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correction
Corrections by Joe La Bianca
Why would you correct somebody? What is the motive behind your correction? Is it necessary to correct them? What kind of corrections are you making? Is your life one big correction? Does your theology require you to correct almost everybody about almost everything?
You correct people because you feel the need to. The motives for doing this are many; some are good, some are bad. But even the good motives can be bad. You could correct someone with good motives, when the correction is unnecessary, even wrong. I have a feeling that lots of corrections that people make are unjustified and hurtful.
I am talking about religious corrections here. You correct people either because you care for their souls or because of self righteousness. The former has good motives, the latter doesn’t. Of course you think it’s necessary to correct people. Otherwise you wouldn’t do it, unless for self-righteousness’ sake. But did you ever think that some of your efforts to remove errors from others are not needed? Maybe most of them are not required.
Lots of times we want to change people to be like us. I don’t know why. We know ourselves best, so this should be enough for us to not want this. We also want people to be like Jesus for salvation. Is that the way to be saved? No! The reason Jesus is the Savior is because no one is like Him. If we could be saved by imitating Christ, then we are saving ourselves. But if Jesus is the only perfect Person who died in our place, then He is the only way.
Let me get down to it at the risk of making you mad. Do not try to convert someone to your church. They can turn to your church and it will not help them. We are told to turn to Jesus the Savior, not to religion. Do you realize this, or have you been so indoctrinated by your church that “church” and “Jesus” are the same things?
The more you believe, the less of a chance you are right. The less you believe, the more of a chance you are right. If you must have all sorts of requirements for salvation, you have gone off the path. There is only One thing needful. You must cherish the pearl of great price and let everything else go.
Let me tell you what the pearl is. The pearl is a tiny sentence about the biggest, greatest thing. If we believe this simple sentence with tiny, mustard seed faith, we own the pearl.
This is the pearl: Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and on the third day He rose from the dead, according to the scriptures. This is the only thing that really needs correction.
I know that many of you do not believe this, but I am trying to reach those who will believe.
When I say that you do not believe this, I mean that you do not believe only this. You add to the gospel all sorts of things, even things found in the bible. You do not rightly dissect the bible.
You think that if the bible says it, you must be under it. If that is so, you’d better be familiar with all the laws of Moses. You’d better not pick up sticks on Saturday. You’d better sprinkle yourself with a mixture of water and cow ashes if you kill a fly.
When you add to the gospel, you think you are right because of the scriptures that talk about a changed life. But you are wrong because of this reason.
The effects of salvation, i.e. good fruit, love and the like, are just that, the effects of salvation. The change of life comes as a result of something else. The something else is faith. The change of life is not the same as our perfect standing in Christ. God sees us as perfect and we can never improve on that. But where our earthly lives are concerned we should always be growing in grace. If you make the way you live the mechanism by which you are saved or stay saved, you are not a Christian. You are a legalist more in line with Judaism. This is why the legalistic church can accept Judaism into it’s fold. But believers in Jesus would never accept any form of Judaism.
We do not run to the tutor, we run to Christ. The law is the tutor and it instructs us that we need the Savior, by showing us we sinned. If you stay with the tutor to earn salvation by works, you are blinding yourself to the truth that the law is trying to tell you.
Listen to the law tell you that you’re a sinner. Then run to the forgiver of sins, Jesus the Christ.
Limit your corrections. Don’t expand the gospel. Don’t say, “Full Gospel” and then stick in all sorts of things. You dilute Jesus that way. You take salvation away from yourself and your hearers when you add to what Jesus has done on the cross.
What is the gospel? Christ died for our sins and rose again from the dead. Believe this and God is satisfied. And if someone disagrees with this simple truth, correct them!
Why would you correct somebody? What is the motive behind your correction? Is it necessary to correct them? What kind of corrections are you making? Is your life one big correction? Does your theology require you to correct almost everybody about almost everything?
You correct people because you feel the need to. The motives for doing this are many; some are good, some are bad. But even the good motives can be bad. You could correct someone with good motives, when the correction is unnecessary, even wrong. I have a feeling that lots of corrections that people make are unjustified and hurtful.
I am talking about religious corrections here. You correct people either because you care for their souls or because of self righteousness. The former has good motives, the latter doesn’t. Of course you think it’s necessary to correct people. Otherwise you wouldn’t do it, unless for self-righteousness’ sake. But did you ever think that some of your efforts to remove errors from others are not needed? Maybe most of them are not required.
