Attitude toward Believers

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>For The Believers In The Body Of Christ</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="For The Believers In The Body Of Christ"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id161.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Pictures"><U>Pictures</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id170.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Our Mission"><U>Our Mission</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id171.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Affiliations"><U>Affiliations</U></A><B>   |   </B><B>Attitude toward Believers</B><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id173.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Specific Church Life goals"><U>Specific "Church Life" goals</U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="id174.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Our Beliefs"><U>Our Beliefs</U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="02ad2c00dkelyh.gif"> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Spiritual Food"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011899330000.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Spiritual Food</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id47.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Psalms, Hymns Spiritual Songs"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011899330000.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Psalms, Hymns & Spiritual Songs</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id147.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Gospel Outreach"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011899330000.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Gospel Outreach</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id159.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Us"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011899330000.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">"About Us"</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id186.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011899330000.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Contact Us</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id187.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Related Links"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011899330000.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">Related Links</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id639.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="JESUS IS LORD!"><U><B><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="Symb075c00b7011899330000.gif" HEIGHT="19" WIDTH="24" ALIGN="bottom" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">JESUS IS LORD!</B></U></A></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div>  </div> <div>  </div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Attitude toward Believers</I></div> <div> Practicing Generality</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="731" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 460 ><NOBR><div> <I>     </I></div> <div> <I>   </I></div> <div> <I><IMG SRC="3cc7b950.jpg" border=0 width="379" height="405" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="342"><div>     We take <B>Romans 14</B> as our standard which reveals the proper attitude that believers should have towards one another.  In particular verse 3 says that <B>God has received all believers in Him</B>.  The matters mentioned in chapter 14 are considered minor doctrines or teachings as compared to the major truths of the Divine Trinity, Christ's Person and Work, the Holy Spirit and the church as the Body of Christ.  There are exceptions to receiving other believers in fellowship but these are exceptions, not the rule (1 Corinthians 5:11). </div> <div>         In general I must <B>cultivate a receiving attitude towards my fellow members of the Body of Christ</B>.  This means that my living needs to be flexible based on whom I fellowship with.  I may fellowship with a certain group of believers and take a certain stand with them.  For instance, I may eat meat freely as a symbol of Christ's redemption to shed blood for our sins.  Then, when I go to a different group of saints, I may take the opposite stand with them in order to preserve the oneness between us.  In that situation, I may refrain from eating any kind of meat and eat only vegetables.  You may consider this two-faced, but the Bible sets the principle not to stumble our brothers because of our freedom (1 Corinthians 8:13; Romans 14:15). </div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div>  </div> <div> <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Times New Roman" > </FONT>    In Romans 14 there is also the matter of keeping days (vv. 5-6).  Some regard one day as special. These may regard the seventh day as the top day of the days of the week.  However, some regard all days alike.  To these all days are the same.  The Lord Jesus Himself did not keep the Judaistic practice of keeping the Sabbath several times during His earthly ministry (Luke 6:1-11; 13:10-17; 14:1-6; John 5:16-18).  The apostle <B>Paul </B>also taught that the principles of Judaism were no longer applicable in the New Testament age especially in the book to the Galatians.  However, He <B>would not insist on his doctrine or teaching</B> if that would cause a brother who believed in the Sabbath or a special day to stumble before the Lord.  Verse 8 says, “Whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord,” meaning that we all should be clear before the Lord and give ourselves wholly to what we believe.</div> <bR> <div>      The same principle holds true for the matter of baptism by immersion verses being sprinkled or being baptized as an adult versus as a child.  Other “touchy” teachings are related to the Lord's coming again or eschatology.  <B>We should never be divisive by insisting on our way of believing</B> the rapture.  Whether the Lord returns before or after the millennium, before or after the Great Tribulation, whether there is a rapture of the majority of believers or all believers is for personal study and conviction but not for establishing divisions, factions or sects in the Body of Christ.</div> <bR> <div>      We can never experience and practice receiving other believers as God receives without a spirit of generality.  Without such a spirit, we will surely cause division.  It will not be possible for us to keep the oneness.  <B>Paul was more than clear about so many minor truths</B> in the word as evidenced by his writing of at least thirteen epistles of the divine revelation.  <B>However, he did not insist on his way, his understanding, concerning these kinds of matters.</B>  Can we be so general and receiving of all believers?  We believe that this is the Lord's desire for His Body in this age.</div> <bR> <div> <I>[Much of the fellowship documented above was adapted from material by Witness Lee, LSM publisher, </I><I><U>The Speciality and Generality of the Church</U></I><I>]</I></div> <bR> <div> ROMANS 14</div> <bR> <div> Now him who is weak in faith receive, but not for the purpose of passing judgment on his considerations.  2 One believes that he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats vegetables.  3 He who eats, let him not despise him who does not eat; and he who does not eat, let him not judge him who eats, for God has received him.  4 Who are you who judge another's household servant? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will be made to stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.  5 One judges one day above another; another judges every day alike. Let each be fully persuaded in his own mind.  6 He who regards that day, regards it to the Lord; and he who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who does not eat, does not eat to the Lord, and he gives thanks to God.  7 For none of us lives to himself, and none dies to himself; 8 For whether we live, we live to the Lord, and whether we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore whether we live or we die, we are the Lord's.  9 For Christ died and lived again for this, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.  10 But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God,  11 For it is written, ``As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall openly confess to God.''  12 So then each one of us will give an account concerning himself to God.  13 Therefore let us judge one another no longer, but rather judge this: not to put a stumbling block or cause of falling before your brother.  14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself, except to him who considers something to be unclean; to that man it is unclean.  15 For if because of food your brother is wounded, you no longer walk according to love. Do not destroy by your food that man for whom Christ died.  16 Therefore do not let your good be slandered; 17  For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.  18 For he who serves Christ in this is well pleasing to God and approved by men.  19 So then let us pursue the things of peace and the things for building up one another.  20 Do not break down the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are clean, but it is evil for a man to eat while stumbling others.  21 It is good not to eat meat nor drink wine nor to do anything by which your brother stumbles. 22 The faith which you have, have to yourself before God. Blessed is he who does not judge himself in what he approves; 23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because it is not out of faith; for all that is not out of faith is sin. </div> </td> </tr></table></body>