Paradise Cafe Discussions - A Place For Bible Research And Christian Encouragement

“That which corresponds to this is also now saving you, namely, baptism, not in purifying the flesh, but the request made to God for a good conscience.” (1 Peter 3:21)

Baptism thus produces a unique freedom—a conscience free from fear. Not that the fear Christians are subjected to is any less threatening but since Christ conquered such fear in faithfulness to his Father, Christians are also released from such fear by intervention—that of the combined spirit of Christ which our Father gave him. Through this spirit we learn obedience just as he did, through the same fiery tribulations he endured, while he assists us in our weaknesses of flesh. By our endurance—even to a painful death—can we be any less joyful in taking the same journey? (Hebrews 12:2)

Christian freedom is a mystery to those perishing. (2 Thessalonians 2:10) It is also the source of jealousy because the Devil cannot succeed against it. Jealousy is the Devil’s plague because he no longer holds a good conscience toward God. It wreaks havoc on his unquenchable hate. For this he sends his agents in to spy on all released captives to try to bind them again to slavery since he hates all such freedom of conscience. But we who have found freedom know now the difference. We know better than any sent by the Devil to capture us since “even we were once senseless, disobedient, being misled, being slaves to various desires and pleasures, carrying on in badness and envy, abhorrent, hating one another.” (Titus 3:3)

Religious doctrines have always been Satan’s tools of re-enslaving those being called by God through Christ. “For such freedom Christ set us free. Therefore stand fast, and do not let yourselves be confined again in a yoke of slavery,” said Paul. (Galatians 5:1)

Yes we will sin. Yes we are bound to inherited sin and we will yearn for removal of its guilt in human terms (just as the Law provided offerings for such guilt). And yes the lures of a religious community will seem to relieve such guilt through fellow initiatives of forgiveness. But in the end those wanting to be religious will lose their freedom and be driven by their new masters of faith through guilt and its doctrinal yoke of slavery. The greater the doctrine, the greater their fear of violation and the more inclined they will be to seek control and be controlled by a religious community.

As Peter once asked those in Jerusalem seeking to return Christians to Judaism, we too ask, “Why are you making a test of God by imposing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our forefathers nor we were capable of bearing?” Did not our Lord free us from such when he said, “you will find refreshment for your souls” with a load kindly and light? Are we not still freed? (Matthew 11:28-30; Acts 15:10)

So there remains this one thing in Satan’s arsenal—Jealousy. It is the final weapon inducing hatred of all such freedom. And why not? It has imprisoned his own love. That is why his agents seek to destroy freedom fighters who reject all religiously enslaving doctrine and authority—the researchers and teachers of pure words given by our lord who have tirelessly worked through the ages to make all such truth available for when the spirit arrives. And indeed the spirit will arrive to draw those pure in heart into everlasting dwelling places. Whether through tribulation in life or endurance to death, true Christians can only succeed when released from bondage to religious guilt and fear.

:thumbsup: You're gonna hafta change your username, brother! The wick is trimmed and aflame, not smoldering - glowing brightly in your lamp full of oil! :friends: (It has to be a hurricane lamp that sustains it's light even through gale-force winds!)

Love to you - :cheekkiss:
:peace:

Dear Smoldering Wick,

You know how there are people that you want to be like? You have so much talent and inspiration, I definitely have you as one of the people that I would like to draw a likeness from.:love:

Your creative and loving energy is absolutely wonderful!

I really love your approach of freedom from slavery! I used to meet people all the time that were way ahead of me. People who didn't accept any kind of organized religion. Whether to hide from sins or because of outright condemnation of the churches remains an issue I cannot gather now. But, in general, from knocking doors as a Witness or in Sales, there are people that feel things are between them and Jesus/God (however the difference is made).

Remember, as a JW, we would think these people were going to die. I am soooo happy not to be writing people off to death. Its not our job/privilege/right to assign any condemnation to anyone. It belongs to Jesus and the Father.

How many scriptures tell us not to be "killing" our fellowman. Writing anyone off to death is a form of murder and it goes against the rule to love our neighbor.

