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Author Topic: Christ's Ways  (Read 10815 times)

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Olde Tymer

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Re: Christ's Ways
« Reply #182 on: July 29, 2019, 08:02:31 am »
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Eph 5:3b . . nor any kind of impurity, or of greed

It's so easy to assume that naughty fantasies and ****-like behavior are the impurities that Paul is talking about; but any behavior associated with sin is an impurity. So then, maybe you're an usher in church; but are you dishonest? And maybe you sing in the choir, but are you a malicious gossip? And maybe you attend mid-week prayer meetings; but do you deny your children even common courtesy and their fundamental human rights? And maybe you teach Sunday school, but do you go over the speed limit, feed parking meters, J-walk, and drift through stop signs? And maybe you even stand in the pulpit; but do you have a drinking problem?

Webster's defines "greed" as avarice; which is an excessive, or insatiable, desire for wealth or gain. Wanting money per se isn't sin. It's wanting money simply for the sake of accumulating it that's bad. Ben Franklin once said a penny saved, is a penny earned; but to greedy people a penny saved is a penny stockpiled. Were you to ask a greedy person to name the dollar figure and/or the amount of real estate that would satisfy them, they would likely respond: "more"
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Olde Tymer

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Re: Christ's Ways
« Reply #183 on: July 30, 2019, 08:07:19 am »
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Eph 5:4 . . Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.

"out of place" is a pretty good way to put it; sort of like a fish out of water, viz: heavenly people are civil up there, and really ought to be down here.

The  koiné  Greek word for "foolish talk" is morologia (mo-rol-og-ee'-ah) which means silliness; viz: buffoonery.

Webster's defines a buffoon as: 1) a ludicrous figure; viz: a clown, and 2) a gross, and usually ill-educated stupid person; viz: an ignoramus. I think I would put gross high on the list of undesirable buffoon-type behaviors. It's okay for kids to be gross, but thoroughly unbecoming for a mature adult.

The word for "coarse joking" is eutrapelia (yoo-trap-el-ee'-ah) which means witticism in a vulgar sense; viz: ribaldry. Double entendres would probably fall into that category along with suggestive remarks.

The word for "thanksgiving" is eucharistia (yoo-khar-is-tee'-ah) which means: gratitude; viz: grateful language.

You know "thank you" is not a dirty word. Christ's people should never take the attitude that just because somebody is doing their job that they don't deserve recognition.

One of my favorite romantic comedies is "No Reservations" starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart. Prior to filming, Catherine took a job waiting tables to get a feel for working in a restaurant.

On several occasions, patrons didn't even look up at her nor speak in a cordial, courteous tone when they ordered. It struck her as remarkable that some of the people whom she was serving totally took her for granted and displayed not the slightest inclination to even so much as acknowledge her as a fellow human being, let alone express any gratitude for her taking care of them.
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Olde Tymer

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Re: Christ's Ways
« Reply #184 on: July 31, 2019, 11:16:21 am »
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Eph 5:5-7 . . For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person-- such a man is an idolater --has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with futile words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be numbered among them.

Christ's believing followers are joint heirs with him in his Father's estate. (Eph 1:11, Rom 8:16-17)

A joint-heir is different than a regular heir. Regular heirs are apportioned an individual percentage of their benefactor's estate. But joint-heirs inherit, not a percentage, but the entire estate, as community property. According to Peter, this is already set up and beneficiaries are safe to feel confident they won't lose it. (1Pet 1:3-5)

Christ's believing followers are in no danger of the sum of all fears.

"I assure you; those who listen to my message, and believe in God who sent me, have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life." (John 5:24, cf. Heb 8:6-12)

"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ; who died for us, that whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him." (1Thess 5:9-10)

"He has rescued us from the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of His dear son." (Col 1:13)

In addition, none of the sins committed by Christ's believing followers go on an indictment against them.

"God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them" (2Cor 5:19, cf. Jer 31:31-34)

The Greek word in that passage for "imputing" is logizomai (log-id'-zom-ahee) which means to keep an inventory; in other words: an indictment.

At the great white throne event depicted at Rev 20:11-15, the dead's personnel files will be opened. Well, were one of Christ's believing followers to appear before God at that event, their file would contain not one single sin: zero; viz: nothing with which to charge them.

