Moral Conviction.

[Episkopos]

It has been said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. In the goal of bringing human nature and it's propensity to get caught up with religion, hypocrisy and vanity to light, I would like to explore this human morality that trips us up so much and that impedes growth in the knowledge of God.

Now morality is a very human trait. Religions are based on this. In many ways Christianity has a become just one more religion in the world. How? Because people tend to grasp things their own way...and that way is through a moral reasoning...a moral conviction. Thus we take over the agenda from God and seek to have things conform to OUR way of thinking.

Now this is a HUGE problem in our time and well worth the look into it.

I would suppose that there will be many people with a moral agenda who would seek to not only question some of the thoughts to be presented here...but also to derail the thread by the very kind of moral reasoning I am seeking to expose.

So it's all good! :)

I hope that the seekers will see things for what they are. The point is to share, learn and seek for a mutual edification into something we should all be helping one another into...a deeper hold on the truth and the life of Jesus.

Peace

 

[Hidden In Him]

It has been said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. In the goal of bringing human nature and it's propensity to get caught up with religion, hypocrisy and vanity to light, I would like to explore this human morality that trips us up so much and that impedes growth in the knowledge of God.

Now morality is a very human trait. Religions are based on this. In many ways Christianity has a become just one more religion in the world. How? Because people tend to grasp things their own way...and that way is through a moral reasoning...a moral conviction. Thus we take over the agenda from God and seek to have things conform to OUR way of thinking.

Now this is a HUGE problem in our time and well worth the look into it.

I would suppose that there will be many people with a moral agenda who would seek to not only question some of the thoughts to be presented here...but also to derail the thread by the very kind of moral reasoning I am seeking to expose.

So it's all good! :)

I hope that the seekers will see things for what they are. The point is to share, learn and seek for a mutual edification into something we should all be helping one another into...a deeper hold on the truth and the life of Jesus.

Peace

Some personalities can relate to moralizing. Mine never could. I have never seen much value in conforming to some pattern of behavior simply because it was viewed by society as "proper." That's not to say I don't see value in a society being moral; in some ways it can help. But the moral convictions of men alone are not enough to bring about anything resembling "Heaven" on earth. The command to the Christian is not to be moral. The command is "Your will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven," and in Heaven it is about obedience to the leading of the Spirit, not self-governance based upon a code of ethics and morality. Certainly some rules generally apply, but "in Him we live, and move, and have our being."

 

[mjrhealth]

It has been said that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. In the goal of bringing human nature and it's propensity to get caught up with religion, hypocrisy and vanity to light, I would like to explore this human morality that trips us up so much and that impedes growth in the knowledge of God.

Now morality is a very human trait. Religions are based on this. In many ways Christianity has a become just one more religion in the world. How? Because people tend to grasp things their own way...and that way is through a moral reasoning...a moral conviction. Thus we take over the agenda from God and seek to have things conform to OUR way of thinking.

Now this is a HUGE problem in our time and well worth the look into it.

I would suppose that there will be many people with a moral agenda who would seek to not only question some of the thoughts to be presented here...but also to derail the thread by the very kind of moral reasoning I am seeking to expose.

So it's all good! :)

I hope that the seekers will see things for what they are. The point is to share, learn and seek for a mutual edification into something we should all be helping one another into...a deeper hold on the truth and the life of Jesus.

Peace

The only life we will ever have is in Christ, and untll men give up relgiion and study to pursue after Him who is truth, they will never come into teh truth. Mens wisdom is foolishness to God, but so few will become empty so He can fill them. Far to much self. Si few willing.

 

[mailmandan]

The only life we will ever have is in Christ, and untll men give up relgiion and study to pursue after Him who is truth, they will never come into teh truth. Mens wisdom is foolishness to God, but so few will become empty so He can fill them. Far to much self. Si few willing.

Amen! Well said. Until we get to the end of the creature (self) we will never get to the beginning of the Creator (God). Christianity is not just "another" religion, but is about a relationship with Jesus Christ. John 17:3 - And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent (which is an intimate, experiential knowledge, found only in a relationship). The term "know" implies intimate, experiential knowledge, through a relationship with the Lord and not merely theoretical knowledge.

 

[Episkopos]

Where moral convictions are concerned the rule of thumb should be as follows...

Moral convictions are only good if you keep them to yourself.

IOW I am not to hold others to MY moral convictions. And we are not to confuse OUR moral convictions with the law of Christ. That's when hypocrisy and religious extremism rears it's ugly head. I want to come back to this at a later time.

Now we know that ALL morality is from the human nature. Morality is built into us from birth. We have a human nature. And that nature has a morality that is universal. We are NOT a clean slate. We come with hardware and software built in.

Now having a morality isn't necessarily a bad thing. It can also have a good side. Having a moral compass is useful when you are otherwise lost. After all our morality comes from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

How do we keep the evil out of our good works? By keeping our convictions to ourselves. Even the most hardened sinner will admire a person who does something from a personal conviction and doesn't judge others for not doing the same.

Nobody wants a holier than thou attitude in their face telling them how to behave based on a human morality code masquerading as truth from someone who doesn't know their situation in the least.

