General GOD GIVES THE INCREASE

The following article is credited to the Manassas Church of Christ. Even though this church has many things incorrect I must give them credit because they hit this nail right on the head......

I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. I Corinthians 3.6

The humbling truth of the verse above must not be missed. God gives the increase. The agricultural metaphor Paul uses communicates this perfectly. Human agency is necessary – God has made it so. Someone must plant, cultivate, and tend the seed. Without the agency of God, the seed will not grow. One may as well plant, cultivate, and tend a rock without the agency of God.

Paul is speaking about evangelism and spiritual formation. We would do well to humbly accept this truth. We can neither save not sanctify anyone. Only God can.

We think we can. We think we must. We often think that our responsibility is to change those we love for the better - that if we see flaws we must act to correct them. God never tells me to make you the best “you” you can be. I have the responsibility to love you (John 13.34-35), to serve you (Matthew 7.12), to pray for you (II Corinthians 1.11). But I cannot change you, nor can you change me. Only God can do that – and then only if we yield to Him.

The New Testament word we are circling is “sanctification.” Sanctification is the process of making something pure and holy. It is the process of spiritual maturity and refinement. The New Testament identifies the agents of sanctification as Jesus (Acts 26.18, I Corinthians 1.30), God (I Thessalonians 4.3), The Word (John 17.17), and most frequently the Spirit (Romans 15.16, II Thessalonians 2.13, Hebrews 12.14, I Peter 1.1). Neither you, nor I are ever mentioned as agents of sanctification for each other.

You and I must sanctify Christ as Lord in our hearts (I Peter 3.15). That will occupy a great deal of our time and attention. It is the removal of the log from our own eye so we may help another with the speck in his (Matthew 7.1-5). We must also love, serve and pray for each other. We must “consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds,” (Hebrews 10.24). But we are never asked to engage in a test of wills, to win a conflict, or to even wage one. We are not God. One person cannot change another person – only God can, and only when we yield to Him.

Belief that we can (that we must) change another person is a form of faithlessness. It demonstrates a lack of trust in God and His word – as if He is not sufficient without our contribution. Belief that we can (that we must) change another person is a form of Hubris – for we assume the mantle of God.

This assumption – that I have to change you, and you have to change me – may come from the best intentions, but it will not be productive. It will lead to disappointment, discouragement, and bad feelings between us.

Let us love each other, serve each other, pray for each other, encourage each other, and when necessary confront each other. But let us remember - only God can give the increase.

 

[LeeB]

In this article the word “hubris” is used to describe someone with a character flaw of pride and arrogance. Sometimes being fully convinced in the mind may be mistaken for hubris. Sometimes the one true faith that was delivered to the saints may appear as hubris. Hubris is in the eye of the beholder and from their belief system when compared to others. Jesus preached with authority as did the Apostles, the prophets preached a sure word, is this hubris ? There is that chance that in all our lives that we may have contact with someone who is far advanced spiritually than we are but would we recognize this or accuse them of hubris ? The Pharisees accused Jesus of hubris and if they did this with Jesus they will do it with his true followers. Paul put it this way, Romans 8:33 Romans 14:4 GOD has personally chosen HIS elect , HE gave them of HIS spirit, HE has placed them in HIS church, HE has taught them HIS truth through Christ, HE declares them HIS sons and daughters then someone says they are hubris. Luke 18:7 2 Thessalonians 1:6,7 Psalm 37:28 2 Thessalonians 3:3 There is a true church of GOD out there scattered to the four winds so we must be careful to not falsely accuse them of hubris.

 

[Outcast]

This creates a lot is thoughts if considered with an open mind. However, we are conversing in English, so that can be a poor position to start from. I'm out of any other option, so I would tend to write a post of a thousand words. I'll try to render it down to cliff notes.

The term is rather opaque to start with. The declaration of someone's speaking with hubris tends largely to depend on the degree with which the hearer disagrees with the things said.

We also can be guilty of speaking with hubris without realizing that we are doing so. Much depends on how we learned to communicate.

In my outside the spiritual group, I was paid to "be right." I was the teacher, and I had, as part of my duties, the responsibility to be correct in the things I taught. In that role, my speaking was not "hubris." Even that could be proved as I had resources to be evidence of whether or not that things I taught we true: manuals, law books, test equipment, etc. If I were to fail to prove what I said, then the accusations would be coming my way.

