Stepping on my soap box

I agree 100% Spinach! How dare Christians judge people. No wonder the church is slipping in America...

It seems we only want people that looks the part, speaks the part, acts the part, has the money to throw in, not poor, or redneck, or urban.... it seems that unless people are middle class, churches don't want them.

When I read your OP, it reminded me of the song by Casting Crowns.. "What this World needs"

 

What a gracious response! I am so glad you are modelling your spiritual Father...

John 3:17
(17) For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

You should fall on your knees and thank God for HIs grace toward you..
As I do for his grace toward me.

Luke 6:45
(45) The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

YOur kind and gracious remarks toward Spinach shows what is truly in your heart...

 

We could have gone all day without that comment. I have been around a long time, and mindsets like that are a dime a dozen. Forgiveness and repentance are just missing from the equation with some.

If it were up to me, the first sin I would go after would be arrogance in relation to church discipline. That would also go for self-righteous judges with a beam in their eye.

 

I say 'preach on Spinach"

Jesus didn't like religious bigots either!

 

Never had anyone use the tattoo on my right arm as an excuse to avoid church or the gospel I preached.

I did have a few ask why I had a tattoo. Mine came long before they were popular, but common on veterans of war. Mine actually brought many a soldier to chapel.

Mind you, I have worn long sleeves most of my life..

Cheers,

Jim

 

It doesn't surprise me at all that Christians sometimes judge according to outward appearances. That's a very human thing to do.

donna is correct in saying that true Christians ought to judge according to actions and behavior. If a person is living in habitual, willful sin such as adultery or drunkeness, then I am going to assume they are without Christ. The one who is born of God cannot continue in sin, because they are born of God. The one who practices sin is of the devil. Re-read 1 John folks.

Concernign church discipline, it is for the members of the church, not those who are outside of it. Those on the outside God judges. But we judge among ourselves. If a person who is a member of a church commits a sin, then they ought to be disciplined biblically. If they refuse to repent then the elders have a responsibilty to inform the church, bar the person from the Lord's Table, and remove them as a member.

RB

 

Spinach,

Your sister's story speaks to brokenness that exists in the lives of nearly every single church today. Many of us spend our time and energy trying to hide the pain and suffering so we look OK to others. That is hypocrisy... plain and simple and it becomes so easy for our churches to become breeding grounds for such things.

I am also grateful to hear that the Lord is not yet finished with your sister. I pray she continues to find the help and healing she needs. I am also glad for a SBC church that loves unconditionally and welcomed a person that on the outside didn't fit the part. May the Lord bless their ministry of conveying and communicating the Good News, which by the way usually begins with a warm handshake/greeting.

As Christians, we are probably always going to have folks who are quick to point, show prejudice, and criticize others who may not look, sound, act like they do. Let's remember that loving our brothers and sisters is a distinctive of our identity in Christ, whether we "measure up" or not.

 

This has nothing to do with the thread other than the title. But I preached the gospel from a Soap box one afternoon at Trafalgar Square in London some time ago. It was kind of fun with people listening, some agreeing, and others taunting. I wasn't the only one doing it either. It was an experience.

 

Stay on the exact track you are on with the Lord. You are light years ahead of some of those in the church discipline thread in regards to spiritual maturity. God bless you and your family as He works out the situation in your sister's life.

 

In other words, you get to condemn a group of BaptistBoard members with impunity, but no one can comment on the the goodness or the evil of certain actions, dress and other modes of communication?

Spare us the hypocrisy.

 

Spare us the self-righteousness. That is exactly what is not needed. No one said the church could not discipline or comment on evil. That has nothing to do with lacking the element of forgiveness and restoration.

No, in other words, your mindset of exclusion of those who do not meet your standards has turned how many away from churches over the years? Do not they get a chance to become as perfect as you after regeneration? By the way, who are you anyhow?

 

In other words, you get to condemn a group of BaptistBoard members with impunity, but no one can comment on the the goodness or the evil of certain actions, dress and other modes of communication?

Spare us the hypocrisy.

And that from one who uses the "breeches" argument to condemn a woman because she dared to wear a pair of pants in the church building.

 

Can you clarify this?

If I think my brother dead I am guilty of murder. If I lusteth after a woman I am guilty of adultery. How does the Church know what went on in my mind? I know God knows but according to your formula, we don't discipline for "EVERY" sin just those we see. Since most sin's happen in the mind it means the Church is very lacking by your formula.

There does become a time when a person's sinful life begins to impact or bring shame to the Church itself. However, we'd have empty buildings if we disciplined every liar. Don't you think?

 

So I understand, what we are looking for in a indwelt believer is the fruit of the spirit. So these are the things we are looking for which is nothing mentioned in the OP. Is that correct?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

Now here are the works of the flesh. It is my understanding all of these can be forgiven and is the reason we come to Christ. If we find one in the Church who exhibits one of these characteristics, according to your post we "judge" them. What do we do after we judge them? Do we kick them out or do we assume the spirit is still perfecting the believer?

Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

 

Methinks we have the opportunity for a new Phelpsian church & website.

godhatestatoos.com

:laugh:

 

It doesn't, unless one seeks spiritual help from volunteer "counselor"/trusted confidante Aunt Blabby.

 

Did they do this because they thought she was not saved? Did she tell them she was saved?

 

Isn't this the first question you ask as you begin to witness?

I usually ask, "Do you know Jesus"?

 

Yes, that's why I'm asking Spinach what the situation was. If they thought she was not a believer, I can see why they were telling her she needed Christ. But according to this account, Spinach's sister got upset because they did this.

We need to establish if they thought she was unsaved and if they asked or not.