Should I Fear God or Not?

Question: 1 Peter 2:17 “Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.” This verse tells us to fear God. 1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.” Now this verse says I shouldn’t fear God, because perfect love casts out all fear. Should I fear God, or not?

Answer: Excellent question! I could try to explain how these two verses have different endings on the same root word for “fear” and this gives implication toward the meaning. I could have a long discussion on how the same word can have different meanings depending upon the context. However, the best way I know how to explain this is an illustration from my childhood.

I had a very loving father, who was (as all loving fathers are) a strong disciplinarian. Normally, he would wrestle with me on the floor, tickle me and be very loving. I have many fond memories of my affectionate father. He would put me on his lap and talk with me regularly. He would play with me on my hot wheel tracks. Normally, I had no fear in his presence.

If I woke from a bad dream, as a young boy, I would get up and run through the darkness of the hallway down to my parents’ room. I would jump in bed with them and feel safe and secure. There was no place of greater love and security to a scared little boy, than with both my parents. Why? Because I knew they loved me and would protect me. My trust in their love cast out all fear.

The only time I had to fear Dad was when I had disobeyed him or had done something I knew I should not have done. If my brothers, sisters or I were acting bad, he would look sternly at us and grab his belt buckle. In a flash, all inappropriate behavior would stop. We feared his belt. We feared him, but only when we had done wrong. In that way, we had a healthy fear and respect for him. It often kept us from doing the wrong thing.

Discipline creates a respectful fear of the one in authority. Hebrews 12:9 says, “We have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!” I respected my father because, when I was bad, he disciplined me. Likewise, it is wise to fear God and respect His discipline.

Therefore, we should fear God today, in that, we have healthy respect for His wrath on the unrepentant. However, in His grace and covered by His blood, His love casts out all our fears. We should run to His loving arms when afraid, and let his love drive our fears away. But if we are sinning, we should fear God and turn back to His grace in repentance.

Are you repentant and living in God’s grace? Then trust in His perfect love, and let it cast away all your fears. Let the love of God perfect you. Are you considering sinning and rebelling against God? Then be afraid. Be very afraid!

Cruise Control

Tom Cruise has not only been pushing his new movie, War of the Worlds, but also pushing his beliefs about Scientology. John Travolta, Kelly Preston, Ann Archer, Jenna Elfman, Lisa Marie Presley are some of the famous Scientologists. And no wonder the best known scientologists are movie stars because treatments cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Want to learn more?

This is a must see video clip about what Scientology really believes:
http://whyaretheydead.net/Sten/galacticfederation.homeip.net/Xenu.rm

Read more by going here:
http://www.apologeticsindex.org/s04a08.html

http://www.gotquestions.org/scientology-Christian-cult.html

http://www.xenu.net/index.html

http://www.scientology-lies.com/

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/050629/3/3t7yj.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientology

2 Peter 2:3-19 "In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. 4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others; 6 if he condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah by burning them to ashes, and made them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; 7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man, who was distressed by the filthy lives of lawless men 8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard)— 9 if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment. 10 This is especially true of those who follow the corrupt desire of the flesh and despise authority. Bold and arrogant, these men are not afraid to slander celestial beings; 11 yet even angels, although they are stronger and more powerful, do not bring slanderous accusations against such beings in the presence of the Lord. 12 But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish. 13 They will be paid back with harm for the harm they have done. Their idea of pleasure is to carouse in broad daylight. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their pleasures while they feast with you. 14 With eyes full of adultery, they never stop sinning; they seduce the unstable; they are experts in greed— an accursed brood! 15 They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness. 16 But he was rebuked for his wrongdoing by a donkey— a beast without speech— who spoke with a man’s voice and restrained the prophet’s madness. 17 These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them. 18 For they mouth empty, boastful words and, by appealing to the lustful desires of sinful flesh, they entice people who are just escaping from those who live in error. 19 They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity— for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him."

Come Back To Me

Longing to be one with you it hurts me

when you rudely ignore what I say
Longing to love you it personally pains me

when you simply walk away
Times I have tried and tears that I’ve cried

trying to reach into your heart
But further and farther you turn

from the father just tearing us apart

Come back to me and I will love you all my life
Come back to me and in me you can hide
Come back to me and know you’re alive
I’ll sooth you and save you and lift you and raise you
Feed you and heal you and love you and praise you,
Come back to me

Leaving you to be done with you racing to run from you

I wash the dust from my feet
My memory of misery all throughout history

shows my devotion complete
Times I have wished all written in lists

all the things I need from your heart
But later and longer fuller and stronger

I long for your love to restart

Come back to me and I will love you all my life
Come back to me and in me you can hide
Come back to me and know you’re alive
I’ll sooth you and save you and lift you and raise you
Feed you and heal you and love you and praise you,
Come back to me

Who are the least of these?

Question: In reading about the sheep and the goats, who are the "least of these my children?" Are they the person in need, or are they the sheep and the goats?

Answer: When trying to understand any passage of Scripture, it is important to approach it with logic and common sense. You can do that by asking a few simple questions.

Who is talking?
Who are they talking to?
What are they talking about?
When are they talking?

In Matthew Chapter 25, the person talking is Jesus. He is teaching His disciples (Matthew 24:3-4) about the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 25:1) and what it will be like on the Day of Judgment (Matthew 25:31). He was teaching this two days before his crucifixion (Matthew 26:1-2). Now we have answered our four questions. Let’s answer the question of “who are the least of these” from the context. Look at Matthew 25:31-46.

