Showing posts with label tolerance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tolerance. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 02, 2013
Discipline and Holy Fear
Parenting is an enormous responsibility and challenge.
On a friend’s Facebook page, she has expressed the frightening experience of having her child hide from her at bath time. The little boy determined to go outside and hide rather than to join with his little sister for their bath.
Mommy is indeed acting rationally concerning her fear in this regard. Such disobedience in a child is a frightening thing. Without a child’s unwavering obedience, no parent is able to provide protection for one’s child. Obedience is absolutely necessary in the parent and child relationship. This obedience must be instilled in the child through careful discipline or discipling. This requires the parent to act very sternly and powerfully, actions that are emotionally difficult to govern with consistency. But parents are not the child’s peer, nor even buddy. Parents are the overlords of their children, appointed so by the Father of all, for the good of all.
In the case of my friend, I fear that she may have done as many mommies do. She very likely has played hide and seek with her young child. This is a very dangerous game for a parent to play, a game that teaches the child not to obey the voice of the parent when the parent calls. As fun and innocent as this game and many others may seem, they are not proper for parents in which to engage with their children. Parenting is an all encompassing responsibility, one which requires the parent to assume the overlord authority at all times, even in play times.
My father understood this, and was often criticized for his wise fatherly actions. He was not without fault, but he did understand the role of fatherhood and overall was a very good and effective as well as loving father.
I am the firstborn, so my parents were learning much with my arrival under their care. Two experiences are very powerfully ingrained in my memory.
One is when I was very young, I determined that I would visit Grandpa and Grandma Siems, who lived a quarter mile through the woods. So off I went, without a thought of my mother’s frantic response. I climbed onto my little tricycle with its 12 inch drive wheel and 4 inch rear wheels and began to make my way through the sugar sand and palmettos and briars and rattlesnakes to my grandparents’ house. I do not remember how many hours this took me.
When Mom finally arrived she was frantic. I do not know whether they called her or even how long I was gone. Mom was both frantic and furious, as I remember. But I had not yet been disciplined in the way of informing my mom and asking permission for such ventures. I remember Grandma coming to my defense till Mom calmed down. For I had not been deliberately disobedient. I simply had not yet been properly discipled. This was a learning experience for us all, and I am sure that I received intense instruction after this, though I don’t really remember that part.
What I do know for certain is that the 4th Commandment, “Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother that it may be well with thee and thou mayest live long on the earth.” is deep seated in my personhood. I also know that this was not driven into me, but was born in me so that it fills me as it flows from the first three commandments. True fear, love, and trust in God is the beginning of all right understanding for life. True honor of parents cannot be taught apart from this. The mechanics of the Fourth Commandment can be effected without fear, love, and trust in God, but not the natural flow of true and genuine honor of parents.
The other experience that I remember, not so much from my own remembrance, but because it was told to me several times, is the time that I encountered a nine foot diamond back rattlesnake as a toddler. This huge viper was slithering after a covey of quail in the front yard when I saw it and began toddling toward it saying “Pretty snake. Pretty snake.”
Grandpa and Grandma Heumann, Aunt Esther, and Mom were all yelling “No Paul. Stop! Come back!” When Dad heard the commotion, he came running, and flying out the front door he yelled, “Paul! HOT!” Upon hearing this I immediately turned and came back to the safety of my loving overlords.
Some time previously, Dad had astonished the rest of the family by teaching me to fear the electric stove. He placed his hand on the burner, turned the knob to warm and waited for it to become uncomfortable, took my little hand and placed it on the burner crying, “HOT!” The others thought this to be terrible, but he wanted his little boy to be safe. He wanted his little boy to stay away from anything that was declared to be HOT.
I share this to demonstrate that true love does not always bear the outward appearance that people expect. True love sometimes appears hard and harsh and intolerant. True parenting requires wisdom in knowing what true love demands.
The best way for parents to learn this is to observe the one who Himself is Love, the Father of all. He has provided for us a written accounting of His interaction with His children. He has given us this so that we may know Him as our loving Father, and so that we may learn from Him the form that true love takes.
