Unnecessary Obstacles to Christ

[mizpeh]

Good insight and summary.

[ManOfWord]

These posts are sounding a lot like REAL christianity to me. No one is being criticized for their choice of fences and their fences are being respected. If organizations would do that (the UPC in particular) they would a lot further down the road to making a difference.

[Nahum]

Originally Posted by Daniel Alicea

They also called themselves “The Association.” They said they were associated with God’s Word and with those who love God’s Word. They did not associate with those who did not have their dedication to the Word of God. This is where it gets dangerous. Now comes the change for the worse.

Here they are becoming narrow, because now they not only separate from the world, they separate themselves from their brothers and sisters who are Jews. They would say, “You are not good enough for us. We are the Association.”

To get into the Association, initiation would take from 30 days to a year. You would have to study before you make your final vow to be a member of The Association. They saw themselves as the godly among the ungodly. They saw themselves as the true people of God because of their obedience. To them everyone else was phony. When they met each other on the street they would say, “Shalom, neighbor.” This was because the Scripture said to love your “neighbor” as yourself. They said what that really means is that you would love all members of the Association as yourself. I can hate everyone else because they are not like us. We are the neighbors. We are The Association.

The pharisees, in their application of the law, were a classic sub-culture.
More concerned with interpersonal relationships and personal reward than real relationship with God.

[Nahum]

Originally Posted by tbpew

IMO, if we move toward this approach/conduct with each other as members of the body that God has annointed, unity in the Spirit will fully displace striving and the foolishness of comparing ourselves, one with another.

The Spirit will lead us in all truth pertaining to the motives that flow from our heart but I think these [principles or premises] will be level at which we share a uniformity, not in any particular set of specifics. How we act in response to the principles that God's Spirit has written within our hearts will be lived as our own set of "personal fences".

Then, each one of us, as individuals, will give account to our own master for what we understood when standing in the light of his Spirit illuminating his Word.

How in the world did I miss this post? Simply brilliant.

[Nahum]

Look at the illustration below and consider the following definitions:

"L" equals a "law from God."
"M" equals the "fence of meaning."
"R" equals the "fence of rabbinical rulings."
"C" equals the "fence of custom."

This approach to defining obedience to God begins with recognizing a law from God. Once God's Law has been determined, it must be protected (if necessary) by determining its meaning.

Then another layer of protection must be added by building another fence, wherein the rabbis made rulings on exceptional situations. Then another layer of protection must be added by building another fence around the Law that recognizes long-standing, approved custom.

Now look at the problem:
Sin is a violation of God's law. As fences are built, sin grows to include a fenced in area. Finally, sin is a violation of humanly determined meaning, of the rabbinical decisions, and of the customs--yet all these came from humans, not from God.

This creates unnecessary obstacles.

[SDG]

Well ... the bible says.... Dont cast your pearls befo' the swine ... Ima sit here, take some pride in my fences and watch the paint dry ....

[Nahum]

Originally Posted by Daniel Alicea

Well ... the bible says.... Dont cast your pearls befo' the swine ... Ima sit here, take some pride in my fences and watch the paint dry ....

I really thought I was posting something with substance on this thread.
Apparently not. Oh well.

[freeatlast]

Great posts pastor poster....it's good to see someone share their heart of hearts.

It's been @ 6 years ago for me that these "lights" started shedding illumination on these many fences we had constructed.

After 30 years of being an apostolic christian, I felt as if i was born again all over again , as God began to open my understanding to some things.

I pray you don't quench the Spirit as he leads and guides you.

[freeatlast]

The quote below is from a trinitarian who began to see the oneness of God many years ago. He had to break the chains of error by doing what is so difficult for us men to do...admit we have been wrong. Possibly admiting that some so esteemed as a mentor in our lives taught us scriptural error.
__________________________________________________ ____________

To break the chain of any error fastened on the mind almost from the beginning of its consciousness, to come out from habitual associations loved and revered, to separate one’s self from the faith of many centuries and stand up against the anathemas of hoary tradition, to encounter one’s own opinions proclaimed for many years to living and endeared assemblies and published to the world in one’s own admired books, to expose one’s self to a social atmosphere from which the accustomed sunshine is withdrawn and which it may never revisit—to do and endure all this in the fullness of one’s honors, and when the infirmities of age need the support of more than wonted kindness, requires a fervent love of truth, the full strength of conscience, and a deep persuasion of the approval of God.

[Nahum]

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