God's Grace- A Hatred for Sin, Not the Sinner

Excerpt - 'God's grace is not something by which He winks at man's transgressions, but His grace teaches us that we should deny ungodliness and lusts which war against the soul. That this may be accomplished in us, we must accept the promises of the powerful energies heaven has provided whereby we can escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. The grace which Christ implants in the soul through the Holy Spirit does something specific for the recipient.'

(My thoughts- Too often we really do believe that God's grace just overlooks our sins. We tell ourselves that God understands that we can't help ourselves and therefore He will excuse all our wrongs- past, present, and future. Then we go on cherishing our favored sins as if they are beyond God's ability to take from us. Every sin should be abhorred! And even if it's a ten times daily abhorring of a sin besetting us, it must forever be abhorred and constantly repented of, never accepted as a matter of our life's burden, never accepted as that's just the way we are. If we become accepting of our sins then we are moving further away from Christ, not closer to Him. If we stop recognizing our sins as being sins at all, we are in grave danger. Truly God's grace is much more than His overlooking sin, it is a power. When, through the Holy Spirit we are given this power it isn't so we can overlook our sins, not a single one of them. It clarifies our sins and makes them more apparent to us so that we may comprehend that even the smallest of our sins has the power to separate us from God. Once it is clarified, once we are able to recognize that smallest of sins we are - by GRACE- forgiven that sin if we seek forgiveness for it, and repent of it, hating it with our entire being, hating even more the fact that we might enjoy it and that is why it's so incredibly hard for us to give it over to God. It's not all happy, happy, joy, joy in our Christ following life,  not when we are at war, warring against the spiritual wickedness in our lives. Not that there won't be a lot of moments of happiness and joy, but if we expect only to feel the happy without the suffering, we are going to sabotage ourselves. We are told to count it all joy and such, but even our Savior in the Garden of Gethsemane was not all smiles, but suffering beyond our comprehension.)

Excerpt- 'Whoever is seen to abhor sin instead of loving it, whoever resists and conquers those passions that have held sway within, displays the operation of a principle wholly from above.'

My thoughts- (The power is from GOD, not from within us, not some source of untapped, hidden power we possess in and our ourselves and need to cultivate, or tease to surface so we may conquer sin. It isn't our WILL power that overcomes at all! It is the power of God from above! And it lives in us as we are convicted of the sin in our lives, as we resist and conquer through Christ- this is all God's power, not a single ounce, not a tiny smidgen of power comes from us. When a sin is conquered it truly is ALL GLORY and PRAISE, all THANKSGIVING and HONOR to our KING, our SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST!)

Excerpt - 'In the statement, 'I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed,' God pledged Himself to introduce into the hearts of human beings a new principle, - a hatred of sin, of deception, or pretense, of everything that bears the marks of Satan's guile.'

My thoughts- (TRUTH.  This hatred for sin is put into our hearts if we choose to accept it! If not we will be allowed to be blinded to sin's evil. We often ask ourselves how people can be so cruel when we read of horrific acts committed and in truth those people are truly blind to their evil. On a much lesser scale have you ever dealt with anyone who just couldn't see things as you did. No matter how you tried to explain something to them they just could not grasp what you were saying. You could see the blank expression where comprehension should be, and then possibly their irritation at your insistence - wanting them to understand, and sometimes anger and then a futile end, agreeing to disagree or perhaps a lingering anger, or a truly noticeable placating of pretense at comprehension where there is none.  If you've ever experienced this then you know it's possible for people to just not understand and on a much GREATER level, a whole group of people choosing NOT to love God, their Creator and Redeemer and therefore being allowed their delusions, blinded and allowed to remain so - and evil in the smallest of sins or the greatest will not be understood the same way as one, who by God's grace and mercy, has been allowed to feel and understand the true hatred for all sin that God has and that we have been given through His promise to put an enmity (hatred) between Satan and God's People.) 

(Gen 3:15  And I will put enmity between thee and the woman
Psa_97:10  Ye that love the LORD, hate evil
Pro_8:13  The fear of the LORD is to hate evil
Amo_5:15  Hate the evil, and love the good, 
Heb 1:8  But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
Heb 1:9  Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity)

By God's grace may we all fully understand our need for the grace of God in a very real, powerful way. May our hatred for sin match that of our Savior's as our love for Him over comes all! May we never ever find sin acceptable no matter how much the world has labeled sin human nature, undeniable and unconquerable. In Christ, through Christ all things are possible, and only possible through HIM.

