How should a child of God act?

[Aaron Oliver]

Forgive me if this is in the wrong forum...

I have been to a few internet message boards and seen christians act in ways I never thought a "little Christ" should.

So here is my question. Should a child of the king be acting like the people of the world?

I thought that we were told to come out from the world and be separate.

If it is wanted I will be willing to post some examples of the kind of conduct that I have seen. Some may think it is no big deal but it concerns me.


Peace.

Aaron.

[FirstSunday33ad]

Today @ 02:20 PM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=158135#post158135)
Aaron Oliver:

Forgive me if this is in the wrong forum...

I have been to a few internet message boards and seen christians act in ways I never thought a "little Christ" should.

So here is my question. Should a child of the king be acting like the people of the world?

I thought that we were told to come out from the world and be separate.

If it is wanted I will be willing to post some examples of the kind of conduct that I have seen. Some may think it is no big deal but it concerns me.


Peace.

Aaron.

We should act as Christ acted and behave as He behaved.

That said, remember that we are also humans, subject to the same fears, impulses, desires, dislikes and bias as we were before we came to Christ.

Also remember: Peter was charged as being a hypocrite, the Corinthians got a stern talking to from Paul and the Church of Laodicea was condemned by Christ Himself for being lukewarm.

We aren't perfect the difference is - we notice.

[Homie]

That is true FirstSunday33ad. I even find myself outraged and in fury, thus leading me to say and conduct myself as all the heathens I am discussing with. Many times, people won't even notice I am a christian. This comes from frustration, hopelessness at the way many people are acting.

What I find is smart when I have had many of those heated arguments is to pause from the forums (or other discussion areas) for a while, read the Bible or whatever. But, like brother FirstSunday33ad said, we are just human.

Even though I know Jesus said " Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do", I find myself thinking "Father, punish them severely, because they are stupid and blind!"

[luv1another]

Aaron,
I believe that a child of God should not be behaving like the world.
I too have seen some Christians respond like 2 year olds when there was no need. Yes I think that each of us are at diffrent points in our Christian walk, but sometimes people use a whole lot of excuses to be like the world. How many Christians would watch witch shows or sex on TV, I really believe what we are watching and allowing to come into our brain influences the type of person we are. So I would say that a Christian should try not to be like the world. Yes we should be set apart but at the same time we need to have some knowledge of peoples difficulties and the things that your average non Christian struggles with so as to be able to emphasise with them when trying to lead them to Christ. Although I think knowing and doing are two diffrent things we can know that witchcraft is a sin and maybe read a book about someone who has been saved from it, or we can sit and listen to sabrina and buffy and then look up spells in books etc I believe their is a huge diffrence and Christians are falling into a worlds standard when they should be trying to imitate Christ. But like someone else said we are human and fail and thats what Gods grace is about. But I also believe that if a Christian fails they should learn from that failure and try harder not to do the same thing next time. I too got cross at someone on a board once and probably said something I shouldnt have but the next time I just walked away and prayed about the response I would give, when I went back and posted I was polite and posted without being cross or upset.
anyway thats my opinion :smile:

[Theolog]

First of all, Christians should fix their eyes on Jesus. Then of course we will not dwell on the mote in the others eye while there is a beam in our own eye.

I see the real problem is that Christianity is not the act that the pious hypocrites dream that it should be.

The problem with piety is that it usually is a self-righteous attempt at being something that you are not and boils down to someone that sneers down upon and despises all who don’t measure up to the some self imposed, illusionary, so called biblical legalistic standards, and all in the name of love.

A great example of this is Christian temperance taking the wine out of communion and replacing it with juice thereby destroying the holy sacrament, and all in the name of piety.

The word hypocrite means someone that acts like something they are not. God bless those people whose Christianity is not an act.

Be real.

Flaming Calvinist.

[Aaron Oliver]

thanks everyone.

[darcutm]

Hey--Great topic...
You know the carnality of people's behavior, often speaks volumes on their "christian" credibility....Because "we know when we've passed from death unto life when we have love for the brethren"...

[Xmansmommy]

amen darcutm!

[Aaron Oliver]

lemme just ask a question and get y'alls take on it

1) should a Christian cuss?

like i am talking straight out cussing the f bomb and the s word and stuff like that.

I always thought it was wrong but my calvinist friends say that it is fine i was just wondering about it.

thanks for your time.

[darcutm]

last time i checked my Bible said let no corrupt communication out of my mouth

[Aaron Oliver]

Today @ 07:51 PM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=174213#post174213)
darcutm:

last time i checked my Bible said let no corrupt communication out of my mouth

yeah i know but i have friends that say that cussing is not corrupt and that those passages are talking about other stuff and it does not make a whole lot of sense to me.

