There is no lack of misunderstandings to maneuver here and I do hope to address every point, reasonably, when I have some down time, soon. I will pray on this matter and provide all things honestly in the sight of God and man. I am not your enemy.
As soon as I read this, I was thinking, "
Yep, he's probably going to leave here in a huff."
Two major points for everyone to consider:
1.
There is no lack of misunderstandings to maneuver hereLet me roughly translate that: "You're all wrong." Scott just didn't want to be that direct, and frankly, I would respect the directness much more.
2.
I will pray on this matterWhenever there is a contradiction, conflict, or argument with a professing Christian (not necessarily one who is born again, but one who claims to be), and they begin their sentence with "I will pray on this matter," it is nothing more than an attempt appear righteous on the outside. It's a major warning sign of a serious problem.
If a disciple of Christ cannot solve a matter in his own power, prayer is understandable, and we are called to pray on it. If someone does not know what the right decision is to make in a difficult situation, prayer is understandable. However, it's not understandable if someone has to go pray to figure out if they're going to fix a broken window or feed their children; things that are normal operating procedure.
Likewise, we who are born again in Jesus Christ are called to peace, charity, understanding, and reconciliation (which is Christian or "brethren" doctrine 101), and these things ought to be normal operating procedure. So if Scott needs to go into prayer for that, he's either grandstanding, or he lacks peace, charity, understanding, and reconciliation in his heart, so much that he cannot even have a reasonable conversation with someone who he disagrees with, and that is VERY concerning. If he is a brand new Christian that was just saved recently, I could understand this, but I did not get that impression from his OP.
Christopher, if you are born again and have the Spirit of Christ in you, would you please take some time and pray in the Spirit about this and after you have prayed unto God, revisit my introduction freshly and read your subsequent responses and tell me if you really think that your replies to me have been righteous?
Which part? I don't know about you, but I typically proof-read my posts about 3 or 4 times before I publish them. I do that with just about everything I write that is of any length because I am always judged for what I say and do, first by God, then by other Christians, and then by the public at large, so I need to take for what I say.
But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
-Mat 12:36I caught you in two lies Scott. We do not ignore those things among brethren. We can forgive that, but not without repentance on your part, and if you want to insist you didn't lie, then you either need to reason the matter out together with us so we can come to an understanding, or you need to depart. If you are unable to do either of those things, then I'll wish you well on your way and show you the door.
However, if you're expecting me to re-read my posts for a 4th or 5th time, and then get an emotional "feeling in the bosom," (kind of like how Mormons want people to "feel the truth") I have no idea what game you're playing. Is there some reason you are unable (or unwilling) to come to this discussion and reason the matter out together in peace and charity?
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
-Gal 5:22-23I can answer every point, rightly.
Whenever you're ready, but just keep in mind that when you have to add in the word "rightly," that indicates deception. Someone who is honest does not have to say they are honest; they simply speak honestly.
I would like to resolve the misunderstandings and find fellowship among the saints of God that are here. What I do not want to do is to have strifed, debates, finger pointing, railings, accusations back and forth.
I'm sure you believe you look good by saying that, but what you're really offended by is rebuke and correction.
Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die.
-Pro 15:10I can handle correction. I've said wrong things before on this forum, and apologized for those things. I can provide evidence that I am correctable and rebukable. However, I don't think you're used to correction Scott. That's why you're making this much harder than it needs to be.
And Tim made an excellent point:
I thought you said you would address the points made to you and “provide all things honestly before God and man.” Now you’re asking someone else to address you about what they said.I think it would be best for Christopher to respond to my last reply addressing him before proceeding.
Translation:
"I'm gonna' give Chris one last chance to beg for forgiveness before I lay into him."It's okay. Lay into me. I can take it, even if I did something wrong. I've been doing this the better part of two decades now, so I can handle a basic conversation. We all love the truth of Christ's doctrine here, so if you have that truth laid in your heart, then there should be no conflict with you reasoning out your case, and we encourage you to do so.
I did not say that "I will address every point." I said "I hope to" and am able to.