All by HIS GRACE!

NOTE: The above excerpts were taken from the manuscript 'In the Form of a Slave' By William Grotheer. If you are interested in this manuscript you may go to the following website where it is possible for you to order a copy of it.  http://www.alfiowa.com/

The Spirit of Truth - A Transforming Power

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'"The word of God - the truth - is the channel through which the Lord manifests His Spirit and power."  If then, the powerful energy of truth has filled one's life, he has been baptized by the Holy Spirit with fire. When the Day of Pentecost came, the Spirit symbolized by tongues of fire, representing the organ of articulation, awakened the slumbering senses of the recipient, not only permitting truth to find its way into his life, but also enabling him to speak truth that pierced the stubborn hearts of the murderers of Christ, and lifted the darkness from their minds.

Jeremiah the prophet had received much abuse because he had spoken unflinchingly the word of the Lord to disobedient Israel. The burden had become so heavy that he decided the best course to follow was to keep his mouth shut and say nothing more. This he could not do for the word of God - the truth - according to his own testimony, "was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forebearing, and I could not stay."  This is the baptism by fire so needed today, and can only become real, when men and women open their hearts to the life-giving energy of truth, which Christ wants to impart in unlimited power through the Holy Spirit.

Jesus declared, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."   In the transforming power of truth, by which the divine nature is brought to us, there are those who would make this experience almost akin to a surgical heart transplant. They would have us believe that there must be an eradication of what is termed the "stony heart", and an implantation of a "new heart." But this life-giving energy of truth restores the powers of the mind by removing the darkness which sin has brought. Of this experience it is stated:  The truths of the Word of God are the utterances of the Most High. He who makes these truths a part of his life becomes in every sense a new creature. He is not given new mental powers, but the darkness that through ignorance and sin has clouded the understanding, is removed. The words, "A new heart also will I give you," means, "A new mind will I give you." A change of heart is always attended by a clear conviction of Christian duty, an understanding of truth. He who gives the Scriptures close, prayerful attention will gain clear comprehension and sound judgment, as if in turning to God he had reached a higher plane of intelligence.   Truth does not destroy or eradicate the mind by which eternal decisions must be made, but it restores the mind to its original capacity to discern the deceptive temptations of the enemy so that the trauma of Eden need not be repeated.'     P63

The above excerpt was taken from the manuscript 'In the Form of a Slave' By William Grotheer. If you are interested in this manuscript you may go to the following website where it is possible for you to order a copy of it.

http://www.alfiowa.com/

My thoughts-

Eph 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Eph 6:14  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Eph 6:15  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Eph 6:16  Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Eph 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Eph 6:18  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;


This is SPIRITUAL armor.  God's truth, God's righteousness, God's gospel of peace, God's faith, God's Salvation, God's Word.

This is baptism in the Holy Spirit! This is living in the Spirit.

Joh_8:32  And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Eze_36:26  A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh

I particularly was impressed by this statement- 'Truth does not destroy or eradicate the mind by which eternal decisions must be made, but it restores the mind to its original capacity to discern the deceptive temptations of the enemy so that the trauma of Eden need not be repeated'

Eternal decisions. We all make them, and we make them daily. Our choice to follow Christ is a constant choice, a living choice. How else could we read throughout God's word about people making a covenant with God only to turn away from Him afterwards breaking that covenant. Our decision to accept Christ as our Savior is a decision we make constantly when we are faced with temptations to do evil, it's not a once and for all decision. It's not a decision set in stone that is unable to be altered. We can change our minds at any time. So, the idea of our having to make eternal decisions is a reality. Realizing our minds can be restored to their original capacity to discern the deception, the temptations of Satan, is so incredibly necessary otherwise we'd be lost to sin, choosing sin constantly. Christ through the Holy Spirit enables us to realize our shortcomings. And while realizing our manifold shortcomings can be cause for us wanting to despair of ever being acceptable, it also, and this is VERY important, is a CONSTANT reminder that we are ever dependent upon our Savior and His Righteousness and not ours.  Not being able to discern our own propensities towards sins, having our eyes blinded to our sins is a horrific thing, because if we cannot discern our sins we cannot seek to repent and find forgiveness in our Savior! How important it truly is for us to be convicted of our sins, and the Holy Spirit will do this in us! This is a gift of the Holy Spirit, this is a baptism of the Spirit.

