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Got this Email 'Sermon' today about how women should dress. And the email quoted 1 Tim Chapter 2 to substantiate that women should always dress decently.
My initial reaction is this: What is the accepted 'level' of decency? What do we mean by being decent?
Here is my reply:
Looking at 1 Tim 2 as a whole, I must add that a particular verse should be included
1Ti 2:8-9 Therefore, I desire the men to pray in every place, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting. (9) So also the women to adorn themselves in proper clothing, with modesty and sensibleness, not with plaiting, or gold, or pearls, or expensive garments,
Why apostle Paul tells women to dress decently is because Paul wants every man to lift up holy hands without doubting. In some translations 'doubting' is said to be in argument and be contentious. And my educated guess is that some men saw other men seeing their wives inappropriately dressed while prayer and thus responds in wrath. So Apostle Paul urges the women to wear something that do not cause discord while together in prayer.
I will base my comments further by using the following bible verse and I always use Literal version of the bible.
2Co 6:1-10 But working together, we also call on you not to receive the grace of God in vain. (2) For He says, "In an acceptable time I heard you, and in a day of salvation I helped you." Behold, now is the acceptable time! Behold, now is the day of salvation! Isa. 49:8 (3) We are not giving a cause of stumbling, in nothing, that the ministry may not be blamed, (4) but in everything commending ourselves as God's servants, in much patience, in afflictions, in emergencies, in difficulties, (5) in stripes, in imprisonments, in riots, in labors, in watchings, in fastings, (6) in pureness, in knowledge, in long-suffering, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in unfeigned love, (7) in the Word of truth, in the power of God, through the weapons of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, (8) through glory and dishonor, through evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; (9) as unknown, and yet well known, as dying, and yet, look, we live; as flogged, and yet not put to death; (10) as grieved, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet enriching many; as having nothing, yet possessing all things.
I would say in commenting about a certain Pastor's wife, we should also start reflecting on the attitude we hold while doing the commenting. Can anyone be thoroughly right or thoroughly wrong? Who can say for sure? Who are we to judge?
Joh 8:7 But as they continued questioning Him, bending back up, He said to them, The one among you without sin, let him cast the first stone at her.
Only Jesus can Judge righteously, in fairness and in truth.
But on the issues of clothing, I would say it is really a matter of taste, of culture. During Medieval times, the Anglo-saxon ladies of the time wear in such a way that their bosoms are exposed for all to see which is really much what we have now. Is that acceptable? Is that sinful?
Even right now, some quarters of the Muslim faith would rather cover the ladies in full that only allow a small window for the women to see. Is that acceptable? Is that sinful?
What I am saying here is that in all extremes there are things acceptable and unacceptable and it really depends on the circumstances and the culture one is really in. The verse that may really speaks of this incidence is as such
1Co 10:25-32 Eat everything being sold in a meat market, examining nothing because of conscience, (26) for "the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness of it." Psa. 24:1 (27) And if any of the unbelievers invite you, and you desire to go, eat everything set before you, examining nothing because of conscience. (28) But if anyone tells you, This is slain in sacrifice to idols, do not eat, because of that one pointing it out, and the conscience; for "the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness of it." Psa. 24:1 (29) But I say conscience, not that of himself, but that of the other. For why is my freedom judged by another's conscience? (30) But if I partake by grace, why am I evil spoken of because of that for which I give thanks? (31) Then whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all things to the glory of God. (32) Be without offense both to Jews and Greeks, and to the assembly of God.
What Paul is saying is that we can do all things, 'examining nothing because of conscience'. In other words, if people invite us to eat, to a party, don't worry so much and just eat but we should act upon the conscience of others which is an act of love. This is so that we should not stumble brothers and sisters.
In this respect, there is of course reasons to cast stones. But I must say that we should do all things to the glory of God. And to do the things of God, above all things is to love, and love is to forgive, to forgive is to be compassionate.
