'If we say that we have no sin.....
Submitted by Forgiven on February 17 2001 12:47:23
In reply to For Forgiven submitted by Bach on February 16 2001 11:10:31
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we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us; if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness" I John 1 v8 'What do I have with judging outsiders.... drive out the wicked person from among you' I Cor 5 v13 See also the parable of the wheat and the tares; the problem is that this parable is often used (as by a bishop of my acquaintance in a sermon I heard) as a justification for refusing to be judgemental within the church - when it is explicit in the interpretation that Jesus gives that the field is the WORLD. The irony is that the modern church does the exact opposite - in its 'prophetic' rantings, it condemns the world for its commercial exploitation etc. etc. but fails to challenge the wrong things within its own ranks. And then there is the BL angle; we are the lowest of the low for the average person in the community today, and this attitude inevitably seeps into the church. If we are indeed living a life worthy of our Lord, then we have as much right to be accepted as anyone else. Of course in practice this seldom happens, and few of us are going to test the quality of our fellowships by finding out if they really practice what they preach.... But it is because we care about our brothers and sisters within the church that we are prepared to challenge and confront them - it should not be out a desire for 'purity in the church' but because they are liable to miss out on their inheritance in the Kingdom of God if they persist in such things. |
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