A Forgivable Rant?
Greetings,
“I urge you all to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.” Romans 16: 17-20
I read this warning this morning and I had several thoughts about it. One of the biggest ways that folks divide the Body of Christ today is by making a distinction between those who are “gifted” and those who “give” to support the “gifted”. It is the mark of The Clergy/Laity division and it is a pox in the Church today. It is crippling the Body of Christ and it is so very, very, extremely wrong. Whenever one person is treated as special over and above others in the church it destroys mutual fellowship and any chance at true unity. Because the truth in love is that EVERY member of the church is gifted and special in their own unique way. We are all Spiritually gifted ministers in the New Covenant and when we come together everyone is expected to share and add their portion to the mix that day. (1 Corinthians 14:26) The whole concept that some are Ministers and the rest get to sit, listen, and pay is a totally bogus teaching and it is a division right from the pit of hell.
A major obstacle being taught today is legalism and observance of The Law as the standard, rather than simply living as the Holy Spirit leads us by grace and faith in Jesus. Far too often we are taught to avoid evil of all kinds, instead of to embrace and practice what is good and pure. Too much emphasis on what not to do takes away from the Gospel and the importance of what we actually should BE accomplishing in Christ together. The good news is the hope of glory, which is simply Christ in us.
Having God crush satan under our feet is an interesting thought, but it seems to me that in order for this to happen we have to be where satan is and not in some sort of total avoidance of evil mode. As followers of Jesus we are supposed to be Light shining in darkness. We need to go where hurting and lost people are and not just pretend we are safe within the walls of religious structures. In order to actually be like Jesus we need to get off our blessed ASSurance and be out among the people who need Him most.
I have no idea if any of this will make sense to those of you reading, but I feel like I have shared my portion today. “The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.”
Love and…..
Kirk Out !
notesfromthebridge 
This is very timely Christopher. Today I sitting and thinking about all those that I grew up with in the religious order. Some are still there and some gave up n just left, going out into the world as we know it.
Of those who left legalism, on a very very few have found freedom in a personal walk with Jesus.
Thinking about them, I began to remember what HE had told me many years ago when I was asking Him some questions. This is what He said. “When all that you are directed to see is sin which is the focus of man’s religion, then there are only a few options open. If you hear my voice, you will leave and seek me, if you see only futility, you will leave and leave me and if you are blind, you will stay within that which is comfortable.”
I know of some who did leave, by suicide because if you are constantly hearing, your sins your sins, soon, all you begin to see are your sins..
Thqnk You Jesus that my sins are forgiven and that you have shown me that id I just keep my eyes on you with intimate relationship, they will fall away as you cleanse me..
Talena, thank you for sharing this! The key thing that struck me is that it is JESUS who cleanses us from sin, we do NOT cleanse ourselves. WE are to focus solely on Christ and not ourselves.
Yes Christopher, exactly.
OH your blog makes much sense, Capn!! The old has thankfully passed away!! The focus on SIN made everything else small, including Jesus! I’m so glad u reminded me of the Spirit leading each day. What a difference in my spirit!
It is SO wrong and unfortunate that others’ gifts are diminished when one man rule is in place. The IC is where the hurting are after all, so maybe we SHOULD go there to reinforce their significance to each other and Christ!! Hmmm your blogpost backfired today😳😳😅🙏.
LOL Sue, sure go back without compromise until they kick you out. Thank you for your words of affirmation.
Smile!
I’ve often said the second largest mission field in the world is the church. Yep. As for money, it’s way down the list from relationship to God and people, but of course there are gifts, talents and indeed money needed to pay for food, various outreach/caring for neighbors in need, etc., and the more we can share to meet other’s needs, cool! The deal and trainwreck as I see it is when the big money givers in reality -rule- and essentially dictate what a congregation does. That happens plenty. A one-man show is flawed indeed: so is a one or several person money-control lever largely deciding who does what, or who can do what. All-too-common the bucks and not the Spirit presides. Thanks Chris. -Glenn
Thanks for sharing Glenn. I try to live my life at a NEED and NOT GREED level.
Such a good blog! One of the things I think important about crushing satan under our feet is that as I looked at that word in Strongs it is called ‘the accuser’. And it appears these verses start out about people ‘accusing’ one another or those who bring the message of GOOD NEWS i.e. ‘gospel’ and lure us away from that. The law sets us up to point fingers and accuse (either others or ourselves) and when that accusing spirit is under our feet we will remember the good news is we are a KINGDOM of kings and priests; EVERYONE ‘ministers’ and accusations fade into unity. Love, “BK”
Excellent comment BK. Thanks for sharing today!
If the Law is the standard, Christ died in vain!
Here’s some back up for anyone being held under legalism’s choke-hold:
Galatians 5:1-6 New King James Version (NKJV)
5 Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. 2 Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. 3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. 4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. 5 For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.
May God draw near you today.
Thank you for sharing brother? Or is it sister?
Sister. 🙂