Moderate Apostolics 2

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Hi:

On Thu, 23 Apr 1998 20:38:00 EDT Harrell 01 <Harrell01@aol.com> wrote:

> The problem I have with this is sometimes the "convict" is sincere in his
> love for God, but has been overtaken in a fault. By sitting the person down,
> the person may lose his desire for fellowship with Christ and the
> congregation.
> He may become discouraged from the lack of active participation, and may
> even eventually leave church altogether.
> 
> Paul uses this "tactic" only when a brother has been repeatedly reprimanded
> for an offense without repentance and without a desire for change. When one
> is overtaken in a fault, he is to be restored in the spirit of meekness...not
> removed from active participation and left to die! BEEN THERE...DONE THAT!

I agree with you totally.  I, too, was overtaken in a fault...it 
actually still tries to oppress me and take me out.  But because I love 
God and I know He loves me, I cannot give up on God.  He promised that 
He would never leave me or forsake me and that there is nothing that 
can separate me from His Love. I thank God for the man of God who is 
over my life, who I know is constantly praying for me and rooting for 
me when others would persecute me and cast me away.  He gets pressure, 
however, from others in the church to reprimand me harsher because I 
have been this way before.  I was "set down" but that did not help me; 
I am still struggling and it is all I can do to keep my head above the 
water spiritually and not give up.  Last year I was so overtaken that I 
attempted suicide; I felt God could never use me again and had given up 
on me.  I know differently now and with God's Help I WILL NOT GIVE UP 
ON GOD!!  He loves me too much!!!

Please pray for my sisters and brothers in my congregation that God 
will soften their hearts and quicken the word given in Gal. 6:1 about 
restoring a brother in a spirit of meekness.  And pray that I do not 
allow unforgiveness and bitterness to creep in my heart and that I 
will stand in the face of attacks from the enemy on God's Almighty 
Word.  Even though all this is happening, I still love my church and my 
pastor and know that God wants me there.  It is so hard, but I must 
keep going.

Also pray that God will-with what the devil meant for bad and 
destruction-turn it all out for the good of not just myself, but for 
everyone involved.  For if one brother falls, the whole family falls.  
If one brother rejoices, the whole family rejoices.  That is what God 
meant when He said that we are all members of one body, one of another. 
The world labels it co-dependency...but God calls it the Law of Christ. 
We are in this world but not of this world; we are a royal priesthood, 
a peculiar people...not conformed to the ways of the world.  The world 
tears down w/o any hope of building up.  The Church is to edify itself; 
anything else is spiritual genocide.

God Bless You and my prayers are with you>>>Wenona


> >> 1.  Being "set down" (probably not a phrase we would want to use
> >> around visitors, anyhow) :-)  This one has always bothered me.
>  
> > I don't think I'm familiar with this phrase.  What's the context?
> 
> Being "set down" means to be removed from active participation in the
> church service, or to have your position stripped from you. The reason for
> being "set down" is due to moral infidelity of some sort...in other words,
> when someone sins, and it comes to the attention of the pastor, the pastor
> might sit the person down either indefinitely or for a season.
> 
> The problem I have with this is sometimes the "convict" is sincere in his
> love for God, but has been overtaken in a fault. By sitting the person down,
> the person may lose his desire for fellowship with Christ and the
> congregation.
> He may become discouraged from the lack of active participation, and may
> even eventually leave church altogether.
> 
> Paul uses this "tactic" only when a brother has been repeatedly reprimanded
> for an offense without repentance and without a desire for change. When one
> is overtaken in a fault, he is to be restored in the spirit of meekness...not
> removed from active participation and left to die! BEEN THERE...DONE THAT!

----------------------

russw@bc.edu
Boston College