confessions and challenges

[sculleywr]

Colossians 4:6
Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

I have a confession, which is brought on from something God hit me with hard in the sermon this evening. We as Christians are required to speek graciously to others, however we communicate with them. I will show some examples of how I and other Christians have not spoken graciously, with me going first.

Ok, NOW you are just being stupid. Here is a difference between Christianity and the New Age according to the scholars:

Not gracious there.

You are not only a non-Jew, but you are a hypocrite

Might have been true, but by the Bible, I should have shown what he had said wrong in a clear and scripturally based argument.

I play an online mmorpg called Runescape. I was wandering around playing Runescape when I saw someone damning everyone on the server because they did not agree with him.

Now, let's see some of the other proclaiming Christians on this website, 2 quotes each.

Is that the best you can do? Do you really think that snide mocking proves any points?

Again, even with the context, this isn't too gracious. Reba, I have to tell you it took a fair bit of searching before I found this one. You are one of the best people in the area of speech.

I wonder if teresh is family heritage from the Pharisees or Sadduccees, bec his remarks is sooo similar as them. And still didn't get it about King of Israel and world peace and etc.

assumption is never gracious, and accusing a person of being of "bad blood" isn't too nice either. Before I go too farther, I am not only preaching at others. I am nagging at myself. I am not perfect, but I would like it to be known that when I do something that is against my own belief's laws and commandments, I admit it. Basically put, I am challenging the Christians AND the other people to follow that law. And if you think that you would have trouble doing that, think of what it would require for you to follow these two laws:

35Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,

36Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38This is the first and great commandment.

39And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

I don't care what Jews say, these are the greatest two commandments. If you love the Lord with all your heart, strength, and mind, you won't have a problem keeping him above everything and everyone in your life. If you love your neighbor like yourself, you won't have a problem speaking to them graciously, because of that permeating love you have for them. Those of us who are in a committed relationship, where you are committed to that other person, understand this commitment. You wouldn't walk up to your BF or GF and tell them that what they are wearing makes them look atrocious. You would be gentle when you were talking to them. I have a very good example, although the motives weren't the same.

I am a premarital kid. My parents conceived me before they married. They had to break the news to my grandparents. They came to the house and my grandmum cooked the meal. She was already ticked off about something and she cooked like it. Burnt soggy chicken (don't ask me how), no salt corn, no salt potatoes and lemon Saccharin tea. He had to suffer through this, tryinghis best to get grandmum into a better mood, so he could get the best possible response (you know, a low enough decibal so it doesn't break the windows).

That is a very funny story my dad has told me numerous times. Anywho, I challenge the Christians here to use a gracious speech and speak respectfully.

PS to the mods: I didn't know where exactly to put this.

 

[Maria]

Good thread, sculleywr ! But, I need to tell you somethin' here. I just HATE when someone says " Practice what you preach ! " and, even thou no body is perfect. Every person is a sinner and every person has one or 2 weak spots. The only problem is that none of them have the same mind as Christ's to recognize the differences as you've mentioned above. Every person is learnin' and still learnin' until the day they die. The Christians ( true believers/born-again ) don't have the kind of grasp of what Christ's mind can understand. His Mind is supreme intelligence than ours and He is wise God, the very perfect God. We are imperfect and don't know how to put the right words with grace.

So, how do you expect us to say those things gracefully without an error when you knew that our minds aren't like the mind of Christ ?

 

[Teresh]

Might have been true, but by the Bible, I should have shown what he had said wrong in a clear and scripturally based argument.

The difference is how we interpret Scripture... The difference is not the text itself, but the meanings and answers that we derive from it. If you read different commentaries on the text, you'll hear all sorts of different ideas presented, many of which are mutually exclusive.

That's not to say that either is necessarily wrong--Indeed, it is possible they could both be right. It is nonetheless true, however, that regardless of which way is right or wrong, both have value and can be applied to one's life.

37Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38This is the first and great commandment.

39And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

I don't care what Jews say, these are the greatest two commandments.

The Pharisee known as Hillel the Elder summarised the Torah thus. The realisation you have just come to is exactly the same as the Jewish view with regards to the commandments. "That which is hateful to you, do not to thy neighbor. That is the whole of the Torah, the rest is commentary."

You wouldn't walk up to your BF or GF and tell them that what they are wearing makes them look atrocious.

I would, if she asked for my honest opinion. White lies might seem nice, but they can end up hurting your relationship if the person realises that you did not give your honest opinion when they wanted it.

 

[sculleywr]

I would, if she asked for my honest opinion. White lies might seem nice, but they can end up hurting your relationship if the person realises that you did not give your honest opinion when they wanted it.

I wouldn't lie, but I wouldn't use those exact words.

 

[sculleywr]

Good thread, sculleywr ! But, I need to tell you somethin' here. I just HATE when someone says " Practice what you preach ! " and, even thou no body is perfect. Every person is a sinner and every person has one or 2 weak spots. The only problem is that none of them have the same mind as Christ's to recognize the differences as you've mentioned above. Every person is learnin' and still learnin' until the day they die. The Christians ( true believers/born-again ) don't have the kind of grasp of what Christ's mind can understand. His Mind is supreme intelligence than ours and He is wise God, the very perfect God. We are imperfect and don't know how to put the right words with grace.

So, how do you expect us to say those things gracefully without an error when you knew that our minds aren't like the mind of Christ ?

Good question. My personal answer would be to remain in the word and pray.

Ephesians 6:18
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
Philippians 4:6
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

 

[christlovedeaf]

That is very true, and someways we could said we shouldn't say thru hurtful comments by others. This is other what Jesus said in Luke 6:35-36 " But love your enemies and be good to them. Lend without expecting to be paid back. Then you will get a reward, and you will be the true children of God in heaven. He is good even to people who are unthankful and cruel. Have pity on others, just as your Father has pity on you." Since we could make mistakes in some ways, but not meant to stay that way but to be discipline. Must let the Lord show you everything you think, do and say. Like Ps. 139:23-24.