The Strait and Narrow

If I understand our new teaching of COGOP about D&R than what shall we say then?

“Therefore, the Church recognizes (in a pastoral sense) those causes, in addition to death, that would be recognized as ending a previously valid biblical marriage. In such cases, delineated on the following page, marriage partners would not be classed as adulterers even though remarried:

1. If persons were divorced and remarried for any reason prior to their personal salvation and have demonstrated a willingness to seek restitution (forgiveness from the offended spouse) and restoration where possible. Would not be classed as adulterers even though remarried:”

I agree that they can receive salvation, but to remain in that marriage would still be considered adultery.  I have debated this concept of forgiveness that “all” is forgiven and a marriage would not be classed as adultery with some of our church people. But I keep going back to scripture and I can’t find were this “forgiveness” would allow you to maintain that lifestyle that you have asked forgiven of. The one scripture I did find is Paul which wrote to the Romans in which he spoke of:

“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” Romans 6:1, 2. “What then? Shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.” Romans 6. 15

Paul speaks to the Roman Christians that has been “forgiven” and tells them not to live any longer in sin. I see this as a great example of the beliefs that our church has passed saying that those in these cases would not be classed as adulteress.

One problem with this teaching of “forgiven that would not be classed as adultery” is that it’s not consistent with scripture nor is the application consistent, would it be applied to homosexuality.  If persons were homosexual prior to personal salvation and remain in that lifestyle would not be classed as abomination? It goes against the scriptures of “shall we continue in sin” The church now says that it isn’t classed as adultery because of salvation. When Jesus himself teach us that all divorcees that remarry would be committing adultery “save for fornication” and fornication would have to be viewed as Jewish marriage customs for that is whom Jesus is referring too.

Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? Then he speaks of the law that bonds a woman to her husband so long as he liveth. So then if while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress. Romans 7.1,2

Paul draws a parallel of the law to which the example he used is of a woman’s bond to her husband for life and there are no other way to remarry other then deaf of the husband, again Paul says deaf will free her to marry another man and she will  not be an adulteress. Likewise we are dead to the law and alive to God.

Once again I tell you that the church’s new standard of beliefs which allows these to maintain their sinful lifestyle isn’t supported by scripture and is inconsistent.  As in the scriptures we are only free to marry another if our husband is dead. We become married to Christ after we are dead to the law. Jesus himself said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” Matt.5.17

I pray for our church that it will see the errors of our beliefs and move more closely to scripture. For the Old testament allowed for a divorce woman to remarry under the mosaic law, But Jesus new covenant done away with remarriage by divorce “putting away” for he called it adultery. So then what shall we say then?    

Yvette (Graham) Williams wrote a article that she expressed the intentions of Satan to destroy the foundation that God has set for marriage. You can feel her passion about this because of what she has gone through in her marriage. We need to have eyes to see and ears to hear so that we can give a voice to others that they may see the devices of Satan. Thanks for GCMW for the post.

Full article, Satan agenda exposed

EXCERPT:

As Christians, we know the scripture backwards and forward that says the devil is crafty and cunning and goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.  We know that he is subtle and is a seducer of the feebleminded, simple and those who are not on guard against his wiles.  As the Body of Christ, I see his agenda is to destroy what God calls honorable; marriage!  He said in his sight marriage is honorable and the bed undefiled.  Satan is anti-God and any God-institution established.  That being the case, I wonder why aren’t we more vigilant in fighting for the family, for marriages and to retain a voice of reason in the world.  We have spent enough time fighting over doctrines, over women wearing make-up and pants in the church pews and over denominational differences.  If the common denominator is Jesus Christ that should be enough for the whole body to come together and put its strengths and focus where needed.  I suggest we focus on restoration of the sacredness of marriage between a man and a woman because clearly the enemy is out to establish marriage between same sexes and (forgive my Ebonics) that ain’t right!

There is those that say not to judge the ones that are calling themselves Christians, but their lives tells a deference story by the fruit they bear. Those that cry not to judge speak of the scripture in Matt.7:1 “Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.”  We must understand that this scripture is not implying not to judge at all, but to judge righteous as in John 7:24 “Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”  Some also use the argument of that we all have some sin or that we are not perfect and use the “Get the beam out of your eye before you judge the one who has mote sand in their eye.”(Matt.7:5)

    The understanding of to Judge and Judgment should clear some issues for us. To judge is to weight the fruit that one brings forth.  The judgment is the condition that is giving after the weighting of the fruit.

Jesus came not to judge or to give judgment to the lost, but to bring salvation to the lost and dieing world.

We as his hands and feet are to do the work of God to show the way unto salvation in Christ Jesus. We should do this in a way that is not judgmental, but in love as Christ would show love. We have a great responsibly to show, teach and to preach the gospel of the good news. First not to be a hypocrite and casting out the beam in our own eye we can then help our brother or sister with their sand in their eye: not saying that there is big and little sins, but what should be learned by this scripture is that by removing the large beam will make it possible to see clear to help others.

