Are we truly in the unity of faith here?

[Riverwalker]

Believers how is it we fall so easily into pride and dissention?  How are we so easily duped into devolving into useless doctrinal squabbles by the enemy of man and God?

Why are we becoming useless, arguing over petty doctrines, instead of lifting up and proclaiming Christ. We are so proud, think we know so much, think we know more than others, and bang away on our brass cymbals and tooting our own horns, and in the cacophony the reason, the purpose of what we are supposed to be doing gets lost.

Should our purpose be to come together in the unity of the faith that God provides, or champion our pet theologies, taking offense at people who disagree with us.

I see the heart of those who would see this all go away. I see the posts and the threads that go on endlessly clashing back and forth and accomplishing nothing.

How is that we are so easily distracted...carried about by winds of doctrine, so many sounding brass and clanging cymbals that the message is lost in the cacophony.

Shall we instead seek to find the unity

Ephesians 4: 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

The New Man

17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as [f]the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Do Not Grieve the Spirit

25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. 26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give [g]place to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

[Starise]

I agree with everything you're saying there @Riverwalker. In posing the question I think we all know the answer. Probably most of us have been guilty at one time or another of stepping a bit outside the lines when it comes to peaceful exchange.

I certainly believe it's something we could all be more aware of. One overly assertive unfounded insensitive pompous comment usually generates another one from somewhere else and pretty soon we have a small fire of contention burning. At that point people are either sitting on the sidelines eating popcorn watching the fights waiting for a moderator or they are in there throwing the punches.

 Like a marriage I think unity is one of those things that needs to be worked at and kept in check. It doesn't just naturally happen. It takes a conscious effort to reconsider how our type might be interpreted before we post it. Sometimes in reading some of the things I type this is like the pot calling the kettle black. I'm slowly learning though.

Points can be made and disagreed with if we feel this is necessary in ways that are conductive to unity. There is no rule saying points can't be re enforced in other ways. IOW every view doesn't have to be seen as a potential target for disagreement, every post seen as something to closely scrutinize so we can point out what we think the errors are. Like any discussion people add what they think to it which is what makes it most like a group of believers just sitting around in a  circle discussing a subject.

Do we see exchange as a discussion or more like an online pulpit? I think I see it more as a discussion personally. I don't feel as if my calling in life is to set everyone straight. We can all reason with minds of our own. I have my views which may change over time as the Lord leads or maybe not. We all do. I would hope the final goal is to fellowship and find the answers or learn what the Bible says as close as we are all capable of doing.

Sometimes it seems like things are idling along nicely and someone drops in seemingly from Mars as to their world view or their point of reference. So different than myself that I might decide to simply let someone else with more expertise in that subject address it. Maybe I'll learn by reading it and not commenting. Sometimes I sense a person trying to steer something in directions that I believe need further consideration. Such alternate opinions are not uncommon here. No two people will ever agree on everything all the time. If there were two of me one of us would probably disagree with the other me sometimes. 

Hoping for unending perpetual unity on a site with such varying backgrounds or maybe even the occasional unbeliever is probably asking too much...but then, maybe I'm a pessimist.

[Guest clancy]

The amount of times I have tried to post, but, NO, it felt wrong, I have asked the Holy Spirit to guide me with words, I want to post, but I can’t, I keep having to delete my posts, .maybe I have submitted to Him in that area, when we start getting on our high horse, it all goes downhill, yes, I believe pride has a lot to do with it, but, we are all a work in progress aren’t we? ?

 

I cant believe i actually walk away from an argument nowadays, that was a very long time coming!.....that to me, is the work of the Holy Spirit, who is changing me to be more like Jesus!!..?

Edited June 4, 2021 by clancy

[Starise]

1 minute ago, clancy said:

The amount of times I have tried to post, but, NO, it felt wrong, I have asked the Holy Spirit to guide me with words, I want to post, but I can’t, I keep having to delete my posts, .maybe I have submitted to Him in that area, when we start getting on our high horse, it all goes downhill, yes, I believe pride has a lot to do with it, but, we are all a work in progress aren’t we? ?

You might not believe this. I erase a fair amount of posts as well. I am always glad I did. Sometimes the Lord sends a distraction in the middle of a post and when I come back to it I decide to delete it. I am in a pretty boring job right now with no people around here and Worthy has ended up being my part time hopefully constructive distraction. I haven't quite decided if it's a good thing or a bad thing since I should probably be more occupied but if I didn't do something I would go brain dead. I think I need some kind of a diversion to stay sane. I see Worthy as educational and a great place to learn, exchange ideas and fellowship.

