IS OUR CONDUCT IN SOCIAL MEDIA WORTHY OF CHRIST WHEN DEFENDING THE TRUTH?

"The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,  and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will."   

2 Timothy 2:24-25

The Gospel teaches us the principles of kindness, courtesy, and consideration. I would like to share some of these principles in the context of our social media posts, significantly Facebook posts.

When defending the Truth in public social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and Blogs, are we forgetting those passages, the words of Christ that call us to humility, gentleness, compassion, and mercy?

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

"He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"  (Micah 6:8).  

Are we conducting ourselves worthy of the Gospel of Christ?

"Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."  (Ephesians 4:1-3)

There is a way to express the Truth and our convictions without bearing emotional hostility.  Our choice of words may communicate an attitude that contradicts the character of Christ and reflects on Him very poorly. Why should we, as Christians, be surprised at how non-believers live their lives and their different standards since they do not know our God or His ways?  They are like sheep without a shepherd.  

"Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd."  Matthew 9:36.  

When defending the Truth, one must exercise meekness and fear,

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear."   I Peter 3:15.  

We, Christians, are to be Christ-like at all times. We are to honor everyone if we indeed fear God,

"Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king."  I Peter 2:17.  

We must be clothed with humility,

"and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble."  I Peter 5:5.

The letter of Jude exhorts us "to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints."  Notice that the words "earnestly contend" is translated from the Greek word "epagonizomai," which means "agony."  Agonize earnestly and urgently for the faith.  "The faith" here implies a body of teaching, which is what we live and labor for as Christians.  In other words, it is the sum of what we believe as Children of God.  Also, "contend earnestly" means how we should respond to that belief.  Hence we must contend for this faith which all Christians live under, because it is in conflict.  Contending for this system of faith means more than confronting error.  This phrase implies a calling.  The Christian is called to seek the Truth diligently.  Contending for the faith means seeking the Truth diligently,

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."  (Hebrews 11:6)

My question is, "how can one contend for something one knows nothing about?"  To be effective when contending for the faith, one must be prepared before the confrontation must take place.  It is terrible to contend for something we know little or nothing about.  This would render us ineffective! We must strive for, wrestle for, agonize for, compete for and finally defend the faith of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.  Notice that contending does not mean being contentious or quarrelsome.

Let us take to heart what the apostle Paul says,

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."  Galatians 5:22-23.  

He also exhorts us,

"to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing humility to all men."  Titus 3:2.  

Sadly, some Christians defend their faith poorly because they do not support their faith with the whole body of Jesus' teachings.  We must indeed contend, but we must also contend according to the divine design for Christian conduct.  We must be wise in that conduct!  Let us always remember that there is a proper and improper way from a Biblical perspective.

Christ speaks of love.  He models love.  He sacrificed for us to redeem us:  we who were lost in the brokenness of sin, Psalm 51.  I would much rather choose compassion, mercy, and love in place of harsh judgment, such as the Pharisees exercised in their times.

There is a passage that comes to mind which portrays Jesus when He saw the adulteress that was accused by the Pharisees.  He looked upon the broken woman with compassion. He looked her accusers in the eye and said, 

"Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her... “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”  

She said, 

“No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more."  John 8:3-12.  

He had compassion!

Jesus repeatedly said,

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."   John 13:34-35

 and

"So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."  Matthew 7:12.  

The following passage has captured my heart:

"Then it happened that as Jesus was reclining at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were dining with Jesus and His disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, “Why is your Teacher eating with the tax collectors and sinners?” But when Jesus heard this, He said, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire compassion, and not sacrifice,’ for I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”  Matthew 9:10-13

Jesus, our holy Lamb of God, who was pure and spotless, who had the right to condemn sinners, chose not to humiliate them publicly. So who am I, a broken sinner who once walked in darkness like a lost sheep without Him and whose blood redeemed me of all my iniquities, that I should publicly humiliate others?

As we grow in Grace and the precious Wisdom of our Creator, we learn that “he who is forgiven much, loves much.”  We must learn the character of our Lord Jesus that when "He was reviled, did not revile in return; When He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls."  I Peter 2:21-25.

There are so few good shepherds in this lost world of darkness who would lead the lost sheep, the sinners, and care for the needs of their souls, teaching them gently the Truth that would set them free from sin, John 8:32.  Paul himself admonished us to “Honor one another and so fulfill the law of Christ.”  Even as he honored the Roman guards, the pagans, and other secular people with whom he shared the love of Christ, the Gospel.  Are we to behave differently in our reaction toward sinners? They are like sheep without the great Shepherd, the Physician. This is not God in us.  Let's learn from the apostle Paul, who says:  "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus..."  Philippians 2:5-11.

Yes, I dearly want to uphold the highest of my convictions and beliefs as my standard for living in Christ. I do not wish to exchange my convictions for the ones of those who differ from me. Yet, I am called to honor those others, who are also the image of God, with respect and dignity worthy of the same Grace or unmerited favor as He has shown to me,  

"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast."  Ephesians 2:8-9.  

