Transcript: Episode 0076
This transcript:
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WEBVTT 00:00:37.312 --> 00:00:39.472Welcome to the Stone Choir Podcast. 00:00:39.772 --> 00:00:40.772 I am Corey J. 00:00:40.792 --> 00:00:41.172 Mahler. 00:00:41.792 --> 00:00:43.012 And I'm still woe. 00:00:44.492 --> 00:00:47.792 On today's Stone Choir, we're going to be talking about confronting sin. 00:00:47.812 --> 00:00:58.252 We're going to talk about the duties that we have to God and the duties that we have to each other, both to receive condemnation of our own sin and to give condemnation when it arises. 00:00:58.272 --> 00:01:02.752 We'll talk about the various permutations of how this stuff comes up and what we need to do with it. 00:01:04.232 --> 00:01:06.972 Just two brief bits of housekeeping before we get into it. 00:01:07.092 --> 00:01:14.572 One, Corey has the second batch of Challenge Coins shipped up through about order number roughly 200. 00:01:14.592 --> 00:01:18.312 That means about a third of the orders have shipped so far. 00:01:18.832 --> 00:01:20.632 Thank you to everyone for your continued patience. 00:01:20.932 --> 00:01:22.312 This is a very manual process. 00:01:22.332 --> 00:01:28.212 We don't have any sort of fulfillment partner or anything like it's literally him packing stuff and handwriting notes. 00:01:28.512 --> 00:01:29.272 It's laborious. 00:01:29.292 --> 00:01:32.212 Thank you for putting up with the time it's taking to get them all out. 00:01:32.532 --> 00:01:34.972 They're really cool, everybody loves them as they're receiving them. 00:01:35.332 --> 00:01:39.272 If you're at the very end of the list, sorry you had to wait so long, but we promise it will be worth it. 00:01:39.652 --> 00:01:40.812 It's going to last the rest of your life. 00:01:40.912 --> 00:01:42.092 It's a cool thing to have. 00:01:42.752 --> 00:01:49.352 When everybody gets to the next year's convention at Ogden or wherever, there will be a lot of those challenge coins coming out of people's pockets. 00:01:50.832 --> 00:02:05.812 Secondarily, next week, instead of a regular show like we normally have, we're going to be including on this feed the first two hours of a seven hour, six and a half hour interview that Corey and I did with Will Spencer from Renaissance of Men. 00:02:06.232 --> 00:02:07.912 We had a really good conversation with him. 00:02:08.372 --> 00:02:15.492 That's going to be going in part at least behind his paywall on Substack, but he was gracious enough to give us the first two hours we'll be offering here. 00:02:15.932 --> 00:02:18.732 So instead of our usual content, you'll hear that. 00:02:19.112 --> 00:02:20.932 It's mostly going to be things you've heard before. 00:02:20.932 --> 00:02:30.732 One of the nice things about having that episode up is that the introduction with him asking us questions in some ways will be the actual introduction to Stone Choir that we never did ourselves. 00:02:31.092 --> 00:02:38.132 To this point, really, the best intro to Stone Choir has been interviews that we did probably in the 20th century, or maybe on Yonah's show. 00:02:38.852 --> 00:02:46.472 So finally, we'll have an episode that we can point to and say, if you want to just listen to one episode, find out like where are these guys coming from, that I think will be it. 00:02:46.772 --> 00:02:48.992 And then we'd encourage everyone to go back and listen to the catalog. 00:02:49.012 --> 00:02:52.412 So that will be what we have next week instead of our regular programming. 00:02:53.652 --> 00:02:59.832 On the subject of confronting sin, we're going to have a structure I'm going to lay out for you now just so you can sort of keep your bearings throughout this. 00:03:00.172 --> 00:03:03.332 There's going to be a short part, kind of a medium part and then a long part at the end. 00:03:03.812 --> 00:03:12.772 The short part is going to be that confronting sin in this entire conversation is rooted in our obedience to God, our duty to God. 00:03:13.292 --> 00:03:19.792 The only reason for you to confront sin or to have your own sin confronted is so that you remain oriented to God. 00:03:19.992 --> 00:03:21.132 That's why we're here. 00:03:21.152 --> 00:03:23.152 That's why we're talking about it, that's why you're listening. 00:03:23.612 --> 00:03:30.652 The whole point of the Christian life is like a compass pointing at Magnetic North to remain oriented towards your Creator. 00:03:30.972 --> 00:03:31.712 We're creatures. 