Words expressed, interpretation.

Its hard to see the expressions, see the attitude, hear (see) the tone, and body language online. Through words as someone will read, words should be expressed clearly to make their point across. There are times when our honest expression of an opinion will be misinterpreted, our motive and heart misread. Words can have meaning that varies from person to person when discussing and asking questions. The answers become more clearer when I read some people replies to the questions. When you read the posts, you will look at their wording, whether or not you can discern which is good fruit or bad. However, you can judge how they think and believe based on what they said. Words themselves can reveal fruit of a person's heart/thoughts. A Christian should demonstrate godly love with words carefully and have real credibility based on the words. We are to discuss doctrines but when someone gets personal on a person's spiritual being, that causes strife. Flesh is built upon a balance of personal interests. Selfish personal interest is the motive behind all sinners conduct. As a Christian, I still can have sinful desires, foolish desires, proud desires and at the same time, have godly desires. So, how do we express words in the internet without creating false assumptions of a poster's fruits based on their words? Most of the time, I never had problems with posters who debates without personal attackes or making smart remarks or mocking. That could be the difference. Other than that, I already posted my thoughts about words that comes out from the heart in another thread.

Old and New Natures

Salvation is spiritual since our bodies will die someday. If we are spiritually healed today, then we would live FOREVER without dying. Old Creature is Pride (Following flesh's desires) = Self-Centered New Creature is Humility (Following God's desires) = God-Centered As Christians, with the help from the Holy Spirit, we have the understanding of what pleases God; our thoughts, our desires, our affections that are transformed in over time. Christianity is radical because we change from old nature to the new nature, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of God that created us. From our old creature, we learned worldly desires and causing us to think more worldly (still do). Our selfish desire for happiness and success are really more worldly than spiritually. It is interesting that people talks of faith in relation to "success". The measure of faith by some is defined how successful you are spiritually. I truly don't believe that God determine (measure) our faith based on our own works (success). The Bible teaches that the root of the flesh (sin) is selfishness. The very FIRST SIN occurred in heaven by Lucifer (Satan) was related to selfishness (wanting to be equal to God). When people start reasoning by thinking psychological terminology, which is the two-nature terminology, this leads to heresy. I am having the same problem people interpreting Romans 7. We do that with Christians, we say they have an old nature and a new nature, and again, we’re sort of compartmentalizing them psychologically, which isn’t really biblical, either. Those aren’t terms used in reference to a Christian. Richard Baxter put it, "humility is not a mere ornament of a Christian, but an essential part of the new creature." "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble" (Jas 4:6, quoting Pr 3:34). "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up" (Jas 4:10). Colossians 3:12 instructs us to put on humility. First Peter 5:5 tells us to be clothed with humility. And Ephesians 4:1-2 says we are to walk in humility. If you desire honor and glory from God, you must display humility first. That is contrary to our earthly philosophy, which exalts pride. Jesus emphasized humility in Matthew 18:3-4 when He said that anyone who would come into His Kingdom must humble himself as a little child. They needed to learn to deny themselves. That's a mark of a true follower of Jesus Christ James wrote it clear that God's grace is amply sufficient to enable us to live a godly life and to keep ourselves "from being polluted by the world" (Jas 1:27). But ONLY God gives his grace only to the humble, who admit their dependence on it. If, therefore, we hope for his grace to lift us up to holiness, we must "humble (ourselves) before the Lord" (Jas 4:10). The Greek word alazoneia refers to being proud when you really have nothing to be proud about. We live in a proud and egotistical generation. People continually promote themselves. People are now twisting the Bible to promote pride and self- esteem.

