C
CJLind
Guest
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I am still very new here in this Forum and i do enjoy the great discussions going on, so much food for thought! However, one thing really strikes me, how professing Christians can treat each other with such contempt. I guess it is a mirror of our society where it is all about "the winner takes it all" and a "they and us" mentality. Maybe this is evidence for Matthew 10:34 coming true?
I have very mixed feelings about the Apostle Paul, mainly because of my limited understanding and shortcomings but this I guess, I share with all of humanity (Romans 3:23), and his way of writing. However, I can fully understand and fully agree with him in Romans 2:1: "1Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. 2We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. 3Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? 4Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed."
Also compare with what Jesus says in Matthew 5:22 : "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire"
Let´s be honest, the Sin of Self-Righteousness is probably one of the most difficult ones to overcome, and we all suffer from it from time to time, and if one has it, one is likely not to know it (Check also Proverbs 2:15: "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.").
So what to do? I guess Proverbs 26 tells us the way to go:
"4Answer not a fool according to his folly,
lest you be like him yourself.
5Answer a fool according to his folly,
lest he be wise in his own eyes."
"11Like a dog that returns to his vomit
is a fool who repeats his folly.
12Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for him."
There is not much hope for the Self-Righteous Fool am afraid. At least not from a human perspective. However, nothing is impossible for our Lord and Saviour, so we shouldn´t give up, but pray for HIS intervention to save them/us from this deadly and sneaky sin.
I am still very new here in this Forum and i do enjoy the great discussions going on, so much food for thought! However, one thing really strikes me, how professing Christians can treat each other with such contempt. I guess it is a mirror of our society where it is all about "the winner takes it all" and a "they and us" mentality. Maybe this is evidence for Matthew 10:34 coming true?
I have very mixed feelings about the Apostle Paul, mainly because of my limited understanding and shortcomings but this I guess, I share with all of humanity (Romans 3:23), and his way of writing. However, I can fully understand and fully agree with him in Romans 2:1: "1Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. 2We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. 3Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? 4Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed."
Also compare with what Jesus says in Matthew 5:22 : "But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire"
Let´s be honest, the Sin of Self-Righteousness is probably one of the most difficult ones to overcome, and we all suffer from it from time to time, and if one has it, one is likely not to know it (Check also Proverbs 2:15: "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.").
So what to do? I guess Proverbs 26 tells us the way to go:
"4Answer not a fool according to his folly,
lest you be like him yourself.
5Answer a fool according to his folly,
lest he be wise in his own eyes."
"11Like a dog that returns to his vomit
is a fool who repeats his folly.
12Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes?
There is more hope for a fool than for him."
There is not much hope for the Self-Righteous Fool am afraid. At least not from a human perspective. However, nothing is impossible for our Lord and Saviour, so we shouldn´t give up, but pray for HIS intervention to save them/us from this deadly and sneaky sin.
