How do we know where that line between spiritual and natural is? How do we avoid getting caught up in the natural life things that look righteous and feel good to us, but are apparently against the teachings of God? How do we measure righteousness and wickedness when they are constantly made confusing by the world around us?
It's all about the standard, the ruler, the measure we use....
If you use the "standard of the world", then you are going to go the way of the world. Your life will be filled with the vain wanderings of the common people as you live a life that is focused on yourself and only the things that make you happy. You will always be like everyone else, and less likely to be subjected to ridicule, exclusion, rejection, oppression, persecution or injustice. If you have the life of common worldly people, the Word of God promises that you will be dealt in the Day of Judgment as one of them.
If you use the "standard of what feels good", then you take a little bit from both places.....the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of the World. I would make a guess that this is the standard that most of our weaker brothers and sisters in Christ use. You go to church on Sunday and sing the feel good songs, and you pray loudly and often for those around you to see, you use the Scripture that verifies your position in things, and ignore the ones that go against your chosen walk, you embrace the things in life that feel good, and ignore the Word of God when it revals the sinfulness of your position. Your mantra is "There can't be anything wrong with what I'm doing, because it feels too good".
If you use the "standard of the Word of God", then you restrict your actions to the things that He Wills you to do, to become and to live. If His Will is used, then you have a clear line, a clear separation between the things of the world, and the things of His Kingdom. The more focused you are on the Word of God, the more clearer that line becomes to you, and the more able you are to stay on this side of the spiritual line.
Using the Word of God as your standard makes you a person following the Ways and Will of the LORD God. You are not common, you are not of this world, and you do not receive the benefits of this world. You search Scripture dilligently, and apply it consistently, irregardless of the pain it might cause you to follow it. You subject yourselves to all of the negative punishments that this world would have you receive. But.....your commitment to His Word allows you to become righteous and holy and walk toward Him, and promises you eternal reward when this world comes to an end.
So staying on the right side of the spiritual line is not hard, if you focus on the Word of God. For Christians who are moved by Him to do His Works out here in the world, it is even more critical that the Word of God is ever before them and their focus placed attentively on His every Word. If a Christian is doing a dangerous job of moving between spiritual and natural life things, then he best well put on the armor of God, and be even more dedicated to following everything that is revealed through His Word!
Bucker
12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; 13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. 14 Follow peace with all [men], and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble [you], and thereby many be defiled; 16 Lest there [be] any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
18 For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, 19 And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which [voice] they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: 20 (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: 21 And so terrible was the sight, [that] Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) 22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than [that of] Abel. 25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more [shall not] we [escape], if we turn away from him that [speaketh] from heaven: 26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. 27 And this [word], Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 29 For our God [is] a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:12-29 AV)
It's all about the standard, the ruler, the measure we use....
If you use the "standard of the world", then you are going to go the way of the world. Your life will be filled with the vain wanderings of the common people as you live a life that is focused on yourself and only the things that make you happy. You will always be like everyone else, and less likely to be subjected to ridicule, exclusion, rejection, oppression, persecution or injustice. If you have the life of common worldly people, the Word of God promises that you will be dealt in the Day of Judgment as one of them.
If you use the "standard of what feels good", then you take a little bit from both places.....the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of the World. I would make a guess that this is the standard that most of our weaker brothers and sisters in Christ use. You go to church on Sunday and sing the feel good songs, and you pray loudly and often for those around you to see, you use the Scripture that verifies your position in things, and ignore the ones that go against your chosen walk, you embrace the things in life that feel good, and ignore the Word of God when it revals the sinfulness of your position. Your mantra is "There can't be anything wrong with what I'm doing, because it feels too good".
If you use the "standard of the Word of God", then you restrict your actions to the things that He Wills you to do, to become and to live. If His Will is used, then you have a clear line, a clear separation between the things of the world, and the things of His Kingdom. The more focused you are on the Word of God, the more clearer that line becomes to you, and the more able you are to stay on this side of the spiritual line.
Using the Word of God as your standard makes you a person following the Ways and Will of the LORD God. You are not common, you are not of this world, and you do not receive the benefits of this world. You search Scripture dilligently, and apply it consistently, irregardless of the pain it might cause you to follow it. You subject yourselves to all of the negative punishments that this world would have you receive. But.....your commitment to His Word allows you to become righteous and holy and walk toward Him, and promises you eternal reward when this world comes to an end.
So staying on the right side of the spiritual line is not hard, if you focus on the Word of God. For Christians who are moved by Him to do His Works out here in the world, it is even more critical that the Word of God is ever before them and their focus placed attentively on His every Word. If a Christian is doing a dangerous job of moving between spiritual and natural life things, then he best well put on the armor of God, and be even more dedicated to following everything that is revealed through His Word!
Bucker
12 Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; 13 And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed. 14 Follow peace with all [men], and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble [you], and thereby many be defiled; 16 Lest there [be] any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.
18 For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, 19 And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which [voice] they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: 20 (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: 21 And so terrible was the sight, [that] Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) 22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, 24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than [that of] Abel. 25 See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more [shall not] we [escape], if we turn away from him that [speaketh] from heaven: 26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. 27 And this [word], Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: 29 For our God [is] a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:12-29 AV)
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1 comments:
Staying on the right side of line takes a couple of things. Firstly, as you said it takes us to read His Word, the Bible. In the Bible, it teaches us all the ways that we should live that is pleasing to God. It teaches us what is sin and what is acceptable in God's eyes. Secondly, we must listen and obey the Holy Spirit when it speaks to us in a still small voice. The Holy Spirit is given to us to guide us, to teach us, to admonish us, to comfort us, to lead us in the ways that we should go. If we are doing something that is not pleasing to God, the Holy Spirit will warn us that it is not right, and then it is up to us to listen and obey the Spirit. When we are tempted, we are drawn away by our own lusts, and when the Spirit tells us something is not right in our lives, sometimes we dont like to hear that, because it pricks us and we dont like it. We like to be enticed in our desires, whether the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, or the pride of life. It must therefore be with a sincere heart that we want to live a holy life to God, and be obedient to the Spirit. And lastly, we must reply on the strength of Jesus to help us. We cannot be faithful on our own strength no matter how hard we try. We pray and ask Jesus to help us to be faithful to Him, we die daily to our own desires, and ask the Lord to guide us to live each day to His glory. If we do all this, then the Lord will keep us living a life that is pleasing to God, and we will be convicted in our own hearts where the lines are.
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