the differences, one generally gets this answer: "Live with it."
4) When asked about what constitutes sound doctrine, one finds that there really is no genuine consensus with regard to it; "Orthodoxy" seems relevant, as does one person's idea of the truth vs. error.
5) Denominationalism ( factionalism ) is not only alive and well, even on this forum, but appears to be much worse among those who profess Christ, when compared to what it was when I was a young boy of 12... at least from my perspective.
6) Some people aren't afraid to speak evil of each other, nor are they willing to take correction strictly from God's word....to them, it seems to always be a matter of "interpretation", instead of what is actually on the pages at face value.
7) Grace and patience are essential ingredients to fellowship...and I admit to not having enough of either one.
8) This broken flesh of mine ( Romans 7:8 ) has no business being anywhere
near believers, much less unbelievers, at least until God does a miraculous work of grace in my own life. I'm definitely not George Mueller, forget being anything even
approaching my beloved Saviour.
9) Everyone has "hot buttons"...and I'm finding that even
unintentionally pressing them has
far-reaching repercussions that make personal interaction like walking into a minefield.
10) Better to
not speak up about an error or perceived error, than to speak up and get castigated, lambasted, ridiculed and even thrown out for even daring to mention it. I began learning this valuable lesson years ago, when I left my two successive Baptist churches because the pastors and I didn't agree with what was written in the Bible. For me, it is best to stay on the outside, and let them have their way.
I'm not a Jonathan Edwards, and I'm not a Charles Haddon Spurgeon...and it seems that most today would
string up both of them rather than listen to a single word they say.
11) Many more things, but, frankly, I've said enough already.
I'm not a very positive person when I get discouraged, and undoubtedly it shows...for that, I do hope you will forgive me.
I'd like to thank all of you for your patience, and for reminding me of two things:
1) It is better to listen and be thought a fool, then to open one's mouth and remove all doubt.
Also, make peace, and leave off strife.
" Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
20 for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24 for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth
[therein], he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion
[is] vain.
27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction,
[and] to keep himself unspotted from the world." ( James 1:19-27 )
" My brethren,
be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.
2
For in many things we offend all.
If any man offend not in word, the same [is] a perfect man, [and] able also to bridle the whole body.
3 Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
4 Behold also the ships, which though [
they be] so great, and
are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. 5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things.
Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
6 And the tongue
[is] a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind:
8 but the tongue can no man tame; [
it is] an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
9
Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.
10
Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.
11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet
[water] and bitter?
12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so [
can] no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.
13 Who [
is] a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
15
This wisdom descendeth not from above, but [is] earthly, sensual, devilish.
16
For where envying and strife [is], there [is] confusion and every evil work.
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle,
[and] easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
18 And
the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace." ( James 2:1-18 )
2) Don't debate...nothing is worth offending people over.
Keep your personal convictions to yourselves, because there are people out there who sit, perched on their fences, ready to attack you at a moment's notice.
Guard your hearts and minds.
Speak the word of God alone, and let it do the work. It should be enough.
If it isn't, then move on.
Conduct yourselves with honor towards one another, and forgive one another as God has forgiven us through Jesus Christ.
" If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.
4 When Christ,
[who is] our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry:
6 for which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:
7 in the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
8
But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.
9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
10 and have put on the new
[man], which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond
[nor] free: but Christ [
is] all, and in all.
12
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
13
forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also [do] ye.
14
And above all these things [put on] charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
15 And
let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
16
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
17 And
whatsoever ye do in word or deed, [do] all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." ( Colossians 3:1-17 )
I take my leave of this forum, at least in my active comments for awhile, and I sincerely wish you the comfort of God's Holy Spirit in all your trials and tribulations, and may you find peace in the midst of them.
May He bless you richly in the knowledge of Him and His Son, and may His great grace towards you be readily apparent in the weeks to come.
With respect and deference,
Dave.