In the true sense the one with the mote should helped the one with the beam.

   Understanding the scripture which speaks of “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you”. (Matt.7:6)  The stiff-necked and stubborn enemies of the gospel are unworthy to have it preached unto them. (Geneva bible) Other commentaries http://biblecommenter.com/matthew/7-6.htm

So some will not receive the gospel, but would only trample it with their feet and then turn and tare you for judging them.

   Those that say that some people have difficult marriages that then end in a divorce and then remarry and now have a great marriage should not be judged and told that they are in the sin of adultery. They claim that God is forgiving them and claims to be a Christian, but there is more: forgiving and forsaking. This is the part that they have a problem with forsaking and don’t want to be judged. It’s sad that the COGOP is now accepting these as members in a lot of our churches around the world even when Jesus himself says that it is clearly a sin of adultery. Go even further with homosexuality been accepted in Christendom it’s all because they call themselves Christians without any repentance or forsaking are we to go without giving judgment to is abomination?

 “Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?

Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? How much more things that pertain to this life? (1 Cor.6:1-3) 

  “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”(1 Cor.6:9-10)

To judge or not to judge it seems that by scripture the saints are the best to judge the world in righteous.

I found this prospective about our Assembly minutes from the year 2006 that gives the impression that we now accept divorcees by their confession to be a Christian only.  Along with divorcees whom remarried for the cause of fornication may become members.  For me the criteria for membership if only by confession to be a Christian open the door for anyone with sin in their lives to become a member. I found that not every church sees this in the same prospective. What I mean is some do accept those in double marriage for example those that have been deserted then remarry, but not all of the churches. This is not what the Assembly minutes stated so you see how it maybe misinterpreted.  This will lead us down that open door that will sooner or later we will be addressing membership to the Homosexual movement.  If one is accepted only by confession then what is the difference between a person in double marriage and a person that lives a life style of homosexual? Understanding that homosexual is Abomination and double marriage is Adultery. If the church accepts one by confession then they by their own rules must accept the other.

[During the bi-annual General Assembly of the churches, held in Nashville, Tennessee in 2006, the church agreed that people who had been divorced (for the cause of fornication)and were later remarried may become members of the Church of God of Prophecy. May it be duely noted that ninety-seven members (out of an attendance of thousands voting)stood devoutly against changing church doctrine on this issue. The church however still maintains that God's perfect plan for marriage is between one man and one woman for life, but understands that humans are fallible and God has grace. The Church of God of Prophecy accepts divorcees as members. They believe that there is no sin worse than another. Only certain sins bring on worse consequences. Thus stating that it is okay for a person with a previous divorce to be a member. They must only confess to be a Christian. ]

Also  the Wikipedia wrote it this way:”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_God_of_Prophecy

[During the bi-annual General Assembly of the churches, held in Nashville, Tennessee in 2006, the church agreed that people who had been divorced (for the cause of fornication) and were later remarried may become members of the Church of God of Prophecy. However, 97 members stood devoutly against changing church doctrine on this issue, giving that the Holy Ghost had not consented and the Church was divided on the issue. The Church of God of Prophecy has always worked from theocratical government, with the Holy Ghost giving consent with each issue. However, the Holy Ghost never manifested Himself to approve this issue. The Bible firmly teaches against adultery. Therefore, God's true church can not accept it either. The Church of God of Prophecy maintains that God's perfect plan for marriage is between one man and one woman for life. But since it was passed that people who had been divorced for the cause of fornication and later remarried can now become members, many leaders in the Church have abused the idea in its entirity and have now began accepting adulterers as members. Many churches in The Church of God of Prophecy still do NOT accept fornicators and adulterers as members, unless they gotten out of this lifestyle through divorce. No judgement is passed on others, but The Church of God of Prophecy does have a standard to uphold. And even though the General Assembly changed doctrinal beliefs concerning divorce and remarriage WITHOUT the consent of the Holy Ghost, many churches are still holding fast to the vision they have been given of the Church and how it should operate.]

Today I posted a link to a blog site GCMW in hope to shed some light on this movement and YES, there are gay Christians. Well at lease they profess to be Christians. This is where the Church is headed or is already there. Will we stand for the truth are compromise the truth for the potential new member. By allowing the change of policy about divorce and remarriage will we then allow for this gay movement to become members, one has to only ask what would be the difference. Both are in sin and now can become new members that’s what we said, we would work with them. You see why we must stand for the truth and not compromise it.  If you loved some one will you not tell them the truth? The Church is seen as not wanting to hard someone feelings and looks at the number of members and says, “What are we doing wrong?” so we change to gain that number. Some Churches already are finding this movement in there church and we maybe next. Again it’s the strait and narrow way that only a few find. It’s not about the numbers! Please let no man deceive you.  Read you bible today.