Christ's Law

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● 1Cor 10:31 . . So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the
glory of God.

One of the meanings of the Greek word for glory is "honor" which in this case can
be defined as conducting one's self in a manner that's thoughtful of the principles
and moral values of someone admired and/or held in high esteem; for example:

"Be followers of God, as beloved children". (Eph 5:1)
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● Rom 12:8a . . If your gift is to encourage others, then do so.

Developing children benefit from encouragement in a big way. Thoughtless grown
ups can destroy a young child's fragile spirit by criticizing them all the time and
never once giving them an "attaboy" or a single vote of confidence.

A very charming example of this was acted out in an old movie wherein Spencer
Tracey played Thomas Edison. In a scene, he tasked a young boy with carrying his
freshly completed prototype of an electric light bulb upstairs to the lab for testing.
The boy stumbled on the stairs, and the bulb was ruined.

So Tracey made another and tasked the same boy with taking it upstairs again.
Tracy's assistants protested that the boy dropped one bulb already; but Tracey
handed him the precious prototype and said: He won't drop this one. And the boy
didn't because Tracey believed in that kid.

A fitting word spoken at just the right moment can really beef up somebody's
resolve to meet life head on. If you're good at that sort of thing, then watch for
opportunities to do so. It has to be honest though because leaving people with a
false impression of themselves is all the same as treachery, and sets them up for
disappointment.

"Whoever flatters his neighbor is spreading a net for his feet." (Prov 29:5)
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● Rom 12:8b . . If you have money, share it generously.

"generously" is translated from a Greek word basically meaning simplicity, which
can be construed as innocence and/or naivete. In other words; sharing one's wealth
without expecting reciprocity and/or gaining an advantage. To the pragmatic mind,
that kind of generosity is a poor investment, i.e. it's like throwing money out the
window.

For example: contributions to a political candidate's campaign fund typically aren't
motivated by generosity, whereas contributions to a charitable agency like
Samaritan's Purse and/or a local rescue mission are because folks benefiting from
those contributions are so powerless, and so disadvantaged, that there's nothing
worthwhile to be gained by offering them assistance.
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[Carbon]

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Hello;

There's been times during our 26+ years of internet forum activity when we
encountered people wanting to know what they're supposed to do now that they
decided to become a Christian.

Well, the first thing they should know is, it wasn't their decision.

A mega Baptist church that we 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.

IMO that is a very misleading book.
If you're a free-will person, then this booklet will be very appealing to the flesh.

 

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● Rom 12:8c . . If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility
seriously.

A natural aptitude for church management doesn't count. It has to be God-given;
that is: a legitimate Spirit-endowed ability. (cf. Rom 12:3-8, 1Cor 12:4-11, 1Cor
12:27-30)

There are far too many people sitting on church boards merely because they're a
success in business. Well; if your church is a commercial enterprise; then maybe
you should think about finding another one.

God-given leadership ability is spoken of as a "responsibility". In other words; it
should never be taken as an achievement. I just hate it when City, State, and
Federal government officials celebrate their positions as something they won as if
taking the gold in a spelling bee and/or a gymnastic event.

"The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me: He that ruleth over men
must be just, ruling in the fear of God." (2Sam 23:3)

Too many of the men and women in power do not rule in the fear of God; and
rather than morally upright with their fellow man's best interests at heart, they are
often Machiavellian instead.
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● Rom 12:8d . . If you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.

This particular gift relates to sympathy and compassion; which are emotions, i.e.
feelings.

Well; the problem is: we have very little, if any, control over those kinds of
feelings; and I think we too often resent people for touching our soft spot and
tugging at our heart strings, a.k.a. pushing our buttons.

The ability to show kindness is referred to as a gift. I think most folks, given the
option, would prefer the gift of tongues over the gift of kindness because the one is
merely a skill whereas the other makes us sensitive to need; which at times can be
both uncomfortable and inconvenient.

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on
him, how can the love of God be in them?" (1John 3:17)
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● Rom 12:9a . . Don't just pretend that you love others.

The Greek word translated "love" basically pertains to benevolence rather than
affection and/or fondness.

Benevolence is defined as acts of kindness and/or generosity.

Pretense is defined as fiction, make-believe, and/or simulation.

Anyway, talk is cheap and, like it's said: Put your money where your mouth is, i.e.
if we sincerely believe that benevolence is a Christian virtue, then we ought to
practice it for real rather than merely giving it our vote of approval.
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● Rom 12:9b . . Hate what is evil.

Hating evil is second nature to God-fearing people; or at least it should be.

"You who love The Lord: hate evil." (Ps 97:10)

"In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless
and upright; he feared God and shunned evil." (Job 1:1)

"The fear of The Lord is to hate evil. Pride and arrogance and the evil way, and the
perverted mouth, I hate." (Prov 8:13)

I think it's fair to say that when somebody hates the same things that God hates,
and loves the same things that God loves; the two of them have the makings of a
meaningful rapport: defined by Webster's as a friendly, harmonious relationship--
especially a relationship characterized by agreement, mutual understanding, or
empathy that makes communication possible and/or easy.

