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DIR Return to: Christian Theology
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#Post#: 3248--------------------------------------------------
Christ's Ways
By: Olde Tymer Date: January 17, 2019, 10:25 pm
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[font=arial]There's been times during my 20+ years of internet
forum activity when I've encountered people wanting to know what
they're supposed to do now that they decided to become a
Christian.
A mega Baptist church that I attended back in the decade of the
1970's had a discipleship program that incorporated an outreach
booklet called "The Four Spiritual Laws", authored in 1952 by
Campus Crusade for Christ founder Dr. Bill Bright.
Those guidelines are helpful as far as they go, but they're
pretty elementary and in my opinion inadequate for taking
Christ's believing followers to infinity and beyond, so to
speak.
Some years ago, just for the fun of it, I set out compiling a
home-spun catalogue of Christ's instructions from the new
Testament that apply to all his followers regardless of
denominational affiliation. In time I realized that his
instructions, accompanied by a little commentary, would make a
pretty good devotional.
I chose to start in the book of Acts because that's pretty much
where Christ's apostles began telling his believing followers
what to do in accord with the Lord's instructions as per Matt
28:19-20.
Should someone prefer a better quality devotional than mine;
there's a very popular one available online and in print called
"Our Daily Bread" that's been around for a long time. It's not
only instructional; but also quite entertaining, and it's
available in children's versions too.
Buen Camino
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#Post#: 3249--------------------------------------------------
Re: Christ's Ways
By: Olde Tymer Date: January 17, 2019, 10:28 pm
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[font=arial]Acts 15:20a . . Abstain from food tainted by idols,
Here's the text of a common Christian prayer.
"Bless us, Oh Lord, and these thy gifts which we are about to
receive from thy bounty through Christ, Our Lord. Amen."
That prayer credits the providence of God for the nourishment on
the table. Well; in the old Roman world, they sometimes credited
the providence of a pagan deity for their nourishment. According
to 1Cor 10:25-31; this is one of those don't ask situations;
we'll get to that.
Acts 15:20b . . Abstain from promiscuity
Promiscuity typically refers to things like adultery, incest,
shacking up, one night stands, sleeping around, etc.
Acts 15:20c . . Abstain from the meat of strangled animals.
Strangulation is a slow, inhumane way to die. If you know that
the meat you're being served came from an animal that was choked
to death, consider it food fit only for barbarians. We want
nothing to do with animal abuse.
Acts 15:20d . . Abstain from blood
In other words: Christ's followers are forbidden to use blood as
a nourishing beverage.
There are cultures that poke holes in cows' necks in order to
drink blood straight out of the living animal utilizing its own
blood pressure like a tap to fill their cups; a rather ghastly
thirst that might be okay for Edward Cullen's family but
certainly not for us.
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#Post#: 3288--------------------------------------------------
Re: Christ's Ways
By: Olde Tymer Date: January 19, 2019, 4:49 pm
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[font=arial]Rom 6:11 . . Count yourselves dead to sin but alive
to God in Christ Jesus.
"dead to sin" in this case doesn't mean Christ's sheep can't,
won't, and/or don't sin (cf. 1John 1:8-10). It means that sin
can no longer give God cause to slam them with the sum of all
fears.
Rom 5:12-21 explains, in so many words; that Christ's believing
followers are accounted as having gone to the cross with him
similar to accounting them as having tasted the forbidden fruit
with Adam. This principle is at the very core of Christianity's
plan of salvation so it's important to get it.
In a nutshell: When Jesus went to the cross; he died for the
sins of the world from first to last. That being the case, then
when his believing followers went to the cross with him, they
died for their sins from first to last. As a result: when the
books are opened as per Rev 20:11-15, there will be nothing on
record with which to charge them.
FYI: Rom 6:11 is an order, and Christ's believing followers are
expected to obey it.
