CRN.Info and Analysis

8 Responses

1. Rick Frueh Says:
   July 11th, 2008 at 6:48 am

   Profound on many levels. This law about which Derek refers has permeated much of the Christian community, serving only to hinder the Spirit and foster greater self righteousness. And this new law is not just one that deals with life regulations, it also creeps into doctrine and human idolatry.

   Peruse the internet and see how many posts deal painfully with the shortcomings and even sins of the author and his camp. Many revel in their supposed orthodoxy or emergent status, and the comments feed the frenzy with redundant verbiage that both strokes the blogger and substantiates the commenter’s membership in good standing. What we have is “Club Christian”.

   And why is this? We have constructed sets of laws that when followed minister to the flesh and demand more. Music laws, worship laws, entertainment laws, doctrinal laws, fellowship laws, and many little laws that are difficult to see individually but when practiced as a whole they exude a fowl and hubristic atmosphere that rarely exhibits Christianity other than the smattering of Biblical terms.

   Are we so blind that we think we are living Christ in the Spirit but we cannot discuss things without feeling and speaking words of diminishment to each other? So we cannot engage in love and humility but we claim to reveal the amazing Redeemer otherwise? I comment on many different blogs sometimes, and if my comment escapes the bounds of law constructed on that particular blog I am usually confronted and rebuked on a personal level, and many times the energy of the flesh comes quickly out like a greyhound that was ready to run.

   God gave the OT law to bring us to Christ when we realized we could not keep it, today we devise new laws that we think bring us to Christ BY keeping them. And in the end we have another religion, I fear.

2. Nathanael Says:
   July 11th, 2008 at 7:15 am

   I praise the Lord for Derek Webb.

3. Chad Says:
   July 11th, 2008 at 7:57 am

   Amen. He knows how to use song to cut to my heart.

4. Kyle in WI Says:
   July 11th, 2008 at 9:06 am

   I love Derek!

   I love the line, not in this song, that says “peace by way of war is like purity by way of fornication”

   I also love Zero’s and One’s.

5. Chad Says:
   July 11th, 2008 at 9:20 am

   I just posted Wedding Dress on my blog. The line, “I have one hand in a pot of gold and the other in your side” makes me shudder each time I hear it.

6. Chris P. Says:
   July 11th, 2008 at 10:35 am

   ““When there’s something in the Bible that churches don’t like, they call it ‘legalism.’ ”
   Leonard Ravenhill

   The real sin at Sinai was the recreation of God into an inmage that men were comfortable with. Here’s to the “new thing” ,
   the neo-legalists.

   Matthew 5:
   17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

   Solus Christus!

   I will listen to the Lord, you can fawn over Derek Webb and your other musical idols.

   BTW, re: Matthew 5:18, don’t tell me that all has been accomplished

7. Chris L Says:
   July 13th, 2008 at 12:16 pm

   Chris,

   Legalism is making our own personal convictions and preferences into “moral absolutes”. Quoting Ravenhill is no more authoritative than quoting Ozzy Osbourne, though, since you seem to frequently disdain any quotes apart from scripture (aside from your own).

   Chris P:

   The real sin at Sinai was the recreation of God into an inmage that men were comfortable with.

   Derek W:

   I repent of confusing peace and idolatry
   by caring more of what they think than what i know of what we need by domesticating you until you look just like me

   Chris P:

   Matthew 5:18, don’t tell me that all has been accomplished

   Jesus didn’t abolish the Law - he fulfilled it (i.e. interpreted it correctly).

   What are you so mad about, dude? I’m not sure what it is you’re disagreeing with here…

8. Rick Frueh Says:
   July 13th, 2008 at 12:30 pm

   “Quoting Ravenhill is no more authoritative than quoting Ozzy Osbourne”

   I was told on another blog that Spurgeon’s OPINION, not exegesis, carried much more weight than mine. That is nothing less than ecclesiastical idolatry because Spurgeon can be just as wrong as can I. Let every man’s words be processed by Scripture and our own attempt at impartial understanding as the Spirit gives us guidance.

   Quoting men as proof of anything is usually culled from the pen of those who we are certain agree with us. It is called an exercize in redundancy but using men’s personages as adding weight to your view.

   “Those that seemed somewhat in conference added nothing to me” - Paul. “Whatever they were, it makes no matter to me: God accepts no man’s person” - Paul

   We are constructing idolatry in every camp which not only compromises our own ability to arrive at objective truth, but it builds the same walls as did the Church at Corinth.

   BTW _ Ozzy has some real insights concerning the 2nd chapter of Colossians.