[mizpeh]

Originally Posted by Sam

If our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart.
God may convict us but He will not condemn us.
Because we "feel" condemned by something does not mean that something is wrong. We are to go by the Word, not by our feelings. I just read a note I had written in my Bible next to 1 John 5:10-13:
D.L. Moody (1837-1899) said, "I believe hundreds of Christians are being deceived by satan now on this point. They don't have the assurance of salvation just because they are not willing to take God at His Word."

A former pastor of mine (who was UPC District Superintendent of Ohio) told us a story about when he was young. He was going to a Nazarene Church which preached strict adherence to "rules." They taught that we under the New Testament were supposed to obey certain parts of the Old Testament law such as the 10 commandments, but they taught that Sunday was now the sabbath. Since Sunday was the sabbath it was a sin to do any work on the sabbath and a sin to pay someone else to work on the sabbath so paying for a bus ride or buying anything on Sunday was wrong. He was going to a storefront church. One Sunday he and a friend were looking at a large pulpit Bible in their church. It was open to a passage in Hebrews and was marked about committing the "unpardonable" sin. It was a very hot day and they had quite a distance to walk to get home. It would have been a sin to ride a bus because they would be paying someone to work and causing that person to sin. So they walked the long distance toward home. Of course they were dressed in clothes that did not make the journey any easier. Finally, in desperation they stopped at a store that was open and bought an ice cream cone --a sin because they were paying someone to desecrate the sabbath by working. As soon as he took that first lick of ice cream he became very "convicted" and realized he had committed the "unpardonable sin." Now where did that "conviction" or "condemnation" come from?

Sam, I believe God wants us to honor them that have the rule over us and submit unto them as they that watch for our souls. Now if a pastor has a conviction that we should not eat meat and preaches that conviction as a rule for the whole entire body of believers to follow, as long as a saint is under this person's rule, I believe they should honor their pastor's rule in not eating meat EVEN if it is not their conviction. I think the saint who dishonors the pastors rule, even though they disagree, is being dishonoring God as well. Sometimes we have to submit and do things we are not convicted of God to do to be united in the Spirit though maybe not in the faith. It's the attitude of humility, willingness to be peaceable, working together for unity that I believe pleases God.

How much can we put ourselves out to live in unity with others who we love but may not agree with every place they put the jot and tittle before we seek another church to fellowship with is another story.