Monday, April 25, 2005 @ 6:11 PM
was thinking that if others would to see me as a changed person, this transformation gotta take place internally which then be exhibited externally.
Internally as in being obedient and loving at home and in church.. if such changes dun take place internally how am i gonna show others that im a christian in the world.
Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires. (James 1:19?20)At times i admit that before a person speaks, i already chose to block off what he gonna sae and im jus so quick to activate my volcano cells.
Quick to HearIt seems that we have made it a virtue not to listen to others. Once we have identified someone as belonging to a certain camp or taking a certain position on a litmus-test issue�they all seem to be litmus-test issues these days�we already know what they are going to say, and we already disagree. There is no need to listen to them, except perhaps to find points from which we can launch our rebuttal. But let us beware when we set aside the express teaching of the Word of God: "Let every person be quick to hear." If this is important in everyday life, how much more important is it in rendering judgments in the courts of the church! Divine wisdom declares: If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.... The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him. (Prov. 18:13, 17) But human wisdom declares that we need not listen to those who have taken a different position from ours on an important issue. For there are some offenses so grievous that to stand accused is to stand condemned. In our secular culture, one accused of child molestation or sexual harassment is presumed guilty. In the eyes of the world, he is guilty and can never recover his reputation. In the church, one accused of heresy or doctrinal error is presumed guilty. There is no need to weigh evidence or to listen to explanations, for the man's teaching speaks for itself. Besides, if he were orthodox, why would anyone accuse him of doctrinal error or heresy? Or is "innocent until proven guilty" one of the laxities of our secular culture? Perhaps divine law does not admit a principle so favorable to the offender. But Scripture itself says, "Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses" (2 Cor. 13:1). That means that an accusation cannot stand without evidence, which is to say that the accused is to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. There is no exception for charges of doctrinal error or heresy. Slow to Speak As a certain wit has expressed it, the good advocate must have "the courage to never shut up." But divine wisdom says: When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent. (Prov. 10:19) The heart of the righteous ponders how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours out evil things. (Prov. 15:28) Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent. (Prov. 17:27?28) Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him. (Prov. 29:20) Many a dispute would be quenched by silence, many a quarrel would be stillborn, if not kept alive by our desire to have our say. And when at length we speak, many a quarrel would be ended by speaking gently, according to divine wisdom: There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. (Prov. 12:18) A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.... A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit. (Prov. 15:1, 4) We would all agree that such restraint and gentleness are required in personal matters. But what if momentous doctrinal issues are at stake? Must we not then speak forcefully? We may if our office allows it, and we must if the truth demands it. But no one in the OPC, we trust, claims to hold the office of apostle or prophet. Since we are not apostles or prophets, we may not assume that our pronouncements are beyond questioning. And no individual elder or minister, or group of ministers and elders not constituted as a court of the Church, can lawfully declare someone to be a heretic or to be guilty of censurable error. Even when our office demands that we speak out against errors and heresies, it never allows us to slander anyone. The defense of the truth and the slander of our neighbor make strange bedfellows, to say the least. Significantly, when Peter exhorts us to put away sin, he tells us to "put away all malice and all deceit ... and all slander" (1 Pet. 2:1). All malice, even that which springs from the odium theologicum (theological hatred), and all slander, even slandering our theological opponents, is to be put away. James says: Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor? (James 4:11?12) Who are we indeed? We would do well to remember that revilers (slanderers) are numbered among those who will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9?11). Slanderers are ranked together with thieves, adulterers, and idolaters. When we do speak, let us bear in mind the ninth commandment. According to the Larger Catechism, the ninth commandment requires "a charitable esteem of our neighbors; loving, desiring, and rejoicing in their good name; sorrowing for, and covering of their infirmities; freely acknowledging of their gifts and graces, defending their innocency; a ready receiving of a good report, and unwillingness to admit of an evil report, concerning them; discouraging tale-bearers, flatterers, and slanderers" (LC 144). Likewise, the ninth commandment forbids "speaking the truth unseasonably, or maliciously to a wrong end, or perverting it to a wrong meaning, or in doubtful and equivocal expressions, to the prejudice of truth or justice; ... misconstructing intentions, words, and actions; ... raising false rumors, receiving and countenancing evil reports, and stopping our ears against just defense; evil suspicion; envying or grieving at the deserved credit of any, endeavoring or desiring to impair it, rejoicing in their disgrace and infamy" (LC 145).Slow to AngerAnger seems to accomplish much. An angry employer drives his employees to greater productivity. An angry husband and father keeps his wife and children in submission and "runs a tight ship." An angry wife and mother gets her way as the rest of the family does not dare to risk her ire. An angry pastor bullies his congregation, so that no dissension appears within his flock, and a happy uniformity of belief and opinion prevails. An angry presbyter intimidates a judicatory of the church and sways a vote his way. But against this stands divine wisdom: Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly. (Prov. 14:29) Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. (Prov. 16:32) Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare. (Prov. 22:24?25) A man of wrath stirs up strife, and one given to anger causes much transgression. (Prov. 29:22) But is there no such thing as righteous indignation? Is there not a holy anger against the enemies of God and of his truth? No doubt there is, but we should doubt whether it really exists as often as it is professed. Most of all, anger must not be present in courts of judgment. Anger hinders deliberation and the formation of a righteous judgment. Anger has no place in the courts of the church.
