Something to Ponder

A people who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted because their countercultural lifestyles stick out like a sore thumb. When family patterns are reformed, it is so public that everyone notices. Family, friend, co-worker and church member are easily offended by family reforms. – Scott Brown

The Pelagian Captivity of the Church

The Pelagian Captivity of the Church

R. C. Sproul

via Modern Reformation – Print Friendly.

Pondering Persecution

Those of us who are true believers in Christ who pursue holiness and godliness we will at one time or another suffer persecution for our faith.   The ways of God are not the ways of this world and because of that conflict will arise.  Unfortunately, sometimes the persecution even comes from others within the church.  There are even those who see the amount of persecution they endure to be a mark or measuring stick of their holiness.  This lends itself to an attitude that focuses on self rather than the Lord.  Those people not only welcome persecution but sometimes even are the instigators.  Have you ever heard of being your own worse enemy??

Here is my pondering thought for you today.

There is true persecution and suffering but………

Consider this, sometimes it isn’t persecution you are suffering but the result of strife you may be sowing. It takes a very humble heart to be open to the Spirit, to recognize this, repent, and realign our focus on the Lord.  He is our standard and not our perceived level of persecution.

Your thoughts?

Ironic, Huh?

When visiting my father a year or so ago, God showed me something amazing.  It was quite a shock to my system and to be perfectly honest I have been a bit gun shy in posting about it.  Why?  Because it may receive some unwanted backlash.  But here I go anyway.

I was visiting and sharing a bit about how God has worked and changed my life and continues to do so.  My father said, “Well, that God thing works for some people but I just can’t believe that.”

I have mulled that statement over and over again in my mind.  I wonder does anyone else see what I saw?

Here a non-believer, unknowingly, stated biblical theology more accurately than many Christians do. Ironic, huh?

I am still wondering if anyone else sees what I saw?

He didn’t say don’t or even won’t.  He said can’t.  How true that is!   It isn’t that he has just chosen not to believe.  He has an inability to believe.

For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.  All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”  Romans 3:9b-12

R.C. Sproul puts it this way…..

No vestigial “island of righteousness” escapes the influence of the fall. Sin reaches into every aspect of our lives, finding no shelter of isolated virtue.

Jesus says:

And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.” John 6:65

We are unable, we can’t.  It must be granted by the Father.

For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.  For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.   Romans 8:6-8

I will quote R.C. Sproul once more since he has a great gift with words.

For a person to be able to come to Christ, it must be granted or “given” to that person to come to Christ. God must do something for us to overcome our moral inability to come to Christ. We cannot embrace Christ in the flesh. Without the aid of the Holy Spirit, we cannot come to Christ.

So often we try and take the work of the Lord and make it ours. So many Christians rely on what they think they have chosen.  This is works righteousness.  It is all of God and nothing of ourselves that brings about and secures our salvation in Christ. It is not of ourselves or our own choosing. Simple put, we can’t, only God can.

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:1-9

The Cyber “church” and Biblical Peacemaking

This is not normally something I do, however, I decided to write a brief post for my wife’s blog ; something I have been considering as a result of the recent and ongoing blogger conflict that seems pervasive on the web. The fundamental question I believe many are trying to find the answer to in this quagmire is how to resolve on-line conflict biblically. How does one apply church discipline in this setting? I submit that you can’t. Why? Because the cyber (or on-line) “church”, while a loose affiliation and fellowship of believers in Christ Jesus, which makes up the Body of Christ, is not a local church with members who willingly place themselves under the leadership and authority of common Elders. Elders who meet the qualifications found in 1Timothy and Titus and who are responsible under the authority and leadership of Christ, the Head of the Church, to shepherd God’s people. Because of this lack of true accountability, abuses under the Banner of Christ and claim of Christian love can and do abound. Having said that, I would warn others in this forum not to set yourself up as a pseudo “elder” or mediator trying to exercise authority and accountability over those who have not invited or agreed upon you being in that position.

Now while formal church discipline (taking the matter to the Elders of the local church for mediation) cannot be exercised within the cyber “church”, those who participate in this forum should make every effort – for the glory of God and the name of Christ – to pursue biblical peacemaking. Let me share the following with you from the Word of God and the teaching ministry of Jim Newheiser (The Institute of Biblical Counseling and Discipleship). Some of this is also out of the book, The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict, by Ken Sande.

1. You cannot completely avoid conflict (Rom. 12:9-21). Conflict is a result of sin: our selfish pride which desires to set ourselves above all else.
2. Peace is sometimes out of your reach. You cannot make peace at the expense of truth and righteousness (Mt. 10:34-38; 18:15f; Jer. 8:11; Acts 20:28; Pr. 23:23; I Co. 5:6-7 15:33; Titus 3:9-11). There are some people with whom it is impossible to make peace (I Co. 7:15). God does not hold you responsible for the sinful failures of others.
3. Conflict is very dangerous. Don’t make things worse through unbiblical methods of handling conflict. Some fight seeking revenge, verbal attacks, gossip, slander, assault, murder, lawsuits (Rom. 12:17-21; Mt. 5:21-22; Pr. 11:9; 12:18; 14:17; 18:8; 29:22; I Co. 6:1-8). Others flee trying through denial seeking to escape.
4. Conflict brings opportunity: to glorify God, to be more like Christ, to serve others, and to bear witness to a watching world (Rom. 8:28-29 12:14, 20; I Co. 10:31).

