TWO FINGERS TO THE RIGHT
by
Donald K. Drake
What is really important? Politics? Job Security? Home? Vacations? Salary? A new car? The college your child attends? Which version of the Bible you use? The clothing you wear?
Although many of these things may be significant and must be cared for in the process of daily living, none of them is really of important in the light of eternity. What we do about many things may be a reflection on our relationship to God, but putting undue stress on them will have no ultimate impact on the life beyond.
Unfortunately, the twentieth century has seen the church take a strong step in the direction of putting a large emphasis on the mechanics of church polity and personal separation. Church polity and personal separation are both important, and how we feel about each is a reflection of our relationship with Jesus Christ.
In the seventeenth century the Russian Orthodox Church faced a major crisis. For hundreds of years the priests had made the sign of the cross finishing with a right to left motion with two fingers. The church’s leadership decided that a left to right motion with three fingers would be more effective. People actually died in the process of solving the problem of whether the sign of the cross would be made with three fingers to the left or two fingers to the right.
Today people are ready to make issues out of procedures and practices not nearly as closely related to the actual worship of the church. We must be about the business of God and stop trying to make new business decisions for Him.
In every time period there are issues that are pertinent to that particular era. Some are more spiritual than others, but each individual and group must determine what it is that God really cares about.
We may wind up dividing over using two fingers to the right. That is sad. God may have never cared about making the sign in the first place, and then those who claim His name make an issue of something so insignificant as the world watches, laughs, and goes to a Christless eternity.
There are things that God must consider to be very important for us to do. He has given us commands to be followed. Whatever He says should be done must be at the top of our agenda.
There are those around who do not believe this. They have relegated the Word of God to insignificance while elevating the thoughts of man to a higher plain. They try to make logic and reason more important than "Thus saith the Lord." This is wrong and dangerous.
Is it not just as dangerous to elevate good concepts and practices to the level of the Word of God? People take things that are derived from Biblical concepts and make them equal to the clear precepts of Scripture. Many times we go way beyond that, and make tradition of our church or fellowship the same as the Lord's commands.
A number of years ago a group of believers asked to use a room in our place for a meeting in which they would be able to share some concerns about their group. I stood in the back and heard them discuss the fact that people in their movement were not greeting one another with a holy kiss and many ladies were not wearing a cap on their heads. These were not issues within my fellowship of believers, but they were major to these people. Both of the issues had a Scriptural foundation although my perception would be that they did not have a Scriptural mandate. They were similar to two fingers to the right.
Any issue over which godly, Bible believing Christians disagree ought to be in the category of two fingers to the right. We all have the ministry and illumination of the Holy Spirit. Godly people should come to agreement on those things which are right and vital.
There are those within our society who would make God the designer of a democratic, capitalistic system such as the United States of America. I love this country and I love the system established, but God has laid down principles which are more basic than the system.
Submission to leadership. Obedience to the laws. Praying for all who are over us. These are some of the things which must be practiced and adhered to. Do not make the mistake that leads you to the place of considering the system of government so important that you will violate what God has laid down for you in order to protect the system.
There are those who will decide the clothing a woman should wear, the way she should live her life, and a great number of things about her. God lays down principles that relate to modesty and decorum. Many tend to become more prescriptive than the Word of God indicates should be the case. Generally speaking those who do this will base a great deal on the misinterpretation of one verse of the Bible.
For instance many who feel that a woman should not wear slacks will base the conclusion on the words of Deuteronomy 22:5. In that passage Moses is talking about a woman not wearing man's apparel or a man wearing women's apparel for the purposes of sexual deception. People extract that verse from the passage and make it say something that it doesn't say, and very seldom even look at the rest of the passage and apply the things that are in those verses.
It is vital that the Christian walk in a different way from those of this world. The people of this world should look at us and say that they do not understand our lifestyle. There is nothing wrong in being different. In fact, it is right. It is vital that in being different it is because God is telling us to do what we do rather than to just fit the traditions of our community.
A "two fingers to the right" philosophy will make problems about things that are not problems and not worry at all that the process is turning off those who are all around us. It is not our responsibility to make the world like us. We should not do dumb things to make them not like us. There will be plenty not to like when we just do what God wants us to do. It is our responsibility to make sure that what they don't like is the "mark" of being a Christian
Everybody likes to be liked. We don't want to be out of step with the people who are around us, but the Bible is clear about the fact that we march to a different beat and we respond to different stimuli. Modesty will look different, but that does not mean that it has to be out of style or dowdy. People of the world may feel that modest clothing is dowdy, but I think it is important to feel good about your self, and that happens when you wear clothing that is stylish and of adequate quality without having to change it every season and spend excessive amounts on it. It is important to be both modest in dress and expenditures.
