OFFSETTING JUDGMENT: WEIGHING PRIORITIES

OFFSETTING JUDGMENT: WEIGHING PRIORITIES

Friday, November 20, 2015

2Corinthians [All ESV] 13:5-6 Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test.

1Peter 4:17-18 For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And "If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?"

1John 4:1-6a Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already. Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God.

2John 1:6-11 And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward. Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.

  Don’t know about you, but I’m bombarded with solicitations for supporting donations and requests to sign petitions having to do with political and morality issues. I’m not saying flat out to not participate in such efforts. The problem is balance in weighing priorities.

  If the graphic above does not show, please envision an old fashioned scale that looks like a seesaw. Put the guiding exhortations of 2Cor.13:5-6; 1Pet.4:17-18; 1Jn4:1-6; 2 Jn.1:6-11 having to do with the body of Christ on one side. Now put all the outside-the-church political and social issues on the opposite side.

  Which way does the scale tip?  EBB4