[Guest clancy]

4 minutes ago, Starise said:

You might not believe this. I erase a fair amount of posts as well. I am always glad I did. Sometimes the Lord sends a distraction in the middle of a post and when I come back to it I decide to delete it. I am in a pretty boring job right now with no people around here and Worthy has ended up being my part time hopefully constructive distraction. I haven't quite decided if it's a good thing or a bad thing since I should probably be more occupied but if I didn't do something I would go brain dead. I think I need some kind of a diversion to stay sane. I see Worthy as educational and a great place to learn, exchange ideas and fellowship.

You are a popular poster on here,I can see why, I see the Holy Spirit at work in you, He talks to me through you quite a lot, you have such a way of getting your point across, without being rude!...??

[missmuffet]

2 hours ago, Riverwalker said:

Believers how is it we fall so easily into pride and dissention?  How are we so easily duped into devolving into useless doctrinal squabbles by the enemy of man and God?

Why are we becoming useless, arguing over petty doctrines, instead of lifting up and proclaiming Christ. We are so proud, think we know so much, think we know more than others, and bang away on our brass cymbals and tooting our own horns, and in the cacophony the reason, the purpose of what we are supposed to be doing gets lost.

Should our purpose be to come together in the unity of the faith that God provides, or champion our pet theologies, taking offense at people who disagree with us.

I see the heart of those who would see this all go away. I see the posts and the threads that go on endlessly clashing back and forth and accomplishing nothing.

How is that we are so easily distracted...carried about by winds of doctrine, so many sounding brass and clanging cymbals that the message is lost in the cacophony.

Shall we instead seek to find the unity

Ephesians 4: 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

The New Man

17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as [f]the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.

20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.

Do Not Grieve the Spirit

25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another. 26 “Be angry, and do not sin”: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, 27 nor give [g]place to the devil. 28 Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. 29 Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

We are in the end times this is what we are seeing in our world.

2 Timothy 3:1-5

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

 

[Riverwalker]

27 minutes ago, clancy said:

The amount of times I have tried to post, but, NO, it felt wrong, I have asked the Holy Spirit to guide me with words, I want to post, but I can’t, I keep having to delete my posts, .maybe I have submitted to Him in that area, when we start getting on our high horse, it all goes downhill, yes, I believe pride has a lot to do with it, but, we are all a work in progress aren’t we? ?

 

I cant believe i actually walk away from an argument nowadays, that was a very long time coming!.....that to me, is the work of the Holy Spirit, who is changing me to be more like Jesus!!..?

Yeah...I keep hearing Just walk away

[Starise]

6 minutes ago, clancy said:

You are a popular poster on here,I can see why, I see the Holy Spirit at work in you, He talks to me through you quite a lot, you have such a way of getting your point across, without being rude!...??

Well thanks clancy I appreciate that comment. I see others here I feel the same way about and I have enjoyed your posts. I tend to make myself  ̶o̶v̶e̶r̶l̶y̶ ̶a̶v̶a̶i̶l̶a̶b̶l̶e̶ a real nuisance sometimes or at least I feel that way like I'm bombarding the site sometimes. I tend to be a writer. I guess I should put it to good use like write a book or something.

I have been on sites where I have seen "that guy", you know...the guy without a life who lives on a forum. You see him logged in 3 in the morning, all hours of the day. Now I am becoming that guy lol. 

I really DO appreciate your comments and it means a lot that maybe I helped in some small way through the Lord using me here and there.

[Heleadethme]

The kingdom is not about talk but about power, but on forums we are very limited...all we can do really is talk, and that only in writing.  God can still use it though...I know I've learned a lot, as well as stayed engaged, been encouraged, searched the scrips a lot, and my discernment has grown leaps and bounds due to my involvement on forums, which wouldn't have happened in churches because in churches there are other kinds of limitations.  I find there is generally a lot more freedom for people to speak their mind on forums than in churches....personally I'd rather see freedom with friction than no freedom without friction.

[Riverwalker]

2 minutes ago, Starise said:

Well thanks clancy I appreciate that comment. I see others here I feel the same way about and I have enjoyed your posts. I tend to make myself  ̶o̶v̶e̶r̶l̶y̶ ̶a̶v̶a̶i̶l̶a̶b̶l̶e̶ a real nuisance sometimes or at least I feel that way like I'm bombarding the site sometimes. I tend to be a writer. I guess I should put it to good use like write a book or something.

I have been on sites where I have seen "that guy", you know...the guy without a life who lives on a forum. You see him logged in 3 in the morning, all hours of the day. Now I am becoming that guy lol. 

I really DO appreciate your comments and it means a lot that maybe I helped in some small way through the Lord using me here and there.

Brother you are a paragon of patience and virtue and my goal post....I am trying to attain