This provides some evidence that you do not pay careful attention to what you say. Of course, you did say you "
hope to", but you failed to mention what you followed that up with:
I will pray on this matter and provide all things honestly in the sight of God and man.Of course, this was just more grandstanding. One does not have to say that if one simply provides all things honestly; the evidence will be clear to all. However, in your attempt to grandstand by paraphrasing Proverbs 3:4, you ended up giving your word to provide those things, without realizing that you did it. That's why Solomon also wrote:
Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
-Ecc 5:2I would prefer that Christopher changes his mind and maybe even be grieved over the way he's dealt with me
I'm responding as I read through this; I haven't read everything he's written so far, and so I did not see this comment until this point. Now do you all see what I mean? Let me repeat what I said earlier:
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There is no lack of misunderstandings to maneuver hereLet me roughly translate that: "You're all wrong." Scott just didn't want to be that direct, and frankly, I would respect the directness much more.
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Now that he has spoken more, it proves that my analysis of his words was correct. His attitude is that he is right, he came here to educate us, and if any of you question that, then you are not right with God. We've seen this many times on this forum. I just don't understand that attitude because all my righteousness comes from Jesus Christ, not from myself, so the idea that a man cannot be wrong in anything he says and does... I just don't see how it's possible one could be born again in Jesus Christ and live his life with that attitude. Maybe it is possible, but I don't understand it.
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
-Rom 10:4Why can't you just reason with us in the same way God wants to reason with mankind?
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
-Isa 1:18without railing accusations and character assaults, you know, a genuine love for God and man, who is created in His image? If he has the Spirit of Christ and prays in the Spirit, I shall rejoice.
The problem is that we who are born again in Christ don't just pray with the spirit; we pray with the understanding also.
What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.
-1Co 14:15I love you enough to tell you the truth, even if you hate me for it. Are you going to love me enough to tell me the truth, or are you just going to keep complaining?
I know that debates and strifes are common when people disseminate the truths that upset people and that is exactly the nature and reason for the persecution of the saints of God. It always has been. In these days of mostly text conversations, people seem to have more misunderstandings than ever before and much of that comes from reading with preconceptions or presumptions of intent with the intent to respond.But I'm not your enemy and I'm not coming here with evil intent or evil, corrupt communication
I pointed out that you have a faulty definition of repentance that is not the Biblical definition of repentance, and then I caught you in two lies and pointed them out. That's it. Everything else you said here is pomp. Whenever you want to address the matter at hand, I'm waiting for it... but at this point, you're starting to waste my time, and I really need to get back to work.
Ellie says:
So, you want Chris to be grieved over what he said to you even though you aren't even explaining to him why he was wrong? Is that how you think correction is supposed to work between brethren? You just tell someone they're wrong but you give absolutely no explanation, reasoning, or evidence about why, and then you expect them to understand and be grieved over it? Good point, but I'm used to that. We've seen people do that many times before just on this forum alone. They want me to repent for daring to question them, but they don't want to say that directly because it's make them look bad.
Tim says:
What you’re really doing is accusing everyone else involved of wrongdoing and making them admit to something they are not guilty of so that you don’t have to explain yourself (you’re trying to force them to do it for you). In order to honestly explain yourself, then you need to explain yourself. That’s not difficult to understand. If you think there has been a misunderstanding, then how does it logically make sense for the ones that misunderstood to explain it when you claim to know the answer? What you’re doing doesn’t make sense except with the understanding that you’re doing all this in dishonesty.Also a good point. Part of the evidence for this is that Scott had to come here to say that he had no time to respond. Why even do that at all? Just wait until you have time. No one's in a hurry.
The posts Scott made of him complaining are causing more contention than anything else. However, we need to keep in mind that, so far, all the evidence is pointing to Scott putting on an outward appearance to look "righteous" in all these small posts, instead of just addressing the matter at hand in full when he (allegedly) has time, which would be a lot easier and faster.
Some of the most entertaining speeches in the world come from a child who thinks he can talk his way out of being caught taking a cookie.