The Bulletin
of the
Church of Christ at
New Georgia
Tim Johnson, editor
December 24, 2006
In
This Issue:
Avoid
Harsh Cleansers
by
Steve Klein
I
don't want to be involved
by
Don C. Truex
Avoid Harsh Cleansers (when possible)
Richard Dunagin tells about the time his kids won four free goldfish at the school carnival. He recounts:
"I went out one Saturday morning to find an aquarium. The first few I priced ranged from $40 to $70. Then I spotted it-right in the aisle: a discarded 10-gallon display tank, complete with gravel and filter-for a mere five bucks. Sold! Of course, it was nasty and dirty, but the savings made the two hours of clean-up a breeze. Those four new fish looked great in their new home, at least for the first day. But by Sunday one had died. Too bad, but three remained. Monday morning revealed a second casualty, and by Monday night a third goldfish had gone belly up. We called in an expert, a member of our church who has a 30-gallon tank. It didn't take him long to discover the problem: I had washed the tank with soap, an absolute no-no. My uninformed efforts had destroyed the very lives I was trying to sustain."
Harsh cleansers can destroy souls as easily as they can kill aquarium fish. Make no mistake, the souls of men sometimes need a good cleaning, but we must be careful to avoid using harsh methods when possible. "A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, 25in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, 26and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will." (2 Timothy 2:24-26). This is especially true when it comes to helping brethren clean up their act: "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness&ldots;" (Galatians 6:1).
We may fear that gentle cleansing might not be as effective as the harsh and overbearing approach. But there is great power in gentleness. Proverbs 25:15 says that "a gentle tongue breaks a bone."
The apostle Paul's approach to teaching and correcting brethren is a good example for us. To the Thessalonians he wrote, "But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children" (1 Thessalonians 2:7). And to the Corinthians he said, "Now I, Paul, myself am pleading with you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:1).
That said, there does come a time when stronger measures are necessary to help another get cleaned up. Some stubborn stains require abrasive cleansers and a lot of elbow grease! When a person has been gently reproved, but failed to respond in repentance, it indicates the need for a stronger approach. When Paul wrote to the Corinthians, he let them know that the way he would deal with them in the future depended on whether or not they made necessary corrections: "What do you want? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?" (1 Corinthians 4:21). The wise man said that "Harsh discipline is for him who forsakes the way, and he who hates correction will die" (Proverbs 15:10).
Ultimately, we want to help one another cleanse stains using the gentlest method possible.
--Steve Klein
In theory, none would deny the importance of the local body of believers. Our participation, however, sometimes belies the true sentiment of our hearts. Much of this discrepancy would be alleviated if we were to truly come to understand the concept of "membership" in the body. Listen to Paul: "For as we have many members in one body, but all members do not have the same function, we being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another," (Romans 12:4,5). Membership in a local church implies much more than simply having one's name and picture in a directory. It acknowledges that we are willing to fulfill the "one another" obligations that are essential to the relationship, i.e. "love," "serve," "bear with," "admonish," "forgive," etc.
What can we do to be better involved in the local church? Let me suggest several things.
First, realize your dependence. No Christian can function effectively by himself. Just as a hand severed from an arm ceases to function and will inevitably die, so also a Christian who does not participate with the others members of the body is destined to decay and die spiritually. Sometimes you hear a brother say, "I don't need the local church. I can function just fine by myself." Really? Then you're saying you know more about spiritual health than the apostle Paul. He taught that one member can never say to another, "I don't need you!" (1 Corinthians 15:21).
Second emphasize equality. No member of a local body of believers should feel smug or superior to any other, (Romans 12:3). God designed both the physical and spiritual body so that all the members are important. The applications of this principle are legion. Member of our physical body are quick to aid any injured member, they do not ambitiously draw attention to themselves in order to protect a weaker member of the body. So also in the local church, when we learn to "bear one's another's burdens" to "bear the infirmities of the weak" -- when we do that, the body as a whole is strengthened.
Third, work for unity. God designed the human body to love harmony and hate discord. In fact, when there is discord in the human body we say that it has a "disease." The principle holds true spiritually as well. That's why Paul encourages us to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace," (Ephesians 4:3).
Now, how healthy would the body be if every member functions just like you?
-- Don C. Truex
~In Gospel Power, Anderson, Alabama, 11/9/97.