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If there's no objection; I'd like to begin a daily posting of the Lord's wishes
that I found in the New Testament as per post #2.
1) Acts 15:19-20 . . Abstain from food tainted by idols, from promiscuity,
from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood.
The meat of a strangled animal is different than that of a butchered animal.
Though a strangled animal may be brain dead, it's flesh will be viable for a
bit because the blood in its veins still has usable oxygen in it. This is why the
new rules for CPR recommend concentrating on chest compressions first
while delaying blowing air into somebody's lungs till a little later.
In essence what we're talking about here is eating living flesh versus
ordinary raw flesh. Christians may eat all the raw, uncooked meat they want
just so long as they are absolutely certain the meat is dead beyond
recovery.
Though this is one of Christ's wishes; it has been God's wishes ever since
Noah came off the ark. (Gen 9:3-4)
2) 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.
FYI: Rom 6:11 is an order, and Christ's believing followers are expected to
obey it.
3) Rom 6:12 . . Do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its
evil desires.
Cain was given pretty much the same instructions. (Gen 4:7)
4) Rom 6:13 . . 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.
If I'm understanding John 5:24-25 correctly; Jesus spoke of a non-physical
resurrection that his believing followers undergo in this life-- now --before
they pass on.
It's a pretty good resurrection too because it doesn't rejuvenate ordinary
life, rather; it's a step up to eternal life-- a superior kind of life that brings
with it not only immortality, but also a change from human nature to divine
nature. (2Pet 1:4)
Anyway, the point is: Christ's non-physically resurrected followers really
should make an effort to walk as insiders who live in heaven rather than
outsiders on their way to the other place. Political theorists like Niccolò
Machiavelli would not recommend Christ's way of life of course because in
this world, situation ethics are better; viz: the end justifies the means so
long as the end, no matter how obtained, benefits the so-called greater
good.
Well; to my knowledge, Machiavellian thinking doesn't fly in heaven so it's
best for those "brought from death to life" to avoid it.
5) Rom 12:1 . . Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto
God, which is your reasonable service.
The above indicates that sacrifices don't have to be deceased in order to
qualify as valid offerings. (cf. Gen 22:12, Jgs 11:30-40,1Sam 1:1-28)
6) Rom 12:2 . . And 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.
I heard a story about some students in a seminary who prayed about an
upcoming exam instead of cracking the books and burning the midnight oil.
Apparently they were somehow under the impression that the information
they needed for the exam would somehow drift up out of the duck feathers
where God had it stored in their pillows and be miraculously absorbed by
the gray cells in their brains-- and this while they were fast asleep.
Long story short; they all got an F on their exams; and not because the
professor despised their laziness; no, because they simply didn't know the
answers. Moral of the story is: in order to "renew your mind" and to "prove
what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" one must take
the initiative to knuckle down and learn the Lord's wishes; viz: study the
Bible via either reading, sermons, Sunday school classes, seminars, lectures,
and/or radio programs like Thru The Bible and Back To The Bible, et al. This
stipulation is not optional by the way, no; it's one of the Lord's many
commandments; and I'm pretty sure he expects it to be obeyed.
Buen Camino
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