Double Face Smash with a side of Condemnation?

[TheMachine]

I have labored with this in the past and still do on occasion. Why is it that we as believers are less concerned with showing others our Faith in God? In our words and actions we seem more concerned with showing other believers how wrong they are to believe what they believe? We seem less willing to converse with each other about scripture and would rather attack each other with fury and rage over scripture. Where is the Grace? What do new members of the Faith find in and about us when they read our posts? The internet is a great place to display our intelligence and wit. Why do we turn that into venomous sarcasm and scathing attacks? Can we disagree without the aggressive verbal weaponry or do we have to hammer home our particular denominational awesomeness with a WWE style finishing move?

This was a topic put on my heart for the last while and I just wanted to put it out on here to see how others feel about it.

The Machine

“Good night, Westley. Good work. Sleep well. I'll most likely kill you in the morning.” William Goldman excerpt from The Princess Bride

 

[TheMachine]

Nothing?Not a single response?

 

[Searching4Truth]

Pride works in a funny way among Christians.

 

[dashadow]

I think many people get your point, but it's already been said a few times. So don't take offense by the lack of response. God Bless!

 

[starfield]

I have labored with this in the past and still do on occasion. Why is it that we as believers are less concerned with showing others our Faith in God? In our words and actions we seem more concerned with showing other believers how wrong they are to believe what they believe? We seem less willing to converse with each other about scripture and would rather attack each other with fury and rage over scripture. Where is the Grace? What do new members of the Faith find in and about us when they read our posts? The internet is a great place to display our intelligence and wit. Why do we turn that into venomous sarcasm and scathing attacks? Can we disagree without the aggressive verbal weaponry or do we have to hammer home our particular denominational awesomeness with a WWE style finishing move?

This was a topic put on my heart for the last while and I just wanted to put it out on here to see how others feel about it.

The Machine

“Good night, Westley. Good work. Sleep well. I'll most likely kill you in the morning.” William Goldman excerpt from The Princess Bride

I agree with you. The aggressive verbal weaponry is not a good fruit.
It seems like some are naturally debaters, but they shouldn't forget the commandment of love while they are trying to be 'apologists' ."A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:34-35). And "But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble" (James 4:6).

 

[Ariel82]

personally I was waiting for the other shoe to fall.... so when can we start doing this "converse with each other about scripture" instead of just thinking about doing it?

i just got back home and haven't been on CC for the last week. whatz up?

I got a new cd by Casting Crowns and it had some verses that have been on my mind. the song was "What the world needs" and your thread reminds me of it.

let me find and post the verses and find the Bible verses that they make me think of... brb....

 

[Ariel82]

Here are the lyrics:

What This World Needs"

What this world needs is not another one hit wonder with an axe to grind
Another two bit politician peddling lies
Another three ring circus society
What this world needs is not another sign waving super saint that's better than you
Another ear pleasing candy man afraid of the truth
Another prophet in an Armani suit

What this world needs is a Savior who will rescue
A Spirit who will lead
A Father who will love them in their time of need
A Savior who will rescue
A Spirit who will lead
A Father who will love
That's what this world needs

What this world needs is for us to care more about the inside than the outside
Have we become so blind that we can't see
God's gotta change her heart before He changes her shirt
What this world needs is for us to stop hiding behind our relevance
Blending in so well that people can't see the difference
And it's the difference that sets the world free

Jesus is our Savior, that's what this world needs
Father's arms around you, that's what this world needs
That's what this world needs

Casting Crowns-What This World Needs - YouTube

[video=youtube;_PAzYDDSQdI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PAzYDDSQdI[/video]

[h=3]Isaiah 57:14-16[/h]New King James Version (NKJV)


[SUP]14 [/SUP]And one shall say,
“Heap it up! Heap it up!
Prepare the way,
Take the stumbling block out of the way of My people.”