"Blessed is the man whose sin The Lord will never count against him." (Rom 4:8)

So then, in light of the fact that Jesus' believing followers are citizens of the kingdom, and joint heirs with Christ in his Father's estate; then things like immorality, impurity, and greed are 110% inappropriate for them, i.e. those behaviors are unbecoming for a people whose status is so far above any on Earth.
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Olde Tymer

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Re: Christ's Ways
« Reply #185 on: August 01, 2019, 08:05:39 am »
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Eph 5:8-9 . . For you were once darkness, but now you are light in The Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)

Some Christians just can't seem to get it through their thick skulls that when somebody pins the Christian label on themselves, they're expected to act like one.

"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." (Matt 5:16)

"Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? God forbid! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" (Rom 6:1-2)

"Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity." (2Tim 2:19)

"If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth." (1John 1:6)


NOTE: An example of the dread opposite of Matt 5:16 is David's tryst with Bathsheba that resulted in the death of her husband. Nathan the prophet informed David that his conduct reflected on The Lord so that instead of bringing glory to God, his conduct brought disgrace. (2Sam 12:14)
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« Last Edit: August 02, 2019, 08:48:32 am by Olde Tymer »

Olde Tymer

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Re: Christ's Ways
« Reply #186 on: August 02, 2019, 08:47:49 am »
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Eph 5:10 . . Find out what pleases The Lord.

People depending upon their intuition to know what pleases The Lord are of course doomed to failure because the information isn't available like that, no, it's something that has to be found out, i.e. researched; which involves learning by means of books, sermons, lectures, seminars, radio Bible teachers, Sunday school classes, and personal Bible study.

This particular process of discovery has to include the Old Testament in order to avoid the possibility of missing something important.

"For whatever things were written before were written for our learning" (Rom 15:4)

"Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come." (1Cor 10:11)
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Olde Tymer

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Re: Christ's Ways
« Reply #187 on: August 03, 2019, 07:49:17 am »
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Eph 5:11-12 . . Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of what the disobedient do in secret.

For an example of this directive: Genesis is mute about the despicable things that the Sodomites lusted to do to the two men lodging at Lot's house. It's as if the author drew a curtain over Sodom and said: This is just too shocking. I'm not going to spell out what the people of Sodom had in mind that night. You will just have to use your imagination.

Jude simply, and concisely, says that they were utterly unchaste; even to the point of having their way with innocent visitors. (Jude 1:7)

I think it's fair to ask just exactly how one might "expose" shameful deeds without at least identifying them and/or describing them to some degree.

The koiné Greek word for "shameful" is aischron (ahee-skhron') which means indecorum; defined by Webster's as: impropriety. In other words, despicable acts should never be described explicitly in polite company, nor in the presence of children; which quite obviously precludes the use of a pulpit for explicit descriptions since congregations are an amalgam of men, women, wives, husbands, dads, moms, and underage children.

I don't think The Lord's directive forbids any and all mention of despicable acts. In other words, his directive doesn't say that I cannot tell polite company that the Bible condemns gays, lesbians, bestiality, and ****, etc. just so long as I don't start describing, in all their lurid detail, the revolting things they do to, and with, each other and/or with, and to, animals.
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Olde Tymer

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Re: Christ's Ways
« Reply #188 on: August 04, 2019, 09:23:03 am »
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Eph 5:14 . .Wake up, O sleeper! . . rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

The word "rise" is translated from the Greek anistemi (an-is'-tay-mee) which basically means to stand up (literally or figuratively -- transitive or intransitive)

A corpse cannot stand up on its own, viz: once people die, they're stuck-- the jaws of death are very strong and very tight --people, as a rule, cannot will themselves back to life. So I think it's pretty safe to assume Eph 5:14 isn't talking about the kind of death that populates cemeteries.

Death is sometimes depicted as sleep, e.g. Matt 9:24, John 11:11, 1Cor 15:51, and 1Thess 4:14. So the command to "rise from the dead" is appropriate for Christians who honestly think obedience to their master's commandments is not all that important.

"Brothers, we have an obligation-- but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die" (Rom 8:12-13)

Christianity is not only a faith to believe, but it's also a faith to live by; as James wrote:

"Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." (Jas 2:17)

Dead faith is still faith, but it's not a healthy faith, viz: dead faith lacks vigor and vitality.
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« Last Edit: August 04, 2019, 09:36:10 am by Olde Tymer »

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Re: Christ's Ways
« Reply #189 on: August 04, 2019, 07:25:35 pm »
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Eph 5:14 . .Wake up, O sleeper! . . rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

The word "rise" is translated from the Greek anistemi (an-is'-tay-mee) which basically means to stand up (literally or figuratively -- transitive or intransitive)

A corpse cannot stand up on its own, viz: once people die, they're stuck-- the jaws of death are very strong and very tight --people, as a rule, cannot will themselves back to life. So I think it's pretty safe to assume Eph 5:14 isn't talking about the kind of death that populates cemeteries.

