Thank you Father for Your Holy Spirit, without whom we cannot know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, without whom we cannot know You.
For me, this subject really started hitting home this past week (end of July 2010), regarding the story of the girl in the phone store “witnessing” to the man that was going to rob the store.
thelatterdays.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=news&action=display&thread=349I originally posted that comment on another site, which by whatever means, was ultimately censored:
exministries.wordpress.com/2010/07/30/what-would-you-do-in-this-situation-mmm/As I was reading other’s comments, I noticed the pattern of thinking that essentially equates to – well, we’re just sinners – but there’s POWER in Jesus’ name. Here’s a good example:
“
...she did say “BS” to the man, that is true, but does this really ruin the entire witnessing of JESUS this lady did? Does it take away from the power of GOD permeating the room? It’s nice to be able to have the testimony that you do not curse, it is to be desired because the world does expect a Christian to be “perfect”, but that is an unrealistic expectation. There are no sinless Christians, just Christians that desire to sin less. I’ll bet that woman didn’t realize she cursed. To me, it shows a great picture of how GOD can use us in spite of what we do and say. HE never expected us to be perfect, that’s why HE sent JESUS. She did more to witness to this man in 5 minutes than most of us have done in several years, if we are honest.”
Most of that statement is hogwash. What’s true is that the girl didn’t realize she cursed because it’s still in her nature to curse.
I can’t be grounded on a motto of “I’m not perfect, but the Gospel I preach is!”. That is a shame. It wouldn’t be much different to say “I’m PERFECT, just like the Gospel I preach!”. And that shouldn’t be the case when we consider Jesus – He tells us to learn of him and be meek and lowly so we can have rest for our souls, not loud and proud, which will obviously lead to a tormented soul. While we are alive in this present, evil age we will still be laden with external and internal results or manifestations of the fallen nature (around us and in us). I’m sure Jesus himself busted up some fingernails with a hammer and took some nasty slivers in his hands from those years of being a carpenter. Those would be examples of an external manifestation of the fallen nature, and many times the result of a demonic conspiracy being played out in an attempt to thwart us into falling to temptation. An internal manifestation would be sickness or disease, which would be something propagated through the blood – and I would venture to say that Jesus probably was not afflicted in this way. We’re different in that sense because we are not God. We’ll still have to deal with this until the time of the “twinkling of an eye”, when our bodies and lives are cut-over to the new model, but like Jesus we learn obedience through the things we suffer.
What the man is teaching in this video is correct! We just don’t believe it – or perhaps better stated – we are really only just now starting to believe it. That would make sense as we are culminating this present, evil age which is brought about by the FULL REVELATION of Jesus Christ.
How can we be undergoing a transforming process without being transformed into something (i.e., a finished product)? If I’m being converted, I must be getting converted from one thing to another, right? If God says to you and me “Be Ye Holy, As I Am Holy”, how or why would anyone want to stay stuck in a quagmire of “we’re just sinners saved by grace”. And in fact, anyone that does that, does NOT abide by His Word and is a rebel. What it really boils down to is men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil.
Here’s a real significant statement from the Bible right here:
“Repent ye therefore, and be converted,
that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.” –
Acts 3:19The reason for someone not being converted, not being completed, not being perfected is because they haven’t fully repented and thrown themselves on the altar as a sacrifice to the Lord. I for one can’t walk with anyone who says there’s no sinless Christian, even if they add “just Christians who desire to sin less”. And by the way, it should be no wonder the direction people will follow when you see a minister/leader/ministry (G. Craig Lewis/EX Ministries) associate himself with a known false minister/ministry (Fred Price). That in and of itself is a sin, because you're rebellion against God's Word by associating yourself with someone that is a false teacher (2nd John 1:10). And I'm not slandering anyone here - just telling the truth.
The tremendous mercy of God is that we do (STILL by grace) have an advocate in Jesus Christ if we do sin (“IF any man sins…” –
1st John 2:1). The blotting out of the sins is predicated on us repenting if we sin.
This teaching alone might just be at the top of the list of “reasons to kill a Christian” for preaching – let alone the main reason for killing a Christian, which will be for demonstrating the power of God – which will follow the Word preached.
Some scriptures I was mulling over this week on the subject:
So whoever keeps His Word – the love of God will be perfected…and: How can we “walk, even as Jesus walked” if Jesus was “sinless”? –
1st John 2:1-6Follow in Jesus’ steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. –
1st Peter 2:21-25“
It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?” –
Matthew 10:25Obviously, more should be said on the matter - because it's true.
We need to come up the standard and Jesus Christ is that standard. Why should we settle for anything thing less - when He has in fact offered it to us to receive. Thank You Jesus!!!