Are You in an OT Church?

[shazeep]

well, you say that, but i note you hold to "an eye for an eye," and i am finding that your belief is hardly fringe.

Originally Posted by KeptByTheWord

Hmm... then what is your definition of an OT church?

i'm not really sure; i would hazard a guess that most of our churches are. This is a theme that has been developing with me for a while--basically that Christ came 2000 years ago, but we really haven't embraced the NT Church as presented in Acts to this day; except possibly for brief periods in time. Of course, these would be subject to the most vehement of attacks by satan, i guess.

Who can deny that corporately we are fixated on sin, and law? We give lip service to "Laws are made for lawbreakers, moral people do not need laws," you hear a sort of counter-version of it in the gun control argument, "criminals don't care about gun control laws," (which is decisively born out in the stats--the cities with the tightest gun controls seem to have the most gun crime), but many who would call themselves Christian have no problem with the death penalty, or other laws that seem to be in direct conflict with Christ's message.

I'm not trying to cast any blame here; the problem strikes me as near universal. I don't think that we have even really started practicing NT Church. I don't think we have caught up to Christ yet, iow.

[thephnxman]

Originally Posted by shazeep

well, you say that, but i note you hold to "an eye for an eye," and i am finding that your belief is hardly fringe.i'm not really sure; i would hazard a guess that most of our churches are. This is a theme that has been developing with me for a while--basically that Christ came 2000 years ago, but (1) - we really haven't embraced the NT Church as presented in Acts to this day; except possibly for brief periods in time. Of course, these would be subject to the most vehement of attacks by satan, i guess.
Who can deny that corporately (2) - we are fixated on sin, and law? We give lip service to "Laws are made for lawbreakers, moral people do not need laws," you hear a sort of counter-version of it in the gun control argument, "criminals don't care about gun control laws," (which is decisively born out in the stats--the cities with the tightest gun controls seem to have the most gun crime), but (3) - many who would call themselves Christian have no problem with the death penalty, or other laws that seem to be in direct conflict with Christ's message.
I'm not trying to cast any blame here; the problem strikes me as near universal. (4) - I don't think that we have even really started practicing NT Church. I don't think we have caught up to Christ yet, iow.

There are four points you made that are striking.

(1) I believe you have this backwards. We (the church) HAVE embraced
the NT teachings (which I presume you meant), but we seem to have gotten
AWAY /from them;

(2) To often we DO seem to be fixated on "sin and the Law", when in
reality we should be fixated on the POWER of grace; for He said, "My grace is
sufficient unto you."

(3) again, the death penalty issue is only a symptom of our time. From
the beginning the Lord God has made a difference between "man" and those
He calls "the sons of God". Listen: "Whoso sheds man's blood, by man shall
his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man." So God uses "man"
to execute justice/judgment over murderers and thieves, etc. The Church is to
execute mercy and grace!

(4) It's not that we haven't "caught up": it's that we have gotten away from
those things "...which were from the beginning."

"Come, and let us reason together..."

[Cracker Barrel]

Originally Posted by thephnxman

There are four points you made that are striking.

(1) I believe you have this backwards. We (the church) HAVE embraced
the NT teachings (which I presume you meant), but we seem to have gotten
AWAY /from them;

(2) To often we DO seem to be fixated on "sin and the Law", when in
reality we should be fixated on the POWER of grace; for He said, "My grace is
sufficient unto you."

(3) again, the death penalty issue is only a symptom of our time. From
the beginning the Lord God has made a difference between "man" and those
He calls "the sons of God". Listen: "Whoso sheds man's blood, by man shall
his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man." So God uses "man"
to execute justice/judgment over murderers and thieves, etc. The Church is to
execute mercy and grace!

(4) It's not that we haven't "caught up": it's that we have gotten away from
those things "...which were from the beginning."

"Come, and let us reason together..."

Bruda,
The things you say are good but the way you end it is corny.
It's like when the Chinese come here and use a wetsuit to boogie.
You watched to many roger rabbit to much.

[Esaias]

Originally Posted by Cracker Barrel

Bruda,
The things you say are good but the way you end it is corny.
It's like when the Chinese come here and use a wetsuit to boogie.
You watched to many roger rabbit to much.

lol