Homestead Refuge - Judgement, exhortation, fools and yes, the skirt issue

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Judgement, exhortation, fools and yes, the skirt issue

There has been alot of discussion around here lately about judging others that do not have the same convictions as you do and I felt a need to say something.

Here is a scripture about judging others:

Matthew 7: 1-5 “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

We are called to exhort our brethren but not to judge them.

Hebrews 3:13 “Beware brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”

Here are a few about giving instruction to those that choose not to recieve it, and we all know there are some of those here at HSB.

Titus 3:9-11, “But avoid all foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions and strivings about the law: for they are unprofitable and useless. Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned.”

Proverbs 1:7 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.”

Proverbs 9:7, 8 “He who corrects a scoffer gets shame for himself, And he who rebukes a wicked man only harms himself. Do not correct a scoffer, lest he hate you; Rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.”

Proverbs 12:1 “Whoever loves instruction loves knowledge, But he who hates correction is stupid.”

Here are a few about our speech and what the word says about disputing, which unfortunately is what some have been doing.

Ephesians 5:29 “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.”

Philippians 2:14 “Do all things without complaining or disputing,”

James 5:9 “Do not grumble against one another, brethren, lest you be condemned. Behold, the Judge is standing at the door.”

Now, I do wear mainly skirts because it is a PERSONAL conviction of mine. I do not think it is a sin to wear jeans or pants. However, I do think it is a sin to be immodest. I am not saying jeans are immodest and I know there are plenty of skirts in this world that are immodest. I strive for modesty in whatever I am wearing and right now, that is mainly skirts. Who knows, next month the Lord may lead me back to jeans. All I know is that I am to follow what He has placed on MY heart. There are several reasons I prefer skirts only and here are some of the scriptures that have led me to MY decision.

Romans 14:21 “It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.”

1 Corinthians 10:23, 24 “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well being.”

Philippians 2:4 “Let each of you look out not for his own interests, but for the interests of others.”

Yes, I am free to wear jeans but that does not make it helpful or edifying for my brothers. Yes, my brothers are ultimately responsible for their own thoughts and actions, but as the scripture states, I am to do all I can not to cause them to stumble. I believe that showing my cleavage or my curves is very much a stumbling block to most men, so I choose not to. I am not to be concerned about what I am free to do, I am to be thinking about others well being, not my own liberties.

I think we all need to remember that we are to love one another and I don't feel that tearing each other down and disputing back and forth shows much love. I also feel that our main concern be with other's salvation and knowing the Lord. As for those that are not of the same faith as us (Christian), we should be concerned with showing them the truth of the Word. Their dress is a peripheral matter but the real concern is showing them the Word of God.

Blessings,

Rashel

edited to correct a few grammar mistakes, oh I just hate those :)

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