The world-wide Anglican Communion has been skating on thin ice for decades now, skirting disaster only by an infinitely creative arrangement of compromises. Now, with the Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops coming in just a few weeks, a group of 300 conservative Anglican bishops is meeting in Jerusalem. Their meeting will make history, and may well define the ultimate breakup of global Anglicanism.
The Global Anglican Future Conference [GAFCON] featured an address by Dr. Peter Akinola, Archbishop of Nigeria, on Sunday evening. Archbishop Akinola has emerged as one of the most courageous and theologically committed leaders of worldwide Anglicanism.
In his address, delivered as something of a keynote for the event, Archbishop Akinola declared that "a sizable part of the Communion is in error and not a few are apostate." This gets to the heart of The Anglican dilemma. The issues now separating liberals and conservatives within the global Anglican Communion are no longer matters on which compromise can be reached. To the contrary, the doctrinal and theological explosions connected to the issues of human sexuality and biblical authority have distilled the fundamental issues down to what is considered non-negotiable by both sides. Conservatives are unwilling to surrender biblical authority and the liberals are unwilling to surrender their determination to normalize homosexuality and other liberal causes. In reality, the division has already happened - all that remains is the final form of the division.
As Archbishop Akinola lamented, doctrinal "revisionists" have attempted to create a new religion in the place of historic biblical Christianity. In his words: "Clearly the bedrock of the revisionist perspective is the humanist, rather than theological approach. This is the crux of the problem: they are going in the opposite direction from what Biblical orthodoxy demands, and with such a mindset, a meeting-point with those who are labeled conservatives – who have chosen to stand where the Bible stands, becomes a very remote possibility."
As Ruth Gledhill of The Times [London] reported, Archbishop Akinola expressed frustration that Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams had arranged the upcoming Lambeth Conference in such a way that dealing with the fundamental issues would be virtually impossible. "Rejecting all entreaties, Lambeth Palace chose not to be bothered about that which troubles us; decided to stick to its own plans and to erect the walls of the 2008 Lambeth Conference on the shaky and unsafe foundations of our brokenness," he said.
Meanwhile, Archbishop Peter Jensen of the Australian archdiocese of Sydney described the Anglican breakup as tragic. Nevertheless, Dr. Jensen insisted that the issue of truth was more important than the imperative of unity. "We're not dealing with the secular world here, we are dealing with the Christian church, and the Christian church has a constitution which is the Bible," he said [see coverage in The Age [Melbourne].
In his address, Archbishop Akinola described how many Anglican believers around the world, especially in Africa, view the liberals in Western churches [see The Times]:
"Having survived the inhuman physical slavery of the 19th century, the political slavery called colonialism of the 20th century, the developing world economic enslavement, we cannot, we dare not, allow ourselves and the millions we represent to be kept in a religious and spiritual dungeon." Continue >>
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star2, I figure this is just planting seeds.
All in God's timing. There are things that He is convicting me about now, that 3 months ago I was perfectly fine with. So I know how God works sometimes.
Prophet - God revealed to me that what his problem is is that He hasn't dealt with him about the issue.
star,
Hebrews 10:26
"For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins...
Amen wbmoore.
thanks Star2.
I am praying. and God keeps me coming back doing what I"m doing. At one point, in a different series of posts, God had me quit. This time, He has me responding. *shrug* I just provide clarification for Feet. God willing, he will be moved by the Holy Spirit to remove the scales from his eyes/heart and recognize and accept God's truth, grace, and love.
wbmoore, believer, Prophet
I know you all and others are going nowhere with feetxxxl. I think the problem is is that God isn't dealing with him about his sin yet. When someone has a sin issue in his/her life God doesn't necessarily work in the person's life for repentance when others think He ought to. God has a time when He will deal with him about this issue of homosexuality and his need to surrender it to God so that God can set him free from it. Maybe you need to ask God how to minister to him. You'll see more success because you are praying exactly the will of God and you'll know exactly what God wants you to do. Any way, be patient, and seek God in what He would have you do.
wb, totally agree with you on the vital importance of repentance in the life of the believer and non-believer alike.
On the surrender issue, I believe that is a process that we'll not see completed until we go on to glory, but I do believe a person who has had a genuine conversion experience will also come to a place in their relationship with the Lord where they realize if they are to truly become the Christ-like person God wants them to be in order for God to use them to their fullest for His glory that will require them to be surrendered to the Lordship of Christ and they will make the decision to begin that process. Because as you said, and I believe rightfully so, surrender is a daily choice by choice decision as to who will be Lord of every area of our life.
" but could there be however the exception of the person who is caught up in a sinful lifestyle or sin and wrestling with God in a final attempt to either prove that God does not condemn their lifestyle or sin or that they cannot change or they just don't get it with regards to the sin or sinful lifestyle they are caught up in and yet God as their heavenly Father continues to discipline them.. "
Wow. what a question!
I think we are saved when we change from the known sins in our lives and surrender to God, accepting Christ as our savior.
However, I think that we ARE often unknowingly sinful. But as we mature in our faith in Christ, God works in us to show us what He wants us to surrender to Him. I KNOW we might not want to accept that we have to give up a sin and whle we trust in Christ for salvation, we will search the scriptures looking for a way to justify our behavior.
But once we see the scripture that tells us to change, we need to surrender - or begin the process of surrender. I have had times when I had to pray for the desire to change what God said I needed to change. Eventually, that sin went away.