How about you? Which way is your hand going? How many fingers are you using? When did you last consult God about what you should be doing? He really cares what you are and what you do. Do you think He cares if your hand is going right or left with two or three fingers? I don't think so. Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
The End.
by
Donald K. Drake
What is really important? Politics? Job Security? Home? Vacations? Salary? A new car? The college your child attends? Which version of the Bible you use? The clothing you wear?
Although many of these things may be significant and must be cared for in the process of daily living, none of them is really of important in the light of eternity. What we do about many things may be a reflection on our relationship to God, but putting undue stress on them will have no ultimate impact on the life beyond.
Unfortunately, the twentieth century has seen the church take a strong step in the direction of putting a large emphasis on the mechanics of church polity and personal separation. Church polity and personal separation are both important, and how we feel about each is a reflection of our relationship with Jesus Christ.
In the seventeenth century the Russian Orthodox Church faced a major crisis. For hundreds of years the priests had made the sign of the cross finishing with a right to left motion with two fingers. The church’s leadership decided that a left to right motion with three fingers would be more effective. People actually died in the process of solving the problem of whether the sign of the cross would be made with three fingers to the left or two fingers to the right.
Today people are ready to make issues out of procedures and practices not nearly as closely related to the actual worship of the church. We must be about the business of God and stop trying to make new business decisions for Him.
In every time period there are issues that are pertinent to that particular era. Some are more spiritual than others, but each individual and group must determine what it is that God really cares about.
We may wind up dividing over using two fingers to the right. That is sad. God may have never cared about making the sign in the first place, and then those who claim His name make an issue of something so insignificant as the world watches, laughs, and goes to a Christless eternity.
There are things that God must consider to be very important for us to do. He has given us commands to be followed. Whatever He says should be done must be at the top of our agenda.
There are those around who do not believe this. They have relegated the Word of God to insignificance while elevating the thoughts of man to a higher plain. They try to make logic and reason more important than "Thus saith the Lord." This is wrong and dangerous.
Is it not just as dangerous to elevate good concepts and practices to the level of the Word of God? People take things that are derived from Biblical concepts and make them equal to the clear precepts of Scripture. Many times we go way beyond that, and make tradition of our church or fellowship the same as the Lord's commands.
A number of years ago a group of believers asked to use a room in our place for a meeting in which they would be able to share some concerns about their group. I stood in the back and heard them discuss the fact that people in their movement were not greeting one another with a holy kiss and many ladies were not wearing a cap on their heads. These were not issues within my fellowship of believers, but they were major to these people. Both of the issues had a Scriptural foundation although my perception would be that they did not have a Scriptural mandate. They were similar to two fingers to the right.
Any issue over which godly, Bible believing Christians disagree ought to be in the category of two fingers to the right. We all have the ministry and illumination of the Holy Spirit. Godly people should come to agreement on those things which are right and vital.
There are those within our society who would make God the designer of a democratic, capitalistic system such as the United States of America. I love this country and I love the system established, but God has laid down principles which are more basic than the system.
Submission to leadership. Obedience to the laws. Praying for all who are over us. These are some of the things which must be practiced and adhered to. Do not make the mistake that leads you to the place of considering the system of government so important that you will violate what God has laid down for you in order to protect the system.
There are those who will decide the clothing a woman should wear, the way she should live her life, and a great number of things about her. God lays down principles that relate to modesty and decorum. Many tend to become more prescriptive than the Word of God indicates should be the case. Generally speaking those who do this will base a great deal on the misinterpretation of one verse of the Bible.
For instance many who feel that a woman should not wear slacks will base the conclusion on the words of Deuteronomy 22:5. In that passage Moses is talking about a woman not wearing man's apparel or a man wearing women's apparel for the purposes of sexual deception. People extract that verse from the passage and make it say something that it doesn't say, and very seldom even look at the rest of the passage and apply the things that are in those verses.
It is vital that the Christian walk in a different way from those of this world. The people of this world should look at us and say that they do not understand our lifestyle. There is nothing wrong in being different. In fact, it is right. It is vital that in being different it is because God is telling us to do what we do rather than to just fit the traditions of our community.
A "two fingers to the right" philosophy will make problems about things that are not problems and not worry at all that the process is turning off those who are all around us. It is not our responsibility to make the world like us. We should not do dumb things to make them not like us. There will be plenty not to like when we just do what God wants us to do. It is our responsibility to make sure that what they don't like is the "mark" of being a Christian
Everybody likes to be liked. We don't want to be out of step with the people who are around us, but the Bible is clear about the fact that we march to a different beat and we respond to different stimuli. Modesty will look different, but that does not mean that it has to be out of style or dowdy. People of the world may feel that modest clothing is dowdy, but I think it is important to feel good about your self, and that happens when you wear clothing that is stylish and of adequate quality without having to change it every season and spend excessive amounts on it. It is important to be both modest in dress and expenditures.
How about you? Which way is your hand going? How many fingers are you using? When did you last consult God about what you should be doing? He really cares what you are and what you do. Do you think He cares if your hand is going right or left with two or three fingers? I don't think so. Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
The End.
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