What's done is done. What's left is our attitude towards judgment and condemnation: and we should refrain from it because we neither have the wisdom, nor the capacity to learn everything to render our judgment to be just. What's more, what is unacceptable to us, is acceptable to many in other cultures.
In this respect, what the pastor's wife did is in the context of the event that she is in so she may have thought that going for such an event in the western context, wearing something slightly revealing and glamorous is acceptable behaviour. But what is considered to be too revealing? Do we expect people to go to a ball wearing t-shirt and jeans?
But if I am a Christian that says "It is not what the outside that matters most to God but it is the inside." We are accepted by God through Christ not on what we wear but what we believe in. Then for such a Christian, to condemn the act is not really worth the effort.
What i feel about the issue of clothing is as such: It is not what the woman wear (or did not wear) but what's important is how we see certain things. Does wearing or not wearing certain things speaks about the level of one's faith? Does wearing skimpy clothes cause men to be sexual predators? Who are we to say a naked person do not have any faith in Jesus? Does dressing oneself conservatively means that the woman in question does not sin?
Mat 5:28 But I say to you, Everyone looking at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
The onus that the Lord has put on is the 'looker', the one who sees the woman. Everyone and anyone can look at women, it is 'undressing' her in the mind that causes adultery in his heart. The Lord has thus implied that men have the faculty to undress the woman in his mind and heart, whether or not the woman is dressed or not is not the issue!
So the issue is really not how a woman dress, but how we should search our own hearts on why we are so judgmental over how women dresses.
If we blame women for our lust because of how they dress, then it implies that we have no control over our own desires. If we judge people on their faith because of the amount of cloth they have on their body, then it is really a case of self-righteousness. If Jesus is so disappointed about how Pharisees 'measure' their level of righteousness, we ought to be careful not to follow their footsteps.
As you can see from the arguments that the Lord through Paul and Himself is trying to address is that men, with lust, is the reason why Paul asked women to help the congregation by dressing appropriately. The problem is not with the women, the problem lies with the men.
If Jesus have judged us righteousness because we accepted Him as our Lord and Saviour, who are we to say who is saved or unsaved?
I implore that we should do all things through Christ and for His glory. Although we are in the world, we are not of this world. But to engage the world so that we can administer the Lord's love to this fallen world, is to do all things in and through His love. To judge people only serves to push them away from the Lord.
If the Lord do not judge the adulterous woman, but actually forgives her and empower her by giving her the trust she did not deserve by saying 'go and sin no more'. I think we who are in Christ should do likewise.
Shalom
Wilson
Friday, April 27, 2007
Thursday, April 26, 2007
The Bearean Has Does It Again: Eternal Salvation Not Possible?
One reason I subscribe to The Bearean is to see, how much wrong can a Christian website be when it comes to interpreting scriptures. This website is not a cult but sometimes it is their teachings that put fears into the believers and doubt their salvation!
The Highlight of Today: http://theberean.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Home.showBerean/BereanID/1255/Hebrews-10-26-31
And the key passage is this:
Heb 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins,
On first read one would readily think that he or she understood this passage as to say that Christians have the ability to lose their sacrifice for sins (thereby salvation) if we sin wilfully.
Now I want to really ask, does the Christian sin? Of course we do! Sometimes we sin without knowing and sometimes we sin wilfully because of our human flesh. And that's why we are so called 'Fallen from Grace'. But is Grace is sufficient for only those who upheld God's law of love or is it for everyone? We have to think about this really carefully because the wrong answer will lead to a wrong picture of God and His Son and about Their intention of salvation.
I can point to one verse that debunked what Brother Richard T. Ritenbaugh is trying to preach here and it comes from none other than Apostle Paul!