If we are waiting for some magical powers to be given to us we are looking for the wrong thing. The power is forever Christ's and He promises to give us the Spirit, and…

Joh_14:16  And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever

Joh_14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Joh_15:26  But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me

Joh_16:7  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

How marvelous is this?!  The Spirit of TRUTH will come to US. The Spirit of TRUTH will testify of CHRIST and His glorious gospel of the kingdom, Salvation found in HIM. Every conviction of sin is an opportunity to seek forgiveness, not to despair as Satan would have us do. We are to grow closer to our Savior not further away. We aren't to fear that we will ever be sinless, because it is only when we are so close to Christ that we can truly see our horrific worthlessness and His amazing, wondrous worth, and it's only then we that we can live in Him by HIS grace fully! He is everything! And it's only by HIM we live!  He is our constant HOPE.

He is our Truth!

He is our Way!

He is our Life!

Without Him we have no way to the Father!

Please LORD bless us with the Holy Spirit, guide us to all truth as it is found solely in YOU! Help us to seek you always, constantly seeking Your forgiveness for our sins, seeking always to grow closer, ever closer to You!

All in You, all in LOVE.

Disciples Duty to Pray - Cost of Discipleship Pt 105

Chapter 18 - The Disciple and Unbelievers

Bonhoeffer-'The disciples are taught to pray, and so they learn that the only way to reach others is by praying to God. Judgment and forgiveness are always in the hands of God. He closes and he opens. But the disciples must ask, they must seek and knock, and then God will hear them. They have to learn that their anxiety and concern for others must drive them to intercession. The promise Christ gives to their prayer is the doughtiest weapon in their armory.'

My thoughts-

Mat_6:5  And when thou prayest…
Mat_6:6  But thou, when thou prayest…
Mat_6:7  But when ye pray…
Mat_6:9  After this manner therefore pray ye…
Mat_9:38  Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest…
Mat_14:23  And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray…
Mat_19:13  Then were there brought unto him little children, that he should put his hands on them, and pray…
Mat_24:20  But pray ye…
Mat_26:36  Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.
Mat_26:41  Watch and pray
Mat_26:53  Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?
Mar_6:46  And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.
Mar_11:24  Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray,
Mar_13:18  And pray ye…
Mar_13:33  Take ye heed, watch and pray…
Mar_14:32  And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray.
Mar_14:38  Watch ye and pray…
Luk_6:12  And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.
Luk_6:28  Bless them that curse you, and pray for them…
Luk_9:28  And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray.
Luk_10:2  Therefore said he unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore…
Luk_11:1  And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray…
Luk_11:2  And he said unto them, When ye pray…
Luk_18:1  And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint
Luk_21:36  Watch ye therefore, and pray always…
Luk_22:40  And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray…
Luk_22:46  And said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray…
Joh_14:16  And I will pray the Father…
Joh_17:9  I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
Joh_17:15  I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
Joh_17:20  Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word
Act_8:22  Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God
Act_8:24  Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord…
Act_10:9  On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray…
Rom_8:26  Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
1Co_14:13  Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray...
1Co_14:14  For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.
1Co_14:15  What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also…
2Co_5:20  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.
2Co_13:7  Now I pray to God that ye do no evil...
Php_1:9  And this I pray, that your love may abound …
Col_1:9  For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you...
1Th_5:17  Pray without ceasing.
1Th_5:23  And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1Th_5:25  Brethren, pray for us.
2Th_1:11  Wherefore also we pray always for you...
2Th_3:1  Finally, brethren, pray for us...
1Ti_2:8  I will therefore that men pray every where...
2Ti_4:16  At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge.
Heb_13:18  Pray for us...
Jas_5:13  Is any among you afflicted? let him pray...
Jas_5:14  Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord
Jas_5:16  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
1Jn_5:16  If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. There is a sin unto death: I do not say that he shall pray for it.

Praying is very important.

Jesus prayed and taught His disciples to pray.

The Holy Spirit prays for us.

We are told to pray for others. We are told to ask of God. We are told to pray without ceasing. We are told to pray fervently.

So, do we pray as we should?

Are we communicating with God as He desire we do?

How many people consider prayer pointless?

Prayer is made through faith, the same faith that pleases God, the same faith that makes salvation in Christ Jesus possible.

