Seeing Black & White in a World of Shades of Grey.
Now that you know what I believe, you need to understand how I (try to) view the world.
Some call this a Christian or Biblical World View:
Jesus Christ lived a sinless life: Matthew 1:22, 23: Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5: 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14,15; I Cor. 15:3, 4; Romans 1:3,4; Acts 1:9-11; I Timothy 6:14,15; Titus 2:13
Hebrews 4:14-15, “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
God is the all-powerful (omnipotent) and all-knowing (omniscient) Creator of the universe and He rules it now and forever: Gen. 1:1, 26, 27, 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; I Peter 1:2: 2 Cor. 13:14
Psalm 90:1, 2, “Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.”
The Bible is accurate in all of its teachings: 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20, 21; 2 Tim. 1:13; Psalm 119:105, 160; 12:6; Proverbs 30:5; Matthew 5:18
Psalm 119:160, “The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.”
Ergo: If Jesus Christ is real, God is real, and the Bible is accurate:
Then the following must ipso facto be TRUE:
Salvation (eternity spent with God as opposed to being separated from God in Hell) is a gift…It is impossible to earn. Romans 6:23; Eph. 2:8, 9; John 14:6, 1:12; Titus 3:5; Revelation 3:20
Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”
Satan is a real entity. 1 Peter 5:8; Revelation 9:11; John 8:44; Acts 5:3
1 Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”
Christians have a Duty to share their faith with other people. I Peter 2:9; Matthew 28:19, 24:14, 26:13; Mark 14:9; Romans 1:8; Colossians 1:6
Matthew 28:19, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,”
Absolute Moral truth EXISTS and the Bible defines THAT TRUTH. 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20, 21; 2 Tim. 1:13; Psalm 119:105, 160; 12:6; Proverbs 30:5; Matthew 5:18; Philippians 4:8; 1 Samuel 12:24; 1 Corinthians 13:6; Ephesians 5:9:
2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
John 17:17, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”
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The ‘Moral’ TRUTH of the Bible is one of the most assaulted parts of Christian life. We are battered constantly by ‘situational ethics’ and humanism. There is a constant battle to get Christians to compromise that ONE FACT. “You Shall Not Steal.” Means YOU SHALL NOT STEAL! Not,”It is okay if you are not caught.” Not, “They were not using it anyway.” Not, “I just borrowed it.” Stealing is stealing. As Christians, as people living in a corrupt world, we are constantly tempted by ‘little sins’, and ‘little white lies’. “Everybody does it,” is not an answer, its rationalization. Satan is using the world constantly to convince Christians that rationalizing sin makes it not sin. The major purpose of this assault is to get us to compromise. If Satan can coerce us into compromising ONE aspect of Truth…ALL Truth becomes suspect. If we say just once, “The Bible doesn’t REALLY mean that,” then EVERYTHING else becomes compromised. The Bible is not situational ethics; it is True…the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. What is right is right, everything left is wrong. The Bible is definitive…it is absolute black and white, right and wrong. It is not ‘sometimes right’ and ‘sometimes sin’.
There is a line in a movie that goes something like, “When you dance with the Devil, you don’t change the Devil, he changes you.” It is an excellent paraphrase of the importance of standing firm on beliefs. Fortunately, the opposite is true, and promised. When you spend time with God, God changes you! (Romans 12:1-2).
Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Understand it is a life’s endeavor (and Christian duty) to see only black and white in world that Satan wants to be seen as shades of grey.