However, once in a while, someone would think I was wrong. My classes was never confrontational, and my students knew that from Day #1. When the disagreement came up, I'd ask the student if he or she wanted to "bet a Coke" on the answer. I didn't even like Coke much, but when they agreed; I got a lot of Cokes. (I even lost once, and my student never let me forget about it.) We'd laugh about it for years.

Anyway, back on topic: I we do not have reliable proof of something we believe is true, we should never speak as if we can. The audience may feel insulted if we do - because the hearer believes something else is true. Hence, the hearer hears only you telling him or her that they are in error. Much depends on how the hearer feels about your ironclad statement of truth.

If we get our conviction of truth from Yahweh when He validates your belief; you have truth. Nobody else was given that validation except you. (That is not to say that God had never given them the same validation previously.)

If we declare our truth as if anyone who disagrees is in error; what we say can be seen as "hubris." Not everyone is as sensitive as others may be, so maybe they won't

Prefacing a statement that allows you to state truth, but leave room for people to question you for evidence, is how we can lessen the number of accusations.

All it takes is a preface like "I have come to believe that.........." Now, you can be questioned without anyone taking offense.

Yes, you know it is true. They do not. They have been taught (by man or their own shallow interpretation) something else. At that point, they can ignore you or ask questions.

1 Peter 3:15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect

Sadly, in other forums, that is when the attacks and insults fly. I think there is no stronger evidence of someone who cannot prove their justification for beliefs than to resort to attacks and insults. I think that shows hubris on their part.

What do you think?

 

[LeeB]

You have said the same thing as I did. What may be added to this is that divine teaching is from God. It is not from us. We only repeat God's words so who is it that people accuse of hubris? Jesus said the same. His words were not his own but from his God and Father. John 14:24 The saints are called the sons of God who are being recreated to be the image of Jesus who was the image of God. Scripture says that no one may bring a charge against God's elect, God justified the elect. Romans 8:33 Isaiah 50:8,9 Psalm 118:6,7 Isaiah 41:10,11
Every idle word men speak they will give account of in the day of judgment, Matthew 12:36 Falsely accusing GODS saints brings judgement. 2 Peter 2:9,10,11,12,13 The people who attack and disrespect GODS saints pay a price. Luke 18:7 2 Thessalonians 1:6,7
If we give an answer for the hope in us and are met with blasphemy then we should quickly end the conversation and never attempt a new one again.

 

[Outcast]

You have said the same thing as I did. What may be added to this is that divine teaching is from God. It is not from us. We only repeat God's words so who is it that people accuse of hubris? Jesus said the same. His words were not his own but from his God and Father. John 14:24 The saints are called the sons of God who are being recreated to be the image of Jesus who was the image of God. Scripture says that no one may bring a charge against God's elect, God justified the elect. Romans 8:33 Isaiah 50:8,9 Psalm 118:6,7 Isaiah 41:10,11
Every idle word men speak they will give account of in the day of judgment, Matthew 12:36 Falsely accusing GODS saints brings judgement. 2 Peter 2:9,10,11,12,13 The people who attack and disrespect GODS saints pay a price. Luke 18:7 2 Thessalonians 1:6,7
If we give an answer for the hope in us and are met with blasphemy then we should quickly end the conversation and never attempt a new one again.

Yes, brother. We repeat God's words. The response we get, I think, is when people see what we say as "our words."

When someone has spent as much time and effort to study and await validation of beliefs from the Spirit of God, those beliefs are now "etched in granite." We can have no doubt in ourselves. I can feel it, too. The difference, for me, is that I have not spent all the effort that you have. I'm still in progress.

Those who see your posts as hubris are those who see you as "speaking with authority." That causes them angst, as they are not yet able to see. With that angst, they will not even look.

I would love to have been a witness on Earth when Yeshua was present. The response when Yeshua spoke was different from posts on a forum.

Lk 4:31–32 And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority.

Mt 8:26–27 Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

Mk 4:40–41 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Mk 1:25–27 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.”

We can have truth that other do not yet have, and some may be blinded to truth to begin with. I don't know who they are, but I do attempt to give them reason to at least consider what I write. If I come across as "someone who speak with authority," their reactions belong to them and not to me. I must remember that the scriptures are who I hold as having authority. If the reader will not accept it, then I must remember that the crowd treated Yeshua the same way.