Remember that we must speak the Truth in love, 

"but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ."  Ephesians 4:15.  

That does not necessarily mean we will cower and compromise the purity of the Truth.

Since I have tasted the kindness and mercy of the Lord, His Grace, my desire is to stand out among the crowd who call themselves Christ-followers, and to show affinity with His words, words of unmerited compassion, love, and forgiveness.  Let us examine our hearts, making sure that our teachings and defense of the Truth are done in love, showing patience and confidence yet kindly, neither rude nor arrogant.

"And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.  Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never fails."  I Corinthians 13:3-8.

Let us take to heart Paul's exhortation to Timothy when he commanded him to preach the word.

"Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction."  II Timothy 4:2.  

He described “a servant of the Lord” as one who “must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition.”

"The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,  and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will."   II Timothy 2:24-25.

May God help us to live and be worthy of His Gospel as we seek to defend it.  May we understand that the Great Physician is here among us to heal those who are woefully ill, that our great Shepherd seeks those who are lost and gently restores them to the flock.  And so we should approach those He brings into our path in the same graceful manner as He did with gentleness, humility, and a servant's heart.


Luci

THE BEAUTY OF BEING CHASTE: WHAT IS BIBLICAL BEAUTY? PART TWO

 

"Beholding your chaste behavior coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be the outward adorning of braiding the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in the incorruptible apparel of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price."  

I Peter 3:2-4

Biblical Beauty and how it pertains to being CHASTE is often misunderstood.  So often, it is seen as one extreme attitude or the other. While one side seems to obsess over an outward beauty, vainly and carelessly taking pride in our withering flesh, "For, All flesh is as grass, And all the glory thereof as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower falleth."  I Peter 1:24, the other side seems to reject beauty altogether, trying to avoid sin by making the flesh ugly and taking pride in the attempt. 

 

Have you ever heard the saying "Beauty is as beauty does?" Indeed, it is a good saying.  Here is a better one: "Beauty is, when the beauty is HIS." It is the beauty of Christ in us that makes us BEAUTIFUL.  "And let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; and do confirm for us the work of our hands; yes, confirm the work of our hands."  Psalm 90:17.  If you are indeed His child, then the beauty of the Lord is in you.  This beauty should be seen by the way you treat others and the way you avoid sin striving to live a godly life. But, it must also be seen in your manner of speech, how you carry yourself, how you behave and definitely the way you DRESS. 

I'd like to discuss for a moment these two extreme attitudes:   

• The first extreme is supported and demonstrated by Wendi Worldly.  She supports the idea of a woman's duty to dress modestly, which ironically she includes in her call to be chaste, by misinterpreting the Biblical concept of Christian liberty.  But, the Bible clearly commands women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly meaning descent and proper, and discreet, meaning self-control, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly garments; but, rather by means of good works, as befits women making a claim to godliness. "In like manner, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefastness and sobriety; not with braided hair, and gold or pearls or costly raiment; but (which becometh women professing godliness) through good works."  I Timothy 2:9-10.  While these two verses don't seem to condemn braided hair, gold, pearls or nice clothing, they do make it clear that a woman's modest heart must show godliness when it comes to the way she dresses or chooses what to wear; whether it is her jewelry, her hair style, her clothing or simply the smile on her face. 

Many accuse Paul of being legalistic by trampling the Christian liberty of women. We must never forget that God's Word is true and unchanging. The foolish young man of Proverbs 7 discovers that there's a type of beauty that is not real at all,  "He goeth after her straightway, As an ox goeth to the slaughter, Or as one in fetters to the correction of the fool; Till an arrow strike through his liver; As a bird hasteth to the snare, And knoweth not that it is for his life."  Proverbs 7:22-23.

Although we live in a culture that is infested with immodesty and nakedness like never before, it is nothing new to those who practice SIN.  Immodesty has been an epidemic from the beginning of time. 

Satan has deceived and drawn more women into the sin of uncleanness by the adornment of fine clothes than he could have possibly done without them. I wonder what the worldly of Bible times would have called the attire of a harlot? I am pretty sure it was not as enticing and tempting as are the garments of many women today who profess Christianity. 

The following is a statement of how Wendi Worldly justifies her immodesty: "God doesn't care how I dress. All He cares about is what's on the inside. It doesn't matter if I look like a wild girl because God knows I'm not a wild girl. Besides, I have the Christian liberty to do what I want. I'm just wearing what everyone else is wearing. If guys lust, that's their problem. God knows my heart. " 

But, the problem here is that Ms. Worldly doesn't know her own heart, "The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; who can understand it?" Jeremiah 17:9. 

• Let's examine the other extreme attitude, Maggie McFrumpy. While this extreme may not draw any one into fornication, its false thinking maybe equally damaging. There's no specific "modest uniform" that is officially "godly." In fact, you can dress a girl in a strict "modest uniform" and she can still portray an immodest or sensual heart. Just go to a private girl's school and observe their behavior. Modesty is a matter of the heart which can't be solved by only physical means.  

