Hello - Prentis, brother dave, Axehead, Epsikopos -
This post is not written with 'rebuke' in mind at all. It's just that I came back to read online, and I thought it was going okay, until .... I'm not sure what happened. I haven't looked to see who didn't 'get' who first. All I know is, I'm distressed by the shortness of exchange which seems to precede the first leaping to an incorrect conclusion. I'm sure it wouldn't happen this way, face-to-face, and I really hope we can extend a little more time to one another to take in and consider what is being said, before too a hasty reply.
With trepidation... I wish to offer the following observations, hoping they may be of some use to us all. :huh:
To Prentis first .... when the sabbath was mentioned it was to do with the context of the account in scripture. It was nothing to do with 'we uphold the sabbath'. That's what the Pharisees were aiming for. The sabbath was relevant in the story, because the man was not supposed to be carrying his bed. Remember? That's the only reason the sabbath was mentioned at all by brother dave. Can you see that, now?
I know that you and brother dave have the same understanding of the gospel, and you preach the same thing. I read it in your posts. Maybe the Holy Spirit helps me, but you both express the truth in ways which are quite familiar to me. It is truth nevertheless from both of you - while you are focusing on the topic of the discussion....
brother dave, please bear with my directness here: do you know that the use of capital letters on forums is considered 'shouting', unless it's qualified by a mitigating comment? This may have given a wrong impression of you. There are other ways to communicate emphasis.
One of the limitations of the internet, is, the moment we start 'telling' about what we have 'done', or have 'become' in the Lord, unless it is strictly by way of Spirit-led testimony, we set ourselves up to be accused of 'works' - or, of praising ourselves. Proverbs 27:2 This is why I try not to go there, unless absolutely necessary. Episkopos felt it was necessary. Amen.
Axehead, I think you were going in the right direction with questions, and it's really easy to flow into them if this is how one has been trained to think, but sometimes .... there is more to be gained by going one at a time, or, fewer at a time....
The discussion changed, way back in time on other threads, when Episkopos described his walk in the Lord - partly as a result of being asked whether he 'keeps the law'. With every mention of by His grace or by His power, his claims were labeled as 'works' by an unseen committee of 'others here' who don't seem to understand the basis on which we can claim to fulfil His righteousness by walking in the Spirit.
The word of God needs no defence, but it certainly needs an explanation :mellow: .
What may be missing in these latest communications, is a thorough-going mutual appreciation of the unique blend of gifts and callings which each one has in the Lord, which on our own we have become comfortable ministering in the 3D world. It's not so easy to flip our ministries up on to a screen, though. Coming together online in writing is - I would go so far as to say - its own particular calling for the sake of the world hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ. The more we remember the readers, the more carefully we may express ourselves to make it more difficult to be misunderstood.
It is worth remembering that for some, English is a second or third language. And we speak English and we still can't communicate easily with one another? I hope you see both the funny and the sobering side of this situation, and let's focus on the other person's well-being.
One of the reasons I join a forum, is to learn from others, sometimes just by reading, and, if we ask the right questions in a friendly manner, we can get quite a clear picture of one another without ever meeting - I believe. It is important to be listening to the Spirit, not accusing, and not writing that which gives a false impression. Even if we feel frustrated, there is no benefit to anyone, or the Lord, in blazing it into a post. It just makes every objective onlooker know we are impatient. We may not be angry, but a few exclamation marks can make the reader imagine we are, and we thought we were only making our point a tiny bit clearer by emphasising it 'slightly' for the benefit of the other person.
So... I wonder.... may we endeavour to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace?
Matt 5:9