In Matthew 8:20, 9:6, 12:8 & 12:40, Jesus refers to Himself as the “Son of Man.” It was a common phrase used in the Old Testament many times to refer to a prophet. Ezekiel gives us the best example, because he is called “Son of Man” 94 times in his book. The Jews would have understood it to refer to Jesus as a prophet. So when Jesus talks about the Son of Man in his glory, on His throne and judging sheep from goats, He is referring to Himself.

In Matthew 13:41 Jesus had already told them, “The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.” Therefore, the disciples heard before that Jesus would some day separate and judge the people of the earth.

Then, in verses 34-36 of Chapter 25, Jesus explains that the righteous sheep are those who: fed Jesus when He was hungry, gave a drink to Him when He was thirsty, welcomed Him when He was a stranger, clothed Him when He was naked, looked after Him when He was sick, and visited Him when He was in prison.

In verses 37-39, the righteous were confused and ask Jesus when they had ever seen Him in such a condition and helped. He then gives this convicting answer, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

So the question is, “Who are ‘the least of these?’”

Some say that “the least of these” are the disciples and what we do with their doctrine contained in the Scriptures is what we do to Jesus. Now certainly it is true, we will be judged based upon our acceptance or rejection of the Word of God (John 12:48). However, I don’t believe that is what He is talking about in Matthew 25. There is no indication in this passage or context, that we should narrowly define “the least of these” as only the 12 disciples. Certainly, the disciples are included in “the least of these” but there is nothing to indicate we should think it refers only to them.

I don't believe this is true of the person who asked this question, but it seems many people want to narrowly define who “the least of these” are to justify the fact that they are not taking care of the kind of people described in this passage. Remember the time an expert in the Law asked Jesus what to do to have eternal life. And Jesus asked him what he thought he had to do. In Luke10:27-29 He quoted from the Old Law and answered "‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ‘You have answered correctly,’ Jesus replied. ‘Do this and you will live.’ But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, ‘And who is my neighbor?’” Jesus goes on to tell the story of the Good Samaritan who took care of a man who was his enemy. Jesus defined loving your neighbor as loving your enemy. The expert in the Law wanted to define neighbor in such a way as to justify not loving his fellow man. I fear that many today want to justify not caring for “the least of these” by narrowly defining them as the apostles only or another narrowly defined group.

Look again at Matthew 25:40, "The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’” Jesus does refer to them as “the least of these brothers of mine.” So we at least know that he means all Christians. All of us, who are of the brotherhood of believers are referred to here. Jesus had said earlier in Matthew 12:50, “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." Therefore passage is referring to what we do to “the least of these,” our fellow Christians at the least, if not the least of everyone in the world.

I believe Jesus is referring to everyone in this passage, however. First because when He condemns the goats for what they didn’t do, He does not include the statement about the brothers. He says in Matthew 25: 45 “I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.” Jesus doesn’t narrowly define it as only brothers, so neither will I. Secondly, I remember the verse in Galatians 6:10 which says, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” This is what I take from the “least of these my brothers.” We should be caring for the needs of all people as the opportunity arises but especially the family of believers.

The question arises, were the “least of these” only Christians whom we should be ministering to in their hour of need or should we be ministering to all people and especially Christians. I think the latter fits better with other verses. Considering the consequences in Matthew Chapter 25 of being wrong, I think it is wise to error on the side of caution in this case. Did Jesus come only to love, serve and sacrifice for believers, or did he come to minister to unbelievers that they might find faith and salvation? Did He come for the sick or the healthy? (Mark 2:17) I believe “the least of these” is anyone in need.

And don’t forget, it is the ones the world forget, despise, and reject., those who have nothing to offer back, these are the ones loved by God and who should be served by His people. I believe what we do to anyone who is hungry is what we do to Jesus. What we do to those who need a drink, is what we do to Jesus. What we do the stranger or foreigner is what we do to Jesus. What we do for the person who has no clothes is what we do for Jesus. What we do for the sick is what we do for Jesus. What we do for the person in prison is what we do for Jesus.

What we do for those helpless, hopeless people in need, the least, the worst, the lost, that is what we do for Jesus. That means we need to stop trying to narrowly define who our “neighbor” is or who “the least of these” are and get out and start serving the community in the name of Christ. James 1:27 reminds us, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

If you wish to help the helpless

visit this website and consider supporting them:

www.merendon.net

Who Was Cain Afraid of in Genesis 4:14?

Question: “In Genesis 4:14, Who was Cain afraid of?”

Answer: In Genesis chapter 4, Cain had the dubious distinction of becoming the first murderer. God cursed him to be a vagabond and to live on the run all the days of his life. Proverbs 28:17 “A man tormented by the guilt of murder will be a fugitive till death; let no one support him.” Cain would always be tormented by guilt. A Scripturist reader writes and asked us the interesting question of, “Who was Cain afraid of?” This question is similar to the one often asked, “Who did Cain and Abel marry?” In other words, “If God made Adam & Eve, and they had Cain and Abel, where did they get their wives from?”

The answer is that they married their sisters and that Adam and Eve had children not specifically mentioned by name. How many they had is not revealed in Scripture. Yes, Cain and Abel married their sisters. Marrying a sister, half-sister or cousin was common all the way up to the time of the Old Testament Law, which expressly forbids the marrying of anyone closer then a first cousin. (See Leviticus 18:6-23)

The point is that the answer to that question answers this question of who Cain feared as well. Who was Cain afraid of? Adam & Eve’s other children may have wanted to take vengeance on Cain. Or perhaps Abel had children with his wife and Cain was concerned about nephews or other descendants. Remember, people were living to be several hundred years old at that time. This gave Cain a very long life expectancy where any number of generations could have wanted to kill him for what he did to grandpa Abel. Maybe he feared unmentioned descendants of Adam and Eve. Maybe he feared Seth’s descendants.