We have the complication of our sinfulness that interferes with this understanding and blurs our perspective. Thus we always must hold our actions to the accounting of the Commandments, by which we see where we fall short and need to have our ways amended. But even the Commandments fall short in that they only show us what should be, as they show us how God is as the one who is truly holy and righteous. The Commandments cannot be taken as stand alone directives. They must be understood in the light of the Gospel, which shows how God gives the Commandments for our instruction, but also shows that He is the one who fulfills all righteousness for us. He does not demand that we make ourselves righteous through striving to obey the Commandments. Rather, He makes us righteous as He joins us to the merits of Jesus, who has fulfilled all righteousness on our behalf. He applies this to us through Baptism and the Holy Supper. There we encounter His righteousness and are made to be partakers of Him and His righteousness.
This is what parents need to realize about the responsibilities that God has given to them. They are to do similarly to their loving Father. They are to live the sanctified life of their baptism so that their children receive this as their own. As the parents fear, love, and trust in God and live lives that flow from this, so their children do also. They learn God’s love through the loving actions and lordship of their parents.
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Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Romans 14 and Relationships
A dear friend included in an e-mail today the following:
Reading this portion of the apostle’s letter was refreshing. It was encouraging, especially reading it in the greater context of the entire letter, with all that the dear apostle includes. In this wicked world of sin and turmoil, those who hold steadfastly to the pure Gospel find themselves often feeling alone. We hear from every direction, especially from those we wish we could embrace as brothers and sisters in the Lord, “Judge not. Judge Not! JUDGE NOT!!” We hear that love is equal to tolerance. People often quote particular passages from the Scriptures in this regard. But is this what the Lord actually says? Are people hearing Him for what He truly declares? Or are they utilizing selective hearing?
Regarding Romans 14 it is important for us to remember that St. Paul writes this to those who are brethren in the Lord and not to the world, nor to those who are heretics. He is writing regarding the interaction between the saints within the church in Rome. What he here writes has not direct correlation to those who are not of the true faith. So we need to be mindful of this in how we apply it.
The issue in Romans 14 is a lack of understanding regarding the old ceremonial laws from Moses. The kinds of meat that are allowed and which festivals to observe were the issue. Do we have the divine service on Saturday, Sunday, or every day? Do we dare to eat pork and lobster and crab and camel? Must we observe certain times of fasting or are we free to eat without such obligations? These are the kinds of questions addressed in Romans 14, questions that lingered for the first century Church.
So long as those who were weak and unable in their hearts to let go of some of the old ceremonial requirements did not insist that these were necessary for salvation, St. Paul says that those who are strong and able to live free of these should be patient with the weak, even to the point of being willing to set their freedoms aside for the sake of their weaker brethren for a time if it appeared to be helpful.
Not understanding this, in more recent times, has led to the development of sects such as the Adventists and the Jehovah's Witnesses, sects that have abandoned the Gospel and have supplanted it with various forms of works righteousness.
To make certain that misunderstanding on this matter is avoided so that tolerance of schismatic opinions in doctrine and practice is not accepted, St. Paul says in his conclusion of this letter:
So, then, while we are to be patient with those who are weak, we are not to permit them to impose their weaknesses onto the life of the Church. Most of all, we are not to allow them to abide in false doctrine themselves nor to bring this false doctrine into the life of the Church. Such are not to be counted as brethren. They are to be confronted a couple of times, and if they refuse to hear, they are to be counted as pagans and tax collectors. (Matthew 18, Titus 3:10-11)
Whatever other thoughts one may have regarding this chapter of the apostle's letter, these are some important reminders.
It is wonderful reading, especially in its context. The dear apostle reminds us that we are not the judges, only the proclaimers of what we ourselves receive. Thus, whatever judgment we speak we must first receive for ourselves. When we approach judging from this perspective, it changes us and makes us very cautious and gentle, for when we apply the judgment to ourselves, this is what we desire. Yet we also must hear God's judgment honestly and without compromise, otherwise we lose the Gospel. Since this is how we must hear God's judgment for ourselves so as not to lose that which we desperately need, so also we will proclaim it in this same manner to others.