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#Post#: 3316--------------------------------------------------
Re: Christ's Ways
By: Olde Tymer Date: January 21, 2019, 12:56 pm
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[font=arial]Rom 6:12-13 . . Do not let sin reign in your mortal
body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts
of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather
offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from
death to life; and offer the parts of your body to Him as
instruments of righteousness.
If I'm understanding John 5:24-25 correctly; Jesus spoke of a
non-physical resurrection that his believing followers undergo
in this life-- now --before they pass on.
It's a pretty good resurrection too because it doesn't
rejuvenate ordinary life, rather; it's a step up to eternal
life-- a superior kind of life that brings with it not only
immortality, but also a change from human nature to divine
nature. (2Pet 1:4)
Anyway, the point is: Christ's non-physically resurrected
followers really should make an effort to walk as insiders who
live in heaven rather than outsiders on their way to the other
place. Political theorists like Niccolò Machiavelli would not
recommend Christ's way of life of course because in this world,
situation ethics are better; viz: the end justifies the means so
long as the end, no matter how obtained, benefits the so-called
greater good.
Well; to my knowledge, Machiavellian thinking doesn't fly in
heaven so it's best for those "brought from death to life" to
avoid it.
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#Post#: 3345--------------------------------------------------
Re: Christ's Ways
By: Olde Tymer Date: January 22, 2019, 8:03 pm
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[font=arial]Rom 12:1 . . Present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
The Greek word for "sacrifice" technically refers to a victim;
but it's not always applied that way. For example speaking well
of God, doing good, and sharing are legitimate sacrifices. (Heb
13:15-16)
The sacrifice required by Rom 12:1 is a living sacrifice rather
than deceased so Christ's followers don't have to martyr
themselves in order to fulfill it; but their bodies do have to
be holy in order to be accepted; which means avoiding things
that defile their bodies like indecency, promiscuity, adultery,
and LGBT stuff.
The Bible calls those avoidances "reasonable". In other words:
Is it asking too much of Christ's followers to keep themselves
pure?
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#Post#: 3371--------------------------------------------------
Re: Christ's Ways
By: Olde Tymer Date: January 23, 2019, 7:03 pm
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[font=arial]Rom 12:2 . . And be not conformed to this world: but
be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may
prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of
God.
Christianity, when taken seriously, can't help but radically
change the way, the what, and the how we think about things in
this life and in the next.
Personal Bible reading is a good place to begin with Rom 12:2;
however, the will of God isn't meant to be self-taught; it's
meant to be instructed by teachers empowered by God for that
specific purpose. (Rom 12:4-8, 1Cor 12:1-30)
"Are all teachers?" (1Cor 12:29)
No, not all are teachers; which of course precludes
self-teaching. Only some are teachers and the rest of Christ's
believing followers are supposed to be students.
"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some,
evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting
of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of
the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith"
(Eph 4:11-13)
According to that passage, the goal of gifted teaching is unity.
Well, when Christians come together with differing
perspectives-- debating and engaging in perpetual bull sessions
that never get to the bottom of anything --we're in danger of
becoming divided and taking sides as intolerant bigots instead
of unified. Like it's said: Too many cooks spoil the soup.
Sermons and Sunday school classes are Christianity's traditional
sources of teaching. But there's radio programs too, e.g. Thru
The Bible with Dr. J.Vernon McGee. These days with radio,
television, and the internet; gifted teaching is wide-spread and
readily available.
In centuries gone past, it was necessary to go where the
teachers were in order to hear them speak. Nowadays, they come
to speak right where we are by means of electronic gadgetry.
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#Post#: 3404--------------------------------------------------
Re: Christ's Ways
By: Olde Tymer Date: January 24, 2019, 8:28 pm
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[font=arial]Rom 12:3 . . I say, through the grace given unto me,
to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more
highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according
as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
"soberly" is from the Greek word sophroneo (so-fron-eh'-o) which
means to be of sound mind, i.e. sane, sensible.
A popular saying going around is this: "You can be anything".
No, you can't be anything, and it's unreasonable to think
otherwise. Know your limits and stay within them; don't be
setting impossible goals for yourself; especially in matters of
faith and practice.
"Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these
members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who
are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the
others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given
us.
. . . If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in
proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it
is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him
encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him
give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently;
if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully." (Rom 12:4-8)
Some church managers have a really bad habit of recruiting
people to teach Sunday school who don't have a gift for it in
accordance with Rom 12:3-8, 1Cor 12:1-30, and Eph 4:7-12. Well;
if teaching is not your spiritual specialty; then the sensible
thing to do is turn them down. Stay within your limits like Rom
12:3 says, and don't let those managers pressure you into
submission by making you feel guilty for refusing. Nobody gains
points with Christ by going off-reservation.
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#Post#: 3495--------------------------------------------------
Re: Christ's Ways
By: Olde Tymer Date: January 27, 2019, 9:32 pm
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[font=arial]Rom 12:6 . . If God has given you the ability to
prophesy, speak out when you have faith that God is speaking
through you.
The koiné Greek word for "prophesy" in that verse is from
propheteia (prof ay-ti'-ah) which encompasses predictions.
Predicting was common in the early church; for example Agabus at
Acts 11:27-28 and Acts 21:10-11.
Hunches don't count as God speaking through you. You have to
really know it. Don't ask me how to really know it because I
don't have the gift; nor do I want it. There was quite a bit
more acceptance of paranormal activity back in Paul's day; but
in our day, prophecy mongers are written off as kooks.
NOTE: One of my dad's favorite ways to annoy mom was to ask her
how she didn't know if maybe God was speaking through him. Well,
dad didn't know; that's what counts. He didn't "have faith that
God is speaking through you" so mom could justifiably ignore
him, like she always did anyway.
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#Post#: 3527--------------------------------------------------
Re: Christ's Ways
By: Olde Tymer Date: January 28, 2019, 7:56 pm
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[font=arial]Rom 12:7a . . If your gift is that of serving
others, serve them well.
"serving well" implies serving conscientiously and
whole-heartedly rather than half-baked, grudging, and/or hit and
miss.
One of my brothers has been a construction foreman for decades
and one of his perpetual complaints is that he never knows from
one day to the next whether some of the men he hires on jobs
will show up. In other words: they aren't reliable-- he can't
count on them.
What I'm saying is: if you're thinking about becoming helpful in
some way, don't do it unless you're willing to commit to the
long haul because people need to know that they can depend on
you to stay the course.
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#Post#: 3552--------------------------------------------------
Re: Christ's Ways
By: Olde Tymer Date: January 29, 2019, 7:05 pm
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[font=arial]Rom 12:7b . . If you are a teacher, do a good job of
teaching.
I had a Sunday school teacher once who worked as a maintenance
man in a public swimming facility. One Saturday he had to work
very late repairing some equipment at the pool and had no time
to prepare his lesson plan for Sunday morning so he just threw
something together. It stunk; and my wife and I got nothing out
of it.
In contrast, I once knew a pastor who took all week long to
prepare his Sunday morning sermons rather than put it off till
Saturday night. Now there was a guy who knew what it means to do
a good job of teaching; viz: a conscientious job.
NOTE: Internet forums have given many of Christ's obscure
followers a convenient venue for sharing their time-won
knowledge and experience with a worldwide audience. For the
world's sake, I highly recommend making an effort to compose
legible posts; neatly arranged, sensible, and tidy.
Shouting with king-size bold letters, scribbly italics, lack of
adequate paragraphing, twitter spelling, unnecessary emogies,
horrible grammar, and a confusing mixture of fonts, sizes, and
colors, makes for tiresome clutter and annoying forum graffiti
that leave a bad impression.
I rather suspect that some people regard forums as a canvas for
painting their comments instead of composing them. Well; that
might be okay for outsiders, they can be as messy as they want
because it doesn't matter. But for those of us who honestly
believe ourselves to be representing God's son; it's
unacceptable.
"Conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ."
(Phil 1:27)
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