Praying for wisdom and discernment is what led to me leave my lifelong denomination when they stopped following God's Word and be baptized into the church of Christ. I valued Biblical authority and the intent to be a New Testament church and discern scripture for yourself, guided by the Spirit. I also wrote a book about the faith journey through Alzheimer's as a caregiver for my wife that led me to the church of Christ. Wisdom to discern scripture included baptism and many issues you write about. The book is Everything is Going to Be All Right: A Faith Journey through Alzheimer's.
I went through the NT and made a list of every list of sins scattered through it. Then I alphabetized the "sins", thus eliminating duplication. Here is the "conclusion of the whole matter":
There are three kinds of sins:
1 - Sins of doing bad things
2 - Sins of not doing good things
3 - Sins of attitude
#3 is not completely black and white. And it is the #2 and #3 that Christians do easily and most often.
Agreed. This is why I really don't like getting into the disputed topics themselves much (alcohol, new heaven/new earth, can we pray to Jesus, etc.). Energy is better spent elsewhere.
John 1:17 says Jesus came to this earth to bring us Grace AND Truth. Both are equally important to be like Jesus. Both are desperately needed by us humans. Grace without Truth creates cheap Grace, which cannot save. Truth without Grace produces legalism, which cannot save. Grace without Truth is dead, just as faith without deeds is dead. Again, both are equally important, but Truth precedes Grace (but THAT is another discussion).
The Churches of Christ are good at Truth, or doctrine, but they are often not very good at the Grace part. Me, I tend to accent the Truth part, because the world (and most churches), accent the Grace and ignore the Truth. But again, Truth without Grace produces legalism, which the Churches of Christ are well known for.
The fact that the Church of Christ (including the International Church of Christ) are good at Truth is wonderful. But the fact that they will not worship God, beyond Truth, is their downfall (and I can understand their hesitation, since the world is in love with Grace and often hates Truth).
THERE IS ONE QUESTION TO ASK A CHURCH OF CHRISTER, WHICH WILL REVEAL THIS SPIRIT: IS GOD OFFENDED, WHEN ONE OF HIS CHILDREN GIVE THEIR VOTE OF SUPPORT TO POLITICIANS, WHO LEGISLATE THE LEGAL MURDER OF UNBORN BABIES? I HAVE ASKED THIS QUESTION MANY TIMES AND GET BLANK STARES, BASICALLY FOLLOWED BY THE THOUGHT THAT THE CHURCH MUST MAINTAIN UNITY AND WILL NOT ENTER POLITICS. THAT IS A TELL. THAT IS A TELL, TO AVOID SUCH A CONGREGATION. JESUS DOES NOT AVOID POLITICS. HE SIMPLY DOES NOT RESPECT POLITICS.
In the Old Testament, God gave specific details and yet the people still sinned. The New Testament teaches the principles the Old Law was teaching. A point that many miss in the COC is spiritual growth and transformation. As you grow and transform, those old habits will pass away and you will become stronger on your faith. This is where grace and wisdom comes into play.
I TOO, AM DONE WITH THE CHURCH OF CHRIST AND THIS INCLUDES THE INTERNATIONAL CHURCH OF CHRIST. THE CHURCH OF CHRIST CALLS THEMSELVES NONDENOMINATIONAL, BUT THEY ARE MOST DEFINITELY A DENOMINATION. THIS DENOMINATION IS GOOD WITH DOCTRINE, BUT STINKS AT SPIRIT.
THERE IS ONE QUESTION TO ASK, WHICH WILL REVEAL THIS SPIRIT: IS GOD OFFENDED, WHEN ONE OF HIS CHILDREN GIVE THEIR VOTE OF SUPPORT TO POLITICIANS, WHO LEGISLATE THE LEGAL MURDER OF UNBORN BABIES? I HAVE ASKED THIS QUESTION MANY TIMES AND GET BLANK STARES, BASICALLY FOLLOWED BY THE THOUGHT THAT THE CHURCH MUST MAINTAIN UNITY AND WILL NOT ENTER POLITICS. THAT IS A TELL. THAT IS A TELL, TO AVOID SUCH A CONGREGATION. JESUS DOES NOT AVOID POLITICS. HE SIMPLY DOES NOT RESPECT POLITICS.