00:03:31.732 --> 00:03:32.452 He's a Creator. 00:03:32.732 --> 00:03:35.772 Let's make sure that we're not losing sight of Him. 00:03:37.232 --> 00:03:56.452 So everything that we say about confronting sin has to be rooted in that because as soon as you turn the confrontation of sin as interpersonal, it becomes a matter of personality conflicts or dislike or cultural differences, whatever you want to pick, it becomes man versus man. 00:03:56.632 --> 00:03:57.932 It's he said, she said. 00:03:58.532 --> 00:03:59.412 That's nonsense. 00:03:59.552 --> 00:04:02.152 That's not what confronting sin is about. 00:04:02.512 --> 00:04:07.172 Confronting sin is about someone saying to someone else, God's over here. 00:04:07.552 --> 00:04:11.072 I'm pointed towards him and you're pointed in some opposite direction. 00:04:11.232 --> 00:04:12.492 You're pointed off in the weeds. 00:04:13.592 --> 00:04:15.192 We both need to point in the same direction. 00:04:17.132 --> 00:04:24.352 So, it's just important when we're thinking about all the rest of these things that that should always be the root, the beginning and the end of every conversation. 00:04:25.052 --> 00:04:33.452 When you're confronting someone else's sin or when your sin is confronted, you need to make sure that you're both pointed at the same God in that conversation. 00:04:34.052 --> 00:04:39.432 And as a Christian, if you are confronting someone else's sin, you need to make sure that that's what you're pointing him at. 00:04:39.792 --> 00:04:43.932 You can't point the person you're confronting to some other God. 00:04:44.292 --> 00:04:47.892 You can't accuse them of sins that are not scriptural sins. 00:04:48.152 --> 00:04:49.792 So I'll be at the long part at the end. 00:04:50.232 --> 00:04:53.272 And the middle part just can be talking about the duty to receive correction. 00:04:53.552 --> 00:05:06.732 Because both of those things, whether you're the one receiving the rebuke of sin or you're the one giving it, in the context of two Christian brothers discussing with each other, you begin with the orientation towards God. 00:05:07.272 --> 00:05:20.572 And then it's very much a case that you want and you pray that the person would receive your rebuke the same way that if they come to you and accuse you of something, you would hope that they would approach it in the same way that you're trying to approach them. 00:05:20.592 --> 00:05:22.712 See, it's very much a do unto others thing. 00:05:23.772 --> 00:05:41.272 But just at the outset, when we're pointed at God and we're talking about the duty of God, I think that one of the framing episodes for this episode and this framing for the whole of this episode is the Perfect Hatred episode where we talked about what does hatred mean, what does love mean, because it's part of the same thing. 00:05:41.752 --> 00:05:46.272 There is no possibility for hatred without love of something, actual Christian hatred. 00:05:46.492 --> 00:05:55.472 And we make the case in that episode that we have a duty as Christians to hate whatever is opposed to God and that love can only be defined in terms of pointing at God. 00:05:55.792 --> 00:06:02.132 The things that God commands, the things that God expresses as true, those are the only things that we should be loving. 00:06:02.572 --> 00:06:05.032 And anything that's contrary to those, we're commanded to hate. 00:06:05.752 --> 00:06:11.832 And so when we're looking at the sin in our own lives and in others' lives, it always has to be in view of that. 00:06:12.452 --> 00:06:22.192 And part of the reason for emphasizing that is that when you're looking at things that are oriented either towards God or away from him, it precludes all matters of opinion. 00:06:22.632 --> 00:06:24.532 It precludes disagreements. 00:06:25.072 --> 00:06:30.332 You know, one of the prime examples we'll get into in a couple of places is matters of historical events. 00:06:30.672 --> 00:06:36.952 We've done past episodes, we talked about, you know, the moon landing and whether nukes are real, you know, conspiracy theories. 00:06:37.392 --> 00:06:45.172 And we made very clear, as I've said elsewhere online, I don't think you're going to hell if you think that the moon's not real or the moon landing is not real. 00:06:45.392 --> 00:06:46.812 It's not an article of faith. 00:06:47.352 --> 00:06:56.012 My concern about those things is that someone who's been detached from reality by denying those true things is that they've opened themselves up to spiritual errors. 