A Curious Blog

[ACuriousFellow]

After many years in The Lord's Recovery, I felt as though proper instruction via the scriptures was often mishandled due to the preference of strictly using Lee's interpretations of all things biblical to teach others. Whether it was the children's ministry, the YP (young people) ministry which focused on middle/high schoolers, the college studies, home meetings, Lord's Day meetings, outings, and conferences, it always felt like Lee's view of the scriptures took precedence over all things. From what I witnessed, there was little effort or desire to teach others directly from the scriptures, but rather all studies were prepared with his "Life-Studies" and the "Recovery Bible" footnotes as the foundation for all of their doctrines. Testing the teachings of Lee against the scriptures was heavily discouraged, being manifested in many of their doctrines.

The "two trees" doctrine. The doctrine of "life/death vs. right/wrong." The doctrine of the "dead letter." Lee's "anti-doctrine" doctrine. The "mind vs. spirit" doctrine. Many of these doctrines sound reasonable to a young heart. For instance, should we not seek to be filled with the life of God rather than our own, limited human knowledge? Such is the allure of the doctrine of the two trees. Should we not concern ourselves with salvation and life rather than trying to be right all the time? Strong is the attraction of the "life/death vs. right/wrong" and "dead letter" doctrines. Should we not base our fellowship on our faith in Christ rather than simply obsessing over every little doctrine? Simple yet powerful is the supposed premise of such words within the "anti-doctrine" doctrine. Should we not trust in the Holy Spirit rather than trying to use the machinations of our minds to discover all the "hidden things" of God? Wonderful is the relief of such a teaching from the "mind vs. spirit" doctrine to the heart of a young believer.

But I realized that these were not the true purposes of Lee's doctrines. I learned that these doctrines were put in place to stifle any critical analysis of Lee's words. Those who sought to use their God-given wits to analyze Lee's teachings were eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Those who sought to learn the context and proper application of the scriptures which often went against Lee's teachings were "dead right." caring only for the "dead letter" like a Pharisee while everyone else was "livingly wrong." Those who sought to apply proper teaching, if it did not line up with the "Ministry of the Age," were said to be obsessed with doctrines and therefore had no desire to build up God's churches. Those who used their intellect and reasoning to point out Lee's mistakes and the discrepancies between Local Church practice and scripturally sound teaching could not possibly ever be in their spirit but rather were only in their mind. Never mind the fact that Lee's entire ministry was build on him supposedly analyzing the scriptures and coming to the conclusion that all the Protestant churches were "deformed" and "degraded," having built something "demonic," "devilish," and "satanic."

Because of The Recovery's severe allergies towards proper learning and application of the scriptures, I was incredibly discouraged. As a teacher, I sought with all my heart to teach, and I desired to see such a heart in my fellow servants in the church. We must endeavor to be sound in our teachings and applications of the scriptures, openly admitting our mistakes and being willing to make corrections when the Holy Spirit convicts us of truth and righteousness. The more my heart sought to apply this, the more I saw that many saints in The Lord's Recovery simply did not care for such things. The more I read the scriptures regarding these matters, the more I realized that Witness Lee's ministry is not designed to be malleable and open to adjustment as necessary. Subsequently, the publications of Living Stream Ministry, Shepherding Words, A Faithful Word, the Defense and Confirmation Project (DCP), and the teachings in all of the meetings within The Lord's Recovery are also not prepared to handle such discrepancies and rather seek to immediately end most conversations related to those discrepancies rather than addressing them and dealing with them in a proper manner. John Ingalls, John Myers, Steve Isitt, and Jo Casteel are but a few examples of those who have been publicly shamed for trying to facilitate such things.

As such, after my departure from the Local Churches (a.k.a. "The Lord's Recovery), I searched the scriptures thoroughly with regards to what it means to teach and lead others as well as being taught by and learning from others. The study I will share here is the result of my searching. I have a heart to share it here on this sight for the benefit of all, regardless of whether they still meet within The Lord's Recovery or not. As a teacher, I must also acknowledge that I may have missed the mark in many ways. Although the study is not meant to be exhaustive, it may be that there are other verses or stories that can further expound upon the theme I have chosen. It may be that I am mistaken with regards to the context or proper application of a verse. It may be that some thoughts are underdeveloped while others are too highly emphasized. It may also be some other unforeseen matter. As such, I am willing and prepared to be given a word of instruction encouragement myself. The full study is available online as a downloadable Word document for all who would like to take a look. For now, I will share only the introduction to my study on this thread/blog.

It is my hope and desire to share more such studies with you all as time allows. If the admins deem that this would be better placed elsewhere, I would gladly acquiesce.

Thank you for your fellowship, and God bless.

Terrible Times

1 Timothy 4:1-2
1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.

2 Timothy 3:1-9
1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God — 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people. 6 They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, 7 always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth. 8 Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. 9 But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.

There will be days, terrible days, when people would love themselves rather than God and the Church. They will break the two greatest laws by becoming lovers of money, putting their desires for wealth above what is good. They will be proud and abusive, justifying what they do and shunning the victims of their misdeeds. They will be disobedient to their parents, refusing to honor their fathers and mothers as they should. They will be ungrateful, turning away from those who have ministered to them. They will be unholy, holding to what is wicked and rejecting what is good. They will be without love, treating others with contempt. They will be unforgiving, hardening their hearts to fellowship and reconciliation. They will be slanderous, stirring up lies and controversy to hide their sins. They will be without self-control, refusing the power of the Holy Spirit to take control of their lives. They will be brutal, showing little mercy to those who stand in their way. They will not love the good, holding rather to what is wicked. Worst of all, they will have a form of godliness but deny its power, making efforts to appear holy in what they do and cling to the scriptures when it is convenient, but in all their ways they will deny the power of God. They will deny both his righteousness and his love: his holiness and his grace will be only a means to an end for them. Paul gives Timothy this warning, for many false teachers were coming into the church seeking their own gain rather than the glory of God. How, then, can we stand firm as children of God?