Also Cain would later need to fear his own children. The obviously depraved Cain would not raise Godly children. One of his descendants was the first known polygamist, Lamech. Genesis 4:23-24 says “Lamech said to his wives, ‘Adah and Zillah, listen to me; wives of Lamech, hear my words. I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me. If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times." He prided himself on being more of a murderer than his ancestor Cain.

Therefore, God had put a mark on Cain (What that was, we do not know so don’t try to guess.) and it told people that this is Cain and if you kill him you will be avenged seven times over by God for it. (Genesis 4:15) But this didn’t take away the fact that Cain would be a vagabond, who lived under a curse and in fear all his days. The mark didn’t remove the paranoia of a murderer. If you get rich by stealing from others, you will never enjoy your wealth because you will live in constant fear of someone stealing it from you. We instinctively judge others by our own hearts. Because Cain hated and killed his own flesh and blood, he always lived with the assumption that his own flesh and blood would kill him.

Proverbs 28:1 says, “The wicked man flees though no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.” The wicked will always live in paranoia. The wicked live in a state of heightened fear, unable to be close to anyone. They will be overly defensive. They will defend themselves against perceived accusations that were not even thought of in the others mind. They will attack a person for no reason, because they believe they are under attack when they are not. They will live a lonely existence unable to trust, and thus unable to love, because love always trusts. (1 Corinthians 13:7)

Who was Cain afraid of? He was afraid of every bump in the night, every shadow, every stranger who approached his tent, every relative, every child, every grandchild, every spouse, every brother, his own parents, and anyone whom he dealt with. He was close to no one. He could trust no one. Because of his lack of faith, I am sure, he didn’t trust the words of God about his protection from vengeance or the effectiveness of the mark he bore to protect him. He lived in fear with the guilt of murder haunting him until he finally died and met the summation of all the fears of his unrepentant heart in Hades’ fire.

If you have a question for the Scripturist email it to scripturist@hotmail.com

WHY BELIEVE JESUS AROSE FROM THE GRAVE?

Hebrews 11:1 says “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”

So what is the substance of our belief? What is the evidence of our faith? There are many things that make our faith reasonable. One main reason to believe is the overwhelming evidence of the testimony of hundreds of people who claimed to have seen Jesus arisen from the dead on multiple occasions.

Jesus Appeared Alive….

• To Mary Magdalene Jn 20:14-18; Mk 16:9
• To the women returning from the tomb Mt 28:8-10
• To Peter later in the day Lk 24:34; 1 Cor 15:5
• To the disciples going to Emmaus in the evening Lk 24:13-31
• To the apostles (except Thomas) Lk 24:36-45; Jn 20-19-24
• To the apostles a week later (Thomas present) Jn 20:24-29
• In Galilee to the seven by the Lake of Tiberias Jn 21:1-23
• In Galilee on a mountain to the apostles and 500 believers 1 Cor 15:6
• At Jerusalem and Bethany again to James 1 Cor 15:7
• At Olivet and the ascension Acts 1:3-12
• To Paul near Damascus Acts 9:3-6; 1 Cor 15:8
• To Stephen outside Jerusalem Acts 7:55
• To Paul in the temple Acts 22:17-21; 23:11
• To John on Patmos Rev 1:10-19

Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign

I have often got little laughs off of various church signs I have seen over the years. I have received emails full of cute little things to put on your church sign. Some of them were funny, and others just tried to be. Some were "preachy" and others were just silly. I never really thought much about it. Then one day I sat and thought, most people who see that sign are not Christians. How do they take the sign? In fact, that sign may be the only thing that some people base their opinion of our church on. For some, it may form their opinion of the attitude of all Christians.

That made me think that our cheesy, silly, flippant, cocky, sanctimonious, self-righteous or "smarty" know it all attitude in some of these wise cracks may actually be hurting rather than helping. They may be pushing away rather than pulling people in. What was the point of the sign? Was it to "tell people off" in a cute way? Will we really convict a soul in 20 words 0r less? Was it to see which church could come up with the most clever pun? Or was the sign there to announce who we are and what we are doing in order to draw people in?

Ephesians 5:15-16 "Be very careful, then, how you live; not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil."

Will this really convict anyone? Is this a good use of this space. Would service times or announcements about upcoming out reach programs be more powerful? Would the theme of the sermon next Sunday be more inviting?

Is this going to bring people into the church? Does this make the church seem intelligent? Does this make it seem that this church is serious about saving souls or does it give the idea that they are silly and flippant about their ministry?

God is our wireless provider? I love puns but most people don't. I always notice when I tell a pun the reaction is not laughter but "ohhhhhh... that was bad." Do we want people to read our church sign and say, "Ohhhhhhh.... that was a bad"???

Back to Heaven? Have we been there once already? This doesn't even make sense. Notice, you can't read the service times because they are smooshed together to make room for some silly statement that wont draw anyone. I can't read the times staring at it for several minutes. If I drove by in a car, there would be no way. It's a waste.

