Defending the cross!

[gypc]

Gal 1:6I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel

[Floatingaxe]

Amen and amen!

[systemstrike_7]

This is very true. Good post. But it is still important to ask questions. And help from peers is always encouraged.

[Scarletprayers]

We are also told not to judge somebody else's walk. But, everybody has to prove their point is right, thats more important than grace and love between believers.

Romans 14:10-13

You, then why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. It is written: As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before me, every tongue will confess to God. So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.

[Fiosh]

2 thoughts come to mind after reading your post, gypc:

1. We are called to take the Gospel to the world, not keep it amongst ourselves.

Often, when atheists or agnostics come here and challenge the Christians, they are "blasted" for their doubts. Why can't we respond in love?

Even Thomas doubted. When he said, "Unless I place my finger in the mark of the nails...I will not believe-----

How did Jesus respond?

Did He attack Thomas and threaten him with eternal damnation?

No. He responded in love, "Put your finger here, and see my hands....do not be faithless, but believing".

We could all learn much from this passage.

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2. Debate and discussion of Scripture and doctrines is a healthy way to exercise our faith and strengthen our belief. It helps us to grow in understanding of why we believe what we believe.

Sadly, all too often here at WB, healthy passionate debates deteriorate into sarcastic, unloving arguments. Why is it so hard for us to disagree without insulting each other? Why can we not debate while maintaining the love of Christ for each other?

Personally, I've walked away from threads because I didn't want to participate in that kind of discussion.

Not that I'm innocent of any of this. I've dished it out with the best of 'em, and had to apologize later.

I guess it's just me, but lately I don't have the stomach for all the nastiness.

Peace,

Fiosh

[gypc]

I guess it's just me, but lately I don't have the stomach for all the nastiness.

Peace,

Fiosh

I don't like it either. When we discuss the rapture, women preachers or long hair threads, I like to look and weigh options but when the cross of Christ is being threatened I stand up straight and defend it strong. And that's really out of love. If I see that my fellow brothers and sisters might be going the way of false doctrine that empties the cross of it's power, I'm gonna blow a trumpet.

Yes, I think discussion is healthy.........that's one of the reasons I'm here but we must stand for the cross............and I am not judging anyones motive or soul. Most Mormans I have met had very good motives but that don't make them right. The christian jews that were trying to get gentiles to follow the law probably had good motives but Paul rebuked them anyway because it would hurt the cause of Christ and damn many souls.

[gypc]

We are also told not to judge somebody else's walk. But, everybody has to prove their point is right, thats more important than grace and love between believers.

Romans 14:10-13

You, then why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. It is written: As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before me, every tongue will confess to God. So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.

Romans 14:1Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. 4Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

5One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. 8If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

9For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. 10You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. 11It is written:

" 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord,

'every knee will bow before me;

every tongue will confess to God.' " 12So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

13Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. 14As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. 15If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. 16Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. 17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.

19Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.

22So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

This scripture in it's context is talking about one mans liberty and one who is weak..the disputable matters he is talking about are food, drinks and days of the week...... This is not talking about not defending the cross.

Really I'm not trying to prove anything but just simply defending the cross.

[gypc]

This post is in response to a post that was delelted......sorry!

edited:

I don't want to skin anyone...............I'm trying to see how this thread looks unmerciful. To me it's showing the most mercy and love to all by defending the cross. If someone new to the Lord comes on here, we who have been with the Lord for years should always lead to the cross as the power of God. When threads and post are written that could take away or add to the cross, we should warn out of love not to do it but at the same time understanding that discussions about such things is good and brings to the surface the message of the cross.

I'm sorry to all if it appears like I'm trying to bash someone........really I'm not and I don't have anything against anyone on here. I'm not trying to be some special annoited one, just a lover of the Lord who loves the saints.!!!

And, I might add..........I love them ribs to

[Fiosh]

Hi gypc,

My comments were not directed at you or this thread. It was a general comentary on what I see here at WB on a regular basis. Your topic just provided a forum for expressing what I've felt a need to say for several weeks now.

And please don't think that I am implying in any way that we should not challenge and confront those who do not accept Truth. We absolutely should. And I realize that what I believe is sometimes different from what someone else holds dear.

Still, one must always act from a motivation of love, and a desire to move the other person closer to God.

Reading through the threads, it is easy to see when a poster (myself included) is acting out of sincere love, and when they are caught in the fray and trying to best the others in the contest.

I'm not sure if I'm expressing myself clearly, I'm not a morning person.

Does that make any sense?

Peace,

Fiosh

[gypc]

I'm not sure if I'm expressing myself clearly, I'm not a morning person. blush.gif

Does that make any sense?

I digg ya and appriciate ya. My last post was in response to another post that I quoted but was deleted by the poster.