Jesus can be our Rock, upon which we can rest our heads, but that doesn't mean that in our walk we should behave as muppets - God teaches the responsibility of believers, to admonish, correct, teach, witness, and fellowship. All of which require us to do things in a certain way - God's way, of course, not our own. Some of them are hard and cause divisions, but the Lord has already told us this would happen.
"Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law." - Luke 12:51-53
And by what manner will they be divided?
"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." - Hebrews 4:12
The Word of God is what divides people, even in the Christian community. For not all are who they claim to be. In my walk I have seen that the majority of believers like to talk about the gentle stuff, but not the hard stuff. They would rather pacify people with Care Bear Christianity instead of preaching anything difficult and risk any toes to be stepped on.
For example, if I were to start talking about God's Word on the matter of women in ministry, this would usually not go over very well. Why? Well, that's easy. In this day and age many women have already given themselves this position of authority in the church, even though there is no precedence for it in God's Word. So naturally it's not surprising such women would not want to hear anyone telling them that the role of authority was given to men only.
Or lets say I start talking about homosexuality, which doesn't always go over well either. That's simply because of the same thing - people don't want to hear the truth, they want to hear the soft message, that its ok to be homosexual and saved at the same time. Which, of course, we know isn't true, according to God.
If you are gay and you truly believe upon the Lord (by the hearing of God's Word) and then receive the Holy Spirit - it is the Spirit living in you who will convict you that this kind of lifestyle is wrong. And you will ask for forgiveness and repent of it, and you will be transformed. Because, you see, it's always the same process with God; faith, belief, salvation, transformation. You cannot have just one or two of those, you need to have them all.
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." - Romans 12:2
By the making new; the changing into the views and feelings of God. The Christian is often represented as a new creature. If you truly are born again, you will be a whole new person. You will not want the soft message, because the Spirit living in you will desire the real meat of God's Word - both the hard and the soft.
Amen.
"Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law." - Luke 12:51-53
And by what manner will they be divided?
"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." - Hebrews 4:12
The Word of God is what divides people, even in the Christian community. For not all are who they claim to be. In my walk I have seen that the majority of believers like to talk about the gentle stuff, but not the hard stuff. They would rather pacify people with Care Bear Christianity instead of preaching anything difficult and risk any toes to be stepped on.
For example, if I were to start talking about God's Word on the matter of women in ministry, this would usually not go over very well. Why? Well, that's easy. In this day and age many women have already given themselves this position of authority in the church, even though there is no precedence for it in God's Word. So naturally it's not surprising such women would not want to hear anyone telling them that the role of authority was given to men only.
Or lets say I start talking about homosexuality, which doesn't always go over well either. That's simply because of the same thing - people don't want to hear the truth, they want to hear the soft message, that its ok to be homosexual and saved at the same time. Which, of course, we know isn't true, according to God.
If you are gay and you truly believe upon the Lord (by the hearing of God's Word) and then receive the Holy Spirit - it is the Spirit living in you who will convict you that this kind of lifestyle is wrong. And you will ask for forgiveness and repent of it, and you will be transformed. Because, you see, it's always the same process with God; faith, belief, salvation, transformation. You cannot have just one or two of those, you need to have them all.
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." - Romans 12:2
By the making new; the changing into the views and feelings of God. The Christian is often represented as a new creature. If you truly are born again, you will be a whole new person. You will not want the soft message, because the Spirit living in you will desire the real meat of God's Word - both the hard and the soft.
Amen.
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