tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594466655926701168.post7218346819571290263..comments2024-01-20T06:33:12.603-08:00Comments on Created to Give God Glory: Are You Getting along with Others?Created to Give God Gloryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17298394573836878999noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594466655926701168.post-35786081667210628702014-03-23T00:36:19.144-07:002014-03-23T00:36:19.144-07:00My apology, the last line of the 2nd last para. in...My apology, the last line of the 2nd last para. inevitably has a "NOT" missing; it should read, "it does NOT include he or we can be joining others in unrighteousness to achieve an end.<br /><br />Anthonyhigh.expressions (Anthony Chia)https://www.blogger.com/profile/15796568536820239102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594466655926701168.post-9599464225772152152014-03-22T08:10:50.295-07:002014-03-22T08:10:50.295-07:00Cont. From above
The word, fellowship, translated...Cont. From above<br /><br />The word, fellowship, translated from the Greek word, koinōnia (G2842) has in it the element of participation; it is not merely sharing some conversation or having a meal together. Ps Prentis said light is symbolic of truth; that way of saying, I can accept, although, I personally would say light represented holinesses, and so, righteousness is implied. Only those who hold to truth can fellowship in truth! Or those who hold to righteousness can fellowship in righteousness! God is truth and God is righteousness, and we have to be people who hold to truth or righteousness to fellowship with God and with one another; remembering now that fellowship implied doing together or participating jointly.<br /><br />We cannot be a vessel unhindering to God, if we do NOT hold to truth or righteousness, for, for fellowship with God it means you participate with God, in God's agenda. Similarly, for fellowship with one another in the light or truth or righteousness or holiness, we participate with each other in a common agenda, and that agenda, would also be one meeting God's approval. We need to understand what fellowship is; NOT understanding it, and going either extreme is NOT pleasing to God. <br /><br />One extreme was exhibited by the Orthodox Jews at the apostle-disciples era, where the Jews would NOT even eat at the same table as the Gentiles, often even when the Gentiles were already believers. The apostle Paul chided the apostle Peter when the latter "chickened" out eating with Gentile believers. We are NOT asked by Scripture to interact NOT, with non-believers or believers who have sinned; we are only NOT to be unequally yoked or we are to watch our dealings with them. If we interact NOT, with these, how are we to reach out to them, either to help them into salvation or help them to turn from the error of their ways.<br /><br />The other extreme is about we are NOT to participate in what those NOT walking in the light are doing. If you have got my drift, those NOT walking in the light, include non-believers and believers NOT in pursuit of right living. Again, I am NOT saying you cannot chat with them, have meals with them and care for them, it is you are NOT to have fellowship with them. It is NOT uncommon that believers failed to see this, and got themselves into trouble. For example, we do NOT join in and peddle drugs so that we could turn drug peddlers from the error of their ways, regardless they are believers or NOT. One may say this is obvious, but I have seen even pastors making error in this area. No matter how one interprets the apostle Paul's words of, he would be "all things to all people so that by all possible means he might save some." (Fr 1 Cor 9:22), it does include he or we can be joining others in unrighteousness to achieve an end.<br /><br />Are you getting along with others? Well, I only want view it from the standpoint of the Light. If you are in the light, I must get along with you; if you are NOT, I should NOT be with you in what you are doing, that is one thing for sure.<br /><br />Anthony Chia, high.expressionshigh.expressions (Anthony Chia)https://www.blogger.com/profile/15796568536820239102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4594466655926701168.post-23158301794257867232014-03-22T08:09:41.294-07:002014-03-22T08:09:41.294-07:00It is refreshing that you use this text to focus o...It is refreshing that you use this text to focus on fellowship with one another. Commonly, and even for myself who write frequently on this text, the theme centered around whether or not 1 John 1:9 is speaking to believers, that everyone, including believers, is to confess to God his sins that he has committed and God to forgive him and cleanse him of all his unrighteousness. <br /><br />Obviously, that you use it on your flock, you are of the same view that it covers the believers. The overly grace believers are being taught that they should NOT do that - do what 1 John 1:9 said to do; their belief is that it is meant for the non-believers, when they come into salvation that they do that, 1John 1:9. Thereafter, according to their leaders, God has already forgiven the believer, at the point of entry into salvation, all his sins, past, present AND FUTURE!, and so, doing that would be profaning the blood of The Lord. I of course believe this is an incorrect core theology to teach to believers.<br /><br />Imagine there is a judge, and he has a son, and his son would beat other boys up, and the judge turns a blind eye to the behavior of his son, condoning him to do as he pleases. Now, this is even when those who were innocently beaten have petitioned to the judge. Just because the father is the judge, the son does NOT need to, in reality, be living righteous? Can anyhow beat up people, including the judge's other sons and daughters, and NOT have to know that he is wrong, and need to grow to be of good character. That the father is of good character is enough?! If indeed, the judge carries himself that way, condoning and turning a blind eye to the misdeeds of this son of his, is he really of good character?! Is there NOT such an insinuation that the judge is NOT good? Does God NOT care about His name? Moses, for one knew that such insinuations are NOT acceptable to God. This metaphor is just one way to illustrate the error of the teaching that 1 John 1:9 is NOT to be done by believers. Even if one does NOT regard this as a good parable to illustrate, the parable of the prodigal son would be. There is the father, the prodigal son, and the other son. There again, there are those who are blind to what is written in the parable that the prodigal son did realize the error of his ways before the father restored him.<br /><br />Realizing the error of our ways, that is even putting it incompletely, repentance is required. If it is not required, there is no meaning to righteousness, or there is just no lines between right and wrong, or righteousness and wickedness! This is like a policeman seeing a robber rob an old lady, and turns the other way, with the robber grinning at him, the policeman. Is the policeman not sending the signal to the robber it is alright to rob, and rob, and rob?!<br />Anyone with any sense of righteousness will say, it cannot be like that. <br /><br />And coming back to the theme of Ps Prentis, fellowship with one another, would you fellowship with the robber. <br /><br />Cont...high.expressions (Anthony Chia)https://www.blogger.com/profile/15796568536820239102noreply@blogger.com