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Re: Bulletin Board [message #11701 is a reply to message #11700]

Mon, 10 August 2015 09:24

Gary
Messages: 1025
Registered: August 2008
Location: Indiana

Senior Member

james wrote on Sun, 09 August 2015 13:48

Just a Reminder...

"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

But his delight is in the Law of The LORD, and in His Law doth he meditate day and night.

And he shall be be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brineth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doth shall prosper." Psalms 1:1-3

So often with the wisdom and guidance of men we are presented with what "not to do", rules and regulations; but God, in His Word gives us instruction on what "to do" that will bring positive results. Delight in God's Word and meditate on it continually...Yes, He also tells us what not to do, but that's because He wants us to walk in His blessings and fellowship with Him and He knows that trusting in mans counsel and hanging with ungodly people and becoming comfortable with the world and it's ways leads away from Him and His will for us. His wisdom is given through His Word and with that Word dwelling inside us we will be planted in Him, deep and unmovable, bringing forth fruit unto His glory.

I think 95% of the time men are quoting, what we can call "God's Rules", the problem is when they try to give their interpretation and "addition" to what God is saying. For instance modesty of dress becomes no pants on women, no red high heels, no stripes on your tennis shoes, and the list goes on.

There's not a church in the country that is not guilty of this in some way. Even if things are not dealt with from a pulpit, rules are present and become governed by an unspoken type of peer pressure that everyone follows. I don't think having some guidelines is all completely bad because it helps some people to stay on the straight and narrow. Take that in the right context not trying to say someone is to indorse a dress code or whatever.

But with that said, God does set up standards in the Word, that believers should pay attention to, but its every ones additions to the standard that becomes the problem.

The Pharisees took the scriptures concerning "resting on the Sabbath" and created a whole set of rules that God did not initiate. I think its very easy to do even with the guidelines set forth in the NT.

Somethings are okay in themselves to do, but are they expedient to what the Spirit of God is wanting for us is the question. I think there is a Deeper place in the Spirit of God that every individual needs to strive for, its dealing with our flesh, the devil and this old world, that presents a hindrance.

Maybe this is why were told to work out "our own salvation", with "fear and trembling".

Gary

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