All Scripture is God-Breathed

2 Timothy 3:10-17
10 You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11 persecutions, sufferings — what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evildoers and imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Paul cautioned Timothy to be wary of false teachers who would subvert the faith of others through their deceit, going so far as to call these men imposters. He calls them imposters because they pretend to live holy lives when they really don’t. The very word “imposters” in verse 13 comes from the Greek word γόης, which in English is transliterated to “goes.” The word is a noun which literally means “wailer” or “howler.” The reason it is often translated to “imposter” or “deceiver” is because in these times, there were those who would pretend to have power from God, such as a man known as Simon the sorcerer. When uttering their spells, they would often wail or howl, and they would use these false miracles to appear to be holy. Through their mutterings and incantations many people would be deceived into thinking they were holy, when in reality such men were wicked. Such men would come into the churches, claiming to be from God and using their utterances and false miracles to deceive many with false doctrines. They would use what was seemingly good and holy for evil purposes. As a countermeasure to such men, Paul urges Timothy to hold fast to the scriptures which he was taught since his infancy. It is the very scriptures that make us wise unto salvation: it is the very scriptures we must use to discern false doctrines and false teachers. As Paul instructs Timothy, it is their job to use these God-breathed scriptures to teach, rebuke, correct, and train in righteousness in order that God’s people may be fully equipped for every good work. This exhortation appears in the book of Ephesians as well, where Paul wrote “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of doctrine and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (Ephesians 4:11-16). Paul, an apostle, exhorted Timothy to use the scriptures to instruct the children of God, and the reason why is also given in the letter to the Ephesians: that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God. Another reason listed in Ephesians is so that we would no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of doctrine and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. We must be trained to identify false doctrine and to discern between good and evil. Does this mean that every doctrine is bad? Not at all, for Paul constantly urges Timothy to hold to the very doctrines that Paul had shown him. In fact, after admonishing Timothy to use the scriptures, he also gives him another warning.

The Duties of Our Ministry

2 Timothy 4:1-8
1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry. 6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Paul has charged Timothy, part of the next generation of teachers, to carry on the work that the apostles began: to build up the body of Christ. He admonishes Timothy to be prepared in and out of season. In other words, Timothy should plan to preach and should preach even when an unexpected opportunity or challenge arises. He should be ready to correct, to rebuke, and to encourage with great patience and careful instruction because there was coming a day, and it surely came, when people would not put up with sound doctrine. We are not to abandon all doctrine, but rather we must hold to the good doctrines, for such teachings are from God and will preserve and guide us. However, many would rather not struggle to uphold what is true and what is right. Many would rather cling to their own way of life rather than God’s. Many even recognize false doctrines but do not think it worth the trouble to bring up their concerns. While it is easy to accept the grace of God to cover our sins, it is not so easy to accept the righteousness and holiness of God and make every effort to live blameless lives and give our testimony as the holy children of a holy God. It is easy to pray for forgiveness, and praise the Lord that it is, but it is not so easy to stand firm and abstain from unrighteousness every day of our lives. This takes time and training. Praise the Lord that he has an abundance of grace, for otherwise we could not get back up and keep running the race as Paul did. Still, we are called to run this race and learn and grow and be better day by day, just as an athlete may stumble and make mistakes yet still press on to improve themselves. How, then, shall we do this? How, then, shall we live such lives? It begins and ends with the word of God. “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’ But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says ‘Lord, who has believed our message?’ Consequently, faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:14-18).

[ACuriousFellow]

During my tenure in The Lord’s Recovery, I noticed some interesting patterns that often confused me. There was a peculiar cycle that occurred every so often in which there would initially be a greater emphasis on purely reading the scriptures and teaching from the bible followed by a gradual but thorough transition to primarily and often exclusively using Witness Lee’s materials in every meeting. This cycle often coincided with the start of the college semester and would manifest as the “porch meetings” that would take place on Sunday mornings. The saints would be instructed to abstain from speaking of Witness Lee or using his vocabulary in order not to confuse newcomers. Overt practices like calling on the Lord and pray-reading, which were seen as absolutely indispensable daily routines for the sake of spiritual growth, were discouraged as they might be too much for guests to bear. The high truths were simply beyond most people, even those who were quite familiar with the scriptures and had grown up in a church themselves. Degraded Christianity had simply not prepared them for the proper church life, it seems.

Those seasons when we would focus more on the scriptures and receive genuine input from everyone were often the most enjoyable for me. It was not full of repetitive slogans about how we need to eat life and become overcomers, but rather an earnest effort to read through the scriptures and converse about what we knew, what we perceived, and what we wanted to know and perceive. It was not a meeting of endlessly singing and calling on the name of the Lord, but one of edification through the searching of the God-breathed scriptures. As the weeks went on, more and more emphasis would be placed on the “Life-Studies” of Witness Lee and the Holy Word for Morning Revival which was a devotional derived from the Life-Studies and other publications or conference speeches by Witness Lee. Once this season of Lee came, there was little consumption of the scriptures and subsequent teachings. The meetings became dominated by countless songs, most of which were written by Lee or some other member of The Lord’s Recovery, and what little time we would spend reading would be focused on the Morning Revival devotional. Perhaps a handful of verses would be included, but the context was often left out and one way or another almost every meeting ended with the same theme: we need to take Christ as life. Take Christ as life. Call on the Lord. Eat the word by pray-reading the word (i.e. repeating and chanting it for extended periods of time). Any discrepancies that one might find between Lee’s word and God’s word were better left unsaid because such things were only “of the mind.” Any inconsistencies or errors in what Lee was teaching that were pointed out were immediately dismissed because we cared not for the “dead letter.” Just accept the word and say “amen.” Don’t be a divider. Don’t be a reviler. Don’t bring “death” to the meetings by trying to more accurately interpret the scriptures and apply them properly. After all, Lee was much more of a “God-man” than any of us. He had so much experience that we could simply not measure up to, so there was no point in any of us trying to critique what he wrote and said.

As such, we had no need for teachers or teachings (doctrines) because we already had everything prepared for us by Witness Lee and the leading brothers (who really had no new teachings but simply repeated all the teachings of Witness Lee). There were even days when the saints would bemoan the reading of the scriptures, saying that it was indeed possible to have “too much bible.” The remedy that was proposed was simply to read from the Morning Revival and share from there. Even if we did not read the scriptures, there was just so much “life” to gain from the Morning Revival and the rich ministry provided by The Lord’s Recovery through Living Stream Ministry. There was no need to think about what we were reading, but just to read. There was no need to wonder whether it was right or wrong, but simply enjoy the meetings. There was no need to instruct, but just call on the Lord. How grieved I was when the scriptures were no longer considered useful for teaching but rather a “dead letter” that would be too burdensome for the saints to bear.

I praise the Lord, however, that his word is indeed useful for teaching, regardless of what Witness Lee or any of the leading ones may say, and Witness Lee is not the sole bearer of the keys to “unlock” the bible. Those keys are the exclusive property of the Holy Spirit, the counselor who Christ sent to all who believe, and we all have the privilege of partaking of this one Spirit. Here is the next section of my study titled “All Scripture is God-breathed.”

