|
|
| |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
| Christianity -- Talk It Or Walk It? |
|
| |
1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves.
If someone claims to be mother, but has no children; someone will say, "She's not really a mother". If a person claims to be a Hindu (a religion that doesn't eat meat) but eats steak twice a day, someone will say, "That guy's no Hindu".
If someone claims to be prochoice, and stands in front of an abortion clinic every day with a sign that says, "Stop Killing Babies," people will say that he isn't really prochoice. If someone says she is prolife, but has an abortion every year, no one will believe that she is really prolife. If a man says he is patriotic, and every year he protests against Fourth of July Celebrations and he wants American history thrown out of public schools, people will say, "He's not patriotic".
If someone says he is a Christian, and lies, steals, cusses, doesn't believe that Jesus rose from the dead, and is very mean to people; people are reluctant to say that he is not a Christian. And if someone does say, "That man is not a Christian," that person gets condemned for "judging".
Why is it that people are comfortable "judging" everything else about a person, but unwilling to evaluate a person's claim to be a Christian by his/her lifestyle? And why do people who enjoy and regularly participate in non-Christian behaviors and attitudes even want to be considered a Christian? If we claim to be something, shouldn't we make every effort to be what we claim to be -- or else give up the claim? |
|
| To leave a comment or start your own blog: |
 |
or |
 |
Already a member? Login |
|
|
|
|
| Good questions. I know for myself I do my best to practice the Christian principles in ALL areas of my life and not just at church or when out in public. I have learned that actions speek louder than my words. Thank you for your blog. Praying God's blessings upon you♥ |
|
|
| TinaCoen: I like the old question: "If you were arrested for being a Christian would there be enough evidence to convict you?" Like you, I try to show some evidence of my faith in the way I live (and that isn't easy). |
|
|
Donna S |
 |
February 24, 2008 at 8:44am |
|
it is a good question
Like Tina said ( cuz we are so close and have been through so much together)
I try to the best of my ability to practice being a Christian in all areas of my life.
great post Thanks!! Have a Blessed day |
|
|
| Thank you ds13099 & woman of joy. I like what St. Francis said: "Preach the Gospel and if necessary use words." |
|
|
Necia |
|
February 24, 2008 at 9:03am |
|
So true - we should bear fruit. We should not only talk the talk, but walk the walk!
Blessings to you. |
|
|
Just imagine that you are in a court room awaiting a trial. The Judge is God. The prosecutor is Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is the jury.. Now, this case will not be thrown out because of lack of evidence or circumstantial evidence. This case has made it to the Supreme court and a decision has to be made now. This case is about a a lifestyle that is pleasing to The Most High what has been done in this body that represented Him on planet earth. At the end of the trial you will be found guilty or not guilty.
EXAMPLE
HERE are some questions you might here at this trial. MY CHILD. YES FATHER.DO YOU LOVE ME? YES, FATHER I lOVE YOU WITH ALL OF MY HEART. WHY DO YOU ASK ?
THEN IF YOU LOVE ME WHY DON'T YOU KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS AND DO MY WILL. I'VE ASK YOU TO OBEY ME AND KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS AND YOU HAVE BEEN DISOBEDIENT. I SAW YOU WHEN YOU MISTREATED THAT MAN THE OTHER DAY.
I SEE YOU WHEN YOU DON'T PRAY FOR OTHERS WHEN I'VE ASKED YOU TO PRAY.