Is being the smallest really something you want to brag about? And it's no wonder they are the smallest. Look at the disrepair of the sign. It's name even characterizes it. Memory Park Christs chapel? Yeah, the day when it was a growing thriving body of Christ is only a memory. Wow, I don't know why they are still the smallest. I mean with all the love and devotion to God they have put into the care of this sign.

Is insulting everyone by calling them Turkeys really the way to spur one another on to love and good deeds? Why would I want to come to a church called me a turkey? I am sure the members were really laughing at how funny and clever that was. Too bad there were no visitors that Thanksgiving.

And then there are the signs that really make us look stupid because they are worded in such a way that they say something the sign maker never intended. Many would read this as, "Don't let worries kill you let the church help to kill you." That makes the church look like a joke. Another church sign I saw myself once said, "Mary Christmas" It made the church look stupid.

One of my biggest pet-peevess is when people put words in God's mouth. There is no Bible verse where God says, "Do you know where you are going?" We have no knowledge that He ever said that. So to put that up as his quote is to misquote God. It is a very serious and dangerous thing. I have seen billboards that say, "That love your neighbor thing... I was serious about that -God" It is wrong to add to or take away from God's word. Don't ever use your church sign to have God saying something He didn't say.

These clever little saying just make us look trite and the one above make it look like all they want is peoples money. We need to be very careful what we put on our church signs. We need to be wise in how we act toward outsiders and make the most of every opportunity. Does your church sign say something that draws in or drives way? Does it inform or insult? Does it encourage or estrange? Does it make you seem caring or crass? Does it make you look knowledgable or like a know it all. Before you blow me off, think about it.

Suffer the Little Children

Mark 10:14 says in the King James Version, "But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, ‘Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God."

When I was young, I always wondered why the little children had to suffer to come to Jesus. It didn't seem in Jesus character to make little children go through suffering just to come meet Him. Why, would He want the weakest and most fragile to suffer in order to come to Him? Well, it turns out He didn't. As I grew older I came to understand that the word “suffer,” as I understood it, was not what was meant in this verse at all. More modern versions more accurately translate this verse saying, "Permit the children to come to Me" (NASV) or "Let the little children come to me" (NIV). It still perplexed me why the King James translators used the word “suffer.”

The Greek word translated as suffer in Mark 10:14 is afihmi (af-ee’-ay-mee). This word can mean forsake, lay aside, leave, let alone, send away, permit, or allow depending upon the context. Most interesting to me is that 47 places in the King James Bible it is also translated as the word "forgive." For example, in Matthew 6:12 "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." and again two verses later in Matthew 6:14, "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." What if the translators had translated “suffer” as “forgive” in Mark 10:14? It would have read, "But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, 'Forgive the children so they can come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."

I love to work with young children. They are a joy to me. However, anyone who works with kids, no matter how they love and enjoy them, must admit that it takes forgiveness to work with them. Children struggle with a lack of focus, self-control, maturity, self-esteem, wisdom, discretion, tact, and experience. All these things make it hard to minister to them. It takes a special and gifted group of people who have the patience, gentleness and resolve to work with other people’s children on an extended basis. In order for children to come to Jesus, it is we who work with them that must give something up, lay something aside, and help them find Jesus.

Jesus didn't want children to suffer to come to Him. He was asking the disciples to "suffer" or "permit" the children to come to Him. He was asking the mature disciples to "suffer" the immature children to come to Him. Children's ministry takes quite a sacrifice. In years past, churches were designed for adults when children were the best prospects. It has been said that 80% of people accept Christ before the age of 18. Young hearts are the most open to the Gospel. Yet, churches focused their programming on the already saved or less likely to accept salvation. It was kind of like doing an advertising campaign for air conditioners only among Eskimos in Alaska when 80% of your sales were from Florida. It doesn't make sense.

Thankfully in the past few decades churches have seen the need and value of programs tailored to children and teens. Between nurseries, children's church, youth groups, and Sunday School classes, churches have created opportunities to truly "permit the children to come" to Jesus. Some adults have selfishly resisted this because of the inconvenience to organize, plan, and recruit workers for these programs. But thankfully many selfless servants have sacrificed over the years to bring these Children to Jesus. At times it's hard. It's almost always a thankless job. The children themselves can be very difficult, especially with the way many parents raise children today. But it's worth it. We "forgive them to come to" Jesus because "such is the kingdom of God."

But it's not just the programming or organization that is difficult. It takes humility to teach children. When I teach children, I can't teach the way I do when I teach adults. I have to use smaller words. I have to explain simple things. I can't assume they know anything. I have to start at square one. If they are very small, I may have to get down on my knees to their level to catch their attention. I have to act silly and be very animated. They can't concentrate for long, so I have to change my method of presentation every few minutes to keep their attention. I use object lessons, drama, stories, coloring pages, crafts, music, pictures, skits, videos, and drawings (I have given up on the flannel graph. Its day has sadly passed).

To teach kids you have to compete with what they are used to like T.V., video games, movies, computers, and toys that talk, walk or light up. To teach them I have to use language they understand. I have to relate to them and stoop down to their level. It is a paradox and irony that the mature must regress to help the immature become mature. The adult must become child-like to help the child become an adult.

Paul taught this concept of suffering, sacrificing, and serving to permit people to come to Jesus. Paul explained this in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 when he said,

"Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings."

Paul knew that to share in the Gospel’s blessings, he must imitate the Gospel in his own life. Jesus descended from Heaven and stooped from His divine form to assume the role of a man, a servant, a sacrificial lamb on our behalf so that we might ascend with Him into the heavens. Likewise, we must sacrifice to "become all things to all men so that by all possible means" we might save some.

