What is the importance of piety?

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Patrick1966

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Great, thanks bro.

I was thinking while reading your post that Jesus was the son of a carpenter. (furniture builder?)
Moses, on the other hand, was royalty. (initially, anyway)

If the pastor in the $10K Italian suit is preaching to a congregation full of $10k suits... probably appropriate.
What Jesus was wearing is probably irrelevant. IMHO

I don't share your view, my brother. Christian church leaders are supposed to emulate Christ, particularly when they are teaching their congregation.
 

St. SteVen

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I don't share your view, my brother. Christian church leaders are supposed to emulate Christ, particularly when they are teaching their congregation.
I agree. But does that mean first century middle-eastern dress?
A church leader needs to be relevant. IMHO

A preacher in a cheap leisure suit distracts from the message to me. My hearing improves when I can relate to the speaker.
If I was wearing the aforementioned $10K suit, I would expect the speaker to at least wear a $2K suit.
Otherwise, how could I relate?

Sure, God can overcome these things. He spoke through Balaam's donkey, after all. He can use ANYONE.
 

Patrick1966

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I agree. But does that mean first century middle-eastern dress?
A church leader needs to be relevant. IMHO

A preacher in a cheap leisure suit distracts from the message to me. My hearing improves when I can relate to the speaker.
If I was wearing the aforementioned $10K suit, I would expect the speaker to at least wear a $2K suit.
Otherwise, how could I relate?

Sure, God can overcome these things. He spoke through Balaam's donkey, after all. He can use ANYONE.

I doubt that Jesus changed what he was wearing. I presume he just wore a basic outfit of his era.

Pastor John MacArthur wears a suit to preach and I think that's fine. Some pastors wear blue jeans and a tshirt. Both are appropriate, in my opinion.
 
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St. SteVen

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@Patrick1966

Assuming 1966 is your birth year, we are eleven years apart.
Reminds of a song.

Wheat Penny (1944)

Title: Wheat Penny (1944)
Track Time: 04:11 Tempo: BPM: 87

VS 1
Something caught my eye down at my feet
Looking closer - what did I see?
Was it really nothing - or something sweet?
- A wheat penny - looking back at me

CHORUS
Wheat penny, wheat penny,
where have you been?
How did you get here today?
Can you tell me - all that you've seen?
If you could - what would you say?

VS 2
The date on the penny - 1944
Eleven years older - than me
A time long ago - at the start of the war
The great conflict - across the sea

CHORUS

VS 3
Headline news about - the D-Day invasion
that happened in - Normandy, France
Was that the day - that you were minted?
I suppose there - might be a chance

CHORUS

VS 4
Hard being devalued - over all of these years?
Not like life - when you first appeared
Hand to hand - you were - passed around
From cash drawer - to pocket - all over town

VS 5
Do you remember - being shiny and new?
Or the piggy bank hammer - that set you free?
The Five and Dime store - or the trip to the zoo?
C'mon now - why won't you - talk to me?

CHORUS/ENDING

© Steve Lundgren 2019/2020
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 

Adam

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Yes... What is the importance, or value of piety?

Common in Catholicism, not common in Protestantism.

I'm very undisciplined in my Protestant faith. Which doesn't seem to distance me from God at all.
I fully support growing Christians that use disciplines to gain maturity.

What is the importance of piety, to you? Or is it unimportant?
To me, piety is gratitude and hope and love for all things.
 

Adam

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Thanks.
I thought I may have missed something being raised Protestant. Apparently not.
We never talked about it.
Matthew 22

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

The bolded word is translated from the greek word homoia which translates to "the same as". One loves God by loving all of God's creations and eachother.
 
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Gottservant

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Ah ha. Thanks for the explanation. Much appreciated.
Mostly right, is more moral than is needed and you are in danger of being too ambitious.

You need to remember, its not necessary that everyone believe, just that "someone" does.

(there is no need to build up to a point, where everyone is mostly right)
Not sure I follow the math(s) on this though. (The Silver Line)
Partially right most of the time > Mostly right part of the time ???

I would like to think that I am mostly right most of the time.
Which means partially wrong some of the time.
I know, I know... "Pride comes before a fall."

How are we defining "salt"? I'm familiar with the biblical term, I just don't see how it fits here.

How does piety give us "salt"?
Or, how does humility and devotion give us "salt"?
What is being preserved, or seasoned?
By salt, I just mean it is something that you add to your faith, to give it more flavour. If you are praising God, adding a little piety, can bring out the contrast between your sinful state and God's holiness.

Of course piety without conviction, sounds horrible, I'm not saying "pile on the salt while you can"
 

Bob Estey

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Yes... What is the importance, or value of piety?

Common in Catholicism, not common in Protestantism.

I'm very undisciplined in my Protestant faith. Which doesn't seem to distance me from God at all.
I fully support growing Christians that use disciplines to gain maturity.

What is the importance of piety, to you? Or is it unimportant?
When we sin, trouble comes into our lives. We can avoid that by not sinning.
 

St. SteVen

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Hey everyone...
Is there a dark side to piety? (false piety)
Compare the prayers below.

Luke 18:10-14 NIV
“Two men went up to the temple to pray,
one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed:
God, I thank you that I am not like other people
robbers, evildoers, adulterersor even like this tax collector.
12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance.
He would not even look up to heaven,
but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other,
went home justified before God.
For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled,
and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
 
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Patrick1966

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For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled,
and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Jesus said the most humble in Heaven is the greatest in Heaven. We're called to be humble, but that's very difficult for us to do. Our pride and ego compel us to do some DUMB things. :)
 
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St. SteVen

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Jesus said the most humble in Heaven is the greatest in Heaven. We're called to be humble, but that's very difficult for us to do. Our pride and ego compel us to do some DUMB things. :)
Exactly!
It can go the other way as well.
Far too many Christians demean themselves into uselessness. Sad.
We should not think of ourselves more highly than we ought, BUT...
we should also NOT think of ourselves as LESS than we ought.
BALANCE.

Romans 12:3 NIV
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you:
Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought,
but rather think of yourself with sober judgment,
in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
 
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The Learner

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Hey everyone...
Is there a dark side to piety? (false piety)
Compare the prayers below.

Luke 18:10-14 NIV
“Two men went up to the temple to pray,
one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.
11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed:
God, I thank you that I am not like other people
robbers, evildoers, adulterersor even like this tax collector.
12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’
13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance.
He would not even look up to heaven,
but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’
14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other,
went home justified before God.
For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled,
and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Yep, there is
 
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