Among all Christians, our styles will differ, but we must all consider how we may build up one another. That includes what we choose to wear.  Notice, that our main goal should be that of pointing others to Jesus, not ourselves. The way we dress speaks honestly of the beauty and purity of Christ in us.  "And put on the new man, that after God hath been created in righteousness and holiness of truth."  Ephesians 4:24.

"And have put on the new man, that is being renewed unto knowledge after the image of him that created him."  Colossians 3:10.

Maggi McFrumpy exchanges one form of pride for another.  Here's what she has to say:  "Beauty equals vanity.  To be truly modest is spiritual.  I must dress as plain or as frumpy as I possibly can. It proves my dedication to God.  People who dress in pretty clothes, or who wear make up, are vain and obviously trying to attract attention.  My modesty beats your modesty any day of the week." 

When we start thinking that there's only one style of modesty and it is holier than all others, or we think we have outdone someone else by how wonderfully modest we are, then we are showing everyone that we are walking in pride. This is not modest at all. We can find a great example in Ezekiel 16.  Here we see God allowing outward adornment, but at the same time we see a stern warning against the pride that can accompany feminine beauty. It is a great reminder of Who it is that makes us beautiful. Notice what it says: "I also clothed you with embroidered cloth, and put sandals of porpoise skin on your feet; and I wrapped you with fine linen and covered you with silk. And I adorned you with ornaments, put bracelets on your hands, and a necklace around your neck. I also put a ring in your nostril, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your dress was of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth...exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty...your beauty, for it was perfect because of my splendor which I bestowed on you," declares the Lord God."  Ezekiel 16:10-14.  Notice when God said--which I bestowed on you. This implies that God approves of women wearing some jewelry or beautiful garments, otherwise, God would not have adorned His Bride this way.  Ezekiel 16:15 

Throughout the ages women have failed to trust in the Lord, but instead have chosen to trust in their own beauty.  "Moreover Jehovah said, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with outstretched necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet."  Isaiah 3:16. You see, the problem is not in dressing beautifully. It is sinful when we become lost in our pride forgetting and disobeying the Lord. Then, it is not a matter of the clothing or jewelry that is sinful, but our own wicked hearts. The heart matters!  "I will punish her for the days of the Baals when she used to offer sacrifices to them and adorn herself with her earrings and jewelry, and follow her lovers, so that she forgot Me,' declares the Lord."   Hosea 2:13.

In conclusion, both of these two extremes are in error.  Ironically, neither view is very modest.  Both disregard the fact that our outward appearance does matter. Again, Biblical Beauty, not sensuality, is very important.  Biblical Beauty reflects both the splendor and the creativity of God.  God loves beauty!  Had God not loved beauty, He would have created the world with a boring and shapeless landscape of dull colors.  But, He didn't!  His exquisite masterpiece of creativity and love of beauty is clearly seen and evident in all His creation.  From the depths of the oceans, to the dazzling stars in the Milky Way, from the amazing microscopic organisms hard to see with the human eye, to mankind whom we can see, God created beauty in it all.  He chose to create a world filled with remarkable beauty!   

In my next study, part three, I will be discussing the beauty of chastity and what it means.  It is the inward beauty that is of first importance. God sees our hearts. I will be answering the question, "Does God care about what we wear or how we present ourselves to others?" 

I want to make it clear that not everyone who dresses plain and frumpy is doing it out of pride.  Likewise, someone who is dressing immodestly may not realize that the way they're dressed is inappropriate. In my writing, I have purposely used two extreme examples to make my argument.

Luci

THE BEAUTY OF CHASTITY: HONORING MARRIAGE - PART ONE

Early in my walk with Christ, I learned that PURITY means more than simply avoiding fornication.   PURITY, like other virtues, begins in the heart.  The Bible calls it CHASTITY.  It doesn't always mean "ABSTINENCE."  Married women are exhorted to be chaste,  "To be sensible, PURE, workers at home, kind, being subject to their husbands, that the word of God may not be DISHONORED."  Titus 2:5.  "As they observe your CHASTE, and RESPECTFUL behavior. "  I Peter 3:2.

Being CHASTE is more than a physical state, it is an active virtue that continually exhibits PURITY in thought, word and deed.  It demands that I honor the estate of marriage and the marriage bed.  It goes beyond avoiding FORNICATION.  In fact, it is far more active, since it involves loving my brother in Christ enough to help protect his chastity as well.   "For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."  Galatians 5:14. I am commanded by the Lord to honor marriage, whether it is my marriage or my neighbor's marriage.  "Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled for fornicators and adulterers God will judge."  Hebrews 13:4.

As mothers we have an enormous responsibility to protect and train our daughters when it comes to chastity. We are our daughters' example.  As they are growing up into young ladies, they are watching us.  They are trying to find out how to become godly.  If my daughters see me dressing provocatively with clothes that reveal or accentuate what should be very private, or perhaps, putting on clothes that are skin tight or low cut to attract the attention of men,  then they are likely to follow my example.  Let's be good examples to them and not stumbling blocks.  Our little girls want to be just like their mothers!   What an honor!   Please, let's make sure we are pointing them to Christ:  "Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ."  I Corinthians 11:1.

