10/26/15
Yesterday our pastor was on travel in Africa, and we had our Youth pastor standing in to give our message. He did an amazing job. His message was called "It Is Written." I knew that Jesus had used this phrase when He was teaching and guiding, but I never thought to much about it. It makes sense...He was quoting scripture. What can be better when we are in the middle of a discussion that has more than one opinion being set forth. Debating is a technique that illuminates the many sides of a topic that is bring discussed. It makes it possible to see the many sides that are often part of a topic.
Sometimes when debating an issue, it often turns out to be true that subjects are not black and white. There are many shades to the beliefs with regard to any topic. Now I am not referring to to the unchanging truths about God, things He has done, and the beliefs we cling to. I believe that there is only one truth about such topics, but I am not saying a debate is inappropriate. I have to confess that just a few days ago I got into a discussion and became irate. I called the person that I was responding to so harshly and apologized. However debating such a topic is appropriate if it is done with love and respect. I had not planned to write this, but this old saying popped into my mind just now. "You will catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar." So true!
Sometimes our pastor will preach for more than a half hour and then say that all that was just the introduction. We all laugh and know that we have a series starting up. I am not going to write a series here but the above two paragraphs are just the set up for this writing.
Back to yesterday's sermon. The topic was illustrated by Jesus in the desert early in His ministry. You will remember that satan came to test Him. Satan's hopes were to tempt Jesus successfully to worship him and turn away from His Father. First he asked Jesus to turn the rocks into bread since He had been fasting for 40 days. Jesus was hungry, but He would not do it. Then he asked Jesus to bow down and worship him...he got another negative from Jesus. Then he reminded Jesus that he would be protected by angels if He jumped off the high place, and suggested that He do it,. Again Jesus rejected this temptation as well. Foiled again satan!
This is where it gets interesting, and gives us a model to follow when a debate we are in gets a bit difficult to deal with. Jesus did not argue with satan: He did not try to convince him that he was wrong: He had a much better weapon. It was a "feather knife" meaning that His weapon was a soft one, that satan could not argue with. Jesus quoted Scripture. (Now satan had done his homework so that he would know truths and know his enemy, Jesus. Satan also knew Scripture, and he knew Jesus.)
Still Jesus did not argue or cajole satan. He started his responses with
By
Yesterday our pastor was on travel in Africa, and we had our Youth pastor standing in to give our message. He did an amazing job. His message was called "It Is Written." I knew that Jesus had used this phrase when He was teaching and guiding, but I never thought to much about it. It makes sense...He was quoting scripture. What can be better when we are in the middle of a discussion that has more than one opinion being set forth. Debating is a technique that illuminates the many sides of a topic that is bring discussed. It makes it possible to see the many sides that are often part of a topic.
Sometimes when debating an issue, it often turns out to be true that subjects are not black and white. There are many shades to the beliefs with regard to any topic. Now I am not referring to to the unchanging truths about God, things He has done, and the beliefs we cling to. I believe that there is only one truth about such topics, but I am not saying a debate is inappropriate. I have to confess that just a few days ago I got into a discussion and became irate. I called the person that I was responding to so harshly and apologized. However debating such a topic is appropriate if it is done with love and respect. I had not planned to write this, but this old saying popped into my mind just now. "You will catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar." So true!
Sometimes our pastor will preach for more than a half hour and then say that all that was just the introduction. We all laugh and know that we have a series starting up. I am not going to write a series here but the above two paragraphs are just the set up for this writing.
Back to yesterday's sermon. The topic was illustrated by Jesus in the desert early in His ministry. You will remember that satan came to test Him. Satan's hopes were to tempt Jesus successfully to worship him and turn away from His Father. First he asked Jesus to turn the rocks into bread since He had been fasting for 40 days. Jesus was hungry, but He would not do it. Then he asked Jesus to bow down and worship him...he got another negative from Jesus. Then he reminded Jesus that he would be protected by angels if He jumped off the high place, and suggested that He do it,. Again Jesus rejected this temptation as well. Foiled again satan!
This is where it gets interesting, and gives us a model to follow when a debate we are in gets a bit difficult to deal with. Jesus did not argue with satan: He did not try to convince him that he was wrong: He had a much better weapon. It was a "feather knife" meaning that His weapon was a soft one, that satan could not argue with. Jesus quoted Scripture. (Now satan had done his homework so that he would know truths and know his enemy, Jesus. Satan also knew Scripture, and he knew Jesus.)
Still Jesus did not argue or cajole satan. He started his responses with
"IT IS WRITTEN...
These verses are from the book of Matthew, Chapter 4. Before Jesus used Scripture to answer satan. The evil one also had a go with it. Jesus was not moved nor impressed. Here are His responses...
5 Jesus answered, It is written:
"Man shall not live on bread alone,
but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’
7 Jesus answered him, It is also written:
"Do not put the Lord your God to the test."
10 Jesus said to him,
“Away from me, Satan!
“Away from me, Satan!
For it is written:
‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only."
Those words, It is Written are perfect when one is involved in a debate that is becoming hot or argumentative. What better way to know that you are correct than to quote scripture. This would require you to have hidden The Word in your heart or that you start on a journey of collecting certain Scripture verses that you can be sure God will give you the opportunity to use.
By
Corinne Mustafa
It is written:
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking,
correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God
may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
2 Timothy 3:16-17
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking,
correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God
may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
2 Timothy 3:16-17
At times when you are debating a topic about theology or related topics it is good to quote the Bible. Jesus did that when the devil was trying to tempt Him. He did not argue with Satan, He just said "Iit is written,"and then quoted scripture to him. This would be a good time to begin hiding The Word in your heart, so you can emmulate Jesus.
ReplyDeleteGod bless...