Rules or a Relationship?

Rules or Relationship?

Samuel:

When a person travels from one place to another, he will probably have a very definite goal in mind. This is true whether he is taking a flight, road trip, bicycle tour, hike, trek, or jaunt. If he has never been to his destination before, he will take extreme care to be sure that he is traveling the right way. He checks his route often because of time and money spent on the venture.

Life here on earth is like one big journey. No person has ever been to his final destination before. Nobody really wants to get to the end of his journey and be surprised at what he finds there!

If a man sets his goals too low, he will train himself to be satisfied with less. This person will never reach his greatest potential. A right objective leads a person in the right direction. Goals must be set and performance constantly evaluated to keep a person heading the right way. Just a slight alteration in his course could lead a person miles apart from where he really wants to be.

All that to say that we have goals as Christians. We have a destination. 

A Christian's primary goal is to develop Christ-like character. No low goals here! As Jesus himself said in Luke 6:40, “...every one that is perfect shall be as his master.” Our lives should be governed by looking unto Jesus (Hebrews 12:2). 

How would Christ react to things going on in our world today? Well, there are no set of rules that can contain the person of Jesus Christ. A Christian must have proper standards built on the principles of God's word, but personal convictions are just that – personal. Each person must develop his own stance on modern issues, cultural questions, and anything else not written in black and white in the pages of the Bible. 

The problem? Well, it arises when an individual tries to impose his personal convictions on other Christians by disguising them as the commandments of God. 

Can two believers have a different opinion on entertainment such as books, television, movies, games, etc.? Sure. The Bible does not always give clear boundaries on what is right or wrong in these areas. What about sports? Social media? Modern transportation? This might include questions on dress, dating/courting, music, etc. 

Sometimes the Bible gives limited instruction in a certain area, and it is a great temptation for us to “fill in the blanks” when teaching others. Because scripture is silent on many of these things, it is very easy to teach our own thoughts and experience even to the point of placing these in a position equal with the Word of God. 

But wait. God doesn't need us to put words in His mouth or help Him in writing an eleventh commandment!

An individual with a higher standard in a particular area is not “more spiritual” than a person with a lower standard. Christ-likeness is our goal. Personal standards are not an end in themselves; they are to help us become more like Christ. But for feeble mankind, following a list of rules is much easier than maintaining a close relationship with God. It is easier to have a quick answer than to beg God on your knees for His light and discernment about a situation. It is easier to rely on our own intellect than to try to know and understand the mind of God.

Alicia

I love the BBC mini-series Cranford. One of my favorite scenes involves Miss Deborah faced with a tough decision. It was considered scandalous for ladies to follow a funeral cart on its way to the burial ground; however, there was no male relative to follow the cart and pay final respects to the deceased. Following the cart certainly wasn't against the Bible--it was just a man-made rule. Miss Deborah gave the matter much prayer. In the end, she decided God wanted her to follow the cart because it was the right thing to do--even though it was against the cultural expectations of the day. 

To me, that is a perfect example of someone who knew the man-made rules, but felt that they were not right for that particular situation. She could have put her foot down and refused to be respectful to the dead because of what people would think. She could have followed tradition. Instead, she sought God's will and did what she thought to be proper in those circumstances in a humble, dignified manner. 

I love that. 

Samuel

So, how is your direction? Are you following Christ? Is your objective to be like Him? 

Alicia

It is way too easy to follow a set of rules, especially when they are what everybody else is doing. You know, tradition? Man-made expectations? But how often are we more concerned about what people think than what God wants and the Bible actually says?

Samuel

Is your goal to look good to others? Is it perfect adherence to a list of rules that you think makes you a good Christian? Will you end up in the joys of Christ-likeness or the hypocritical poverty of self-righteousness?

Together, we all should prayerfully consider what it means to be Christ-like, not self-righteous. After all, the key to holiness is first love. Our foundation to all men knowing that we are Christ's disciples is our love for Him and others. 