00:06:56.472 --> 00:06:58.792 And so that's the concern when there's a rebuke there. 00:06:59.132 --> 00:07:03.152 But it's not a matter of salvation to say we landed on the moon and we did land on the moon. 00:07:03.532 --> 00:07:04.632 Pick any example you want. 00:07:04.652 --> 00:07:05.532 The moon doesn't even matter. 00:07:05.872 --> 00:07:12.552 It's just when it's a matter of opinion about something that has nothing to do with Scripture, then it's just a question, is it true or not? 00:07:13.272 --> 00:07:25.192 And what we've seen happen in the last 60 years, last 30 years especially, is that there are other historical events, and you know which ones, that have become articles of faith in a competing religion. 00:07:25.632 --> 00:07:35.292 And so if you have the wrong opinion about those historical events in the last century, you're either damned or you're saved, depending on which side of those events you fall on. 00:07:35.792 --> 00:07:41.912 Well, the only historical event that has that kind of weight is Jesus' life, death and resurrection. 00:07:42.612 --> 00:07:45.912 That is the historical event that determines damnation or salvation. 00:07:46.152 --> 00:07:49.512 Your belief in that is what determines whether you're a Christian. 00:07:50.032 --> 00:07:52.032 No other historical event has that weight. 00:07:52.652 --> 00:08:02.432 And so the very fact that people will come into the church and say, no, these are these other historical events that are matters of damnation, but actually they're matters of opinion. 00:08:02.692 --> 00:08:15.952 Even if you're wrong, even if something happened in 1933 or 1945 or 1964, if you don't believe it or you disagree with the tenor of it, you think it's fine or whatever, that doesn't mean that you're going to heaven or hell. 00:08:16.172 --> 00:08:17.412 Doesn't matter either way. 00:08:18.592 --> 00:08:25.232 When someone points to those things and says, well, the religion says you got to do this or believe this, they're not pointing you to God. 00:08:25.592 --> 00:08:27.692 They're not fulfilling their duty to God. 00:08:28.212 --> 00:08:39.572 And so as we look at the examples where we're interacting with each other, making sure that our compass is pointed at God, which is found in Scripture, is crucial because that's the only way to determine reality. 00:08:39.912 --> 00:08:41.652 Right and wrong is determined by God. 00:08:41.932 --> 00:08:43.992 It's not determined by what makes us feel bad. 00:08:44.432 --> 00:08:45.532 That's another element of this. 00:08:45.812 --> 00:08:52.052 There are things about having your own sin confronted, or you confronting someone else's sin, even the word confrontation. 00:08:52.072 --> 00:08:55.992 And we talked last week about why do we confront certain errors? 00:08:56.272 --> 00:08:57.752 Why do we go after certain things? 00:08:58.092 --> 00:08:59.572 Why is anyone confronting anything? 00:08:59.692 --> 00:09:01.392 That's mean, makes people sad. 00:09:01.712 --> 00:09:03.752 Well, the question is, is it true or not? 00:09:03.892 --> 00:09:14.012 And if God is over here and everyone else is pointing 90 degrees or 180 degrees, the guy who comes along and says, no, you got to turn around and look this way, he's going to disrupt you, he's going to be annoying. 00:09:14.272 --> 00:09:15.932 He's like, you're looking in the wrong direction. 00:09:16.212 --> 00:09:16.712 What do you mean? 00:09:16.912 --> 00:09:17.972 You think you're better than me? 00:09:18.152 --> 00:09:19.332 You think you're holier than now? 00:09:19.332 --> 00:09:22.412 Like, no, God's over there, you're not even looking in the right direction. 00:09:22.952 --> 00:09:34.552 So, let everything that you do that revolves around confronting sin or having your own sin be confronted be dictated solely by that which is found in scripture and in truth. 00:09:36.332 --> 00:09:44.832 When Woe says that it does not matter how you feel about these things, I want to add not a caveat to that, but an important sub-point. 00:09:45.932 --> 00:09:56.132 If your conscience is properly formed and it will be formed properly by the Word of God, then you will feel correctly about certain of these things. 00:09:56.172 --> 00:09:58.012 You will hate the things that God hates. 00:09:58.032 --> 00:09:59.812 You will love the things that God loves. 00:10:00.212 --> 00:10:05.952 And so, your feelings, so to speak, will be aligned with what God wants. 