Rom 7:14-25 For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, having been sold under sin. (15) For what I work out, I do not know. For what I do not will, this I do. But what I hate, this I do. (16) But if I do what I do not will, I agree with the Law, that it is good. (17) But now I no longer work it out, but the sin dwelling in me. (18) For I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwells no good. For to will is present to me, but to work out the good I do not find. (19) For what good I desire, I do not do. But the evil I do not desire, this I do. (20) But if I do what I do not desire, it is no longer I working it out, but the sin dwelling in me. (21) I find then the law, when I desire to do the right, that evil is present with me. (22) For I delight in the Law of God according to the inward man; (23) but I see another law in my members having warred against the law of my mind, and taking me captive by the law of sin being in my members. (24) O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? (25) I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then I myself with the mind truly serve the Law of God, and with the flesh the law of sin.
What Apostle Paul wanted to say is simply this: We still reside in a body, a flesh of sin. We have a mind to do what God really wants to do and yet while we are still in this body, we still sin! Apostle says so much here, we still wilfully sin in this body even though we REALLY do not want to do it. So do we have any hope? Apostle Paul said it in His most wonder cry of frustration " O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
You know what? JESUS delivered Apostle Paul from the body of this death! JESUS has delivered ME, His Beloved from the body of this death! WE who are in CHRIST are NOW delivered from DEATH! We have salvation!
Now when we go back to the question of Grace, do you think we could ever fall beyond the reach of Grace?
Rom 5:6-8 for we yet being without strength, in due time Christ died for ungodly ones. (7) For with difficulty one will die for a just one, (for perhaps one even dares to die for the sake of the good one), (8) but God commends His love to us in this, that we being yet sinners, Christ died for us.
While we are sinners, Christ died for us so that we can receive salvation! Grace is over and abundantly sufficient for us so much so that Grace can actually reached us while we are sinners! If that is so, how in the world can we fall from grace?!?!
So when we go back to Hebrew, the question of whether we as believers wilfully sin or not is not an issue anymore because of the quality and the perfectness of Jesus' blood's ability to cleanse us!
So what is this particular verse is trying to teach?
I used the CEV to better illustrate this particular verse
Heb 10:26 No sacrifices can be made for people who decide to sin after they find out about the truth.
Question:
a) What is THE truth (not a truth or one of the truths, but the ONE and ONLY important truth in the Christian life) that this verse is talking about?
b) What kind of sacrifice that people cannot make once they sin after knowing the truth?
Answer
a) THE truth is this, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that everyone believing into Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (17) For God did not send His Son into the world that He might judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him (John" 3:16-17 )"
b) If we do not believe in THE Sacrifice, how can we use Jesus as the Sacrifice for OUR sins? If we cannot use this particular sacrifice, how in the world are we able to gain remission for our sins? That's why the sacrifice remain no more for us to use!
God is in the business of saving the world NOW, before He came back for good! If His blood is so 'weak' so much so that The Blood cannot cover the sins of the world or it can cover only for a period of time until we sin wilfully, then Jesus died in vain because His blood in this case would be not much better than sheep and goats!
However His blood cleanses us while we are sinners...that's how powerful it is! If it is that powerful do we dare to think otherwise that His Salvation is not eternal?
Brother Ritenbaugh, you have lots of explaining to do to the Lord because you do not believe in the saving power of Jesus and thus you are in danger of losing your salvation as based on your arguments. If you do, you would not have to convince people that there's no such thing as 'Eternal Security'. I beg to differ! Our Lord's cleansing blood is effectively throughout eternity from history till the end of eternity!
The Highlight of Today: http://theberean.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Home.showBerean/BereanID/1255/Hebrews-10-26-31
And the key passage is this:
Heb 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins,
On first read one would readily think that he or she understood this passage as to say that Christians have the ability to lose their sacrifice for sins (thereby salvation) if we sin wilfully.
Now I want to really ask, does the Christian sin? Of course we do! Sometimes we sin without knowing and sometimes we sin wilfully because of our human flesh. And that's why we are so called 'Fallen from Grace'. But is Grace is sufficient for only those who upheld God's law of love or is it for everyone? We have to think about this really carefully because the wrong answer will lead to a wrong picture of God and His Son and about Their intention of salvation.
I can point to one verse that debunked what Brother Richard T. Ritenbaugh is trying to preach here and it comes from none other than Apostle Paul!
