Values and Standards

Deu_25:15 But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

Hi all. I have been thinking a lot about values these days, mostly because many of mine have been challenged in recent times. Also, I have been considering Standards as they apply to the Christian and how our view of our-self can be distorted by the twisted concepts that unbelieving people have about Christians.

First and foremost, Christians are people too. We are not perfect even though our standard is, Jesus is perfect. He was the perfect human being. He is our Standard, our Ideal to live up to.

The world of unbelievers somehow has gotten the ridiculous idea that Christians are hypocrites if we don't turn the other check every time we are insulted. Or we are hypocrites if we don't love all people all the time. Not surprising really, Jesus told us we would be persecuted and why (John 15:20), so anytime they can find fault with us, real or imagined, the criticisms fly.

Because many of us do not read our Bible we cower under such unjust criticism. Truth is Jesus never cowered under criticisms, ask the Pharisees that He called "vipers", "white washed tombs" etc., gosh, He even called them names.

Christians aren't supposed to get mad either; according to the world anyway.

I suppose the two times Jesus cleared out the outer court of the Temple with a whip He just was sweet as pie and asked please and thank-you, NOT!

And, that 'Love everybody' thing somebody forgot the context, Jesus said to His disciples "Joh_13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another". That's love towards fellow believers. Of course we are commanded, to Love our neighbor as ourselves, but you know, sometimes I don't love myself and often I don't like myself either.

What I am saying is the world holds us to a higher standard than Jesus does.

We know why if we just think about it for a moment. Lucifer doesn't want anyone to come to Jesus and if he can convince a non believer that we are no better than they, then why should they have to spend their Sunday morning at church, give up their porn and beer or any other addiction, God won't condemn them in the end. Yeah, right.

Once again the world has it wrong. It's not about giving up stuff or sitting in a pew listening to a boring sermon. It's about having a relationship with the True, Living and Only God through His Son Jesus.

Jesus sets the standard, but the Holy Spirit gives us the values. And what are those values?

Values are the stuff decisions are made of.

Values are not learned overnight. And may even conflict with one another in certain situations.

Psychologist talk about a hierarchy of values. C.S. Lewis in "Mere Christianity" spoke about, good, better and best, the point is values depend on our standards and what is in our heart.

The Ten Commandments are a set of standards, ideals, that are the goal for all Godly people to live and need to be the basis for our values. No one but Jesus has ever lived up to those standards 100%.

Since the institution of the New Covenant we have been given 2 wonderful gifts that allow us to have proper values and become fully human.

The first of those gifts is forgiveness.

Jesus was the final and perfect sacrifice freeing us from the curse of failure to perform all of the Law. When we first come to Him we are forgiven for all previous failures and if we continue to repent of our current failures we will be forgiven. That is why it is important to take a daily inventory. This does not free us from the consequences of our current fails in this world. If you speed on the highway and get caught you will pay the fine.

The second gift is the Holy Spirit.

The minuet a person truly repents at the foot of the cross, the Holy Spirit comes to reside in that person. Jesus told us what the job of the Holy Spirit is:

Joh_14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

In other words the Holy Ghost gives us the power to create and abide by the values Jesus taught. In my experience it is a process and requires trusting God more and more, it's scary sometimes and sometimes I miss what I am being taught. And, I often fail.

I began this blog with the selection from Deuteronomy because it shows that God does care about standards and values so much so that He even gave a Law concerning how commerce was to be conducted by His chosen people. And, that there was a reward in the here and now for having honest standards.

Joh_10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

I am trying to say much with very few words today. Lengthy books have been written about these subjects and these few lines can hardly do the subject justice. I have been struggling with a personal decision that flies in the face of my values and Gods perfect will for my life. That having been said it is because of my fails that I am facing this decision, God is forgiving but many people are not.

May God Bless those I have failed.