A FELLOWSHIP OF BELIEVERS

THIS IS A GATHERING OF CHRISTIANS BY THE SEA OF GALILEE WHO

ARE ENJOYING EACH OTHERS FELLOWSHIP.

The final chapter of my writings about the tactics of moneychangers in the house of God is this one. I plan to write no more on this topic. This one will take some patience to read as it will be the longest. I believe it has done me much good. I have studied passages afresh and I realize that I am indebted to Jesus Christ to be forgiving and loving. And I hope I will never again judge any person unworthy of the blessings of our Lord. You remember we were writing about the consequences imposed on others by the charlatans of our day who have somehow missed the grace and forgiveness of God and who have appointed themselves as judges at the gates of the city of God.

We had talked about how Paul would have been unworthy in one of their churches. Now how about Abraham. Did he not misrepresent the fact that Sarah was his wife? God's consequence went something like this. "...he is a prophet..."(Gen. 20:7) and "...in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." Would he have been tagged a compulsive liar by some in high places today?

Take a look at David. He was a murderer and adulterer. Where would he have been in your fellowship Mr. Moneychanger.? What would you have imposed on him? David became a forgiven man. He said to God..."...you forgave the iniquity of my sins."(Ps. 32:5) Why? He said.."...I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,"(Ps. 32:5) No wonder he wrote "Blessed is he whosetransgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered." What would you have done with him? What have you done with other sinners like him? Paul picks up on David's statements in Ps. 32 and utilizes them with reference to us today who are children of God. Ro.4:5"to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness." So Paul concludes as David did..."Blessed are those whose lawless deeds have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered."(Ro. 4:7)

Another reason I believe some are adversely affected by these bullies is because many fellowships are boss-run fellowships that are more business and society oriented than Christ oriented. Matthew was a tax-collector who was chosen to be an apostle. That surprised many of that day. Jesus actually ate with such folks. Mt. 9:10..."Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples." The society of the day and the spiritual bosses disapproved. Jesus said to them..."...I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."(Mt. 9:13) I wonder if they got His drift? "...the righteous..." That is exactly what they saw themselves to be. They were already perfect. Those bosses were well qualified in their minds to say who sinners are and who should be allowed to eat at a table of a teacher. Mk. 2:15 says of the sinners...."...there were many, and they followed Him..."

These ax carrying bosses would spurn any fellowship with sinners. After all they are of very little use to the corporation. Yet Jesus said..."it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish." (Mt. 18:11-14)

Is that not the reason John tells the Christians he writes to in his epistles, including himself, that God will "...cleanse us from all unrighteousness..."(I Jn. 1:10) God is not willing that we perish but that we come to repentance..that we be saved...that we have forgiveness....

Takes us to another ploy...They say..."Some sins are worse than others." Question...If we confess our sins and God does away with "...all unrighteousness..." where is your argument. If all unrighteousness is gone then the fact is that for the confessing Christian there remains no unrighteousness. Paul told the Christians at Colosse that God had "...forgiven us all our transgressions..."(Col. 2:13) Did you note that Paul was just like John? He included himself in sin.

I know your next ploy. You go back to the beginning of the first chapter of I John and you say "But in order to have forgiveness of sins and the redemptive power of the blood of Jesus which cleanses us from all unrighteousness one has to "...walk in the light..." Don't you know that walking in the light cannot mean sinless perfection? Else John himself could not have been forgiven because he included himself as a sinner with other sinners. (I Jn. 1:9)

Forgiveness and reconciliation is hard to come by in some circles. Bosses don't want it. And they have the power, the influence, the control to prohibit a renewal of fellowship among some Christians.

There is a real absence of that which lasts forever among those circles. That that is love according to Paul in I Cor. 13. Jesus taught that we should love our neighbors as ourselves and even our enemies. Question is can act like they do and love truly love as Jesus loved?

The very fact that Jesus gives such explicit teaching about forgiveness should attract the attention of many who are unforgiving. Peter asked Jesus "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" "Jesus said to him, I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven."(Mt. 18:21-22) Should be enough, but not in some circles.

We were privileged to be near the mountain where Jesus preached the most famous sermon ever to be preached. In it he said. "...if you forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you." "But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."(Mt. 6:14-15) Mk. 11:26..."...if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."

I wonder what you are teaching your children about forgiveness? Are you rearing a generation that will be just like you? Will they be unforgiving and in the process be in danger of not having their sins forgiven? Will they hold grudges? Will the church to them be some sort of haven where the perfect abide and all sinners are on the outside? Will they shut the doors of the kingdom against sinners who are trying to enter? If so what will happen to your fellowships? Will they continue? Or will they cease to be?

If Jesus had forgiven to the degree that some men do based on the hurt that others sins caused in their lives there would be no hope of redemption. How we hurt him. How our sins affected him. O how we wounded his glorious head. How we ridiculed him. How we shamed him. How we abused him. How we made fun of him. We murdered him. And yet he said..."...Father forgive them..."

I am sorry I adversely affected you Mr. Moneychanger. I am a sinner. I confess my sins. I have caused ripples in your lives. But guess what. You have a long list to exploit and persecute. Let me give you a few examples of those you are going to have to remove from your fellowships.

Here are some examples. What are you going to do with them?

Noah drank until he was drunk.(Gen. 9:21) "Then he drank of the wine and was drunk,..."

Abraham lied about his wife.(Gen. 12:12-13) Please say you are my sister, that it may be well with me..."

Lot committed drunkenness and incest with his daughters and had children by them. Gen. 19:32..."Come let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him..." Gen. 19:36..."Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father."

Jacob stole his brothers birthright and lied to his father. Gen. 27:24..."Then he said, Are you really my son Esau?" He said, "I am."

Reuben had relations with his father's concubine. Gen. 35:22..."...Reuben went and lay with Bilhah his father's concubine;..."

Moses committed murder and disobeyed God before God's people. Ex. 2:11-13; Num. 20:1-12..."..he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand." "...you did not believe me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel..."

David committed adultery and had the husband of the woman he committed adultery with killed. "...your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead..."(II Sam.l 11:24) II Sam. 11:2..."...it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king's house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold." II Sam. 11:4..."Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her..."

Paul was an accomplice to the murder of Christians and persecuted the churchActs 7:58-59..."And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus receive my spirit." Acts 8:1..."Now Saul was consenting to his death.." Acts 8:3..."And Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison."

Peter denied Christ. Mt. 26:74..."...I now not the man..."

On and on we could go. Demas loved the world. Whole churches were forsaking Christ. Ephesus left it's first love.(Rev. 2:4) Pergamos had doctrinal problems.(Rev. 2:14-15) Thyatira put up with a false prophetess.(Rev. 2:20-21) Sardis was dead.(Rev. 3:1) Laodicea was lukewarm.(Rev. 3:16) In all cases all God asks for is repentance. What do you want Mr. Moneychanger?

The crux of the matter can be simplified into one statement. Jesus Christ offers all men forgiveness because all me are sinners. He came for their salvation. My prayer and earnest request is that if you read this and you are a moneychanger who exploits men in their hour of repentance and need that you will warm your hearts with the love of the Lord Jesus Christ and resolve to be a true spiritual and caring leader in the lives of men and women who are plagued with guilt, depression, loneliness, spiritual demise, loss, discouragement. Please read the New Testament, especially the gospels and acquire to your lives the disposition of our Saviour. Sinners already know they are sinners. You don't have to tell them. Please just introduce them to a God and a Saviour who wants all men to be saved. Please remove the choke hold of judgementalism and in doing so you will "...both save thyself, and them that hear thee."(I Tim. 4;16)