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Location: land of quail, bunnies, and red tail hawks
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cg81
Here are some verses that come just before the verses Alpha brought up:
Ephesians 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
I'm glad you reminded us of that verse. I like to couple that with Philippians 4:8. I once heard a Bible teacher say that Phil 4:8 was for "frisking our thoughts," which can be extended to the words that come out of our mouths.
Philippians 4:8
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
To frisk your thoughts and words, ask the following questions. If the answer is no to any of them, we need to stop pronto.
Is what I'm about to say true? Is it right, or is it the right thing to say, or is it right that I say it? Would it be noble to say this? Is the thought or intention I'm about to convey pure? Is it lovely? Admirable? Excellent? Would others (especially God) praise me for saying this?
I've found that I usually don't have to get beyond the second or third question before I have my answer. I believe if we "frisk" our thoughts and speech, we will--indeed--be speaking the truth in love.
Location: land of quail, bunnies, and red tail hawks
1,513 posts, read 3,388,067 times
Reputation: 3539
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alpha8207
I read this passage this morning, and thought about my brothers and sisters in Christ here on CD.
[indent][i]So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.
Alpha,
I really appreciated reading the Scripture you presented. It is rich in meaning and action for our lives!
At the risk of being flamed, I would like to discuss the portion selected above. What does it mean not to live as the Gentiles do? What is the futility of their thinking? The rest of this portion, also, surely seems very harsh to most Christians, let alone what the non-believing world must think. This passage is very un-PC!
Personally, I think this is a portion of Scripture most Christians would like to sweep under the rug. It's very hard not to be influenced by the world when we are expected to live in it. The only safeguard I see is having a standard of truth that does not change. However, when Christians feel that the Bible is only a guideline or only applicable to the culture at the time it was written or it's misinterpreted, etc., where does our standard of truth come from? Many feel that it comes from within, but the Bible tells us that the heart is deceitful. Others think that it comes from societal norms, but do we really think God would agree. Some feel that science will dictate truth; however, scientific "truths" often change so often that it makes the head spin.
I think we can couple this portion of Ephesians 4 with Hosea 4. Hosea 4 is a charge against the Israelites; Ephesians 4 is a charge against Christians. I see many parallels between the two, and I think many modern day Christians are accurately described in Hosea 4. The warning in that chapter is that, "my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge."
I really appreciated reading the Scripture you presented. It is rich in meaning and action for our lives!
At the risk of being flamed, I would like to discuss the portion selected above. What does it mean not to live as the Gentiles do? What is the futility of their thinking? The rest of this portion, also, surely seems very harsh to most Christians, let alone what the non-believing world must think. This passage is very un-PC!
Personally, I think this is a portion of Scripture most Christians would like to sweep under the rug. It's very hard not to be influenced by the world when we are expected to live in it. The only safeguard I see is having a standard of truth that does not change. However, when Christians feel that the Bible is only a guideline or only applicable to the culture at the time it was written or it's misinterpreted, etc., where does our standard of truth come from? Many feel that it comes from within, but the Bible tells us that the heart is deceitful. Others think that it comes from societal norms, but do we really think God would agree. Some feel that science will dictate truth; however, scientific "truths" often change so often that it makes the head spin.
I think we can couple this portion of Ephesians 4 with Hosea 4. Hosea 4 is a charge against the Israelites; Ephesians 4 is a charge against Christians. I see many parallels between the two, and I think many modern day Christians are accurately described in Hosea 4. The warning in that chapter is that, "my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge."
Blueberry, here are some more verses that go along with that thought:
Ro 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
12 Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
I really appreciated reading the Scripture you presented. It is rich in meaning and action for our lives!
At the risk of being flamed, I would like to discuss the portion selected above. What does it mean not to live as the Gentiles do? What is the futility of their thinking? The rest of this portion, also, surely seems very harsh to most Christians, let alone what the non-believing world must think. This passage is very un-PC!
Personally, I think this is a portion of Scripture most Christians would like to sweep under the rug. It's very hard not to be influenced by the world when we are expected to live in it. The only safeguard I see is having a standard of truth that does not change. However, when Christians feel that the Bible is only a guideline or only applicable to the culture at the time it was written or it's misinterpreted, etc., where does our standard of truth come from? Many feel that it comes from within, but the Bible tells us that the heart is deceitful. Others think that it comes from societal norms, but do we really think God would agree. Some feel that science will dictate truth; however, scientific "truths" often change so often that it makes the head spin.
I think we can couple this portion of Ephesians 4 with Hosea 4. Hosea 4 is a charge against the Israelites; Ephesians 4 is a charge against Christians. I see many parallels between the two, and I think many modern day Christians are accurately described in Hosea 4. The warning in that chapter is that, "my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge."
What a great post, blueberry. You're right, it isn't very PC. No flames from me either and, thankfully, so far the discussions here have been healthy and confined to those who actually accept the validity of the Word and its impact and implications for their lives.
I'm in complete agreement with your assessment of how many professing Christians are quick to find fault with the Bible, the relevance of it, the application of it, etc. I wonder if folks realize that by compromising their Bibles, they compromise their beliefs. If they have a Bible that says "All scripture is God-breathed' and then they say "Oh, well not that verse, certainly not the way it 'reads'", they now have a huge issue with all scripture, from the front cover to the back. It's a good observation you make.
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