Christ's Law

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● Heb 13:5a . . Let your conduct be without covetousness;

Not all covetousness is prohibited; for example 1Cor 12:31 where Christians are
urged to eagerly desire certain spiritual gifts.

The Greek word in this instance refers to avarice; defined by Webster's as
excessive, or insatiable, desire for wealth or gain; viz: greediness and cupidity.

Were an avaricious person asked how much and/or how many it would take to
satisfy them; their answer would no doubt be "more" because it's in their nature to
grasp.
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● Heb 13:5b . . and be content with such things as ye have.

Since the writer connected this instruction with avarice, I would have to say his
focus in this verse is on moderation; defined by Webster's as reasonable limits
and/or average; viz: avoiding extremes.

"He himself has said: I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we may boldly say:
The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can Man do to me?" (Heb 13:5-6)

Well, I should think thwarted domestic oil production, extravagant Federal
spending, runaway inflation, politicized business practices, the cancel culture, lock
downs, a foreign collusion hoax, election fraud, insane immigration policies, falsified
science, a compromised Food and Drug Administration, a Gestapo-style FBI,
outlawing perfectly safe and useful medications, creeping Socialism, Critical Race
Theory, suppressing second opinions, denying treatment, mandatory inoculations
with experimental vaccines, and perpetual masking easily demonstrate that even if
Man can't hurt me, he can certainly make a nuisance of himself.

But the thing is: Man isn't permitted to be a nuisance to us without their nefarious
intentions first clearing with God because even the Devil himself can't get to us
without first clearing with God. (e.g. Job 1:6-2:7, John 19:11, Luke 22:31) So it's
possible that some us are going to be very surprised to discover the quantity of ill
fortune that would've befallen us had not God blocked it.
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● Heb 13:7 . . Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider
the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.

The "leaders" of that particular verse refer to the ones who captained Moses' people
over the centuries; e.g. Moses, Joshua, Gideon, Samuel, David. Elijah, Ezra, and
Nehemiah; and the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Micah; et al.

* There was once an advertisement for a beer on television that said, in so many
words: "You only go around once in life. So grab all the gusto you can get." Well;
Christ's believing followers should not be thinking like that. They go around more
than once; and the real gusto is yet to come.
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● Heb 13:9 . . Do not be carried away by strange and varied teachings; for it is
good for the heart to be strengthened by grace rather than foods, through which
those who were thus occupied were not benefited.

The words "carried away" weren't translated from Greek words. They're arbitrary
insertions; viz: they're words that a translating committee penciled into the English
text so as to make the passage say what they guessed it's supposed to be saying.
Arbitrary insertions are pretty common and nobody seems to fear they might be
adulterating the Bible; though they can be misleading at times so caveat lector.

The word "strange" is translated from a Greek word that basically pertains to
someone or something with which Christians are unfamiliar, i.e. are uncomfortable.

For example; though most Christians are familiar with the dietary laws contained in
the covenant that Moses' people agreed upon with God, Christ's followers are under
no obligation to comply with them for the simple reason that those laws are
contractual. Well; Christians per se, are not contracted with God to comply with
those laws. Hence those dietary laws amount to "strange" teachings; viz: they're
unchristian.
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● Heb 13:16 . . And do not neglect doing good and sharing; for with such sacrifices
God is pleased.

Doing good and sharing are bloodless sacrifices; and in point of fact are far more
likely to be accepted by God than the death of birds and beasts.

In the first chapter of the book of Isaiah, God lambasted Moses' people for bringing
all the correct, God-mandated sacrifices to the Temple. Why? Because those
sacrifices were insulting while His people were not only crooks; but also lacking the
milk of human kindness. The sacrifices that God preferred over and above the
Temple offerings were the below:

"Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed, defend the cause of the
fatherless, plead the case of the widow." (Isa 1:17)

Also:

"For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt
offerings." (Hos 6:6)

So "doing good" consists of doing what's right, and seeking kindness and fairness
across the board for everyone; including the disadvantaged and the
disenfranchised.

The US Federal Government has been notoriously negligent in doing good by its
chronic failure to honor its treaties with Native Americans. Not long ago I read in
my local paper about 50 years of Federal foot-dragging in respect to honoring its
commitment to provide tribes situated along the Columbia River with fishing
villages to replace the ones that were obliterated due to construction of The Dalles
dam. Well; God takes note of that sort of thing; nobody is getting by with anything.
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● Heb 13:17 . . Heed those who lead you, and submit to them; for they keep watch
over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and
not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.

