The meaning of "Abstain from all appearances of evil"

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Melvainyo

Guest
#21
#21
So I am wrong in saying what I said? I should accept these dances as something God approves of? God will hold me accountable to this stand I am making yes... I will practice what I say here... but don't say that "I look like the world". I am only weighing the two sides to see what one is more Godly. You should not say I am judging ALL dances saying, "they're full of lust and sin and should be reproved". God knows the heart, not me. All I know is that we are IN THE WORLD and not OF THE WORLD. We should separate ourselves from it as much from it as we can. Remember, we are the temple of the Holy Ghost.

Philippians 2:12b-13 "...work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure"
 
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Melvainyo

Guest
#22
#22
"And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." Luke 11:9

Sorry Karuna... but if you ask in Faith believing, God can and WILL pour his blessings onto his people. No, God is not a pop machine ready to give us whatever we want... but If we are seeking spiritual gain FOR GOD'S GLORY he will give unto his children.

Psalm 84:11

11For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.


If you go against this, you go against God.
 
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karuna

Guest
#23
#23
Melvainyo said:
So I am wrong in saying what I said?
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That's a strange non-sequitur.

I should accept these dances as something God approves of?
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Huh?

God will hold me accountable to this stand I am making yes... I will practice what I say here... but don't say that "I look like the world".
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You definitely do. The stereotypically strict, hyper-religious person who can't tolerate a dance is more a representative of the world than of God. Jesus dealt with them frequently, those who were so concerned with regulations that they lived out the letter, rather than the spirit of the law.

While you've been here, what have you put out most of your effort on? You spread an argument all the way from a local church to the net, just to find people who agreed with your stance on the dance. You seemed thrilled when someone took your side.

You want to be right. You want these 700 people to acknowledge that they were dancing sinfully and to go to the 5 person Bible study. You want them to act like you want them to act. Thy will be done.

I am only weighing the two sides to see what one is more Godly.
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No. You've done a lot more than that in what you've written above. Don't back-peddle now.

You didn't just say one side was less Godly, for instance. Look at the words you chose.

You should not say I am judging ALL dances saying, "they're full of lust and sin and should be reproved".
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You said it was modern dance. You said modern dance was full of lust and sin. If you didn't mean to say that, you are free to correct yourself.

All I know is that we are IN THE WORLD and not OF THE WORLD. We should separate ourselves from it as much from it as we can.
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Right now, in indulging this legalistic impulse, you're solidly of the world.

No, God is not a pop machine ready to give us whatever we want...
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Then we agree it is ridiculous to say that God will not pour out his blessings and understanding on people in a dance.

If you go against this, you go against God.
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I'm not the one trying to tell him where he won't pour out his blessings.
 
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Melvainyo

Guest
#24
#24
Jesus Christ is my Lord and savior and I have dedicated my life to him. Dont you dare say I am solidly in the world.
All you want is to argue and pick me apart. Jesus will be the judge of us both in this. God knows my heart not you. I am sorry to have offended you so, in my stand to do what I feel is the right thing.
 
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karuna

Guest
#25
#25
Melvainyo said:
Jesus Christ is my Lord and savior and I have dedicated my life to him. Dont you dare say I am solidly in the world.
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In this case, you are unambiguously the heir of every single person who has tried to regulate behavior without regulating his own feelings about it.

All you want is to argue and pick me apart.
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I'm trying to encourage you to see, for instance, how you conceal your own intentions from yourself. You say you're "only" doing this or "just" doing that, and it's always a virtuous reason, but it doesn't hold up when we scroll up.

Evil exists just as much within the heart as on a dance floor. Moderate the heart first, then worry about the people who came to church because they were invited to a dance.

I am sorry to have offended you so, in my stand to do what I feel is the right thing.
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There's nothing I need to forgive, but I imagine if you've had this conversation in your local church you should be talking to some of them.
 
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mpaper345

Banned
#26
Feb 9, 2010
2,486
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#26
If it is sin,and worldly,you cannot use it to reach out to people,for we do not use sin to reach people.

God said let your good works show,to draw people to the truth.

If people use worldly things,that is sin,to reach out to people,what kind of people will they convert.
People that believe it is okay to live like the world,and be alright with God.

God said if any man love the world,or the things of the world,the love of the Father is not in them.

Matt
 
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Melvainyo

Guest
#27
#27
Good one Mpaper. :)

"Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God" James 4:4
 
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ShelleBelle76

Guest
#28
#28
Matthew 7:20- "Therefore by their fruits you will know them."

Melvainyo first I want to say that based on your posts, I do not think you are a "stereotypically strict, hyper-religious person who can't tolerate a dance" . I agree that a lot of modern dance is exceptionally sensual in nature, and does not represent a Christlike or godly nature. Thats just a fact and for a Christian to argue that fact would make me question where their heart stood and therefore not put much weight on their opinion... sadly. And I applaud you for recognizing that this type of use of our bodies is not appropriate and does not glorify God, and for not being afraid to stand up and express your concerns.

That being said, the church I attend does have a monthly "Friday Night Live" that caters to a younger, more hip crowd, and sometimes features Hip Hop and rock style music with Christian lyrics, in addition to praise and worship music and sermons. I know the youth enjoy these special events and I have witnessed powerful moves of God at these events. The church next door features a youth dance team where they choreograph dances to popular Christian music, using some modern dance techniques, but it is never even remotely sexual in any way.

So my point is, it is possible to utilize more modern means as a form of appealing to a more diverse group of people, without becoming ungodly or wordly. The Bible clearly lays out the ways we should act as Christians, and if anything we do comprimises us in any way, it shouldn't be done.

Galatians 5:19-26 is great scripture that you can easily test your actions against to see if they are in line with the spirit and not the flesh.

16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery,[c] fornication, uncleanness, lewdness,
20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies,
21 envy, murders,[d] drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

I would say that anything truly done in the spirit would not be wrong, but those things done in the flesh should be avoided. There are many "rules" that have been passed down from generation to generation, and the "abstain from the appearance of evil" scripture has been used to enforce those rules, but upon further study of the Word it is found that those things are not actual sinful. So just be careful in simply judging all behaviors, and base everything on godliness! :) And don't let anyone chastise you for your convictions if they clearly do not align with true godliness!!!
 
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angelos

Guest
#29
#29
I think she was talking about people who take our master's name and attach it to things that are sinful such as a grinding dance which does appear sinful.
 
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Melvainyo

Guest
#30
#30
angelos said:
I think she was talking about people who take our master's name and attach it to things that are sinful such as a grinding dance which does appear sinful.
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This is what I basically meant yeah. I know that not all dancing is bad. I like to dance! XD But holding a secular dance for a Christian youth group?... that is what I thought was a little on the shady side... A Christian dance for a Christian youth group is different. When the dance is decent and done in a Godly way, that is a great thing for the youth. Thanks for your input! Good points!
 
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sunshine_debbie

Guest
#31
#31
The thing is, I always worry about he who is without sin, let them cast the first stone. When something is bothering me, or some situation, or a person, or a decision is making me uncomfortable, what I usually try to do first is pray and pray alot. I also think that we should do as Jesus said in Colossians and salt our words, I do not like to be in a position to judge. I have sinned so much and for so long, that I try to be merciful and graceful and peaceable in all things. Lord only knows, I need more humility. So I guess if you are really upset about it then

" "If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.”- Matthew 18:15

Maybe that will help. Just try to remember that gentleness goes a lot farther then anger.

Debbie
 
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Melvainyo

Guest
#32
#32
Im not Angry. I just wanted to see what others thought about the situation. Thanks for the advice! :)
 
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