Cliff Note: This post was originally on WIXY's Gone Bananas October 12, 2006. This was the last of a three part series that I dealt with some spiritual issues, mainly music. The reaction from this led to this blog being started.
Two books of the Bible immediately come to mind when I think about arrogance. 1 Corinthians and James. I imagine that the apostle Paul probably had his fill of know-it-alls around during his time. And James was handling the holier than thou crowd.
We see the same problems today.
If you are expecting an expository message, don't. I'm just sharing my heart.
You have people nowadays who think that if they have been saved longer, go to the correct church, make more money than you or come from the right region, they are more spiritual than you.
Oh, and if you listen to the wrong music, you can't possibly be spiritual at all.
Some of the worst name calling comes from folks from different denominations. Baptists call Pentecostals a bunch of "snake handling holy rollers". Freewill Baptists tell Southern Baptists, who are Calvinistic that they believe they "are going to Heaven whether they want to or not." Southern Baptists tell Freewills that they can be "saved today and lost tomorrow"
I've heard that eternity is going to be so long because God has to straighten us all out.
I once took part in a discussion in Sunday School. A question was asked, and I volunteered an answer. I knew the split second the words got past my lips that I was wrong. An elderly saint in the back of the sanctuary proceeded to say that "that was the view of narrow minded people". Imagine that. I was rebuked and insulted at the same time. So much for a soft answer turning away wrath(no I didn't get revenge. But I don't attend that church anymore)
A poster on the listening party forum today, stated that "everybody he has known that's been saved, has been pretty screwed up." That's another arrogance problem I've ran into the past twenty-five or so years. We always wanted to hear the testimony of the drug dealer, prostitute, porn star, prison inmate, etc. who has gotten gloriously saved. Heck, I smoked a little dope, drank some, and did a few other things I'm not proud of before I accepted Christ as my personal savior. But who are you going to church to hear the testimony of? Nikki Cruz or Cliff Feightner? Thought so. I doubt if my story will be on "Unshackled" soon.
My point on the above paragraph is that any who read this who are saved, no matter what you did before accepted Christ, you are just as saved as me.
And another bit of good news is this: you have the same access to the throne of grace that I do. It's not what I've done but it's what Jesus did on the cross for me.
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2 comments:
You have no idea how that post has just turned my whole day, week, month, year around. I have been feeling depressed a lot over others being better christians then me and how because I don't have a church that others are better. At least I know there are people out there that don't think they are better and don't look down on others. God Bless you Cliff.
Brilliant post, Cliff. I'm very glad you reposted. I enjoyed reading it immensely.
I was going to repost my first blog post on the anniversary of starting my blog, April 5th, but I will be offline moving house then. I had thought to let it go, but reading this has changed my mind. I'll definitely repost. :-)
My family (both parents sides) background was Catholic, Church of England, Methodist, Presbyterian, Spiritualist and several assorted distant cousins in other offshoots and variations. As a result mud slinging between different denominations was never tolerated as you'd find yourself aiming at some family member! Plus my aunt's boyfriend had Catholic-Jewish parents and would celebrate both sets of holy days. I truly thought, as a child, that everyone loved God and loved each other. It was only when I changed schools and countries that I started to understand that not everyone was as tolerant as my rather "laid back" family.
At the age of nine I discovered that:
"You have people nowadays who think that if they have been saved longer, go to the correct church, make more money than you or come from the right region, they are more spiritual than you."
It was a shock and it still saddens me that the same people who preach that "God is Love" rarely show any of that spiritual emotion when they deal with others. Humanity is mostly determined to judge each other as "not worthy" on one grounds or another - race, religion, culture, gender, age... the list is endless, but it is judging another unworthy due to religion that really enrages me because in doing so we are saying we have the right to judge another's soul as well as their life/actions. I truly hate that.
The bit about Sunday School made me smile.
Long memory told short and simple - I once took part in a discussion in Sunday School. A question was asked, and I volunteered an answer. I was praised for being so wise for my age and so profound... until the others discovered I wasn't a member of the church and was only there at the invitation of a friend who was a member. In an instant my wisdom and spiritual standing went from 100% to 0. Some did have the grace to look embarrassed.
But my most annoying memory relates to this:
A poster on the listening party forum today, stated that "everybody he has known that's been saved, has been pretty screwed up."
Another friend once invited me to join her at her Bible class in college. Something happened there that angered me a lot. Angered me at the person and at myself. I had the chance to stand up and speak out and I didn't... because I didn't want to hurt the feelings of the friend who invited me.
What happened was the group leader asked a new member in the group to tell his story of how he found Jesus. The young man (19 years old)was nervous and shy, but he told his story with sweet sincerity. It was a beautiful simple young man telling a beautiful simple story. The group leader then tore the story to shreds, and the young man with it. He said such a testimony was weak, boring and would never draw others to Christ. He said it needed to be "beefed up" and made more interesting - like adding in a fake drug addiction or a suicide attempt or... you get the idea.
As he ranted and criticised the young man wilted and shrunk. He went from joy in having found true spiritual happiness to seeing himself as lacking and disappointing, even in the eyes of Jesus himself.
I felt such anger I wanted to roar, but I wasn't a member of this church or this group and as a guest I was held mute by my own "good manners". I have regretted that ever since. I so hope that young man grew up to realise his truth was as powerful and beautiful in the eyes of God and Jesus as any "testimony of the drug dealer" etc.
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