[darcutm]

1 Corinthians 15:33-34

33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not
KJV

Ephesians 4:29-30

29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
KJV

Ephesians 4:29-30

29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
KJV

Ephesians 5:4

4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.
KJV


Firstly, think of the first scripture...Even to the world, not Christians, but to the world, you don't go swearing around anybody and everybody...It's sensored on the television, it's rated and given warnings....It's not seen as good manners to the world. Would you saying bad words be good to the use of edifying? When you tell someone "*$#@ YOU" is that building them up. A thousand times, no. The third one mentions filthiness...The greek word means obscenity.
Second, back in 1 Cor 15, Paul makes an astounding revelation...Really the point is when you awake to righteousness, you sin not. When you get a revelation of who you are and your right standing with God, then compromising that to sin (especially for an occaisional bad word) is out of the question. Why say a bad word if God's on your side? Why sin if you are in a position where God remembers your past sins no more??
Notice that Paul mentions also in Eph 4, grieving the Spirit...One reason this may be a trouble for you is this: Where is the Spirit? In you. If the Spirit is grieved and if you've ever learned to listen to Him then you will know when He is or isn't grieved.

Finally read Romans 14. Paul here tells us that some things are left up to us whether or not they are "sin". Many things some people wouldn't think of sin some would think so...Paul says to those who think it's sin, it's sin. To those whose consciences are clear it's not. (don't get me wrong, this doesn't include things that are specifically spelled out in scripture...YOu can't kill someone because you think nothing is wrong with it) Society has deemed words obscene and inappropriate and our consciences have been trained to pick them up from a child. When the Bible talks about no obscenity (mentioned above) these are what we know them to be.

I hope this helps out your situation. I went through this many times after I was saved in many areas of my life. And then finally it dawned on me. Why do I care what people say is acceptable? If I don't think it is, then I'm going to leave it up to me and God and set my standards even higher. I'm not going to get as close to sin as I can. I'm going to live holy. I'm going to live righteous. I'm going to live like I am the Body of Christ, like I am the temple of the Holy Ghost, like I'm an heir of God and a joint-heir with Jesus Christ. If people want to cuss and smoke and drink, that's between them and God. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
Be comforted knowing that many Christians have gone through the same thing and have overcome these questions and eventually habits and problems to overcome but remember, we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with feeling of our infirmities, but was in all ways tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldy to the throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

IN HIM

[Aaron Oliver]

Thank you i needed that.

and i think i should just point out that i dont cuss but i have some christian friends who do. And no matter what i tell them they blow me off and really dont listen. even when i give them those scriptures.... but hey... ya dribble ya shoot ya hope for the best, right.

thanks again.

peace.

[PRAISE]

Today @ 04:08 PM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=175781#post175781)
Aaron Oliver:

Thank you i needed that.

and i think i should just point out that i dont cuss but i have some christian friends who do. And no matter what i tell them they blow me off and really dont listen. even when i give them those scriptures.... but hey... ya dribble ya shoot ya hope for the best, right.

thanks again.

peace.

Aaron: if I may add something here as well. I know more than a little about swearing. I had fallen away from my Lord for many years, & I had a mouth the would make most of the hard core "gangsta" rappers proud. When I renewed back into God's family this past January, my swearing vanished virtually overnight!:smile: God can take even the most backslidden Christian, & turn them around. There is a favorite verse in one of Paul's letters to the church at Corinth, that says-'IF ANY MAN BE IN CHRIST, HE IS A NEW CREATURE. OLD THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY, BEHOLD; ALL THINGS ARE BECOME NEW." This is the true standard by which the world should judge those who claim the name of "Christian". If a person truely does belong to Jesus, his very behavior & entire life are changed forever. Paul said in one of His letters-"THEN SHALL WE CONTINUE TO SIN, THAT GRACE SHALL MORE ABOUND?GOD FORBID!" This is what truley marks a Christian-one who does NOT continue in a life of sin, but, (as much as is possible for us mere mortals), walks in the way of the one who has redeemed him. Those who do-those are the true Christians. Maybe you have seen, or heard the phrase-'WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?" That is the question you should think about maybe asking your friends. If we claim the name of Jesus, than we must ,(& I speak for myself as well, because I know that I am FAR FROM PERFECT!, we must act like our Savior as well! God Bless!

PRAISE:thumb:

[Xmansmommy]

Awesome topic! Awesome counsel! TY darcutm and PRAISE! :thumb:

[darcutm]

Today @ 10:32 AM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=175840#post175840)
PRAISE:



When I renewed back into God's family this past January, my swearing vanished virtually overnight

I had the same things happen to me in so many areas!...This doesn't always happen to everybody but as I've told people before, I let the purity of the Gospel penetrate as far as the pollution of sin and I was set free! :joy:

IN HIM

[Mike K]

As far as cussing goes, if ANYthing we do offends others, then we should probably be sensitive to the other person. (within reason)

This is something I have a problem with. Christians want to place certain regulations on other Christians, things that are not specifically mentioned in the word, and it quickly becomes rule over relationship.

I mean, what's the difference between saying Sh*t and poo? Only that one will make you sound like a dork?

My rule is this: If anything you say, degrades or attempts to lower the status of someone else, it's probably wrong. (again, within reason and context). But cussing per se, is difficult to pin down. The motive behind the word is easier to identify and correct.

Paul said "Anathema" which essentially means "god da*n". Was he using God's name in vain? I wouldn't think so, it has to do with context.