A missionary couple who were retired once told me many years ago, when I was a young new believer, that we should compromise the principles of God for the sake of unity in the church.
I was young and far less educated in the Word than I am now and yet I was still shocked. I knew that didn't make sense because God told me to obey from the beginning. How could I disobey God to please another person? It was unthinkable, even then as a baby believer.
I was once told by a believer that someone was not a liar just because they told one lie. I knew that couldn't be right because someone who was not a liar could never tell even one lie.
I've been told by Christians that we should just forgive the unrepentant, even though God does not do that and even instructs us to wait for repentance before forgiving. It is a model of how He operates with mankind. I was told I would not be forgiven by God if I did not forgive the unrepentant and that I would become bitter. But none of this made sense when I read the Bible and the following verses. God said to bless those who curse me; this is not forgiveness. Repentance and forgiveness is to reconcile a broken relationship, both are needed. When someone is not sorry, there can be no reconciliation.
Luke 17:3-4 "3 Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him."
We are to bless those who curse us so we do not become like them; this is not forgiveness. The purpose here is to ensure we protect ourselves from being influenced to act as the unrepentant person acts.
Peter 3:9-14 "9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you would inherit a blessing."
“The one who desires life, to love and see good days,
Must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.
11 He must turn away from evil and do good;
He must seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous,
And His ears attend to their prayer,
But the face of the Lord is against evildoers.”
13 And who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you [b]are blessed. And do not fear their intimidation, and do not be in dread,"
Romans 12:17-21 "Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Carefully consider what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible on your part, live at peace with everyone. Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”
Matthew 5:39-42 "But I tell you not to resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also; if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well; and if someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles."
It has been suggested that in this passage, "give him the other cheek also" means turn and walk away. This would not be a command to let him hit you again; it is a command to turn and leave, without comment.
As the years went by, I was told many things that were unbiblical, and yet scripture was used out of context and without understanding to justify the opposite of God's meaning.
Bible study women's groups are encouraged to think about what they want to believe superficially about a passage, rather than delving into its true meaning.
There is a saying that sounds good but has been misleading: "If the plain sense makes sense, then do not seek any other sense." I disagree with this because when we read the Bible through the lens of the Western mindset, we will get many things wrong.
We must pray that the Holy Spirit show us the truth so that we do not operate from false presumptions based on our own culture. Sadly, psychology has permeated many ideas in the intellect of the modern Christian. Some of what psychology has observed is correct, but how they interpret it will be wrong, and often what to do about it will be erroneous.
If you asked a person in our day what "church" means, they are most likely going to point to a building with a paid pastor overseeing things. This is not at all what God commanded in His Word. We were never told to build temples or pay one man to be over all the other men in the group.
The mindset of the modern Christian is that the man in the elevated pulpit is the man with the knowledge, and that we could not measure up to that. The practice of elevating that man with all the pews facing forward in a worshipful stance sends the message that everyone else is to sit, listen, and believe whatever he says. He has become the mediator between those in the pews and the man on the pedastal.
I have been told by Christians that I couldn't know something from the Bible because I didn't have a degree from a seminary. This tells us it is not the Holy Spirit believers are seeking, but rather educated men from colleges with accreditations, as though these places have a special in with God that we could not have.
John 16:13-14 "13 However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you.…"
What has happened in the church gatherings is that man is elevated above Jesus Christ. The people trust the man to tell them the truth, but do not seek the Holy Spirit for truth.
When we seek men first, we are making the man our mediator instead of Christ.
1 Timothy 2:5 " 5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,"
Who is your mediator, God or man?
