[Thankful Jane]

Originally Posted by Peter Debelak

... What I am interested in, in part, is what is was that attracted folks in the first place. There are varied answers to that question, but its answer is important. Rephrased, my question to LC members could be: "What was the foundation of your being in the LC." I do think this is an analogous inquiry to the one you are pursuing.

Originally Posted by Peter Debelak

....What are your immediate impressions of this rubric? The premise of the rubric is that, concerning idols, there are different standards of accountability, based on personal knowledge and conscience. If this seems like a workable rubric, onto what do you think these four categories should map in the LC? What's the "idol" and what's "food sacrificed to idols" etc...?

Thoughts?

Peter

Peter,

I realize your are asking Matt your question, so I hope you don’t mind if I answer also.

First, let me say what attracted me in the beginning: For me it was being with other people who felt like I did about Jesus and were willing to talk about Him. I grew up in a time (at least in my environment) when people said their relationship to God was private and personal and they didn’t talk about it. My mother read her Bible behind closed doors (at least that is what she said she was doing) and never talked to us about it or God. God was very real to me from age 11 onward, and I was starved (though I didn’t know this) to hear from anyone else who felt like I did about Him. So, when my new husband and I entered George W.’s house in Denton, Texas for our first meeting, I was attracted. (I was also extremely uncomfortable because praying out loud, etc. was awkward and embarrassing for me.)

That said, I was not attracted by the ground of locality teachings or and idea of one man on the earth who was God’s deputy authority with lots of other little deputy authorities under him. These things ended up coming with the turf later. I readily embraced the ground of locality teaching because it was evident that something was wrong with organized religion. Having oneness sounded good. I had no idea what the Bible taught about oneness, so I was like a sponge (for another man’s teaching).

As to all your various questions related to accountability, here’s my thought. I don't think the Bible defines many varying levels of accountability with regard to idolatry. It just says flee it. I don't think we each will be judged by categories of idolatry. When it comes to judgment, I think there will be as many “categories” related to judgment as there are people. God will judge each one of us in our own category, based on what He knows about us, our environment, upbringing, choices, etc. His judgment will be fair to the uttermost.


It is good to discuss the idolatrous system just to understand where we went wrong and be protected from more of the same in the future, however, I don’t think we have to study it so we can determine categories of accountability. I believe our discussion is to help us become convicted that we need to flee idolatry in whatever form it is, to realize we are not immune, and to run to Him. (I can guarantee you when someone asks Him to expose his/her particular sins with regard to idolatry, that prayer will get answered.)

As believers, I think a question we can each ask ourselves is, “What is my relationship with Him like now? Did I have a relationship with Him at one time that I left?” If I did, then I need to repent and return to Him only. “Did I never have a relationship with Him other than initial salvation and have always followed others thinking that was God?” If so, then I need to repent for looking to others in this way and start learning to look to Him. Time is short. This is a time for bowing our knees and hearing Him.

2Ch 7:13-16 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attentive unto the prayer that is made in this place.

For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there forever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.

Today, we have been offered a new covenant relationship with Him where we each know Him from the little to the great! That is huge, huge, huge! When we each repent for our own sins and get into right relationship with God and one another, He will come and heal our land. This isn’t a promise to a small subset of God’s people, but to the whole family of God.

Heb 2:1 -13 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.

For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward;

How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

....

Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honor, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:

Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren,

Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.

And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.

Thankful Jane