Rom 7:14-25 For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am fleshly, having been sold under sin. (15) For what I work out, I do not know. For what I do not will, this I do. But what I hate, this I do. (16) But if I do what I do not will, I agree with the Law, that it is good. (17) But now I no longer work it out, but the sin dwelling in me. (18) For I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwells no good. For to will is present to me, but to work out the good I do not find. (19) For what good I desire, I do not do. But the evil I do not desire, this I do. (20) But if I do what I do not desire, it is no longer I working it out, but the sin dwelling in me. (21) I find then the law, when I desire to do the right, that evil is present with me. (22) For I delight in the Law of God according to the inward man; (23) but I see another law in my members having warred against the law of my mind, and taking me captive by the law of sin being in my members. (24) O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? (25) I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then I myself with the mind truly serve the Law of God, and with the flesh the law of sin.
What Apostle Paul wanted to say is simply this: We still reside in a body, a flesh of sin. We have a mind to do what God really wants to do and yet while we are still in this body, we still sin! Apostle says so much here, we still wilfully sin in this body even though we REALLY do not want to do it. So do we have any hope? Apostle Paul said it in His most wonder cry of frustration " O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
You know what? JESUS delivered Apostle Paul from the body of this death! JESUS has delivered ME, His Beloved from the body of this death! WE who are in CHRIST are NOW delivered from DEATH! We have salvation!
Now when we go back to the question of Grace, do you think we could ever fall beyond the reach of Grace?
Rom 5:6-8 for we yet being without strength, in due time Christ died for ungodly ones. (7) For with difficulty one will die for a just one, (for perhaps one even dares to die for the sake of the good one), (8) but God commends His love to us in this, that we being yet sinners, Christ died for us.
While we are sinners, Christ died for us so that we can receive salvation! Grace is over and abundantly sufficient for us so much so that Grace can actually reached us while we are sinners! If that is so, how in the world can we fall from grace?!?!
So when we go back to Hebrew, the question of whether we as believers wilfully sin or not is not an issue anymore because of the quality and the perfectness of Jesus' blood's ability to cleanse us!
So what is this particular verse is trying to teach?
I used the CEV to better illustrate this particular verse
Heb 10:26 No sacrifices can be made for people who decide to sin after they find out about the truth.
Question:
a) What is THE truth (not a truth or one of the truths, but the ONE and ONLY important truth in the Christian life) that this verse is talking about?
b) What kind of sacrifice that people cannot make once they sin after knowing the truth?
Answer
a) THE truth is this, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that everyone believing into Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (17) For God did not send His Son into the world that He might judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him (John" 3:16-17 )"
b) If we do not believe in THE Sacrifice, how can we use Jesus as the Sacrifice for OUR sins? If we cannot use this particular sacrifice, how in the world are we able to gain remission for our sins? That's why the sacrifice remain no more for us to use!
God is in the business of saving the world NOW, before He came back for good! If His blood is so 'weak' so much so that The Blood cannot cover the sins of the world or it can cover only for a period of time until we sin wilfully, then Jesus died in vain because His blood in this case would be not much better than sheep and goats!
However His blood cleanses us while we are sinners...that's how powerful it is! If it is that powerful do we dare to think otherwise that His Salvation is not eternal?
Brother Ritenbaugh, you have lots of explaining to do to the Lord because you do not believe in the saving power of Jesus and thus you are in danger of losing your salvation as based on your arguments. If you do, you would not have to convince people that there's no such thing as 'Eternal Security'. I beg to differ! Our Lord's cleansing blood is effectively throughout eternity from history till the end of eternity!
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
The Sign of the Jews
Received an email on a comic strip about the Holocaust that speaks of the remembrance of evil not for the vengeance but for the education of the young.
It really speaks through to me in view of Jeremiah 29:11 whereby God promised that who trusts in Him will have plans made by God that will not bring destruction but only good.
For I know the purposes which I am planning for you, says Jehovah; purposes of peace, and not for evil; to give you posterity and a hope.