But what I think most Christians miss is the attitude of selfishness we have. As long as we continue to focus on the sins, we will keep fighting them down, and other (previously addressed) sins will pop back up.
We miss the true freedom that comes with faith in Christ. It IS surrender of self. We are to die with Christ on the cross. What rights do the dead have? None. We are to be new creations. What sins do infant babies commit? None, they know no better and inherently trust us implicitly.
I think we miss out on peace and other blessings that God wants to bestow on us because of our willful sinful attitudes. We do not want to accept the fact that GOD is in control. We do not WANT the Lordship of Christ in our lives. And so we suffer.
I am not sure if I could honestly say that Christ has full Lordship in my life, but I am constantly trying to surrender more and more to Him. But even so, I think the focus is off. It seems to me that as long as I am focusing on the little things, I am missing the big ME that needs to be surrendered. I have surrendered my life to Christ. I am HIS. What I own is HIS. What I will have is HIS. But I am beginning to believe I need to focus on Christ and surrendering my attitudes and rights to Him.
Actually, I think I have to surrender even more, but this is a learning process I am currently in, so I dont know what the more is yet. I think I am missing something in the image of the cross that prevents me from understanding and accepting my true position in Christ. From my readings, I belive once I come to that understanding, I will be even more content and unworried and obedient.
Believer wrote:
"I totally agree that someone who continues to willfully sin or practice a sinful lifestyle who shows no remorse or guilt has never made a genuine profession of faith in Christ,"
Scripture says that Godly sorrow leads to repentance. It helps us become who God wants us to be.
2 Corinthians 7:8-10
8 Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret itâ
prophet & wb, I totally agree that someone who continues to willfully sin or practice a sinful lifestyle who shows no remorse or guilt has never made a genuine profession of faith in Christ, but could there be however the exception of the person who is caught up in a sinful lifestyle or sin and wrestling with God in a final attempt to either prove that God does not condemn their lifestyle or sin or that they cannot change or they just don't get it with regards to the sin or sinful lifestyle they are caught up in and yet God as their heavenly Father continues to discipline them. I'm talking about for lack of a better term the miserable Christian who is not experiencing the peace or joy of their salvation as a result of this struggle. I know this may be different but early on in my Chrisitian life I struggled with the Lordship issue, it wasn't that I didn't want to surrender I just didn't get it and as a result I was miserable and not experiencing the peace and joy of my salvation, but once I did choose to surrender to the Lordship of Christ that all changed. If I'm not clear in what I'm trying to say let me know.
Prophet,
Good catch. I must have been almost asleep when I read his post. Sorry I didn't catch it.
Feet, I know of no one with faith in Christ who continues to do what God said not to do without agreeing with God that it is sin and working to change.
feet,
You said "i didnt know you've had so mmuch fellowship with gay believers." I never have, because there is no such thing. If they were believers then they would know they were sinnning, if they are gay then they don't believe the Word of God. It's acutally quites simple.
Ther may be gay religious people, but they are not believers or Christians. I hope that answers your question.
feet wrote:
"i didnt know you've had so mmuch fellowship with gay believers. you said that homosexuals dont bond in the same spirit as heterosexuals. i am assuming that this understanding contributes to your believing it is a sin. could you please explain the difference and if it has anything to do with what is written romans1"
Speaking from my own perspective (I have never been a man in a long term homosexual relationship, although I have had homosexual experiences as teen) and speaking in general, the friendship bond between two men seems different than between a man and woman. Both men seem much more independent than a man and woman. A Christian man and woman often seem to have well defined roles (although not always). Non-Christian couples seem to have difficulty as they force roles upon themselves and each other - this is true of both homosexual couples and heterosexual couples. Its much more common for a man to show a woman tenderness than a man to show a man the same (although it does of course happen). Often it seems like one or both of the men is trying too hard.
But speaking Biblically, I'd have to say the main difference is God defined marriage in Genesis and Jesus re-iterated it in Mark 10:6-10
6 But at the beginning of creation God "made them male and female." 7 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, 8 and the two will become one flesh." So they are no longer two, but one. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.
Also, God defined homosexual sex as sin in the Old and New Testament, and homosexual desire as sin in Romans 1, and elsewhere in the Bible. As I posted earlier, Jesus called us to not live sexually immoral lives and to not sin. I try to take that seriously.
For me, the Bible is the final word on any discussion or disagreement I have. I have times when I held a position strongly and someone showed me, in context, that the Bible taught something different or I read it during my devotion times. If the Bible says something different than what I think, I will try to find all verses dealing with that subject and then read them in context to come up with a more clear picture of that subject. But there have been times when I had to change the way I think or act because the Bible clearly showed I was not in alignment with God.
That's why I asked earlier, "if you think something is good and God said it was bad, who is right?" And "if you think something is bad and God said it was good, who is right?". I've had to change my position on things before - sometimes in the middle of a disagreement or argument.
the Bible is the measure for life, not the other way around. God is bigger than us, He created us and everything around us. He gets to set the rules. He decides what is best for us and what is not good for us. So when He gives a warning, I try to heed it.
i didnt know you've had so mmuch fellowship with gay believers. you said that homosexuals dont bond in the same spirit as heterosexuals. i am assuming that this understanding contributes to your believing it is a sin. could you please explain the difference and if it has anything to do with what is written romans1