00:10:05.972 --> 00:10:12.912 Your conscience being correctly formed will tell you what you should believe, which way you should go on a given issue. 00:10:13.392 --> 00:10:18.192 And so, again, if your conscience is properly formed, these things will be aligned. 00:10:19.572 --> 00:10:24.312 It is not that your internal perception of these things is definitive. 00:10:24.652 --> 00:10:25.492 That's the point. 00:10:26.612 --> 00:10:35.552 And most people have malformed consciences, because if your conscience has not been formed by scripture, then it's effectively a crap shoot. 00:10:36.332 --> 00:10:37.392 It may be right. 00:10:37.412 --> 00:10:38.712 It may be wrong. 00:10:38.732 --> 00:10:41.732 It just depends on the particular issue, on the circumstances. 00:10:42.312 --> 00:10:49.452 If your conscience is not formed by scripture, by the word of God, if it is not correctly formed, then it is not reliable. 00:10:49.752 --> 00:10:55.352 And that is why the word of God has to be the sole standard in these matters. 00:10:56.832 --> 00:11:17.632 Because whether or not you internally feel that something is right, that matters because that's an indicator of whether or not you have been formed by the word of God, whether or not you are aligning yourself to the things of God, but it is not in and of itself definitive because it is subsidiary to the word of God. 00:11:18.012 --> 00:11:33.052 And so when we have these conflicts, when we are fighting over something that is related to our duties to God, to the Christian faith, we look to scripture to find the truth because that is where God has spoken his truth to us. 00:11:34.372 --> 00:11:40.112 We are specifically in this case talking about theological controversies, things that can be found in scripture. 00:11:40.492 --> 00:11:46.252 As Wo mentioned, there is a distinction between these sorts of issues and just something out in the world. 00:11:46.832 --> 00:12:01.812 And so, for instance, if you are having a debate over something related to biology, that's not going to be something for which you turn to the Word of God to discover the ultimate answer because it's probably not even addressed in the Word of God. 00:12:02.152 --> 00:12:09.132 Now, in some cases, it's going to be, of course, if you are dealing with micro versus macroevolution, but that is also addressed in nature. 00:12:09.152 --> 00:12:12.212 You can determine that from the created order of things. 00:12:13.432 --> 00:12:26.812 But when it comes to issues of morality, when it comes to questions of the faith, questions of theology, of doctrine, all of those must be absolutely and solely grounded in the Word of God. 00:12:27.152 --> 00:12:35.992 That doesn't mean we can't use the faculties that God has given us to understand it because, of course, you can't read Scripture without using the faculties that God gave you. 00:12:36.392 --> 00:12:47.392 First off, you have to use sight to read the words, or you have to use your hearing in order to listen to it if you're listening to a recording instead, and then you have to use your reason to understand these things. 00:12:48.112 --> 00:13:03.012 So yes, our faculties will, of course, play a role in this, but as Christians, we also have God's promises and the Spirit, so we know that if we spend the time in the Word, if we turn to the Word of God for these answers to these questions, God will lead us into truth. 00:13:03.032 --> 00:13:04.292 He has promised to do that. 00:13:05.092 --> 00:13:11.752 But we have to actually do what he said in order to receive the promise, in order to receive the things he has given. 00:13:12.972 --> 00:13:14.232 You have to turn to scripture. 00:13:14.552 --> 00:13:18.752 You have to look at the Word of God to determine what is true or false. 00:13:19.212 --> 00:13:25.272 And so, as Woe said, the issue is not going to be a conflict over personalities. 00:13:25.292 --> 00:13:28.892 This isn't, you know, Martin Luther hated Pope Leo. 00:13:29.472 --> 00:13:31.312 That was not the issue in the Reformation. 00:13:31.692 --> 00:13:44.592 The issue in the Reformation was whether or not the Word of God says certain things about justification, says certain things about works, says certain things about satisfaction, all these other issues. 00:13:45.272 --> 00:13:47.032 These were theological issues. 