"When Abram was ninety-nine years old, The Lord appeared to him and said: I am
God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless." (Gen 17:1)

"If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not
live by the truth." (1John 1:6)

NOTE: Lukewarm is a state between love and hate; for example Rev
3:14-16 where The Lord expresses his disgust with certain folks' lack of interest
relative to his preferences, viz: they're neither compliant nor non compliant: they
just don't care. He'd much rather those folks take a stand one way or the other
rather than be so cotton-pickin' indifferent.
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● Rom 12:9c . . Cling to what is good.

Good in the world of humanity is typically relative and flexible. For example there
was a time when it was good science to question vaccines and their side effects,
and suggest alternative treatments. That science became evil during the Covid
crisis in favor of a science that the powers that be tried their best to prevent
questioning. (Now it's coming out that the mantra "follow the science" was a Siren's
call to disaster.)

The Greek word translated "cling" speaks of adherence; and it's pretty much the
same meaning as the Hebrew word in Gen 2:24 relative to a man and his wife
where it's assumed from Gen 2:18 that clinging infers support and dependence.

The thing is: for safety's sake, it's very important for Christians to find out what
God thinks is good rather than going with the flow of one's culture; especially in
places like Communist China and North Korea, et al. (Rom 12:2 & 1John 3:22)
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● Rom 12:10a . . Love each other with genuine affection

The Greek word translated "love" in that verse basically pertains to fraternal
feelings, which is a kind of love that leads to attachments, viz: it goes beyond
things like courtesy, kindness, consideration, and charity, etc. Those things exhibit
civility which is a non affectionate love; in other words: being nice to people
without necessarily liking them isn't the love we're looking at here.

Rom 12:10a is not an easy command to obey because it requires the emotions of
fondness and affection, i.e. actually liking one's fellow Christians as opposed to only
being nice to them.

Real affection is easy to imitate, but not so easy to duplicate. Going through the
motions is just not the same as feeling the feelings.

* There are people in this world who, by nature, are affection-challenged. They
can't even feel anything for their own children, let alone other people. For them,
parenting is a nightmare rather than a dream come true. Their children are a
burden rather than a blessing. Children ruin those parents' lives instead of
brightening them up and making their lives more worth the living.

However, affection-challenged people aren't defective beyond repair because
Christianity isn't entirely a do-it-yourself religion; it's also a supernatural religion;
viz; part of the plan of salvation is regeneration.

"If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised
Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His spirit, who
lives in you." (Rom 8:11)

"Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day
by day." (2Cor 4:16)

* A heads up to affection-challenged people: fraternal love is inconvenient. It will
make you a better human being, but it will also make you pretty uncomfortable at
times too because this love gets into your gut and makes you emotional, sensitive,
compassionate, and sympathetic. Those kinds of feelings will take some getting
used to by folks unaccustomed to them.
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● Rom 12:10b . . Honor others above yourselves.

Christians infected with narcissistic personality disorder will find that rule difficult, if
not impossible, to obey. NPD is a mental condition characterized by a grandiose
sense of self-importance, a need for excessive admiration, exploitive behavior in
relationships, and a lack of empathy.

Narcissistic people are by nature insufferably arrogant, self-absorbed, indifferent,
and insensitive. They see nothing wrong with their behavior, nor are they attuned
to its impact on others. Were you to confront narcissistic folk with your concerns
about their attitude; be prepared for a counterattack because they'll no doubt
become indignant and defensive; possibly accusing you of selfishness, jealousy,
overreaction, hysteria, and unloving behavior. You see; they're never the problem:
you are.

As I was watching a recent series on the National Geographic channel about
geniuses; it became readily apparent to me that people in the genius category
crave recognition. Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso are two very good examples.
Their contributions to art and science were secondary to their ambitions for
greatness. I wouldn't say that all geniuses are like that of course, but apparently
the desire for greatness is not uncommon among the gifted genre.

I should think that most alpha achievers would have trouble complying with Rom
12:10b too. I mean. why be a winner if not to feel superior? The alpha achiever's
motto is: It's not enough to succeed: everyone else must fail.

Feelings of value are important to everyone's sense of well being, but the narcissist
and the alpha achiever sincerely believe only themselves to be of any real value. In
their mind's eye, those inferior to themselves are of little worth, i.e. expendable
and/or a dime a dozen. (cf. Est 6:6, Matt 27:26, Mark 12:38 39, and 3John 1:9)
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● Rom 12:11a . . Be not slothful in business; fervent in spirit

According to its use in Matt 25:26-27, the Greek word for "slothful" indicates failure
to honor one's fiduciary responsibilities.

In other words: when people have put their trust in you, in whatever capacity or
circumstance: do not disappoint them, nor (God forbid) make lame excuses for
failing to deliver on your commitments.

"fervent in spirit" sort of means on fire-- i.e. earnestly dedicated and/or committed
--which is just the opposite of half-hearted, lukewarm and/or stone-walling and
procrastination.
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● Rom 12:12a . . Be glad for all God is planning for you.