Christianity is not a democracy. No; it is a theocracy with a monarch at its head-- a
monarch who regards dissent and disobedience as heresy and insurrection.

"Has The Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the
voice of The Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat
of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and insubordination is as iniquity
and idolatry." (1Sam 15:22-23)

If perchance Christ's believing followers should find themselves under church
leadership that they cannot-- in all good conscience --respect, follow, and obey;
and/or simply cannot give their whole-hearted, unreserved support; then it's time
to abandon ship and move on rather than remain and rack up negative points
against themselves that will most certainly erode their reward when they stand
before the King for their personal evaluation.
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● Heb 13:22 . . I urge you, brethren, bear with this word of exhortation, for I have
written to you briefly.

The letter to Hebrews doesn't seem brief to me, but according to the author it's a
concise version of his thoughts, i.e. it's to the point; free of elaboration and/or
unnecessary details.

Christ's teachings per the epistles are sometimes regarded as guidelines rather
than rules. That's not the way his thoughts are supposed to be taken; no, not at all.
The writer of Hebrews didn't say his word is a collection of suggestions, rather, as
exhortation; which Webster's defines as language intended to incite and encourage.
In other words: the teachings in Hebrews are meant to be taken seriously rather
than with a grain of salt; if you know what I mean.

The word "exhortation" is taken from an ambiguous Greek word that also means
solace; which Webster's defines as a source of relief and/or consolation; viz:
encouragement. In other words; the letter to Hebrews is for the reader's own good;
in more ways than just rules and laws.

It's interesting how various people perceive the Bible. Some see it as a threat to
human safety and dignity; while others see it as a source of friendship and
mentoring.

"For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being rescued and
those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the
fragrance of life." (2Cor 2:14-17)
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● Jas 1:2-4 . . Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials
knowing that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And let perseverance
have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

It is so frustrating to open a package supposedly containing all the parts needed to
assemble a complicated device only to discover that some of the pieces are
missing. Well, a lot of Christians are like that. They might be really good at church
attendance, while at work committing theft by using their employer's computers for
personal purposes without authorization and/or in the habit of breaking the law by
J-walking and driving too fast, drifting through STOP signs without bringing their
vehicle to a complete halt; and given to outbursts of road rage. That's not a
complete Christian; no, that's a half-baked Christian.

Not all tests of faith are intended for behavior modification; but rather, for proof
testing. Take for example Abraham's test in the 22nd chapter of Genesis; which he
passed to God's 110% satisfaction.

Other testing is the kind that engineers do with things like machines, toys, cribs,
printers, flashlights, guns, tools, pumps, motors, cars, etc. Before putting a new
idea into production, they subject it to a series of tests to determine if it will
perform under the circumstances for which it is designed. Nowadays, not all testing
is destructive testing, but rather via computer models. But the purpose is the
same: to reveal any weaknesses in the design and function of the part; which are
then addressed and rectified.

"Remove the dross from the silver, and out comes material for the silversmith."
(Prov 25:4)
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● Jas 1:5 . . If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously
to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

Within the context of James' epistle, the phrase "any of you" pertains to the
recipients of his letter; viz: the Diaspora-- specifically those among the Diaspora
whose religion is Christianity. So then, the phrase "gives to all men" has to be
interpreted with that in mind; which means that "all men" doesn't pertain to just
any and all men on earth.

"But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a
wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will
receive anything from The Lord : he is a vacillating man, unstable in all he does."
(Jas 1:6-8)

Christians should never begin a prayer by saying "God; if you're out there" because
without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe
that He is. (Heb 11:6)

Note the words "impossible" and "must" in that verse. A vacillating Christian who's
not sure there's a God out there is an unbelieving Christian, and can just forget a
reply from the Bible's God-- the instant the words of a vacillating prayer leaves
somebody's lips it goes directly to the dead-letter office.
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● Jas 1:9 . . Let the brother of humble circumstances glory in his high position;

I can think of no higher position for commoners than as legal kin in God's family
circle.

"When the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman,
born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might
receive the adoption as sons.

. . And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your
hearts, crying out: Abba! Father! Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son,
and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ." (Gal 4:4-7)

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with
every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him
before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame
before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to
Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will." (Eph 1:3-5)

In my book, that beats an invitation to the White House any day of the year.

