Christ's Instructions

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There's been times during our 26+ years of internet forum activity when
we've encountered folks wanting to know what they're supposed to do now
that they decided to become a Christian.

A mega Baptist church that my wife and I attended back in the decade of the
1970's had a discipleship program that incorporated an outreach booklet
called "The Four Spiritual Laws" authored in 1952 by Campus Crusade for
Christ founder Dr. Bill Bright.

Those guidelines are helpful as far as they go, but they're pretty elementary
and in our opinion inadequate for taking Christ's believing followers to
infinity and beyond, so to speak.

Some years ago, just for the fun of it, we set out compiling a home-spun
catalogue of Christ's instructions from the new Testament that apply to all
his followers regardless of denominational affiliation. In time we realized that
his instructions, accompanied by a little commentary, would make a pretty
good how-to handbook; so here it is.

* We chose to start in the book of Acts because that's pretty much where
Christ's apostles began telling his believing followers what to do in accord
with the Lord's instructions per Matt 28:19-20.

Buen Camino
(Pleasant Journey)
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1) Acts 15:20 . . Abstain from food tainted by idols,

In the old Roman world, nourishing things offered to pagan gods were not
always destroyed but instead were afterwards sold as groceries. Most of us
here in the USA will likely never encounter that kind of food in Costco,
Safeway and/or Whole Foods whereas markets in places like India might
carry stuff like that.

2) Acts 15:20 . . Abstain from promiscuity

Promiscuity typically refers to things like adultery, incest, shacking up, one
night stands, sleeping around, etc.

● 1Thess 4:3-5 It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you
should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his
own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the
heathen, who do not know God.

3) Acts 15:20 . . Abstain from the meat of strangled animals.

Strangulation is a slow, inhumane way to die. If you know that the meat
you're being served came from an animal that was choked to death,
consider it food fit only for barbarians. We want nothing to do with animal
abuse.

4) Acts 15:20 . . Abstain from blood

In other words: Christ's followers are forbidden to imbibe blood as a
beverage.

There are cultures that poke holes in cows' necks in order to drink blood
straight out of the living animal utilizing its own blood pressure like a tap to
fill their cups; a rather ghastly repast that might be okay for Edward
Cullen's family but certainly not for Christians.
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5) Rom 6:11 . . Count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

"dead to sin" in this case doesn't mean Christ's sheep can't, won't, and/or don't sin (cf.
1John 1:8-10). It means that sin can no longer give God cause to slam them with the
sum of all fears.

Rom 5:12-21 explains, in so many words; that Christ's believing followers are accounted
as having gone to the cross with him similar to accounting them as having tasted the
forbidden fruit with Adam. (This principle is at the very core of Christianity's plan of
salvation so it's important to get it)

In a nutshell: When Jesus went to the cross; he died for the sins of the world from first
to last. That being the case, then when his believing followers went to the cross with
him, they died for their sins from first to last. As a result: when the books are opened as
per Rev 20:11-15, there will be nothing on record with which to charge them. (cf. Rom
8:31-34 & 2Cor 5:19)

NOTE: "in Christ Jesus" is a position similar to Noah's position in the ark. Getting into
the ark was a simple physical action, whereas getting into Christ Jesus requires the
assistance of a complex supernatural action. More on that later; meanwhile suffice it to
say that as a position in the ark provided Noah safety from the storm, so their position in
Christ Jesus provides his believing followers safety from a storm looming on the horizon
that's much worse.
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6) Rom 6:12-13 . . Do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey
its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of
wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been
brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to Him as
instruments of righteousness.

That's essentially the same instructions that God passed on to Cain; to wit:

"If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what
is right, sin is crouching at your door;" (Gen 4:7a)

That's the very first instance in the Bible of the word "sin". The Hebrew word
basically means an offense; as in repeat offender. In other words; not just
an occasional slip-up, but a life style, i.e. habits.

"It desires to have you, but you must master it." (Gen 4:7b)

That's the first mention of self control in the Bible. In other words: God
created humanity with the capability to choose bad ways for itself; but that's
only half the story. God also created humanity with the capability to choose
good ways for itself; so He wasn't requiring something impossible from Cain
like touching his right elbow with the thumb of his right hand. So if self
control was within the capabilities of a brutish man like Cain, then I should
think self control would be within the capabilities of Christians too.
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7) Rom 12:1 . . Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto
God, which is your reasonable service.

The Greek word for "sacrifice" technically refers to a victim; but it's not
always applied that way. For example speaking well of God, doing good, and
sharing are legitimate sacrifices. (Heb 13:15-16)

The sacrifice required herein is a living sacrifice rather than deceased so
Christ's followers don't have to martyr themselves in order to fulfill it; but
their bodies do have to be holy in order to be accepted; which means
avoiding things that defile their bodies like indecency, promiscuity, adultery,
and LGBT stuff.

The Bible calls those requirements "reasonable". In other words: It isn't
asking too much of Christ's followers to keep themselves pure.