Eph_2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God

We pray through faith.

We ask the Holy Spirit to intercede for us because we know we are so far from doing the will of God as we should that only He can express our heart to God in such a way that it's truly understood.

When Bonhoeffer writes this…

'The disciples are taught to pray, and so they learn that the only way to reach others is by praying to God.'

It is truth. We are to PRAY for others.  We are to pray fervently. We are to pray without ceasing. We have to realize that our Savior alone reveals His loves to others, and we must ask Him to reveal that love. It is OUR duty to pray for others! Jesus WANTS us to pray for others! Praying for others reveals in a small way or perhaps the greatest of ways, our LOVE for others.

Our prayer is heard as long as we are NOT praying for our sins, praying to be allowed to sin.

Jas 4:3  Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

Our prayer, our asking will produce results, we will be heard and what we ask for we will receive if we are NOT praying for sin.  And that's in all things. If we are praying for finances and God knows that we will sin if given all that we are asking for, we will not receive it.  If we are praying for others, and praying in such a way to bring glory to ourselves and NOT God, then our prayers will not be received.  We cannot ASK AMISS and expect to be heard, expect to receive.  We must pray that GOD'S WILL not ours is done and this is in ALL things! We can't presume to know better than God. We can't believe that our will is the will that should be indulged in any way.

Truly all glory goes to GOD, all praise to our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!

We must pray all by HIS glory!

Let HIS WILL be done!

We must pray.

Just because we have an inkling God knows all does NOT excuse us from praying, not when our God WANTS us to pray, not when our God tells us we should pray, and pray without ceasing.  Our God wants us to pray so that we are always in contact with HIM, He is always in our awareness and in such a way we are recognizing HIS LOVE for us, we reverencing HIM for His amazing LOVE in creating and redeeming us!

All through HIM, always!

The Word not received... Cost of Discipleship Pt 104

Chapter 18 - The Disciple and Unbelievers

Bonhoeffer-'The Word recognizes opposition when it meets it, and is prepared to suffer it. It is a hard lesson but a true one, that the gospel, unlike an ideology, reckons with impossibilities .

The disciples can even yield their ground and run away, provided they do so with the Word, provided their weakness is the weakness of the Word, and provided they do not leave the Word in the lurch in their flight. They are simply the servants and instruments of the Word; they have no wish to be strong where the Word chooses to be weak. To try and force the Word on the world by hook or crook is to make the Word of God into a mere idea, and the world would be perfectly justified in refusing to listen to an idea for which it had no use.

But at other times, the disciples must stick to their guns and refuse to run away, though of course only when the Word so wills. If they do not realize this weakness of the Word, they have failed to perceived the mystery of the divine humility. The same weak Word which is content to endure the gainsaying of sinners is also the mighty Word of mercy which can convert the hearts of sinners. Its strength is veiled in weakness; if it came in power that would mean that the day of judgment had arrived. The great task of the disciples is to recognize the limits of their commission. But if they use the Word amiss it will certainly turn against them.

What are the disciples to do when they encounter opposition and cannot penetrate the hearts of men? They must admit that in no circumstances do they possess any rights or powers over others, and that they have no direct access to them. The only way to reach others is through him in whose hands they are themselves like all other men.'

My thoughts-

Act 17:5  But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
Act 17:6  And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;
Act 17:7  Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.
Act 17:8  And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.
Act 17:9  And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.
Act 17:10  And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
Act 17:11  These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Act 14:5  And when there was an assault made both of the Gentiles, and also of the Jews with their rulers, to use them despitefully, and to stone them,
Act 14:6  They were ware of it, and fled unto Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and unto the region that lieth round about:
Act 14:7  And there they preached the gospel.

Jesus said- 'Mat 10:23  But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another…'

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Sent away, fled-  these are men of God, appointed to spread the word of the gospel of Jesus Christ. When Bonhoeffer speaks of the Word being weak why is it that I cannot help but shudder at the thought? I understand what He's saying, but something in me just wants to shout that the Word is power unto salvation in Jesus Christ, how can it ever be weak. But this weakness he's speaking of is a knowledgeable weakness of which there can be NO shame. It is just as a child is not expected to have the strength of the adult, you don't feel shame as a child because it is something that is factual. A sick person cannot believe they should be strong when in truth their illness has taken that from them. Should they feel shame over something out of their control?  The weakness of the gospel only means that it is NOT something that can be FORCED, not ever! It is not a power that uses evil in any way to become strong. It is LOVE and the power in the Word comes from Jesus Christ who WILLINGLY laid down His LIFE! Was He weak when He did that?!  Those crucifying Him thought so. They mocked Him, they told Him if He truly were the Son of God to take Himself off the cross.

