Posted on 11/11/2022 8:47:14 AM PST by metmom
“‘But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market places, who call out to the other children, and say, “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.” For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, “He has a demon!” The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, “Behold, a gluttonous man and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!” Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds’” (Matthew 11:16–19).
Contemporary people love to criticize whatever the church does, which is really just a convenient excuse to reject the gospel. Such was also true in Jesus’ day, and here He uses two illustrations of criticism to make that point.
First, He applies the children’s game “Funeral” to the criticism of John the Baptist. John lived in the funeral mode, and people became so resentful of his constant stress on repentance and judgment that they claimed he had a demon. He would not let his audience be neutral—he called for commitment to truth and righteousness. But instead of accepting that call, they generally rebuked John’s righteousness.
Second, Jesus applies the game of “Wedding” to Himself. In contrast to John’s austere living, Jesus participated in society’s usual activities. His ministry brought Him into contact with hundreds of ordinary people. This difference from John had not escaped his disciples (Matt. 9:14–15), but the critics exaggerated Jesus’ activities and said His appetites were out of control. It was true that Jesus befriended tax collectors and sinners, but only to offer deliverance from their sins, not to be involved with them in sin (cf. 9:12–13).
Their opponents criticized John and Jesus differently, but the lesson is the same. Like today, the enemies of truth found it easy to criticize but difficult to explain how so many lives were transformed from despair to hope, from anger to love, from enmity to Christ to fellowship with Him.
Ask Yourself
What are some of the most common criticisms against Christianity? Which ones hold water, and which are just rebellious bluster?
From Daily Readings from the Life of Christ, Vol. 1, John MacArthur. Copyright © 2008. Used by permission of Moody Publishers, Chicago, IL 60610, www.moodypublishers.com.
Studying God’s Word ping
Stokrotne dzięki, Metmom!
It just goes to show that nothing a Christian does is good enough for the world.
Polish?
“Polish?”
Yes!
JMac asks:
What are some of the most common(secular) criticisms against Christianity?
Failure to clearly define it by doctrine and cleaving to its scope and power.
Which ones hold water, . . .
Meeting Biblical standards for it.
. . . and which are just rebellious bluster?
Claiming that at birth, a human is basically "good."
The basic task of a true reborn Heavenly Citizen task is to tell that he/she was not; and that exclusively, and solely,Jesus Saves, once and forever, one fellow human at a time, in love, and deserves very grateful accolade.
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(My musings only, only a selection of many.
Be open to The Spirit and His Word, fellow sinners.
Ask of yourself, as humility and meekness demands:
"Am I a child of the Heavenly Father, a servant of His Son?)
May the LORD today bless us and preserve us;
Beg His Spirit to illumine our inner man in His gracing, merciful attribute;
Shed His radiant gaze upon each of us as one's Savior, and
Settle our souls in totally persuaded confidence and rest in Him under His Protective "Wings,"
Mighty God immanent, both personally and in continuous spiritual congregation,
Over and above any limiting sectarian influence one might have to confront.
Amen!
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imardmd1
I'M A R(e)D(ee)M(e)D 1(one)
Ps. 107:2
The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say,
...ya just can't win.
Grandson and his wife got back from Poland in July.
They were having fun here.
That’s great, Elsie! I’m so glad they enjoyed it.
What’s not to like?
Driving Abrahms and shooting its gun!
Wonderful Christmas scenes from the absolutely beautifully decorated villages and towns.
“Driving Abrahms and shooting its gun!
“Wonderful Christmas scenes...”
Nothing says “Christmas” quite like that!
God created Adam
In him were all of us.
READ the begets and begots.
God lives outside of time
He sees humankind from the beginning to the end all at once.
Adam sinned therefore we were all born with sin in us
Jesus, the last Adam, paid for all sin by being the sacrifice on the cross cause sin can only be eased by the shedding of blood.
Thank You Jesus.
True dat.
eased = *erased
✝️✝️✝️❗️✝️✝️✝️
😇🇺🇲😎❗️
Refrain:I love to tell the story, more wonderful it seems
I love to tell the story,
’Twill be my theme in glory,
To tell the old, old story
Of Jesus and His love.
I love to tell the story, ’tis pleasant to repeat,
What seems each time I tell it more wonderfully sweet;
I love to tell the story, for some have never heard
The message of salvation from God’s own holy Word.
I love to tell the story, for those who know it best
Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest;
And when in scenes of glory I sing the new, new song,
’Twill be the old, old story that I have loved so long.
HMMMmmm...
Galatians 4:3-5
3 So also, when we were children, we were enslaved under the basic principles of the world.
4 But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive our adoption as sons.…
Isn't the spirit realm outside of the temporal realm?
But our Savior did enter into molecular activity in the same fashion as we that He made and enjoyed its vicissitudes and joys, that we might be fully persuaded that He can transform us to be like Him, no?
(Not contesting or gainsaying your implications, Els.)
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