Useful For Teaching

The scriptures are crucial for teaching the people of God. Sound teaching is good and necessary for the healthy functioning of the body of Christ. In fact, the very word “doctrine” literally means “teaching.” A doctrine is a teaching: sound doctrine is sound teaching. This is why we hear of someone who is a Doctor of Psychology or a Doctor of Engineering: they are masters of their craft and teachers as well. The apostle Peter refers to the scriptures when instructing his brothers and sisters in Christ, referring first to the very faith we hold to and how it was foretold in the scriptures. One must keep in mind that “The Bible” as we know it did not exist in these times. To the apostles, any mention of scriptures was in reference to what we know as the Old Testament. That is not to say that the gospels, epistles, and the book of Revelation are not scriptures, but rather that the truths found in the New Testament can also be found in the Old Testament. Many mysteries that were concealed in the Old Testament were revealed in the New Testament. Likewise, many promises that were made in the Old Testament were fulfilled in the New Testament. Even in Paul’s letter to Timothy, we know that it is the Old Testament that Paul was referring to: it is even with the Old Testament that we can teach, rebuke, correct, and train the people of God in righteousness. Let’s take a look at the first epistle of Peter.

1 Peter 1:1-12
1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, 11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the suffering of the Messiah and the glories that would follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even the angels long to look into these things.

Peter begins his epistle by invoking the prophecies of old: we who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, being sanctified by the Spirit, must become obedient to Jesus Christ and receive the sprinkling of his blood. We ourselves have an inheritance that can never perish, given to those who have faith in him. The very end result of our faith is the salvation of our souls, and this very truth was even revealed to the prophets who declared this word centuries ago. They searched the scriptures intensely and with the greatest care to discover the day of Christ, but it was revealed to them that the day would come later. Their words were for those who would come, so that they would know that the Christ had indeed come. How amazing that the centuries-old words declared by these prophets, the spoken word of God, is available to us so that we could be instructed and become wise unto salvation.

1 Peter 1:13-25
13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance, 15 but just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” 17 Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God. 22 Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God, 24 For, “All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, 25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.” And this is the word that was preached to you.

We must not conform to the evil desires we had when we were ignorant. Now we know our Lord, and we know of his saving grace and of his holiness. Therefore, we must be holy as he is holy. We must be holy in all that we do, for it is written, “Be holy, because I am holy.” How can we be holy? How can we abstain from evil and do good when there is nothing good in us? It is because the Holy Spirit of God is in us, and God is good. We were not purchased with something common and degradable. We were not purchased by something weak and flimsy. We were purchased by the blood of the Son of God. Our God came as a man and bled for us, died for us, and took our sins upon himself. Then he rose again full of life and power and rose up to the throne in heaven. He sent down the helper, the Holy Spirit, so that we would be filled with that same power that gave life to the body of Christ. “The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.” (Romans 8:7-13). Amen. Praise the Lord that he has made a way for us to put to death the misdeeds of the body so that we will live. If we follow the Spirit, we will find life and be preserved as the holy ones of God, and we will know who our God is and how the Spirit operates by searching the scriptures, for they of speak of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Bible is the very word of God preserved and passed down from generation to generation. God’s mysteries and revelations are contained in this book that has, by the amazing grace of God, been made available to countless saints and to the very world. We must live by the Spirit of God and test ourselves against the scriptures so that we may abide in the will of God. It is these that make us wise unto salvation, even so that we may mature and attain the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Praise the Lord that He has provided His word to help us grow. Praise the Lord that his word has been preserved by his faithful servants so that we may ourselves have access to it.

1 Peter 2:1-10
1 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4 As you come to him, the living Stone — rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him — 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be stricken with panic.” 7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8 and, “A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. 9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you have not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

We were saved by the blood of Christ. We have an inheritance with all the people of God. It was a promise foretold in the scriptures of old: that the Messiah would come and bring redemption to Israel and to the Gentiles. We are called to be holy because our God is holy. Therefore, we must rid ourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. We must crave pure spiritual milk so we can grow up in our salvation. This is because we are being built up into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood. We are the very temple and house of our God and must care for ourselves properly. We must make every effort to preserve our bodies and souls, keeping them holy for our holy God. This is our responsibility as priests: to keep the temple and offer sacrifices that are holy and pleasing to our God. “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.” (2 Corinthians 3:16-17). And again, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and reasonable worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:1-2). As the chosen priesthood and kingdom of our God, we must be transformed by the renewing of our mind so that we would be able to test approve what God’s good, pleasing, and perfect will is, and one of our most potent resource for this renewing of our mind is the very word of God: The Bible. “We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” (Hebrews 5:11-14). Peter encourages the new believers to crave the pure spiritual milk: to grow on the basic, untainted gospel of Christ and to seek to know the truth, but the author of the letter to the Hebrews chastises the older believers for not having matured properly. Milk is good for babies, but the mature must move on to solid food so that they can distinguish between good and evil. To hear of Christ and seek him and love him is good, but Christ is not just the one who saves through faith in his blood. Christ is the obedient high priest who lived a holy life because his Father is holy. He held on to what was good and rejected what was evil. As God’s children, we must learn to distinguish between good and evil. To become mature, children must learn what is good and choose what is good just as Christ did. Otherwise, to remain in ignorance makes us stubborn and childish. As Paul exhorted Timothy, we must seek the scriptures and hold to the doctrines Paul passed on to him. “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:14-17). Sound doctrine is crucial for the building up of the body of Christ. “In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encouraged—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears from away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But keep your head in all situations, endure hardships, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” (2 Timothy 4:1-5). Praise the Lord that we have the freedom to learn what is good and evil according to the will of our God. Mankind once chose to turn away from God and decide what is good and evil for themselves, and God cursed them for this. They knew who God was but rejected the fear of the Lord and the wisdom that comes with it. “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of the people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with oust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.” (Romans 1:18-27). It was our rejection of the knowledge of God that led to the darkening of our minds and corruption of our hearts. Adam’s sin brought death to the bodies of mankind, and the rejection of the knowledge of God is what twisted and deformed our hearts and minds so that we would be blinded to the things of God and so that we would be given over to disgusting and unholy things. Now that we know who our God is and that he is holy, we must accept our obligation to learn and grow and mature as believers in Christ.