Sadly, it seems that we have entered into the time that the Lord foretold when people would no longer be willing to hear sound doctrine but would gather to themselves many teachers to tickle their ears telling them what they prefer to hear. In this age it seems that holding to the pure doctrine of the Scriptures leaves a person standing alone. But we are not alone. The Lord Himself assures us of this. Wherever we gather to the pure Gospel, He is with us to give to us that which we need most, along with all the other worldly blessings that He showers upon all, upon both the just and the unjust. But in His Holy Communion, we enjoy His saving presence, even as we partake together of His body and blood. This is why compromise cannot be tolerated.
Romans 14 does not teach us to compromise. It teaches us to sacrifice ourselves for the sake of one another. Sacrifice does not equal compromise. In fact, it is the opposite. Compromise seeks to avoid the pain of sacrifice. Compromise is an act of selfishness whereas sacrifice is an act of selfless love. This is the love that we receive from God Himself which then moves us to act with that same love both in response to Him and also to one another. This love, far from being tolerant, is rather a continual call to the repentance that God works through the pure Gospel.
† † †
I was reading Romans 14 and maybe you want to check this one out. I won't tell you what I think yet, but it made a great impression on how one approaches others. Very interesting.
Reading this portion of the apostle’s letter was refreshing. It was encouraging, especially reading it in the greater context of the entire letter, with all that the dear apostle includes. In this wicked world of sin and turmoil, those who hold steadfastly to the pure Gospel find themselves often feeling alone. We hear from every direction, especially from those we wish we could embrace as brothers and sisters in the Lord, “Judge not. Judge Not! JUDGE NOT!!” We hear that love is equal to tolerance. People often quote particular passages from the Scriptures in this regard. But is this what the Lord actually says? Are people hearing Him for what He truly declares? Or are they utilizing selective hearing?
Regarding Romans 14 it is important for us to remember that St. Paul writes this to those who are brethren in the Lord and not to the world, nor to those who are heretics. He is writing regarding the interaction between the saints within the church in Rome. What he here writes has not direct correlation to those who are not of the true faith. So we need to be mindful of this in how we apply it.
The issue in Romans 14 is a lack of understanding regarding the old ceremonial laws from Moses. The kinds of meat that are allowed and which festivals to observe were the issue. Do we have the divine service on Saturday, Sunday, or every day? Do we dare to eat pork and lobster and crab and camel? Must we observe certain times of fasting or are we free to eat without such obligations? These are the kinds of questions addressed in Romans 14, questions that lingered for the first century Church.
So long as those who were weak and unable in their hearts to let go of some of the old ceremonial requirements did not insist that these were necessary for salvation, St. Paul says that those who are strong and able to live free of these should be patient with the weak, even to the point of being willing to set their freedoms aside for the sake of their weaker brethren for a time if it appeared to be helpful.
Not understanding this, in more recent times, has led to the development of sects such as the Adventists and the Jehovah's Witnesses, sects that have abandoned the Gospel and have supplanted it with various forms of works righteousness.
To make certain that misunderstanding on this matter is avoided so that tolerance of schismatic opinions in doctrine and practice is not accepted, St. Paul says in his conclusion of this letter:
“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.” (Romans 16:17)
So, then, while we are to be patient with those who are weak, we are not to permit them to impose their weaknesses onto the life of the Church. Most of all, we are not to allow them to abide in false doctrine themselves nor to bring this false doctrine into the life of the Church. Such are not to be counted as brethren. They are to be confronted a couple of times, and if they refuse to hear, they are to be counted as pagans and tax collectors. (Matthew 18, Titus 3:10-11)
Whatever other thoughts one may have regarding this chapter of the apostle's letter, these are some important reminders.
It is wonderful reading, especially in its context. The dear apostle reminds us that we are not the judges, only the proclaimers of what we ourselves receive. Thus, whatever judgment we speak we must first receive for ourselves. When we approach judging from this perspective, it changes us and makes us very cautious and gentle, for when we apply the judgment to ourselves, this is what we desire. Yet we also must hear God's judgment honestly and without compromise, otherwise we lose the Gospel. Since this is how we must hear God's judgment for ourselves so as not to lose that which we desperately need, so also we will proclaim it in this same manner to others.