Luk 23:35  And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.
Luk 23:36  And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar,
Luk 23:37  And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.

They clearly thought HIM weak, in fact the weakest of the weak possessing none of the power of the Father. Was He weak?  NO!

The moral strength, the love strength that it took for our Savior to allow Himself to die, He who was GOD, IMMORTAL; He who could call ten thousand angels to save Him, it took everything He possessed to endure the painful, humiliating, crucifixion.  The strength of His character, of the LOVE that God alone possesses was so intense that to call our Savior weak for enduring the cross would be totally ludicrous.

The Word of God is not weak in the sense men account weakness, but it will NOT be misused, it will NOT be forced upon anyone whatsoever! The love that is in the Word of God cannot be forced on others, and if people associate that with an inferior weakness they are mistaken. When Bonhoeffer says that the disciples can even run away as long as they do so with the WORD, He comprehends that it is NOT weakness to leave the place where the Word of God is rejected. The weakness comes when someone stays and tries to force the Word of God on those who are not inclined to it.

We have to be ever ready -

1Pe_3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear

But we are NOT to force others to listen, we are not to give answers where no one is asking for the reason.  We can try to open the Word of God to others, but never argue it believing if only WE could convince them they'd understand, if only we could talk at them long enough the light would dawn on them. We cannot believe that we must wear people down so that they accept the Word falsely just to get us to shut up.

Truly it is the Holy Spirit who will convict the hearts NEVER US! We will NEVER, EVER convict a single heart of truth.  Only the TRUTH can do that, and Jesus is that TRUTH!

The lyrics to this song impressed me a bit today, and the part where it reads 'The spirit inside is the spirit who brought the Son back to life'  or something along those lines, really brings it home that it is NEVER us doing any good inside of us but the Spirit living in US, it is NOT by our own power we do anything good and we can't fool ourselves and believe it is. Only by the Spirit of Christ living in us do we do anything remotely good, and that good is simply our SUBMISSION to the Spirit, allowing Him to live in us all by the GRACE and MERCY of our GOD! All because our SAVIOR died so we could LIVE in HIM, through HIM- literally! Truly literally, a real living force living within us through HIM.
 
It's exhausting trying to do good and it should be, because we have to realize it's Christ in US that does the good, and we are NOT ever supposed to take any credit for doing any good. There is a great danger in our believing we've achieved some sort of level of goodness, all the goodness is CHRIST in US, all glory and power, all honor and praise, all thanksgiving to our SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!

We must YIELD to Christ, this isn't a suggestion but a fact, a real fact.

Please LORD, help us yield to YOU!

All in You, all through YOU!

God's word must be willingly received - Cost of Discipleship Pt 103

Chapter 18 - The Disciple and Unbelievers

Bonhoeffer- 'But the Christian is not only forbidden to judge other men, even the word of salvation has its limits. He has neither power nor right to force it upon other men in season and out of season. Every attempt to impose the gospel by force, to run after people and proselytize them, to use our own resources to arrange the salvation of other people, is both futile and dangerous. It is futile, because the swine do not recognize the pearls that are cast before them, and dangerous because it profanes the word of forgiveness, by causing those we fain would serve, to sin against that which is holy.  Worse still we shall only meet with the blind rage of hardened and darkened hearts, and that will be useless and harmful. Our easy trafficking with the word of cheap grace simply bores the world to disgust, so that in the end it turns against those who try to force on it what it does not want. Thus a strict limit is placed upon the activities of the disciples, just as in Matt 10 they are told to shake the dust off their feet where the word of peace is refused a healing.

But the word of God in its weakness takes the risk of meeting the scorn of men and being rejected. There are hearts which are hardened and doors which are closed to the Word.'


Mat 10:14  And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.
Mat 10:15  Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

Received.

There is  difference in being received and forcing yourself upon someone.  And that is in any sense of the word. You can tell when people want to listen to you and are readily hearing what you're saying and when they aren't. To go before people and preach at them all the while they are growing more and more angry at you, despising you for forcing your words upon them, is wrong.