Romans 15:1-13
1 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. 3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” 4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. 5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed 9 and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written: “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing the praises of your name.” 10 Again, it says, “Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.” 11 And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; let all the peoples extol him.” 12 And again, Isaiah says, “The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope.” 13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

A wonderful example of using the scriptures to teach: in this case Paul was encouraging the Romans to read the scriptures so that they would learn endurance. Another scriptural teaching used here was God’s acceptance of the Gentiles. Paul exhorts the believers to accept one another regardless of where they came from, reminding the Jewish believers that even in the prophecies of old God intended to bring in the Gentiles so that they would praise him alongside the descendants of Abraham. Paul instructed the believers using the Old Testament scriptures so that they would be built up and grow in their knowledge of God. He even encourages the believers to teach one another, putting full confidence in their ability to do so. “I myself am convinced, my brothers and sisters, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with knowledge and competent to instruct one another. Yet I have written you quite boldly on some points to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God. I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done—by the power of signs and wonders, though the power of the Spirit of God. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.” (Romans 15:14-19).

Colossians 3:12-17
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body, you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom though psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Our Lord loves us so. He has shown us such great love, and Christ himself acted in love. We must love each other like Christ loved us. This means that we must be discerning when we are teaching, correcting, rebuking, and training in righteousness. Jesus was the one who did not condemn the adulterous woman. Jesus was the one who healed the sick and cast out demons. Jesus was the one who ate with sinners and tax collectors. Jesus was also the one who flipped tables and scared off wicked men with a whip. Jesus was the one who called Peter Satan for standing in the way of his crucifixion. Jesus was the one who called the Pharisees vipers for their hypocrisy, lies, and overall wickedness. The man who was crucified for the salvation of the world did all these things in love and by the leading of the Spirit of God, and we must learn to do the same. This is no simple task, which is why in Hebrews Paul says it takes training to be able to discern between good and evil, and we must always seek the Lord and learn from the scriptures so that we can become better and better at building the Body of Christ effectively.

Thank you for your fellowship. May the Lord be with you all and keep you.

[ACuriousFellow]

Rebuke is an interesting thing in The Lord’s Recovery. It is often discouraged because our goal is not to “condemn” people. One must never attempt to say something that will make others feel ashamed of what they are doing. To some extent, this made sense to me. Oftentimes people are already repentant when they commit sins. There’s no need to beat them when they are down, right? What is to be done, however, when they are not repentant? What if someone slanders another and when publicly confronted simply tells the accuser to get over it? What if someone’s whole family is effectively “quarantined” because of this slander despite having evidence that it is not true? Surely this person has a right to present their case before the church, but when an angry word is spoken against the slanderer, suddenly everyone might turn their backs because they spoke “death.” The slanderer may have done wrong, but that’s nothing in the face of the slandered talking back to them before the assembly, even if they already presented evidence of the slander. Such a person is accused of not having love due to speaking in such a way, but no one says a word against the slanderer for acting with hatred by having an entire family shunned by the church due to their lies. The slandered is suddenly “poisonous” and “divisive,” but the one who disgraced the family of the slandered is one who was full of life and love for the saints and should be defended. Rather than issuing any sort of real apology, the slanderer simply tells the slandered to let it go, and the rest of the saints turn their back on them.

This is what I witnessed within the Local Church (a.k.a. “The Lord’s Recovery), and this is what I’ve subsequently seen in the teachings of Witness Lee and the leaders of the denomination he created. This is what I saw with the treatment of John Ingalls and Steve Isitt, both of whom fell far short of rebuke and merely attempted to exhort. This is what I saw with the treatment of Jo Casteel, who sought the same but spoke firmly of the wrongdoings within The Lord’s Recovery. Such people were already painted as those who were rebels (John Ingalls), the embodiment of the accuser of the brethren (Steve Isitt), and poisonous attackers who sought to destroy the fellowship (Jo Casteel). With such a fear of gentle exhortation, it is no wonder that open rebuke would mark one as a pariah in The Lord’s Recovery. That is, of course, unless you are rebuking or shunning those who speak against Witness Lee. Then you are most certainly full of life for saying they are rebels, liars, poisonous, Satan-led, devilish actors who are worthy of open rebuke, condemnation, and excommunication.

But despite this deep-seated fear of rebuke and correction from many in The Lord’s Recovery, there is a place, an important place, for rebuke within the assemblies of God. There is often a need, sometimes a desperate need, for reproval among God’s sanctified people. Surely, as many here know, there is a need for accountability within The Lord’s Recovery that has long been neglected.

Useful For Rebuke

Galatians 1:1-10
1 Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—2 and all the brothers and sisters with me, 3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4 who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5 to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! 10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Paul wasted no time in calling out the Galatians, bringing up the matter immediately after his greeting. The believers were being pressured to return to the Mosaic Law, and Paul would have none of it. This was something that even the Apostle Peter fell into, and Paul openly rebuked him for this. To lay down a foundation other than salvation by faith in Christ was a nonstarter that Paul would immediately rebuke even new believers for. We may be called to do good works as the Sons of God, but these works do not save us. Rather, they are the result of our salvation. “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the way of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:1-10). We were wretched and far off from God, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts, yet even in this state Jesus Christ died for us and made a way for us to be seated with him. Salvation is most certainly by grace. Our sins are paid for and we are forgiven not because of something we’ve done, but because of what God has done. As those who have been saved by grace, we are called God’s handiwork, and he created us in Christ Jesus to do good works which were prepared in advance by God for us to do. This is the gospel. This is the good news. No other foundation is acceptable, and Paul is quick to rebuke anyone who would teach otherwise, even going to far as to declare a curse upon them. We may not think much of curses, but when you see the word curse in the old and new testaments, it is harsher than any rebuke or condemnation. Paul is invoking the name of God to bring ruin and destruction upon anyone who would speak another gospel.