Sadly, it seems that we have entered into the time that the Lord foretold when people would no longer be willing to hear sound doctrine but would gather to themselves many teachers to tickle their ears telling them what they prefer to hear. In this age it seems that holding to the pure doctrine of the Scriptures leaves a person standing alone. But we are not alone. The Lord Himself assures us of this. Wherever we gather to the pure Gospel, He is with us to give to us that which we need most, along with all the other worldly blessings that He showers upon all, upon both the just and the unjust. But in His Holy Communion, we enjoy His saving presence, even as we partake together of His body and blood. This is why compromise cannot be tolerated.
Romans 14 does not teach us to compromise. It teaches us to sacrifice ourselves for the sake of one another. Sacrifice does not equal compromise. In fact, it is the opposite. Compromise seeks to avoid the pain of sacrifice. Compromise is an act of selfishness whereas sacrifice is an act of selfless love. This is the love that we receive from God Himself which then moves us to act with that same love both in response to Him and also to one another. This love, far from being tolerant, is rather a continual call to the repentance that God works through the pure Gospel.
† † †
Wednesday, February 09, 2011
Living together: What various denominations say
My wife cut out this article and drew my attention to it: Living together: What various denominations say.
One Baptist pastor says:
"We believe that if people are living together, they should be married," Brooks said. "But we welcome everyone. We don't judge them (those who are not married) or make them feel bad. We simply teach the Bible and what we believe to be true.
Another pastor says:
"Some pastors may avoid this topic, but not me," Evans said. "You can't talk candidly about this if you are afraid. Some pastors are afraid that by telling people their position, the people will start looking at them.
"But people have to know that nothing can separate you from the love of God, and God can change you and fix whatever it is."
Evans said fornication is a sin, and, "We hate the sin, not the sinner. We should not condone their lifestyle, but not condemn the people."
People do like to quote Romans 8:39 divorced of its context.
I especially laugh/cry whenever I hear: “we hate the sin, not the sinner.” This is usually stated as what people impose upon God as saying. I guess sins exist apart from those who do them and lifestyles just sneak up on people and drag them into them. People apparently do not actually choose their sinful lifestyles. People who have sex apart from marriage must be unaware of what they are doing.
I wonder, do these non-judgmental pastors hold the same tolerant views concerning domestic violence? How about rape? How about failure to pay alimony or child support?
One Baptist pastor says:
"We believe that if people are living together, they should be married," Brooks said. "But we welcome everyone. We don't judge them (those who are not married) or make them feel bad. We simply teach the Bible and what we believe to be true.
Another pastor says:
"Some pastors may avoid this topic, but not me," Evans said. "You can't talk candidly about this if you are afraid. Some pastors are afraid that by telling people their position, the people will start looking at them.
"But people have to know that nothing can separate you from the love of God, and God can change you and fix whatever it is."
Evans said fornication is a sin, and, "We hate the sin, not the sinner. We should not condone their lifestyle, but not condemn the people."
People do like to quote Romans 8:39 divorced of its context.
I especially laugh/cry whenever I hear: “we hate the sin, not the sinner.” This is usually stated as what people impose upon God as saying. I guess sins exist apart from those who do them and lifestyles just sneak up on people and drag them into them. People apparently do not actually choose their sinful lifestyles. People who have sex apart from marriage must be unaware of what they are doing.
I wonder, do these non-judgmental pastors hold the same tolerant views concerning domestic violence? How about rape? How about failure to pay alimony or child support?
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Whatever It Takes!
On the radio today I heard a person exclaim that the Lord Jesus came to the world with the attitude toward the dying that concerning their salvation He would do whatever it takes.
Is this true? Is this really the attitude that the Lord Jesus Himself demonstrated and preached? Is this what His apostles taught? Is this what is recorded in the Holy Scriptures as the way of Jesus and His Church?
“Whatever it takes!”
Is this what the Lord Jesus taught and practiced? Is this what He preached as the perspective from which He came to the earth and was born as a man? Did He declare that He would do whatever it takes to save mankind from his sinful condition, or did Jesus declare that He came to fulfill a specific plan, a plan that was declared from eternity, a plan from which He absolutely refused to deviate?
