Friday, February 22, 2002

 

 

Dear Family:

 

Yesterday a priest was convicted and sentenced for molesting children while in the priesthood. The majority of the debates I have heard regarding this matter have been about the effect this will have on the church. My feelings are this: this man's actions are not actions sanctioned by God, the church or Christians. While this man wears a robe and the title priest, I feel certain he is not a part of the priestly generation as outlined by Peter or Paul.

 

The media seems to be unaware that while the word "catholic" means universal it is not representative of the total body of believers, which is the true definition of the Church. Membership into a local denominational church does not mean the individual is a member of the actual body of true believers (church).  So, who is a member of the true church and how do you become a member?  John 1:12-13 holds the key.

 

John 1:12-13 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (KJV)

John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (KJV)

 

We are told that Christians are brothers and sisters of Christ by adoption. To be a member of the true church is to be a son or daughter of God by this adoption. God chooses us to become his sons and daughters and we in turn have the choice to accept the adoption or not.  If we accept we become members of the church whereas if we reject the offer we are not members.

 

John 4:23-24 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (KJV)

 

The whole Christian experience is spiritual. We must be born again spiritually. When we are born spiritually we are given the light of understanding of spiritual things. While no one knows what is in the heart of another man we can know to some degree by his actions. 

 

John 3:19-21 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. (KJV)

Matt 12:35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. (KJV)

   

John 8:47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. (KJV)

John 14:23-24 Jesus answered and said to him, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. "He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father's who sent Me. (NKJ)

 

It is pretty clear that even we can tell, to some degree, whether or not someone is a Christian. We look at their lives and if there is evidence that they are Christians we assume that they are in fact Christian. If on the other hand we look and find no evidence that they are Christian we can then make the assumption that they are not a Christian.  The bible refers to this evidence as fruit. There is either fruit of the flesh or fruit of the spirit.

 

Gal 5:19-23 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.    But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (KJV)

 

We do not have to work at bearing fruit of the flesh. We inherited these traits from Adam and Eve. These are normal and natural to the natural man. While this civilized society may find some or all these traits distasteful and objectionable, they become more and more acceptable or tolerable through exposure to them.

 

The spiritual is considerably different. As we spend time in study, prayer and meditation we grow spiritually and begin to produce the fruit of the spirit. Just as the fruit of the flesh is natural to the flesh so is the fruit of the spirit natural to the spiritual. God set up nature by laws. We most commonly recognize certain laws of nature such as:

            Everything that goes up must come down is the law of gravity.

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction - law of propulsion.

32 degrees Fahrenheit is freezing.

212 degrees Fahrenheit is boiling.

X# calories = one pound of fat.

Heat rises.

Oil is lighter than water.

Blood is thicker than water.

Here is a good one. Actions speak louder than words.

Try this one. Anything you ask in Christ's name believing you shall receive.

 

These are all the greatest:

John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (KJV)

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (KJV)

Josh 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. (KJV)

Ps 119: 9&11 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word… Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.(KJV)

 

These are laws of the spirit and are just as real as the laws we call the laws of nature. They are all personal between God and the individual. God is interested in our personal relationship with him. You see there is another law, which applies to the way we live;

 

Prov 16:7 When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. (KJV)

 

And we wonder why we have turmoil and unrest in the world; our ways are not pleasing to God. God is interested in the individual. Only when we as individuals have an acceptable, wholesome relationship with God can we have a wholesome relationship with one another. Christ said all the law could be summed up in this, that we love our neighbor as we love our self. When you really stop, think and meditate on this one statement you can see how true it is. Pick your best and/or worst neighbor and see how your actions measure up to this one standard. We cannot do this of ourselves it can only come from Christ living through us. Christ can only live through us as we come to know him and love him. We call him lord. Lord equals master and therefore we are slaves but in a different sense than we normally think of. A computer hard drive is the master and everything else is slave. A tree is master and the limbs are slaves. A vine is master and branches are slaves. The body is master and the arms, legs, eyes, ears and mouth are slaves. Christ is master and we are slave. Because he is spiritual he must have physical to carry out His wishes in the physical. We can serve him or we can be master to our own desires and serve ourselves or Satan. Which is it?  Are you master or slave? 

 

 

Phil 2:3-8 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. (KJV)

 

1 Cor 8:13 Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend. (KJV)

 

1 Cor 10:31 Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. (KJV)

 

Paul said we are to consider other's feelings more important than our own. Further, we as Christians should not do anything that would cause a fellow Christian or anyone else to be offended. Therefore I must abstain from those activities which offend others and do not bring glory to God. It does not mean that I am to conform to the world. It is referring to our relationship with other Christians. God's remedy is that we ask anyone offended by our actions to forgive us. While these verses refer to Christian relationships it can be assumed that God would have us do nothing that would not bring glory to him in the eyes even of those outside the faith. It requires a disciplined mind set and life style.