Galatians 2:11-21
11 When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. 13 The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray. 14 When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in front of them all, “You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs? 15 We who are Jews by birth and not sinful Gentiles 16 know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified. 17 But if, I seeking to be justified in Christ, we Jews find ourselves also among the sinners, doesn’t that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! 18 If I rebuild what I destroyed, then I really would be a lawbreaker. 19 For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”

Peter may not have been instructing believers to circumcise themselves and follow the Mosaic Law, but when others came who believed such things, Peter would not sit with the Gentile believers. Peter was an apostle, one of the twelve, and considered by many to be the leader of the twelve. His example would have damaged the faith of many Gentiles and was poisoning the faith of many Jewish believers. As such, Paul rebuked him before all who were there. It may not have been as harsh as the curse he mentioned earlier to the ones who taught the false gospel, but nonetheless he publicly called out Peter for his foolishness. Peter himself was the one who received the vision from Christ and saw the gift of salvation and of the Spirit coming to the Gentiles. He knew very well, for Christ himself had declared it to him. Still, he drew back and separated himself so as not to offend “those who belonged to the circumcision group.” That which is dangerous to the body of Christ, especially if you are a leading one, is deserving of such open rebuke, for such sins damage not only the one who sins but all those who follow them. Touching on salvation, as we will see shortly, is also worthy of rebuke because salvation by faith is the most foundational thing that should never be messed with.

Galatians 3:1-14
1 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? 4 Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? 5 So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard? 6 So also Abraham “believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” 7 Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. 8 Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” 9 So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. 10 For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse, as it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” 11 Clearly no one who relies on the law is justified before God, because “the righteous will live by faith.” 12 The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, it says, “The person who does these things will live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.” 14 He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

The Mosaic Law cannot save anyone. This was the warning Paul gave to the Jews in Galatia. The Mosaic Law was only to be a guardian until the coming of the Christ, and it also served to help us recognize what sin is along with our hopelessness to overcome it on our own. “Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come by the law. But scripture has locked up everything under the control of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe. Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” (Galatians 3:21-29). The law was the caretaker of Israel, preserving God’s people until God’s anointed would come and fulfil his promise of a new covenant. Although fulfilling it would have brought life, we are incapable doing so. Therefore, our sin brought us death. “What shall we say, then? Is the law sinful? Certainly not! Nevertheless, I would not have known what sin was had it not been for the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, ‘You shall not covet.’ But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of coveting. For apart from the law, sin was dead. Once I was alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death. So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good. Did that which is good, then, become death to me? By no means! Nevertheless, in order that sin might be recognized as sin, it used what is good to bring about my death, so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful. We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right here with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.” (Romans 7:7-25). In Christ, however, there is a new law to live by, and it overcomes the law of sin and of death which resides in our flesh. When you continue into Romans chapter eight, you will see that “Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.” (Romans 8:1-13).

Paul has made it abundantly clear on many occasions that the Mosaic Law cannot and will not save anyone if they themselves try to fulfill it, and the reason for that is because we are incapable to keeping the Mosaic Law. It was when Christ fulfilled the Mosaic Law and took upon himself our sins that life and redemption were made available to the world. Now we have the very Spirit of God available to us, we must live in obedience to the Spirit of God. We had faith in Christ, and it was accounted to us as righteousness. His death was counted as our death. His life is counted as our life. Now God has given us the Holy Spirit so that we would have the means to live righteously. “Therefore my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ Then you will sine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.” (Philippians 2:12-18). It is by the power of the Spirit that we are saved and declared righteous, and it is by the power of the spirit that we are able to live righteous lives. “‘The days are coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,’ declares the LORD. ‘This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. NO longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,’ declares the LORD. ‘For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.’” (Jeremiah 31:31-34). This is the day our Lord is building up to. The Holy Spirit is here to teach us all things, but we have not yet reached the point where no teachers are needed. Still, the Spirit of God is here to mark as Sons of God and to guide us in all things. This is why in Romans Paul says to set your mind on the Spirit: we must consider what the Lord has put in our hearts and consider what is of the Spirit and what is not. Circumcision and the Law of Moses are not the way to salvation. Anyone who considers such a teaching after having heard the gospel is a fool, and anyone who holds to and teaches such a thing is under a curse. This is why Paul harshly rebuked the false teachers and even the Galatians because they were allowing themselves to be led astray by such foolish things. That which subverts or denigrate the gospel as something lowly is dangerous and worthy of rebuke. This is the goal of rebuke: to get the believers to come to their senses because they are refusing to discern between good and evil and have chosen what is evil.

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul rebukes them for several matters as well. First, there was the matter of a man sleeping with his father’s wife. “It is actually reported among you that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that even pagans do not tolerate: A man is sleeping with his father’s wife. And you are proud! Shouldn’t you rather have gone into mourning and have put out of your fellowship the man who has been doing this? For my part, even though I am not physically present, I am with you in spirit. As one who is present with you in this way, I have already passed judgement in the name of our Lord Jesus on the one who has been doing this. SO when you are assembled and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved on the day of the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 5:1-5). Paul exhorts the believers to judge not those outside the church but rather those within the church. “What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside God will judge those form outside. ‘Expel the wicked person from among you.’” (1 Corinthians 5:12-13). He uses this concept of judging within the church as a segue to another point of rebuke: lawsuits among the believers for civil matters. “If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgement instead of before the Lord’s people? Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling form those whose way of life is scorned in the church? I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? But instead, one brother takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers! The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:1-11). Paul had every intention of rebuking the believers in Corinth and his goal was for them to be ashamed of what they have done and repent of it. His hope was that they would come to their senses and turn away from the evil things they were doing. He invokes the cleansing and sanctification we received from our God so that the believers may remember what standard they should strive for: if you are living by the Spirit, you are identifying what is evil and rejecting it. If you are living by the Spirit, you are discerning what is good and holding to it. We have been made capable of discerning good from evil, and with the Spirit guiding us, we are obligated to learn to discern between the two and do everything in faith so that we may live righteous lives. Faith and the knowledge of good and evil are not two juxtaposed things: we have faith in our God for our salvation, and by the Spirit of our God we learn to discern between good in evil. In doing so, we learn to discern between what is of God, the good which will result in life, and what is not of God, the evil which results in death. As I’ve shown before, the letter to the Hebrews includes a rebuke for their refusal to learn what is good and evil, which resulted in them remaining as immature believers who refused to hear sound doctrine. These ones were ignorant by choice, which is an inexcusable offense because they were capable of learning and refused to gain the knowledge they were expected to acquire by that point. “We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” (Hebrews 5:11-14). Those who should know better often receive the harshest rebukes from the Lord and from the apostles, such as Jesus railing against the hypocritical Pharisees in Matthew 23, calling them out for their wickedness and hypocrisy. In the end, he calls them snakes and vipers who are dangerously close to the fires of hell. This is also visible in Paul’s admonition to Timothy regarding elders who have sinned. “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For Scripture says, ‘Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,’ and ‘The worker deserves his wages.’ Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning. I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and do nothing out of favoritism.” (1 Timothy 5:17-21).