“Whatever it takes!”
This is what we hear preached by many today as the way of the Lord Jesus. Many also apply this perspective to the activities of the Church on earth, saying that the Church must do whatever it takes to reach people with the Gospel. Is this in fact what the Lord Jesus and His apostles teach?
“Whatever it takes!”
Compromise: is compromise something that Jesus was ever willing to make or do? Did Jesus ever conduct questionnaires or surveys to determine the manner in which He would conduct His ministry and the language that He would use in His preaching and teaching?
Tolerance: is tolerance of diversity in doctrine and practice and worship the way that Jesus and His apostles promote? How many views concerning the purpose and definition of Baptism do they embrace? How many kinds of faith do they define? How much diversity did St. Paul permit in Corinth? How many views concerning the Lord’s Supper does Jesus and His apostles allow?
Styles of worship: how many styles of worship did Jesus tolerate within the temple courts and in the synagogues? What convenient changes did Jesus embrace regarding those who made the offering of sacrifices easier and less bothersome? After all, this is what the merchants and money changers were doing. What did Jesus do when He encountered them in the temple areas? What did Jesus call them?
“Whatever it takes!”
From whom do we observe this mentality being promoted when we encounter it recorded in the Scriptures?
“Whatever it takes” is not the equivalent of “everything that is required.” Jesus without question came to go the distance and to fulfill everything that is required for the salvation of sinful man. He also instituted the extraordinary means by which His salvation is to be administered. He ordained ministers to carry out this administration.
So, when it is proclaimed that “whatever it takes” is the way of the Lord and of His Church, we should stop and ask, “From whom does this proclamation originate?”
Is this true? Is this really the attitude that the Lord Jesus Himself demonstrated and preached? Is this what His apostles taught? Is this what is recorded in the Holy Scriptures as the way of Jesus and His Church?
“Whatever it takes!”
Is this what the Lord Jesus taught and practiced? Is this what He preached as the perspective from which He came to the earth and was born as a man? Did He declare that He would do whatever it takes to save mankind from his sinful condition, or did Jesus declare that He came to fulfill a specific plan, a plan that was declared from eternity, a plan from which He absolutely refused to deviate?
“Whatever it takes!”
This is what we hear preached by many today as the way of the Lord Jesus. Many also apply this perspective to the activities of the Church on earth, saying that the Church must do whatever it takes to reach people with the Gospel. Is this in fact what the Lord Jesus and His apostles teach?
“Whatever it takes!”
Compromise: is compromise something that Jesus was ever willing to make or do? Did Jesus ever conduct questionnaires or surveys to determine the manner in which He would conduct His ministry and the language that He would use in His preaching and teaching?
Tolerance: is tolerance of diversity in doctrine and practice and worship the way that Jesus and His apostles promote? How many views concerning the purpose and definition of Baptism do they embrace? How many kinds of faith do they define? How much diversity did St. Paul permit in Corinth? How many views concerning the Lord’s Supper does Jesus and His apostles allow?
Styles of worship: how many styles of worship did Jesus tolerate within the temple courts and in the synagogues? What convenient changes did Jesus embrace regarding those who made the offering of sacrifices easier and less bothersome? After all, this is what the merchants and money changers were doing. What did Jesus do when He encountered them in the temple areas? What did Jesus call them?
“Whatever it takes!”
From whom do we observe this mentality being promoted when we encounter it recorded in the Scriptures?
“Whatever it takes” is not the equivalent of “everything that is required.” Jesus without question came to go the distance and to fulfill everything that is required for the salvation of sinful man. He also instituted the extraordinary means by which His salvation is to be administered. He ordained ministers to carry out this administration.
So, when it is proclaimed that “whatever it takes” is the way of the Lord and of His Church, we should stop and ask, “From whom does this proclamation originate?”
Thursday, May 27, 2010
The God of Peace
In many conversations I am sadly reminded that very few Christians worship my God. Most Christians worship the God of tolerance. I worship the God of peace.
This very important difference is counted as insignificant semantics by most people. But semantics are never insignificant. I wonder what people really mean when they say, “That’s just a matter of semantics.”