Bonhoeffer speaks the truth of it. As disciples of Christ we are to bring the word to others, this is the command of our Savior.  If we don't listen to our Savior we are willfully desiring to harden our own hearts.  Some are not preachers, or evangelists, but all the disciples of Christ live a life that allows that life to be witness to others and should ANY opportunities arise to speak the word of God we are to do so, all through the Holy Spirit. We can speak but only the Holy Spirit convicts the hearts of people, not us. Not the most eloquent speech ever given can convict a single heart of truth. The power lies in Christ through the Holy Spirit, not in us. We are to speak and the Holy Spirit does the rest if a person is seeking truth in Christ. If we don't speak when we are prompted to, then we are accountable for that lost opportunity.  However, we are NOT to force the word of God upon anyone at all. There are religions, there are groups of people who believe they have to force others to hear, as if forcing them to hear alone would convince them of the truth, as if force is something GOOD and not evil.  Our God does not FORCE.  If you've had the word of God forced upon you, as many a child will say of their upbringing, and others who've been caught up in a zealot's rant- it does no good.

Speaking of God and allowing others to hear as they wish to hear, to receive as they are willing to receive is what God wants.

When the disciples are told to shake the dust off their feet after leaving a house or city that does not receive the word of Truth being spoken, they are being told that for a reason.

First, they have to realize that not all will receive the truth of Salvation in Jesus Christ our Lord. Secondly, they have to comprehend that they've done the will of God by offering the gift of truth. Thirdly, they need to fully understand that once they've done all they could to give the truth, if it's rejected they are finished with trying to give it to those people, that city, again.  Does that mean any of those rejecting the truth can't later come to it? No. But, God does not want His disciples to do anything remotely like forcing the word on anyone.

God's word must be WILLINGLY received- always- if it's to be truth to Salvation in Jesus Christ.

Forgive- not judge Cost of Discipleship Pt 102

Chapter 18 - The Disciple and Unbelievers

Bonhoeffer- 'Christian love sees the fellow-man under the cross and therefore sees with clarity. If when we judge others, our real motive was to destroy evil, we should look for evil where it is certain to be found, and that is in our own hearts.

But if we are on the look-out for evil in others, our real motive is obviously to justify ourselves, for we are seeking to escape punishment for our own sins by passing judgment on others, and are assuming by implication that the Word of God applies to ourselves in one way, and to others in another. All this is highly dangerous and misleading. We are trying to claim for ourselves a special privilege which we deny to others. But Christ's disciples have no rights of their own or standards of right and wrong which they could enforce with other people:  they have received nothing but Christ's fellowship. Therefore the disciple is not to sit in judgment over his fellow-man because he would wrongly usurp the jurisdiction.'

My thoughts-

Joh 13:34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

This commandment is new because Jesus Christ, God, became flesh (Mat_1:23) and dwelt among us (Jn 1:14) and up to that happened mankind did not have that privilege. Our Creator came to live with us, among us, and He revealed His love in so many ways it would be impossible for any to write of them all. (Joh 21:25) Jesus says- a new commandment I give you… LOVE OTHERS AS HE HAS LOVED US.

This did NOT do away with the OLD commandments- but ADDED to another in a new dimension due to the circumstances. 

Christ came and revealed His love to us in a way that would have been impossible to reveal except He did as He did.

The previous Ten Commandments were given out of love- and we were told to LOVE GOD and LOVE MANKIND, but we could NOT have been told to LOVE as we have BEEN LOVED, not until our God came in the flesh and revealed His love so perfectly to us.

We are told to LOVE as HE LOVED.

Did Jesus judge and condemn every sinner He came in contact with? Did He teach us to be harsh and judgmental against others? Did He teach us to talk about and tear down each other because of our faults? Did He spend so much time talking about how bad others are that we learned that from Him? No! No! NO!

Yet we find it so easy to pass judgment from the least little thing to the greatest things we are there ready to point our finger at others and talk about their short comings, as if somehow their faults are more awful than our own, they are NOT. 

All sin, no matter the sin is worthy of DEATH. How does lying warrant the same penalty as murder? All sin is contrary to the love of God and if there it no love for God there is death because God is life! All sin is breaking the commandments of our God and in need of forgiveness, repentance.

We cannot pass judgment upon someone without sinning ourselves, it's impossible!

We are NOT commanded to judge, we are commanded to LOVE. We are to leave the judging to GOD.

