Strange things come to my mind sometimes.  Today it is the word "stigma."

"In sociological theory, a stigma is an attribute, behavior, or reputation which is socially discrediting in a particular way: it causes an individual to be mentally classified by others in an undesirable, rejected stereotype rather than in an accepted, normal one."   Wikipedia

I think it came to mind because of thinking about how Christians identify with Christ and as a consequence we are stigmatized.  I thought how Paul had said he bore the "stigmata" of Christ, marks in his body.  Paul had suffered physical beatings because of his relationship with Jesus and so he had the physical marks in his body left by these beatings. I don't personally think it was anything strange like spontaneous bleeding in the hands and feet or head or side where Jesus bled on the cross.  I think Paul's wounds  were actual scars from beatings received during his ministry for Christ.

In identifying with Christ, Christians bear a stigma in the sense of bearing His reproach.  If the world hated Him, then they hate us too.  He was stigmatized and so will we be also simply because we are His followers. 

 Sometimes we are stimatized for other things ... not because we are His followers ... but just because the world places a stigma on certain people.

Handicapped people are often stigmatized.  It's a stigma at times to be poor.  In some societies, being born a woman may be enough to be a stigma.  In this world, people sometimes stigmatize us because we have been survivors of abuse or violence.  Rape victims may be stigmatized.  We might be stigmatized because of the size or shape of our body, whether or not we are pretty or handsome, whether or not we are short or tall, young or old.  There are numerous ways in which people stigmatize others. 

Suddenly you are rejected.  Nothing you say is believed, nothing you do is acceptable.  You've been stigmatized.

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Got an opportunity to read this book while traveling last week.  I definitely want to recommend it.  Got me thinking about a lot of things.

Part of progressive sanctification is having oppotunities to identify with Christ in His suffering.  Earlier this week, I had opportunity to identify with Jesus when He came telling the truth but no one believed Him.  What is really aggravating is someone comes telling a lie and exploiting people and they are believed!

Jhn 5:43

I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.

Jhn 8:45

And because I tell [you] the truth, ye believe me not.

 In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping" (2 Peter 2:1-3 NIV).

Now, with this understanding and identity with Jesus that because He told the truth, He wasn't believed, I have had an answer to my prayer of whether or not I could be reviled and revile not again.  Once I grasped the idea of not being believed after having told the truth, I realized the reason there was no point in reviling after having been reviled.  When someone starts telling lies and "mud slinging" (ad hominem arguments) the focus is thrown off the issue.  Might as well stay silent, revile not again, don't try to sling mud back or fight lies with lies, but stay focused on the issues.  At least, that is my summary of what I may have learned this last week.

When I was teaching on the cults I was very concerned for people caught up in a cult and realized a main part of the reason was believing the lies. The prayer I pray for myself and others since that time  is:  "If I have believed a lie, show me the truth."  As Christians we need to have some discernment in the area of separating truth from lies.

Jesus states that the reason they didn't believe Him was that He told the truth.  Wow!   If He had told them a lie, they would have believed Him.  The 2 Peter scripture above says that false prophets will come lying and with the intent to exploit and we will still believe them unless we have learned discernment.  Paul came to warn us about false prophets and found the apalling truth that people would reject him but  would believe the lies of false prophets whose sole purpose was to exploit.

In this book, Dr. Solomon talks about identifying with Jesus in his death and suffering and resurrection.  The area of identification I got the most out of was what Solomon calls the "rejection syndrome."  I struggled with this for a long time myself and can still fall into it at times.  This is a hard area for Christians who have experienced a lot of rejection in life and whose tendency is to want to avoid further rejection at all cost.  This impedes our sanctification because we are going to have to identify with Him in His rejection.

He came unto His own but His own received Him not.

When my father and my mother forsake me, the Lord will lift me up.

He came as a Light into the world but the world loved darkness instead of Light because their deeds were evil.

Over and over, Jesus had to suffer rejection.

Whenever I am feeling rejected, the verse the Lord uses to comfort me is "The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone."  Whenever I repeat that verse I realize my identity with Jesus in His rejection and also that He did, in the end, overcome that rejection by becoming the chief cornerstone for us.