If at this point you are thinking about everything the “other person” has done, is responsible for and should confess and repent of….you are thinking of the wrong person. As one offending or offended, it is not your responsibility to set the account straight and make the other party “pay”. Remember vengeance belongs to God and our anger does not produce the righteousness of God. Instead, you should be focused on your responsibility to do all that is within your power to pursue peace (Mt. 5:9 Heb. 12:14).

1. Don’t stir up strife (Rom. 16:1; Pr. 6:19; 26:21; 18:21; 10:19; Ti. 3:10; Eph. 4:29; Js. 1:19; 3:1f).
2. Overlook minor offences (Rom. 14:19; I Pet. 4:8; Pr. 10:12; 17:14; 19:11; 29:11,20,22; 25:28; Mt. 5:39-40; I Co. 6:7; Phil. 2:5f).
3. Confess your sins: get the log out of your eye (Mt. 7:1-5; 5:23-24; Pr. 28:13). You must deal with your own sin before you can help others to overcome theirs. Face up to the root of sin in your own heart (Js 4:1-2; Pr. 2:24; Mt. 15:18). Seek forgiveness for whatever fault you may have (even if it is only 10%). Seek forgiveness biblically (Mt. 5:23-24; II Co. 7:10-11) which includes: (a)addressing everyone involved, (b) avoid if, but, maybe, (c) admit specifically, (d) acknowledge the hurt you caused , (e) accept the consequences, (f) alter your behavior, (g) ask for forgiveness.
4. Be ready to forgive others as God has forgiven you (Ps. 86:5; Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:12-14). This means that forgiveness is not optional for forgiven people (Mt. 6:12; 18:21-35; Jer. 31:34). You must make the promises of forgiveness (from The Peacemaker, Mt. 6:12; I Co. 13:5). I will not think about this incident. I will not bring this incident up and use it against you. I will not talk to others about this incident. I will not allow this incident to stand between us.

Finally, if necessary in this forum, find a neutral party all involved can agree upon who can provide godly counsel and wisdom to mediate for reconciliation so that the name of Christ may be glorified. Bottom line: be humble and do all you can to pursue peace – even if that means you must give up your “right” to restitution so that God is not dishonored in your behavior.

PapaArcher

Where is the Respect?

I have been aware of a growing trend for many years.  It saddens me to see this happening.  It is the devaluing of those in ministerial positions.  I will concede that there are many who are clergy who have abused their positions and many who have disqualified themselves because of unrepentant sins, or direct biblical disqualifications.  Those who are called to a position of pastor and elder are held to a higher standard but they are not perfect.  They are called to maintain the high standard, to be quickly and fully repentant when they stumble and sin, and to not use grace as an opportunity to sin.  That being said, those who are lay members in the church should also respect the position that individual holds and the authority that comes with it.  I have seen recently a strong tendency to bash pastors and remove any amount of authority they should carry.

I hear things like,

“I don’t need a pastor, the Holy Spirit is my teacher.”

The clergy system is the root of the church’s problems.

The title of pastor or elder is overrated, we are all called to the ministry.

These statements I find to be very frustrating. Yes, the Holy Spirit is our teacher to guide us in accordance with the scriptures. That point is correct but that does not mean that we do not need earthly teachers. If that were the case then the Lord would not have gifted and called others as teachers, elders, and pastors. I often hear this used when having a discussion with someone who simply disagrees. It is an easy way to say, “I don’t have to listen to you or take what you are saying/teaching to heart.”

The clergy system we have today may have many faults. However, to assume that they are totally set up as a way for power hungry, controlling, high and mighty proud people to loom over you is an assumption one should not make! Such an assumption carries an air of arrogance.  Much of the system is set up for accountability reasons. It is good to have accountability. I am often curious as to why people often assume the worse of the clergy. Why can we not trust that the Lord knows best who to call and that they might just be godly men after the Lord’s own heart?!

All believers are called to minister to one another. However, that does not mean that all believers are called to be pastor or elder. Titles are not what is important but once again that does not mean that we should loose them altogether. Those titles describe a position; a position that carries some authority. That authority is not a man given authority. It is an authority given by the one who called the individual, the Lord. The person called does good to remember where the authority comes from and are humbled by it.

The under-shepherd is a caretaker for the sheep in the fold of the Lord but is still under the Good shepherd. Many believed and followed Christ but they were not all the apostles. In a way, it is like in a marriage. The husband and wife are equal but the wife is not the head of the home. The head of the home is still under the authority of Christ. The head of the home is in a position of authority. Is that authority sometimes abused? Yes but it does not remove the need for the position.

In our culture today, there is a trend to disrespect the position of pastors, elders, and others in the leadership of the church and those who hold those positions. In my mind, this is once again a sign of the culture of independence polluting the body of Christ. It is a way to assert one’s independence. It is a clear sign of a lack of submission to the Lord by rejecting those he has placed in positions of authority within his bride. It is a lack of humility to assume that those in these positions are in it for themselves and that you know better. It is sinful for one in authority abuse their authority but it is also a sin for one to constantly be bucking against that authority.