Lots of times we want to change people to be like us. I don’t know why. We know ourselves best, so this should be enough for us to not want this. We also want people to be like Jesus for salvation. Is that the way to be saved? No! The reason Jesus is the Savior is because no one is like Him. If we could be saved by imitating Christ, then we are saving ourselves. But if Jesus is the only perfect Person who died in our place, then He is the only way.
Let me get down to it at the risk of making you mad. Do not try to convert someone to your church. They can turn to your church and it will not help them. We are told to turn to Jesus the Savior, not to religion. Do you realize this, or have you been so indoctrinated by your church that “church” and “Jesus” are the same things?
The more you believe, the less of a chance you are right. The less you believe, the more of a chance you are right. If you must have all sorts of requirements for salvation, you have gone off the path. There is only One thing needful. You must cherish the pearl of great price and let everything else go.
Let me tell you what the pearl is. The pearl is a tiny sentence about the biggest, greatest thing. If we believe this simple sentence with tiny, mustard seed faith, we own the pearl.
This is the pearl: Christ died for our sins, He was buried, and on the third day He rose from the dead, according to the scriptures. This is the only thing that really needs correction.
I know that many of you do not believe this, but I am trying to reach those who will believe.
When I say that you do not believe this, I mean that you do not believe only this. You add to the gospel all sorts of things, even things found in the bible. You do not rightly dissect the bible.
You think that if the bible says it, you must be under it. If that is so, you’d better be familiar with all the laws of Moses. You’d better not pick up sticks on Saturday. You’d better sprinkle yourself with a mixture of water and cow ashes if you kill a fly.
When you add to the gospel, you think you are right because of the scriptures that talk about a changed life. But you are wrong because of this reason.
The effects of salvation, i.e. good fruit, love and the like, are just that, the effects of salvation. The change of life comes as a result of something else. The something else is faith. The change of life is not the same as our perfect standing in Christ. God sees us as perfect and we can never improve on that. But where our earthly lives are concerned we should always be growing in grace. If you make the way you live the mechanism by which you are saved or stay saved, you are not a Christian. You are a legalist more in line with Judaism. This is why the legalistic church can accept Judaism into it’s fold. But believers in Jesus would never accept any form of Judaism.
We do not run to the tutor, we run to Christ. The law is the tutor and it instructs us that we need the Savior, by showing us we sinned. If you stay with the tutor to earn salvation by works, you are blinding yourself to the truth that the law is trying to tell you.
Listen to the law tell you that you’re a sinner. Then run to the forgiver of sins, Jesus the Christ.
Limit your corrections. Don’t expand the gospel. Don’t say, “Full Gospel” and then stick in all sorts of things. You dilute Jesus that way. You take salvation away from yourself and your hearers when you add to what Jesus has done on the cross.
What is the gospel? Christ died for our sins and rose again from the dead. Believe this and God is satisfied. And if someone disagrees with this simple truth, correct them!
I agree Ken. My main point was to say that the gospel is the only thing worth correcting. So many times we major on the minors. Thanks for always sending great comments bro! God bless, Joe
Hi Joe,
This is a much needed post, because it touches on an issue that many people have been led astray on.
Some people look at all correction as divisive. Quoting Ephesians 4:3 unity of the spirit , they promote a unity that accepts error, while ignoring verses like John 4:24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth .
I have seen honest defense of the Gospel mis-characterized as " foolish arguments ", and the apologist for the truth labeled " divisive ". The shameless twisting of verses like 2 Timothy 2:23, and Titus 3:9, become a defense of error, rather then their intended target of avoiding foolish arguments, that do not affect doctrine (like genealogies).
We are commanded in the Bible to contend for the truth . Jesus did so against the Pharisees, and Paul did so against all contenders, even correcting Peter when he erred.
Jude 1:3 ... contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.
Acts 18:28 For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate , proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.
Galatians 2:11 When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face , because he was clearly in the wrong.
In fact, much of Paul's time was spent defending against false apostles, and their teachings, and he warned that after his departing they would not spare the flock.
2 Corinthians 11:13 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ.
So, I agree with you, if you care for souls , correct those who have missed the Gospel. In fact, I would go further and say - correct everything that is not sound doctrine , but avoid fruitless arguments over non-essentials, or meaningless issues.
Of course, you won't win a popularity contest doing so, and you will be considered politically incorrect in todays ecumenical climate but it our duty to do so.
2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove , rebuke , exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.
Titus 1:9 ...encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
We believe the basis of doctrinal fellowship of said movement (ecumenism) to be so broad that it includes people who reject the inspiration of Scripture, the deity of Christ, the universality of sin, the substitutionary atonement, and other cardinal teachings that we understand to be essential to biblical Christianity. What Is Wrong With "Ecumenical"?