* The Greek word translated "glory" basically means to vaunt; which Webster's
defines as: to make a vain display of one's own worth or attainments; viz: to brag;
to call attention to with pride and often boastfully. At the very least, I think the
Lord's people should exult in their good fortune to be an insider.

"The joy of the Lord is your strength." (Neh 8:10)

NOTE: Abba is an Aramaic word for father but not as an ordinary noun; it's a filial
vocative. For example:

When my son points me out to one of his friends at the mall and says: That's my
dad over there. then his use of "dad" simply indicates how he and I are related. But
when he shouts: Hey dad, I'm over here! then his use of "dad" is a filial vocative
because he's addressing me personally to get my attention-- same noun; different
sense.
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● Jas 1:10 . . The rich should glory in that he is made low:

Jesus once remarked that it's easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle,
than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

The rich generally get above-average respect from the world due to financial power,
but God isn't influenced by wealth. No, with God wealth gets no red carpets, no
comps, and no VIP accommodations.

When the rich come before God with hat in hand and their heads down low instead
of held up high, then they have done something worthy of an attaboy because with
Him that is a really, really big accomplishment for elite types accustomed to better
receptions.
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● Jas 1:13 . . No one who wants to do wrong should ever say: God is tempting me.
God cannot be tempted to do wrong, and He never tempts anyone else to do wrong
either.

Human nature has a propensity to blame others for its own faults. A prime example
is right in the beginning of the Bible in the book of Genesis. Adam blamed the
woman God gave him for his part in eating the forbidden fruit (Gen 3:12) and she
in turn blamed the Serpent for her part in the act. (Gen 3:13)

Although God tempts no one to evil, He does put certain ones through the ringer to
see what they're made of-- even His own friends --to test and/or demonstrate their
loyalty, e.g. Abraham (Gen 22:1-12) Job (Job 1:6-22) the Jews (Ex 15:23-25) and
Jesus. (Matt 4:1)

Criminals often gripe about entrapment when the cops catch them red handed in a
sting. But if the crooks were good citizens, entrapment wouldn't work on them.

Another popular excuse is enabling. For example some folks insist it's God fault that
Adam and Eve tasted the forbidden tree because He put it in the garden where they
could find it, viz: product liability.

Former US President Clinton was once asked in an interview why he was naughty
with Monica Lewinski. He answered: Because I could. In other words: Ms Lewinski
wasn't a temptation; no, she was available, i.e. an opportunity.

And alcoholics blame their habit on genetic predilection.

I once heard it said that locks were invented to keep an honest man honest.
(chuckle) I think there's a lot of truth in that statement.

"Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires. These evil desires lead to
evil actions, and evil actions lead to death. So don't be misled, my dear brothers
and sisters." (Jas 1:14-16)
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● Jas 1:19 . . Let everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;

Some folks have a really bad habit of responding to others' comments, suggestions,
and remarks without first hearing them all the way thru.

"It is folly and shame to him who answers a matter before he hears it." (Prov
18:13)

* I can't help but wonder how many Christian parents teach their children that it's
impolite to interrupt when others are speaking, but yet allow themselves liberty to
practice just the opposite.

Anger per se isn't evil; I mean after all, the Lord himself wasn't immune to anger
(Mark 3:5). And neither is God immune to anger. (Ex 4:14, Num 11:1, Rom 1:18,
Rom 2:8)

Anger can be a valuable tool if it's administered sparingly and intelligently.
However, human anger is often spontaneous, impulsive, unfair, unjustified,
inappropriate, irrational, unnecessary, controlling, violent, emotional, petulant,
selfish, and reactive.

"Man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires." (Jas 1:20)
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● Jas 1:21 . .Get rid of all moral filth, and the evil that is so prevalent; and humbly
accept the word planted in you, which can save you.

"moral filth and evil" pertains to all-around badness, i.e. depravity and malignity.

Christians are sometimes victims of a sort of knee-jerk reflex whenever they
encounter a word like "save". The Greek word for it is somewhat ambiguous and
can mean not only save, but also rescue, protect, and/or spare. Well; they say an
ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So putting James' words into practice
will go a long ways towards keeping one's self from falling prey to preventable
troubles.
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● Jas 1:22 . . Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what
it says.