NOTE: One of the tools employed by communism, in its quest to influence
the governance of a foreign country, is moral corruption; which is very
effective when it gets into places like education, entertainment, literature,
family values, and/or religious institutions. That strategy is to be expected
from an atheistic foreign power. (cf. 2Cor 2:11)
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8) Rom 12:2 . . Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by
the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and
acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Bible reading is a good place to begin with Rom 12:2; however, the ways of
God aren't meant to be self-taught; they're meant to be instructed by
teachers empowered by God for that specific purpose. (Rom 12:4-8, 1Cor
12:1-30)

Sermons and Sunday school classes are Christianity's traditional sources of
teaching. But these days with radio, television, and the internet; competent
God-given spiritual leaders are wide-spread and readily available. In
centuries gone past, it was necessary to journey to hear them speak.
Nowadays, they speak to the whole world by means of electronic gadgets.

* Beware using 1John 2:27 as an excuse to circumvent instruction. When
Christians do that, they risk stunting their spiritual growth and causing
division.

● Eph 4:11-13 . . And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and
some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the
saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till
we all come in the unity of the faith

The Greek word translated "edifying" means to build up as opposed to
tearing down.
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9) Rom 12:3 . . I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that
is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think;
but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure
of faith.

"soberly" is from a Greek word that basically means to be of sound mind, i.e.
sane, sensible, rational.

A popular saying going around is this: "You can be anything". No, we can't
be anything, and it's unreasonable to think otherwise. Know your limits and
stay within them; don't be setting impossible goals for yourself; especially in
matters of faith and practice.

● Rom 12:4-8 . . Just as each of us has one body with many members, and
these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are
many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have
different gifts, according to the grace given us.

. . . If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If
it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is
encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others,
let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is
showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

Some church managers have a really bad habit of recruiting people to teach
Sunday school who don't have a gift for it in accordance with Rom 12:3-8,
1Cor 12:1-30, and Eph 4:7-12. Well; if teaching is not your spiritual
specialty; then the sensible thing to do is decline. Function within your range
like Rom 12:3 says, and don't let those managers pressure you into
submission by making you feel guilty for refusing. Nobody gains points with
Christ by going off-reservation.
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10) Rom 12:6 . . If God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out
when you have faith that God is speaking through you.

The Greek word for "prophesy" in that verse encompasses predictions, which
were common in the early church; for example Agabus at Acts 11:27-28 and
Acts 21:10-11.

Hunches don't count because it's required that prophets sincerely believe
themselves infallible and speaking for God ex cathedra, i.e. by means of
inspiration. (2Pet 1:20-21)
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[knothead]

These are part of but not all of the New Covenant. However you did not mention New Covenant so im not sure you were speaking of it.

 

[L.A.M.B.]

These are part of but not all of the New Covenant. However you did not mention New Covenant so im not sure you were speaking of it.

Welcome to Christianity Boards.

 

[knothead]

Welcome to Christianity Boards.

Thanks for the welcome L.A.M.B. I guess I should find the welcome page and post there.

 

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11) Rom 12:7a . . If your gift is that of serving others, serve them well.

"serving well" implies serving conscientiously and whole-heartedly rather
than half-baked, grudging, and/or hit and miss.

One of my brothers has been a construction foreman for decades and one of
his perpetual complaints is that he never knows from one day to the next
whether some of the men he hires on jobs will show up. In other words:
they aren't reliable, he can't count on them.

What I'm saying is: if you're thinking about becoming helpful in some way,
don't do it unless you're willing to commit to the long haul because people
need to know that they can depend on you to stay the course.
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12) Rom 12:7b . . If you are a teacher, do a good job of teaching.

I had a Sunday school teacher once who worked as a maintenance man in a
public swimming facility. One Saturday he had to work very late repairing
some equipment at the pool and had no time to prepare his lesson plan for
Sunday morning so he just threw something together. It stunk; and my wife
and I got nothing out of it.

In contrast, I once knew a pastor who took all week long to prepare his
Sunday morning sermons rather than put it off till Saturday night. Now there
was a guy who knew what it means to do a good job of teaching; viz: a
conscientious job.

● 1Cor 10:31 . . So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for
the glory of God.

One of the meanings of the Greek word for glory is "honor" which in this
case can be defined as doing something out of respect for someone admired
and/or held in high esteem.
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13) Rom 12:8a . . If your gift is to encourage others, then do so.

Developing children benefit from encouragement in a big way. Thoughtless
grown-ups can destroy a young child's fragile spirit by criticizing them all the
time and never once giving them an "attaboy" or a single vote of confidence.

A very charming example of this was acted out in an old movie wherein
Spencer Tracey played Thomas Edison. In a scene, he tasked a young boy
with carrying his freshly completed prototype of an electric light bulb
upstairs to the lab for testing. The boy stumbled on the stairs, and the bulb
was ruined.

