Submission and Discerning the Will of God Collectively

General Christian Theology
Hats Off
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Re: Submission and Discerning the Will of God Collectively

Post by Hats Off »

I would have to agree with you RZehr.
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Ernie
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Re: Submission and Discerning the Will of God Collectively

Post by Ernie »

Heirbyadoption wrote:Ernie:
Could you expand a bit on what this might look like, or perhaps offer some examples? Thanks.
Ernie wrote: "We feel that this is how God is leading us as a group and that he is showing us a 'right way for us and our little ones'. Since the scriptures indicate that we should submit to each other and to the Spirit of God collectively, you need to decide whether the Spirit of God is leading us and whether he is leading you to join and submit to this particular group. We understand that God leads people differently in different situations and we can recognize folks as brothers and sisters in Christ who are following the Lord even if they don't do things exactly as we do. If you are submitted to this group, it is fine if you push back on things that you believe are not the way the Spirit wants them to be as long as you don't sow discord and dissension."
This is the concept of submission that I am comfortable with.
A group may decide that they would like to honor God in their western culture setting by wearing loose-fitting clothes that come to the ankles, elbows and neck and that women should wear skirts and men should not.
And then along comes a Mid-Eastern man who has always worn a robe and wants to continue doing so.
I would say that he should be given an opportunity to make his case to the church and that the church should seriously hear him out and consider what God would have them do in this situation.
But lets say that the church decides for whatever reason that they think it would be more unifying and God-honoring for him in this western cultural situation to dress like the rest of the group or wear some kind of robe/pants combination, then I think he should just give in. A few years later I would be fine with the man bringing up the topic again. Now if in the meantime he would go around talking to the member about this ridiculous church that is a social club instead of a church, because they have expectations for what kind clothing people should wear, and the man would start driving a wedge between those who would favor him wearing a robe and those who would favor the opposite, then I think such a person should be "marked and the church should have nothing to do with him."

The same principles could be applied to a church that decides that all the ladies should wear white veils, or all the ladies should veil their heads in public, or all the men should wear beards, etc.
I think the church should hear arguments to the contrary but those wishing for the church to change its position should not mope and stir up dissension and discord if the church doesn't grant them their wish.
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The old woodcutter spoke again. “It is impossible to talk with you. You always draw conclusions. Life is so vast, yet you judge all of life with one page or one word. You see only a fragment. Unless you know the whole story, how can you judge?"
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