Thursday, January 15, 2009

I started this post the other day, saved it as a draft to come back to and add to.

Some of the Pharisees were interested in what Jesus had to say and believed on Him. Have you ever heard of a secret disciple? These same Pharisees would not stand up to other Pharisees and say Jesus was right. They would not take a real stand for Jesus. Why? Because they would be persecuted by their own peers, cast out of the temple, scorned. They wanted to believe but not pay the price of believing.

We have the same thing today. There are those who will be friends to those who have been cut off but they will not stand up for them before their church peers. They will not take a real stand for what is right.

Then there are those who will pal with those that have cut people off but not confront them with the wrong they have done. Just try to get along without talking about the things that are wrong. We humans can be so weak. You see if we just keep everything smooth on the top and not take any real stands then we can keep everything real peaceful. But the dirt is still there under the rug where it was swept, thinking nobody would see it or be hurt by it. But people are hurt by it. People have been spiritually lost because of it.

Doesn't Jesus say if you offend a little one woe unto you, it would be better for a millstone to be around your neck?

God is looking for these things to be cleared up, the sin admitted. It is not wrong to admit sin and confess and ask forgivenss. It is wrong to ignore the sin or excuse it or act like it never happened.

Reformed Sheology, there is a link on my blog, had a good lesson the other day. It was about forgiveness. Reading it is better than I can say it and I encourage you to read it. But it talked about offering forgiveness, but if the other person doesn't repent, the fellowship is broken. You can stay in that relationship and be treated the same way they treated you before. You're a slave to them to accept however they want to treat you just so that you can be their friend. If you take a stand and confront them with the issue you risk their anger, their defensiveness and their absence of having anything to do with you. But it is necessary and it is time to move on to what else or who else God leads you to if the other person doesn't want to repent and quit treating you the same old way. We can be friends with everybody in the world if we want to be like a chameleon and blend in with whoever we are with.

God's forgiveness is freely offered, but if you don't repent, you don't receive the forgiveness. The Corinthians thought they were super spiritual because they were willing to get along with everyone with sin in their midst. They thought they were just being forgiving by letting the problem exist and not confronting or taking a stand.

Like I said a few days ago, if we can rejoice that we have it so good while people are spiritually dying along the wayside that have been pushed and trampled, we need the Revelation 3 salve for our eyes.

5 comments:

  1. Thanks Mom. I enjoyed reading your post and talking with you over what God has shown me. I enjoyed your post today. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. The thoughts I can only seem to think and not quite get it out the way I want to. :o)

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  2. Just wanted to say I personally don't rejoice that people are spiritually dying, but if I waited until there were no more people spiritually dying to be happy in my salvation, I would be a miserable individual, and that doesn't win anyone. All I can do is rejoice in what God's given and done for me and know that it is available for any and all that want it...and I can do my part to be there when they are seeking it. I love you and I hope you have a blessed day.

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  3. A really well thought out post. I hadn't thought of the "agreeing Pharisee's" that way before. You are right, though your post will sting to an extent. We as people don't like our "hidden places" uncovered and if they are, most of us will deny it or lie about it. But for what it's worth, love and patience wins all things.

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  4. Very good thoughts, Jane. Thanks for commenting on my blog. BTW, you have been tagged. The blog I did on the plum trees was a meme. You have now been tagged: Go to the 6th picture in your picture albums on your computer and write a story about it (like I did with the picture of my plums). Then tag 6 people to do the same.

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  5. Comment #1:Faithful are the wounds of a true friend.
    #2: We can be happy in the Lord... but so can those who have been trampled. We should not forget about them. Perhaps you can expound on that last paragraph? Or maybe you have.. I am behind in my reading.

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