[stephanos]

Originally Posted by George

Stephen,

Your Post is instructive of someone who lacks "spiritual discernment" (I say this as kindly as I can and without malice). Soon after Doxa joined the Forum , my wife and I both suspected by 09/09/08 that she might be "Connie" returning under another name.

Why is that so? Because of the "content" of her Posts (check them out) and her "attitude" and "conduct" on the Forum. Also, because we have been Christians for a lot longer than many (yourself included) brethren on this Forum.

Having attended at least a dozen churches in 50 years, and having dealt with all kinds of "Christians" in those years has given us some insight and discernment that younger Christians may not have.

I have given you advise in the past, and I am going to give you a little bit more now:

Your emphasis on "LOVE" is misplaced. God is far more concerned with TRUTH than He is "Love":

Psalms 138:2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

Very simply put: There is NOTHING in the entire Universe that is above the NAME OF OUR HOLY GOD - BUT, He has MAGNIFIED HIS WORD ABOVE HIS NAME! {Now I don't magnify God's word above His name - But God does!}. Which means that there is NOTHING in the entire Universe that God thinks more of than His HOLY WORD! {And that includes "LOVE", "PEACE", or "UNITY" or any thing else that man may choose to embrace above His truth.}

Your desire to "love" the brethren is both admirable and proper. But, you first have to know whether someone is a brother or sister in Christ. We are not to treat heretics, false prophets (or "prophetesses"), false teachers, and those "Christians" who would "divide" us (false "brethren"?), the same as we are to treat "genuine" brethren.

Ephesians 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

2 Corinthians 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?
15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
{There's the HOLINESS OF GOD - for all to see!}

THE BIBLE’S DESCRIPTION OF GOD

God is a Tri-Part Being – Body, Soul, Spirit (Substance)
The substantive attributes of God are-God is: Eternal = I AM

Self Existing[without beginning or end of existence]Immortal-Perpetual-Unchangeable

Omniscient(All-Knowing - All-Seeing.)

Omnipotent(All Powerful – Unlimited Power.)

Omnipresent(Everywhere - Present in all places at the same time)


God possesses a Heart and a Mind (Faculties)
The moral attributes of God are - God is: Holy

Holy (Perfectly Pure–Sacred) {Holiness is God’s primary moral attribute}

Just(Righteous, Principled, Upright, Equitable, Impartial)
Truth(True, Genuine, Faithful, Honest, Veracity, Fidelity)
Love(Benevolence, Good Will, Charitable)
Mercy(Grace, Pardon, Compassionate, Pitiful)

Before God's "LOVE", comes God's HOLINESS; JUSTICE; and TRUTH! {God's Holiness and Justice demands payment for SIN! God's MERCY and LOVE provided the payment! And it's through hearing God's TRUTH that we are saved.} If God's primary attribute was LOVE, then all He would have to is "forgive" everyone (in "love") and be done with it, but God's Holiness will not allow Him to do that.

There is a very difficult "balance" that each of us as Christians are faced with in our walk with God. If we emphasis the truth (without "love"), we can become "doctrinaire" and "Pharisaical" {that's my "danger"}; on the other hand, if we emphasis "love" above the truth we will fail to discern between good and evil and eventually compromise God's Holy word {that's your "danger"}. It's good for us to be aware of our weaknesses and tendencies and to be on guard against them.

I hope you will take this under advisement, and consider that it was not given in malice or anger. I believe that a large part of my ministry is to try to "edify" the brethren, and this advise is meant for your edification and not for your destruction.

Thank you George. I really do appreciate this. I agree with everything you've said here. Balance is something I've always struggled to find. I appreciate brethren such as yourself who can help a young Christian such as myself see things from a different perspective (and thankfully a more mature and well founded perspective).

For Jesus' sake,
Stephen