We are shown through the scriptures that there is a time and place for rebuke. It must be done with discernment and by the guidance of the Spirit, but by no means must we ever say that it cannot be done. Even the Lord encouraged rebuke for the sake of reconciliation. “Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Things that cause people to stumble are bound to come, but woe to anyone through who they come. It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. So watch yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying, “I repent,” you must forgive them.’ The apostles said to the Lord, ‘Increase our faith!’” (Luke 17:1-5). Surely it takes great faith to rebuke and to forgive one another, for our goal with both must be the building up of ourselves and our brothers and sisters. We must also keep in mind that anger does not negate the legitimacy of rebuke, for there is an anger that comes from the Lord when we witness injustice and evil within the church. Many are hesitant to accept rebuke when it is coupled with anger, but in certain matters it is absolutely necessary and ok to be angry. Jesus was furious when animals for sacrifice were being sold in the temple courts: a holy place had been turned into a market. “When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, ‘Who is this?’ The crowds answered, ‘This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.’ Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. ‘It is written,’ he said to them, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.’” (Matthew 21:12-13). I’ve heard it jokingly said that when we consider what the Lord Jesus would do, we must keep in mind that flipping over tables and whipping men is one possibility. Now, did the Lord Jesus go around whipping everyone that sinned? Of course not, but this extreme example is to counter anyone who would immediately shut their ears to an angry saint. Consider first what the matter is and whether or not it is something worth getting angry over. What was Jesus so furious about? Those who would make a profit out of the gospel and those who abuse their position of authority. What made Paul furious? Those who would bring people back into the Mosaic law and subvert the gospel of salvation by grace, those who would declare that the resurrection has already occurred and destroyed the faith of others, and those who would commit sins and use the grace of God as an excuse to keep on sinning rather than living righteously. If we see injustice in the church and do not feel a sense of righteous anger toward it, there is something wrong with us. If we witness injustice in the church and someone rebukes the evildoer with anger, we would be foolish to focus solely on the anger of the one who rebukes rather than the wickedness of the offender, especially when the bodies and souls of others are put in danger because of the offender. We must never forget the little ones that will surely stumble if they see evil go unchecked.

[ACuriousFellow]

It is often difficult for a person to accept correction without at least a bit of embarrassment or apprehension. How much more a leader? How much more an entire denomination? John Ingalls did not seek to condemn Lee or even blame him for his son’s actions, but he sought accountability and restoration of order. Steve Isitt did not seek to crucify the leaders of The Lord’s Recovery, but rather sought to have reconciliation with those who were wronged with the hope of bringing them back into that denomination. These things, however, required an open and candid conversation of what was not done correctly. However, how can one dare to claim that something has been done incorrectly within this Ministry of the Age? To speak so negatively is to speak death, and to speak death is to attack the body. Rather than admit to one’s mistakes, they are instead ignored or covered up, which allows for the mistakes to accumulate and damage the assemblies of God more and more. Should you be so bold as to use the scriptures to exhort your brothers and sisters and to appeal for adjustments to this great ministry, you are simply one who is in their mind too much and is making use of a “dead letter.” After all, it is not about “being right,” but “eating life.” It is not about an earnest desire to become better, but rather about blindly and obediently following the leading of those who came before you who are beholden to no one but themselves. Christianity needs to be corrected by The Lord’s Recovery, but The Lord’s Recovery cannot be corrected. The leading ones need to correct others when they do not abide by the “New Way,” but they cannot be corrected by those they lead. When one strays from the doctrines of Lee, they must be told of their error, but when the doctrines of Lee stray from the word of God, one must be silent and not divisive.

But even if they refuse to be beholden to the written word, they will still answer to the one who spoke them.

Useful For Correction

Galatians 5:1-12
1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand, firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. 2 Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3 Again, I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. 7 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you to keep you from obeying the truth? 8 That kind of persuasion does not come from the one who calls you. 9 “A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.” 10 I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion, whoever that may be, will have to pay the penalty. 11 Brothers and sisters, if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been abolished. 12 As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!

Paul did not end in rebuke. Every rebuke, if done properly, should include a redirection towards what is right, especially when dealing with your own spiritual children. Paul’s rebuke of the Galatians begins to turn into correction and teaching so that they may be built up once more. He destroyed what the enemy was creating and is rebuilding with proper, sound doctrine so that the church may have healthy growth.

Galatians 5:13-26
13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. 16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

What a beautiful thing it is to be called to freedom. The Jews themselves were called to be free from the constraints of the Mosaic Law and live by the Spirit. Our command is to love one another, and in order to do this properly Paul teaches them what it means to live by the Spirit and what it means to live by the flesh. If you are living against the will of the Spirit, this will manifest with petty quarrels, sexual immorality, impurity, debauchery, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy, drunkenness, orgies, and other such things. This is not love. Those who refuse to abandon these things are not abiding in the love of God. However, to live by the Spirit means to put these things to death. We have the great counselor abiding in us and giving us guidance. When we seek the Lord, learn from him, and build our relationship with him through prayer, petition, and praise, we should, bit by bit, be showing the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. In correcting the believers, Paul is simultaneously training them in righteousness, showing them the things they must pursue and hold on to. What, then, shall happen to those who stumble along the way? Paul addresses this immediately.

Galatians 6:1-10
1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves. 4 Each one should test their own actions. Then they can take pride in themselves alone, without comparing themselves to someone else, 5 for each one should carry their own load. 6 Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should share all good things with their instructor. 7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, form the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially those who belong to the family of believers.

Those who stumble must be restored gently. It is one thing to rebuke someone for willful wickedness or false teachings, but there are times where in our weakness we stumble without seeing it coming. It is a difficult thing to go through, and what we need in such times is to be lifted up. We must carry the burdens of our brothers and sisters who struggle with sin, but we ourselves must also be careful so as not to fall into the same sin. We should especially test our own actions and live according to what is right without comparing ourselves to others. We must do what we know to be good, and we must continue in our endeavor to learn what is good. There are so many situations, circumstances, and relationships that make it difficult to discern between good and evil, and so doing good can become difficult. Still, the evil things we do are harmful, and the good things we do are beneficial. God shall not be mocked: we will not get away with doing that which we know to be evil, and we are not excused when we are capable of learning what is good but refuse to do so. This is not an easy thing. Following the Son of God is not an easy life, but it is a life that is fulfilling and amazing when we live it through. As difficult as it is to sort through all the things of life, the good and the evil and that which we cannot yet discern, we must not grow weary. We must persevere in the faith apportioned to us and build ourselves up along with our brothers and sisters. This is good. This pleases the Spirit, just as it pleases a Father to see his child growing and learning and doing what is righteous rather than what is wicked and selfish.