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Christian Liberty: A Few Thoughts

It's just Alicia on here today. I had a few thoughts I wanted to share. It's just something the Lord has been working on in my heart over the last few years and now more than ever. Please share your thoughts!

Christian liberty is one of those hot topics.

In most circles, you have the camp of people trying to live what they deem holy lives, insisting that everyone else follow their rules, and acting rather legalistic. And then you have the camp people shouting Christian liberty from the roof tops and acting rather worldly. 

Neither camp is right, but I don't have time to go into all that today.

Instead, I have a few thoughts. And just a few.

"All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any...For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." -1 Corinthians 6:12&20

Here's the point. 

Are we willing to give up our liberties for the sake of honoring Christ?

• Not all things are edifying. They may be lawful (not directly forbidden in Scripture), but are they edifying to fellow believers and the testimony of the Christ? 

• Do we care more about our liberties than about the name of Christ or fellow believers? If so, we are wrong. We can insist on our way and insist that it is lawful. Or we can be unselfish and give up a liberty for the sake of edifying someone else.

Are we haughty and adopt a holier-than-thou spirit if we do make sacrifices? Or are we Spirit-led?

• If we do give up some things, are we willing to remember that there are seasons in life and we are to be continually led by the Holy Spirit? In other words, something may not be right for a season, but are we willing to acknowledge that the Lord may actually lead us to do it later on because of changed circumstances? We have no right to allow a sacrifice to become an unbreakable rule. 

• If we give up a liberty, do we insist that everybody else do the same? It's wrong if we do. We are believer-priests. The Lord leads different people differently (in all matters that are not direct commands in Scripture.)

• Do we insist that we will "never compromise" on areas that are not deemed sin in the Bible? If so, we are not being Spirit led, but have turned a sacrifice or principle into a rule and/or an idol. And, if so, the statement insinuates that others who do not share our view are compromisers - which is in itself an act of pride. 

Are we willing to allow the Holy Spirit to direct our lives rather than tradition?

• If we discover that the way we've always done things is no longer expedient, are we willing to change? We're not talking about making provision for the flesh here. Tradition is good, and we are to honor it as long as it is godly and continues to be edifying (Proverbs 22:28.) However, if a tradition (even a good one) is hindering the work of the gospel, it needs to go.

Those are my few thoughts for today. We can all do better about making sacrifices for the testimony of Christ, having a meeker attitude when we do, and being willing to swallow our pride when our tradition is not necessarily edifying. 

Please share your thoughts!

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Are We Balanced? Thoughts on Mirroring Mercy and Truth

We're still endeavoring to complete our improvements of Pertinent Panoramas, including transferring it from Alicia's Google+ account to its own. Please bear with us as we complete the work of setting up this blog! It's crazy how hard it is to manage our daily lives and still find time for this blog. But God is good, right? He provides, He enables.

Today, we're sharing a few thoughts on being balanced and by mirroring Christ through the unity of compassion and condemnation. We welcome your comments!

Samuel

Mercy and truth seem to disallow each other in our human minds. How can God have mercy and not compromise truth? More specifically for us as Christians, how can we maintain holy standards while still having an attitude of mercy toward others? I am sure each one of us can think others that have fallen into one proverbial ditch or the other. With a little honesty, we should admit that we have done the same.

Alicia

Maintaining balance is essential in our Christians lives, both for ourselves and for those we influence in any way whatsoever. I have often seen people shy away from liberal ideology and jump straight into legalism. I have often seen someone become rightfully wounded by over-zealous conservatives (who proclaim their opinions as gospel truths) and respond by shying away from all things conservative. They spring directly into the ditch of liberal thinking or utter ungodliness, allowing bitterness to make a root in their lives. And I can think of times in my own lives where I have jumped into a proverbial ditch to avoid a problem on the other side - only to realize I'm still in a ditch. 

Samuel

Mercy and truth do not conflict with each other. In fact, they complement each other. In Scripture, mercy and truth are mentioned together at least twenty times. As believers, neither quality should be lacking in our lives. 