Christians unsure of their afterlife destination cannot, in all honesty and a good
conscience, comply with that rule. For all they know, God has outer darkness
planned for them. That's not something to be glad about.

There are obvious benefits to a permanent association with God; most especially
resurrection to a superior body and perpetual youth. But those aren't the end-all.

Humanity was given the blessing of fertility specifically for the purpose of
populating the earth and subduing it. Well; the angels' purpose and way of life is
very different. They're an organization of celestial beings engaged in a variety of
capacities other than populating, conquering, and/or colonizing.

Folks who make the cut won't be returning to their familiar way of life, pairing up
with spouses like before (Matt 22:30). Instead, they too, like the angels, will be
organized to engage in a variety of capacities other than populating, conquering,
and/or colonizing; and they will be kept very busy getting things done in accord
with God's expectations in a new and improved cosmos.

"It is not to angels that He has subjected the world to come, about which we are
speaking." (Heb 2:5)
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● Rom 12:12b . . Be patient in trouble, and always be prayerful.

Troubles are often made bearable by a confidant; someone with whom we can
safely share every aspect of our emotional distress.

God is of course the first choice for that purpose because He not only has a
sympathetic ear but is also able to sufficiently strengthen His own during their
troubles to prevent them from jumping off a bridge or drowning themselves in the
bathtub.

"Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens,
Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have
a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one
who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-- yet was without sin. Let us
then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy
and find grace to help us in our time of need." (Heb 4:14-16)

The Greek word translated "confidence" basically means all out-spokenness, i.e.
frank, blunt, and/or candid. In other words: in our hour of desperation, we should
not address God with a rote prayer, instead; we ought to speak from our heart.
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● Rom 12:13a . . Share with God's people who are in need.

The Jews are God's people in accordance with an unconditional covenant that He
made with Abraham. (Gen 17:7-8)

NOTE: Nazi Germany was very nearly 99% Christian. Had they all complied with
Rom 12:13a, the effects of the Holocaust would've no doubt been greatly reduced.
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● Rom 12:13b . . Practice hospitality.

Webster's defines hospitable as:

1_ given to generous and cordial reception of guests

2_ promising or suggesting generous and cordial welcome

3_ offering a pleasant or sustaining environment.

In other words; a hospitable person is civil, courteous, thoughtful, easy on one's
nerves, helpful, non threatening, non confrontational, non militant, non reactive,
non defensive, approachable, accommodating, and relaxing to be with.
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● Rom 12:14 . . Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

The Greek word for "persecute" basically means to pursue; i.e. to hound. In other
words; a persecuting personality is one whose mission in life is to ruin somebody's
day at every opportunity.

The Greek word for "curse" is from a Greek word meaning to execrate.

Bless is from a Greek word that basically means to invoke a benediction, e.g.

"Good Morning."

"Live long and prosper."

"Have a nice day."

"Good Luck!"

"Bon Voyage!"

"Buen Camino." (Spanish: Pleasant Journey)

"Nya:weh" (Seneca: Thank You)

"Happy Birthday."
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● Rom 12:15 . .When others are happy, be happy with them. If they are sad, share
their sorrow.

It's surprising the number of Christians that I've encountered, even Sunday school
teachers, who honestly believe that feelings have no role whatsoever in the practice
of Christianity. As a result, they go about the business of their spiritual life as
insensitive mannequins: cold, academic, and metallic; sort of like the Tin
Woodsman of the Wizard of Oz who, without a heart, can't feel the passionate
emotions he once felt for the love of his life. Without a heart; the poor, pitiful man
is barely a sentient being.
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[Ghada]

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Hello;

people wanting to know what they're supposed to do now that they
decided to become a Christian.

At the outset, I would have to say there is law or laws of Christians made for their religion, who decide to become Christians, and then there is the law of Christ made for His body and church of them that repent of our sinning, to become newborn into His pure religion.

A mega Baptist church that we 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.

Right off I'd say the law of Christ against unrighteous works of the flesh, is most likely overlooked on purpose.

There is no such thing as spiritual purity and righteousness, while committing unrighteous acts.

Blessed are they that keep judgment, and he that is doing righteousness at all times.

If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

Little children, let no man deceive you: he that is doing righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

The spiritual and practical difference between the righteousness of God, and that of self-righteous sinful man, is that the righteousness of God is both believing in His righteousness and doing it.

The self-righteousness of man is beleiving in being righteousness, without doing it.

 

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● Rom 12:16a . . Live in harmony with each other.

It isn't necessary to be in 100% agreement with others on everything in order to
comply with that command. But it is necessary to practice courtesy, tolerance,
patience, and tact, i.e. make every effort to avoid feuding, one-upmanship, and
debating. The opposite of harmony is dissonance, which can be defined as a
mingling of sounds that strike the ear harshly, e.g. sour notes.

For some people, every disagreement is an act of war to be won at any cost. That's
not harmony, that's militant. It's far and away better for Christians to be diplomatic
rather than be right all the time.

"For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you
may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarreling,
jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder."
(2Cor 12:19-20)
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