Jehovah's Witnesses Straight Talk - Forum/Blog

John.9:15 Again therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he received his sight. He said to them, "He put mud on my eyes, I washed, and I see." 9:16 Some therefore of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, because he doesn't keep the Sabbath." Others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" There was division among them.

When reading this account as Christian's we wonder how could these teachers been so harden in not giving glory to God's good works through Christ? In fact, we all do make ourselves the exception thinking there is no way I would have acted like one of these self-righteous Pharisee's in questioning where this man's healing came from, but are we so certain?

Matt.7:3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but don't consider the beam that is in your own eye?
7:4 Or how will you tell your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye;' and behold, the beam is in your own eye?
7:5 You hypocrite! First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother's eye.

James 4:5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously"?

Religious influence is very powerful this community was a religious community a person acceptance in it, that is, to make a living, associated with friends and family came by way of upholding the beliefs of the community. When the teachers said something it was law, and one dare not disagree with it, or they may will be put out of society unable to associate with family and friend, and conduct a business or work! With that thought in mind perhaps we would have been struck by fear and went along with the Pharisee's interrogation of this man and his family, keeping our mouths shut so we would not be next, hum?

Proverbs 29:25 The fear of man proves to be a snare, but whoever puts his trust in Yahweh is kept safe.

The legal mind is a mind that first imputes evil towards the person being interrogated, it assumes there is a wickedness, in this case that Christ was apostate, hence, a sinner, and it was the job of these teachers to protect society from his influence. This is not love, which believes all things and hopes all things, now is it? Subsequently, we must be honest do we have a legal mind, which first imputes evil towards others, than we verify and perhaps believe them,and even at some point give our trust to them as a Christian's?

Luke 9:46 There arose an argument among them about which of them was the greatest. 9:47 Jesus, perceiving the reasoning of their hearts, took a little child, and set him by his side, 9:48 and said to them, "Whoever receives this little child in my name receives me. Whoever receives me receives him who sent me. For whoever is least among you all, this one will be great."

Well, don't feel alone, because that is one-hundred percent of all fleshly thinking of our world, or we will be taken advantage of, and/or be used. We all fall short of God's glory, this truth is good to know, why? Because truth start with us. Yes, we have all interrogated others, even those called Christian's that we are to love like Christ loved us. We might will have been found in the camp of those opposing the Christ just as some of Christ own apostles did at times when overcome by their fear in fleshly thinking.

Luke 6:45 The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings out that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.

Luke 11:4 Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'"

We must as Christian's sober up to righteousness, which mean we must get a proper evaluation of what our sinful flesh is, and what the mind of Christ is? We must understand both have vastly different laws governing them. The fleshly mind has laws of sin governing it, which mean it has a mind that first imputes evil, that is , distrust, as the fleshly mind of these Pharisee's did here. Than we have the mind of Christ which is actually the mind of God, given to Christ as a gift of Holy Spirit which imputes love. Love does not impute evil, it imputes good, and hopes the best in us. This is the mind God judges us with, good and not evil.

James 1:14 But each one is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed. 1:15 Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin; and the sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death.
1:16 Don't be deceived, my beloved brothers. 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, nor turning shadow.
1:18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures. 1:19 So, then, my beloved brothers, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger; 1:20 for the anger of man doesn't produce the righteousness of God.

So what is the point? The point is stop taking ourselves so seriously when pronouncing judgment upon others by using the scriptures because if we do that we are in a fleshly mind, which is so powerful most Christian's don't even know they have one? They assume by the fleshly mind that their judgments our righteous and good, just as these Pharisee's thought they were doing a sacred service in interrogating the man healed, and his parents. Yes, they were so convinces of this that they would have died for the so called truth!

Later they interrogate Christ, thinking they are upholding the integrity of God's word. At last they declare a righteous man a sinner, they called him evil, and that he had a demon. In other words, they never had enough sense to realize they were judging by sins laws from a fleshly mind dead to God and Christ! We all interrogate with suspicion, we all impute evil first for that is the sinful fleshes mind, but do we continue building a case, word, by word, hoping to convict the person of grave sins? Do we have enough understanding of our fallen condition to temper our natural inclination not to be quick to judge?

James3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, don't boast and don't lie against the truth.
3:15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic. 3:16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition are, there is confusion and every evil deed. 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 3:18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Not one of these legal minded Pharisee's could have thought they were sinning against God, in fact, they may be sinning against God's Holy Spirit. Are we so certain of our judgments when Christ stated eternal life would come to his sheep by a simple act of kindness, and not judgment? Yes, the sheep imputed good to Christ brothers, while the goats could do no good towards Christ brothers because like the Pharisee's who would not do any good towards Christ because of their fleshly legal mind judgments prevented them legally from kindness, in helping someone they judged as evil, so goes the fleshly thinking of the goats.

Matt. 25:32 Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
25:33 He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 25:34 Then the King will tell those on his right hand, 'Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 25:35 for I was hungry, and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in. 25:36 I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to me.' 25:37 "Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry, and feed you; or thirsty, and give you a drink?
25:38 When did we see you as a stranger, and take you in; or naked, and clothe you? 25:39 When did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?' 25:40 "The King will answer them, 'Most certainly I tell you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers{The word for "brothers" here may be also correctly translated "brothers and sisters" or "siblings."}, you did it to me.' 25:41 Then he will say also to those on the left hand, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels; 25:42 for I was hungry, and you didn't give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink; 25:43 I was a stranger, and you didn't take me in; naked, and you didn't clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn't visit me.' 25:44 "Then they will also answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and didn't help you?' 25:45 "Then he will answer them, saying, 'Most certainly I tell you, inasmuch as you didn't do it to one of the least of these, you didn't do it to me.' 25:46 These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

See also: www.nu-truth.com