(Jer 29:11)
The holocaust is not just evil, it is plain insanity. It has no peace and it gives people no hope. So how can God promise the people of Israel such hope and yet do not keep it?
The matter is settled by Jesus comments on the scribes and pharisees of His day
Mat 23:37-39 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one killing the prophets and stoning those sent to her. How often I desired to gather your children in the way a bird gathers her chicks under her wings! And you did not desire it. (38) Behold, "your house is left to you desolate." Jer. 22:5 (39) For I say to you, In no way shall you see Me from now on, until you say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord." Psa. 118:26
The promise of God in Jer 29:11 cannot come through UNLESS we put ourselves under the wings of God through the blood of Jesus. Only with Jesus, can we get shalom peace as promised. As a hen protects its chicks under its wings, so will the Lord protects those who are with Him.
Imagine Jerusalem receives Christ as the saviour, what kind of world would we live now? But that is the past, as with the Holocaust. But as with the Holocaust, we must not forget and those who choose to forget, are choosing to go against the God of Israel.
It is my opinion that I see that the threat to Israel now is very very real. From the talks of the the validity of the Holocaust to the manufacturing of radioactive plutonium, this is just the sword rattling in the sheath. But as Jesus has predicted in Matt 24, the time that He has described, is eerily similar to the circumstances that we are in now. Not to mention the Prophecy of Daniel.
As the prophecy of the Bible has prove itself to be accurate to the point that disputing it as mere coincidences is as good as deluding oneself. Why is that so? Well, we do not need to prove the authenticity of the book of Daniel through carbon dating, we just need to see this verse and then it is very clear to us
Dan 12:4 But you, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, to the end time. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
Just look at these portion of the verse "Many shall run to and fro" & "Knowledge shall be increased". If we look at the time of Daniel, how long would an army of Nebuchadnezzar need to cross from the middle east to Europe? Comparing to how fast the United States army shifting its army to the middle east, do you think that Daniel can even comprehend this?
It is only in the last century that we see air travel so widely used and even more so with the budget airlines.
Need I go on talking about the increased in knowledge? In the time of Daniel, they are still relying on soothsayers. The very fact that I am writing this blog now instead of writing this in my journal is a testament to the increase in knowledge that brings about dramatic changes in the sharing and learning of knowledge.
If I go by the belief that the Old and New Testaments are the infallible Word of God, I can only conclude this: Israel will be attacked and the Holocaust would repeat itself, not because the world forgets but because this world wants to remember how it messed up by not following the 'final solution' to its end.
I am no anti-semitic and I do have Jewish acquaintances and have no issues chatting and being friends with them. However this world has an almost inhumane and insatiable thirst of seeing Israel bleed to its death and it is really beyond human understanding why this is so. It can be easily concluded that evil supernatural influences are behind such actions. So how come not it is not 'good' supernatural influences?
Remember that a person is not to murder another one because humans are the image of God, then 'destroying' anyone, not just Jews, is going against the notion of being 'good'. So if it is not 'good' then it has to be 'bad' or 'evil'.
The world that we live in thrives on finding anything just to prove that we are superior. If we can find ourselves being more powerful, wealthier and put down others than we are better and we 'feel' better. Considering that the Jews has being blessed with the smartest people (they won the most Nobel prizes) and with the most money, they must be brought down so that we can better them.
In the end, we are like ants in the middle of a frying pan who tried to out do each other but never realise the pan is heating up (and the Earth has more earthquakes now...Just as Jesus predicted).
Time to wake up, raise our eyes and look for Jesus' return. Israel better heed Jesus' calls to allow Him to put His wings over Jerusalem sooner rather than later....but we all know, Israel has to suffer a huge catastrophe one more time. Huge as in losing the land of Israel....
Pray that while the church is with her Husband in heaven during a period of huge chaos, humanity can turn to the one whose wings are big enough for the whole universe.
It really speaks through to me in view of Jeremiah 29:11 whereby God promised that who trusts in Him will have plans made by God that will not bring destruction but only good.