Dads are not off the hook!  Dads, do you know your daughters are watching and listening to you also?  If their hero, daddy, is attracted to sensuality in other women, they will likely become this kind of woman.  Our sons also learn this kind of behavior.  They notice what kind of movies, entertainment, books, magazines and so on that their dads are engaged in.  These boys are observing what their dads value most in women and this is critical because eventually they will be affected by whether or not Dad respects, protects or is faithful and honors their Mom.

Jesus said that everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has committed ADULTERY with her already in his heart, "but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."  Matthew 5:28..  Men must take this seriously.   They must take this to heart! They need to learn to guard their eyes as Job did.  "I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin?"   Job 31:1.

Now with this is mind we, as women, can make it easy or difficult for men around us.  The choice is ours!   It has been said that just as men have the sinful tendency to lust after women; likewise, many women have the same tendency to lust after being lusted after.   Notice how the married woman of  Proverbs 7 was not actually a harlot.  She plainly dressed like one.  The motives of her heart were to entice a young man:  "And behold, a woman comes to meet him, dressed as a harlot and cunning of heart."  Proverbs 7:10. However, there are women who perhaps because they are naive, dress in a way that's provocative without any sinful intention. Still, remember the old saying,  "Don't advertise what is not for sale!"

Unfortunately,  many times a woman's pride or insecurity causes her to dress immodestly in order to be noticed, "Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with PROPER clothing, MODESTLY and DISCREETLY...."  I Timothy 2:9.   One thing I know for sure is that men are easily affected by the way we dress, carry ourselves and behave.

So often, it is our young women who are not aware of the effect they have on men.  So it is up to us, the older women in their lives, mainly their mothers, to teach and train them.  As women who profess godliness, we are to glorify God by communicating to others what Biblical beauty is all about. Beauty is NOT sensuality, in the way we dress and carry ourselves.  It is our DUTY to our brothers in Christ not to appear sensual!   "For you were called to freedom, brethren, only DO NOT turn your freedom into an OPPORTUNITY to the flesh, but through love serve one another."  Galatians 5:13.

If I dress and carry myself in a way that is to entice another sister or woman's husband,  the fact is, I am not loving my brothers in Christ and their wives.  My goal is to save my body, physically and visually,  ONLY for my own husband.  My obligation as a godly mother is to teach my daughters to save their bodies PURE for their future husbands, as well as to love their brothers in Christ enough to not cause them to stumble.

In my second part, I wish to consider the question "Is frumpier holier?"  or can CHASTITY be feminine and beautiful?

Luci

THE BEAUTY OF BEING CHASTE: HEART MATTERS - PART THREE

"But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."   

I Samuel 16:7

"But it doesn't matter what I wear!" Sarah scoffed. "God sees my heart!" Sarah finished putting on her lipstick while Hannah tried in vain to reason with her old friend.

"Yes, God does see the heart," Hannah explained, "but nobody else does, especially boys. They see that." Then Hannah moved her hand quickly in front of Sarah's revealing outfit. "Don't you see? They are too distracted by what you are wearing to notice you."

Sarah said, "But that is my point! I don't care if boys notice me or not." Hannah smiled bashfully. "I just care what God thinks and He can see my heart for sure."

Haven't we all heard the expression, "It is what is inside that counts."  Indeed there is a lot of truth in this. God is mostly concerned with our hearts. We do not want to be like the Pharisees of Jesus' time who were more concerned about the outwardly beauty and appearance. They wanted to appear before men as holy and pious, while in fact they were full of filth on the inside.

Our Lord Jesus rebuked them calling them hypocrites for this very thing. This is what Jesus said to them:

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.  You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness.  So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."    Matthew 23:25-28. 

Do you not know that our God can cut into the divisions of our soul and of our spirit, our joints and our marrow, and can know the thoughts and intentions of our heart? In fact, God knows us better than we know ourselves! But my point is, do we not often judge someone by a quick examination and observation regarding their appearance? Let us take a look at what happened in I Samuel 16:7.

"But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart." 

The LORD was directing Samuel to the one that He had chosen to be anointed as King of Israel. Samuel was impressed with Jesse's oldest son, Eliab, who happened to be full grown and physically better than the rest of his brothers. Samuel made the mistake of thinking that Eliab surely had to be the one whom God would choose to be king. But God had already chosen David, the youngest of Jesse's eight sons. God's thoughts and ways are different from ours. They are much higher! That became obvious when both Eliab and David faced the challenges of Goliath and only David stepped forward in valiant faith.

God saw in David a heart of FAITH. God was trying to teach Samuel that men do not see and regard things the way God does. God searches and sees the hearts of men, while men tend to see only the things on the surface. It is our human frailty.

Let us consider the Apostle Paul who had trouble with people misjudging him. His authority was questioned many times because while his words were powerful, bold and weighty, he appeared to be weak in his body before them and his speech was said to be despicable.  "Look at what is before your eyes. If anyone is confident that he is Christ's, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ's, so also are we... For they say, 'His letters are weighty and strong, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech of no account.' Let such a person understand that what we say by letter when absent, we do when present..."  2 Corinthians 10:7-12.