Now we have applied this to literal children. I think most of us realize we need to patiently, lovingly, sacrificially permit children to find Jesus. I think we realize our need to cater to their needs by sacrificing what edifies the mature for what builds up the immature. We cater to the weakest, the neediest, those least able to be edified without our help. We have applied this principle in most churches for the sake of children. But have we done this with those who are babes in Christ?

Have we applied this principle to the newest believers or to the unbeliever? We all affirm that an abortion is wrong. But how many spiritual fetuses have been killed in the womb of the church because we tailor our services for the mature not for the spiritually immature babes in Christ. We translate our Bibles into foreign languages for the lost in Africa but don't bother to make our services intelligible to visitors in America. We spend our money training missionaries to work in cross-cultural situations, but ignore the fact that modern American culture is very different from the church culture. We ignore the fact that the majority of Americans did not grow up in the church culture. Thus the 50 year old music and culture of the church is alienating and irrelevant to them. We use "church words" like justification, redemption, or sancitification without explaining it. How many babes in christ have choked to death on meat when they needed some milk first?

We have changed the music for church camp to reach out to kids and minister to them. We have changed the music for VBS so the songs relate to the kids but we have not changed the music on Sunday morning to be music that relates to the lost. We will sacrifice our comfort to reach out to children on their level and where they are, but we won’t sacrifice our comforts for the lost visitor or younger member in the faith. We will tolerate the immaturity in children, but never tolerate for a second the immaturity of a babe in Christ.

I’m not advocating watering the service down to please people to the point they don’t follow apostolic tradition. I do mean that we should do things in a way that the immature can understand what is going on. I don’t want to compromise the message to please the “itching ears” of a wicked generation. I am talking about making the unchanging doctrine of the church palatable to the next generation of believers in their cultural context.

God's Word has something to say about what we are doing. Paul commands us in Romans 15:1-2, "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up."

Our church services and programming should reflect this attitude. We are too focused on what we want, and not on what the weaker person needs. We, who know the Scriptures in depth, should bear the failings of the weak and realize our sermons and lessons can't always be meat, but often need to contain milk for the newborn in Christ.

We, who are strong in the faith and mature enough to know that worship happens in the heart despite music styles should bear with the weak who can only worship when it's music they relate to. We, who are strong, need to allow music styles to please our neighbor for his good to build him up. We, who are strong in the faith, should easily forgive the missteps of those just learning to walk with the Lord. Like babies, we should feed them milk, change their diapers, hold their hands as they learn to walk, and comfort their hurts when they fall and bruise their knees. What kind of older brother and sister are we?

The same grace and forgiveness we afford to young children should be given to young believers and unbelievers, so that they might be built up. The same way we get down on our knees and meet children at their level with open arms of love, we should extend to the spiritually immature. The strong should bear the weak. However, too often churches expect the visitor, the new believer, to bear the preferences of the older Christians. We cater to the wants of the saved and alienate the needs of the weak. We alienate those who need help the most. Then we through our hands up and wonder why not many are saved. We wonder why so many new believers fall away. We blame them saying, "Well they were selfish and wickedly demanded what they wanted." When a baby cries and wants it's way, that is normal. When a older child does it they are just a spoiled immature brat. When a new believer doesn't understand church culture and wants it his way, that is normal. When a older christian does it, they are a spoiled immature brat. If the new believers suffer from selfish attitudes, did they learn it from the older christians?

When Jesus said, "Suffer the little children to come to me." He meant for the mature disciples to suffer the children, permit the children, or forgive the children so they might come to Him. But sadly today in so many churches it's those who are but "little children" spiritually who have to suffer the mature disciples in order to find Jesus. It is no wonder why so few “little children” are finding Him today. We have it backwards. I guess I still wonder why the “little children” have to suffer to come to Jesus.

Temper Tantrum

A wise man may get angry, but not easily. Psalms 103:8 says, “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.” God can become very angry. There is no sin in being angry. However, God doesn’t get mad easily. He is patient and compassionate. He is abounding in love and therefore slow to get angry.

James 1:19 commands us, “My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” Proverbs 18:13 says, “He who answers before listening— that is his folly and his shame.” A quick emotional response of anger demonstrates a root of folly in our hearts. How many of us have quickly reacted in anger before we knew all the facts and made fools of ourselves? The temper tantrum of a hot-tempered man demonstrates his foolishness. The book of Proverbs has much to say about being quickly angered.

Proverbs 29:8 says, “Mockers stir up a city, but wise men turn away anger.” It’s the mocker or the fool who stirs people into frenzy. And it is the wise voice of reason that turns away from anger and bitterness. Proverbs 15:18 says, “A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel.” If you are a hot-tempered fool, you will inevitably stir up anger, resentment and dissension among brothers. If you are patient you can calm down a quarrel.

The wise man avoids fights. The fool looks for them, and if there are none there, he creates some. Fools take some twisted pleasure from arguing. Some people take a sick pleasure out of feeling angry. It somehow makes them feel empowered. Proverbs 20:3 says, “It is to a man’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel.” If you quickly quarrel and are easily angered, you are just like any old fool. A wise man is patient. A man of understanding and spiritual maturity is slow to get ruffled. Proverbs 14:29 says, “A patient man has great understanding, but a quick-tempered man displays folly.” A temper tantrum puts our folly on display for the whole world to see how impatient we are and what little understanding we have.