Fruits and Judgement

I had thoughts about Pharisees when I view denominations and movements. "A pharisee is hard on others and easy on himself, but a spiritual man is easy on others and hard on himself" (A.W. Tozer). Those who similar to Pharisees' attitudes are those who magnifies the faults of those who based others on appearance and diminishes their graces, while they promote their doctrines. So, when we talk about love. I agree its not a doormat based on a human point of view, but rather Agape in God's point of view. The only way the spiritual gifts are going to operate is love. Love is the key. God is love. He gave us two commandments. We are to love God and others. With the Holy Spirit and love, I will walk in the Spirit, Christ produces the fruit. It is Christ through the Holy Spirit produces power, love, a sound mind through us. Christ helps us. Without Christ, we are nothing. Along with love and under the control of the Holy Spirit, the power of love and Holy Spirit flows through us. However, man's doctrines often gets in the way of the doctrine of love. You NEVER know their hearts even though their "actions" may appear to be right. We should be judging ourselves rather judging others. God is not impressed by my appearance (1. Samuel 16:7). The Lord said to Samuel, "Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord don't make decisions the way you do. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at a person's thoughts and intentions (heart)." (NLT). If someone or a denomination or movement tells me that my salvation is not true... Then, they don't know my heart as God knows. God is not impressed by my works (1. Samuel 16:7). The Lord said to Samuel, "Don't judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord don't make decisions the way you do. People judge by outward appearance (i.e. works), but the Lord looks at a person's thoughts and intentions (heart)." (NLT) Judging based on appearance and doctrines are man-centered more than God-center. Appearance is one thing but fruit of the Spirit is the other. "You should not judge", is not the same as "fruit inspector", or "discerning true and false teachings". People who don't discern are those who are "ignorance". Its really interesting about people are mixing "judging" and "discerning". Jesus gave us the formula for finding out "false prophets," but the devil are using people to tell us we should "not judge." So people are telling us: "God didn't make you a judge so therefore do not inspect fruits." Jesus gave us wonderful examples and one of His great example is "By THEIR FRUITS you shall know them" Christians are too look at the WHOLE package of a Christian. Do not have a tunnel vision" based on their teachings alone. You need to look at their whole being. By THEIR fruits, you shall know them. The problems when we look at their fruits, we judge based on doctrine rather than spiritual salvation. Self-righteousness is terrible among Christian community because it is very naturally that we judge everyone by what/who we are because it is usually smug satisfaction with self. Self-righteousness also leads to self-satisfaction accompanied by unawareness of what is going on. Even though we are no longer sinners (seperated from God) but we have the Holy Spirit in us that we are able to bear fruit in our sinful bodies. I know that people reap what they sow, but we cannot use this in every cases as a universal reason. The bottom line is this: I am trying to look at the Fruit of the Spirit rather than doctrines when I look at my brothers and sisters in Christ. I was reading Proverbs today and I have summarized what I have learned. Kind words are like honey--sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. A cheerful look brings joy to the heart; good news makes for good health. A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person's strength. The human spirit can endure a sick body, but who can bear it if the spirit is crushed? Your own soul is nourished when you are kind, but you destroy yourself when you are cruel. The godly are like trees that bear life-giving fruit, and those who save lives are wise. The godliness of good people rescues them; the ambition of treacherous people traps them. People can get many good things by the words they say; the work of their hands also gives them many benefits. Gentle words bring life and health; a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." In 2 Peter, Chapter 1, verses 5 through 9: "make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Fruits and Love: 1 Timothy 1:5 "The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith." As long as our conscience is clear and our heart is pure before God, don't be concerned with issues. That is GRACE. In Romans 14:5 "One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind." 1 Corinthians 10:28-29 "both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience' sake, the other man's conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another's conscience?" Matthew 12:33-37 "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." James 3:5 Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. Proverbs 12:18 Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. In other words, we are to look at our words. And apply ourself to control our hearts because in Proverbs 4:23 says "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." and another in Proverbs 16:23 "A wise man's heart guides his mouth, and his lips promote instruction." Church divisions have been going on since the New Testament days As Paul wrote in1 Corinthians 12-13 "One of you says, 'I follow Paul'; another, 'I follow Apollos'; another, 'I follow Cephas'; still another, 'I follow Christ.' Is Christ divided?" We are man-centered and our doctrines are dividing us rather than spiritual unity under the Cross of Christ (Salvation). We are Christians simply because we have accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior. As disciples, our Christian faith should be inward, not outward because the Bible teaches that faith is of the spirit and not of the flesh. Christ dwells in our hearts, and "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27) is the burning core of the Christian faith. Jesus also didn't say: "Love your doctrines with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor who believes the same doctrines as you you.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." What did Jesus REALLY say? " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." To some (especially those who are bold) are dividing us by doctrines rather than by Christ. I don't see unity happening anytime soon even though we are in God's eyes united spiritually. (Only those He knows for sure by looking into their hearts to see if they have Jesus in their hearts).