Sadly, we have the tendency to judge too quickly. We have the bad habit of making quick judgments without full examination. It seems as if we are only concerned about looking at the physical beauty, the clothing, the house people live in, the car people drive, the hair styles that people have. And the list goes on. We are so easily swayed by smooth speech and what some call "charisma."  Let us be wise for a moment. Stop and think. All these things can easily distract us from knowing who people really are.  Let us not focus on seeking the wrong things!  Let us imitate Christ and His Father who see what is on the inside of men, the heart.  Does God know my heart? Yes, He does!

Remember, God looks at the heart. Unfortunately, what men see is what is in front of their eyes… what we show them. God warns us over and over that we should not regard or judge others by their outward appearance. Man's failure and weakness is to focus on the outward appearance and not the heart. What do you think?

Although we as Christians are aware that we should not judge others by their outward appearance, we must remember that others have this weakness. Our purpose should be that of desiring to communicate the righteousness of God and His Son by the way we behave and present ourselves to others, especially to a lost and dying world, steeped in darkness.

Take heart, what is inside of us will eventually show up on the outside, "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life."  Proverbs 4:23. 

"You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."  Matthew 12:34. 

"But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander." Matthew 15:18-19. 

"For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness." Mark 7:21-22.

"The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks."  Luke 6:45. 

So, if your demeanor is sloppy, sensual, careless or unclean, you must ask God to help you change your heart for a righteous one. Why not ask yourself the following questions:

1. Does my outward appearance communicate a message of love for Christ and my neighbor, or do I appear to want to be perceived as someone who never seems to care? 
2. Do others who meet me ever act surprised when they find out that I am a Christian because of what I apparently regard as important to me, such as my affection for subculture dress, leather, body piercings...?
3. Does the way I dress and behave communicate a message of chastity, or would others assume I am trying to look "hot'?
4. Why not look in the mirror and ask, “Does my demeanor appear to be gloomy or severe, or do I see joy and loveliness in my reflection?”

Remember that everything matters.  Every bit of it!  And the foundation for all of this is found in the words of our Lord:   

"And He said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the great and first commandment.  And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'  On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets." Matthew 22:37-40.

It is all about loving God with all your heart as well as loving your neighbor as yourself. One way I can express such love for Jesus our Lord is by honestly representing Him well.  It is our duty before our God to be prepared to act like godly women and godly men. What that means is that we must be careful to appear godly before a world of darkness. Our lives as Christians are open Bibles that represent Christ and can save souls. But we must be careful not to become stumbling blocks. We must learn to use discretion!

This is my question to you then, 1)  Is it okay for Christians to go to the PROM?  2)  Is it okay to wear indecent and immoral gowns just because everyone is wearing them and that is what our culture dictates?   3)  Are we fiercely guarding our reputation before our God?  4)  Don't you know we are commanded by our Lord to guard His reputation?  We clothe ourselves with Christ, "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ."  Galatians 3:27.   5)  Are we aware at all that when we dress, speak and behave, we are speaking of the purity of Christ whether it be honestly or dishonestly?   6)  Do we want to leave doubts about our chastity?  7)  Do we want to appear as contradicting the WORD of God? 

REMEMBER, the way I behave and present myself to the world points others to Christ, and should not distract them from Him. The same questions need to be faced concerning wedding gowns. Delicate sisters who would never dare to appear in public showing so much skin as the typical wedding gowns uncover, give themselves permission to do so in church.  Are their worldly friends thinking about how godly she looks or are they thinking how “hot” she looks?

Likewise older women are commanded to admonish the younger women to be "chaste" among other things. And why? The Word of God says, "Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled."  Titus 2:3-5.  This admonition is very serious, "that the Word of God may not be reviled."

May we never cause the Word of God to be reviled among the unbelievers as well as believers by the way we live and behave that is counter to what is described in Titus 2.  To revile or blaspheme literally means to slander, to communicate that which is not TRUE. We must live a life behaving in a manner worthy of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. What that means is that we must live a life that is consistent with the WORD of God, lest we give the unbelievers the opportunity to slander God because of our hypocrisy. Perish the thought! That would be a horrible thing!


As Christians, we might regard ourselves as being active just because we pass out tracts all day long, read our Bibles, or evangelize... The list can be long.  But if we leave out showing the purity of the Gospel before the lost, those that need to be inspired by us and the Word of God, because we neglect living according to the Word of God, we are allowing Satan to take away the power of the Gospel of our Lord. The Word of God says, "And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes."  Ezekiel 36:23.

My question then is this,  1)  Does your life vindicate God's holiness?  2)  Do those around you see a true and honest picture of God's righteousness and holiness?  3)  Do they see the beauty of Christ in your life by the way you live?  4)  Do they experience the power of the Word of God through the Gospel in you?  5)  Did you know that our primary purpose while we walk this path of life here on earth is to glorify our God in our bodies?  Our lives are to reflect His holiness, His character, His love, His purity and His beauty.   

