Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohio
I'm glad Igzy responded to this, otherwise I felt I would be the odd man out. After leaving the LC's, too many leave the "good" with the bad. They leave the faith, when leaving the LC. They throw Jesus out with the bad religion they left.
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If there's a God who made heaven and earth and everything in it, and if this creation was spoiled by an adversary, then this adversary, this enemy may present us with a tiered defense of his spoils.
First, the enemy denies the Creator. You're on your own, do your best. Sports, music, hobbies, career. Family, poetry, art. Maybe pointless debauchery and oblivion. Whatever.
Then, if you begin to question, to seek, then it's anything but Jesus.
Then, if you believe into Jesus, then it's "divide and conquer". Get the flock to turn against itself. Get them frustrated, discouraged, confused, ineffective.
To me, the gospel preached by Peter and Paul in the book of Acts is simple. God has raised this Jesus, and given him glory. This, to me, is the proper ground, the proper headship, and the latter rain. When I see this grand immovable truth of my faith, that of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, I'm preserved from the charlatans with their special sauce recipes, and also from those who'd make me suspicious of every other preacher as potentially false.
I'm free to give the right hand of fellowship to all who name Jesus as Lord, and free to not waste my time with those who'd pull me to their "proprietary Jesus". I'm free, and I'm safe from predation.
I was reading about the immune system, how it recognizes self from non-self. The enemy is constantly trying to infiltrate it, and must be identified, isolated, and repelled. But there's also a danger of auto-immune disorder, where the body begins to mistakenly reject its own self. Balance is needed to maintain life.
Paul said that he rejoiced that the gospel was preached, whatever the motive. We must be similarly magnanimous. Yes, there's the proverbial line in the sand, and people like Walter Martin are sorely needed. But we must also be careful not to draw the line too closely around ourselves and our little coterie, lest we cut ourselves off.