Self-righteousness and Grace – A few years ago I was talking to a Pastor about divorce and the Pastorate. It’s important to note that most Baptists know very little about divorce. -Self-righteousness and Grace-
Anyway, I asked him if a man that was divorced before Salvation would be “qualified” to Pastor after Salvation. Before going on, let me clarify, most Baptists use the word qualification to denote the Pastoral instruction found in Timothy and Titus. Many years ago I heard a preacher refer to those “qualifications” as characteristics and attributes. These words make more sense than the word qualification. I encourage studying these words.
So, back to the conversation with the Pastor, I was shocked to hear the Pastor say that the man divorced before Salvation is NOT “qualified” to be a Pastor. It is imperative to emphasize that his answer is the most arrogant, overbearing, and self-centered, unscriptural, and spiritually immature piece of teaching to ever cross the lips of any Pastor I’ve known. –Self-Righteousness- He does not believe 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
Frankly, this teaching is a slap to the face of Christ and the atonement provided through grace and mercy. His answer is assuredly teaching of limited atonement.
This type of unscriptural doctrine is the very reason that the Galatians 6:1 Ministry is vital.
Pastors, teachers, or evangelists that teach such heresy have self-appointed themselves as the champions of all things spiritual. -Self-Righteousness- A divorcee has no hope of making his calling sure, according to such teaching. For many Baptist Pastors, they can give themselves a free pass on all the “qualifications” as long as they are not divorced. -Self-Righteousness- By the way, neither Timothy nor Titus mentions divorce in the “qualifications.” Besides, who says divorce is sin? God didn’t mention divorce in Timothy and Titus. Of course, divorce is mentioned many times before these “qualifications.”
Furthermore, there are no men in the Pastorate today that have successfully mastered the “qualifications” without error. That being the case and by the teaching of the Baptists, then no man is “qualified” to be a Pastor. The point of the attributes and characteristics in Timothy and Titus is to ensure that the instruction is adhered to and when one gets out of line, it’s time to step away and fix the problem. Upon fixing the issue step back into the Pastorate. Now, if the Pastor, Evangelist, Missionary, etc. finds themselves in a situation of habitual violation of the attributes and characteristics, maybe it’s time to step away permanently.
Over the past few years, I have wondered if local church Baptists believe in Galatians 6:1, 2 Corinthians 5:17, 2 Thess. 3:15, and 1 John 1:9.
Galatians 6:3 “For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.”
Romans 12:3 “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”
Unfortunately, the Pastor mentioned at the beginning of this blog believes that his call to the Pastorate is credible. Says who? We can only trust that what he says is true and of God, right? Or is it because a deacon board or ordination council deemed him credible and his call to the Pastorate was indeed legit? There’s a Greek word for that, hogwash! When are Baptists going to stop kicking people to the spiritual curb? -Self-Righteousness-
Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.” Jeremiah was set apart and appointed by God, not man.
Yep, you may have guessed by now, I’m divorced. There isn’t a Baptist Preacher during the past 20 years that has given me a moment of encouragement or training. Why? Because of the “Baptist Institution,” my call is not valid as it is tainted by divorce. There is not one verse to support the illegitimate teaching being forced down the spiritual throats of church members. Oh, food for thought, I was one of those -Self-Righteous- church members that looked down my nose at divorcees in the church. SHAME ON ME!
Now, I have a burden to see spiritual restoration, with meekness, visit the lives of those discarded as spiritual trash.
Let’s look at Grace, Grace, God’s Grace
The Holy Spirit must draw a person to understanding and wisdom. Thus, this next section is offered for just that purpose. Allow the Holy Spirit to draw you to the Grace and Mercy provided by God’s dear Son, Jesus. Grace and Mercy are inseparable and all inclusionary for the saint and the sinner. That is for the saved and the unsaved.
We as Baptists must strive harder at becoming all inclusionary while balancing the Fundamentals of Faith, preference, and opinion. All in all, without compromise, so study to shew thyself approved!
- Jesus’ Family Tree – He is Royalty – Matthew 1
- Three notable inclusions
- Tamar: Incest, immorality, feigned prostitution, a Gentile v. 3
- Rahab: Harlotry, lying, deception, a Canaanite v. 5
- Bathsheba: Adultery v. 6
- Three notable inclusions
- David the adulterer and murderer
- Acts 13:22 “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.”
- 1 Samuel 13:14 “the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people,
- 1 Kings 15:5 “Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.”
- 1 Samuel 18:14 “And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the Lord was with him.”
- Moses blatantly disobeyed God and had a short temper
- Numbers 12:3 “(Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth.)”
- Deut. 34:5, 6 Very precious to God “So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day.”
- Solomon had 1,000 partners (700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines) 1 Kings 11
- 1 Kings 4:30 “And Solomon’s wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt.”
- 1 Kings 10:23 “So king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches and for wisdom.”
- Father, King David and his mother Bathsheba
- Noah, drunk and naked, with a cursed son Genesis 9:20,21
- Genesis 6:9 “These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.”
- Genesis 6:22 “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.”
You are valuable to God
No matter what you have been told by another brother or sister in Christ or church leadership, according to God’s Word, you are valuable. You are credible, usable, and restorable.
Galatians 6:1 is real and for you today! 1 John 1:9 is real and for you today! Psalm 103:12 is real and for you today! Micah 7:19 is real and for you today! Isaiah 1:18 is real and for you today! https://drdonporter.com/such-as-keep/
1 Thess. 5:24 “Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.”
Philippians 1:6 is still true today! “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”
Galatians 6:10 “As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.”
https://drdonporter.com/divorce-christian-service-part-9/
Ezekiel 33:6 “But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand.”