It is as amazing as it is sad that many Christians don't understand themselves or human nature at all. They are satisfied with the most surface understanding possible. And a flawed one at that.

We are in fact like a person at the bottom of a well looking up to see a very tiny part of the sky. Our tiny worldview. Our tiny bit of understanding. And that's not going to make us wise in any regard. Do we have a panoramic view of the world from there? Of course not. We can learn by asking others what they are seeing. We can come together in order to see the world through many eyes. We can also look to God for a more prophetic...bigger picture view. And He will grant that kind of view to they whom He deems to become prophets. But naturally hardly anyone will heed them.

Religious indoctrination brings an added problem of the hypnotic surge that accompanies an accepted ideology with it's bent against certain trigger words.

Words like "works"...which will make a person react with moral outrage and this even before understanding the context of the statement. The jolt that this kind of hypnotic reaction creates SEEMS like a gut reaction of truth. It FEELS like it is true...therefore it is accepted as such. We see this everywhere in human kind. Political ideologies mirror religious ones. It is the same moral convictions that are at play. People do NOT respond to logic or truth...just to their gut-reactions...which pass for an intuition. But gut-reactions come from conditioning...and false discernment comes from the manipulating of these towards dogmatic certainties.

Nothing holy or truthful there. Nothing eternal.

Yet that is where the majority of modern believers place their focus and all their efforts. So it is important to see things as they are. The flesh is the flesh.

All morality comes from the power of the flesh. All moral convictions come from the soul...not the spirit.

 

[Episkopos]

To bring some balance to this topic...I'd like to also say that having moral convictions can also have a positive side. We NEED some convictions in the absence of walking in the realm of the Spirit where ALL truth can be known.

Here are a few examples of moral convictions that are a good witness in the world. And these 2 men were strong in THEIR faith.

One such man was Eric Liddel...the subject of the movie "Chariots of Fire." He refused to run on a Sunday...and became famous for it. He was a man of principle and faith. He was seen also as a martyr later in his life. So he was a muscular Christian..a man to emulate and look up to. His witness lives on to this day.

But was he known for miraculous living? No. Was he known to be Christlike? No. But just the strength of his convictions made him stick out as a man of faith in his time.

Does that mean we should all abstain from sports on the Lord's day? Is that a law?

Or was it one man's personal moral conviction?

Did Eric demand that of others? Did he picket Sunday sports events the way abortion clinics are picketed? Of course not. What makes him righteous is that he never pushed his moral convictions onto others. He did it before God to please God. And I believe God was indeed pleased.

Another such a man was Desmond Doss made famous in the movie entitled "Hacksaw Ridge." Now he refused to even pick up a rifle. But again that was HIS conviction. He never judged another man for doing what He would never allow himself to do.

As such they are popular heroes and their testimony is eagerly received by all.

So here are some example of the lesser human morality that speaks of greater things...through modest humility and conviction. And mankind can relate and admire such conviction...especially when that is done with faith, courage and success.

 

[Episkopos]

Now our morality comes from our fallen human natures. We have a code we have built into us to follow outside of the life of God. The code will vary somewhat from person to person (so that people can't get along even in their rebellion against God) Our morality makes us hide from God just as Adam hid in the bushes because of his sin.

Now we are called out of hiding...and out from our own way of seeing things; out from our morality. If we do that then we can follow Christ and be led by the Spirit. But only if we give up on our judgments and reactions to what we think is good and fair.By faith NOT by sight and our own moral judgments.

Religion does something strange to us, however. We come out of hiding but with our moral code intact. We adopt a dogmatic ideology that masquerades as the truth. We come out to a false voice that pretends to be God. We are brought into a deeper bondage through a common morality we can share with others. But always this is outside of life from God. it is merely a carnal consensus about God and His salvation.

So we judge others from that place.

Wouldn't it be better to have the joy of the Lord and know that God has sent us? Isn't being led by the Spirit by faith better than a self-assured certainty that brings no joy?

Better to walk by faith than by a religious certainty. better to forsake our ingrained morality and nature to question our own behaviour and reactions which are from our carnal nature. Rather than justifying our carnal reactions with a convenient ideology that makes us look away from our own behaviour...better to know the truth that sets us free from such foolishness.

 

[Episkopos]

Jesus was put on the cross because of moral convictions in religious service. The saints also. Morality supports the flesh and all manner of evil. It justifies itself in a bid for self-preservation. It sacrifices the truth for itself. And we too who speak the truth are also hated.

Now people don't usually sell out all at once. It is a death of a thousand cuts. Faith dwindles and dies in the face of a continued lack of victory to the pull of the world...and the pull of the flesh.

So then victory in Christ is the best kept secret in the world.

Even in the churches.

 

[marks]

Jesus was put on the cross because of moral convictions in religious service.

Rather, out of envy.

Jesus was more popular than the rulers and priests, and had even denounced them, and they couldn't stand it! And they were afraid of being knocked out of their positions of ruling over the people.

Mark 15
9 But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews?
10 For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.
11 But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them.

John 11
47 Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.
48 If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation.

I hope that the seekers will see things for what they are.

Me too!

:)

Much love!