There are some things the fool consistently does that enflames his anger and stirs up conflict with others. Proverbs 30:33 says, “For as churning the milk produces butter, and as twisting the nose produces blood, so stirring up anger produces strife." Stirring up anger always produces strife. The man quick to anger therefore is always stirring up strife. He has several weapons at his disposal to ignite the chaos of fury.

One weapon of the fool is gossip. The easily angered are also quick to spout off the reasons for their anger. Proverbs 16:28 says, “A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.” A perverse man is quickly angered, always finding fault and spreading his record of wrongs for public consumption. Proverbs 17:9 says, “He who covers over an offense promotes love, but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.” Love patiently covers over wrongs to promote unity, forgiveness, and peace. But the fool is quickly angered and shows none of the restraint of wisdom.

The tools of the wise are patience, forgiveness and gentleness. Proverbs 15:1 "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." The soft and patient answer of the wise can sooth over wounded feelings, placate egos, and pacify the lust for vengeance. But the harsh response of the fool is only fuel on the fire of fury. Proverbs 26:20-21 says, “Without wood a fire goes out; without gossip a quarrel dies down. As charcoal to embers and as wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.” Anger and quarrels are stoked by the words of a hot-tempered fool.

Not only does the hot-tempered fool say foolish things. He also does them. He acts hastily, based upon rash decisions and incomplete information. Proverbs 14:17 “A quick-tempered man does foolish things, and a crafty man is hated.” It is inevitable that the quick-tempered man does something stupid. The haste, the emotionalism, and the blind fury makes the outcome inevitable. Being "quick to anger" is a path to the dark-side and many horrible sins. Proverbs 29:22 says, "An angry man stirs up dissension, and a hot-tempered one commits many sins." How many men sit in jail as murderers? How many marriages are lost? How many children are estranged from their parents? How many relationships are ruined? How many friendships are lost? How many fights, wars and deaths have taken place because of sins induced by a hot-tempered fool?

The hot-tempered man quickly flares up due to a total lack of self-control. Proverbs 29:11 says, "A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control." The hot-tempered man has a lack of control that destroys him. The wise man controls his emotions. The fool leaves his emotions free to run unchecked by wisdom. Proverbs 16:32 says, “Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city.” Physical strength is nothing compared to the godliness of self-control and patience. Strength alone will not give victory. I will take a wise and patient man over a strong fool any day. Real victory is best accomplished through the wisdom of those slow to anger and patiently gentle. Proverbs 25:15 says, “Through patience a ruler can be persuaded, and a gentle tongue can break a bone.”

Many of us today know some hot-tempered people. They inevitably get themselves into trouble. We are often tempted to rescue them from the fate brought on by their own stupidity, especially when it’s our own children. We want to save them from the harsh lessons of the consequences of being a hot-tempered fool. Proverbs 19:19 says, “A hot-tempered man must pay the penalty; if you rescue him, you will have to do it again.” The only way to learn patience, gentleness and to be slow to anger is to pay the penalty of our actions. Parents, who don’t let their children pay the price for their hot-tempered nature now, will doom their children to that nature and the eventual consequences from which they cannot save them.

Many of us may also know hot-tempered people who are friends or co-workers. Avoid them. Proverbs 22:24-25 says, "Do not make friends with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared." Bad company corrupts good character. Bad friends will change you for the worse. You become like them. If you share their company, you will share their fate.

Also hot-tempered people are a great source of strife in churches, business, and organizations. Proverbs 22:10 says, "Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife; quarrels and insults are ended." The source of most confrontations in an organization is usually centered around a person or small group of people, who are hot-tempered fools who agitate everyone else.

In the New Testament, Paul tells the young preacher, Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:14, “Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen.” And Paul told the preacher Titus in Titus 3:10, “Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him.” Avoid the hot-tempered man or woman. We must be abounding in love and compassion like our savior. Remember James 1:19 says, “...be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” If you do not, your anger will destroy you.

Mosesitis

Have you ever had a bad case of “Mosesitis?” What is Mosesitis,?” you may ask. It’s the attitude Moses had after putting up with the rebellious and hard hearted Israelites for too long. It led Moses to act in anger and he dishonored God. Anger itself is not sinful but it does tempt us to sin. Moses was so angered by the continuous whining and grumbling of people in rebellion to God’s will, it lead him into sin and kept him from ever entering the promised land. I call this frustration “Mosesitis.”

Moses was the most humble man in all Israel (Numbers 12:3) and yet he was still accused falsely of “going too far” (Numbers 16:3) and lording it over the people of Israel. (Numbers 16:13) by a stiff necked and rebellious people. Moses was faithful in all God’s house (Hebrews 3:5), but he was still accused of abusing his power (Numbers 16:14).

How could they rebel against such a faithful leader? He risked his life for these people. He left his home and family for these people. He put up with so much. He suffered through angry Israelites complaining when the Egyptians followed them before God parted the Red Sea. He put up with complaining about the lack of water. He endured grumbling about the lack of food. He dealt with their pagan revelry around the golden calf. He dealt with a rebellion from his brother and sister, from Korah and some other leaders. He wandered through the desert trying to teach God’s Law to the people. He interceded and prayed for the people of Israel as they brought on themselves plagues, snakes and other punishments God sent. Moses worked morning till evening for them. One time he even kept God from killing all of them.

What is the thanks he gets after serving them selflessly, teaching them God’s Law, saving them again and again with miracles, and leading them by bringing organization? They just complain that they don’t have any water. Had they forgotten all the miracles God had already done to save them? No wonder Moses was frustrated and angry. He was talking, but they were not listening. He was leading, but they didn’t follow. He had a vision of blessing for them, but they would not accept it.

