Quote from Aineo “I would say that each situation you encounter needs to be handled on a case-by-case basis”
“I think what is imperative is our actions must match our words so we don’t appear hypocritical or self-righteous.” unquote
To witch I say AMEN BROTHER AMEN!
I believe far to many Christians have a holier than thou attitude when it comes to explaining why they do or do not do things the world does. If we take a careful examination of our relationship to God then we can see why we do/do not do the things that life in this world offers.
When you first accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour were you sin free?
And yet Christ embraced us with His nail pierced hands and called us sons/daughters.
Our walk with Christ started with faith and will end with faith, faith that He is trustworthy and loyal to keep the things He has promised.
If, when we speak to unbelievers and some believers, we try to explain our actions or lack of actions in a satisfactory manner to their flesh we will miss it every time. We must understand that God is Spirit, and we can only worship Him in Spirit.
When we share the Gospel / The Good News / The Almost Too Good To Be True News, we do it because we have the love of Christ in us that wants “ALL PEOPLE” to be with us in the presence of our loving Father God. It seems that far too often we allow the worlds way of thinking, “Be First” Be Strong” “Be Right” and so on and so forth to effect how we represent God.
Allow me to speak/write foolishness a moment; why don’t we cut ourselves with razor blades and other sharp instruments? Hey if they are sharp enough you don’t even feel the cut. And one answers, are you stupid? you could kill yourself! you could get infection from the wound, and you need your blood to live. And yet at the same time we smoke “different things” all with negative effects on our bodies and our relationship to God. Grass, Pot, Erb or whatever you call it seems ok to some people, how is said, “it helps me get in touch with the real me” brothers and sisters I can tell you from my life, for many years I smoked “grass” I thought and even said that when I become an old man sitting in a wheel chair I would still have a joint hanging from my mouth. I couldn’t see anything wrong with it.
Heck even the laws of the lands were getting more lenient on possession charges.
And then I became a born again Christian. I would sip my beer as I read my Bible, careful not to consume more then two or three. Sometimes I would slip up and drink enough when I wasn’t reading my Bible, that I would catch a buzz. Then once someone said “Yea right, a Christian” look at him with his bible in one hand and a beer in the other. At that point I understood that I am a representative of Christ, and if the things I am doing or saying cause others to smirk towards Christians and Christ whom we represent then I needed to be a better representative. And as far as pot went, I thought, hey I am at home, I don’t smoke before church, I couldn’t find anything against it in the Bible in my early walk, so I figured, when God tells me to stop then I’ll stop.
As I sat down after work, I opened my Bible and started reading, God’s Words set a fire within me, as I read I rolled a joint and started tokin, then I noticed, I wasn’t reading anymore. The “getting in touch with the real you” had become priority in my life instead of God. And I knew that if smoking took me away from the Spiritual presence of God then one had to go.
Old habits are sometimes hard to break, especially when every one around you is saying they are OK. Hey Man every body does it, what is your problem? And of course with the separation of old habits there is a separation of old friends. “Birds of a feather flock together” I am flying with a different flock now.
Our Father God has placed a new heart of flesh within us, he has written His laws of love upon our hearts. He has not given us a spirit of fear but a spirit of strength and victory.
When you see a woman who wears skin tight clothing does it effect your mind? When you drink to sooth the tension of the day does it effect your reasoning?
Again I would quote from
Aineo “I would say that each situation you encounter needs to be handled on a case-by-case basis”
“I think what is imperative is our actions must match our words so we don’t appear hypocritical or self-righteous.”
The Bible tells us that if we do not do the good we know to do then we have sinned.
How is this? Is it possible that we in so “not doing” are rejecting the light that God has blessed us with?
Our relationship with God and Christ our Saviour is through the Holy Spirit revealed, we are drawn by the Holy Spirit, we are taught by the Holy Spirit, and God’s written word is explained to us in its Spiritual meaning by the Holy Spirit. We worship in truth and in Spirit.
When we have the opportunity to share with others we should stay with the Spirit, when we try to explain spiritual matters on a fleshy level we will continually be frustrated. When those same people who use to say why do you drink so much now say, o- come on one drink want hurt. It is clear to me they are not interested in me or my God, they are interested in making themselves feel better one way or the other.
So when I am asked why I do or do not do something my answer is always the same, I act and speak to the best of my ability as God has revealed unto me so far.
How does the world say it? “Been there, done that, got the t-shirt” and my walk with God is more exciting, more soothing, more of a high, then anything this world that he has created has to offer. So in summing everything up, why do I not do things that the world defines as good or acceptable?
Because nothing and nobody will be given a chance, by me, to wound the love relationship that God and I are working on.
I hope this helps someone, God loves you
Your Brother in Christ ,
Jerry-The Berlin Bear