September 16, 2009
Half and Half
Often people will tell half-truths in order to justify their position. Sadly believers are not immune from embellishing half of a story, but sadder yet is that we let one another get away with it. Not too long ago I was at a dinner party with other believers, when some partial truth was given out. I felt that if I interjected the truth it would only make matters worse…and put a huge damper on dinner. I’m still kicking myself for keeping quiet. Obviously I need a refresher course on, “…be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” (2 Tim 4:2 ESV)
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1 comment:
Gail;
-----The overwhelming majority of people have some half-story or another going on in their lives, however significant or insignificant. The human struggle against sin is a struggle against overemphasis of self-interest and under-emphasis of sympathetic co-operation, that is, godliness. Even in the more accomplished character, this condition of sin expresses itself in biased perspectives. I thank God that the half-stories of the liberal mainstream news media are becoming more visible. Recently, a team of bloggers went undercover to ACORN seeking help and advice on how to set up an illegal brothel, fraudulently report its activities to the IRS, and bring thirteen year old, illegal alien girls into the country for prostitution. In three different offices they successfully video recorded ACORN employees advising in all areas of accomplishing these illegal plans. The tapes have been played and discussed for a week on the FOX News channel and by all the conservative talk radio hosts, and they have been offered to the mainstream news media, as well. But this week, when Charlie Gibson, the top anchor of ABC News and George Stephenopolus, ABC’s political analyst, were asked about the ACORN scandal, neither knew a thing! Yet they both knew everything about a lone Republican Senator who tapped the foot of an undercover agent in a Men’s room. And that is just one anecdote in a long history of bias that has been destroying the political understanding of a large portion of American voters. It approaches the upper bar of significance, our country is teetering on the edge of falling into the hands of left-wing, totalitarian politicians. At the mid-level of significance were the half-stories bandied about the XYZ Church in the early years of this decade, and all of the hurt feelings and strife they caused. At the lower-level are the embellishments day-to-day events get from nearly every one of us, including myself.
-----This should not be so, especially in the church. But even a superficial study of church history turns up an endless parade of events, in all their bloody details of fracture and division, brought about by half-stories. The anecdote you gave in today’s blog is only one from volumes that could probably be offered by most every one of us Christians honest enough to reveal those of our own, and delighted enough to reveal those of others. It almost makes one think God erred in just giving us a down-payment in the Holy Spirit, rather than overwhelming us with His irresistible force.
-----Not at all! It is undeniable God needed to dispose of Satan, the destructive deceit he created, and the third of the angels who accepted it. Such action taken immediately would have openly revealed God’s judgment, but would have told only half the story about God. He wisely needed to tell the other story about Himself - mercy and kindness towards the repentant sinner. Without the events of church history exposing believers carrying His Spirit in their hearts, yet acting inappropriately, and His mercy towards them irregardless of their failures, the two thirds of the angels who remained faithful would not have seen the full nature of God’s merciful story. Therefore, “…through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.” (Eph 3:10) However pure our own righteousness may be, it is only a half-story, insufficient to gain us entry into His Kingdom. So it is Christ’s righteousness alone that gains us entry, His grace entirely. And though it be far from us to sin the more that His grace may abound, our frailties serve adequate demonstration for His tenderness and mercies, so that He might be justified to finally banish Satan from treacherously roaming about.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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