I'VE WOKE YOU UP SEVERAL TIMES AT NIGHT TO SEEK ME AND YOU IGNORED MY VOICE. SO RIGHT NOW MY CHILD . I FIND YOU GUILTY.. THIS CASE IS CLOSED AND CAN NEVER BE REOPENED AGAIN. VERY SCARY ISN'T . EVERYBODY IN THE BODY OF CHRIST IS NOT GOING TO HEAVEN. LET'S FACE IT. OUR PRAYER IS THAT GOD WOULD TOUCH THEIR HEART AND LIVE A LIFE THT IS PLEASING TO HIM BEFORE JESUS COME BACK . BE BLESSED
|
|
|
LorenDP |
|
February 24, 2008 at 10:35am |
|
Great post Steve. We must put actions to our love....to our faith...to show the world that God is alive |
|
|
Cheryl |
|
February 24, 2008 at 10:47am |
|
| I know Jesus' blood He shed covers my sins, but I also have the desire to not sin and bear fruit. So, as you put it Steve, why would you live a lifestyle that does the opposite of the word of God. Recently I was a part of a blog that addresses many 'lifestyles' and what seems a congregation that believed and worshiped this way openly. I know one sin is not different than another...to God sin is sin. We are all sinners...no not one is righteous. However, I can not pick what sin I want to live with and then think that it is okay. Upon us hearing the truth we are accountable. May I stand in front of God with the cleanest hands that I can and with as much fruit as I can....may we lay these things at His feet when we get home. Great post Steve!~ |
|
|
Necia, blessedmary, LorenDP, Cheryl, & apodemeo:
Some great points. Christianity is a holy lifestyle more than a correct doctrine. |
|
|
Gene |
|
February 24, 2008 at 8:37pm |
|
Good discussion, Steve; but, I disagree with your precept. I think people DO judge. They may not say it or they may address it in another way.
In most of your examples, its an action that is not a temptation (other than the woman who gets pregnant every year). Most of the actions are simple choices that depict hypocrisy (or self-delusion).
There are judgements made by the public on what they consider hypocrisy. They are judgements made within the church - some wrongly performed and some rightly done. If we are judging rightly we need to understand whether the person is trying and failing or if they are in fact being the wolf among the sheep. If that's the case, then the wolf should be politely asked to leave the sheep alone.
Our problem is that we want all to be saved and are not willing to let anyone go. There ARE evil people. We need to recognize that and protect our sheep. |
|
|
| Gene: I think churches and Christians are often not willing to publicly hold up standards of behavior for Christians (although we do privately gossip about people not meeting standards) because we are afraid we will be accused of judging. We don't mind holding people to behavior standards for other things, so why shouldn't Christianity have behavioral standards? |
|
|
| This may seem like an open and shut, but it isn't. Everybody falls short of the perfect standard. Question becomes, how short of that standard must you fall before it can be successfully asserted that you aren't a Christian. Only God sees the heart. Although on the one hand I fully agree with you, to claim Christ one should behave in a Christ-ian way! ~mike |
|
|
| If we esteem (to the best of our knowledge) someone to be a good Christian, haven't we judged that person? |
|
|
If we search our heart (first) Psalm 139:23-24 and ask God to remove anything about us that is not like Him and then pray for each other we won't have time to look at others wrong doing. After all Jesus is our example setter. When people see us, they should see Jesus Christ in us.
Be Blessed |
|
|
Ed |
|
February 25, 2008 at 10:14am |
|
Here's what I think about judgment. When discussing things of the Lord, I reserve the word "Judgment" to only His workings. When we make a commitment to trust the Lord, we are judged "saved" right there and then. Then the Lord can judge our actions in accordance with his precepts and intervene with blessings or chastising as only He can do.
Then, there is the "Great White Throne Judgment" whereby the Lord judges all who have committed to Christ. Only Christ can see into the hearts and minds and make this kind of determination.
Lastly, we humans tend to be very judgmental about everything, including whether or not people should call themselves "Christian" when their actions belie the claim. When we do this, we are placing ourselves in a lofty position that is reserved for only Christ. We can, however, have an opinion about the actions of people who claim to be Christians. In fact, it's biblical to do this. We encouraged to help others in their faith, show the way to restoration and avoid causing our brothers to stumble. (When you think about it, the whole New Testament is about how to be a better follower of Christ.) Where we get into trouble with everyone (even the non-churched) is when we cast our opinions in a "judgmental" way, if you catch my drift.
