Post by pitbull on Jul 8, 2009 10:31:45 GMT -5
PET PEEVES
Do you have any pet peeves? These are things that just annoy you to no end. There are three that I have. These are sayings that have been misused for years by people, even by myself in the past. To me, it is similar to hearing fingernails going down a chalk board.
The first one is when people drop the word “legalism” and not use it in a Biblical context. For example, Paul wrote an epistle to the Galatian church about where they were being taught that you needed to be circumcised in order to be saved. This is part of the Biblical definition of legalism – that you must do something to either earn or maintain your salvation. It is faith plus works, in one fashion or another. Yet, people will use this term for a multitude of other “definitions” that has nothing to do with legalism. The most common misuse of this term is when a preacher promotes obedience to Biblical commandments or to promote personal holiness via Biblical standards.
The second one is when people say, “You are trying to force your beliefs on others.” That is impossible. All one can do is share [Gospel, doctrinal teachings, etc.] with others, but it is up to that individual to either accept this information or reject it. It is impossible for one person to force another person to believe something. This is typically an attack that is used when the person is under conviction but doesn’t have any Biblical means to rebuke what is being presented; hence this is how that person will lash out at what is being presented. I have seen this many times when I present a Biblically sound doctrinal position and give a multitude of references to show this is what the Bible actually teaches.
The third one is when someone says, “That is just your personal interpretation.” They forget that the Bible forbids private/personal interpretation [1 Peter 1:20]. We need to allow the Bible to interpret our opinions and world views, rather than the opposite. To make sure you avoid that sin, always make sure prayerfully that you are presenting items in context of the passage where found as well as the Bible as a whole. People use this excuse when they hear something they disagree with but have nothing substantive to disprove what is being presented.
Of course, maybe none of these are even an issue for you. Maybe your eternal destination is what you need to get settled first. Keep in mind that salvation is by grace alone and is receive by faith alone in the completed work of Christ. How do you receive this? You must repent of your sin, believe the Gospel, and trust Jesus as your Savior. [Mark 1:15; John 6:28-29; Acts 16:30-31; 17:30; Romans 10:9-13] Second, make sure you are following the Bible rather than a religion . It really is that easy and simple. Don’t make it complicated.