Christians must overcome this rejection syndrome to be able to minister in the areas that God has called us to minister.   The Master was rejected so count on it , we will be too.  The Holy Spirit helps us to overcome our fear of rejection as we identify with Him in His.    Part of our progressive sanctification, even for those of us for whom rejection brings emotional distress, is to experience rejection in our identity with the Lord.

This book has some good diagrams explaining how our progressive sanctification is better understood if we accept the tripartite nature of man.

Hope I have said something that might encourage others to read this book.  The author is Charles R. Solomon.  A copy of this book and other exchanged life books can be ordered from  Cross Life Books

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Here are some links demonstrating how easy it is to exploit the elderly.

1. The Battle for 4949 Swiss  This is a four part series written by reporter Lee Hancock for the Dallas Morning News.  A. Mary Ellen's Will  B. Declinne of a Diva C. Her 'boys' have eye on mansion  D. In Last Days, She clings to home E. Postscript F. Admirers old and new vie for the Mansion

2. Why it is so difficult to protect the elderly : Crime and Little Punishment

3. Lee Hancock Chat Transcript on Elderly Exploitation

4. Warning Signs of Exploitation

5. Tips to reducing your risks

6. Latest Scam can steal your parents by Steve Kroenig

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The sixth edition of this book came out in 1968, the year I was born again.  My Pastor, Bill Hampton, from  Port Washington, Long Island, Reformed, Independent Baptist Church, used it for his New Christians Class!

I wonder how many Pastors would demand that New Christians, seeking membership into their church, would have to sit down and laboriously study an approximate 200 page handbook on Christian doctrine??????  First published in 1936, this book was written by T. C. Hammond and revised and edited by David F. Wright.  The publisher is Inter-Varsity Press.

This isn't just a book of what Christians believe.  It's more than basics like "we believe in the virgen birth,  the deity of Christ, faith apart from works, the Sovereignty of God."  It also teaches the student what others believe i.e.  Protestant Reformers believe this, Catholics believe this , Augustinians (aka Calvinists) believe this, Armenians believe this.  The problem with this view, the problem with that view. Cautions concerning the different views.  It involves critical thinking.

"Critical thinking is the purposeful and reflective judgement about what to believe or what to do in response to observations, experience, verbal or written expressions, or arguments. Critical thinking involves determining the meaning and significance of what is observed or expressed, or, concerning a given inference or argument, determining whether there is adequate justification to accept the conclusion as true. "    Definition of Critical Thinking: Wiki

As a 25 year old babe in Christ and devoured Scripture and really liked my "new Christians class."  It is only in the last few years that I have started to realize, not many new Christians have had the foundation of sound doctrine laid out for them so that they are able to give an answer to everyone who asks for the faith that is in them. Some new Christians don't really know what they believe, they's never "studied to show themselves approved of God a workman that need not be ashamed of his work, rightly dividing the Word of Truth."  Despite commands to know and observe sound doctrine and to learn discernment, they have picked up on the idea that it isn't important. Consequently, new cults are formed, aberrant teachings are taught in church, false teachers are respected and popularized, heresies take root, sound doctrine is compromised and it is all accepted. 

Protestants don't protest any longer.  And this reluctance to protest seems to lead back to a wide separation between the laity and leaders of the church. It seems that Protestant churches are approaching  the same situation that existed with the Roman Catholic Church before the Protestant Reformation.  Church leaders were the only ones who really had the Scripture available to them.  Since they were the ones with the University degrees in Theology, the laity never questioned them.  There was not an open atmosphere to discuss these things.  But, we belived in the priesthood of all believers so there needs to be no separation in our churches between leadership and laity.  We need to hold ourselves responsibly to learn sound doctrine and we need to have open communication among all levels in the church to observe, to experience, to argue, to reflect and decide for ourselves whether or not there is enough evidence to support our beliefs.

Reminder to myself: This would be a good book to open and study once again. 

Thanks to and for  all my Christian brothers and sisters who force me to get into the Word and give an answer for myself.

