Mk 2:7 - Isn't it interesting how the Pharisees (religious leaders) can be so completely right, and yet so completely wrong. "but God alone" see Ja 2:19. Lk 7:43 - he was right, but he was wrong. This is the problem with having a right doctrine and a wrong application. If I believe that "God so loved the world," then I have to act on that belief. If I don't act on it, I don't believe it. Ja 2 - if you really believe it, you're living it. If you're not living it, you don't believe it. Doctrinal statements are worthless without application. Acknowledgement doesn't count - see the story of the rich young ruler. Jo 8 - they were right and wrong. Beware of being right and being wrong. That's the most dangerous place you can end up as a believer, cause knowing you're right, you'll never know that you're wrong. Beware of being convinced of a truth, without being convicted by the truth. Beware of being so certain and yet being totally unaffected by a truth. It has mislead probably more believers thru history that any other single thing. As we strive for accuracy and clarity and we want to know that we are doctrinally right - then in our doctrinal rightness we defy everthing that's a part of the mercy of God and the grace of God and the love of God and the work of Jesus Christ on the cross...and what do we do? - we take our doctrinal rightness and walk aroud and bash everybody in the head with it. Why don't some believers go to church? - they've been hurt, wounded...why? - cause somebody was right and somebody was so right that they took their rightness and shoved it right down smebody's throat and destroyed them. Paul said, "destroy not the work of Christ for the sake of your meat or drink"... or your doctrinal correctness. What good is your doctrinal correctness if it's used in a brutal fashion? Over and over again Jesus spoke to the Pharisees - "go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice." Stop trying to impose your rituals and legalistic standards on these poor sinful people, He was saying, and show them a little bit of compassion. Show them a little bit of the grace that you know about, but don't know how to live. That's what believers need to come back to. We know the people like in Jo 8, like the woman at the well and what do we do? - We're like the disciples, who every time they found themselves in a situation where they were helpless and powerless - what did they do? Again and again they got involved in a theological debate. Jo 9:2 - "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" It's as if they're saying "We can't do anything to help him and could care less if he ever sees again, but y'know - it's a good theological question...let's discuss it as we walk along the road." Jesus said - no, you've got it all wrong...this is not a time to point a finger, to lay fault. How are you going to help this man by saying " oh...well...we've concluded, it's not really your fault...it's your parents fault...do you feel better? What we need to do is enter into the suffering. Isn't that what Christ did? He entered into our affliction, our frailty, our weakness. He made Himself of no reputation - which comes back to a very important principle: carrying the cross (Mt 16:24), instead of putting it on a wall. We wanna beautify it. But the more we beautify it, the more we deprive it of its power. Jesus Christ shows us how to take up the cross - surrender daily.

-- (bygrace@thru.faith), August 24, 2000

Answers

DEAR BRO/SIS=GRACE, this is your best-one-yet!!

*JESUS SAVES IS THE MESSAGE*

telling poor lost souls they're rotten-dirty-sinners--is like telling a leopard he has=spots!!

-- al-d. (dogs@zianet.com), August 24, 2000.

p.s WE'RE ALL imperfect--thats why we need a SAVIOR!! many-many-christians--have been=taught-wrong!!

WE need to re-focus--sin has a cure!!----so focus on the cure=JESUS!!

what man cannot do-in his own strenth--GOD has done in/by=CHRIST!!

-- al-d. (dogs@zianet.com), August 24, 2000.

So what's wrong with having spots, Al?

-- (smarty@wannabe.one), August 24, 2000.

THE BLOOD OF CHRIST[GOD]--REMOVES *ALL*--STAINS!!! NA NA NA NA NA NA.

-- al-d. (dogs@zianet.com), August 24, 2000.

11)-THOU SHALT NOT POST UNFORMATTED

Mk 2:7 - Isn't it interesting how the Pharisees (religious leaders) can be so completely right, and yet so completely wrong? "But God alone" see Ja 2:19. Lk 7:43 - he was right, but he was wrong. This is the problem with having a right doctrine and a wrong application. If I believe that "God so loved the world," then I have to act on that belief. If I don't act on it, I don't believe it. Ja 2 - if you really believe it, you're living it. If you're not living it, you don't believe it. Doctrinal statements are worthless without application.

Acknowledgement doesn't count - see the story of the rich young ruler. Jo 8 - they were right and wrong. Beware of being right and being wrong. That's the most dangerous place you can end up as a believer, cause knowing you're right, you'll never know that you're wrong. Beware of being convinced of a truth, without being convicted by the truth. Beware of being so certain and yet being totally unaffected by a truth. It has mislead probably more believers thru history that any other single thing.

As we strive for accuracy and clarity and we want to know that we are doctrinally right - then in our doctrinal rightness we defy everthing that's a part of the mercy of God and the grace of God and the love of God and the work of Jesus Christ on the cross...and what do we do? - we take our doctrinal rightness and walk aroud and bash everybody in the head with it.

Why don't some believers go to church? - they've been hurt, wounded...why? - cause somebody was right and somebody was so right that they took their rightness and shoved it right down somebody's throat and destroyed them. Paul said, "destroy not the work of Christ for the sake of your meat or drink"... or your doctrinal correctness. What good is your doctrinal correctness if it's used in a brutal fashion?

Over and over again Jesus spoke to the Pharisees - "go and learn what this means: I desire mercy, not sacrifice." Stop trying to impose your rituals and legalistic standards on these poor sinful people, He was saying to show them a little bit of compassion. Show them a little bit of the grace that you know about, but don't know how to live.

That's what believers need to come back to. We know the people like in Jo 8, like the woman at the well and what do we do? - We're like the disciples, who every time they found themselves in a situation where they were helpless and powerless - what did they do? Again and again they got involved in a theological debate. Jo 9:2 - "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" It's as if they're saying "We can't do anything to help him and could care less if he ever sees again, but y'know - it's a good theological question...let's discuss it as we walk along the road." Jesus said - no, you've got it all wrong...this is not a time to point a finger, to lay fault. How are you going to help this man by saying " oh...well...we've concluded, it's not really your fault...it's your parents fault...do you feel better?

What we need to do is enter into the suffering. Isn't that what Christ did? He entered into our affliction, our frailty, our weakness. He made Himself of no reputation - which comes back to a very important principle: carrying the cross (Mt 16:24), instead of putting it on a wall. We wanna beautify it. But the more we beautify it, the more we deprive it of its power. Jesus Christ shows us how to take up the cross - surrender daily.

-- (bygrace@thru.faith), August 24, 2000

-- (Moses@Mt.Sinai), August 25, 2000.

Thank you Moishe for making this a bit more readable. Sill, I don't get it or buy it. Look at the first line of the last paragraph: "What we need to do is enter into the suffering". What good does that do for anyone? Let's work to eliminate suffering, not join in it just to identify with the suffers.

-- Lars (lars@indy.net), August 25, 2000.