With Sisterly Love, Debbie

Mmm...:thumbup: you're so right. When we published a critique of the infamous 1993 WatchTower article which instructed worshippers to hate even to the extent of praying for the death of others, all manner of people - through loyalty - tried to lever against it by saying they'd certainly pray for the death of the adversary. But the scriptures say we can't do even that:

8 In like manner, notwithstanding, these men, too, indulging in dreams, are defiling the flesh and disregarding lordship and speaking abusively of glorious ones. 9 But when Mi´cha·el the archangel had a difference with the Devil and was disputing about Moses’ body, he did not dare to bring a judgement against him in abusive terms, but said:


May Jehovah rebuke you.

10 Yet these (men) are speaking abusively of all the things they really do not know;

Jude 8-10

- so how can we! We humans can't handle hate - it's too much for us, and while Jude's letter is known for it's remarks on Sodom and Gomorrah, it's simultaneously giving counsel about keeping our attitudes under our Father's and our Lord's headships, to:

continue to show mercy to some that have doubts; saving them by snatching them out of the fire... and continue showing mercy to others, doing so with fear, though YOU hate even the inner garment that has been stained by the flesh.

Jude 22

- because we have to counter that hate with the attitude and manner our Lord is breeding in us, or it will consume us - enslave us - as SW says - to an unwise freedom of expression. The sentiments published in that 1993 WatchTower article should be warning enough of that.

Nice thread SW, Debbie:thumbup:


Acts5v29

Hi Acts5v29, It took some time but I got down to reading that particular WT article, which only confirmed why in that year I first resigned as an elder. I was never really convinced over this kind of judgmental attitude which denies love and conscience by putting a fence of indoctination around us. Your website is intuitive and thought-provokingly well researched and written.

:thumbup:sw

The words “stand fast” speak volumes of the spiritual battles fought down through history and into our own times by persons seeking to maintain their spiritual freedom. Reflecting on the many persons that faced down their persecutors even to death such as Michael Servetus and William Tyndale, I am stunned as regards whom their persecutors were: persons of like faith that were seeking to bring them back under the yoke of spiritual slavery by demanding “compliance” to some man contrived “standard” they could not abide by.

Michael Servetus was condemned for “heresy” by John Calvin and others of the leading religious reformers of the times and burned at the stake. Calvin wrote to Servetus, "I neither hate you nor despise you; nor do I wish to persecute you; but I would be as hard as iron when I behold you insulting sound doctrine with so great audacity."

William Tyndale was betrayed into the hands of the Church of England and burned at the stake. His crime? Exercising his spiritual freedom by translating and publishing the Bible in the common vernacular of the day. Tyndale's final words, spoken “at the stake with a fervent zeal, and a loud voice", were reported as "Lord! Open the King of England's eyes.”

I am inspired when I read about the men and woman through history that bravely faced persecution and death rather than allow their freedom in Christ to be stolen. Foxe’s Book of Martyrs is a must read because of the moving examples by persons of faith both men and woman. Also read about these persons in Wikipedia for the accounts of their lives, and how they fought the fine fight of the faith against the tide of soulless “religion” and the mean spirited persons behind it.

What inspirational examples for us as we similarly seek to worship the Father in spirit and truth - no matter what the price - and will help us see the importance that those before us have assigned to the meaning of “stand fast” - as Paul the apostle admonished by his likewise fine example.


v r

Well spoken v r, Indeed, as "iron itself is sharpened by iron," you sharpen the face of who I am and who we all want to become! May the joy of Christ continue before you as you fight the fine fight and run the fine race! (Hebrews 12:1-2; Proverbs 27:17)

:thumbup:sw

Religions are the same as the serpent. The serpent conived Eve to eat from the tree of knowledge, instead of the Tree of Life, the Holy Spirit.

Thomas Jefferson on Religious Freedom

"[...] truth is great and will prevail if left to herself; that she is the proper and sufficient antagonist to error, and has nothing to fear from the conflict unless by human interposition disarmed of her natural weapons, free argument and debate; errors ceasing to be dangerous when it is permitted freely to contradict them.[...]"