For I know the purposes which I am planning for you, says Jehovah; purposes of peace, and not for evil; to give you posterity and a hope.
(Jer 29:11)
The holocaust is not just evil, it is plain insanity. It has no peace and it gives people no hope. So how can God promise the people of Israel such hope and yet do not keep it?
The matter is settled by Jesus comments on the scribes and pharisees of His day
Mat 23:37-39 Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one killing the prophets and stoning those sent to her. How often I desired to gather your children in the way a bird gathers her chicks under her wings! And you did not desire it. (38) Behold, "your house is left to you desolate." Jer. 22:5 (39) For I say to you, In no way shall you see Me from now on, until you say, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord." Psa. 118:26
The promise of God in Jer 29:11 cannot come through UNLESS we put ourselves under the wings of God through the blood of Jesus. Only with Jesus, can we get shalom peace as promised. As a hen protects its chicks under its wings, so will the Lord protects those who are with Him.
Imagine Jerusalem receives Christ as the saviour, what kind of world would we live now? But that is the past, as with the Holocaust. But as with the Holocaust, we must not forget and those who choose to forget, are choosing to go against the God of Israel.
It is my opinion that I see that the threat to Israel now is very very real. From the talks of the the validity of the Holocaust to the manufacturing of radioactive plutonium, this is just the sword rattling in the sheath. But as Jesus has predicted in Matt 24, the time that He has described, is eerily similar to the circumstances that we are in now. Not to mention the Prophecy of Daniel.
As the prophecy of the Bible has prove itself to be accurate to the point that disputing it as mere coincidences is as good as deluding oneself. Why is that so? Well, we do not need to prove the authenticity of the book of Daniel through carbon dating, we just need to see this verse and then it is very clear to us
Dan 12:4 But you, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, to the end time. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.
Just look at these portion of the verse "Many shall run to and fro" & "Knowledge shall be increased". If we look at the time of Daniel, how long would an army of Nebuchadnezzar need to cross from the middle east to Europe? Comparing to how fast the United States army shifting its army to the middle east, do you think that Daniel can even comprehend this?
It is only in the last century that we see air travel so widely used and even more so with the budget airlines.
Need I go on talking about the increased in knowledge? In the time of Daniel, they are still relying on soothsayers. The very fact that I am writing this blog now instead of writing this in my journal is a testament to the increase in knowledge that brings about dramatic changes in the sharing and learning of knowledge.
If I go by the belief that the Old and New Testaments are the infallible Word of God, I can only conclude this: Israel will be attacked and the Holocaust would repeat itself, not because the world forgets but because this world wants to remember how it messed up by not following the 'final solution' to its end.
I am no anti-semitic and I do have Jewish acquaintances and have no issues chatting and being friends with them. However this world has an almost inhumane and insatiable thirst of seeing Israel bleed to its death and it is really beyond human understanding why this is so. It can be easily concluded that evil supernatural influences are behind such actions. So how come not it is not 'good' supernatural influences?
Remember that a person is not to murder another one because humans are the image of God, then 'destroying' anyone, not just Jews, is going against the notion of being 'good'. So if it is not 'good' then it has to be 'bad' or 'evil'.
The world that we live in thrives on finding anything just to prove that we are superior. If we can find ourselves being more powerful, wealthier and put down others than we are better and we 'feel' better. Considering that the Jews has being blessed with the smartest people (they won the most Nobel prizes) and with the most money, they must be brought down so that we can better them.
In the end, we are like ants in the middle of a frying pan who tried to out do each other but never realise the pan is heating up (and the Earth has more earthquakes now...Just as Jesus predicted).
Time to wake up, raise our eyes and look for Jesus' return. Israel better heed Jesus' calls to allow Him to put His wings over Jerusalem sooner rather than later....but we all know, Israel has to suffer a huge catastrophe one more time. Huge as in losing the land of Israel....
Pray that while the church is with her Husband in heaven during a period of huge chaos, humanity can turn to the one whose wings are big enough for the whole universe.
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