A Christian Source with Politically Incorrect News  

 

 

Home Page  
A detailed look at the past on how this site came into being, and it's purpose
Get the latest content, and news which will be featured
This is where you contact the webmaster for any content in the website: The Other Side

 

Articles

Many Christian articles on a wide range of topics.

 

Messages

Preaching and Teaching the Word of God.  Also real life stories about witnessing and other related topics.

 

News Items

Local and Worldwide news events religious or otherwise which are impacting the church.

 

Information Center

A resource guide of links with descriptions of content from various websites for Christians and Non-Christians alike.

  

Letters

Letters on a wide range of subject matter that do not pertain directly to this website.  All those other letters that do pertain to this site are kept personal and are not posted unless under special circumstances.

 

Topical Search

A collection of links in this site that are listed by topic rather than from new to old.  News Items are not featured in the topical listing.

 

Author Search

A collection of authors contained in this site only.

 

 

 

 

 

   
     

 

 A Letter In Response to “Rocky Balboa”: a “Christian Boxer”?

 

Dear Sir:
 

 You are a little or actually a lot judgmental there brother, we are to be witnesses not judges! Seems as if you are ticked about his [actor Sylvester Stallone’s] faith or belief system, it is not according to yours, but you will say it is the Bible you get yours from. Just remember this, interpretation! What about Psalms 144:1: Blessed be the Lord my Rock who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle. I know some great Christian men who are boxers, I mean if a Christian can be a ditch digger, doctor or lawyer why not a boxer? But, you know I do not have conflict with all your views, I agree with a lot or at least some. Just seems as if you are punching yourself brother.

 

In Reply:


Actually, the Lord Jesus Christ taught His followers to “judge righteous judgment” (Jn. 7:24); and said, “Yea, and why even of yourselves judge ye not what is right?” (Lk. 12:57). Paul the apostle wrote, “I... have judged already” (1 Coir. 5:3); and, “do not ye judge them that are within?” (v.12). Then there is also 1 Cor. 6:4: “set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.” I mention these passages simply to show that there is a time for Christians to judge. What the Lord condemns is hypocritical judgment (Matt. 7:1-5), not all judgment. Every day, Christians are called upon to judge between right and wrong, between true believer and false professor, etc. You yourself, in fact, in writing this letter, have judged that we are wrong regarding this movie!


Sylvester Stallone’s belief system is Roman Catholicism. Roman Catholicism is the very opposite of biblical Christianity. Thus, yes, it is not the same as mine, for the Bible Christian turns to the Bible, the Word of God, as the only rule of faith and practice, whereas the Roman Catholic turns to his “church”, his priest, his sacraments, and all the rest. The two are worlds apart.  To use this verse [Psalm 144:1] to attempt to support the idea that Christians can be boxers, is to distort the very meaning of the text. It cannot in any sense be used to justify indulging in the “blood sport” of boxing for entertainment. David, the author of this psalm, had been raised up by the Lord to be a soldier, fighting the legitimate battles of the Lord’s people Israel; and for the ability to do this, He praises the Lord, knowing that it was He who gave him all that was necessary to be such a good soldier. And in a spiritual sense, all true Christians are taught by the Lord to fight their spiritual foes – sin, Satan, the world, the flesh. For they are in a great spiritual warfare (Eph. 6:11-18). But this verse cannot be distorted to mean that it is fine for Christians, merely for the sake of sport, to beat another man senseless in a boxing ring, causing physical damage and very often brain damage as well. The Bible says, “whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31); and boxing for sport or “pleasure” cannot be done to the glory of God. It does not glorify God in any way whatsoever. It is a violent and dangerous “sport”, which in addition stirs up evil passions in men: such things as anger and hatred.


Men always point to this man, or that man, as a “great Christian”, regardless of what he does with his life, or how he spends his leisure time; but who you think is a “great Christian”, or who I think is a Christian, is utterly irrelevant; all that matters is, Are they Christians according to the Bible? Anyone can make the claim to be a Christian, and millions do these days; but the Bible says that by their fruits you shall know them. A true Christian gives evidence that he is a true Christian, and he does this by his doctrine and his conduct. For a true Christian has been made a “new creature” in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). And this “new creature” produces the evidence that he is a new creature. It’s what the Bible calls “fruit”, or good works. We are not saved by our works, but our works definitely are the evidence that we have been saved by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-10).


There is the world of difference between earning an honest living by, say, digging ditches, or serving as a doctor or a lawyer, and using one’s physical strength to beat a man senseless, to damage the body which the Lord has given him.
 

Shaun Willcock

 

 

web analytics

 Questions and Comments


Independant Baptist Persuasion


Thanks for Visiting Please Come Again!