Death is sometimes depicted as sleep, e.g. Matt 9:24, John 11:11, 1Cor 15:51, and 1Thess 4:14. So the command to "rise from the dead" is appropriate for Christians who honestly think obedience to their master's commandments is not all that important.

"Brothers, we have an obligation-- but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die" (Rom 8:12-13)

Christianity is not only a faith to believe, but it's also a faith to live by; as James wrote:

"Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." (Jas 2:17)

Dead faith is still faith, but it's not a healthy faith, viz: dead faith lacks vigor and vitality.
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Olde Tymer

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Re: Christ's Ways
« Reply #190 on: August 05, 2019, 07:57:31 am »
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Eph 5:15 . . So be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise.

"Wise" of course meaning to live your life in such a way that it counts for Christ instead of only counting for yourself and/or counting for the world. For example: if you get pulled into the worlds of corporate management, political activism and/or civil disobedience; I can just about guarantee that your life is not counting for Christ because those are really big distractions and sometimes its players have to play dirty to be effective.

The "fools" then can justly be described as people who live with little regard for scruples; defined by Webster's as an ethical consideration or principle that inhibits action. For example, the pioneer of FaceBook stole the idea. Though the theft was legal, it was unethical.
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Olde Tymer

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Re: Christ's Ways
« Reply #191 on: August 06, 2019, 07:58:26 am »
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Eph 5:17 . .Therefore do not be uninformed, but understand what The Lord's will is.

In other words: Christians are not supposed to fly by the seat of their pants, but rather, fly by instruments: viz: fly intelligently; and that entails reading a driver's manual before attempting to operate a car, so to speak.

Moses instructed his people that there is no need to go on a special "golden fleece" quest to discover what The Lord's will is; either out in space nor across the ocean in a foreign land. No, The Lord's will is easily accessible between the covers of even the cheapest second-hand Bible on the shelves of a thrift store.

However; no Bible-- no matter how cheap, nor how expensive, nor what version-- is of any real use if it's not studied. But even systematic Bible study is quite thwarted when the information isn't heeded.

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. 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 1:22-25)
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Olde Tymer

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Re: Christ's Ways
« Reply #192 on: August 07, 2019, 08:42:20 am »
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Eph 5:18 . . Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

Webster's defines "debauchery" as extreme indulgence in bodily pleasures; e.g. sex, drugs, and alcohol. In this case alcohol. People that can stop with one drink are very fortunate. For many, that one drink is only the beginning of the road to AA.

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)

Eph 5:18 doesn't forbid drinking; only getting drunk. 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 a sedative, i.e. an antidote to one's existence.

"Liquor is for the dying, and wine for those in deep depression. Let them drink to forget their poverty and remember their troubles no more." (Prov 31:6-7)

Some of us seem born with a melancholy disposition but that's really not the same. Real depression literally drives people to suicide. I know because I've been there.

So in that respect, pills and alcohol are 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; e.g. ****, methamphetamine, alcohol, valium, Prozac, overeating, etc.

God's Spirit is supposed to be a crutch for believers; but His effectiveness as a crutch is found only in something called the fruit of the Spirit.

"The fruit of the Spirit is joy, peace, and self control." (Gal 5:22-23)

Two elements of the Spirit's fruit that have a powerful influence on a believer's well-being in life are Joy and Peace; which are obtained out of a bottle for only a short time; and are actually chemically dependent rather than supernaturally dependent.

But joy and peace require initiative.

"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 expect to neither obtain, nor to retain, the Spirit's joy and peace when their conduct is unbecoming.
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« Last Edit: August 07, 2019, 08:59:30 am by Olde Tymer »

Olde Tymer

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Re: Christ's Ways
« Reply #193 on: August 08, 2019, 08:05:03 am »
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Eph 5:19 . . Speaking 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 sing together. And make very sure the object of your music is Christ and/or his Father rather than other kinds of celestial personages; e.g. saints and angels.
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Olde Tymer

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Re: Christ's Ways
« Reply #194 on: August 09, 2019, 09:06:40 am »
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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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