There are some wonderful comments above. For me, I actually think that it's better to work on my own faults and weaknesses and to "press on towards the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Phil 3:14). I'm not one to claim that "I've arrived" and I don't expect others to make that claim either. But...if others need some encouragement along the way, I'll deny casting "judgments" and offer my hand. |
|
|
Amen Ed, "we are encouraged to help others in their faith,...." |
|
|
Thank you every one for the blog and comments. The Scripture tels us to obey the Lord's commandments, so we must have a lifestyle. It mustn't be an obedience of legalistic Christ-ian but The Holy Spirit accomplishing The Word of God in our life. I am asked to preach with words but also asked to live my tellings. The Lord said: at the end I'll tell some to go out off from me, saying to them: I have been hungry and you haven't given me to eat, I've been thirsty and you haven't given me to drink,.... So we must talk and walk! Muslims tell me that I'm not a true Christian because I tell them that I don't believe that Qur'an comes from God and that Muhammed hasn't been sent by The Eternal God of Heaven, they answer me that only Roman Catholics are real christians because they believe that Qur'an is the Word of God perfect. Many people are conviced by The Holy Spirit after having seen my lifestyle. I'm not perfect (we'll be perfect when we arrive to Heaven, because we fall sometimes), but I do all that is possible to obey. God bless all of you. |
|
|
| So, Kw. How do we as believers get to know God's language? And how do we help other's get to know Jesus? |
|
|
Steve good post brother. Hey I even agree. :)
....but you know such posting will never move a BB across the floor of our world. The should of / could of / and supposed of, can not get to the soul of mankind.
All the above post are correct in my opinion. Just good ole plain wise thinkin. But there is just one tiny little unseen principle just under the surface effecting all that we actually do.
Only that in which we know we react to. If we do not know a language, we do not react to it, though others who understand the language will react around us. We do not react to strangers the same way we react to people we know. Nor to we react the same to posters we disagree with the same way we would to a poster we agree with. This is a hidden secret law in operation.
We must first "Know" and "understand" the level or grade of thinking that we desire to abide on.
This is why God starts us off as children with instructors and teachers, then eventually lets us fly with the Holy Spirit directly without any aid of man's thinking or concepts.
Point. We Live our lives reacting to what we really Know. We know sin. (sorry but true) We sin because it is the only language we have been taught. It is taught in many clever ways that no short post of mine can explain. I can just tell you that every battle of sin, will only bring a secret relationship with it's instructor along side of it. Like attracts like kind in you mind.
Christians know sin, not righteousness. They speak with sinners in their minds and thus have sinners at their tables. I will tell this by the Holy Spirit, but it is a language you must know before you can possibly understand it.
Know Jesus and Jesus will appear before your eye. Know sin and sin will appear.
Mat 6:22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
If you see sin all around you, you might want to cast it out of you. To the pure all things are pure.
I hope you can walk up this mountain one day my friend. It is possible, but it is rather steep.
Tit 1:15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.
Peace brothers and sisters................
Kw.
|
|
|
Steve Good question.
God is Love. His language is Love. He loves and does Good to all the diversified kinds of people.
Love walks with everyman and never leaves them, though they make their beds in Hell.( arrangements of the thoughts)
Love is God. The WORD is Love expressed.
Understand God's realm Love expresses exceeding above all that a man can imagine. Then we can SEE with the Eye and Faith of God.
We witness by securing the individual with the Love of God toward them. I speak of a Love that endures with them forever. Love provides a path that enables all things to work toward them for Good eventually. Love always has the last Will and Word.
Fear has never saved anybody. It just gathers them together in some corner. Muslims / Christians and just about every other religion has a flip or fry small wording at the bottom of the page. Turn or burn. Love me or else.
God is none of these above hook line messages.
God says I love you, I will walk with you. We will fellowship together. Now or later. My Love will never fail you. My Love will set you free. My Love of burning fire will eventually melt your heart.
Men on this planet are terrified of God. They cover themselves up with anything they can find to hide from this imaged God that man preaches. Fear has never worked, nor can it. It does not win the heart. Fear only can manipulate the mind.
Tell the world God loves them. But not with the Love man knows. But with a Love that has never been known by most preachers. Trust me. You will get their attention. Sin roots it self in separation from God. No man can be separated from God's Love. It is impossible. Love does not leave a man or woman or child just because they leave earth by human death. It will remain with them forever. It will provide for them forever.
Not all people will end up in the same level within God's House. To some the consuming fire that God is and seeded his children with is ...well to say simply is just a bit to much for the moment.
They will have to bide their moment at a distance. Though not separated. They just can't handle the presence of their maker in the mental arrangement that they have taken hold of within themselves. There will nevertheless be a path for all to endure by until they are ready to let go of that which holds them from the divine presence of God. In time all will eventually just come to the terms of understanding that they were always their worst enemy. Sin (spiritual doubt) is just not good for the environment that they dwell within.
Kw |
|
|
More Posts from 2 m Steve Simms
|
|
|
|
|
|
back to top
