As a member

The proving would be good if the very young converts would complete Sunday School after they repent.  In the very conservative churches, it is customary for the converts to attend worship services instead of going to Sunday School.  Then there are a few churches that make Sunday School mandatory for converts and those young converts grow exponentially better then those who plainly go to worship services.  These churches try to enforce holiness into these very young lives and it only causes grief and turmoil.  Yet the provings are old and archaic in fashion where the elder only asks questions and incites fear into the lives of these young converts.  The love of God should be infused into their lives instead of fear.

Now, I believe in a hope of heaven and it is a blessed hope (which is a full confidence and assurance) to get there.  Why would anyone in these churches, who complete a full life of fearful servitude and doing all the works required as laid out by the elders, and still fear heaven at their end of life.  There are even elders who fear their eternal destiny.  Could this be that they have never had a personal relationship with Jesus?  Our works will NOT save us, period.  As Jesus said, we should love the Lord with our whole heart, mind, and soul (Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27).  Jesus cast out fear according to the Bible in 1 John 4:18 with perfect love.  We can have boldness in the day of judgment and not fear (1 John 4:17).  Sure staying close to the Word of God and following Jesus example is important for every believer, but there is the positive reward of knowing you will go to heaven in the end.

I look at 5.b below and am confused how this doctrine can be true if Christ can not forgive sins in the future.  There is not one reference in the Bible that precisely says only past sins can be forgiven.  But there is the reference that says where sin did abound grace did much more abound (Romans 5:20).  So, God is in the business to love sinners and forgive sins.  And importantly, he wants us to live free of sin as he is Holy.  This grace is speaking of favor and kindness much like forgiveness.  Romans 6:1 is speaking of patterns of sinning.  There is the false doctrine that Roman Catholics, and others, believe in and that is sinning and confessing, sinning and confessing, etc.  True Christian churches do not adhere to that doctrine.

Next 5.c is false in thinking that a born again believer does not sin and should not have to continue sinning.  Every human being should not have to sin.  Yet in the most perfect setting, our first parents sinned because Satan was a crafty foe who deceived them.  So likewise even in this day and time with Grace we still sin.  This is a fallen world and humans though as Holy as you can get, will still sin.  This false doctrine indicates that there are some elders and lay members who went through all their converted life without sinning and yet they are deceived by believing a lie that they only have a hope of heaven.  This is beyond reasoning and must be rooted out of these churches.

Then looking at 5.e we see that the elders lower the standard of what really is sin or is not sin.  So, we classify faults and failings as not sinning.  Try explaining that to me who someone had faults and failings in life and his wife left him because of them.  Oh she isn’t sinning, but I did.  This is as radical as it gets.

What is a sin unto death as in 5.f?  if a death sin is so important shouldn’t they be listed out to clearly understand what they are?  Then looking at 5.i.  and the term grievous sin is made.  What is that?  These grievous sins should be listed if they have to exercise the discipline of the ban.

For the new child of God

A lot of self-righteous works as listed below are not absolutely necessary to become a child of God.  To having faith in the death, shed blood, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the only foundation to build upon.  The rest are like catechism for a new believer to take steps to gain salvation.  Sure God wants us to be Holy as he is Holy, but just as the natural growth of a baby progresses over time, so does a child of God.  They take baby steps and soon walk like a man (1 Corinthians 13:11).  

To be a fit temple for the Holy Spirit require simple humility.  These conservative elders promote works of the church which are works of man.  Where is the scriptural requirement to make a covenant with God in baptismal waters?  So long as baptism takes place in the name of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.  The church should be holy and a new believer can grow spiritually, too.

The memorandum is a letter to all the churches, but it never should supersede God’s word.  Too much judgment is given by the elders in this document.  That is what these conservative elders want.  They want fearful control over the members.  A church grows when love is abundant.