Do people even think of what they are saying? Do they understand what semantics are? The semantics are the meanings of the words. If words are being used with meanings that are at variance, what is really being communicated between the users of the words?
Since my God is the Word, I never count semantics as insignificant. Since my God emphatically declares that His words have power to effect what He says, I count all words as important, acknowledging that words will either collaborate with or counter His words.
My God is not a god of tolerance. Tolerance is an allowance or accommodation at a distance. It is a “putting-up-with” something or someone. True agreement is not reached and true reconciliation is never achieved. Tolerance merely attempts to overlook or in some way compensate for what is lacking.
Peace, however, true peace, is the removal of that which causes offense. The cause of unrest is removed and thus peace is the result. True unity is the basis of peace.
The God of the Gospel is the prince and king of peace. He rules not by permissiveness, nor by force. Permissiveness allows the problems and the continuance of unrest to linger. Force hardens the heart. Peace, however, creates a new heart of willing subjugation to what is good for all. Peace overrules all selfishness and creates the bond of unity. Where true agreement rules, no cause for disagreement and disharmony ever arises.
My God condemns disunity and drives it far from Him and His. In His communion unity is fostered through love. That which is wrong and untrue is not tolerated but is overcome through love. Love works no ill to the neighbor. Romans 13:10.
With tolerance exists disunity. With disunity exists division. Division is separation or disconnection. This is the opposite of communion and peace. In my God’s communion peace rules. Therefore each person speaks and all agree. No bristling occurs. No putting-up-with the speaker is necessary. For if disagreement is found, the matter is discussed in connection with God’s words until agreement results. Then all are in agreement and peace continues. All hear the other and all say together, “Amen!”
Amen is never effected by tolerance. Amen is the language of peace. Amen and peace are of God. This is what my God declares. This is what my God brings to be. This is what my heart and soul and mind crave. To this I cling with body, heart, mind, and soul. I do not desire a god of tolerance, not when the God of peace has come near. Him I will trust. Him I will love. Him I will preach. In Him I will live.
This very important difference is counted as insignificant semantics by most people. But semantics are never insignificant. I wonder what people really mean when they say, “That’s just a matter of semantics.”
Do people even think of what they are saying? Do they understand what semantics are? The semantics are the meanings of the words. If words are being used with meanings that are at variance, what is really being communicated between the users of the words?
Since my God is the Word, I never count semantics as insignificant. Since my God emphatically declares that His words have power to effect what He says, I count all words as important, acknowledging that words will either collaborate with or counter His words.
My God is not a god of tolerance. Tolerance is an allowance or accommodation at a distance. It is a “putting-up-with” something or someone. True agreement is not reached and true reconciliation is never achieved. Tolerance merely attempts to overlook or in some way compensate for what is lacking.
Peace, however, true peace, is the removal of that which causes offense. The cause of unrest is removed and thus peace is the result. True unity is the basis of peace.
The God of the Gospel is the prince and king of peace. He rules not by permissiveness, nor by force. Permissiveness allows the problems and the continuance of unrest to linger. Force hardens the heart. Peace, however, creates a new heart of willing subjugation to what is good for all. Peace overrules all selfishness and creates the bond of unity. Where true agreement rules, no cause for disagreement and disharmony ever arises.
My God condemns disunity and drives it far from Him and His. In His communion unity is fostered through love. That which is wrong and untrue is not tolerated but is overcome through love. Love works no ill to the neighbor. Romans 13:10.
With tolerance exists disunity. With disunity exists division. Division is separation or disconnection. This is the opposite of communion and peace. In my God’s communion peace rules. Therefore each person speaks and all agree. No bristling occurs. No putting-up-with the speaker is necessary. For if disagreement is found, the matter is discussed in connection with God’s words until agreement results. Then all are in agreement and peace continues. All hear the other and all say together, “Amen!”
Amen is never effected by tolerance. Amen is the language of peace. Amen and peace are of God. This is what my God declares. This is what my God brings to be. This is what my heart and soul and mind crave. To this I cling with body, heart, mind, and soul. I do not desire a god of tolerance, not when the God of peace has come near. Him I will trust. Him I will love. Him I will preach. In Him I will live.
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