2 Timothy 2:22-26
22 Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25 Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

Correction is something that must be done patiently in the hope that God would grant our opponents repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth and so that they would come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will. This is the hope of correction, as is, ultimately, the hope of rebuke. Rebuke is a hard stop to prevent danger, and correction is rebuilding in order to fortify the believers with proper doctrine and instruction. This is indeed a wonderful thing to do for the Body of Christ. “Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the payer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” (James 5:13-20). When we sin against each other, it is good to confront one another and confess to one another to reestablish peace and fellowship and live righteously. The prayers of the righteous are powerful, and to bring a person back from their wandering saves them from death and covers a multitude of sins. To correct has two effects from what I see in these scriptures: we save our brother or sister from death, and now that they are returning to the righteous way, their own prayers will become more effective because they will be better able to discern the will of God. These are the things we must seek when correcting and rebuking our brothers and sisters. This extends to our own children as well. “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise — ‘so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.’ Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” (Ephesians 6:1-4). It is a grand responsibility that we have as God’s people to learn and grow and help each other to learn and grow.

[ACuriousFellow]

Regardless of what Witness Lee would say, good is not the enemy of life. God is good, and God is holy. As such, we must endeavor to be good and holy. We should not shut down others who seek to learn what is good and righteous according to the scriptures. We cannot say that those who seek to correct or improve a ministry are all just “in their minds” and “speaking death.” We cannot ignore the cries of those who have been wronged by calling them “negative speakers” who just “poison” the congregation. What many of them yearn for, what many of our brothers and sisters yearn for, is accountability and reconciliation. Many seek peace and instruction. Many want their church home to be a safe place that abides by the righteousness of God as best as it can. Yet when they express themselves they are often told to just “eat more Christ” by pray-reading and calling more. They are often not consoled or advised, but rather they are often sent away time and again with empty platitudes and grim warnings of the “death” they will bring by not “letting go and letting God.” This is usually the result of those who question not the scriptures but the “Ministry of the Age.” It is not the “Ministry” that needs to abide by the scriptures in The Lord’s Recovery, but rather it is often the scriptures that need to abide by the “Ministry” lest they be labeled as a “dead letter.”

Useful For Training in Righteousness

Hebrews 12:4-13
4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son. 7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! 10 They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. 12 Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 13 “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

The Lord disciplines us for the sake of training us in righteousness. Just as a father disciplines and trains his child whom he loves, so, too, does the Lord discipline us. “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with y on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (Revelation 3:14-22). Any teaching, correction, or rebuke is for the purpose of training the saints in righteousness so that the servant of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work. Whether it is from God himself or from the saints, this must be the goal of teaching, correction, and rebuke. We must train ourselves to distinguish between good and evil so that we may know what the good is and hold to it and so that we may identify the evil and rid ourselves of it. “Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard I love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold to what is good, reject every kind of evil. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.” (1 Thessalonians 5:12-24). We must warn those who are idle and disruptive, give encouragement to those who are downcast, help the weak, and show patience with everyone. We must strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else, and that includes being prepared in and out of season for teaching, correction, rebuke, and training in righteousness. Although we must not treat prophecies with contempt, we should test them. If we see that they are good, we hold to it. If we see that it is evil, we reject it. This is good for the building of the Church. This is what will allow us to grow properly as the Lord’s children so that we would not remain as immature babies but grow into mature sons of God just as Christ did. We would never be capable of such a thing without the Spirit, but as believers we are marked by it. We cannot deny the power of the Spirit to help us grow in righteousness. To seek what is good is to seek life. If we would seek the life of God, we must seek what God has declared to be good. The foundation is Christ. To believe in Christ and submit to him is good and righteous. To obey his commands, loving the Father and loving one another, is to believe in Christ and submit to him. To care for the poor, the orphan, and the widow, along exercising love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control is to honor the Son and love one another. If we honor the Son, we honor the Father. Christ has borne the image of the invisible God. He has lived righteously, and we must endeavor to do the same now that we are saved by faith and grace. “Be imitators of God, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolator—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them. For you were once in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said: ‘Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.’ Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music form your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians 5:1-20). Just as a child learns many things by watching and imitating their parents, so, too, must we learn by watching and imitating our Lord. A child may get it wrong several times. They will babble when trying to speak. They will struggle when trying to stand. They will stumble when trying to walk. They will not know their left hand from their right hand. It is a grand journey for child simply to be able to walk and talk, but it is something that naturally happens so long as the child is properly cared for and loved. This is how it is for us. We have such a loving God, and we must babble and struggle and stumble as we grow and learn how to live by the Spirit. In the same way, a child struggles to discern good from evil, so we must give them simple things for their hearts to digest. Little by little they learn to distinguish between what is good and evil, and this by the human standards of good and evil. How much greater it is, then, when we learn God’s standard of good and evil. As a child becomes like their parents, may we endeavor to become holy and righteous even as our God is holy and righteous. May we be such a guide to our fellow believers so that we may help them grow as well. This is a good way. Let us put off evil and put on the good. Let us admonish one another and let us rejoice in the Lord. Let us train one another in what is righteous and keep one another from evil. Let us fellowship sweetly with one another and the Lord. This is an excellent way.

The Importance of Godly Training

1 Timothy 4:7-16
7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. 8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 9 This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance. 10 That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe. 11 Command and teach these things. 12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

One of the most crucial elements of spiritual maturity is training in godliness, which all the children of God are called to aspire to. It is good to be diligent and watch our lives and our doctrine because it is not only ourselves we will preserve with this, but those who hear our words. All that is written regarding teaching, correction, rebuke, and training in righteousness will be for naught if the man of God does not first check himself. There are many ways in which this godliness manifests. We know, for example, that godliness is to turn away from greed. “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (1 Timothy 6:6-12). We know that godliness is to turn away from youthful lusts and pointless arguments. “Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.” (2 Timothy 2:22-24). Godliness stands in contrast to sinfulness, and we must make a conscious effort to turn away from our flesh and to the spirit so that we may live godly lives. “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” (Galatians 5:16-26). We know that we must set our mind on such things and consider what our Lord says is good and evil. “Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.” (Romans 8:5-11). Because we have the Spirit of Christ in us, we are in the realm of the Spirit. We are no longer those bound by the flesh. We have been set free in Christ and can now set our minds on the Spirit of God so as to be governed by the Spirit of God. Paul also told this to the Colossians as well, telling them that as children of God in Christ we must set our minds on things above rather than earthly things. “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1-4). And how exactly does such a mindset manifest itself? If you keep reading through the passage, Paul makes it clear. “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.” (Colossians 3:5-11). As those who are born of God through the Holy Spirit, we are now capable of pursuing righteous lives, but it is still a choice we have to make. “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:12-13). We are free from sin, and we are made free so that we may pursue righteousness. “For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves” (1 Peter 2:14-16). And again, “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” (Galatians 5:13-18). In our daily lives, we must make a conscious effort to seek the Lord and know what it is our God wants from us, and there is an overabundance of God-breathed scriptures to guide us in this endeavor. If we know God’s word, we must make an effort to hold to it. As the Lord said, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.” (Luke 6:46-49).