"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body."   

I Corinthians 6:19-20. 

Here is another admonition, "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."  Romans 12:1-2.

Let us take these admonitions to heart and obey them! 

So with all these admonitions and exhortations about CHASTITY, let us behave in a manner that is pure and godly. Let’s let our godly conduct speak for us before the unbelievers. Let us be women and men who are chaste.  Let us be women who are submissive to our husbands in spirit in our conduct, living a life that reflects the TRUTH and PURITY of the Gospel of our Lord and Savior. 

“Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives, when they see your respectful and pure conduct.  Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear—  but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious."  Lest we forget true beauty is found in the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, I Peter 3:3-4.

My greatest desire and hope is that we learn that TRUE and BIBLICAL beauty is found in the heart of a woman who is chaste, godly, modest, gentle, meek and submissive to all the authorities in her life. She is the woman who lives a life that is marked by her good works, "with what is proper for women who profess godliness—with good works."   I Timothy 2:10.


May the Lord help us to live a life that is simply beautiful before His eyes.  May we make our lives as well as the lives of our daughters define our true beauty.  And may it be a life that is consistently evident by our godly behavior to the lost and dying world around us.  Hallowed be His name!


Luci

NOAH AND THE FLOOD

"And Jehovah saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented Jehovah that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And Jehovah said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the ground; both man, and beast, and creeping things, and birds of the heavens; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found favor in the eyes of Jehovah... And I, behold, I do bring the flood of waters upon this earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is in the earth shall die."

Genesis 6:5-17

There are many variations of the Biblical Flood account which are found in various cultures and on every continent.  Although the stories differ in their details, it is significant that there are so many stories about a worldwide Flood.  The Flood was so massive that it changed the whole world into a new one.  The Flood is remembered by cultures around the world even millenia later.  The Flood drives history:  before the Flood, the Bible tells us little about human history except that the people grew wicked.  After the Flood, we start to see some recording of human events.

One difference between the Bible account of the Flood and other accounts is that  in the Bible, God himself starts the flood and ends it after forty days (although the waters prevail and subside for over a year).  In most other tales and fables, it is said that an evil god starts the flood and a good god then ends it.  Of course the Bible emphasizes that there is only ONE GOD and that He is GOOD.  Notice that other cultures blame the gods for the evil that happens on the earth, whereas the Bible blames sinful men.  The Biblical account of the Flood begins in Genesis 6.  In Genesis 6:5 we read, "The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."  Now if we contrast that verse with verse 9 of Genesis 6 we read,  "Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God."  The contrast between Noah and the rest of the human race is important.  Noah was everything that God desired and expected of man.  God's divine design is stated thus, "He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth Jehovah require of thee, but to do justly, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with thy God."  Micah 6:8.

Noah was a righteous man in whom God found favor.  He was the only one that was found blameless that was living on earth at that time. Noah was living in a world that was consistently and totally evil.  He was a man who walked in close fellowship with his God in faith.  We see a very angry God; a God that was grieved in His heart and was sorry that He had made man on the earth. Our God hates sin very much and when He saw that the intentions of man's heart was in doing evil continually, He decided to blot out man whom He had created from the face of the earth except for Noah and his family.

The following is what the Bible tells us that God felt about the wickedness of man in the earth:

"And Jehovah saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  And it repented Jehovah that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And Jehovah said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the ground; both man, and beast, and creeping things, and birds of the heavens; for it repenteth me that I have made them."  Genesis 6:5-7.

Notice that only Noah and his family would be saved.  "By faith Noah, being warned of God concerning things not seen as yet, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; through which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith."  Hebrews 11:7.

"That aforetime were disobedient, when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water: which also after a true likeness doth now save you, even baptism, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the interrogation of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ."  I Peter 3:18-21.  

Some scholars believe that it had never rained anywhere on the earth before the Flood.  The following is what they point out: 

• Genesis 2:6 says that "but there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground."  This clearly indicates that the earth was watered by a mist and not by rain.  We don't know whether this natural process continued until the time of the Flood.
• Hebrews 11:7 may indicate that Noah had never seen rain. "By faith Noah, being warned of God concerning things not seen as yet, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; through which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith."  Of course, he had never seen a worldwide flood either.
• The mere fact that the rainbow, given after the flood as a covenant between God and Noah, is such a new phenomenon which could easily indicate that it had never rained before.
• The fact that Noah was mocked by others while he was building the ark could easily indicate that rain and a flood was unreasonable and unknown in their minds.

 God gave Noah specific instructions about how to build the ark, Genesis 6:13-22.  God told Noah who and what to take with him.  Notice also that Noah by faith obeyed God.  "Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he."  Genesis 6:22. God also promised He would protect Noah and his family throughout the flood.  God also made a covenant with Noah which is the first recorded covenant that God made with man:

"But I will establish my covenant with thee; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee."  Genesis 6:18.