You can watch “Mosesitis” build in the poor guy. When the people complained, because they only had manna to eat and no meat, Moses prayed,

Numbers 10:11-15 “Moses heard the people of every family wailing, each at the entrance to his tent. The LORD became exceedingly angry, and Moses was troubled. He asked the LORD, "Why have you brought this trouble on your servant? What have I done to displease you that you put the burden of all these people on me? Did I conceive all these people? Did I give them birth? Why do you tell me to carry them in my arms, as a nurse carries an infant, to the land you promised on oath to their forefathers? Where can I get meat for all these people? They keep wailing to me, ‘Give us meat to eat!’ I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now— if I have found favor in your eyes— and do not let me face my own ruin.”

Listen to the frustration in Moses’ prayer. He felt burdened like he was caring for a bunch of whining spoiled babies. He would rather die then deal with the burden of these people.

When the people of Israel rebelled by building the golden calf, Moses anger reached the point where he acted out in anger throwing the tablets down, breaking them to pieces. Exodus 32:19 says,

“When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain.”

The frustration built to anger for Moses as his “Mosesitis” became more acute. When Dathan and Abiram blamed Moses for the Israelites not getting into the promise land, and accused him of lording over them, Moses became angry. The rebellious Dathan and Abiram even went as far as to make the wild and baseless accusation that Moses wished to gouge their eyes out. At this point, Moses was done with them. Numbers 16:15 says,

“Then Moses became very angry and said to the LORD, "Do not accept their offering. I have not taken so much as a donkey from them, nor have I wronged any of them."

This anger grew to include the officers in his army, when they refused to totally destroy the enemies of Israel. Moses had worked hard and made many personal sacrifices to get Israel to the Promise Land, and when other leaders endangered the success of that mission, he became angry with them and rightly so. Numbers 31:14 says,

“Moses was angry with the officers of the army— the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds— who returned from the battle.”

Moses was one troubled, frustrated, angry man. Wouldn’t you be? Not many of us have had to put up with the level of frustration and pressure Moses faced. Imagine the frustration of leading people so close to the Promised Land and then they blow it. To top it off, they blame you when it was their unbelief that held them back. Then, they reject you as a leader and grumble some more about some piddley problem.

This is where we find Moses in Numbers 20:1-12:

“In the first month the whole Israelite community arrived at the Desert of Zin, and they stayed at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried. Now there was no water for the community, and the people gathered in opposition to Moses and Aaron. They quarreled with Moses and said, "If only we had died when our brothers fell dead before the LORD! Why did you bring the LORD’s community into this desert, that we and our livestock should die here? Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to this terrible place? It has no grain or figs, grapevines or pomegranates. And there is no water to drink!" Moses and Aaron went from the assembly to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting and fell facedown, and the glory of the LORD appeared to them. The LORD said to Moses, "Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink." 9 So Moses took the staff from the LORD’s presence, just as he commanded him. He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, "Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?" Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them."

Can you hear the anger in his voice and the condescending tone when he calls them “rebels?” And then in anger, frustration, and fury, he strikes the rock twice and acts in a way that dishonors God. He did not honor God as holy in the sight of the Israelites. Because of this fit of rage, he was not allowed to enter into the Promise Land. Their sin tempted him into sinning. Their rebellion led him to become like them and sink to their level. The anger of his past that had led him to kill an Egyptian and bury him in the sand, flared up again. Often, sins of our youth, not fully dealt with, have a way of resurfacing when under pressure. Unfortunately, Moses allowed his “Mosesitis” to get away from him.

We may name the frustration that comes from trying to lead people who just won’t follow “Mosesitis” after Moses, but he was not the only one in the Bible to suffer from this temptation. Paul knew what it was to feel the pressure of leading God’s people. Paul shared all the sacrifices he had made for the cause of God and His church in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28,

“Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.”

Unless you are the leader in a church who feels the pressure of shepherding a flock, or a preacher setting the church in order, so that we might collectively evangelize the lost, you may not understand the pressure Paul felt. If you messed up at some jobs, it means you messed up. It might mean the product you produced was inferior. Maybe you got fired. Other jobs have more stress. As a police officer, you feel the pressure to serve and protect. Maybe, as a doctor, you felt the pressure to heal or save lives. But as a preacher, you feel the pressure to see souls saved. If I don’t do my job and lead the church (or the people) to do God’s will, then souls will be lost and condemned to eternal damnation. That is a pressure I bear every minute of every day. Paul listed all his hardships in ever increasing intensity. He ends his list of hardships and frustrations with the never ending daily pressure of concern for the church. It’s an ever present burden of the calling.

When the mission of the church is placed in your responsibility and you have to give an account to God about it, it creates some pressure to fulfill the mission. When God’s love for you inspires a deep love for the lost in your heart, it creates pressure to fulfill the mission. When people get in the way of the mission God gave you, that you are responsible for, and which determines the eternal destiny of other people’s souls, you can feel anger.

When people rebelled against the mission of the church, it led Paul to “Mosesitis.” Like Moses before him, it led Paul to make some miscalculations. When John-Mark left Paul and Barnabas on the mission field, it frustrated Paul to the point that he would not let Mark go on the next trip with him. Barnabas disagreed with Paul on this. Acts 15:39 says,

“They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus”

Later, Paul realized Barnabas was right. However, the frustration about people who faithlessly fail can cause us to have “Mosesitis” to the point we don’t offer people grace. Paul was so focused on Marks mess up, he couldn’t see Marks potential until later. Paul later writes in 2 Timothy 4:11,

“Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.”