We must put the Lord’s word into practice. No one learns how to walk without first attempting clumsily to stand. No one learns how to speak without first babbling. No one learns how to swim without first getting in the water. Still, we have the potential for all these things in our minds and bodies. In the same way, we have the potential to live godly lives because of the Holy Spirit of God who lives in us, but we must still make a conscious effort to be godly in order to be trained in godliness. This is part of the Lord’s discipline as we struggle with sin. “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, ‘My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.’ Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. ‘Make level paths for your feet,’ so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed. (Hebrews 12:4-13). How, then, should we respond to the Lord’s discipline? With obedience and respect for the one who disciplines. How do we apply this training to our daily lives? The writer of Hebrews elaborates on this, saying “Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. See to it that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, he was rejected. Even though he sought the blessing with tears, he could not change what he had done.” (Hebrews 12:14-17). This passage also shows us the results of holy lives. If we make every effort to live and peace and live holy lives, we will see the Lord. If no one falls short of the grace of God, bitter roots will be extinguished before they can cause trouble and defile many. The testimony of the Lord is given to all the world when we endeavor to live holy lives. “Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.” (1 Peter 2:11-12). And from our Lord himself, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35). What we do serves as an example and encouragement to those who hear and see us. Children learn by imitating their parents and working through their growth by constant practice. In the same way, those who look up to us will imitate us. As such, we must make every effort imitate Christ. Paul was aware of this truth. “Imitate me as I also imitate Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1). This is why he exhorts Timothy by saying “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1 Timothy 4:13-16). Our efforts to live holy lives will not only impact our relationship with God, but also every one of our brothers’ and sisters’ relationships with God.

[ACuriousFellow]

We must not be afraid of the command to live righteously. Rather, we must fear the one who can destroy both body and soul. Our God will not stand idly by if we knowingly and willingly continue in our sins, and we must show love to one another not simply by providing a good example of how to live in our own living, but in keeping one another in check by training ourselves and one another in righteousness. We must teach one another what is good and righteous and what is evil and wicked. We must rebuke one another when we have blatantly and unashamedly sinned. We must correct our brothers and sisters to once again set them on the right path. We must instruct one another in righteousness so that we would not be ignorant of the Lord's command. The scriptures will aid us in all of these endeavors, and as a teacher of children in a school and as a child of God it grieves me so to see how such things have been neglected within that denomination known as "The Lord's Recovery" by some and "The Local Churches" by others. It grieves me to see good men use their good deeds as an excuse to ignore their bad deeds. Good men do not become bad men by doing bad things. They become bad men because they refuse to repent and hold themselves accountable for the bad they have done. Likewise, wicked men can live righteously once more if they repent and do what is right.

"The Lord's Recovery has preached the gospel to so many and gotten so many people baptized! Why would you speak so evilly against us?" It is because you are my people and I wish to help you regain a proper way. Do you notice how often you do not deny your evil? Rather, you deny me the right to point it out.

"We've cared for each other so much! Why would you point out someone's sins and condemn them like that?" Because they refuse to repent of it and continue to do it. Would you prefer I do it here and now or that the Lord should have to take care of it himself? Which do you think will be harder to bear? The words of your brothers and sisters in Christ, or the words of your God? Which will bring you down to the lowest state? A rebuke from your brother, or a rebuke from our Master?

I will say it again: stop using your good deeds to excuse your bad ones. Check yourselves before you are checked by the Lord. This is my exhortation to my brothers and sisters who meet with the churches in that denomination founded by Witness Lee, for this is what the Lord has commanded me to say. Look at your history, men of the Recovery. See what has happened within your assemblies, disciples of Lee. Bear witness to the pain and suffering that has transpired within your meeting halls, you members of the Church of Cities, and know that much of it is because of your zealousness for the "Ministry of the Age." You are zealous without knowledge, and those who are downtrodden plead with the Lord for salvation.

What a great shame it is when we must pray for deliverance from our own brothers and sisters. May the Lord have mercy on us all.

Ezekiel 3:4-9, 16-21
4 He then said to me: “Son of man, go now to the people of Israel and speak my words to them. 5 You are not being sent to a people of obscure speech and strange language, but to the people of Israel— 6 not to many peoples of obscure speech and strange language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you. 7 But the people of Israel are not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for all the Israelites are hardened and obstinate. 8 But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are. 9 I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious people.”

16 At the end of seven days the word of the Lord came to me: 17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 18 When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. 19 But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself. 20 “Again, when a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before them, they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin. The righteous things that person did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. 21 But if you do warn the righteous person not to sin and they do not sin, they will surely live because they took warning, and you will have saved yourself.”

[PriestlyScribe]

Originally Posted by ACuriousFellow

Rebuke is an interesting thing in The Lord’s Recovery. It is often discouraged because our goal is not to “condemn” people. One must never attempt to say something that will make others feel ashamed of what they are doing.

But despite this deep-seated fear of rebuke and correction from many in The Lord’s Recovery, there is a place, an important place, for rebuke within the assemblies of God. There is often a need, sometimes a desperate need, for reproval among God’s sanctified people. Surely, as many here know, there is a need for accountability within The Lord’s Recovery that has long been neglected.

It's been neglected because the ministry of Witness Lee has set an impossibly high standard for rebuke:
Check out Week 10 Day 4 in this HWMR - https://blendedbody.com/hwmr/WLTwistingEph5v11.pdf

Or look at this similar ludicrous declaration made by Witness Lee in 1988 - https://www.johningalls.com/#/reader/chapter/38


Now do you understand why rebuke is only ok whenever it's done for protection of the system?

P.S.