00:13:47.052 --> 00:13:52.072 These were doctrinal issues for which we have to turn to the Word of God. 00:13:53.012 --> 00:13:58.912 It doesn't matter if you dislike the brashness of Luther or the approach of the Medici Pope. 00:13:59.692 --> 00:14:09.072 Regardless of the personalities involved, it is a matter of what God has said, what a correct interpretation of His Word is. 00:14:09.752 --> 00:14:13.792 And so you can leave aside all of those other ancillary issues. 00:14:14.312 --> 00:14:18.112 And so it's not a matter of, well, this person is acting in a mean way. 00:14:19.352 --> 00:14:20.952 That's not what is at stake. 00:14:21.372 --> 00:14:38.412 It's not whether or not the personalities matter, because of course, in human conflicts, because humans are involved, that's going to play some role, but that really should be, as much as possible, put aside when dealing with theological and doctrinal matters. 00:14:39.132 --> 00:14:57.312 Because these are simply, essentially what you would call them in the law, really they're questions of fact, when you're dealing with things that are external, and questions of law when you're dealing with things that are in Scripture, because you are purely dealing with the interpretation of God's Word. 00:14:57.612 --> 00:15:01.732 That's the distinction there for the legal sphere anyway. 00:15:02.532 --> 00:15:11.532 But another thing that Woe mentioned, I want to highlight, all systems have blasphemy laws, all systems of belief. 00:15:12.032 --> 00:15:17.072 And the question is going to be, what a system considers blasphemy? 00:15:17.092 --> 00:15:24.832 Because that is going to tell you what the God of that system is, and it's going to tell you the God of the person who is advocating for that system. 00:15:25.372 --> 00:15:40.392 And so if someone tells you that you're damned because you believe X, well, you now know that X is part of the blasphemy laws of that person's system, and so that is the system underneath the God that person worships. 00:15:40.972 --> 00:15:54.172 So if it's a particular historical event that isn't dealt with in scripture, then you know this person has a different God, because that is not a matter of whether you are saved or damned. 00:15:54.192 --> 00:15:57.272 If this is some historical event outside scripture. 00:15:57.292 --> 00:16:02.672 And so it doesn't matter, for instance, if you believe the North or the South was in the right with regard to the Civil War. 00:16:02.932 --> 00:16:05.872 That is not a matter of whether or not you will be saved. 00:16:06.092 --> 00:16:08.652 That is not a matter that is central to the faith. 00:16:08.672 --> 00:16:10.132 It may be a very important matter. 00:16:10.152 --> 00:16:16.152 And as American, I certainly would say that it is, but it is not a tenet of the faith. 00:16:16.172 --> 00:16:24.512 And so it is not something that falls under blasphemy laws, because blasphemy is to speak falsely of God. 00:16:24.532 --> 00:16:25.952 And that is why this matters, of course. 00:16:25.972 --> 00:16:29.972 It also ties into, of course, the First and the Second Commandment. 00:16:30.392 --> 00:16:42.652 But primarily, this is a matter of whether or not what you are saying about God, whether it is in your words or in your behavior, the things that you are asserting about God, whether or not they are true. 00:16:43.792 --> 00:16:46.952 Because if they align with Scripture, then they are true. 00:16:47.952 --> 00:16:50.672 If they are contrary to Scripture, then they are false. 00:16:50.692 --> 00:16:59.092 And if they are outside of Scripture and you are saying, this particular thing is still blasphemous, and so you are damned if you say this thing. 00:17:00.192 --> 00:17:02.092 That's worship of a false God. 00:17:02.132 --> 00:17:04.052 That is rejection of the Lord God. 00:17:05.272 --> 00:17:09.832 That is why it matters, and that is why we say you must turn to Scripture for this. 00:17:10.192 --> 00:17:16.332 Because if you are turning somewhere else, you are setting up an idol, and you are turning away from the Lord God. 00:17:16.912 --> 00:17:25.832 As we've said many times before, in this life, you are always, and with everything you do, traveling Godward or Hellward. 00:17:26.572 --> 00:17:28.972 That is what is at stake in these matters. 00:17:29.572 --> 00:17:41.172 If you are rebuking someone, you are rebuking him because you believe that he is turning away from God, which means he is moving Hellward, and you want to turn him back to God, you want him turning Godward. 00:17:41.672 --> 00:17:46.912 Because that is the ultimate goal, the goal is for everyone to run the race, to persevere. 