In this manner God's covenant places Him precisely in contrast with the other so called gods of the Ancient Near East.  The gods of these Ancients never made covenants with humans.

 

In Genesis 6:19, Noah is instructed by God:  "And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female."

Then in Genesis 7:2-3, Noah is instructed by God "Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee seven and seven, the male and his female; and of the beasts that are not clean two, the male and his female: of the birds also of the heavens, seven and seven, male and female, to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth."

Why do you think there are two different instructions to follow?  Why does God tell Noah to take all the animals two by two?  Why does God tell Noah to take seven of every kind of clean animals?  Notice that God tells Noah this just a few verses later.

An explanation for the above instruction lies in the understanding of clean and unclean animals under the Old Testament.  In the Old Testament, clean animals were animals that were considered suitable for food and for sacrifices offered to God.  The sacrifice of clean animals was pleasing to God.  Hence, God instructs Noah to bring seven of every kind of clean animal to fulfill both of these purposes.  The reason for this was that Noah and his family were evidently going to survive the Flood.  They would need clothing, shelter and food.  The clean animals would help provide these things.  These clean animals would be the beginning for Noah to have access to a new livestock, perhaps, with cows and goats for milk and meat, chickens for eggs, sheep for wool, and so on.  Our wonderful God thinks of everything that we need and provides it!!

After Noah and his family left the ark, they built an altar and made a sacrifice to God.  "And Noah builded an altar unto Jehovah, and took of every clean beast, and of every clean bird, and offered burnt-offerings on the altar."  Genesis 8:20.  Notice that some of the clean animals were set aside for this sacrifice.

After Noah and his family went into the ark, the LORD shut them in.  This is also unique to the Biblical account of the Flood.  By contrast, in other Ancient cultures of the far East, their stories or fables tell of boats.  It was always a man who closed the door.  In the Bible account of the Flood, God closed the door.

God then released heavy streams of rain until the mountains were covered.  In other flood accounts, the gods became terrified at the forces that were released.  Some of them cowered and cried out.  However, in the Biblical account of the flood, God remained fully in control.  After forty days and nights, the rain stopped and the waters began to recede:

"God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged; the fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; and the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of a hundred and fifty days the waters decreased."  Genesis 8:1-3.

Noah then sent out birds from the ark as God had instructed him in order to make sure the land was dry.  Noah first sent a raven, then a dove.  All this was done three different times.  In the fables and stories regarding the flood, birds appear also.  The second time the dove returned, it brought an olive leaf to Noah.  The third dove did not return.  Genesis 8:7-11

Afterward, the LORD told Noah to leave the ark.  One of the first things Noah did was to build an altar to the LORD Jehovah.  There he offered a sacrifice to the LORD.  Although, other flood accounts do mention sacrifices, the sacrifices were only  for the purpose of  feeding the gods since the flood had destroyed their food supply.  On the other hand, in the Biblical account of the Flood, Noah offered sacrifice as an act of worship.  The worship was to be a fragrant aroma sacrifice that was to be pleasing to God.  In the case of Noah's sacrifice God was pleased.  Genesis 8:15-22

Finally, the LORD Jehovah made a covenant with Noah where God promised not to ever destroy the earth with another flood.  The LORD Jehovah placed a rainbow in the sky as a sign of  His oath saying:

"And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud, and I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth."  Genesis 9:12-17.

There is a fascinating fact about the Ice Age and the Flood where Creationists believe that the waters of  the Flood came both above and below the ground, as Scripture says in Genesis 7:11.  According to this view, waters bursting out of the ground might have caused earthquakes, volcano eruptions and massive changes in the earth's crust.  Volcanic ash and dust might have spewed into the atmosphere, creating an "anti-greenhouse" effect that brought on the so called "Ice Age." 

The story of Noah and the Flood stands as an historical warning that not only did God judge the wickedness of ancient men, but He also has fixed a day in which He will judge the wickedness of all men again.

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing that these things are thus all to be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy living and godliness, looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, by reason of which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?  But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for these things, give diligence that ye may be found in peace, without spot and blameless in his sight."  II Peter 3:9-14.

Luci

THE LONG AWAITED LAW OF CHRIST

And many peoples will come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways and that we may walk in His paths.'  For the law will go forth from Zion and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.  

Isaiah 2:3

God had promised He would send His Messiah, Jesus, to teach us His LAWS in order that we might walk in His pathways.  Likewise, God promised the Law would come from Jerusalem from His Son, Jesus, to be taught in our hearts, the glory of God which is His righteousness, "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."  John 1:14.  This is what the Scriptures say,  “Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, a people in whose heart is My law; do not fear the reproach of man, nor be dismayed at their revilings." Isaiah 51:7.  This Law of God planted in the hearts of those who would listen was to be the Law of God's Words.  This Law was to teach us the righteousness of God through Christ to everyone who believes, "but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law."  Romans 9:31; "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes."   Rom. 10:4.

This Law was to be the Law of His Son, Christ, which was of faith, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;  whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed;  for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.  Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is He not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, since indeed God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith is one.  Do we then nullify the Law through faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish the Law."  Romans 3:23-32.  This Law of Christ was to be good, holy and righteous, "So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good...."  Romans 7:10-19.

