What if?

[eddybear]

I was reading Luke 8:19-21 the other day, and was struck by what Jesus said.

19Now Jesus' mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. 20Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you."
21He replied, "My mother and brothers are those who hear God's word and put it into practice."


".....and put it into practice."

It got me thinking, what would things look like if Christians actually did what Jesus, and the prophets / apostles, said.

What if we prayed continuously? Gave generously? Refused to judge? Praised God in all circumstances? Turned the other cheek? Loved one another? And so on.

Can you imagine how the church, and even how society, would be transformed?

[Pariah]

I was reading Luke 8:19-21 the other day, and was struck by what Jesus said.

".....and put it into practice."

It got me thinking, what would things look like if Christians actually did what Jesus, and the prophets / apostles, said.

What if we prayed continuously? Gave generously? Refused to judge? Praised God in all circumstances? Turned the other cheek? Loved one another? And so on.

Can you imagine how the church, and even how society, would be transformed?

Judging as in comdemning is wrong, but judging as in correcting a believer is okay as long as the one doing the correcting isn't doing the same thing.

If parents want their children to be ready in facing the world and abide by the society's laws within, then children have to be corrected and even disciplined to show the severity of breaking the rules of conduct that society would otherwise fine them and/or put them in jail for.

If no one corrected any believer, then the faith will be gone to the wayside.

If we are to put out that wicked person like a unrepentive fornicator that is a believer from the assembly... then we are to withdraw from every brother that is not walking after the tradition taught of us when they preach another Jesus, another spirit to receive, or another gospel.

If believers had kept to practise about not taking on another gospel, there would be no catholicism, no Mormonism, and no Jehovah Witnesses'... as in no additions to the hope of the Gospel that was taught to be found in Jesus Christ. Little do those involved will recognize it as anothr gospel when it moves them away from the hope that is solely on Jesus Christ for salvation.

And little do other practises become overlooked when other means are exalted for the assuarnce of salvation besides the hope in Jesus Christ. Very rarely do wayward believers see that as stealing the joy of their salvation in Christ Jesus when they are taking on religious yokes to prove how much they love Jesus for what He has done, but by doing so, failing to recognize the fulness of what Christ Jesus has done otherwise, they would be resting in Him knowing that it is not about them or how much they love God "now", but how much God "loves them" so they can rest in His promises to us in Christ Jesus in helping the to live the christian life as well as rest in Him for eternal life.

It would be nice if we did as Jesus taught, but Jesus already told us that as the world hated Him, so will the world hate us... that even if you had a christian community, the war against principality and dark forces will not relent in targetting that community from those in the world as the world tries to bring its traditiosn and rudiments into the churches.

So there is a necessity for judging as in correcting one another while we are in this weak flesh and in this fallen world. This is showing love for one another as Christ loved us.