[SUP]15 [/SUP]For thus says the High and Lofty One
Who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
“I dwell in the high and holy place,
With him who has a contrite and humble spirit,
To revive the spirit of the humble,
And to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
[SUP]16 [/SUP]For I will not contend forever,
Nor will I always be angry;
For the spirit would fail before Me,
And the souls which I have made.





Anyway God bless have to feed the munchkins

 

[Bookreader]

The problem started with the words of Paul

He said we should love one another (repeating Jesus).
But basically said we should fight against those who spoke a false gospel.

Now the gospel Jesus taught was of the Kingdom of God.
The gospel the original Apostles taught was of the Kingdom of God and how believing in Jesus and doing as he said could let us be part of the Kingdom of God.

Everything else has come later.
And therein lies the problem.

Paul said we should discuss with people in love and grace.
Paul said we should armour ourselves against those that tried to preach a false gospel.

The way Christianity went astray after the apostles died and the Roman Empire started to decide doctrine really messed things up.
Christ taught poverty while bishops and the church became rich.
Christ told of persecution while the church began to persecute those who didn't agree with the Emperor's doctrines.

Many years later the murder has ceased (mostly).
But now we have the attitude which the normal Jews of Christ's day didn't have.
Now we are told we must believe X and anyone who says otherwise is wicked or a spawn of the pointy-eared, cloven-hoofed, red man with a trident.
We are taught this by our teachers (those of you who learned the Bible while growing up)
Or even by Paul (those of us that read the Bible later disbelieving it initially).

So it's wickedness inbred for years through the hypocracy of love your neighbour but hate those who disagree with what you were taught about God.

 

[Angela53510]

Ariel, loved the song and the lyrics. Thanks for posting!

 

[crossnote]

1Cor 8:1b Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.

 

[Angela53510]

"Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1

This doesn't not give us license to not love other believers. I have found in my work in a Lutheran long term care facility, as a Baptist, that many Catholics, Pentecostals have an amazing faith in God. To say nothing of the incredible love of the two Lutheran denominations working together to care for those who cannot care for themselves, despite their doctrinal differences.

I think that perhaps immaturity may lie at the bottom of fierce theological debates WHICH CONDEMN! I am not saying we should not have good doctrine, and that some people come here who really are confused about what Jesus says.

But that should be an opportunity for us to love and pray for those people, not fight with them.

I always figure that a forum is about as good as the prayer forum. I go to the one here, and I see LOTS of requests and few replies. Yet in this Bible Study forum, the debates rage for pages and 100's of posts.

Maybe this is a good opportunity for people to start praying for those requests, and loving the people who may seem a bit offtrack in our humble opinion. Sometimes the Christology, Eschatology and Soteriology don't matter as much as loving people who are far from where we are in doctrine.

"A new command I give to you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." John 13:34

 

[TheMachine]

" Our first care must be that the sheep should be gathered to the great Shepherd; there will be time enough afterwards to secure them for our various folds. To make proselytes, is a suitable labour for Pharisees: to beget men unto God, is the honorable aim of ministers of Christ." C.H.Spurgeon

I came across this and it really spoke to me. I guess it comes down to what I want to say, and if a new believer was reading my post what would they think? And moreover , what does God think of my Spiritual posturing on a website?

I have come to see that there are an awful lot of people speaking "for" God and yet by what they are saying and how it is being said I can see that they are not speaking "to" God. Embarassed as I am this too pertains to me, I've been frustrated by a post and lashed out to flex my Super Spiritual Intellect and make the grand Wrestler Style Finishing comment to leave the sting of the Bible on the heathens that dare argue the Truth......yet it was my position that was completely wrong..... Love/Charity/God/Christ all need to be reflected in my words and actions not myself. So sorry to those I've come across poorly to.

As for the Casting Crowns posts, I enjoyed the song very much. As a musician I enjoy Casting Crowns and their style is great.

Bookreader great points in your post also. You covered a lot there and I agree that man has put themselves ahead of the Word and that has caused a great deal of problems.

Angela I agree that it is indeed a call to prayer and as a united body everything starts with prayer!

The Machine

"I am not your autumn moon....I am the sky"......... Audioslave