2Ti 2:15

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

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                    Genesis 3  tells us how sin came into the world as well as God's plan for redemption from sin.  Sin was already present in the universe before God created the world.  I've just read "The Invisible War" by Donald G. Barnhouse in which he traces the activity of Satan from his beginnings as the Angel of Light.  Satan was the first to sin and it is in Genesis 3 where Satan comes into the World and proceeds to tempt Eve.

                    One of my notes from class states that we gloss over how evil Satan is.  I think that sometimes we attribute too much power to Satan and think that he is in a battle with God and has a chance of winning.  This is a false view of Satan as he is not anywhere near possessing the power of God.  God will always win the battle with Satan.

                    And Satan has probably not personally tempted any of us as he is not Omnipresent, nor Omniscient, and, as I just stated, not Omnipotent like God.  Of course he does go back and forth throughout the earth and probably pretty quickly and he does have his own followers that like to torment us as well.  And, the most important thing for me to understand is that he is a whole lot more powerful than I am.  In a battle between me and Satan, he will win.

                    Someone said that when Satan comes knocking at the door, we need to send Jesus to answer it.  James 4:7 tells us to submit to God first and foremost and then, resist the Devil.  As the teacher today pointed out, if we don't submit to God first, resisting the Devil on our own isn't going to make him flee. 

                    When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness He had been submitting to God in prayer and fasting for 40 days.  Satan quoted Scripture to Jesus and Jesus answered him back with Scripture. Of couse, Satan quoted the Scripture out of context.  In Genesis 3, Satan misquoted God.  "Did God really say that you may not eat from any tree in the garden?"  Eve corrected Satan, "No, God didnt say that."  She knew better than that.  But then, Eve added to God's Word.  "God said we must not eat from nor touch the tree in the middle of the garden."

                  God didn't say anything about not touching the tree.  I wonder why Eve felt she had to add the not touching part?  My personal thought is that she was under such strong temptation standing face to face with Satan for the first time and hearing his twisted words.  The temptation must have been incredibly strong.  So maybe she thought to herself if she would just not even touch the tree it would be easier to resist Satan and not eat from the fruit of the tree.  It's what I do when I try in my own power to resist sin.  If I can add all kind of rules and regulations I think I can maybe resist in my own power.

                    I was born with original sin.  It is my nature to sin.  I have the potential to commit the grossest of sins. Like our teacher, I am amazed at how many times I commit the same sin.  I've heard people say they were delivered from a certain sin and would never ever commit that sin again due to having been delivered by the Lord.  Well, I was delivered by the Lord from smoking and didn't smoke for 17 years during which time I thought I would never smoke again.  I underestimated the power of temptation and the the pull of my own flesh toward sin.  One day, during a very stressful period, I smoked one cigarett. "I'll just smoke this one so I can relax,"  I thought to myself.  The next day, I smoked a pack and a half.  "Let him who thinks he stand take heed lest he fall." 

It was several years before I was free again.  And then I was free for a few years and started up again.  And then I smoked and stopped again.  And then someone told me, "Don't EVER smoke again because God will not deliver you the next time."  Whoa!  I went home with such a huge inner battle going on in me.  I was in so much FEAR of falling into smoking again that I was uptight and tense and on guard and without any peace.  Then one day I read in the Psalms that the righteous man falls 7 times and the Lord picks Him up again.  I knew that  was like that verse about forgiving 7 x 70.  It meant that God would always pick me up again, like a Father who watches over his child while the child is learning to walk.  No matter how many times the child falls, the parent picks him up.  I learned that God is not a "three strikes and you're out God" as the woman who was trying to keep me from smoking again had implied.  Today, I'm not smoking and I can't remember how many years it has been since I smoked.  But, I don't know about tomorrow because I know better than to  underestimate how strongly I can be tempted and, most of all, I know myself.  I am the chief of sinners.  My assurance is that I also know God Who always has and always will pick me up again.  He has assured me in His Word that I am being conformed into the likeness of His own Son.  I haven't yet attained that likeness but I will have it when He comes for me.