Reading the Bible, listening to preachers, and taking notes is a good start but the
information only serves to prime one's walk.

"Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who
looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and
immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the
perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has
heard, but doing it-- he will be blessed in what he does." (Jas 1:23-25, cf. John
14:21-23)
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● Eph 5:18 . . Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be
filled with the Spirit.

( It isn't forbidden to drink; only to get intoxicated, a.k.a. hammered. )

Webster's defines "debauchery" as extreme indulgence in bodily pleasures. Alcohol,
then, can be a gateway vice leading to something much worse.

Some people can limit themselves to one drink. But for many, that one quickly
becomes six.

I've heard of studies indicating that some people have a genetic weakness for
alcohol, viz: a natural-born predilection. Nevertheless, drunkenness is sin and
Christians are under orders to subdue it.

"So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you." (Col 3:5)

Why do people get plastered anyway? Isn't it to make themselves feel good and
better able to cope with life's difficulties? Alcohol therefore could be said to be an
antidote to one's existence.

So in that respect, alcohol is a crutch. I'm not saying a crutch is a bad thing; I
mean, after all, God created Eve as a crutch for Adam so then if all crutches are
bad, then women are bad too. No, crutches per se are not bad; it's one's choice of
crutch that matters.

God's Spirit is a crutch for believers; but His effectiveness is moderated by their
conduct.

"If you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put
to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live," (Rom 8:13)

In other words; Christ's followers should not expect to be filled with the Spirit when
their conduct is unbecoming.
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● Eph 5:19 . . Speak to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs:
singing and making melody with your heart to The Lord

That verse is actually pretty good justification for a church choir; but I really think it
should also be used to justify hymn books in the pews too so the congregation can
all sing together. And make very sure the topics of your music are a credit to The
Lord rather than tradition's celebrities; e.g. saints, angels, and/or Jesus' mom.
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● Eph 5:20 . . Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ.

Moses' people were so accustomed to God's providence that they began to take it
for granted, and would get upset with Him when He failed to produce. Be on your
guard; don't let that happen.

"We should not test the Lord, as some of them did-- and were killed by snakes. And
do not grumble, as some of them did-- and were killed by the destroying angel.
These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings
for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. So, if you think you are
standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! (1 Cor 10:9-12)

"in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" indicates that any and all providence that
comes our way is due to Christ's work on the cross. It was his sacrifice for the sins
of the world that makes it possible for God to come alongside and bless rather than
curse. We don't ever want to forget that.
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● Eph 5:21 . . Submit to one another out of respect for Christ.

There's an element within Christianity that's unified with Christ by means of
adoption. Now; were they foster kids in God's home that would be different because
foster kids are wards rather than kin. So if we sincerely believe ourselves related to
Jesus, then it would be wise to treat our fellows as superiors instead of equals
because the others are all just as much Christ's siblings as ourselves.

The thing is: it means a lot to Christ when we regard our fellows worthy of more
honor than ourselves; not because we have to, but because doing so makes his
day. (cf. John 14:23)
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● Eph 5:22 . .Wives, submit to your husbands as to The Lord.

In other words; it's not the husband himself who merits his wife's best behavior,
rather, it's his position in the grand scheme. For example:

"To the woman he said: Your husband . . he will rule over you." (Gen 3:16)

Adam is ranked superior to Eve not because of his gender, rather, because he's the
senior of the two and she the junior, i.e. Adam was created first, and afterwards
the woman was constructed with material taken from his body; thus all men,
including Christ, are entitled to seniority relative to women simply by virtue of
the fact that Adam is the paterfamilias of all women, beginning with Eve,
regardless of age race, color, culture, and/or religious preference.

The Greek word for "submit" is the very same for submit in Eph 5:21 which
shouldn't be taken to mean wives are supposed to take orders from their husbands
as if marriage were an arrangement similar to a monarch and a commoner. What
we're talking about here is deference rather than obedience. An attitude of
deference is mandatory for Christians on both sides of the gender aisle-- both men
and women.

Deference is agreeable, approachable, tactful, and diplomatic. Deference isn't
confrontational, demanding, assertive, militant, dominating, nor always clamoring:
I am woman! Hear me roar!

In a nutshell: deference is just the opposite of defiance. Christian wives striving for
equality with their men have not yet learned what it means to associate with a
husband as they would Christ.
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