Results 1 - 2 of 2
|
|
|||||
Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | The gates of hell... | James 4:1 | flinkywood | 135404 | ||
To all: A Protestant pastor I know once described the Catholic Church as "the devil's perfect masterpiece." I overheard another pastor of a large church describe Catholicism as "a garment of Bayblon". The current ugliness in this forum between Dalcent and Doctrinesograce is sickening. Could someone please put it in context? Where does it come from? Is it historical? Doctrinal? What is its essence, and what's it doing in the body of Christ? | ||||||
2 | The gates of hell... | James 4:1 | Aixen7z4 | 135405 | ||
I do not know what “the current ugliness” is, and I have no desire to look into it. Is this a good vantage point then, from which to answer the question? I hope so. Although I have not seen that “current ugliness”, I think I have seen ugliness among Christians often enough that I can make a suggestion. If I am wrong, then please ignore these comments. There are generally three sources of these problems, though I would be glad to agree with anyone who says they are really one. The first is the flesh, and we could talk at length about that. But consider this. James says that the flesh gives rise to wars and fightings (James 4). There are fightings within the individual, between the flesh and the Spirit, and too often the flesh wins out. Paul says that within our flesh there dwells no good thing (Romans 7) and we need to mortify the deeds of the flesh and walk in the spirit. The unfortunate things is that some of us have come to equate unkindness with spirituality and aggressiveness with zeal. The second source is the world. James says that friendship with the world is enmity against God. John says the same thing (1 John 2). Jesus talks about this native incompatibility with the world (John 15). The world teaches us many things, including the idea of surviving by fighting, and we have to be careful not to use such methods in doing the work of God. We suppose that we can be nasty and aggressive and the other man will back down, or quit, and we will have won. But ye have not so learned Christ. The third source is the devil. We need not talk at length about him, but we need to recognize him, because he is the one behind the other two. Satan is the ruler of this world system, and he knows how to exploit the weakness in our flesh(ly nature). Most of the chances we have to be ugly come when we talk to one another. James talks about the way we use our tongue. I will suggest that we can transpose that in these days and refer to the way we use our keyboards. The fingers are an unruly bunch. And the fingers are a fire, a world of iniquity: so are the fingers among our members, that they defile the whole body, and set on fire the course of nature; and they are set on fire of hell. OK. So I have no idea what I am talking about. I say again that I do not know what the current ugliness is. I have no idea why the catholic church is mentioned, and I do not know what doctrine is involved and I do not know who is right or wrong. And yet, I do believe that the fates of hell do have a part in it. What’s it doing in the body of Christ? I think Jesus said the gates of hell would attempt to prevail against it. We are more than conquerors and we can win. But first, we must recognize the enemy. And brothers and sisters, though I have mentioned the flesh among the three, I say it is not us. Therefore, Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. |
||||||
Up | Down | |||
Questions and/or Subjects for James 4:1 | Author | ||
|
flinkywood | ||
|
Aixen7z4 | ||
|
ursamajor | ||
|
dallas_cowboy10 |