Desire to have our own way

The Problem with Sodom

Ian Johnson May 5, 2021 6 Comments

The problem with Sodom was its arrogant indifference to the poor and vulnerable, as shown by the violent hate crime it attempted to commit against two visiting angels. This arose, in turn, from its affluence and its sensual focus. All of these problems characterize the modern world, including the Church (where they lead to often-violent divisions). The traditional Christian interpretation of the Sodom story prevents us from seeing this.

An abuse of God's image, Christianity and Social Evils, Church purpose versus church growth, Desire to have our own way, Desire to have our own way, Disrespecting poor believers, Divisions in the Church, God's sovereignty, Greed, Historical Background, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Racism, Rejecting God, Sin, To be in his image, Trusting sight over God's words, What is sin?

2 Peter 2, affluence, arrogance, Deuteronomy, Ezekiel 16:49-50, False believers, False prophets, false teachers, Gibeah, Gomorrah, indifference, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Jude, poverty, Prophets, rejection of the good, Sodom, unbelief

The Bad Example of Cain

Ian Johnson September 16, 2020 5 Comments

Cain’s underlying sin was his arrogant insistence that he could come to God on his own terms. This is the “way of Cain” of which Jude speaks—self-sufficiency, insisting on coming to God on one’s own terms, murderous jealousy of those who truly seek God and are accepted by him, and “repentance” only of the consequences of these sins and not of the sins themselves. It all starts with an attitude of self-sufficiency.

Desire to have our own way, Desire to have our own way, God Never Stopped Speaking, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Rejecting God, Sin, What is sin?

anger, arrogance, Cain, dead works, faith, false repentance, jealousy, murder, murderer, pleasing God, pride, rejecting God, self-sufficiency, trusting in myself

False Believers and Divisive Persons in Jude

Ian Johnson August 23, 2020 3 Comments

Jude’s description of divisive persons in the church points to false believers who try to look like us but have infiltrated the church for their own advantage, to serve their own greed and lusts. They are dead trees, and dead trees bear no fruit. In dealing with them, we need to contend for the truth and resist contending against them personally.

Authority Contests, Desire to have our own way, Desire to have our own way, Disrespecting poor believers, Divisions in the Church, Greed, Heresy, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Peril of Seeking Power, Rejecting God, To live in unity

The Divisive, Argumentative Teachers in Chapter 6 of First Timothy

Ian Johnson August 15, 2020 1 Comment

1 Timothy 6 also warns about people who create arguments in order to exploit them for financial gain and to build their own authority. This warning is presented in the context of teaching about respect for human authority and authority in the Church.

Authority Contests, Church purpose versus church growth, Desire to have our own way, Disputes about words, Divisions in the Church, Greed, Heresy, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Peril of Seeking Power, Quarrels

arguments, authority, authority in the Church, Divisions, Divisions in the Church, divisive people, divisiveness, heretics, quarrels, respect

The Real Issue with False Teachers is their Hidden Motivations

Ian Johnson August 12, 2020 4 Comments

Like Balaam, false teachers do their work stealthily motivated by greed. They do not openly deny the Lordship of Christ, but deceptively proclaim teachings that permit us to retain our own independence, greed or lust, to seek first our own pleasure, and still, they say, please God. They teach these things not necessarily because they believe them, but to obtain our following and our money.

Desire to have our own way, Disputes about words, Greed, Heresy, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Peril of Seeking Power, Replacing Relationship with Morality, To live in unity

2 Peter 2, Divisions in the Church, divisive teachers, divisiveness, false teachers, false teachings, freedom, Heresies, Jesis is Lord, Lordship, slavery

“Heresies” as a “work” of the flesh in Galatians 5

Ian Johnson August 4, 2020 3 Comments

In Galatians 5:17-23, “heresies” are one of the works of the flesh–something we do, not something we believe. These works are opposed by the fruit of the Spirit.

Church purpose versus church growth, Desire to have our own way, Desire to have our own way, Divisions in the Church, Heresy, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Religious violence and persecution, Sin, What is sin?

anger, Church unity, division, enmity, factions, Fruit of the Spirit, Heresies, Holy Spirit, pride, strife

Heresy is Division in the Church

Ian Johnson August 1, 2020 4 Comments

Heresy is properly defined as divisiveness, not merely believing a false doctrine. Heretics are divisive people. Those who state doctrines with which I disagree, but do so without insisting on division because of my belief, are not heretics. Thus calls for mutual understanding and patience.

Church purpose versus church growth, Desire to have our own way, Divisions in the Church, Greed, Heresy, His Friends, In the Church, Meaning of Unity, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Sins versus sin, Social control and statecraft, To live in unity

Church History, Church unity, definition of heresy, division, divisive people, divisiveness, doctrinal disagreements, doctrine, heresy, heretic, heretical, Our Oneness in Christ, Unity

The Underlying Cause of Division

Ian Johnson July 9, 2020 2 Comments

The underlying cause of all of the divisions in the Church is “sin:” our determination to ignore God and the needs of others to have our own way. This leads to greed, anger, envy, jealousy, gossip, slander, strife, unforgiveness, bitterness and even war–all of which perpetuate division.

Desire to have our own way, Desire to have our own way, Divisions in the Church, Forgiveness and Unforgiveness, Greed, Our Oneness in Christ book revision, Sin, Trusting sight over God's words, What is sin?

ambition, arguments, bitterness, Church unity, desires, Diotrephes, division, envy, fighting, gossip, having our own way, jealousy, root of bitterness, selfishness, sin, slander, strife, unforgiving servant, wrath

The Bad Example of Cain

Like this:

False Believers and Divisive Persons in Jude

Like this:

The Divisive, Argumentative Teachers in Chapter 6 of First Timothy

Like this:

The Real Issue with False Teachers is their Hidden Motivations

Like this:

“Heresies” as a “work” of the flesh in Galatians 5

Like this:

Heresy is Division in the Church

Like this:

The Underlying Cause of Division

Like this:

Post navigation

Desire to have our own way

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: