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Is it always sinful to be cunning?

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The cunning Fox.
The cunning snake.
"Cunning"gets a bad rap. Yet I am wondering when it is quite legitimate to be a cunning Christian.
Depends on intent I hear you say. Cunning in order to gain power and wealth is clearly sinful. In my opinion anyway. Cunning and ambition often go together in life.
What about a cunning Christian trying recruit new Christians? Using subtle sales tactics.
 
Meaning

Adjective. Someone who is cunning has the ability to achieve things in a clever way, often by deceiving other people. These disturbed kids can be cunning. Synonyms: ingenious, subtle, imaginative, shrewd More Synonyms of cunning.
 
Billy Graham
He had a cool delivery. Style is clearly important in a sermon. Not just substance.
Could you say there was cunning used in order to save souls?
 
No, I have to say not. There is nothing about the Lord's Gospel message that is not truth so deception is never needed. Deception is the enemy's primary trait.
 
It's not, I am the way, the cunning and the life...it is, I am the way, the truth, and the Life.
 
Communicating in a soft indirect way is almost deception.
"The person died under no suspicious circumstances." Meaning they suicided.
 
The cunning Fox.
The cunning snake.
"Cunning"gets a bad rap. Yet I am wondering when it is quite legitimate to be a cunning Christian.
Depends on intent I hear you say. Cunning in order to gain power and wealth is clearly sinful. In my opinion anyway. Cunning and ambition often go together in life.
What about a cunning Christian trying recruit new Christians? Using subtle sales tactics.
This reminded me of the parable Jesus told about a shrewd manager found in Luke 16. I have never fully understood this parable for it seems Jesus is promoting lying or at least deception which is in direct conflict with the commandments, "Thou shalt not steal" and "Thou shalt not bear false witness."

Here's the parable from Luke 16 NKJV.
He also said to His disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’ “Then the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.’ “So he called every one of his master’s debtors to him, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ And he said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ So he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light. “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own? “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”
 
This reminded me of the parable Jesus told about a shrewd manager found in Luke 16. I have never fully understood this parable for it seems Jesus is promoting lying or at least deception which is in direct conflict with the commandments, "Thou shalt not steal" and "Thou shalt not bear false witness."

Here's the parable from Luke 16 NKJV.
He also said to His disciples: “There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and an accusation was brought to him that this man was wasting his goods. So he called him and said to him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.’ “Then the steward said within himself, ‘What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I cannot dig; I am ashamed to beg. I have resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.’ “So he called every one of his master’s debtors to him, and said to the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ And he said, ‘A hundred measures of oil.’ So he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.’ Then he said to another, ‘And how much do you owe?’ So he said, ‘A hundred measures of wheat.’ And he said to him, ‘Take your bill, and write eighty.’ So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light. “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by unrighteous mammon, that when you fail, they may receive you into an everlasting home. He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much. Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own? “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

But shrewdness did not require deception. That's a different thing altogether than cunning.
 
Matthew 10:16 I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.

This is me. I'm innocent and shrewd all wrapped in one. Take it or leave it.
 
We should be as crafty as the serpent in the garden, but working for God instead. That is where Jesus makes the distinction "innocent as doves". We are not trying to deceive people, but we do battle with the devil who is "the serpent" in the garden.
 
we live in a fallen world. LovethroughDove quoted one verse that loops thru my mind, on a regular basis. To be a follower of Jesus is -not- to be docile, blindly obedient, etc...

and how could it be, really? I don't go for 'cunning,' per se , and I think part of the problem with the established church ('visible church,' I think is how the Calvinists put it...made up of wheat and tares alike, amen) is that many 'cunning' individuals can get to the top...

and then not only do they turn out to be morally bankrupt, so do their churches, megachurches, admiring followers, etc. ugh. happens. false teachers, false prophets, wolves in sheep's clothing, etc.

so...as for 'cunning...' I go for advice that has been given to me many times over the past years, and that I am only now truly receiving and absorbing and acting upon: 'play the hand you're dealt.'

we all have different positions in the world. we all play a somewhat different role in The body of Christ. one would be well advised to use God-given resources, talents, intelligence, connections, etc. to keep on "...fighting the good fight...," while avoiding snares, when possible.

personally...and I hate saying this, I do...right now, for my position in society, etc., part of 'play the hand you're dealt' has actually meant -avoiding- church. it is what it is, I'm afraid. :)
 
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