tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057350761762975478.post2651849546650927129..comments2023-05-03T09:40:55.543-05:00Comments on Stand in the Gap: Stand for True Righteousness, Part 3Baptist History Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09365590895853951568noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057350761762975478.post-6994933038394017802009-10-14T23:16:36.606-05:002009-10-14T23:16:36.606-05:00I heard something a long time ago and I can't ...I heard something a long time ago and I can't remember where, but it went something like this: <br />legalism is what you do to look right to people, holiness is what you do to be right with God <br /><br />The biblical illiteracy may contribute to the lack of church discipline. Many people don't even know what that is or how it works.<br /><br />15"If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother.<br /> 16"But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. <br /> 17"If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector."<br /><br />also we find it hard to agree on what the higher standard isJosephhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13143735620446373366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057350761762975478.post-53856977299532261982009-10-14T17:43:24.166-05:002009-10-14T17:43:24.166-05:00Balancing grace and obedience is always a challeng...Balancing grace and obedience is always a challenge. What is legalism in one person's eyes is simple obedience. How do you determine what is and isn't legalism in that case? First, I think you look at what are the absolute, non-negotiables in God's word. Certain things the Bible says you shall "not" do (murder, steal, commit adultery, etc.). Then there are things you "shall do" (love the Lord your God, love your neighbor as yourself, etc.). OT commandments must be interpreted in light of NT applications, too (i.e., the Sabbath regulations). Then there are those things that may or may not cause stumbling (Romans 14). Oddly enough from our perspective, it is the legalist who is the "weaker" brother there. The legalist makes scruples about things that are secondary issues (eating meat, drinking wine, etc.). <br /><br />It is because the Church today is so biblically illiterate that we even have to have this kind of discussion today. We don't read the Bible canonically, that is, in the context of itself. We proof-text here and there without regard to context. The Puritans used to say that "a text without a context is pretext." By that they meant that to ignore the context of a passage in Scripture was to create a pretext for saying whatever you wanted. The Puritans (and early Baptists) believed the best way to interpret Scripture was by Scripture. Use the clearer passages to help in understanding the more difficult ones.<br /><br />On the issue of addressing sin in the church, that is why the role of church discipline is so vital. The world knows we're supposed to live by a higher standard, but we don't hold ourselves to it, and they rightly accuse us of hypocrisy for it. Church discipline is an aid to sanctification for the true believer and a means of pointing the false believer to Christ for salvation by dashing his/her false hopes to the ground. The point is to do it in a loving and humble way, not in a hateful or high and mighty way.Baptist History Guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09365590895853951568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057350761762975478.post-25173703723507542422009-10-14T15:51:37.265-05:002009-10-14T15:51:37.265-05:00I completely agree with you. My only "point?&...I completely agree with you. My only "point?" is about the last paragraph. It is very hard to "stand for righteousness" and be truthful about the immorality of some of the things our fellow Christians are doing. Many times doing this is followed with a label of legalism. I think one of the results of this is the lawlessness that is so pervasive in our churches.cradle rockerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16513008890927093678noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057350761762975478.post-53644920532277883362009-10-14T15:38:51.043-05:002009-10-14T15:38:51.043-05:00Well, Paul there is dealing with the righteousness...Well, Paul there is dealing with the righteousness required for salvation, what some call "vertical" righteousness, our right standing and right relationship with God. The Father "made Him (Christ) to be sin," or imputed to him our sin and executed the punishment that we should have experienced on Christ. The counter-point to that is that "we might become the righteousness of God in Him (Christ)." That is, by virtue of our union with Christ God no longer sees our sin but the complete and perfect righteousness of Christ, which is imputed, or credited to us, by faith (Rom 5: 1). As a result we need no longer fear his condemnation (Rom 8:1) because we have been justified by faith before God's holy tribunal.<br /><br />That doesn't relieve us of the responsibility to live a righteous life before the word (horizontal righteousness). On the contrary, it increases our obligation because we now have the indwelling Spirit empower and willing in us to live that holy, righteous life. A life of right living toward others is one of the key distinguishing marks of being in a genuine state of righteousness before God.Baptist History Guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09365590895853951568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4057350761762975478.post-10586144384038817792009-10-14T10:48:48.990-05:002009-10-14T10:48:48.990-05:00what is your view on 2 Cor 5:21? It was a big sc...what is your view on 2 Cor 5:21? It was a big scripture in the wof movement.john johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14720316945267930961noreply@blogger.com