Whenever we are tempted to pass judgment and focus our thoughts on another person's shortcomings, we'd better be ready to recognize we are at that very moment committing a sin.

When we are told that we are forgiven as we forgive others, God means what He says! When we judge rather than forgive others we are being judged, not forgiven.

Please LORD, help us to be FORGIVERS, and NOT JUDGERS.  Please LORD, help us to FORGIVE so that we may be FORGIVEN, so that we may be YOUR DISCIPLES!

'Judging others makes us blind' Cost of Discipleship Pt 102

Chapter 18 - The Disciple and Unbelievers

Bonhoeffer- 'Judgment  is the forbidden objectification of the other person which destroys single-minded love. I am not forbidden to have my own thoughts about the other person, to realize his shortcomings, but only to the extent that it offers to me an occasion for forgiveness and unconditional love, as Jesus proves to me. If I withhold my judgment I am not indulging in  tout comprendre c'est tout pardonner and confirm both his grace and his judgment.

Judging others makes us blind, whereas love is illuminating. By judging others we blind ourselves to our own evil and to the grace which others are just as entitled to as we are. But in the love of Christ we know all about every conceivable  sin and guilt; for we know how Jesus suffered, and how all men have been forgiven at the foot of the cross.'

My thoughts-

Judgment of another person- that's when we stop loving them, isn't it? We might think it's nothing, Satan wants us to believe it is nothing. Satan wants us to shrug it off and not even concern ourselves with the fact we judge other people. So what, doesn't everyone do it? How else are we supposed to determine if someone s a fool or not? Don't we have to judge others, they're not being good, right? So we have to judge their sinning to know they're sinners, yes?   Do we even hear what we are saying, what we are thinking, the lengths we'll go to in order to justify ourselves?

There are a lot of fools in the world, a lot of stupid people, a lot of sinners...wait… that describes ALL of us! Seriously, it does. You might think you're not stupid and you're no fool, but guess what? I'm sure there are those out in the world who you've met during your life who wouldn't hesitate to call you both. People form opinions all the time about those they meet and they're not always favorable. And even if NO one has ever considered you a fool, or stupid, you are still a sinner and you always will be. You've committed actions that could be judged by others if others choose to judge.

We cannot JUDGE except we comprehend that HOW we judge we are to be judged. If we are harsh in our judgment, that same judgment will be given to us. If we are lenient we have to realize that that with God - our being allowed to be judged at all by Him is lenient. That we've been given a life with the chance to choose Salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord is the greatest of leniencies.

When we judge we are judging based on our own opinions and our opinions mean so very little in the grand scheme of things.

Bonhoeffer says this- ' I am not forbidden to have my own thoughts about the other person, to realize his shortcomings, but only to the extent that it offers to me an occasion for forgiveness and unconditional love, as Jesus proves to me'

We are not forbidden to think about others, and their SHORTCOMINGS- but we MUST think about them in that way with the goal in mind to EXTEND forgiveness, not to gossip, not to tear someone down. We have to truly LOVE them, all of them from the strangest of strangers, to the one you love and know that best. That love isn't a love that will HURT, regardless of the songs and such love is NOT SUPPOSED to hurt, only Satan has made it acceptable for us to say we love and all the while we are loving we are hurting those we love.

Whenever we notice what we believe is someone sinning, or someone caught up in a way of life contrary to God's truth and ways, we need to forgive and ask for forgiveness for them. Will it be extended to them, only God knows. God is the One who extends forgiveness, it is HIS to give. We can ask and know that if at all possible He will forgive all we ask Him to forgive.  We do NOT love as Jesus would have us love if we do NOT ask for forgiveness for others and forgive them ourselves.

Bonhoeffer wrote- 'Judging others makes us blind, whereas love is illuminating. By judging others we blind ourselves to our own evil and to the grace which others are just as entitled to as we are. But in the love of Christ we know all about every conceivable  sin and guilt; for we know how Jesus suffered, and how all men have been forgiven at the foot of the cross.'

It is true, judging makes us blind, deaf, and dumb to the point we can't see that our judging itself is our sinning and we will be judged for that sin if we don't confess and seek forgiveness, repenting of that sin.

We have to WAKE UP and realize that we must truly LOVE as our Savior would have us LOVE if we are truly HIS disciples!

By the grace of our LORD and SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST may we live our lives in HIM, loving others as HE would have us LOVE them, as HE loves US.