Another time Paul had been arrested, beaten, and wrongly accused by evil men who desired to murder him. The rejection, unbelief, and hard heartedness of the religious leaders in Jerusalem angered the Apostle Paul. After the high priest had him struck on the cheek, he said in Acts 23:3

"God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!"

Now was Paul right in what he said? Yes, he was right. But his attitude toward these leaders was wrong. He had let his “Mosisitis” run wild. He was then rebuked and had to admit he was wrong in what he did. Acts 23:4-5 explains,

“Those who were standing near Paul said, "You dare to insult God’s high priest?" Paul replied, "Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’"

Like Moses, Paul at times wished he were dead rather then have to deal with the pressure of the hardships in his ministry. He explains in 2 Corinthians 1:8

“We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.”

Many times when our anger, which is justified, gets the best of us, we are tempted to act out in anger in a sinful way that does not honor God. Ephesians 4: 26 -27 says,

"In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.”

It’s not a sin to be angry. But there is a temptation to sin in anger and we should express it in a positive way. We shouldn’t hold anger in. If you let the sun set on your anger, you are giving the devil a foot hold. Moses did. Paul did. Jesus never let his anger lead him to sin. Jesus himself warned us of the danger of anger. He taught in Matthew 5:22,

“But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca, ‘is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”

Jesus was tempted by “Mosesitis” too. But it never led Jesus to sin. The disciple’s lack of faith was often discouraging. When they couldn’t cast the demon out of the young boy in Matthew 17:17 he said,

"O unbelieving and perverse generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me."

Jesus taught these men for years but they were so slow to learn. Jesus became very frustrated many times with the fact that the disciples often just didn’t “get it.” Matthew 15:15-16

“Peter said, ‘Explain the parable to us.’ ‘Are you still so dull?’ Jesus asked them.”

Read again Matthew chapter 23 and notice Jesus frustration and attitude toward unbelievers. He had a righteous anger but he never let it set. He dealt with it before the sun set. He expressed it without sin. We see one such occasion in John 2: 14-17,

“In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!" His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me."

Jesus was frustrated and hurt as he felt the pressure of those around him who were lost. He hurt for the lost souls who would not accept him. In Luke 19:41 it describes,

“As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it”

And again in sorrow for the lost and dying generation he said in Luke 13:34,

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!"

The things that truly angered Jesus were when people cared more about their traditions, additions to God’s Word, and misinterpretation of the law than healing and saving the hurting and lost. One time Jesus wanted to heal a handicapped man but because it was the Sabbath, the crowd thought it would be wrong. Jesus, in defiance of the traditionalism, healed the man. Mark 3:5 says,

“He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored.”

Jesus was left angry and deeply distressed by people. Why? The same reason Moses had “Mosesitis” is why. The people he preached to had stubborn hearts. Have you ever struggled with this? Righteous indignation can be used as a temptation to have an unrighteous reaction. There is a good way to deal with “Mosesitis”and a sinful way to deal with it.

When speaking of the priests in the Old Testament the Bible says in Hebrews 5:2-3

“He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.”

Because the Old Testament priests sinned and needed sacrifices too, they didn’t have the right to judge others who needed them. When priests helped others sacrifice to atone for their sins, he should deal gently with them since he himself sinned too. We should forgive as we were forgiven. We should deal with others as Christ dealt with us. Moses himself wrote in Numbers 14:18,

“The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion.”

Paul who struggled so with “Mosesitis,” reminded us in Philippians 4:5,

“Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.”

It’s obvious to me that I have some personal growing to do to avoid the pitfalls of “Mosesitis.”

Dear God, Help me to be as slow to anger, loving, forgiving, patient, and gentle as Jesus. AMEN!

Being ultra-conservative and legalistic is a sin, isn't it?

Question 5: Being ultra-conservative and legalistic is a sin, isn't it?

Answer: If by ultra-conservative, you mean holding on to the traditions of men and trying to elevate them to the authority of a command of God, yes, that is a sin. If by ultra-conservative, you mean following God’s Word and its principles to the letter, no, that is not a sin. It is a sin not to follow His Word. Can you obey God’s will too much? Can you follow the Holy Spirit’s revelation in the scripture too much? Can you follow God’s purposes too much? Never!

If by legalistic you mean, holding to a stricter interpretation of a command than the Bible gives, yes, that is a sin. If by legalistic, you mean completely obeying every command, completely following each principle and following Jesus and the apostles scriptural example, no, it’s not a sin. In fact, not to follow Scripture completely is a sin. To look down your nose at someone for sinning, while being a sinner yourself, is a sin.

The only way to be too conservative is when you start adding your opinion to God’s Word. When you start strictly interpreting God’s Word beyond its meaning in the text and twisting Scripture to say something it doesn’t say or imply something it doesn’t imply, then you are sinning. When you keep the letter of the law while violating the principles or spirit of the Law, that is sin. But, to strictly adhere to what it actually does say and mean, that is not a sin. This is the only way not to sin.

Conclusion: To say the Bible is not “that important” or that we should follow some other authority “more than any Bible verse” is to infer that the Bible is not 100% accurate, complete truth, or completely able to guide and instruct us. It is to make the Holy Spirit out to be a liar. That is very dangerous.

Psalms 18:30 “As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.”