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Date Posted: 10:54:37 01/09/02 Wed
Author: Jim
Subject: Phillipians 2:18
In reply to: rsqarchive 's message, "January 2001" on 10:32:30 01/09/02 Wed

Author: Jim
Subject: Phillipians 2:18

I would advise loyal Chicago UBF members to use care when using Philippians 2:18 to defend Samuel Lee. Paul says, "But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice." Does Paul mean that
preaching Christ covers over a multitude of sins? No. "Love covers over a multitude of sins." (1 Peter 4:8) Paul chooses not to condemn Christians who don't like him and feel envy and rivalry toward him because they are preaching Christ, even though it is out of selfish ambition. Does this mean that the ends justify the means every time just because someone preaches Christ? No. Suppose a professor abuses one wife until she runs away, then marries again and abuses his second wife until she runs away. Should he be
excused because he fed sheep the whole time? Suppose a pastor exerted his control over a woman to basically force her to have an abortion and previously ordered other woman to do the same? Should he be excused
because he founded a student ministry which preaches Christ? What level of sin and corruption are you willing to tolerate just because Christ is being preached? Did Paul never rebuke and deal with corrupt people just because they preached Christ?
Ask yourself, "Will God judge the fact that I preached Christ or will God judge my heart?" "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7)

Also ask yourself, were those who left UBF only the lazy and cowardly who just couldn't do that "feeding sheep" thing? Hardly. Many of them were sheep-feeding heroes and heroines. They preached Christ with all their hearts, but they saw something missing from the hearts of their leaders and coworkers, so they left.

Finally remember that our witness of Christ is not just something that comes out of our mouths. Our lives and the impression that we leave on the watching world is also our "preaching Christ." Divisions in a church are a negative witness to the world, but don't
use that as an excuse to squelch much needed reform. Efforts to reform, just by their nature, will cause conflicts and some degree of division. But in the end, reform will only strengthen UBF's preaching of Christ, not just in words but in deed before the eyes of a watching world. On the other hand, exposes on Channel 2 and Channel 5, negative articles in student newspapers, and the impression that
we are a "cult" are all a negative witness for Christ. We choose to call these incidents "persecution" by those who misunderstand us, but we have to realize that these "persecutions" happened to address real wrongs done by the Chicago UBF leader. So remember that even as we preach Christ with our mouths, the injustices and corruption that we excuse based on Phillipians
2:18 are doing just the opposite of preaching Christ.

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  • Abortions again -- multiple, 10:56:12 01/09/02 Wed
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