Re: [TruthTalk] God's Hate and God's Wrath

[Knpraise]

Et al: 
One of the several problems expressed on this forum is that which has, at its certre, the debate between the legalist Christian and the family of God Christian.  

Put yourself in one group or the other   ----   there are only two on this forum.   

If you are having a problem with this positioning, I will be glad to help.   Hint: the  "laughable lefties" and the "righteous right."

You would think the church of Christ had passed by  these categories, but such is clearly not the case.  There was a letter written,  way back in Acts 15 A.D.   In that letter, the leadership of a-church-in-transition decided to bind nothing on the emerging Gentile population of Saints save refrain from the eating of meats offered to idol, that which was strangled, blood and fornication.  That was it !!   This was decision made by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem, where the converging church may have numbered as many as 250,000 legalist Saints.   The decision sprang from the words of Peter. 

All the leadership in Acts 15 A.D. knew of Peter's anointing to the Gentile church. And the problem between the legalists and the emerging church was "solved" with Peter's words and his ministry (no doubt) in mind.  As relates to the solution,  what was  not required is the story of the day.   What was not required ??   A continuing observation of the Law of Moses. It is there in black and white  .  

To fully understand the impact of The Letter,  the disciple of Christ must take into consideration the words of Peter, the words that set the stage for a letter that releases the Gentile Church from the death grip of legalism.  In verses 7-11, we have the summation of Peter's speech.   He reminds his audience of the Gentiles acceptance by God Almighty.  He declares that the salvation of the Jews will be no different that that of the Gentiles   -------------------more significant than you might imagine  !!!   Peter is saying that the Gentiles are the standard for the continuing politic of the church of Christ and salvation, not the Jew and the law keeper !!!   Read verses 10 and 11.   That is what these verses are saying.   The law is more than we can bear, historically evidenced and honestly spoken.   And God will save us in the same way He is saving the Gentile Church, say Peter to the chosen People of God.      

"And all the multitude kept silence  ..."    I bet.    The people were not ready to accept this, hence the events of Acts 20.    But the leadership knew of the truth of the words of Peter. And it was time for Peter to let them know the truth.    I personally do not believe that Paul's ministry would have been what it was apart from this particular moment in the churches history and the words of (perhaps) the chief apostle.   

But more than that   --------    Peter destroys the notion that obeying the codified law of God is not the way of the future.   We are about righteousness, peace and joy,  against which there is no law.  

Acts 15 stands as a stark and certain testimony against the heresy that the New Covenant is just another  code of do's and don't or a continuation of the same.    Rather, the New Covenant is a personal covenant, between God and each of his children.   Our relationship with each other, a vertical relating, is only an association of family members.    We do not have authority over each other.  If we walk in the light of God  (His presence - a horizonal relationship) we have fellowship with one another  (I Jo 1:7).  We are each servants of the Master and judgment is prohibited because of that fact  (Romans 14:4). We are servants of Him  --------    not each other.   The "true church" is only a figment of the legalist's imagination.    The "true disciple" is the result of all that God accomplished in Christ.   We are, indeed, free.    Free to love and serve as a personal conviction directs  (Romans 14:22,23)   (The non-meat eater in this passage is doctrinally wrong,  but fully acceptable to the Master.   His faith at this point, is not accurately based but is acceptable because it is just that, faith.   He is driven by his love for God in Christ to do the right thing.   He is wrong.  It is before his Master that he stands or falls, and stand he will for He is able to make him stand [14:4] ).  

That is the good news, in part.  In Christ we are free.   Free to be mistaken.  Free from the condemnation that is due us.   Free to love and associate with all who name the name.   Free to offer the inclusive sacrifice to those who are pursuing personal destruction (that would be the world).   Free to take all the time we need to be what God hopes we can be.   His death "once and for all time" has given us the gift of all time for success.  

This is the very heart of the disagreement on this forum.   Those on the right do not believe this.   Those on the left, do  ( I think). 

God's grace to those steeped in legalism. 

JD