 I have a propensity toward sin and all because of Adam's sin.  Though Eve was the first to sin in the garden and eat the fruit, the Scripture never says that sin came into the world through Eve.  Eve was the first tempted and the first deceived.  Adam, on the other hand, was not decieved.  Adam deliberately sinned.  He chose the woman over God.  (Don't men still do that today?)  It is a sin to choose anything or any person over God.  In fact Jesus said that if I love my own children or my parents or anyone more than Him then I'm not worthy to be His disciple. If I am honest with myself then I have to confess, Lord, I am not worthy to be Your disciple.  How can any human being be worthy of being His disciple?  Jesus says with man it is impossible but with God all things are possible.

                    In Genesis 3 God provided for me the possibility that I could be His disciple.  He already had a plan for my redemption.  God took animals and the first death came onto the earth.  An innocent animal died and shed its blood to make a covering for Adam and Eve.  God put a curse on Satan and told him that he would bruise the heel of Messiah (the seed of the woman) but that Messiah would bruise Satan's head.  This is God's only plan for my redemption from sin.

                    I became a Christian at age 25.  My life changed so radically that I was at first convinced that I would never sin again.  Of course, I was sinning every day.  It was just that, by comparison to the me before Christ, the me after Christ appeared sinless.  I'll be forever grateful to my Pastor for not allowing that heresy to take hold in me because, within a few months, I knew that I was far from sinless.  I now knew that to lust after someone in my heart was a sin as much as if I had committed adultery.  To feel anger toward someone in my heart was the same as murder. And, guess what, I was witnessing to the Assistant Pastor of a major church who did not believe in the Deity of Christ and had some really heated words with him.  I became angry that the minister of a church didn't believe in the Deity of Christ.  Sometime later, I  ran into him again and I suddenly realized how very good-looking this "creep" was.  I was 25, married and devastated.  I was lusting after this guy.  I had committed adultery in my heart!  If not for the good Biblical discipleship of my Pastor I would have thought that I had lost my salvation.  If not for the good teaching of my Pastor, I could have rationalized that sin in a million different ways and never confessed and sought forgiveness.

                    As the teacher pointed out today, denial of our sin nature cuts us off from all possibility of repentance.  This is true of the Christian.  We must be open about our sin.  We must confess our faults to one another and pray for one another to be overcomers of sin because we will always wage a daily war with our flesh.  We will win that war sometimes but many times we will lose that war.  If I come to the end of the day and think I have not committed sin at some point during the day I can be sure of one thing, I have deceived myself.

                    I deceive my own self when I say, "Oh, that was just a little thing.  It wasn't really a sin."  Or, I deceive myself when I try to rationalize it.  "I have such a terrible back pain.  I have PMS.  I'm just tired."  I deceive myself when I try to set a standard that is lower than God's standard.  Sin is any falling short of the glory of God.  If I lower the bar, then I can reach it and then I can say that I haven't sinned.  Deep in my heart I am really anger but I've covered it so deep in my heart that I have convinced myself that I love everyone, then I don't have to admit that I have sinned.  And, I don't have to realize the fact that if I feel anger in my heart toward another person I have already killed that person in my heart. 

                    I attended LAEL for a brief time.  The teacher at LAEL taught that she had not sinned since she became a Christian.  One of the students said to her, "You are sinning right now because you're lying."   She was lying to us and she was  lying to herself.  She really believed she had not sinned since salvation.  She was lying to (deceiving) her own self as well as other people.  [I John 1:9]  And, she was making God into a liar too by not believing His Word.  There was no place for repentance of this deception until she could come under conviction of the Holy Spirit in regard to this sin. 

                    Here's the bottom line:  If I don't recogize my sin, I can't repent of it.  I'll stand before God trying to blame someone or something else, I'll try to justify my sin, I will try to make a difference between "just little" and "big" (venial and mortal) sins; or I'll set a lower standard on sin and be proud of the fact that I can reach my own standard.

                    And, if I witness to someone who can't recognize their sin, how can they be saved.  We don't need a Savior from sin if we don't sin.

                  Every day we have to do this battle with sin so long as we are here in this flesh and on this earth. I look forward to being in glory and free from this flesh.  Meanwhile, I am grateful that Jesus provides a way of repentance and amazed at His love to continue to renew His mercies to His children on a daily basis.

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