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(continued from previous page) continued
"joint participation" means support of that which we
believe to be contrary to God's will, we have allowed
"fellowship" with men to become more precious to us
than fellowship with God (Jn.12: 42-43, Rom.14: 22-23; compare 3
Jn.9-10, 1 Cor.5: 1-f).
 You
indicate the elders are "good" men. I'm happy to read
this. But the trends are such these days that "good"
men are often drawn into things they have never reasoned out.
They see other churches doing these things— perhaps the church
that helped them get started or supported their preacher for a
time did these things — so they: a) assume a practice without
seeking Bible authority, or even knowing the "issue;"
b) are fearful of incurring the wrath of others; c) have been
prejudiced by name-calling tactics —as "Anti" etc.
Those elders, like you and me, must come to grips with their
conscience and what is right with God.
You
should go to them as soon as possible, and talk with them —
showing genuine respect and being absolutely honest with them.
Show them this letter if you wish— but only if you
conscientiously endorse its content. There is nothing more
disgusting to elders (and rightly so) than to have their flock
pulled about, fed doctrinal positions they do not really
understand, and used generally, by some outside teacher. You
can't face God or elders with my conscience.
Some
recommend that one in your position continue to worship there,
but send your contribution elsewhere, Perhaps there are times
when little else can be done, but it
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is not the best solution. You need to
worship and work with brethren whose "team" activity
you can fully endorse. This does not mean, as explained above,
that every member will agree on every thing; but that you are in
agreement on: 1) your determination to do only that for which
you believe you have divine authority; and, 2) you concur in the
principle of all things done collectively — as a
"team" or out of the pooled funds of the group. You
will be at cross-purpose with yourself if you are part of a
teamwork you can not fully support. Also, experience shows you
will likely be treated as a "second class" member,
making it harder to remain faithful to the Lord.
Finally
(I hate to mention this) but it is possible that the so-called
"Anti" group near there is "against"
multi-containers, classes, or something else. You see,
"Anti" is a prejudicial prefix used for many
generations, not always wisely or truthfully. In early times
those who refused to use the piano in worship were called
"Anti" by the users of course. So, look carefully
before you leap!
Sorry
I can not bring a brighter and more positive picture. We will
hope and pray that those elders are wise and godly men, more
concerned about serving the Lord than in winning the praise of
men: more concerned with Scriptural authority than in going
along with popular ways. Do not "politic" for
"votes," or use any carnal methods of persuasion. Know
your Bible, pray for wisdom, keep your "cool," and do
what you believe God authorizes. By this you can serve Jesus
Christ, and deliver your soul.
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