“WHY THE CLUSTERING OF LIKE-MINDED AMERICA IS TEARING US APART”
Of course Jesus hung out with non-like-minded people, but he was changing them. That whole temple flea-market incident. Talk about peer-pressure! To claim that it is grace anytime someone manages to ignore what they perceive to be evil is contradictory to Jesus’ teaching. Turning the other cheek (Matthew 5:39) represents the ability to absorb personal attacks without succumbing. It does not represent succumbing.
Our Christian separation exists for a reason. Too often people believe biting their own tongue amounts to fulfilling love your enemies (Matthew 5:44) or some other doormat interpretation of what should be a stark challenge to speak the truth out of love. The truth is much more difficult than just shutting up. It also doesn’t mean that every accusation is true either. Jesus was no doormat. He called Peter Satan (Matthew 16:23), he told all those people to STOP SINNING (John 8:11)… he called the Pharisees white washed and full of dead man’s bones (Matthew 23:27).
I find peace-at-all-costs theology dull and cowardly, not lionhearted like Jesus was. Who said truth wouldn’t be dull though? So of course I cannot dismiss the statement entirely. Iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17), but funny thing is how often does iron recognize itself when it sees itself? I know good folks that believe this stuff. They have a different perspective… they’re smart.
We know there are people that should not mingle. “Have NOTHING to do with them” (2 Timothy 3:5, interestingly directly exactly toward those who “have a form of godliness”) so what is the Church if it is not the “clustering of the like minded”??? At least to some degree.
Many modern churches have turned to trendy & popularity based philosophies to support huge numbers and huge budgets. A drastic contradiction to the words of Jesus, IMO, but then… they also have a different perspective. :-\ They equate being in the world to being of the world. It’s a fine line indeed. (1 John 2:15-17, Romans 12:2, John 17:16,18)
Still they are a cluster too. Jesus wants us to be a “clustering of like-minded people” at least concerning the basics about who He is. So don’t be ashamed of it. There are plenty of differences to work out even if we agree on a few of the big things. It’s iron sharpening iron.
First misconception translates as: The affinity from jesus coterie now with Judais in factm considered made by customary positveness the only in, cut the believer requirement to carry out legal requirements of the individual so that you can agree to the acquired countrie of Israel available as your man’s device positveness along at the One will be contra- Judaism par quality! Gershon Mamlak show, mismatch between these Judaism the particular christ practice goes beyond the limits most typically associated with theology.