Quote:
Originally Posted by aron
Titus 1:16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and to every good work reprobate.
Witness Lee professed to know God, but in works he and his movement denied the Christ who bought them. I met with the FTTA trainees and I heard the trainer tell us, "Don't waste your time" with those who cannot repay you in this age. Instead, we were told, "Build up the Body by recruiting good material."
The only acceptable "good work" in the Local Church was to promote the ministry of Witness Lee. That was building the Body, so-called. Any other kind of work was rejected.
So if you step back and look at it, it is just words turning back upon words. Words being merchandized, repeated, held up on the air and placed on coffee mugs. Zero good works, or pretty close to zero. If you were led to good works, you did it quietly, on the side, so the program zealots didn't take notice.
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Works are quite important because they serve as a sort of evidence that someone really knows God. It’s not that “proving oneself” is the purpose of works, but if someone claims to be a Christian and work for God, they need to have something to show for it. Groups like the LC who disparage works have every reason to do so. It gives them a free pass to do what they want (within the group).
As I noted in my last post, Jesus plainly told the Jews that they were free to evaluate him by his works. He said: ”
If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me.” Jesus didn’t except them to blindly accept him being the Son of God. I am reminded of when Jesus told the paralytic that his sins were forgiven. The scribes and Pharisees accused Jesus of blasphemy. Jesus’ response was to ask them the question “
For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk’?” Of course, Jesus then healed the paralytic as a “proof” that he also had the authority to forgive sins. Once again it goes back to the theme of Jesus 'proving' himself through his works.
Considering the example that Jesus set and his testimony, it really puts to shame LCers who make lofty and unsubstantiated claims about themselves. For a long time, I bought into the whole deification thing, but never once did I ask myself if LC members lived up to what they claimed to be. I have heard some LC members claim that they need to become "divine and mystical persons."
Even though such talk is pure nonsense to begin with, what it amounts to for the average LCer is like
aron says, merchandised words. There are so many slogans that no one can attach a concrete meaning to, because there are no actual
living examples. They speak of godmen, but where to we find these godmen? Actually this is a bad example, because there is such thing: (
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godman_%28India%29)
In all seriousness, it really goes beyond the doctrinal basis (or lack thereof) of deification. Even if WL’s teachings could be proven to be legitimate, there would still be an elephant in the room. Those who run Ponzi schemes using church money have no business calling themselves a man of God or even being a Christian leader. Those who cover the tracks of such a person are just as bad. That eliminates a good majority of LC leaders.