Praying for wisdom and discernment is what led to me leave my lifelong denomination when they stopped following God's Word and be baptized into the church of Christ. I valued Biblical authority and the intent to be a New Testament church and discern scripture for yourself, guided by the Spirit. I also wrote a book about the faith journey through Alzheimer's as a caregiver for my wife that led me to the church of Christ. Wisdom to discern scripture included baptism and many issues you write about. The book is Everything is Going to Be All Right: A Faith Journey through Alzheimer's.
I went through the NT and made a list of every list of sins scattered through it. Then I alphabetized the "sins", thus eliminating duplication. Here is the "conclusion of the whole matter":
There are three kinds of sins:
1 - Sins of doing bad things
2 - Sins of not doing good things
3 - Sins of attitude
#3 is not completely black and white. And it is the #2 and #3 that Christians do easily and most often.
Interesting framing of it. That's helpful.
Everyone's mind is made up is “hard facts” and what prevents me from publishing any work for the church, “pearls and swine and all that.”
Agreed. This is why I really don't like getting into the disputed topics themselves much (alcohol, new heaven/new earth, can we pray to Jesus, etc.). Energy is better spent elsewhere.
One of the flaws of our stream of the Restoration Movement is acceptance of reason/truth while ignoring the spiritual side.
The subjectivity of it makes us reeeeally nervous
John 1:17 says Jesus came to this earth to bring us Grace AND Truth. Both are equally important to be like Jesus. Both are desperately needed by us humans. Grace without Truth creates cheap Grace, which cannot save. Truth without Grace produces legalism, which cannot save. Grace without Truth is dead, just as faith without deeds is dead. Again, both are equally important, but Truth precedes Grace (but THAT is another discussion).
The Churches of Christ are good at Truth, or doctrine, but they are often not very good at the Grace part. Me, I tend to accent the Truth part, because the world (and most churches), accent the Grace and ignore the Truth. But again, Truth without Grace produces legalism, which the Churches of Christ are well known for.
The fact that the Church of Christ (including the International Church of Christ) are good at Truth is wonderful. But the fact that they will not worship God, beyond Truth, is their downfall (and I can understand their hesitation, since the world is in love with Grace and often hates Truth).
THERE IS ONE QUESTION TO ASK A CHURCH OF CHRISTER, WHICH WILL REVEAL THIS SPIRIT: IS GOD OFFENDED, WHEN ONE OF HIS CHILDREN GIVE THEIR VOTE OF SUPPORT TO POLITICIANS, WHO LEGISLATE THE LEGAL MURDER OF UNBORN BABIES? I HAVE ASKED THIS QUESTION MANY TIMES AND GET BLANK STARES, BASICALLY FOLLOWED BY THE THOUGHT THAT THE CHURCH MUST MAINTAIN UNITY AND WILL NOT ENTER POLITICS. THAT IS A TELL. THAT IS A TELL, TO AVOID SUCH A CONGREGATION. JESUS DOES NOT AVOID POLITICS. HE SIMPLY DOES NOT RESPECT POLITICS.
Wisdom 👆
Great points.
In the Old Testament, God gave specific details and yet the people still sinned. The New Testament teaches the principles the Old Law was teaching. A point that many miss in the COC is spiritual growth and transformation. As you grow and transform, those old habits will pass away and you will become stronger on your faith. This is where grace and wisdom comes into play.
as you stated, COC loves their checklist.
I TOO, AM DONE WITH THE CHURCH OF CHRIST AND THIS INCLUDES THE INTERNATIONAL CHURCH OF CHRIST. THE CHURCH OF CHRIST CALLS THEMSELVES NONDENOMINATIONAL, BUT THEY ARE MOST DEFINITELY A DENOMINATION. THIS DENOMINATION IS GOOD WITH DOCTRINE, BUT STINKS AT SPIRIT.
THERE IS ONE QUESTION TO ASK, WHICH WILL REVEAL THIS SPIRIT: IS GOD OFFENDED, WHEN ONE OF HIS CHILDREN GIVE THEIR VOTE OF SUPPORT TO POLITICIANS, WHO LEGISLATE THE LEGAL MURDER OF UNBORN BABIES? I HAVE ASKED THIS QUESTION MANY TIMES AND GET BLANK STARES, BASICALLY FOLLOWED BY THE THOUGHT THAT THE CHURCH MUST MAINTAIN UNITY AND WILL NOT ENTER POLITICS. THAT IS A TELL. THAT IS A TELL, TO AVOID SUCH A CONGREGATION. JESUS DOES NOT AVOID POLITICS. HE SIMPLY DOES NOT RESPECT POLITICS.