I agree that we should all examine ourselves and not be so quick to condemn others and yet at the same time, I can’t say that its right to sell out the truth and throw it under the bus as a means of keeping peace. Please don’t get me wrong because I don’t think you are advocating this but it is to say that the life is a hard one and it is one that wears me down. Perhaps I don’t rest in Him enough and I fatigue because I try to do too much under my own power and volition.

It is my hope for us all to come before Christ on bended knee, bowing head and an open heart and ask Christ to guide our direction during our time we have been granted to fight the good fight according to His will.

God bless all of my Christian brothers and sisters. I love you all and please do not loose heart.

May it all be for His glory,
W.

“Some of us are passionate about truth while still fully aware of our own sinfulness and shortcomings” -

No one is fully aware of our own sinfulness. Neither is Dr. Moore. That is why I praise God that certain leaders continue to remind us to examine ourselves while we contend for the truth. We all should examine our motives, and fully expect our sin to be ever-present. If you did this, you wouldn’t see this exhortation as tired old false dichotomies.

Brian Thomas and yankeegospelgirl, you appear to have missed the point of Dr. Moore’s post. It might be a good time examine your own motives and humility.

Happy Thanksgiving all. May your time with family be refreshing and fruitful.

Mark, Chapter 2

8.And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts?

9.Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?

10.But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)

11. I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.

12. And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.

13. And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them.

***

That was only one I thought of off the top of my head, and I am confident anyone could find similar passages. Jesus didn’t beat around the bush about who he was and the power he had.

First, you do the very thing that you are accusing the holiday Christian visitor of doing and that is: you’re blazing into blogosphere pointing fingers at Christians by generalizing us to be seemingly self righteous. For example, you state that divisiveness is OFTEN caused, not by the unbelieving family, but by the Christian family. Have you done a statistical analysis on this fact? I do believe there is some truth in your statement; however, I often deal with many humble families that visit their extended families, and this is true for myself, that we leave feeling spiritually exhausted from being a pin cushion. This is not because of our pride or because we attack our family, it is the opposite.

That said, this leads me to my second point, you leave no resolve. How would you suggest we converse with Uncle Happy who finds glory and pride in his fifty years of being in a drunken stupor? Maybe Uncle Happy finds pride in his new live-in girlfriend that he found at the bar and he likes to brag about his escapades with her? How are we to relate? Sure, we have tried changing the conversation to something more glorifying or at least less vile but Uncle Happy likes to go back to the source of his problems: himself. How would you suggest we chat with Aunt X when she constantly discusses her under age future son-in-law that is living with her and her daughter and how she feels it is safe that as an adult, she purchases condoms to teach them responsibility? Are we suppose to say, “Oh yippy!”. Then, we have to deal with snide questions and criticisms of our faith, our methods of life, etc because as you know, the Christian walk is extremely foreign these days. Of course we answer back humbly; unfortunately, you leave no resolve and this leaves me to my third point.

Based off of your article, I am left feeling that I should not share the Gospel or my faith with my family. You argue that the sword is divisive but for carnal reasons and not gospel reasons. I don’t know about you but there are many times I’ve shared the gospel in all love and humility and it still divides. That is because the Gospel does divide the carnal. It is ill repute to the unregenerate. It is not my fault. Therefore, should I not share it to maintain the peace? In the same regards, you talk about honor and respect but my family does not feel the Gospel is honoring or respectful and many families are this way. However, if I don’t share it with them they may never hear it. So, is it better to share the Gospel or to look like the model Christian family that they would have me be? I’m sure you would respond (I’m guessing) that we should share the Gospel and our faith humbly but from the feel of your article, we’re left being on the defensive and are left in jeopardy of forgoing the Gospel at all.