(no subject)
As Christians we have expectations by which we must live. Though once recieved our salvation is eternally assured there is a change that occurs in our life that ins't attributable to any less than God.
As Christians we are the body and bride of Christ. We are stewards of He Who Died adn Rose Again. We have partaken of the flesh and blood of Christ, we will be found guiltless at the time of judgment. What then of division occuring within the church?
How are we to resolve conflicts with our brethren? Does the LORD not say "23Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift." (Matt. 5). Why don't we realize that all aspects of our lives will either draw us near to God or pull us further away, and that knowing this He commands us to deal will strife we hold agaisnt another before we come before Him that we may focus on Him completely and with clear consience as well?
Would Jesus rather we resolve problems within the church as we should know His will, or should we place judgement in the hands of carnal man? I tell you that it is our responsibility to look after ourselves as God has said.
1 Corinthians 6
1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?
2Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
3Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?
4If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge?
5I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren?
6But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers!
7Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated?
8No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren!
We all shall sin again but the grace of God which is both necessary and sufficient for the propriation of those sins has called us to collectivly be His bride.
1 Corinthians 12
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
13For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into[3] one Spirit.
14For in fact the body is not one member but many
.....
26And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
Can we move forward if it is not together? Can we remain set against one another in hatred and ill-will?
1 John 2
9He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. 10He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
What representation to we give of the LORD as we flouder about as fish out of water as we deal with conflict in the body outside of the prescribed remedies of God. As men under the curse we experience sickness and injury which are either resolved from inside the body or with the aid of another. For small matters one ought to heal itself according to the knowledge of how the afflicted members of the body are ailing and how they might be remedied. For the more serious matters we seek help, but do we want the help of the world which is a surgeon in Mexico who uses the same kinfe to operate on people as he uses to cut his dinner, or do we look to a Doctor with an utterly intimate unserstading of our entire being?
To my brothers and sisters I say seek the LORD in all matters that in all things we may be growing closer to Him. Live each day with the purpose of exemplifying His love not because God needs good PR, but because we have Someone who is better than ourselves entirely. Because Someone who we daily betray does not hold us to the death penalty for our inractions against Their just law, but rather has paid the price for us.
Blessed be God and he who seeks after Him, blessed be he who walks in His ways.
As Christians we are the body and bride of Christ. We are stewards of He Who Died adn Rose Again. We have partaken of the flesh and blood of Christ, we will be found guiltless at the time of judgment. What then of division occuring within the church?
How are we to resolve conflicts with our brethren? Does the LORD not say "23Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift." (Matt. 5). Why don't we realize that all aspects of our lives will either draw us near to God or pull us further away, and that knowing this He commands us to deal will strife we hold agaisnt another before we come before Him that we may focus on Him completely and with clear consience as well?
Would Jesus rather we resolve problems within the church as we should know His will, or should we place judgement in the hands of carnal man? I tell you that it is our responsibility to look after ourselves as God has said.
1 Corinthians 6
1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?
2Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
3Do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more, things that pertain to this life?
4If then you have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge?
5I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to judge between his brethren?
6But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers!
7Now therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated?
8No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren!
We all shall sin again but the grace of God which is both necessary and sufficient for the propriation of those sins has called us to collectivly be His bride.
1 Corinthians 12
12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
13For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free--and have all been made to drink into[3] one Spirit.
14For in fact the body is not one member but many
.....
26And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it.
Can we move forward if it is not together? Can we remain set against one another in hatred and ill-will?
1 John 2
9He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. 10He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
What representation to we give of the LORD as we flouder about as fish out of water as we deal with conflict in the body outside of the prescribed remedies of God. As men under the curse we experience sickness and injury which are either resolved from inside the body or with the aid of another. For small matters one ought to heal itself according to the knowledge of how the afflicted members of the body are ailing and how they might be remedied. For the more serious matters we seek help, but do we want the help of the world which is a surgeon in Mexico who uses the same kinfe to operate on people as he uses to cut his dinner, or do we look to a Doctor with an utterly intimate unserstading of our entire being?
To my brothers and sisters I say seek the LORD in all matters that in all things we may be growing closer to Him. Live each day with the purpose of exemplifying His love not because God needs good PR, but because we have Someone who is better than ourselves entirely. Because Someone who we daily betray does not hold us to the death penalty for our inractions against Their just law, but rather has paid the price for us.
Blessed be God and he who seeks after Him, blessed be he who walks in His ways.