These are excellent insights. Thanks for sharing them.

Joseph

I've been helped by Gordon Fee's teaching on Philemon:
"While it is true that the New Testament does not in fact advocate social reform, it does something even better.
1. By making a Christian out of the master, it effectually emancipates the slave. Paul does not in fact suggest that Philemon make Onesimus a freedman, but by treating him as a brother, he insured the end of the system. V. 16 – "No longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother."
2. By making a Christian of the slave, it made him a freedman indeed (cf. 1 Cor 7:21-24).

The gospel makes a hateful, bigoted, murderous Jew (Paul), a rich Gentile (Philemon)and a robbing runaway slave (Onesimus)brothers in God's family. A secular social reform program can't compare to that."

Thank you for your answer. I have asked for guidance and accept all things that are brought my way as His direction. I have not yet been asked to nor have cercumstances forced a change in my activities.

I fully understand what you are saying about accepting His way. I also know that He leads you to where He needs you. So, I guess I will continue to pray and make myself open and available to His cause. Until then, I feel that I should stay where I am until I get orders from HQ.

Yours In Christ,

D Randall

Thank you for your comments. If you consider the balance of the many writings I have on the walk of a true disciple you will find that I have repeatedly commented that I am not suggesting that anyone should do the "specific" things I have done, such as quit a job, or cancel health insurance, etc.. What I do teach is that ALL are to be led of the Spirit in their life decisions.

Without question, when men choose their own path in this world they will choose one that is comfortable to the flesh. When they surrender to the leading of the Spirit God will lead them into many trials, difficulties and afflictions.

What a majority of Christians have failed to do in this hour is to surrender their lives to Christ to go wherever He leads and do whatever He directs. That such a surrender will ALWAYS lead to afflictions is evident by Christ describing such as life as "taking up your cross daily and following Him." There is a high cost to full surrender, which is why He exhorted all who would be disciples to count the cost first.

Taking the entire counsel of the New Testament into view, one must conclude that a turning away from the world, a dispossessing oneself of many material things, was very common among the saints.

The early church in Jerusalem were selling property and sharing all things freely. The apostles left houses, lands, boats, and businesses behind. Christ told those who were following Him that "no man can be My disciple unless he gives up all he possesses."

We read of Christ's words to the rich young ruler to give away ALL he had to the poor and then to take up his cross and follow Christ. We read of Christ's words to the Scribe that he would not be promised a home as the birds who had nests and the foxes who had holes.

The examples go on and on. We read that Christ "emptied Himself." John the Baptist said, "I must decrease." The pattern of all who would walk after the Spirit of God is that they must not love the world, for "the love of the world and the things in it is enmity with the Father."

Although there is such a predominant pattern in the life of those who would be Christ's disciples, each individual is still to be led of the Spirit in these actions. He will instruct His people in all their ways if they will truly surrender to His leading.

Most, out of fear of what He might require of them, never ask. This was my own condition for decades until 1999 when I counted the cost of discipleship and accepted it. There will be a cost for ALL who follow Christ, and Christ specifically puts the focus on possessions and relationships.

May you be blessed with peace and understanding in these days.

Another solid teaching, brother. I concur with what what you teach so perhaps I am putting too fine a point on things. My objection is based not on your interpretation of the text but rather your application. You seem to be teaching that the only acceptable path of a true disciple will look identical to your own — i.e. living alone with few personal attachments, no possessions and few responsibilities other than to supply your own most basic necessities. I would not venture to argue that this path is what God has chosen for you but I would challenge the notion that somehow this can be extrapolated to every other person that desires to follow Messiah fully.

Thus, in your application of the text, I believe you err by equating asceticism with righteousness (as the monastic movement did in the past). In order to redeem all of creation, God needs His bondservants in every sphere of society so that we might be a witness to a lost world. What kind of witness do we have when we are completely separate from the world God is seeking to save?

You wrote:

"I guess I am a sinner for not foresaking my wife, my children, my job, my friends, my church, my childrens school, and countless other relationships I have in my life… Until then, I guess I will continue sinning by remaining where I am and be a husband, father and friend."

Your questions sound more like a rebuttal of the things Christ has spoken regarding the cost of discipleship than they do a sincere questing for answers.

To the natural man it sounds very righteous to live a good life, devoted to wife, children, church, and various "good" programs. This is indeed how the majority of Christians live their lives.

"There is a way that seems RIGHT unto a man, but the end thereof is death."

Christ has not said that the disciple must forsake all personal relationships in the sense you are suggesting, which would be abandonment. What He has stated is that to be a disciple one must ever live to do the will of the Father.

When a man submits to the rule of the Spirit of God he will find that the Spirit will begin leading him in ways that those around him find difficult. Those who do not share the same commitment to following God will object, sometimes strenuously.

Christ declared to those considering being His disciples that if they committed to doing the will of the Father with the same obedience seen in Him, that a man's enemies would be found among his own family.

It is not necessary for a man to abandon his wife and children. If a man commits to following the Father in all things he will often find that it is his family members who will abandon him. Not all desire to give up a pursuit of the world, and the comfortable life of pleasure they have been living.

At such a point the man must decide whether he will obey God, or please his family. Christ has told us what a disciple must choose.

God will not lead a man to a path that is detrimental to his family. He will choose for all of them a course that promotes spiritual growth. A spiritual being cannot arise unless the fleshly creature is reduced. In following Christ there is an exchange of selfish living for selfless living. Without question, many resist such a change radically.

The most favorable path for spiritual development is not the same path chosen by those seeking a comfortable natural existence. There is an "afflicted path" that leads to spiritual life.

And please remember "Few there are who find it."

Thank you again for a very thoughtful insight.

I pray to be led by His will and not my own but I have yet to hear a clear direction. I have many thoughts, but they do not feel like a direction; something outside of myself and not tainted by my own guilt or faulty reasoning.

I led a good life, albeit sinful, in God's eyes. I guess I am a sinner for not foresaking my wife, my children, my job, my friends, my church, my childrens school, and countless other relationships I have in my life. Nothing has occured to me that I might do for His will that might outweigh the current "good" I am doing with my life. I would like to think that if a voice, clearly not my own, told me to do something for Him that I would obey and leave all to accomplish the task. But I have not heard or been asked for such a mission. Until then, I guess I will continue sinning by remaining where I am and be a husband, father and friend.

My guestion is this: Am I truely a sinner for not leaving for His way of suffering and remaining with my current circumstance? Or, should I dive headlong into this without real authentic direction from Him?

Or, should I take comfort in that I have not been directed as a sign that my work is where I am?

Yours in Christ,

D Randall