The Law of God, the Law of Christ concerned the inner man, the law of the mind "For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man."  Romans 7:22.  The Law of Christ was to be the Law of God within our mind vs. the law of sin, the law of flesh, "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin."  Romans 7:25.  The Law of Christ was to be the law of the Spirit to set us free from the slavery of sin, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit"  Romans 8:2-4.

This Law of Christ was to bear fruit pleasing to God, "Because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God."  Romans 8:7-8.  The Law of Christ was to be the law of practicing love and not of practicing evil, "Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."  Romans 13:10.   This Law of Christ was to be the salvation of all men.  The Law of Moses directed the thinking of men to Christ, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes."  Romans 10:4.  "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to every one who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."  Romans 1:16.

It is through the Law of Christ that we are able to receive the promise of  our inheritance, our hope of heaven.  This Law of Christ was given because of our sins.  The Law of Moses was ordained by angels through a mediator until the promised seed should come, Christ our seed.   "Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed would come to whom the promise had been made."  Gal. 3:19.  The Law of Christ, who is the "promised seed," was to give us life.  The Law of Moses served as the guardian of God's promises that Jesus Christ would fulfill, but the Law of Moses could not make anyone righteous without the blood of Christ. "Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law."  Galatians 3:21 ESV.

This Law of Christ was to be given to judge the unrighteous, the lawless, "But we know that the Law is good, if one uses it lawfully, realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers and [g]immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted, realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person, but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers."
I Timothy 1:8-11.

The Law of Christ was to be the law of liberty that would judge the hearts of men, "But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does."  James 1:25.   "For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.  So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty."  James 2:11-12.  "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."  Hebrews 4:12 ESV.

The Law of Christ was to be the royal law and would have to be observed in order to be blameless, "If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself,' you are doing well.  But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all."  James 2:8-10.  We cannot neglect all of the LAWS of Jesus Christ and still claim to be blameless.

But we must OBEY IT with humility, "Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.  I Peter 5:6.   He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you
But to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?  Micah 6:8.  The Law of Christ was to be the law of kindness and justice.  The Law of Christ was to be the law of righteous judgment toward our neighbor, "Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it.  There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?"  James 4:10-12.

The Law of Christ provided the only way that man could have access to the blood which takes away the guilt of sin to those who OBEY IT, "And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.  Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.  You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin. No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him."  I John 3:1-6.   "If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."   1 John 1:6-9.   Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Brethren, what shall we do?'  Peter said to them, 'Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."  Acts 2:37-38.

But we must  TREASURE THE LAW OF CHRIST if we indeed are His children who practice His righteousness and are HOLY like HE IS, "Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous."  I John 3:7.  "As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”   I Peter 1:13-17.

The Law of Christ is the Law of God's commandments, testimonies, reverence(fear), statutes, precepts and judgements, "Because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws.”   Gen. 26:5.  "The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.  The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes.  The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true; they are righteous altogether.  They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.  Moreover, by them Your servant is warned; In keeping them there is great reward."  Psalm 19:7-11. The PERFECT LAW of Christ is able to restore the soul to wisdom and purity.

Although the word LAW does not appear in John 12:48, the words of Jesus Christ that will judge us on the last day could as easily be called the Law of Christ, "The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day." 

CONCLUSION:

The Law of Christ, the Law of God is the Law that was to be planted in our minds, hearts and souls in order to be His children, His own special people, being called out of darkness into His Son's kingdom of light, purified for good deeds, “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel After those days, says the Lord:  I will put My laws into their minds, and I will write them on their hearts.   And I will be their God, And they shall be My people."  Hebrews 8:10.   "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."  I Peter 2:9-10.  "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds."  Titus 2:11-14.

Finally, the Law of Christ, the Law of God was to be the covenant between our God and those who would LISTEN AND OBEY IT.  He would write the Law in our hearts and erase our lawless deeds and make us into new creatures of righteousness, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord:  I will put My laws upon their heart, and on their mind I will write them,” He then says,  “And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.”  Hebrews 10:16-17.  "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."  2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV. 

Thanks be to our Father in Heaven for sending us His Son, our Messiah, to teach us His Father's paths, His LAWS, in our hearts in order that we might have abundant life and the hope of eternity in heaven with HIM and His Son.  Thanks be to our Father for His PERFECT LAW that is able to restore the souls of men transferring them from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of His Son Jesus, "For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son."  Colossians 1:13.  Thanks be to God for His Law, the Law of Christ which makes us wise through the simplicity and purity of His Gospel.  2 Corinthians 11:3.  Thanks be to God for Christ's Law because it is righteous altogether, enlightening the eyes of our heart with understanding and His righteousness, giving us a clean conscience and pure heart.  "How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?"   Hebrews 9:14. 

May our God help us to meditate and delight in His LAW, the LAW of Christ, with OBEDIENCE so that we may be acceptable in His sight and never be put to shame.



Luci