The social club that many people belong to, known as the “Church,” has a few unwritten rules. The top rule and most important to remember, if you want to keep your membership active, is to never touch on the sins of other members, even incidentally. It is quite okay to enumerate the sins of those who are outside the circle, but never, I say never, touch on the sins of the sanctified. It is okay to correct doctrine or to give insight on those kinds of things, but the Holy Grail of life in the trench, where that doctrine is applicable to everyday matters, where the rubber meets the road, like drinking alcohol, sex, and entertainment is taboo and off limits. The picture of purity must remain untarnished; the portrait of perfection must remain unmolested.
On the internet we never know the lifestyles of those we associate with unless that life is shared through personal pictures or word slips; we can only assume they are living the life they profess, and that they lead others to believe they live. Occasionally, we can get a glimpse of that life through certain reactions to posts that hit nerves and generate reactionary strikes. I know this is true because of my own reactions to disagreeable posts and those I have gotten from others who I have offended. I fully expect and mostly appreciate reactions concerning things dealing with the truth of Biblical doctrine, and I am proven wrong on occasions, and have had to tweak my understanding. Truthfully, I do even appreciate it when a post to the group causes uneasiness and shines light where I thought my sins were safely hidden.
The Prophets of old were constantly accused of bigotry, prejudice, intolerance, anger, and narrow-mindedness because they were unbiased in their message and pricked the tender consciences, and integrity of those who believed they were untouchable and enclosed in some impenetrable bubble of safety. Those inhabitants of such bubble societies, like the Pharisees who scorned the light of Christ, exist today in the Church and on the internet and are living nice untarnished and secluded lives, and raise their heads only when their sanctimonious self-satisfied lives are exposed to the heat of truth that touches them personally. All such things mentioned by the prophets, as living a pure life away from such things as the world deems necessary, are considered by the club to be legalistic and puritanical, and lack the freedom of use they suppose they have been granted in Christ. These people when confronted with such prophetic utterances of purity and plainness, simplicity and humility, loving their enemies and turning the other cheek, and putting away the sword and leaving vengeance to God, apply either of two favorite magical verses from the Bible: “I am in the world but not of the world,” or “Touch not God’s anointed.” With these two verse, and maybe some others, Christians are allowed to follow Christ in word only and not in deed; and this is the message that the whole world receives from the pulpit and from witnessing the lives of Christ’s followers.
You may be thinking, “Wow, what a way to end the year Steve, so vindictive, so mean-spirited.” No, this is only the beginning of a very turbulent year to come for all people, Christians too. When Christ came He came neither to change the world nor to legitimize it, He came to call the lost, who are engrossed in the world, to escape while there is still time. This is the day of salvation, all signs are pointing to the end of time, just as the Christian Bible has repeatedly spoken of.
When Christ came He came neither to change the world nor to legitimize it, He came to save souls, to call the lost who are engrossed in the world, to escape while there is still time, and to call out the slackers who use their freedom to indulge the world. This is the day of salvation, all signs are pointing to the end of time, just as the Christian Bible has repeatedly spoken of.
Christians are sleeping and the world is blind; what more can be said than has already been said. It is time to believe the writings of the Prophets.
4 replies on “The Social Club and Society”
Praise be to God as it seems that todays young people are less willing to to buy the lies of the establishment on a variety of different subjects. Although this also means, in many cases, that they reject a hollow profession of faith offered by previous generations they may very well be receptive to the genuine, non-violent, loving, gospel of our Lord Jesus.
Truly we are fast approaching the day of the Lord. As I continue to contend for the faith with “believers” deceived by America’s gospel of patriotism I am evermore impressed by their unwillingness to acknowledge America’s heavy handed use of deadly force to maintain her position of dominence on the world stage. America the first to bring the unwarrented use of neucular weapons to the world stage in Japan, followed by the unprecedented use of conventional weaponry in Vietnam, resulting in the death of millions, currently is keen on the genocidal use of depleted urnanium weaponry most recently in the Balkans and Iraq. All this from an industrial military complex disquised as the government of the “freedom loving” people of the United States.
Steve, once again you have managed to find words to express what is evidently too profound for the multitude to perceive. I resonate particularly with:
“All such things mentioned by the prophets, as living a pure life away from such things as the world deems necessary, are considered by the club to be legalistic and puritanical, and lack the freedom of use they suppose they have been granted in Christ.”
Like you, I do not anticipate 2017 to be smooth sailing. It is always encouraging to know that there are other sojourners who have set their faces like flint to ride out the storm…
David
David,
Good to hear from you. It appears from all my Bible reading that”The time has come” and that the prophets are tying up loose ends for the final curtain.
Too many Christians are on the bandwagon with Trump and I fear for their safety; our hope is still, as it has always been, in the Lord. If He brings His people into tribulation then He will deliver them from tribulation; He is the only Rope we hold on to.
Keep looking up for our redemption draweth nigh,
Steve