I believe divine discernment is needed to know when to turn the other cheek as opposed to being the devil's doormat! We are told that we wrestle not with flesh and blood, nor are we to cast our Pearl's before swine as even swine can be possessed by the enemy! The whole premise of spiritual warfare and taking of territory from the enemy is also a Godly principle! We are not to yield physical swords, but swords of the spirit! Aquiessining to all manner of violence for violence sake is never taught! Seemingly abbrogating personal rights situationally is what is intended by the command to turn the other cheek! What say you??? TR I agree … if we do share the Gospel and people reject it … just shake the dust off your feet and move on … God doesn’t expect us to have fellowship with those who mock and ridicule our faith and neither does He want us to become a doormat to them. I’ve encountered a small handful of people who didn’t want the Good News … one was a cashier at Walmart. She took the Bible Tract and said I don’t want this I’m a Jehovah Witness and was going to toss it in the trash can under the counter and I said oh then let me have that back and extended my hand … because someone else will certainly treasure this Good News. Her jaw dropped … she expected me to argue with her and carry but I remained silent. I didn’t even wish her a good day because the Bible says not to. II John 2:10 Even for believers who do not receive Godly council and continue in blatant sin are to be shunned by the church! The Amish practice “shunning”! TR I think we need to be careful. I work with a street ministry feeding the homeless and sharing the gospel. I have seen some very hostile people come up and practically scream at us. One woman screamed at us and was overtly hostile and potentially violent. We just showed love and prayed for her after she left. The next time we saw her, she looked embarrassed and walked right by. We prayed again. The next time after that, she asked for prayer and we prayed together. God never gives up on us and the unsaved. Don't be so quick to give up on others, either. Romans 5:8 New King James Version 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 New King James Version 4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Geri, I think it was good that you told her "then let me have that back . . . because someone else will certainly treasure this Good News." She probably was surprised to know that others would welcome the tract telling them of God's good news. It will surely make her think. That is wonderful you made some positive progress with that homeless person. I normally didn’t meet up with the same hostile people again … only one other time though with that Walmart cashier and I just made sure she didn’t ring up my items. I found another cashier that was sweet and accepted the Bible tract with joy. So I think in that case I made the right decision. One of my roommates my freshmen year in college was telling me her parents were Amish and victims of shunning… they weren’t married and her mom was pregnant at the time. So they moved away and started up a farm in Minnesota …. Her parents eventually got saved. She was telling me a funny story about her brother. He also attended the same college and was taking marketing classes. There was this rich southern belle in his class who drove an expensive car and would wear diamond jewelry and fancy clothes. So many fellas were trying to get her attention but her eyes were on her plain dressed down to earth brother. When she asked him what his dream was … he said I plan on taking over the family business … it wasn’t just any farm though … it was a pig farm. :mdrmdr: She caved … love does conquer all … it was a real life Green Acres romance. I’m looking forward to meeting up with her in heaven and catching up with things. Well, if it is meant to be, God will bring it about. He is so wonderful, that way. ❤️ At times our math teaches 70 x 7! Then again, we only have 2 cheeks! TR Turning the other cheek is a multifaceted endeavor! Not haphazard but a deliberate act. A show of love on behalf of our first love as well as an spiritual act of defiance challenging of evil directed towards us personally! Whether we shake dust off our sandals and walk away increasing torments of hell or suffer for Christ as he suffered, as both are valid responses! Point being, there is time to stand our ground, stand in the gap and times to stand against evil! TR
If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
