Is The Church Indifferent to This Bible Verse?

[SirTJ]

I'm reading a book (what's new), and the author began talking about Galatians 6:1-2. It says:

1 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

The Author says:

We often do exactly the reverse. Those who are weak, perhaps grappling with some temptation, don't feel able to speak to the spiritually strong. Instead they can find empathy only with those who are weak in the same points.

This made me stop and think, because there's not a day that goes by where I log onto Facebook, Twitter, or whatever and don't see someone lambasting fellow Christians or calling someone out with a hostility that is the direct opposite of "gently". Some of our denominations have gained notoriety for having this militant "Holiness or Hell" attitude that makes it hard for anyone, especially those weaker in the faith, to seek help for their issues.

Have we become indifferent toward the Biblical instruction of gentleness? Have we forgotten that ALL of us have a sinful nature that manifests itself daily and can only be equalized by the blood of Christ?

[Arkhams Finest]

What book is this?

I read The Grace of God by Andy Stanley and it changed my life.  Many of us have abandoned grace.  All our righteousness is but filthy rags, yet we only see our brother's sins.

It's all grace.  It's grace or nothing.  Either Christ is our righteousness or we're bound for hell.  No goodness of our own.  When we come to that realization it's easier to show mercy and grace.

The problem is that many of us think that praying, reading our bibles, and going to church has afforded us a moral high ground.  Because I'm 'good' I can condemn others.  False.

[nessalynn77]

There are those that don't do it gently, and there are those that don't do it at all.  Both are bad business, IMO.

[SirTJ]

What book is this?

I read The Grace of God by Andy Stanley and it changed my life.  Many of us have abandoned grace.  All our righteousness is but filthy rags, yet we only see our brother's sins.

It's all grace.  It's grace or nothing.  Either Christ is our righteousness or we're bound for hell.  No goodness of our own.  When we come to that realization it's easier to show mercy and grace.

The problem is that many of us think that praying, reading our bibles, and going to church has afforded us a moral high ground.  Because I'm 'good' I can condemn others.  False.

The book is "Tempted and Tried: Temptation and the Triumph of Christ" by Russell D. Moore. One of the best written Christian books I've read. The words and images he uses just leap out at you.

And I have "Grace of God". I've read bits and pieces of it, but haven't really gotten into it yet. I'll probably start tonight. That's good stuff.

[Arkhams Finest]

The book is "Tempted and Tried: Temptation and the Triumph of Christ" by Russell D. Moore. One of the best written Christian books I've read. The words and images he uses just leap out at you.

And I have "Grace of God". I've read bits and pieces of it, but haven't really gotten into it yet. I'll probably start tonight. That's good stuff.

Good reviews on Amazon.  Just bought and downloaded. 

[SirTJ]

Another excerpt from the book:

"As the writer David Mills argues, rightly, contemporary Christianity errs when it deemphasizes the stories of the faith in favor of the abstracted principles or doctrines mined from them. "Revulsion is a much better protection from the force of the passions than an intellectual understanding by itself," Mills writes. "To feel 'This is yucky' is not a final protection from sin, but it is better than thinking 'This is wrong' but feeling 'This is okay.'" The same is true in the reverse positive sense. It is infinitely better to feel the weight of glory in the scriptures, to know the contours of the shape of Scripture even if you don't know your way to the specific chapters and verses, than to have detailed memorization of Scripture as a cognitive category. There are some, I fear, who will be able to diagram in Greek the last words they ever hear voiced: "Depart from me, you worker of iniquity." Such cognitive expertise is of little use in wrestling demons."

[LaylaMonroe]

For some reason, I thought this thread was going to be about speaking in tongues in public without interpretation. LOL

And yes, I believe there is a widespread indifference to Galatians 6:1.

[docjohn]

Some folks are too sensitive!  Any attempt to communicate anything many times winds up in an attempt to divert from the subject at hand.

Look at all the hijacking that goes on here!Funny, a lot of times the folks "most full of grace are the most critical" "wankers",at least in my experience.

I just happened to hear Dr Rutland talking about this the other day(he's pres @ ORU). He was discussing how folks are aghast at say,fornication(name sin of your choice).But-they are shacking with their girl/boyfriend.They perform a mental gymnastics to allow/justify their own behavior .Basically ;he went on to elaborate the tendency to elevate own thoughts/feelings as to be equivalent to SCRIPTURE,"canonizing"and unless your just like me-you ain't nothin'.The bottom line to how denominations /church splits happen.

JUDE gives the best advice-tell them @what level you can.The choice is theirs-you just gotta be honest.Funny;we have all these communicative devices and so little real communication.

[LaylaMonroe]

On second thought, I don't know if I should say "yes" there's an indifference to Gal 6:1. I think part of what we see as indifference actually is the result of some other things. But one I can mention here is that we can often use other scriptures (sometimes appropriately, sometimes inappropriately) to "get out of" applying Gal 6:1. For quick example, there are scriptures that tell us to stay away from people who cause division, some that say rebuke openly, some that say to disfellowship... and of course there's the all-time favorite of Jesus turning over the tables and calling the pharisees vipers. Any one of these scriptures can be used (and frequently IS used) to justify deeds that may appear to be ungentle.

I'll leave it at that.

[Arkhams Finest]

On second thought, I don't know if I should say "yes" there's an indifference to Gal 6:1. I think part of what we see as indifference actually is the result of some other things. But one I can mention here is that we can often use other scriptures (sometimes appropriately, sometimes inappropriately) to "get out of" applying Gal 6:1. For quick example, there are scriptures that tell us to stay away from people who cause division, some that say rebuke openly, some that say to disfellowship... and of course there's the all-time favorite of Jesus turning over the tables and calling the pharisees vipers. Any one of these scriptures can be used (and frequently IS used) to justify deeds that may appear to be ungentle.

I'll leave it at that.

And I'll pick it up from there.   

I've found that most people will interpret scripture based on how they see God.  It's like looking at something through different colored lenses.

If you see God as an angry, vengeful God who's just waiting for you to slip up so he can kill your children and/or give you some terrible disease to show you whose boss...as a God who would kill your spouse if you love them too much (hence making them a god)...as a God whose love is predicated solely on how 'good' you are...

Then you will naturally interpret scriptures in a way that allows them to line up with what you believe.

Many of us see the bible through a graceless lense.

[baggettcindy]

For some reason, I thought this thread was going to be about speaking in tongues in public without interpretation. LOL

And yes, I believe there is a widespread indifference to Galatians 6:1.

LOL...LOL!!!!

[LaylaMonroe]

And I'll pick it up from there.   

I've found that most people will interpret scripture based on how they see God.  It's like looking at something through different colored lenses.

If you see God as an angry, vengeful God who's just waiting for you to slip up so he can kill your children and/or give you some terrible disease to show you whose boss...as a God who would kill your spouse if you love them too much (hence making them a god)...as a God whose love is predicated solely on how 'good' you are...

Then you will naturally interpret scriptures in a way that allows them to line up with what you believe.

Many of us see the bible through a graceless lense.

Although I laughed at some of your examples, that was really good stuff. Very well said.

[betnich]

I think the more spiritually mature we are, the gentler we should be...

[blyempowered]

I think the more spiritually mature we are, the gentler we should be...

This

[LaylaMonroe]

I think the more spiritually mature we are, the gentler we should be...

I can see that.

[phbrown]

There are those that don't do it gently, and there are those that don't do it at all.  Both are bad business, IMO.

what she said