Word of the Post
Today's word is: fool/fool/
Noun: A person who lacks sense or judgment; court jester, person with a job to entertain.
Verb: To spend time idly or aimlessly; to meddle or tamper ignorantly; to joke; to deceive.
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I wanted to share some thoughts from my friend, Dustin D. Check out his blog on my list. I have been thinking about this very subject, and how I wanted to deal with it. He got on my brainwaves, and said it better than I could, so I got permission to steal it.
I will comment on my own points on this same subject in the next post.
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Okay, that headline is a bit melodramatic, but it's been on my mind this week. I know we've already discussed this topic a bit, but as you'll see, it has been thrust into my mind.
I don't want to gossip negatively about anyone, so please take my comments as criticism of someone's viewpoint, not of them as a person. A new person at our church is a very 'Church of Christ' type of person. If you've ever attended a Church of Christ, then you probably know exactly what I mean...
Last Wednesday night, this guy told this (paraphrased) story during class:
"I was a new Christian and I was working at a grocery store. One of the prominent men in my church came in and he didn't see me working, but I saw him. He picked up some beer and some whiskey and bought them.
That really confused me as a Christian. I mean, he could have a good reason for buying alcohol - maybe he was marinating some meat in it! - but should he have bought it? How did that action affect me, a new Christian?"
UGH.
This is soooo typical of my chosen sect of Christianity. They take an ambiguous topic like alcohol, take the most conservative stance possible, and basically act like anyone else's opinion is evil.
If I had felt bold (I didn't), I would have responded with this:
"First of all, the Bible doesn't say anywhere that drinking alcohol is wrong. Jesus drank wine, and his first miracle was turning water into wine so people could drink it. In fact, the host of that party said that Christ's wine was better than the wine they had already drunk!
Second, a person isn't sinning when they buy alcohol. It isn't illegal, it isn't against God's law, and it isn't even immoral by any but the strictest standards. That man didn't need to be marinating meat. If his behavior buying a legal product caused you to stumble as a Christian, then perhaps your faith wasn't strong enough to begin with. If you base your faith on the behavior of other people, you aren't being very wise...
Third, get off your high horse! The Pharisees in the Bible were known for being outspoken about other people's choices. They would make up rule after rule, law after law, then live by the letter of the law. When they saw other people not living up to those same rules, they would call them out in public to make themselves look better.
Christ condemned this kind of behavior. It's legalistic nonsense, and it really ticked him off. Don't take the rules of the Bible ("Don't be a drunkard") and change them to fit your own conceptions, then act like I'm going to hell if I drink a beer or two. I don't get drunk. I already follow the letter of the law."
Does this kind of thing bug anyone else? I know it bugs my brother...
The truth is, I know what my sins are, and drinking alcohol isn't one of them.
1 comment:
yes, yes, Yes! I haven't read D's blog in months. I agree with this post. Out of legalism and into GRACE. And I don't want to hear any of that hooey about Jesus' wine being more watered down and like grape juice. Have you heard that one? I'm sure the God of the universe...the one who made EVERYTHING knew good wine when He tasted it.
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