THAT WHICH IS UNCHANGEABLE

            Each person in the world has the innate ability to choose between good and evil.  This characteristic is possessed by all races of man and extends into each area of man's environmental circumstance.  That is, in whatever situation a person finds themselves, whatever human relationship (i.e., husband-wife, boyfriend-girlfriend, parent-child, friend-enemy), a work relationship (i.e., either employee or employer), governmental relationship (i.e., as the governed or those that govern), a religious relationship (i.e., un-churched or churched).  In all of these situations (i.e., named above), the personal must establish a mode of personal morality and ethics in their conduct - this applies to both men and women of accountable age and capabilities (i.e., the mentally handicapped excused). 

            The ability of every person to make a choice about his or her personal morality and ethical standards is important to understand as a first step to acquiring and accepting personal responsibility for our actions.  Each person must come to terms with the personal responsibility that they have in each fact of existence here in this world.  Once the individual understands this fact about themselves they will then be in a position to adapt themselves to a personal thought out standard of morality and ethics or to adapt their actions and attitudes to some other acceptable standard.  The Biblical standard of right is unchangeable for eternally!

ANARCHY DEFINED:

"Anarchy, 

1.         Absence of governmental authority or law.

2.         Disorder and confusion,

Greek, [< anarkhos, without a ruler.]"

The American Heritage Dictionary, THIRD EDITION.

CONSIDER GOD'S INSTRUCTION:

Jeremiah 10:23,

23        O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.  Since man cannot direct his own steps in the matter of human and divine relationship and in his interaction with other humans and his environmental circumstance without Divine assistance.  Every person is doomed to fail in establishing order without Divine guidance - "Fact!"  It is of the greatest importance to understand this principle as the only way to avoid anarchy (i.e., "disorder and confusion") in human interaction and division between God and mankind.

WRANGLING, ANGER, WARFARE:

            All of the problems of the human family reside in man's unwillingness to accept the instruction from God.  There are many different religions in existence today, most all of them are at variance with each other and yet they all claim to be from God or from some Divine source.  Yet, God is not a God of disorder, anarchy, etc.

Malachi 2:10,

10        Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?

Mark 12:30-32,

30        And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.

31        And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

32        And the scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:

Romans 3:30,

30        Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.

1 Corinthians 8:6,

6         But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.

Ephesians  4:1-6,

1          I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

2          With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

3          Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

4          There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

5          One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

6          One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

1 Timothy  2:5,

5          For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;

James 2:18-20,

18        Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

19        Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

20        But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?  (KJV)

glclair@aol.com

DISPUTES

            The normal interaction of humans will invariably include disputes between them over many and sundry points or items that are common to all. Perhaps we may better point this out by showing that this has always been true of man from the beginning of God’s creation.  From a personal point of concern, I have continued to pursue God’s way in spite of opposition several times in my life as a preacher [i.e. teacher] of God’s Word. There have been many times as I have presented God’s Written Word to an audience, that after the study I have been ask to clarify [i.e. or defend] my teaching on a certain point, this is a normal interaction with an audience under normal circumstance. In my early years as a teacher of God’s Written Word I was impatient with those who would question what I had taught. This impatience often led me to improperly impugn the motives of everyone who questioned those things that I was teaching.

There are many instances where examples of disputes are revealed in the Holy Scriptures sometimes the disputants were honest and sometimes one [i.e. or more than one] of them was dishonest, please note some of the references:

Eve and the Devil [i.e. the Devil disputed with Eve about God’s instruction] ---                                                                              2 Cor. 11:2-3, “2 For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy: for I espoused you to one husband, that I might present you (as) a pure virgin to Christ. 3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ.” ASV

1 Tim 2:13-14, “13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve; 14 and Adam was not beguiled, but the woman being beguiled hath fallen into transgression:” ASV

EVE LOST HER WAY BECAUSE SHE DID NOT STAND FIRM WITH THE TRUTH THAT SHE HAD RECEIVED FROM GOD - Gen 2:16-17, “16 And Jehovah God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” ASV  ... glclair@aol.com

Consider Magazine is an independent work by Garreth L. Clair

Garreth has over 50 years experience as a preacher, and is currently the preacher for the church that meets at 4840 Cemetery Road, in Hilliard OH.

http://www.cemeteryroadchurchofchrist.org/

Copyright 2005, All Rights Reserved.  (Please contact us for permission to reprint.)

Please help us show up on search engines, by putting a link to http://www.considermagazine.com on your website!

Count since April 5, 2008