00:17:47.912 --> 00:17:56.892 And so if someone has walked off the path, walked off the track, and he is going down some rabbit trail or he is going the wrong way, you want to tell him. 00:17:57.352 --> 00:18:04.912 And part of the reason you want to tell him, of course it is your duty to God, but it is also because you want him to tell you if you do that in the future. 00:18:05.832 --> 00:18:08.032 And so that is the issue, which one of you is right? 00:18:08.952 --> 00:18:10.612 Are you traveling in the right direction? 00:18:10.632 --> 00:18:12.252 Is he traveling in the wrong direction? 00:18:12.512 --> 00:18:13.772 Or is it the other way around? 00:18:13.792 --> 00:18:16.232 Because someone is going to be wrong. 00:18:17.232 --> 00:18:24.112 So the first half of this that we are going to talk about that will be the shorter half is the duty to receive this sort of correction, rebuke. 00:18:24.772 --> 00:18:29.272 And it is important that the things we are talking about have to be sin, as Corey said. 00:18:29.332 --> 00:18:30.532 We are talking about sins. 00:18:30.552 --> 00:18:36.312 We are not talking about things where your opinion is either not historically defensible or whatever. 00:18:37.052 --> 00:18:39.972 Is this going to cause your damnation by itself? 00:18:40.792 --> 00:18:47.012 And that is crucial because there are a lot of things where we make small mistakes, small sins. 00:18:47.212 --> 00:18:48.092 You know, I say mistake. 00:18:48.112 --> 00:18:49.632 I am not trying to paper over something. 00:18:50.032 --> 00:18:53.572 When Adam ate the wrong piece of fruit, it was a small mistake. 00:18:55.312 --> 00:19:01.352 It was practically a process violation and yet we all die because of it because God said don't do that. 00:19:01.632 --> 00:19:02.532 That is off limits. 00:19:03.032 --> 00:19:03.732 That was sin. 00:19:03.752 --> 00:19:05.432 I am not minimizing it in the slightest. 00:19:05.472 --> 00:19:14.052 I am saying that when we are looking at sin versus looking at just mistakes, we have to be very clear about where we are getting this stuff from. 00:19:14.052 --> 00:19:20.272 So, when we are receiving correction, we are receiving the rebuke of our own sins, we have to always have… 00:19:20.292 --> 00:19:23.352 We are going to talk about the always because that is part of the problem here. 00:19:23.992 --> 00:19:43.332 We as a Christian should have the default position, the default position, not the universal position, but your default approach that if a Christian brother comes to you and says, brother, I believe that you are sinning by X, our default position should be to hear him out and to take it seriously. 00:19:43.972 --> 00:19:45.752 Now this is all occurring in a vacuum. 00:19:45.772 --> 00:19:48.672 This is a perfectly spherical cow simulation in physics. 00:19:49.612 --> 00:19:50.752 That should be your position. 00:19:51.152 --> 00:19:53.912 Somebody comes to you and says, I think you are sinning, you should hear them out. 00:19:55.412 --> 00:19:57.372 In reality, it's never that simple. 00:19:57.472 --> 00:20:08.052 And so that's where the personality conflicts and history and all the other things come into play, sometimes for the sake of streamlining, but often for the sake of greater sin and disruption. 00:20:08.632 --> 00:20:13.912 So if somebody comes to you, you first have to ask, is this guy even Christian? 00:20:14.092 --> 00:20:21.952 If it's someone who's known to you, who's not only a brother, but someone you have a relationship with, absolutely, you should take that much more seriously. 00:20:22.612 --> 00:20:34.532 On the other hand, on the internet, for example, I routinely have people in my mentions and elsewhere saying things like, Jesus is actually Satan, saying that the Trinity is a heresy and I'm going to hell for confessing the Trinity. 00:20:35.132 --> 00:20:36.132 Those are rebukes. 00:20:36.612 --> 00:20:41.632 And those people, and often in many cases, claim to be Christian, even while they're saying that Jesus is Satan. 00:20:42.172 --> 00:20:51.872 And so when we say that the default position should be to hear out someone who says, he's a Christian brother and he's rebuking your sin, that doesn't mean you're stupid. 00:20:52.372 --> 00:20:56.252 If someone comes to you and says something blasphemous, you silence them. 00:20:56.632 --> 00:20:57.692 You don't hear them out. 00:20:58.012 --> 00:21:02.692 You don't argue and debate and try to find common cause with someone who's a blasphemer. 