So Tracey made another and tasked the same boy with taking it upstairs
again. Tracy's assistants protested that the boy dropped one bulb already;
but Tracey handed him the precious prototype and said: He won't drop this
one. And the boy didn't because Tracey believed in that kid.

A fitting word spoken at just the right moment can really beef up
somebody's resolve to meet life head on. If you're good at that sort of thing,
then watch for opportunities to do so. It has to be honest though because
leaving people with a false impression of themselves is all the same as
treachery, and sets them up for disappointment.

● Prov 29:5 . .Whoever flatters his neighbor is spreading a net for his feet.
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14) Rom 12:8b . . If you have money, share it generously.

"generously" is translated from a Greek word basically meaning simplicity,
which can be construed as innocence and/or naivete. In other words;
sharing one's wealth without expecting reciprocity and/or gaining an
advantage. To the pragmatic mind, that kind of generosity is a poor
investment, i.e. it's like throwing money out the window.

For example: contributions to a political candidate's campaign fund typically
aren't motivated by generosity, whereas contributions to a charitable agency
like Samaritan's Purse and/or a local rescue mission are because folks
benefiting from those contributions are so powerless, and so disadvantaged,
that there's nothing worthwhile to be gained by offering them assistance.
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15) Rom 12:8c . . If God has given you leadership ability, take the
responsibility seriously.

A natural aptitude for church management doesn't count. It has to be God
given; that is: a legitimate Spirit-endowed ability. (cf. Rom 12:3-8, 1Cor
12:4-11, 1Cor 12:27-30)

There are far too many people sitting on church boards merely because
they're a success in business. Well; if your church is a commercial
enterprise; then maybe you should think about finding another one.

God-given leadership ability is spoken of as a "responsibility". In other
words; it should never be taken as an achievement. I just hate it when City,
State, and Federal government officials celebrate their positions as
something they won as if taking the gold in a spelling bee and/or a
gymnastic event.

"The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me: He that ruleth over
men must be just, ruling in the fear of God." (2Sam 23:3)

Too many of the men and women in power do not rule in the fear of God;
and rather than morally upright with their fellow man's best interests at
heart, they are often Machiavellian instead.
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16) Rom 12:8d . . If you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it
gladly.

This particular gift relates to sympathy and compassion; which are emotions,
i.e. feelings.

Well; the problem is: we have very little, if any, control over those kinds of
feelings; and I think we too often resent people for touching our soft spot
and tugging at our heart strings, a.k.a. pushing our buttons.

The ability to show kindness is referred to as a gift. I think most folks, given
the option, would prefer the gift of tongues over the gift of kindness because
the one is merely a skill whereas the other makes us sensitive to need;
which at times can be both uncomfortable and inconvenient.

● 1John 3:17 . . If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in
need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in them?
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17) Rom 12:9a . . Don't just pretend that you love others.

The Greek word translated "love" basically pertains to benevolence rather
than affection and/or fondness.

Benevolence is defined as acts of kindness and/or generosity.

Pretense is defined as fiction, make-believe, and/or simulation.

Anyway, talk is cheap and, like it's said: Put your money where your mouth
is, i.e. if we sincerely believe that benevolence is a Christian virtue, then we
ought to practice it for real rather than merely giving it our vote of approval.
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18) Rom 12:9b . . Hate what is evil.

Hating evil is second nature to God-fearing people; or at least it should be.

● Ps 97:10 . .You who love The Lord: hate evil.

● Job 1:1 . . In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This
man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.

● Prov 8:13 . .The fear of The Lord is to hate evil. Pride and arrogance and
the evil way, and the perverted mouth, I hate.

I think it's fair to say that when somebody hates the same things that God
hates, and loves the same things that God loves; the two of them have the
makings of a meaningful rapport: defined by Webster's as a friendly,
harmonious relationship-- especially a relationship characterized by
agreement, mutual understanding, or empathy that makes communication
possible and/or easy.

● Gen 17:1 . .When Abram was ninety-nine years old, The Lord appeared to
him and said: I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless.

● 1John 1:6 . . If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the
darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.

NOTE: Lukewarm is a state between love and hate; for example Rev 3:14-16
where The Lord expresses his disgust with certain folks' lack of interest
relative to his preferences, viz: they're neither compliant nor non compliant:
they just don't care. He'd much rather those folks take a stand one way or
the other rather than be so cotton-pickin' indifferent.
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19) Rom 12:9c . . Cling to what is good.

Good in the world of humanity is typically relative and flexible. For example
there was a time when it was good science to question vaccines for their
effectiveness and their side effects and/or suggest alternative treatments.
That science became evil during the Covid crisis.

The Greek word translated "cling" speaks of adherence; and it's pretty much
the same meaning as the Hebrew word in Gen 2:24 relative to a man and
his wife where it's assumed from Gen 2:18 that clinging infers support and
dependence.

The thing is: for safety's sake, it's very important for Christians to find out
what God thinks is good rather than going with the flow of one's culture.
(Rom 12:2, 1John 3:22)
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