Our example, Jesus, showed mercy for all mankind by his death on the cross. He reached out to the broken, sick, hurting, and poor with compassion. Yet, there were times he proclaimed truth at the risk of offending people. He told many outstanding religious leaders the truth about what God really thought of their actions. He pushed away the proud and self-righteous with condemnation. 

Sometimes, it is necessary to use the law of God to confront sin.

"Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God...for by the law is the knowledge of sin." -Romans 3:19-20

When a practice is clearly wrong (according to the Word of God), it is our Christian duty to be the ambassador for Christ. It is not our job to condemn, but rather to show a person that he is condemned already. 

"He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." -John 3:18

An individual in sexual sin is not condemned because he is an adulterer, sodomite, etc. A drunk is not condemned because he is a drunk. A drug addict is not condemned because he is a drug addict. An abuser is not condemned because he is an abuser. Every one is condemned because of what he has chosen to do with Jesus Christ. 

We tend to bring extra guilt on certain sins, but everyone is ripe for judgment. God doesn't hate sinners. In fact, God loves all people and wishes to save them in order to pursue a love relationship with himself. John 3:16 and 2 Peter 2:9 are key verses to illustrate this truth. 

It is right for us to show the world that they are condemned, but only if we also show that we have a heart of love and compassion toward them. God does not enjoy judging sinners. He wants everyone escape justice through the sacrifice Christ made on their behalf. 

Alicia

It's pretty important that we maintain mercy toward the lost, remembering that we are just as capable of the worst imaginable sins as those without Christ. I know that I'd be involved in the sins we as Christians tend to label "the really bad sins." We need to look at ourselves with the realization that we are no better than the most vile murderer, abuser, addict. Reaching the lost with truth absolutely has to be motivated by mercy.

At the same time, we have to show the same mindset with our Christian brothers and sisters. There will be a lot said on this blog about being balanced and not diving into proverbial ditches of either liberalness or legalism. Mercy should be our motivator for conveying truth to fellow believers. 

Oh, and grace should be our response on the issues we disagree on. Believe it or not, there are issues God is quiet on, leaving room for his Holy Spirit to work and the principles -- rather than commands -- of Scripture to be applied. As one Facebook friend said, "...We shouldn't shout the loudest in the areas where God is most quiet. Nor should we stay silent in the areas where God has clearly spoken."

Samuel

Our goal as Christians is not to "be right" or prove someone wrong. Our purpose must be to communicate the heart of God - including his justice and compassion. We must never be afraid to tell someone what God actually says about a social issue, but we should be very afraid to attach God's name to our opinion. This is particularly true when our words do not come from a heart of love.

Alicia

The world can tell when we are motivated by love. Our fellow believers can tell when we are motivated by grace. And, here on Pertinent Panoramas, we hope that our posts convey our desire to let Jesus flow out of us...balancing mercy and truth.

Please share your thoughts.

We're working hard on several blog posts we feel are vitally relevant and important. Stay tuned for more! As always, please like, share, and invite your friends to do the same.

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What We Believe

We're so glad you asked what we believe.

 Quick Facts

We Are...

...born-again believers in Jesus Christ. 

...members of Stanley Heights Baptist Church in Chattanooga, TN.

We Believe...

...that salvation is by faith and grace alone. 

...that baptism is the first step of obedience for the new Christian, although it does not save.

...believers are to glorify God with their lives, fulfill the Great Commission, and worship God - both through individual praise, corporate worship, and by acts of obedience and love.

We Desire...

...to seek the truth, apply the truth, and live the truth above all else. We wish to minister the Word of God accurately, passionately, and practically.

...to be authentic and real about our faith and our lives. No one is perfect. No one has arrived. We're here to be raw, vulnerable, and endeavor to show the love of Christ while actively proclaiming His Word.

Our Foundation

For a quick overview of our foundation and philosophies, please visit our church website. 

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Welcome

Hello there. We are Samuel and Alicia Jones, a husband and wife ministry team with the desire to bring Pertinent Panoramas to relevant issues of today. Accept our warm welcome, brew a cup of coffee or tea, and enjoy the view.

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