00:21:03.172 --> 00:21:08.132 And while those are extreme examples, they're also pretty common, unfortunately, today. 00:21:08.732 --> 00:21:21.712 Because not only is the world very far gone, but it's also particularly far gone within the church, where we have people who say, oh, I'm Christian, and I believe all this insane crap that is demonstrably damnable. 00:21:22.332 --> 00:21:27.792 So the fact that someone is coming to you with rebuke by itself doesn't necessarily tell you anything. 00:21:28.312 --> 00:21:35.832 As we've said many times, especially in the last year, just because somebody says he's Christian doesn't mean anything anymore, which is tragic. 00:21:35.852 --> 00:21:36.892 That should not be the case. 00:21:37.392 --> 00:21:45.132 If someone comes to you and says, I'm a Christian brother, and I have a concern, we should be able to just take that wide open, whoever it is. 00:21:46.152 --> 00:21:54.792 The reality is that if you were to do that every single time, particularly if you're engaging with a lot of people, almost every one of those is going to be some sort of demonic attack. 00:21:54.812 --> 00:22:03.632 You're going to be someone speaking the teachings of demons, saying things that are false sins or true sins, and trying to get you to confess false sins to a false God. 00:22:03.912 --> 00:22:04.832 You can't do that. 00:22:05.652 --> 00:22:18.532 So at the same time, like this is why part of it is a profound matter of wisdom, is that you have to have an open heart as a Christian to receive rebuke, but you also have to have discernment, which goes back to the first point. 00:22:18.712 --> 00:22:19.812 You got to be pointed at God. 00:22:20.252 --> 00:22:33.732 So whenever someone comes to you, however they frame it, if they say X, Y, Z is a sin, you need to look at your own heart and your own actions and say, am I still pointing at God in this particular instance? 00:22:34.012 --> 00:22:34.992 Not in your whole life. 00:22:35.012 --> 00:22:36.472 You know, maybe you have everything squared away. 00:22:36.672 --> 00:22:38.472 And maybe there's just one blind spot that you have. 00:22:38.652 --> 00:22:39.352 We all have them. 00:22:39.912 --> 00:22:43.872 Anyone who says he's free from sin deceives himself and the truth is not in him. 00:22:44.272 --> 00:22:45.292 God said that somewhere. 00:22:45.312 --> 00:22:46.212 It's pretty important. 00:22:46.612 --> 00:22:49.712 Every single one of us has blind spots, even podcasters. 00:22:50.372 --> 00:22:54.892 The point is, when someone comes to you and says that, you have to say, okay, I take it seriously. 00:22:55.152 --> 00:22:56.052 I've said in the past, I do. 00:22:56.152 --> 00:23:00.892 If someone is mad about something I said, my first response isn't to disregard them. 00:23:00.912 --> 00:23:06.272 My first response internally, you know, in a millisecond is really right, because that's all that matters. 00:23:06.632 --> 00:23:15.852 If someone rebukes something as sin, the only thing that matters is not whether you like them, it's not whether you like their tone of voice, it's not how it makes you feel. 00:23:16.312 --> 00:23:18.512 The only question that matters is, is it right? 00:23:18.752 --> 00:23:20.212 Does God actually condemn this? 00:23:20.592 --> 00:23:22.852 And you may not be able to figure it out in one conversation. 00:23:22.872 --> 00:23:45.012 You know, in the case where someone who is a Christian brother comes to you and says, I'm concerned about something I believe you've sinned against me or in whatever regard, whether it's a theological dispute or it's personal action or whatever, it's perfectly acceptable for you as a Christian to say, thank you, I need to think about this, I need to study the scripture, I need to pray, and I'll get back to you. 00:23:45.552 --> 00:23:48.632 And both of you should be free as Christians to leave it at that. 00:23:49.432 --> 00:23:55.632 And I think this is a crucial aspect of this, both giving and receiving rebuke, is that you're not trying to fix the person. 00:23:55.912 --> 00:23:58.372 You're not trying to say, you're wrong, I got to fix this right now. 00:23:58.392 --> 00:24:01.492 You got to straighten up, you got to get on your knees and confess your sins. 00:24:02.192 --> 00:24:06.752 If repentance is actually required, then yeah, that's going to follow. 00:24:07.192 --> 00:24:10.052 But it doesn't need to immediately happen because you're not trying to win an argument. 00:24:10.552 --> 00:24:12.052